I turned over on the bed for what felt like the hundredth time, but it didn’t make any difference.
The mattress was as hard as a rock.
Every time I shifted, another part of my body began to ache.
With a tired groan, I forced myself to sit up and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, letting out a loud yawn.
My hair was a complete mess as I blinked several times, trying to clear the sleep from my eyes.
Only then did I finally look around.
The room was enormous.
It was much bigger than the tiny apartment my boyfriend and I had been struggling to afford back in the city.
The high ceiling stretched above me, supported by dark stone pillars carved with strange symbols I couldn’t understand.
The furniture looked old yet elegant.
Even the bed I was sitting on looked like something a king would sleep in.
I frowned.
“Where was I?”
The question had barely left my lips before the memories came rushing back.
Cross hand ripping a heart straight out of someone’s chest.
The way everyone had dropped to their knees before him.
The last thing I remembered was collapsing.
“The heart…” I screamed so loudly that I nearly rolled off the bed.
My breathing became heavy as I grabbed the blanket tightly.
“It wasn’t a dream.”
The room suddenly felt far too quiet.
I slowly looked around again, trying to calm myself.
That was when something caught my attention.
A large painting hung on the wall opposite the bed.
For some reason, I hadn’t noticed it before.
Curious, I climbed off the bed and walked toward it.
The closer I got, the slower my footsteps became.
“No way.”
The woman in the painting, she looked exactly like me.
The same eyes.
The same lips.
Even the shape of her face was identical.
The only difference was the way she carried herself.
She wore an elegant black gown embroidered with silver threads, and resting on her head was a beautiful crown unlike anything I had ever seen.
She looked calm and confident.
Like she belonged in this strange kingdom.
A strange chill crept down my spine.
I carefully lifted the painting off the wall and my fingers slowly brushed over her painted face.
Her soft doe eyes.
Her plump lips.
Even the tiny beauty mark near her jaw was in the exact same place as mine.
I swallowed hard.
“Who are you?” Before I could say another word, a knock suddenly echoed through the room.
I quickly returned the painting before turning toward the door.
It slowly creaked open.
A young girl stepped inside.
She immediately lowered her head.
She looked like a female version of Cross, only much smaller and softer.
Short black horns curved from her head.
Her long dark hair was neatly tied behind her back, and unlike the demons who had attacked me, there wasn’t a trace of cruelty on her face.
Instead, she looked nervous.
“Princess Imogen.” She bowed deeply.
“The King has ordered us to deliver your breakfast.”
As soon as she finished speaking, several other servants entered the room.
Each of them carried large silver trays.
One after another, they carefully placed the covered dishes on the dining table before stepping back respectfully.
There were so many plates that my eyes widened.
Were they feeding an army?
The first maid smiled politely.
“Enjoy your meal, Princess. We will be back to dress you up for the King.”
I simply stood there.
My brain refused to catch up with everything happening around me.
Princess?
Dress up for the King?
I blinked twice.
“What exactly is going on?”
No one answered.
Instead, they all lowered their heads respectfully.
I rubbed my forehead.
This kingdom was determined to confuse me.
“Where is Cross?” I asked.
The moment his name left my mouth, every maid in the room gasped.
One even covered her mouth.
The young girl standing in front hurriedly looked toward the closed door as though expecting someone to appear.
“No one calls the King’s name,” she whispered.
I stared at her, rolled my eyes and walked straight past her.
“I need to speak with him.”
“Princess!” She hurried after me.
“Princess, you shouldn’t be running around. You could get injured and you have to stay spotless for the King.”
I stopped walking.
I wasn’t even running.
Slowly, I turned to look at her and raised one eyebrow.
“Take me to him.”
She hesitated before bowing again.
“The King does not want to be disturbed and I have no idea where he is at the moment. He just got back after hundreds of years, and I am sure he will have a lot of business on hand, Princess.”
There was genuine respect in her voice and that alone surprised me.
“So I can’t see him right now?”
“You can, but you have to wait.” She smiled gently.
“Eat your breakfast first, then dress up for him.”
As she spoke, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
I narrowed my eyes.
Why was she blushing?
Don’t tell me, she admired Cross too.
Of course she did.
The devil probably had an entire fan club.
“I will escort you back to your room. You need to eat Princess.”
She stepped aside and politely gestured toward the room.
With a defeated sigh, I followed her back into the room.
She hurried ahead and carefully pulled out one of the chairs.
I sat down.
I nodded and within seconds, every servant quietly left the room.
The large doors closed behind them and silence returned.
Finally.
I rubbed my hands together.
“Now we’re talking.”
The smell drifting from the covered dishes was surprisingly good.
My stomach growled loudly.
I leaned forward, then paused.
Something felt off.
I looked across the table.
“Where are the utensils?”
No spoon, fork or knife.
I blinked.
Were demons seriously eating with their hands?
I sighed.
“I should’ve stopped that girl.” But she was already gone.
I shrugged.
“Whatever.”
I reached forward, grabbed one of the silver plates and pulled it toward me.
“This better be worth all the drama.”
I lifted the cover and the smile disappeared from my face.
For one long second, I simply stared.
Something inside the plate moved and two tiny eyes blinked at me.
A wet tentacle slowly lifted into the air.
My entire body froze.
The creature blinked again and I realized it was a live Octopus.
Its tentacles wriggled across the plate.
I immediately screamed so loudly the walls echoed.
The chair tipped backward.
I stumbled, flailing my arms wildly, and crashed onto the floor.
In panic, my hand accidentally smacked the plate.The octopus flew straight toward me and landed on my shoulder.
Its cold tentacles wrapped around my arm.
I screamed even louder.
“No! No! Get it off! Get it off me!”
I rolled across the floor like a madwoman, trying desperately to shake it loose.
My heart pounded wildly.
“I hate octopuses!”
I wasn’t just scared of them.
I was allergic to them and this one was alive.
“Oh my God!”
My skin immediately began to itch and tears blurred my vision as I clawed at my arm, trying to pull the thing away.
“My Princess!”
The door burst open.
The maid from earlier rushed inside, followed by several others.
The moment they saw me rolling across the floor with the octopus clinging to my arm, every single one of them gasped.
One of them hurried over while another carefully grabbed the wriggling octopus and pulled it off me.
The creature waved its tentacles angrily before the maid carried it away as though nothing unusual had happened.
I sat frozen on the floor, my chest rising and falling rapidly.
“I… I hate octopuses.” My voice trembled.
The maids looked at one another in complete confusion.
“My Princess,” the first maid asked carefully, “What is wrong? I thought you loved octopus.”
She looked genuinely worried.
“The King is going to kill me if he finds out.”
Before I could explain, a violent cough escaped my throat.
I pressed a hand against my chest, struggling to catch my breath.
The itching became worse.
I scratched my neck, my arm and my cheek.
“My Princess?” One of the maids suddenly leaned closer.
“What’s that on your face?”
My heart skipped.
“What?”
She pointed toward me with a trembling finger.
I quickly turned toward the large mirror standing nearby.
The moment I saw my reflection, another scream escaped my lips.
Tiny red sores had begun appearing across my cheeks.
More continued to spread over my neck.
“No! No! No!”
I touched one carefully before pulling my hand away.
The maid screamed too.
“The Princess is sick!”
We both stared at each other before screaming again.
The room instantly fell into chaos.
One maid ran toward the door.
“I need to find the King! The Princess is going crazy!”
“Wait!” I shouted.
“It’s just an allergy!”
She had already disappeared and I let out a frustrated groan.
Now the entire palace probably thought I had lost my mind.
The itching spread across my shoulders.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I pulled off my jacket and tossed it onto the floor, leaving only my tank top.
I scratched my arms desperately.
“It itches.”
The remaining maids stood nearby, completely helpless.
None of them knew what to do.
One offered me water.
Another suggested another plate of food.
I was frustrated.
“I don’t need more octopus!” I screamed at her.
The poor maid immediately lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
I sighed.
She hadn’t done it on purpose.
This world was simply different.
To them, serving fresh octopus was probably the greatest meal imaginable.
To me, it was a nightmare.
Suddenly, the room suddenly became quiet.
A strange pressure filled the air.
Even before anyone spoke, I felt it.
The maids quickly bowed their heads and the door slowly opened.
“Imogen.” His voice was calm. Find the original chapter at g.com.
I looked up.
Cross stood at the entrance.
The black coat draped over his shoulders, and his red eyes immediately settled on me.
The playful smile he usually wore was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he looked worried.
His gaze swept over my face before stopping on the red sores spreading across my skin.
His expression darkened.
“Leave us.”
The command was quiet.
Yet every maid hurried out without hesitation.
Within seconds, the room belonged only to the two of us.
Cross crossed the distance between us in only a few steps before kneeling beside me.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I looked at him in disbelief.
“Where have you been?” I demanded.
“Your girls gave me a live octopus to eat and I’m allergic to it. That’s murder.”
Cross actually looked confused.
“I thought you loved octopus.”.His brows drew together.
“You would always want me to catch them for you.”
Frustration bubbled inside me again and I raised my voice.
“Don’t you get it? I’m not Imogen. So I can’t love what she loves!”
The words came out louder than I intended.
Silence filled the room.
Cross didn’t argue.
He simply lowered his gaze.
For a moment, he looked less like a feared king and more like a little boy being scolded.
Somehow, seeing him like that made it harder to stay angry.
He finally spoke.
“Hold on.”
Without waiting for permission, he gently reached for my hands.
His palms were surprisingly warm.
I instinctively wanted to pull away but before I could, he closed his eyes.
A faint crimson glow slowly appeared beneath his skin.
Thin red veins spread from his neck, down his arm until they reached his hand.
They flowed into mine.
I froze.
A strange warmth spread through my body.
The unbearable itching slowly began to disappear and the burning sensation faded.
One by one, the sores started shrinking.
I stared at my arm in disbelief.
The redness was disappearing before my eyes.
Within seconds, my skin looked normal again.
I slowly looked back at him.
Cross opened his eyes.
“Do you feel better now?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
I looked down at my hands again.
“What just happened?”
“It’s just me passing my healing essence to you.” He shrugged slightly.
“It’s nothing.”
Nothing?
He had just healed me in seconds.
I wasn’t sure “nothing” was the right word.
I nodded slowly as I noticed something.
Cross wasn’t looking at my face anymore.
His eyes had drifted lower and my eyes slowly followed his gaze.
Realization hit me.
I had taken off my jacket.
I was only wearing my tank top and this devil was staring at my oranges.
Heat rushed to my face.
“Pervert!” I shouted as I quickly stood up.
The sudden movement made my legs wobble.
Before I could fall, Cross reached out and caught me around the waist.
His grip was firm but careful.
“You are staring at my boobies?” I blurted out.
He tilted his head.
“Boobies?”
His expression was completely serious.
“What is that?”
I stared at him.
Was he serious?
I sighed dramatically.
“My breasts.”
Understanding slowly appeared on his face and he smirked.
“Aren’t they mine anyway?”
He raised an eyebrow so confidently that my jaw nearly dropped.
I felt my face burn.
This stupid devil.
“You are disgusting.” I pulled away from him.
“You can only see and never touch.”
I quickly grabbed my jacket from the floor and slipped it back on before sitting on the bed with my arms folded.
Cross watched me quietly.
His eyes never left me.
There was amusement dancing in his red eyes.
He slowly walked toward me.
The smile on his face gradually disappeared.
“Imogen.”
His tone became serious.
I really hated it.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“You can keep your talks.” I rubbed my stomach.
“I’m really hungry, Cross and I can’t hold it anymore. Get me real food and I will listen to the rubbish you have to say.”
“It’s more important than the food, Imogen.”
His expression quickly became serious again.
I studied him for a moment.
Whatever he wanted to say, It clearly mattered.
I let out a small sigh.
“What’s this about?”