'I Don't Even Dare to Hope! What Does That Mean?'
My eyes didn't leave the Demon Queen above me, who looked visibly displeased.
I didn't understand why she was upset with me. Had I said or done something to upset her? I didn't think so. Or maybe I had thought something that didn't suit her taste. That seemed more likely.
I was about to ask, but the Demon Queen gave me a dangerous look that made me fall into complete silence. She wouldn't allow me to question her, nor would she explain further.
She simply returned to answering my last question.
"What is the Seed?"
"The Hero's Seed is a creation of Mana itself, a means to provide opportunities against fate itself. Its nature is not bound by the concept of time, so when it activates, it will take you to a new world as… its summoned hero..."
There was a hint of mockey in her tone, but she continued.
"And only in a nature governed by time will your memories return."
I was confused by her last statement. What did time have to do with my memories? So if the Seed wasn't what would bring my memories back, then what would?
"That is correct. The Seed has nothing to do with your memories. Your soul does," the Demon Queen said, sounding bored.
A question mark floated in my mind. Souls? I had no concept of souls beyond what the Demon Queen had taught me before. All I knew was that I existed in this body because my soul resided within it.
She had also mentioned at the breakfast table that memories were tied to the soul. But still, my mind couldn't come to a conclusion.
I focused my gaze on the beautiful woman above me. I knew very well that she would unravel the puzzle of my thoughts.
The Demon Queen smiled, adjusting the glasses on her face in a teasing manner. "That's one way to use me~ And don't feel too guilty about it. I always enjoy a good conversation."
I nodded. That was something I would never mind with her. She had a way with words that just drew you into a world of pleasure.
The Demon Queen gave me a genuine smile, her eyes glowing softly as she looked at me.
"Well then, since you're being so sweet to me, I'll have a surprise for you next time I'm summoned. But for now, let's get back on track..."
I nodded in agreement but kept silent, giving her space to speak.
"When you found your way into your current body, your soul was severely damaged. If it weren't for the nature of my domain, you would have died instantly. Your soul was collapsing in on itself."
I felt the color drain from my face. The thought of dying was terrifying, but dying without even knowing who I was—that was even worse.
If not for the nature of her domain, which treated time as a joke, my soul would have collapsed on itself?
This train of thought led me back a little, and I reached what seemed to me like a logical conclusion.
"So… because my soul was damaged, I can't recover my memories?" I asked the Demon Queen, my voice laced with concern.
"Yes, that's correct." The Demon Queen nodded, looking satisfied with my newfound intelligence. "Only once your soul fully recovers will your memories return."
This piece of information led me to another conclusion—one that I didn't like very much.
"So… I'm alive right now only because time isn't moving in your domain." I hesitated slightly before continuing. "Wouldn't that mean that if I get summoned to another world, my soul will collapse again under the influence of time?"
I tried to suppress the fear in my voice, but the understanding look on the Demon Queen's face told me that I had failed.
"That would have been your fate… if I hadn't already healed your soul."
The Demon Queen spoke with a wide smile, her expression practically demanding praise.
But instead, I only had more questions.
"How? No, when?... Even if you did, why haven't I regained my memories yet?"
The Demon Queen looked disappointed in me, expressing her frustration with a punch to my stomach.
Despite the mild pain, I still appreciated that she was answering me so patiently. If I were in her place, I would have lost my temper light-years ago.
"If your soul hadn't been as damaged as it was, it would have healed on its own at its own pace. The nature of souls is instinctive—when injured, they prioritize what is most important for survival. And in your case, that's not your memories..."
From beneath the bed sheets that covered her naked body, the Demon Queen showed me her hands. Her sharp claws glowed with a red light.
At the sight, my mind wandered back to the first time I slept with her. She had been sitting on top of me, her claws deep in my flesh, injecting me with some strange liquid.
'Was it at that moment…?'
"Yes." My thoughts were answered by the Demon Queen, who was frowning slightly. "And it wasn't some strange liquid—it was my soul's essence. I have more than enough to spare."
I felt a shiver run through my heart, along with a deep sense of gratitude and guilt.
At that moment, I had thought she was doing something suspicious to me. And I had continued to believe that throughout my time with her.
But now, I didn't know how to feel. Deep down, I knew she had done what she did purely out of curiosity. But I couldn't help but be moved by her now.
The Demon Queen pursed her lips for a moment at my thoughts, but she returned to answering my last question calmly.
Even though I already had an idea.
"Your soul is now fully healed. Its priority, once it registers the passage of time, will be to restore your lost memories. All you have to do now is wait for the Seed within you to grow and awaken."
As soon as the Demon Queen finished her sentence, she raised her hands high, tossing away the bed sheets that had been covering her naked body until now.
Her chest moved up and down, capturing my full attention.
"Now, your curiosity is satisfied. Let's continue~"
She dove toward me, her face approaching, her mouth open, tongue grazing her lips.
But before she could seal my lips with hers, I stopped her, my hands on her shoulders.
A look of shock appeared on her face, but not because of my actions—rather, because she could feel that I still had one last question. Or rather, one last bit of curiosity.
"You're so mean!!!" She hissed.
Despite her outburst, she only surrendered, collapsing onto me, her chest pressed against mine.
Despite all her exaggerated movements, I was still inside her down below, even if only slightly.
I moved my hand, patting her head, though her horns made the task harder than it should have been.
"Please! Just this one question!" I pleaded, whispering into her pointed ears.
I was tempted to bite at them, but I stopped myself. If I followed that desire, I would forget what I wanted to ask.
The Demon Queen looked up at me from below, looking incredibly seductive.
"Just this one!" she said, bringing her ear closer to my lips, her face turning red in a tempting way.
I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth and looked away from her ear, focusing on her eyes, which now held a slight hint of disappointment.
"Since what I need is time to regain my memories…" My voice faltered for a moment. "…Can't you move time forward in your domain so that I can recover?"
The Demon Queen stared into my eyes, dead serious, and said without a change in expression,
"No. I don't want to."
Her unexpected answer left me stunned.
Before I could even ask why, she placed a finger on my lips.
"I love my time with you… but I don't love you enough," the Demon Queen said, looking away from my eyes. "...The day I wake up beside you to a new morning will be the day you become my one and only."
All the shock I had felt from her refusal disappeared, leaving behind only a certain understanding.
Before I could dwell too deeply on my thoughts, the Demon Queen shifted her sleeping body on top of me, the space between her legs once again taking me deep inside her.
"Now! Now!!~ I promised I'd drain all the life out of you!!!~~"
She twisted her body seductively, pulling me up into a sitting position.
"I'll start with your lips!~ Since you've been so stingy with them!!~~"