Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

As Luna trembled like a petal caught in a storm, each moment threatening to crush her beneath the weight of her memories, Adam rushed to her.

His hand hovered above her trembling back, hesitant to touch it.

He wanted to pull her against his chest, to tell her that together, they'd overcome whatever trauma haunted her. But would he shatter the trust they had built?

Despite the question, his eyes narrowed into fiery slits. Why hesitate when she was suffering? The sight was unbearable, infuriating even. Was this what he wanted for her after promising her peace?

Each question pounded at his heart, making it throb painfully as his hand shattered the invisible barrier separating them.

'What's trust worth if you suffer? No! I'll protect you!' He gripped her shoulder, an inferno of resolve blazing in his eyes. 'Even if you hate me!'

Her muscles tensed under his palm, and a shudder jolted her body. He knew she would react, but before she could, he closed in.

Lips against her ear, breath caressing it, he whispered.

"You're safe, Luna. You'll always be." His voice cracked. "I'll obliterate anyone trying to hurt you." Stay updated via empire

Luna's breathing hastened as his words slowly overpowered Zepar's.

Her raised hand, on its way to slap him away, halted. It trembled mid-air for a second before she lifted her face, revealing her damp cheeks and sorrowful eyes.

"Safe..." She bit her lips, her voice a suppressed murmur as a sliver of her usual resolve reignited in her chest.

As if time resumed its course, her frozen hand moved again. Gently, it came to cover his, a hesitant warmth spreading between them.

One that broke the next second as she retrieved it and shook her head.

"You don't understand, Adam. This darkness inside me... I tried to get rid of it." Her lips quivered. "But I can't. Just knowing he's alive hurts. It's as if his eyes are constantly watching and judging me."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

His arms trembled in rage, and his jaw clenched. Through them, his voice resounded, chilling the room.

"Who?"

She took a shaky breath, her teeth sinking into her already bleeding lips. But despite the whispers and fear gnawing at her, Adam had to know—deserved to know. Yet, she turned her face aside. It was too hard to watch his innocent eyes while recounting her bittersweet life in the demon realm.

After a second to calm her raging heart in vain, her lips finally parted.

"Duke Zepar."

He frowned at the familiar name. Wasn't he the same bastard the cultists had tried to summon? Although curious, he remained silent. She needed time to gather her thoughts, and he wouldn't pressure her.

As the moon's soft glow filtered through the window, casting its pale glow on their frowning faces, Luna's sorrowful voice resounded again.

"I've never met my parents. But I never missed their presence. Why would I when I grew up in that castle?" A hollow chuckle left her throat. "I had servants catering to my every whim."

A rare, tender smile crept over her face as the image of a plump woman flashed before her eyes.

"One of them was half-human. I truly admired Belle, you know? Hated by both species, she never gave up until she secured a coveted job. Like the others, I showered her with scorn and ridicule for seven years. But do you know what she did?"

He shook his head as she drew a sharp breath.

"She smiled, Adam. When the other servants ripped her clothes, she smiled. When they whipped her, she smiled again. And... and..." Tears streamed down her regretful eyes. "When I told her she was an aberration no one wanted, she still smiled."

His lips twisted before the demon realm's cruelty. The thing about it that made his nose wrinkle in disgust was how they made a young Luna, a child, despise someone because of prejudices.

"Yes, Adam. She smiled like you did when we first met. She smiled like you did when you asked me to heal Shihan instead of you. She smiled when she woke before everyone to cook my breakfast and smiled again when she asked me if I wanted treats. So, when I turned seven, I asked her how she endured years of abuse."

She cupped her hands over her face, her sobbing engulfing the room for five minutes.

Then, she continued, her heart heavy with regrets.

"Even if it's hard, I have a stable and peaceful life here, and I can't let a good girl only see the realm's darkness." She repeated Belle's words, looking Adam in the eyes. "She taught me peace and trust, and I ordered everyone to stop bothering her. That's why I tried to keep my distance from you. Each time I saw your smile, my thoughts grew chaotic." She smiled subtly. "Yet, I also wanted to see it more."

A warm sensation spread in Adam's chest for a second before she clamped her legs tighter, and shadows veiled her dimming eyes.

"We became friends and enjoyed each other's presence before Zepar appeared a year later. According to him, my mother sent him to supervise my education. I welcomed and opened my heart to him... What a mistake."

Her hand trembled, and she shuddered, the horror she would recount next dying her views scarlet.

"Everything was fine at first. That's what I thought when he smiled like a father during my demonic essence control classes. But Belle... I realise it now. The sufferings that had stopped for a year came crashing onto her in the worst possible way... she... she started limping in the first month but still smiled. Her face turned paler in the second, and she lost all her fat. It was almost as if she didn't eat anymore. Yet, she still smiled at me. And three months later... her smile... it disappeared."

Upon hearing the story, Adam's fist tightened, and a wrathful breath caught in his throat.

'Don't tell me...'

Luna confirmed his suspicion with her next sobs.

"The other servants found her lying in a pool of blood the next morning. They didn't let me see her corpse, but I heard their mocking: 'Her fat ass got what it deserved for corrupting our lady.'"

Her voice cracked, and she lunged at Adam's chest, burying her face in it and crying her heart out.

"That bastard! He used her like a toy until her mind and body broke while smiling at me. Then... then... he burned me a few years later while recounting how he abused her. He said it was his last lesson while he swallowed my essence, licked his disgusting fingers, and complimented himself for resisting the urge to do the same to me."