episode_0003

Clink. The ice in the glass on the table spun with a quiet rattle. Though the sound of the cubes clinking was drowned out by the noisy chatter of the tavern, the young man listening intently to his companion heard it clearly.

The woman sitting across from him was stunningly beautiful—enough to draw furtive glances even from the rowdy drunks too busy with their own revelry. Her rare silver hair and striking blue eyes alone would have been enough to captivate anyone, but the generous curves barely concealed beneath her loose clothing only amplified her presence.

Yet no one dared approach this alluring woman. The second reason was that she was an immensely powerful mage. The first—and far more decisive—reason was that everyone knew her temperament was even sharper than her magical prowess.

The young man was her companion. He might have been the only one who thought of them that way, but at the very least, they had grown close enough to form a party, go on adventures together, and share personal stories. That was enough for him to consider her a comrade.

Though he believed he had come to understand her to some extent, the life story she had just shared was beyond anything he could have imagined—a tale so shocking it defied belief.

Arina. Unlike the typical hero’s journey, where fame is built gradually from childhood exploits, she had appeared like a comet—sudden and without warning. After accepting her first guild request, she swiftly amassed achievements.

Contrary to those who flaunted their skills by hunting only high-difficulty dungeons, she was an enigma, a mage who concealed herself so thoroughly that even her name remained obscure. That was Arina.

And yet, this same woman had once been Riel Frost—the very ideal and pinnacle of mages. That alone was staggering, but the ordeal she endured as the mage of the hero’s party was even more horrifying.

The young man, Ian, finally parted his heavy lips to ask:

“So… what happened next?”

Everyone seeks happiness. When listening to a story, people naturally hope for a happy ending. Ian was no exception.

He wanted a happy ending. The woman before him was a mage like no other. Surely, she must have used her brilliant wit to escape that crisis. He hoped she would deny the images that had involuntarily surfaced in his mind—images he didn’t even want to recall.

Arina’s lips twisted into a hollow smile. With a self-deprecating tone, she dredged up the past.

“What do you think happened? I was dragged straight to bed. They put a mana-sealing artifact on me so I couldn’t cast spells.”

Like most people, Ian had wished for a happy ending. But the reality Arina described was anything but.

“I couldn’t do anything. Without magic, I was just an ordinary woman in that moment. I had to take his seed into this body, over and over. In exchange for contraceptives, I had to serve that bastard willingly. Sucking, licking, grinding—back when I was a man, I never knew there were so many positions. It’s been five years since then. If I’d gotten pregnant, I’d have a four-year-old child by now.”

As she spoke, Arina’s complexion grew increasingly pallid. Realizing his blunder too late, Ian bowed his head so low it nearly touched the table.

“I’m sorry. That was inconsiderate of me. You must not have wanted to relive that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who brought it up. Maybe… I just wanted to confide in someone and be comforted.”

Arina drained her glass as if shaking off the bitterness, her distant gaze stirring something in Ian’s chest. He desperately tried to suppress the strange emotion welling up inside him. It would be unforgivable to harbor such feelings after hearing her story.

He had convinced himself that Arina was just a friend—a comrade of the same sex. But even knowing her true identity, he couldn’t reconcile the woman before him with the legendary Riel Frost from the rumors. Not that it was surprising.

The person known as Riel Frost had been broken long before his body changed. In his place stood Arina—a woman who had known men the moment she gained a woman’s body.

Resting her chin on her hand, Arina idly rolled the ice in her glass.

“After I got away from him, quite a few men wanted to make me their woman while we were adventuring. What about you, Ian? Are you the same as the others? Do you expect me to bear your child, devote myself to you, and wait obediently for your return like some submissive wife?”

“……”

Ian couldn’t answer. He couldn’t claim he had never entertained such thoughts from the moment he first saw her. But admitting that might hurt her.

“You can be honest. I’m not shameless enough to expect you to see me as a man. It’s only natural you wouldn’t be into a disgusting woman who used to be a man, right? Just tell me the truth. I know my situation is… complicated.”

“Fine, I’ll be honest. It’s true that I saw you as a woman. Not in the exact way you described, but… I’ve had similar thoughts. But I won’t anymore. Not because you’d find it unpleasant or anything. It’s just that, knowing your pain, I can’t look at you that way now.”

“I see. If even you feel that way, then maybe it’s impossible for me to ever have real friends.”

Ian opened his mouth to protest—That’s not what I meant, how could you take it like that?—but his words were cut off by an unexpected interruption.

A woman set a glass down on their table and slid into the seat beside Ian, pulling her chair so close their bodies nearly touched. Her outfit clung to her as tightly as she clung to Ian, leaving little to the imagination.

Her smooth, curvaceous figure was on full display, her revealing attire drawing sharp stares from around the tavern. Yet she paid no mind, pressing herself against Ian without hesitation.

“Ian, drinking alone with this boring woman again? You’d have way more fun—and a much better experience—with me instead of this expressionless doll.”

Her voice was honeyed, her whispers seductive. With flawless looks and a body to match, any man would have fallen for her charms in an instant.

Any man except Ian.

“Back off, Millen. I told you to behave when I’m with Arina.”

Ian was a noble-born adventurer. Nobles turning to adventuring was rare, but Ian had become a topic of conversation for another reason entirely—his face.

His looks were so striking that women flocked to him wherever he went, even among high nobility. Self-proclaimed celibate female adventurers, noble ladies—if word spread that he was visiting their lands, they would come just to catch a glimpse of him.

Among men, he was infamous as the lucky bastard who had women trailing after him. Among women, he was the handsome rogue you had to see at least once before you died. Having been courted by countless beauties, Ian had developed an immunity to seduction tactics.

So even as Millen pressed against him, he pulled away, more concerned with Arina’s reaction. But Arina’s expression had already turned icy.

Millen clicked her tongue at the sight.

“What, are you jealous? Weren’t you the one who said you had no interest in Ian and that I could have him if I wanted? Guess you don’t like losing your toy after all?”

She laughed, wrapping her arms around Ian’s in a show of possession. Arina’s expression didn’t change—only her frigid glare deepened. Ian sighed inwardly, watching the tension between them. He knew this wasn’t mere jealousy.

After six years of adventuring together, he was all too familiar with Arina’s misogyny. She didn’t just dislike women—she loathed them. He had always wondered why, but now, he thought he understood.

The one who had taken everything from Arina was the Beast. But the ones who had betrayed her were all women. And they had betrayed her because they were women.

“Pretty sure I warned you. I don’t care what you do with Ian, but don’t flaunt it in front of me.”

“Oh my, how rude. You’re the one monopolizing him. Do I really have to go through you just to see Ian?”

“We were about to head back to the inn anyway. Couldn’t you wait a little? Or is patience too much to ask? No—that’s not the issue, is it? I must not have made myself clear enough.”

A magic circle flashed into existence above Arina’s palm.

“You wanna do this?”

But Millen didn’t back down. She wasn’t some ordinary village girl—she was a well-known rogue in the guild, with considerable assassination skills. In one smooth motion, she drew a knife hidden between her breasts and leveled it at Arina’s throat.

Caught between the two women’s standoff, Ian could only watch in silent exasperation.

They wouldn’t actually fight. If they did, Millen would undoubtedly die—and the Arina he knew wasn’t the type to torment those weaker than herself.

Sure enough, Arina dispersed the magic circle and stood.

“Fine. I’ll leave. Do whatever you want.”

She turned to go but paused, adding one last remark.

“Here’s some advice. If you’re not just looking for a one-night fling, don’t push yourself on him like some cheap floozy. No man wants a wife who acts like she’ll spread her legs for anyone.”

Millen shrieked in outrage, but Arina was already gone without a backward glance. Sticking her tongue out at Arina’s retreating figure, Millen huffed before quickly softening her expression for Ian.

“Ian~ Now that the nuisance is gone, how about tonight? Just you and me?”

She whispered in a voice designed to stir desire, but Ian didn’t react. Maybe his heart was already set on someone else. Or maybe, after what he’d just heard, he simply wasn’t in the mood.

One thing was certain—he wasn’t interested. Not tonight.