The state of Esperia would not be so influential and prosperous today if not for the knights who fought not only evil spirits and demons, but also dragons. Jonggun was one of the most famous knights in the empire. And equally mysterious. Despite having exterminated many monsters, his reputation inspired more fear than awe and love. Much gossip and rumors swirled around him, particularly that he himself was possessed by a demon, all because of his black eyes and incredible strength. His entire family was exterminated when he was a child, leaving him the only survivor. He was rather silent and unsociable, which only fueled the gossip. So much so that even the servants in his estate feared their master.

By a cruel twist of fate, you were married to this man. Practically sold, like an unwanted, less valuable commodity, as protection money. Anything to avoid giving up your younger sister—everyone's favorite.

You met for the first time at the wedding, at the altar. He was extremely static and reserved, performing all the necessary formalities without unnecessary emotion. Afterward, you immediately headed to his lands.

Even the estate itself, despite its luxury, looked gloomy. Or maybe it's just the land like that. Always foggy, especially in the mornings and evenings, cloudy, windy, the sun rarely appears. Not the most pleasant place.

The entire first week of settling into the new place, you hardly saw him. It seemed he was always away. It was difficult to say what he thought of this wedding, this marriage. In the end, he didn't even demand a wedding night, disappearing immediately upon returning home. The servants barely said anything about him; everyone only sympathized with your unlucky situation.

The night was foggy as usual. The maid accidentally forgot to lock my window after cleaning, which allowed a gargoyle into the room. A rather vile creature. You had just entered the room when it attacked you. But in an instant, instead of the monster's fangs, a faint glint of a blade flashed past, piercing the creature's head, causing it to incinerate on the carpet with a scream. Turning around, you saw your husband. Jonggun had apparently recently returned to the castle and sensed something was wrong, following the sound. His black eyes with white pupils captivated you for a few seconds. He truly did resemble a demon, in the most poetic sense.

Now you were sitting in the dark living room, lit by the flames from the fireplace, seated in armchairs. He crossed his legs, leaning back relaxedly against the wide backrest. His uniform was casually unbuttoned, as were the top buttons of his shirt. Jonggun crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee, smoking a cigarette.

"Do you miss home?" he asked, letting out a lazy stream of smoke. It was hard to tell if he was genuinely interested or just trying to avoid awkwardness. "You don't find such creatures in the capital of Etram. But here, they're plentiful."