A Heart That Softens #2
Yuria nodded. “That’s right.”
“She’s in the special cell on the tenth basement floor. Shall I escort you?”
Ignoring the monster’s words, Yuria strode down the corridor of the underground prison where several humans were being held. Is Aaron here too? At least he wasn’t on the first basement level.
“Y… Your Highness Princess Yuria…! Is it really you?”
A few of the imprisoned humans called out to her. Yuria turned her head and looked at the people who had summoned her. Their faces were gaunt, their bodies caked with dried blood, and covered in wounds. The first thought that crossed her mind as she gazed at her pitiful subjects was…
She approached the cell. The man who had called her name drew in a sharp breath when he saw the dress she wore. It was a provocative gown that clung to her tall, slender figure—something that would make any man’s eyes roll back in his head.
“Are you a citizen of the kingdom?”
With superhuman willpower, the man managed to nod. “Ah, yes… My name is Charles.”
“How did you recognize my face?”
“I’m a blacksmith who supplied swords to the knight order. I saw you once from afar. It was difficult to recognize you at first because your hair color is different… But the guard treated you with respect, so I’m relieved to see you’re being treated well.”
It seemed Charles thought of her as a prisoner receiving favorable treatment. Well, it made sense—he was speaking to a princess of a nation, after all. And in truth, her treatment had been decent. But for someone with no power to be worrying about others? It was truly pathetic.
“I’m fine. By the way, is Aaron being held here?”
“By Aaron, you mean… the knight commander…?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t seen him. I’m sorry.”
“I see. Understood. I’m currently negotiating with the Demon King. It looks like things will go well, so just hold on a little longer. I’ll get you out of here.”
“Yes…! Yes! Thank you, Your Highness!”
Charles’s face brightened. Hope flickered in his eyes, and strength returned to his voice. Yuria gave him a fake smile and continued down the corridor.
A short while later, Charles’s booming voice echoed from behind her.
“Her Highness is negotiating with the Demon King! She said if we endure just a little longer, she’ll get us out!”
The humans in the cells reacted at once. As if given hope for survival, they cheered and chanted the princess’s name. Yuria kept her expression carefully composed and walked with dignified poise. These people were utterly pathetic. So easily fooled by a simple lie. Even Charles had looked at her with clear lust in his eyes.
The thought of actually saving them? Of course she had none.
Tyrat had told her he had halted the invasion of the kingdom for her sake. That meant he intended to seat her on the throne one day and turn the kingdom into a vassal state. In that case, she planned to take a few of these people with her and use them as propagandists to inflate her own achievements. No matter how suited she was to be queen, she couldn’t rule a kingdom alone.
She would give these ignorant slaves the proper mix of whip and carrot, make them sing her praises, and enjoy absolute power. Since the mages from the Magic Tower were still alive, she could take the citizens with her to Earth. Or she could invite Jihyeok and let him experience the kingdom’s charms. Whichever choice she made, living alongside Jihyeok would never change.
The problem was that Tyrat might actually be Jihyeok. It was still just a hypothesis, but the scales were tipping more and more toward that truth.
What should I do…?
All kinds of speculations about Tyrat and Jihyeok swirled chaotically in her head. Yuria shook her head, trying to clear it. For now, her priority was convincing her mother.
When she reached the end of the corridor, she slowly descended the dark staircase. Up to the ninth basement floor, the prison looked exactly as she remembered—stale, dim, and gloomy. But starting from the tenth floor, everything changed. Not only was it clean, but a faint, sweet scent of fruit filled the air.
What is this…?
There were no iron bars; instead, several doorless rooms lined the hall. Orange chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting warm light, and a lush carpet stretched across the floor. It looked more like the living room of a luxurious mansion than a prison. Now she understood why the guard had called it a “special cell.”
With a bewildered expression, Yuria noticed there were no guards on this floor either and decided to proceed. Every step she took on the soft carpet made her heart pound harder. The image of her mother, transformed into a monster, flashed vividly in her mind—the last thing she had seen before losing consciousness.
“Haa…”
Her chest felt tight. She stopped in her tracks and took a long, deep breath.
“You’re here?”
A seductive voice came from behind her.
“Huk!”
Startled, Yuria reacted on instinct. She spun around and swung her right fist with all her strength. It was incredibly fast. But her punch cut through empty air.
Thud!
At that moment, she felt an incredibly powerful force slam into her back, shoving her forward. A sharp, nail-like pain shot through her. At the same time, something blunt struck her right leg, destroying her balance. She collapsed disgracefully onto the floor.
“Ugh…!”
Frowning, Yuria sprang back to her feet and regained her stance. But the moment she looked up with wide eyes, all the strength drained from her body.
Margaret was staring at her, licking her lips with a long tongue.
With a sultry voice, her mother mocked her.
“My daughter… you’re so weak?”
The one who had attacked her was her own mother. No—calling her “mother” felt wrong now. She had become a succubus. Her already voluptuous breasts were pushed together even more tightly by a stiff black bondage bra, and her high-leg panties accentuated the elastic curve of her hips. It was a vulgar sight. Yet from a succubus’s perspective, it suited her perfectly.
Her injured back throbbed with a wet sensation. It seemed to be bleeding. The heel of Margaret’s high heels had a slightly darker tint at the tip. She must have kicked Yuria’s back with the stiletto, piercing the flesh. Then she had probably swept her long, flexible tail across Yuria’s legs to trip her.
Even without her bow or suit, Yuria’s transformed body was far from weak. Yet her mother had wounded her and moved at a speed she couldn’t even perceive. It felt as if her mother’s already outstanding physique had been strengthened by hundreds of levels.
“Kgh…!”
Yuria clenched her teeth, holding back her tears. It wasn’t because of the pain. It was because the sorrow of being ruthlessly attacked by her own mother was too overwhelming.
Margaret seemed to notice her daughter’s feelings and scoffed.
“You attacked first. Why are you acting so wronged? What a rude little bitch…”
The casual insult tore at Yuria’s heart. The confidence she had felt about being able to persuade her mother plummeted into a deep abyss. Without realizing it, Yuria called out in a trembling voice.
“Mom…”
At those words, Margaret’s face brightened. She approached with seductive steps, arms spread wide in welcome.
“Yes, my daughter… Come here.”
“Ah…”
Yuria hesitated. Margaret’s pale brow furrowed. Clearly displeased with her daughter’s attitude, she flicked her tongue a couple of times. But when she saw tears beginning to spill from Yuria’s eyes, her expression turned to one of pity. She pulled her daughter into an embrace and gently stroked the back of her head.
“Why are you crying… Don’t cry.”
“Hic… Mom…!”
“I’m right here. There, there… Good girl.”
Yuria could clearly feel that the warm touch she remembered from her mother had turned ice-cold. It wasn’t just her hands—her entire body felt that way. Yet paradoxically, she also felt warmth. No matter what she had become, this was still the mother who remembered every memory they shared. She had missed her so terribly… During their previous encounter, Tyrat had been present, preventing a proper reunion. And now that they were alone, her emotions overflowed.
“Mom…! Waaah!”
In the end, Yuria buried her face in Margaret’s chest and burst into loud sobs.
Yuria frowned as she lay on the soft bed in Margaret’s room, receiving treatment for the wound on her back. Her mother had accidentally brushed against the injury while examining it.
“Mom… it hurts…”
“I’m sorry. I was just checking how bad it was. It looks like it will heal in a few days… Does it sting a lot? Is it uncomfortable?”
“Yeah… it stings every time I move…”
“Really? Wait just a moment.”
With those words, Margaret vanished in a swirl of black smoke. While a flustered Yuria looked around, Margaret reappeared, dragging a young female mage with hollow, lifeless eyes. The beautiful woman wore a white robe that had become tattered and stained with grime. Her flame-like orange hair stood out. She stared blankly into space as if she had lost all sense of self.
Margaret grabbed the mage by the hair and sat her down behind Yuria, then prodded the back of the woman’s neck with her tail.
“Ah…! Aah…!”
Every time she was poked, the mage trembled and let out a moan. Soon she stretched out both hands as if under someone’s control. A bright light appeared with a resonant hum. It was a healing spell cast from the mage’s hands.
When Yuria felt an itchy sensation on her back, she relaxed her body. Tense muscles slowed the effects of recovery magic. It was a completely natural reaction.
Watching her daughter, Margaret wore a wicked smile. But she didn’t mock her or laugh out loud. She simply let Yuria grow accustomed to being waited on by a lowly slave.
Once her daughter’s treatment was complete, Margaret summoned a guard and ordered him to take the mage away. Then she sat down in front of Yuria and gave her a radiant smile.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”
“No…”
Yuria nodded slowly. She still found it difficult to look at her mother’s current appearance and kept shifting her gaze.
“What happened to that mage…? Is she hypnotized?”
“No. I tortured her until her mind broke. She’s a useful talent, so I’m keeping her as a slave.”
Margaret spoke those horrifying words without batting an eye. Yuria, too, felt no concern for the human rights of a weak mage. She only changed the subject so her mother wouldn’t be disappointed by her reaction.
“Mom, why did you fall for Tyrat…”
She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. Margaret read her thoughts and laughed softly.
“Females like us must submit to strong males. It’s only natural. You know that, don’t you?”
She was right. When Yuria had taken the flying taxi to meet Jihyeok, she had thought the exact same thing as her mother. Then… had her mother been assimilated by Tyrat’s dominance? Just as she herself had been assimilated by Jihyeok’s? Or… since the two might be the same person…
Putting it all together…
“Ugh…!”
Yuria frowned and pressed hard on her throbbing temples. She decided to stop thinking about the two of them. When she shook her head and looked back at Margaret, her mother continued.
“The moment I accepted his thing inside me, I knew. That the Demon King was the master I must devote my entire life to serving.”
“…..”
“I hope you become one of His Majesty’s subordinates soon too. Mother and daughter serving the Demon King together… How joyful and grateful that would be?”
“I… I will never do that.”
“Look at my beautiful appearance and figure now. On top of that, my power has been amplified. Even you—who seemed unmatched among humans—look insignificant to me now. And you really were.”
A flush of ecstasy spread across Margaret’s face as she spoke of her power. She flicked her long tongue like a snake and grabbed her own breasts. Seeing that sensual display, Yuria thought that persuasion might be nearly impossible. Her mother was clearly very satisfied with this new life.
It was infuriating… but she could understand it. After all, she had gained immense power.
Letting out a long sigh, Yuria asked, “Mom… do you still love me, even though I’m human?”
“I’ve discarded all the memories and experiences from my human days, but the love I have for you remains. I truly love you.”
“If… the Demon King ordered you to kill me, what would you do?”
“What a childish question. Isn’t it obvious? I would kill you.”
“…..”
Tears welled up in an instant. She had at least hoped for an answer that suggested she would try to persuade him… but to say she would kill her own daughter without hesitation… It was too heartbreaking.
“What kind of answer were you expecting? Did you think a monster like me could defy the Demon King’s command?”
“Ah…”
Hearing Margaret’s reply, Yuria felt slightly relieved. That was true. Monsters obeyed the Demon King’s orders unconditionally. Defiance was impossible. There was no helping it. Even so, it hurt. She wanted to lock herself in a room and cry her eyes out.
Yuria wiped her eyes and stood up. “I’ll be going now…”
In response, Margaret waved her hand and created a portal. Staring at the gaping maw of the monstrous mouth, Margaret said, “Go on through. It leads straight to the castle.”
Opening a portal that only monsters used… Once again, a wave of disgust surged through Yuria. She shook her head.
“I’ll just… go on my own two feet.”
“Really? Alright then.”
Margaret closed the portal and said she had things to do before vanishing somewhere. Yuria looked around the now-empty room and let out a heavy sigh.
Meryl… She missed Meryl. She wanted to find some peace and quiet as soon as possible.