Home

The young maid had her hands over her mouth, shock evident in her wide, terrified eyes.

Janifer and Ethan's gazes bore into her, making her flinch back slightly.

Janifer's own eyes widened as she finally registered the accusation in full. Her mind, still clouded moments ago, was now clearing rapidly.

But before she could react further, Ethan's voice rang out—calm, almost amused.

"Well, don't just stand there. If you want, you can join us."

The young maid visibly trembled, her entire body jolting as if struck by lightning. She took a shaky step back, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

"I… I…" Her words stumbled out, her lips quivering. Then, forcing the words past her dry throat, she finally blurted, "I… didn't see anything."

With that, she turned and bolted from the room like a frightened little mouse.

Janifer, now fully clear-headed, shoved Ethan off her in a hurry and ran after the fleeing maid, her footsteps echoing sharply in the corridor.

Ethan remained still, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.

Then, slowly, his lips curled into a grin—a grin that was unsettling, almost deranged.

There was no anger, no disappointment, no regret in his expression. A normal man might have felt frustrated at losing such an opportunity, but Ethan?

His face was one of pure bliss.

A deep crimson flush spread across his pale skin, his pupils dilated, his body trembling. An almost uncontrollable urge to laugh bubbled up inside him—a laugh that felt wrong. Too wild. Too unhinged.

His chest rose and fell in erratic breaths, his fingers twitching slightly against the sheets. The sensation—the way Janifer had succumbed so easily, the way the maid had looked at him with sheer horror—it sent shivers down his spine.

Slowly, he lifted his right hand to his mouth—then bit down.

Pain jolted through him, sharp and grounding, snapping him back to some semblance of clarity. His teeth sank into his own flesh, hard enough to sting, not enough to break skin.

He blinked rapidly, his breath coming in quick gasps.

A storm of emotions flickered across his face—bliss, pain, pleasure—before all of it twisted into something far more terrifying.

Horror.

At first, he'd only meant to let go of some restraint, to act more like the original Ethan. It was supposed to make things easier, to help him blend in.

And it worked. He had been doing well.

But at some point, he realized—he had lost control.

It felt like he was dreaming, watching events unfold but unable to influence them.

The thought sent ice through his veins.

At first, it had been just a little flirting, a test, nothing serious. But somehow, it had spiraled beyond his control.

Even now, he could feel it happening again.

And yet, there was no disappointment at losing the chance to sleep with Janifer.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

The thought of her being conflicted over what had happened, the uncertainty of her emotions—would she feel disappointment? Regret? Shame? Anger?

What would she do the next time they met?

All these thoughts made his body shiver with excitement.

The pleasure it gave him was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Ethan had never taken drugs, but if he had, he imagined this was what it would feel like.

But he also knew—drugs were dangerous.

Not just because they harmed the body, but because they were addictive. They made people irrational.

He had seen news reports about addicts, people who had lost themselves completely.

And he didn't want to be like that.

His jaw clenched as he bit down harder on his hand, the sharp sting grounding him further.

Sometime later, he finally stopped and pulled his hand away from his mouth.

A dull pain pulsed from the spot where his teeth had pressed into his skin. There, on his pale flesh, was a clear bite mark.

Ethan stared at it, squinting slightly.

"That was… terrifying."

His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. His breathing, though still heavy, was slowly growing steady again.

And yet, his body still felt warm.

His skin still tingled.

And his mind—it still felt hazy.

Then, suddenly, the system's voice rang out in his mind.

[System Notification: Host's physiological response detected. Emotional stimulation levels have reached a peak threshold.]

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, for you," he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Did you enjoy it?"

[Very much.]

The system's reply came with no hesitation.

Ethan exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. "Can't you do anything about what happened?"

He was pretty sure the skill Touch of the Abyss had activated when he was with Janifer the maid. No matter how honeyed his words were, there was no way a mature woman like Janifer would have lost herself so completely.

There were supernatural forces at play.

That skill had definitely been responsible.

[Host, I can't stop you from using your own abilities and skills.]

The system's tone was matter-of-fact, as if it didn't understand why he was even asking.

[Plus, what's wrong with what happened? You almost scored with her, and in the end, she was even willing. As someone who just lost his virginity yesterday, I'd say that's an absolute win for you.]

Ethan's body tensed. His fingers curled into a fist.

"You're right… except I don't want to 'score' with someone by using some stupid skill," he snapped, his voice rough with frustration. "And do you really think I was a virgin because I couldn't find girls who would fuck me?"

His breath hitched, his chest tightening as emotions surged.

"No. I didn't lose my V-card because I wanted my first time to be special. With someone I loved. But instead…"

His voice cracked slightly.

"I lost it by forcing myself onto an innocent girl… because of my stupid curse. Because of my stupid bloodline or whatever the hell is wrong with me."

His frustration boiled over, his fingers digging into his palm so hard his nails nearly broke skin.

"I don't want to fuck women like this. I don't want to be here, in this stupid world, with no internet, no normal life—"

His breath shuddered, his body shaking slightly.

"This whole thing is so stupid. I don't want to be here, and I… and I…"

His throat closed up.

His vision blurred slightly.

"…And I miss my family."

His voice was barely above a whisper now.

His jaw clenched, his crimson eyes glistening.

"I miss home."

Silence filled the room.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Ethan truly let himself feel it.

The longing.

The grief.

The unbearable weight of reality pressing down on his chest.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

Nothing at all.