Chapter 1

My best friend posted on Instagram:

[The one who truly loves you will give you their most precious thing without hesitation.]

The attached photo showed a dark red, intricate tattoo-like mark on a man's collarbone.

With one glance, I recognized it. It was the Soul-Bond of my Incubus partner, Valen.

An Incubus can only form one Soul-Bond in their entire life. Once bound, their power and life force are shared with their partner.

Only yesterday, Valen lied to me, saying he couldn't form the bond yet because his Ascension cycle was too painful.

I believed him. I even stayed up all night and spent three million dollars to buy him a high-grade soothing serum.

As it turned out, he didn't lack the ability to bond. He just didn't want to bond with me.

Instead, he chose to give his mark to Chloe—the girl who had to borrow three thousand dollars from me every single month just to pay her rent.

I liked the Instagram post. Then, I turned around, went into the storage room, and poured the entire freezer of expensive soothing serums straight down the drain.

Since he found his "true love," he could let her help him survive the agonizing pain of his Ascension cycle.

I wiped my hands dry and looked at the Holy Knight standing outside the door, whom I had taken in because he was homeless.

"Leon, you’re sleeping in the master bedroom tonight."

The air fell into a brief, heavy silence.

Leon’s hand on the hilt of his greatsword tightened, his knuckles turning white.

He looked up at me, a flicker of shock crossing his piercing blue eyes.

"My lady, this goes against the Knight's Code."

Leon was a Templar Knight of the Holy Church whom I had rescued. He was a man of few words and deadly skills.

More importantly, he was loyal.

Once he chose a master, it was until death.

His professional dedication was worth my investment.

"My rules are the code here," I said.

I turned and walked inside. "If you find it too difficult, you can sleep in the storage room."

Without hesitation, he took long strides and followed me.

Entering the master bedroom, the air was still thick with the cloying, sweet scent of rosemary that Valen loved.

I frowned and turned the ventilation system to the highest setting.

Right then, the electronic lock on the front door beeped.

Then came Valen’s impatient voice: "Sera! I'm dying of pain! Get me a soothing serum, the highest grade, now!"

Valen pushed open the bedroom door, not even taking off his coat.

His devastatingly beautiful, angelic face was filled with the usual sense of entitlement.

But when he saw Leon standing by the bed, Valen’s expression instantly twisted.

"Why is he in your bedroom?"

I sat on the edge of the bed, my eyes landing on his exposed collarbone.

Just like in the photo, a dark red vine-like mark was etched onto his skin, glaringly bright under the light.

"Because the master bedroom has a new owner."

Valen froze, then ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Sera, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? My Ascension backlash is killing me. I don’t have the energy to coddle you."

"I don’t care what kind of stray dog you bring home, just give me the medicine. I can't take this pain anymore."

An Incubus's Ascension cycle was indeed brutal. Without high-grade serums, the pain would drill into their very bones.

In the past, even if he just frowned, my heart would ache, and I’d throw millions at him to get him whatever he wanted.

But looking at his pain now, I only found it pathetic.

"There is no medicine. I checked, and it was all expired, so I threw it out."

Valen looked up in utter shock, disbelief written all over his face. "What did you say? That was three million dollars' worth of serum!"

"It’s my money. I can burn it just to watch the sparks fly if I want to."

I walked up to him and pointed my finger at the mark on his collarbone without touching it.

"Haven't you already found your 'true love' to share your pain?"

"What's wrong? Is Chloe's love not deep enough to cure you?"

Hearing Chloe’s name, a flash of panic crossed Valen’s eyes.

But he quickly straightened his back. "You spied on Chloe’s Instagram? Sera, do you have to be so bitter?"

"Chloe only saw how much I was hurting and volunteered to share it with her soul."

"Our bond is a spiritual connection. It’s a thousand times more noble than your cold, heartless money!"

I laughed out loud at his sheer, self-righteous audacity.

"Since it’s so noble, then please, take your noble true love and get the hell out of my house."

Valen's face darkened completely. "Sera, don't regret this. Do you think I can't survive without you?"

"Even if Chloe only has three thousand dollars, she’s willing to spend twenty-nine hundred of it on me. You will never understand what it feels like to be truly cherished!"

I didn’t look at him again. "Leon."

The silent knight beside me suddenly drew his sword.

The bright, cold steel rested against Valen's throat, the icy killing intent forcing him to shut his mouth.