Chapter 130: With this Tina will be..

Luella looked at me and asked,

“Unnie, are you feeling okay?”

It was an unexpected question. Had I been talking in my sleep last night? That thought crossed my mind for a moment.

“Yeah, I’m perfectly fine. Why?”

But at my response, I noticed Luella’s eyes tremble slightly, as if she had expected a different answer.

“Why are you asking?”

“Mm… it’s nothing.”

Her answer was vague at best. I figured it might just be a child’s whim and didn’t think much of it as I slowly changed into my work uniform.

As I adjusted my outfit one last time and lifted my head, I saw Luella covering her eyes with both hands.

“What’s wrong, Luella?”

“…Nothing.”

She looked as if she was embarrassed to see my body.

Come to think of it, even when we bathed together, she always kept her eyes on the floor, never once looking directly at me.

Reflecting on it now, I recalled how her face would flush bright red every single time.

Well, I believed that time would resolve such trivial matters.

Even though Luella had come to live with us, my daily life hadn’t changed much. I still went to work at Grandma Miranda’s shop and spent my days there until evening.

I was saving up my wages little by little. Recently, following Lillian’s advice, I had started anonymously sending a single flower to the young ladies who had once given me gifts.

It was such a curious thing.

All I did was wash dishes and do odd chores—nothing that could be considered particularly productive.

And yet, as time passed, I gradually started to realize how I wanted to live my life.

Even if it was just simple chores, they were teaching me more than anything else ever had.

In my past life, I knew nothing. My entire world was confined to a tiny, one-room space, and all my emotions and happiness came solely from my mother, the only blood relative I had.

But now, things were different.

Now, I had people in my life who were almost too good for me.

Artasha, Viviana, Lillian… and even my childhood friend whom I had yet to meet again.

With their help, maybe I could correct the mistakes I had once made.

That hope nestled deep in my heart, guiding me forward.

“Unnie, have you noticed anything different about yourself?”

The next morning, Luella asked the same question as before.

When I replied that I was still fine, she looked visibly flustered.

Wondering if I had been sleep-talking, I asked her directly, but she firmly denied it.

‘…It’s probably nothing to worry about, right?’

Once again, I brushed it off as just a child’s whim.

But when Luella repeated the same question the next day, and the day after that—several times over—I couldn’t help but start to feel suspicious.

‘Is she doing something while I’m asleep?’

***

“Why isn’t this working…?!”

It was a quiet night, as deep and sunken as a day long past.

As there was no particular change in Tina, Ruella’s once-composed expression gradually twisted with frustration.

Over the past few days, Ruella had boldly attempted actions that even she thought were daring.

Interlocking fingers, a light kiss on the cheek, melting embraces, linking arms, and falling asleep while gazing into each other’s eyes.

Yet, none of these were enough to corrupt Tina.

Eventually, consumed by impatience, Ruella crossed a line she should never have crossed.

Tina’s body—specifically, her buttocks, a sexually sensitive area. Just the sight of that soft and forbidden place was enough to make Ruella’s face burn, and yet, she had tapped it with her palm.

Even for a demon, it was an undeniably wicked act. Surely, even the great demons would fear her at this point.

And yet, Tina remained unchanged. According to the plan, by now, she should have been a completely tamed female, gazing only at Ruella.

The dream demons had said so. That women were so lustful they could conceive just from holding hands while sleeping together.

That even a mere kiss would make them convulsively arch their backs and climax like helpless creatures.

And yet, rather than training her, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of progress.

“Did those things… actually lie to me?”

Frustrated, Ruella bit her nails.

Dream demons.

Persistent creatures that existed in every dimension like cockroaches, the very embodiment of lewdness.

Among the great demons who ruled dimensions, the dream demons, were particularly unparalleled when it came to sexual knowledge.

Before meeting Tina, Ruella had occasionally exchanged conversations with them during lonely nights of idle amusement.

Of course, she hadn’t really paid much attention back then. Watching fragile humans scream and bleed had always been far more enjoyable than sexual corruption.

But now, she recalled one of the things they had said. The dream demons always insisted,

‘Women only need enough affection. Just a slight touch, and they’ll stick out their tongues, unable to even control their bodies.’

If that were true, then what on earth was this situation?

When it came to affection, Ruella was confident that no one could surpass her. And yet, why was Tina still so unaffected?

With lingering resentment, Ruella poked Tina’s cheek.

All that came in response was a faint breath.

“….”

Ruella, her gaze sinking heavily, stared at Tina before quietly bringing her lips close to her ear.

“I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”

“Ahh?! Hic?! Eh?”

Tina’s body jolted. With ragged breathing, her face flushed a deep red.

“…..”

Ruella silently observed her.

She reacted so strongly to words of love, yet didn’t even flinch at Ruella’s touch.

At this rate, if anyone else were to say ‘I love you,’ she’d probably fall for them instantly.

No matter who it was.

Ruella’s crimson eyes flickered.

Within them, a cross-shaped pattern emerged, no longer hidden, carrying a foreboding, bloodthirsty aura.

Dark mist began to rise around Ruella.

As the black smoke coiled around her body and dispersed, Ruella’s form slackened, as if she had lost her soul.

“Eh…?”

As her consciousness returned, the real Ruella blinked blankly into the air.

At that moment, a sharp, icy voice echoed from within the black mist.

[Just go to sleep. I have somewhere to be for a bit.]

A mysterious voice seeped into the mist.

And soon, the black fog vanished in an instant, disappearing into the darkness.

[Damn dream demons…]

A voice laced with irritation echoed from somewhere, chilling the air.

The demon made a firm resolution.

If those insignificant dream demons had dared to deceive it, it would never forgive them.

***

This place, shrouded in eerie and sticky yin energy, was the realm of the dream demons.

Somewhere within it, a blue-haired dream demon was slammed against a wall, her collar firmly seized.

“Ugh!”

[How dare a mere dream demon deceive me?]

A figure slowly approached her. Its entire body was covered in bizarre spikes, an appearance so terrifying that it could make anyone suffocate in fear.

The monster’s hand distorted and shifted shape, soon transforming into a sharp blade.

“I-I never deceived you, Lord Demon! N-no, I mean, why would I even have a reason to deceive you in the first place?!”

The dream demon struggled desperately to explain, but the blade was already at her throat.

[They say that women gush with pleasure at just a touch from the one they love. But that was a lie.]

The black blade shimmered darkly as it grazed her skin, sending a chill down her spine.

The dream demon frantically shook her head in terror.

“N-no, I never said that! I just… I just mentioned that somewhere in another world, there were people like that!”

[That’s still deception, isn’t it?]

The hostility emanating from the tip of the blade grew even stronger. The dream demon broke into a cold sweat and quickly blurted out,

“It’s true! I saw it just once! It really happened! Her name was… Hera, I think? Anyway, there are all kinds of females in the world!”

Her trembling blue eyes showed no sign of deception.

But the demon was still unable to suppress her anger. After all, because of those worthless words, her precious training time with Tina had been wasted.

[Yeah, I should just kill you.]

The black blade slowly dug into her pale throat. Feeling the icy metal against her skin, the dream demon screamed in despair.

“W-wait! You want to corrupt someone, don’t you?! I… I can help you!”

Her desperate cry, backed into a corner, fortunately piqued the demon’s interest.

[Help me? How?]

“There is… an item among dream demons that is considered taboo. If you use it, you can surely corrupt them!”

[If such a thing exists, why didn’t you mention it earlier?]

“B-because we barely use it ourselves! If you just give me a little time, I’ll personally bring it to you!”

It sounded like a mere attempt to buy time, but there was nothing to lose by humoring her. The demon decided to grant her request.

As the black blade withdrew from her neck, the dream demon immediately dashed away at full speed.

The demon expected her to run for her life, so it was about to chase—but to its surprise, she returned, holding a strange flower.

[What’s this?]

“It’s called the Flower of Mind Devouring. Place this on their head, and they’ll become a fool who thinks only of you.”

A fool who thinks only of it. The mere thought of it was enticing.

The demon carefully examined the flower in its grasp. Its petals, stained in crimson and black, had an unusual and sinister form rarely seen.

A sticky, ominous energy flowed from it.

[With this… Tina will be…]