**Disclaimer: Triggering content in this chapter! Sexual and physical violence.**

The next morning.

Vlad had woken up first and was now blissfully looking at Vanora's peaceful sleeping profile. After helping him cum a few times more the previous night, he was finally satisfied and she knocked out cold soon after. He gathered her in his arms before he fell asleep too. 

The idea to wipe her memories from last night crossed his mind. He did not want her to be negatively affected by the scheme she had partially fallen into. Blaming himself for what happened to her, he vowed to himself to never slacken on his security again and tighten it even more. This also reminded him that there was still one more thing he had to settle after she woke up.

He brought his fingers to her face and stroked her cheeks ever so lightly. "You're so precious." He whispered then kissed her forehead. 

Vanora frowned a little then her eyelids slowly lifted. She looked at Vlad with sleep still in her eyes, "Morning..."

"Sorry for waking you up. You can sleep some more." 

She shook her head while she slowly sat up. 

They went about their morning routine and while she was drinking her tea, Vlad brought up the idea of wiping her memories clean. 

"Thanks for your concern but there's no need to. Don't you see that I'm fine?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're just hiding it?" He said a little sulkily. 

She laughed a little at his remark.

"What?"

"It sounds funny coming from someone who'll know how I'm feeling from seeing my aura."

"Well, it's always the same colour with you. You're still hard to read despite my aura perception."

There was a slight smile on her face but it looked a little empty and sad. "Exactly. With or without last night's memories, I'd hate myself the same." She then continued in a soft voice. "I already know how pathetic, powerless, and weak I am. Last night was just another confirmation of that fact."

Vlad took a while to respond. First, it took awhile to register that she seemed to be opening up to him, then it gave him a pleasant surprise. However, his mood dipped and he frowned after he fully processed what she said. He spoke in a sad but stern voice. "Why do you say that of yourself? I don't know what happened to make you believe that about yourself but in a world where everyone only looks out for themselves and are unkind to one another... Why are you doing so to yourself too? Only you can treat yourself well."

When she did not respond and only looked sad, he continued to speak but in a softer and gentler tone while taking her hands in his, "I don't know what I can say or do to help you see your good qualities. When you're like this, anyone's sincere acts or words would only appear as superficial acts or words of comfort. Nonetheless, until the day comes when you see yourself in a better light, I'll be here to remind you of how good you are."

Vanora was shocked speechless. He... Seems really serious about this... If I believe what he said about loving me... Everything would make sense. The things he's done and said. The things that was supposed to happen to Angela but are now happening to me. When and why did he go out of character? Even if I refuse to believe him, I can't deny that he's done nothing to harm me so far. And there's last night's incident too...

She then looked at him in puzzlement and wonder. Why does he give off the same vibe I get from my family? What's there to like or even love about me? Why do they treat me so well?

He grinned helplessly and ruffled her hair gently. "I really wonder what's going on in that little head of yours."

She blushed a little then pouted a little while keeping her head turned and looking down at the floor. "I wonder where you learnt to say such things." She grumbled.

He blinked innocently while he explained, "I'm just saying what I feel."

Vanora sighed lightly then gulped down her drink. "I'm done, let's go."

"We'll make a short detour first. I have some business to settle." He informed her while making his way to her. 

When they made it back to the street of the inn they have been frequenting, the first thing that caught Vanora's attention was the lewd sounds and sight of an orgy going on in the middle of the street. She instantly recognised the participating parties since their looks were forever etched in her mind. It made her skin crawl and she involuntarily winced. While she looked away, she noticed Vlad walking towards the group calmly instead.

Rosa was still crying in rage and shrieking at them to stop while they continued to violate her. She has long became conscious now that the drug wore off, however they were not stopping. They did not even look like they wanted to stop. The men had fury and hate reflected on their faces as they blamed her for the fate they were condemned to. She did not even notice Vlad there until he stomped on the side of her face to dig her face into the dirt. 

"Hold on." He commanded the men.

Rosa immediately recognised the voice and called out with joy, "Lord Vlad! You've come to save me!"

He looked at her with disgust. However, she was blissfully unaware of it since she could not see his face. "Save you? I'm the one behind all these. This is your reward for being gutsy enough to scheme against my precious love."

She refused to believe what she heard, so laughed weakly. "I knew you'd come to save me. I was right to believe in you."

He ignored her and went ahead to place his curse on her body. "You'll never achieve sexual gratification. Every sensation you feel will only be pain." The black mark of a rose covered her entire face. 

He took his foot off her then stepped back. She slowly angled her head upwards to look at the person who stepped on her. It can't be. It can't be. It can't be. She looked at the familiar eyes she has burned into her memory by now except that it now carried contempt and a coldness far colder than she has ever witnessed before. "You're not Lord Vlad. You're impersonating him." Her voice was shaky and tears filled her eyes.

He went ahead to finish her off by handing out her death sentence too. "You'll be their sex slave for as long as you live and you can never kill yourself. You can continue now." He directed the last sentence at the men.

Rosa became like a soulless doll as reality set in her. However, the pain that wrecked her body now gave her no chance to mourn. Her shrieks and cries filled the crowded street. 

Vlad turned and walked to the young demon whose face was covered in tears. While everyone else was down on one knee, he and his father were the only ones who were prostrating themselves. 

"It's you." 

The young demon started apologising profusely but his father only clenched his fists tighter. For his entire life, he has never heard a single love rumour surrounding their demon lord. Now that there was one, he did not believe they would get off lightly. 

He finally spoke just as Vlad began to rise his foot up. "Lord Vlad! It's presumptuous of me but I beg for you to show mercy to the rest of us in exchange for my son's life! You don't have to dirty your hands or your feet, I'll do it for you!"

The cold-hearted words of his father pierced straight into his already wounded heart. He was already blaming himself for everything, how could his father say something like this? "How can you say that old man?!" 

However, he was met with a hard punch to his face that knocked out several of his teeth. His father may be getting old but his strength was not weak. If anything, demons grew stronger the older they grew. 

Just as he prepared to throw another punch, Vlad spoke, "If you're looking for mercy, aren't you in the wrong place?" 

Everyone knew what Vlad meant. There was no such thing as mercy in hell. With that realisation, the father could only hope to appease some of his lord's rage in hopes to lighten the sentence he will deal out to them. He looked as if he lost his sanity as he tortured his son in various ways, prolonging his death in the most painful way he could think of.

Vlad was pleased and would have wanted to enjoy the entire show but knew that Vanora disliked wasting her time. He was already taking up her time that he knew she would rather spend elsewhere. 

He changed his mind of killing everyone else present to destroying the entire street of houses, shops, and inns. Within the blink of an eye, everything looked as if it vanished at once when it all disintegrated to dust. 

Vanora watched as Vlad walk back to her with a satisfied grin on his face and how the others all silently heaved a sigh of relief, except for the father who dared not stop torturing his son lest Vlad changed his mind. Everyone seemed to know that their lives were on the line for one's mistake even though the perpetrator may be completely unrelated to them. She hid her shock behind a poker face. What kind of sick power play is this? With power, you seriously can do whatever you want. No wonder it's so addictive.

"Did I do good?" He asked her unabashedly. Everyone heard his question and it sent a chill down their back. From his behaviour and question, they undoubtedly knew that she was their new Lady who have full control over their demon lord.

Knowing how his question likely drew all the attention on her, she subtly gritted her teeth in annoyance. Feeling completely inexperienced with having the attention on her like that and suddenly being thrown in the situation, her mind reeled with the possible reactions she could give. She did not know enough of hell and its culture to know the appropriate response. Was she supposed to act the part now? Was she supposed to revere him too? 

Now that her response seemed linked to one of the leads of this world, her choice felt like it carried far more weight than usual and she did not trust herself to make the right decision. Since she was completely unprepared for this, she ended up choosing the safest option of not saying anything at all and simply walking away.

In the end, the sight of her coldly walking away from their demon lord and having their lord chase after her only served to cement their conclusion into their minds, with them pegging her as more cruel than Vlad was. They had thought that she was not pleased with him letting them go. Just like this, they unanimously decided without a word to each other to never step on her toes. 

Vlad and Vanora went about their lives as per normal once again and a year passed by.

BaoBao still remained missing but Vanora never stopped to remind him that she was still waiting for him every now and then, talking to BaoBao as if he was still in her mind. In BaoBao's absence, Vanora also gradually grew to trust Vlad more. 

Ever since that particular incident, she began to trust that Vlad has somehow managed to get out of character, which would mean that his actions were sincere and in no way done with the intention to trip her up for the main plot to progress according to how it should. It made her feel a little sense of camaraderie since she felt that she was in a similar situation where she attained a certain awareness of a 'plot' in her life then fighting to change it, except that Vlad seemed to be much more capable of doing so than her. 

She also trusted that he would not take advantage of her against her wishes so allowed him to increase his security by sitting with his back towards her while she bathed. He hardly gave her any time alone. The sole exception that she insisted on was when she was taking a dump. She understood the reason behind his obsessive behaviour of sticking himself to her, and honestly did not mind. Besides, perhaps his power in this world and over the plot could prove to be useful in dire times.  

With the improved bond between them, she began to open up to him little by little. Eventually, he learnt about her entire past and how she was dead set on fulfilling her parents' wish for her to live on. 

As for everyone around them, they watched as the chemistry and relationship between the two of them continue to grow and improve. No one had any issue with accepting Vanora as their Lady despite her very much average skills because they felt that the calm and cold aura she gave off was compatible with their demon lord.