A Second Chance in the Demon Queen’s Embrace

I sat nervously at the table, focusing only on the food. Despite my hunger and genuine interest in eating, I kept my head down, unsure of how to act in the presence of the demon girl.

She, on the other hand, seemed amused by my expressions.

"Are you only going to stare at the food I put so much effort into preparing for you? That's rude!"

I took a deep breath and nodded, still not raising my head to meet her gaze.

"This looks delicious!"

And I wasn't lying. The food truly looked amazing just from appearance alone.

On the spacious table, an assortment of unfamiliar dishes rested before me. But that didn't really matter—I didn't seem to remember anything anyway.

Directly in front of me was a dark purple juice in a cup, topped with a layer of white foam. Beside it was a bowl filled with thick labneh, with a dark, soft loaf of bread dipped into it—its insides embedded with nuts and different vegetables.

There was also a golden egg dish, its cracked shell releasing warm, aromatic steam. A grilled steak lay next to it, carrying the rich scent of heavy but tantalizing spices.

I hesitated at first, picking at the food slowly and cautiously. But the moment I placed a piece of meat in my mouth, all hesitation vanished.

It was beyond delicious. Not just the meat—everything was rich in flavor and incredibly satisfying.

The demon girl watched me in amusement from across the table, sipping from a copper teacup in her hands.

"I'm glad you're enjoying my cooking. This is just a small reward to celebrate your new life."

I lifted my head to look at her, confusion evident on my face. I wanted to speak, but my mouth was too full.

She chuckled softly.

"You, my hero! You saved yourself. You made excellent use of the opportunity I gave you, and for that, I congratulate you."

'Ohh… That's what she's talking about?!'

Flashes of the time I spent with her in bed replayed in my mind without warning, causing my face to flush red uncontrollably.

"Fufufu~"

The demon girl let out a light, teasing laugh, covering her mouth with her hand while watching me.

I lowered my head even more to hide my growing embarrassment, focusing entirely on my food in an attempt to clear my thoughts.

But it didn't work as I had hoped. Every now and then, my eyes would drift toward the demon girl seated at the head of the table.

It wasn't that I was particularly interested in her. I just wanted to see how she truly looked. And by that, I meant her face.

Her chamber—the room where I woke up—had been shrouded in darkness, and the crimson moonlight hadn't been much help in revealing finer details.

In the end, I had experienced with her things I could only assume any normal person would hesitate to share.

And it wasn't that I regretted it.

But here, in the dining hall, the warm golden light illuminated every corner of the room, offering a clear view of both the food and the demon girl who sat regally in her chair.

As I stole longer glances at her, I felt as if I were seeing her for the first time.

Contrary to the impression she initially gave me, she now appeared more… humane. As if my eyes had deceived me about everything I remembered of her.

She sat there with confidence and an enchanting allure.

Her eyes—those glowing embers—held a unique depth, like an abyss from which there was no return.

Her smile, that subtle curve of her perfectly shaped red lips, carried an alluring mystery, a reminder of how skillfully she used them.

Her black hair cascaded like a curtain of night over one side of her face, tucking behind one of her pointed ears, brushing against her pale skin—skin that looked as if it had been sculpted from moonlight itself (not the red one).

Her twisted horns, crowned with a crimson shimmer, granted her a beauty and a royal majesty that only added to the weight of her presence.

Her attire was similar to the one I had woken up in, but on her, it was a completely different story. It rippled around her like a jealous lover, revealing just as much as it concealed—planting desire before denying satisfaction.

Everything about her was simply… captivating, enticing, mesmerizing, and—

"You're flattering me more than I give myself credit for."

The demon girl spoke, her eyes locked onto mine, her cheeks tinged with pink.

I was startled for a moment, but the truth quickly dawned on me.

'She can read thoughts!'

'How could I forget that?!'

"Oh, don't be too hard on yourself," she said again, resting one hand on the table. "Most thoughts are unconscious, but they're also the most honest."

I remained silent under her seductive gaze, returning my focus to the food in front of me, hoping to ease my embarrassment.

I truly didn't know how to act in her presence.

"You can't be blamed for that."

Once again, the demon girl responded to my thoughts.

"You're doing well, I'd say. Honest compliments always improve the appetite."

It wasn't like I was trying to compliment her. It was simply the truth. Though I wouldn't say that out loud… not that it mattered, since she had probably read it from my mind.

I stole another glance at her to see for myself, but she only tilted her head to the side with a mischievous smile.

That alone gave me the answer I sought.

'I can't just stay silent like this.'

Somehow, her ability to read my thoughts and respond without me speaking didn't sit well with me. My thoughts always strayed far from what I actually wanted to ask.

Gathering my courage, I looked at the demon girl—not directly into her eyes, of course—and asked,

"This place… what is it?"

She smiled at my question, as if expecting it.

"This is my castle, and the world outside is my domain, if that's the answer you seek."

That wasn't the answer I was looking for. I had already figured that out the moment she transported me from the mirror chamber—directly above her bare form, no less.

"And since you'll be staying, you should familiarize yourself with my realm. Given that you have a concept of night and day."

"I… I'm staying?!" I asked hesitantly, pointing at myself.

"Yes!" The demon girl answered without hesitation. "As I said, you made good use of your chance. So I decided to keep you. You'll stay and keep me company."

I was stunned, unable to find words. I felt like I should say something, but what?

Given my missing memories, all I wanted now was to recover them. Of course, I had no idea how to do that or where to start, but maybe the demon girl could help.

So… there wasn't really a reason to refuse staying.

Well! Maybe the fact that she was incredibly intimidating could count as a reason. But I doubted that would help.

"I'm glad you're fine with staying. We'll have plenty of fun! Fufufu~"

The demon girl commented on my thoughts from the side, pulling me out of them.

"Now, before I listen to your many questions, I'll adjust your sense of time since you can't distinguish between night and day in my domain."

"Time here does not move. I control it at my own convenience. But for your human understanding, as long as the moon is red, it will be night. We will sleep at night, wake up at night, eat breakfast at night, have sex at night. We will do everything at night."

"And only when I desire the morning to come, I will bring it. But don't expect that to happen anytime soon."

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out—only a breath that nearly choked me.

'So is that why the land outside is lifeless? Just because the demon girl doesn't like the morning sun?'

"Indeed," the demon girl answered my thoughts again.

"I like the sun. It just does not exist here in its traditional sense, as there are no stars in my domain or beyond it."

I had no idea what that meant, and the demon girl didn't seem interested enough to explain. She appeared entirely focused on something else.

"And stop referring to me as demon girl," she said, her tone slightly irritated.

"Call me the Demon Queen."