Rudra's eyelashes fluttered open, his vision swimming before slowly settling into focus. He sat up with a heavy groan, pressing the heels of his hands against his temples.
"Agh, my head..." he muttered, massaging the throbbing ache behind his eyes.
He blinked against the room's soft, ambient glow, taking in his surroundings—a sprawling canopy bed draped in silk sheets, framed by ornate mahogany paneling carved with intricate golden motifs. It was a palace bedroom, luxurious beyond anything he had seen recently.
"Where the hell am I?" Rudra whispered, his mind racing. The last thing he remembered was slumping against the cold, cracked marble of a ruined pillar, drained to the marrow after an exhausting battle.
"Not looking good, boss," a familiar, mechanical voice chimed directly inside his mind.
Rudra froze, his hands still pressed to his head. "What's going on? What happened?"
"Well, to put it plainly..." The System's voice dropped into a somber, grave cadence. "You died, Host. Right there against that pillar."
Rudra's eyes widened in sheer shock. "What?! I died?!"
"Afraid so," the System continued solemnly. "You've transmigrated again. Right now, you're occupying the body of Count Aethelgard—"
Panicked, Rudra threw back the silk sheets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to stand—only to freeze mid-motion. He caught sight of his left arm. Veins of ethereal blue energy pulsed beneath dark, demonic scales. His Devil Bringer.
A sharp, hysterical burst of laughter echoed in his head as the System completely broke character.
"PFT—HAHAHA! Oh man, I got you! I actually got you! You should've seen your face!"
Rudra's panic vanished, instantly replaced by simmering rage. "You annoying motherfucker..."
"'Count Aethelgard'!" the System cackled, clutching its virtual sides. "You actually believed that!"
"Shut the hell up before I figure out how to exorcise you from my head," Rudra growled, raising a glowing fist.
Before he could vent his frustration, the heavy double doors of the chamber creaked open. Rudra snapped his head toward the noise, his arm instinctively dropping to his side to hide the scales.
A young woman in an elegant violet gown stepped through the doorway. The moment her emerald eyes locked onto him sitting upright, her anxious expression melted into pure relief.
"Rudra! You're awake!" Princess Hisui gasped, her gown rustling as she rushed to his bedside. "How are you feeling?"
Rudra glanced between the princess hovering anxiously beside him and his glowing arm, exhaling a long, weary breath. "Honestly, Hisui? I'm fine. Just dealing with a headache... and a severe urge to destroy something."
"Still here, boss!" the System wheezed softly.
Rudra closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, praying for the strength not to lose his mind.
"Then you need to rest," Hisui insisted, stepping closer to tuck the fallen duvet back around his waist. "You shouldn't even be sitting up."
Rudra looked up at her, gently nudging the blanket aside. "Hisui... what happened? How did I end up in the palace?"
"After the battle, you walked over to that broken pillar and collapsed," she explained, her voice softening as her hand lingered near the edge of the mattress. "I tried waking you, but you wouldn't respond. I panicked and thought... well, I had the guards carry you straight to my private chambers so the royal physicians could examine you."
She offered a small, relieved smile. "Turns out you were just thoroughly spent and fell into a deep sleep."
Rudra rolled his shoulders, wincing slightly as his sore muscles stretched. "How long was I out?"
"Three days."
"Three days?" He raised an eyebrow, letting out a low whistle. "Damn. I really was wiped out."
"Is there anything you need?" Hisui asked, nervously adjusting her sleeves. "Water? A proper meal?"
Rudra glanced down, only now realizing his bare chest was on full display and his battle-worn coat was nowhere to be seen. "Actually, yeah—one last question. Why am I half-naked?"
Hisui's gaze darted downward, and a sudden, vivid blush flushed across her cheeks. She cleared her throat, stammering, "W-Well! Your clothes were torn to shreds, covered in dirt and dried blood! I couldn't just leave you sleeping like that!"
"Oh? So you took them off?" Rudra asked, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
Hisui looked away, giving a timid nod.
"Does that mean you cleaned my body too?"
Crossing her arms, she tried to reclaim her regal composure, though the crimson stain on her cheeks betrayed her. "Yes, I did! And you should feel honored—a princess of the realm personally tended to you!"
"Oh, I'm honored," Rudra chuckled, leaning back against the ornate headboard. "Just a little disappointed, though."
Hisui blinked, caught entirely off guard. "Disappointed? Why?"
"Well, while I was out cold, you got to inspect every inch of me," Rudra said smoothly, his eyes flashing with playful mischief. He reached out, his warm fingers lightly catching her chin to tilt her flustered face up toward his. "Meanwhile, I didn't get to see anything. Don't you think we should make it fair?"
Hisui's face practically burst into flames. "Y-You—pervert!"
She shoved his chest with both hands—nearly losing her balance in the process—before spinning on her heel and bolting out of the chamber, slamming the heavy double doors shut behind her.
Rudra's easy laughter echoed through the quiet room as he sank deeper into the pillows.
"Smooth, boss. Real smooth," the System chimed in, sounding thoroughly entertained. "Though if her royal guards march back in here to execute you for harassing the princess, don't expect me to bail you out."
"Shut up," Rudra smirked, finally closing his eyes to rest.
A few quiet seconds drifted past before he opened a single eye, casting a lazy glance toward the heavy velvet curtains draped near the balcony. "She's gone. You can come out now."
The fabric rustled softly. Ultear materialized from the shadows near the window, stepping into the room's warm, ambient light as she adjusted her dark cloak. "I really can't hide anything from you, can I?" she murmured softly.
"I don't know about anyone else," Rudra replied, pulling himself back up against the headboard, "but I'm pretty sure you just have a perverted habit of watching people sleep."
Ultear didn't offer a witty comeback. Instead, she crossed the room in silence and sank onto the edge of the mattress beside him. Her sudden quietness instantly threw him off.
Before he could ask what was wrong, she reached out, her cool fingertips gently brushing the skin near his right eye—where blood had poured. Her dark eyes shimmered with unspoken guilt.
As she parted her lips to speak, Rudra caught her lower lip with the tip of his finger, silencing her.
"Don't," he said gently. "Don't go thinking this happened because of you. I've been fighting non-stop since the Grand Magic Games—I just needed a damn nap, alright?"
Ultear searched his eyes for a quiet moment before giving a small, relieved nod. Rudra cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing the gentle curve of her cheekbone. Her gaze softened, her breath hitching as she leaned helplessly into his touch.
The stillness in the room shifted, tightening with unspoken heat. Ultear leaned down, her lips meeting his in a slow, deep kiss that quickly kindled into something raw and passionate. Rudra pulled her flush against him, his hands sliding around her waist to unfasten the clasp of her cloak, drawing her down onto the mattress.
Click.
The distinct, metallic latch of the double doors turning cut sharply through the quiet chamber.
They broke apart instantly. Ultear caught her breath, her cheeks flushed, before casting him a quick, wicked smirk. "I'll see you later, champion," she whispered, dissolving into the shadows a breath before the heavy doors swung inward.
Hisui stepped back into the room balancing a tray of warm tea, her face still faintly pink from their earlier encounter. "Rudra, I brought some—"
She trailed off, freezing in her tracks as she met his gaze. Rudra was sitting upright in bed, glaring directly at the doorway with an utterly aggrieved expression.
"What?" Hisui blinked, thoroughly bewildered. "Why are you looking at me like I just ruined your life?"
Rudra let out a long, heavy sigh and collapsed back into the pillows. "Because your timing, Princess, is genuinely atrocious."
Baffled by his annoyance, Hisui carefully crossed the room and set the tray of steaming tea onto the bedside table. When she turned back to scold him, her words died in her throat. Her eyes widened, and a deep crimson flush instantly spread across her cheeks, burning all the way to the tips of her ears.
Underneath the thin silk blanket, a sharp, prominent bulge was pressing upward, pointing as if it were trying to tear straight through the fabric.
"W-What is that?!" Hisui squeaked in pure panic, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the duvet.
Rudra blinked, genuinely confused for a fraction of a second. "What do you mean?"
He glanced down at where her hand was pointing, only then realizing that his little brother was straining prominently against the fabric. Between Ultear's abrupt exit and Hisui barging in, his body hadn't exactly had the chance—or the desire—to wind down. Shifting his gaze back up to her, he remained entirely unfazed by her sheer panic.
"What else? It's my dick."
Hisui's mouth dropped open in complete shock. "I—I know what it is! But why is it... why is it standing like that?!"
"It's a completely natural reaction," Rudra said casually, leaning back onto his elbows and taking distinct pleasure in her total loss of composure. "Guys get morning wood when they wake up. Besides, why are you acting so scandalized? Didn't you say you personally cleaned my whole body earlier?"
Hisui stammered, crossing her arms defensively to hide her flustered state. "I—I only cleaned your face, chest, and arms, okay!"
"Ohhh," Rudra drawled, a dark, mischievous smirk spreading across his face. "So you didn't get a full look back then?"
He shifted, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His feet hit the polished floorboards, and the blanket slid down, draping loosely around his waist. "How about now? Want a proper look?"
Hisui couldn't form a sentence. Her emerald eyes were locked onto him, her chest rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths as her curiosity subtly fought her shame. Her feet moved almost on their own, taking a slow, hesitant step closer to the bed.
Before her royal propriety could pull her back, Rudra reached out, wrapped his fingers loosely around her wrist, and gave a firm, sudden yank.
Hisui lost her balance with a soft gasp, tumbling forward and landing squarely on her knees on the soft carpet right between his thighs. Flustered and indignantly reaching out to push him off, she snapped her head up—only for the words to freeze completely in her throat.
Rudra's shaft was right at eye level, just centimeters away from her lips, boasting impressive size and pulsing lightly with heat.
The scent of him, mixed with the residual warmth of the bed, washed over her. She stared at it, wide-eyed and paralyzed, her cheeks burning hotter than ever before. Slowly, magnetically, her gaze drifted up to meet Rudra's.
He was leaning down slightly, resting his forearms on his knees, looking down at her with a lazy, heavy-lidded gaze that radiated absolute confidence.
"Well?" Rudra murmured, his voice low and raspy in the quiet chamber. "What do you think, Princess?"
Hisui tried to draw a breath, but her throat felt bone-dry. The fiery, proud princess of Fiore had been reduced to a blushing, wide-eyed mess, trapped between his knees with nowhere to look but right at him. In the stillness of her private bedchamber, the only sound that broke the silence was the heavy, audible gulp down her throat as her eyes flicked back down to the rigid length hovering inches from her face.