The throne room was unusually quiet.
No explosions.
No spontaneous fires.
No screaming chefs.
Magnus reclined in his plush throne-turned-sofa, lazily spinning a teaspoon between his fingers, his mind blissfully blank.
Marianne approached, balancing a tray with a teapot that shimmered faintly, like it had been kissed by moonlight. She set it down with a soft clink.
"New blend today," she said, voice casual. "Thought you could use something to wake your soul. Assuming you still have one."
Magnus cracked open one eye. "Doubtful."
Without waiting for permission, Marianne poured the tea—the liquid a strange, deep green that seemed to swirl on its own. The scent rose into the air: rich, earthy, and slightly electric.
"Whisperleaf tea," she said. "Imported from the Shaded Groves."
He grunted. "Sounds made-up."
"It's not," Marianne replied, setting a delicate cup into his hand whether he wanted it or not. "Bob worked hard to get it... at the request of Reny from the elf realm."
Magnus squinted at her. "Reny? Really? It's been one day since you showed up, Bunny. You're already giving nicknames to othe—"
Marianne cut him off swiftly, her hand tightening on the teapot as if threatening to pour it over his head. "Marianne. Call me Marianne."
She placed the expensive-looking cup firmly on the saucer with a clink.
"Here, Cat—" she caught herself. "—lord."
Magnus stared at her for a long moment, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He took a slow sip of the tea.
Tasted like a forest after rain, but with a side of judgment.
"...Not bad," he admitted.
Marianne crossed her arms, satisfied. "It better not be. Bob almost got mugged by flower spirits to get this stuff."
"Good. Builds character," Magnus said lazily, setting the cup on the armrest. "Maybe he'll stop acting like a glorified butler."
From somewhere deeper in the castle, Bob sneezed.
Magnus looked at her, thoughtful for a moment, before a mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Now that I think about it, how about you explain why a nun came to the Demon Castle?"
Marianne's face immediately shifted into a mock pout. "Don't wanna."
Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Looks like everyone will know 'Bunny' will be your new nickname."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Fine. I'll tell you," she grumbled, clearly annoyed with the humiliation. "But only because I'm stuck with you, and I don't want the entire castle thinking I'm some kind of... bunny."
Magnus chuckled. "How easy. Enlighten me."
Marianne took a deep breath, her gaze turning distant, like she was looking at something far off in the past.
"I... was the sole nun of a village. I was about 18 years old at that time. The village was near the border of the three realms—Elven, Beastkin, and Human. It was peaceful, considering the position. There was abundance in everything. The children played, the elders spread wisdom, and the men and women worked."
She paused, her fingers tightening around her teacup.
"...However, it didn't last long. Suddenly, a new pastor came. He was young—older than I was at that time—but he was kind. He helped others, played with the children, and he was also very wise."
Magnus tilted his head. "Isn't that a good thing?"
"You would think so," Marianne replied, her voice now laced with bitterness. "But in reality, he was a monster in human skin. He killed innocent animals—not for food, but for the pleasure of seeing them suffer. I always wondered why children were missing, but when I went to the basement of the church..." She swallowed hard.
"I saw dead bodies. Not one, not two. There were several. I was horrified. I couldn't control myself, and I vomited. Their limbs were cut apart, their bones poking through their skin due to starvation. I ran as fast as I could. But when I reached the door..."
Her voice trembled, but she held her ground. "There he was. The man I trusted. I didn't know he was the one behind all of it. I told him everything about the children. His smile faded, and suddenly... he kicked me. When I fell, he got on top of me... He started tearing my clothes. I kicked him, ran as fast as I could, and I knew the elders were having a meeting that day. I ran there, covered in a rag, and told them everything. But then... he came."
Marianne's eyes darkened with anger. "He refused to believe me. He told them I was the one hurting the children. And... they believed him. I had no choice but to run away. I ran toward the Beastkin realm, not knowing where I was going."
She took a shaky breath, her gaze growing distant again. "I traveled for days—by foot, eating fruits and resting when I could. Until I reached the ocean. And I thought to myself... Why? Why did this happen to me? Why did they believe him and not me? I hated them. I hated everything. Hatred was all I could think of. I even thought about killing myself... but drowning... I knew it was painful, but that pain felt better than the agony I was living with. Without thinking, I jumped."
Her voice faltered, but she kept going. "But fate—something else, maybe—decided otherwise. I woke up on land, my throat raw from thirst, my skin itching from the saltwater. I couldn't even die. I cried, I cried for days. But then... the land—it wasn't like what I expected. It was better. There were no beasts. There were fruits I'd never seen before, and they tasted so good, heavenly even. I ate and ate. It felt like... nothing could harm me."
Her voice wavered as she continued, her tears now spilling freely. "After days, I came across a demon. He wasn't scary. He saw me, approached me, and asked me to join the Demon Castle. I thought, 'What? A nun, at the Demon Castle?' It felt... insane. But I had no reason to stay. I had already given up on being a nun for those people. Those people who tried to kill me... but I still worried about them. I still thought about them."
Tears blurred her vision, and she couldn't hold back any longer. She let out a broken sob, the emotions she had buried for so long pouring out in front of Magnus.
[A/N : I feel sorry for writing such a backstory :( ]
"I... I couldn't escape that part of me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "And that's how I ended up here. With you. A demon."
Magnus watched her for a long moment, the usual sarcastic glint in his eyes replaced by something softer, more thoughtful. He got up, that lazy demon got up from his throne and patted her head. It was even more ridiculous for a demon to feel sympathy. But Magnus wasn't always a demon.
"It's okay, Bunny. Being my servant comes with perks too. One being the ability to do many things. You can rest. I'll call Bob for the rest of the things."
"...I apologize for the inconvenience and... thank you."
Marianne said and left the throne room, her body still trembling from the flood of emotions.
Magnus stood there for a long moment, his eyes burning with golden fire. He was angry, but he couldn't do anything. The human realm was too far away from "his castle."