In Love With the Strongest Man
Translator: Shizukuku
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Arc 4 Desire
Chapter 2 “Will you leave the rest to me?”
Ideal, as if troubled, raised his eyebrow at my words.
“Hadn’t we already talked about that? I don’t consider holding Shuka-san a burden at all. The curse was my fault to begin with and I was the one who caused it to get worse too…”
“R-right. Sorry…”
Once we were alone in the bedroom, Ideal revealed the truth about the curse to me. An unprecedented amount of restraint and tension formed between us like a thin film.
“I… My family is somewhat unique, and I know a lot about the curse.”
“A lot…!? Then, can you also break it!?”
“Well… breaking the curse is not something that can be done immediately…”
Previously, when we were talking about the curse, Ideal had said so, as if he was troubled. He must have known it already back then. He had known the true nature of this curse and that it was unbreakable.
“The Wedge of Servitude.” That was the name of the terrible branding iron created by Ideal’s great-grandfather, an incubus.
Those who are branded cannot commit suicide, nor can they ask others for help. However, why can’t they rely on others?
—Because anyone who approaches the Marked One is killed by the power contained in the curse.
And yet, the reason why I had not killed anyone for twenty years had to do with the person who placed me under this curse. The curse, which can only be cast by an incubus, had been weakened to the extent of merely causing “feelings of disgust in those around me” when used by a human.
However, originally, the curse was supposed to have two effects. It would kill those who approached and continuously inflict excruciating pain upon the host. The only way to escape the pain was to plead for mercy from the one who branded them—their only respite was mucous membrane contact and exchange of bodily fluids.
The curse had been weakened over time, but with Ideal, an incubus, at my side, its true effects had resurfaced. In other words, it was discovered that if I did not have sex with Ideal on a regular basis, I would not only cause pain to myself but also to others.
—Ideal’s great-grandfather was consumed by jealousy of everything surrounding his lover and created this curse to ensure that she could never escape. He branded his lover and sold the branding iron, which was no longer needed, on the black market for fun. The branding iron was mistaken for a type of punishment for criminals due to its appearance and effects, and it eventually found its way into the hands of the nobleman who used it on me.
Ideal’s great-grandfather was a powerful incubus. Such a man created the curse to bind his lover, so there was no way to break the curse.
Once the brand etched its mark into one’s soul, it would continue to be effective even if one removed their skin or cut off their limbs.
The fact that the curse couldn’t be lifted cast a dark shadow over my mind.
But there was a bright side. The incomplete curse was awakened by Ideal, and it recognized him as my master. Before that, that nobleman had been my master. Just thinking about that made me shudder.
It was fortunate for me, but Ideal had to hold me regularly to keep the curse under control. I couldn’t help but feel sorry about that. Ideal reassured me not to worry about it, but if I had to live like this until the end of my life, I’d be tied to this man for nearly thirty years… I couldn’t rely on him that much. And yet, there was no other solution.
Moreover, since the curse was inflicted when I saved Ideal, and the other side was also feeling sorry for me, there was no end to the argument about which side was to blame.
So, for the time being, we settled the matter by agreeing to have sex on a regular basis from then on.
“I don’t think you need to feel guilty about anything, Shuka-san. If you’re not against it, will you leave the rest to me?”
“Y-yes.”
As if to restore the atmosphere that had fizzled out, Ideal pushed me down again as I was raising myself up. His lips softly touched my neck. It was ticklish, but I felt a thrill of pleasure.
I was surprised to hear that humanoid incubus were born knowing these tricks.
“—Oh, by the way, he said he was just like a lewd demon or something…”
“…What are you talking about?”
“I just remembered something. The owner of the brothel said something like that as a compliment. But in bars, calling someone any kind of lewd demon was considered an insult… You guys don’t seem like that, so why are you guys always thought of as weak creatures that specialize in lewd acts?”
There was a wide gap between the infamous image of them being lewd demons and the incubi I’d actually seen. While they seemed skilled at seducing people and draining their energy, they never struck me as weak beings.
“If it’s a beast that has lost its reason, it’s my slave.”
What came to mind was the image of Ideal when he saved me that night. A being who effortlessly dealt with a single human, manipulating things from an era older than magic itself.
“Well… Humans probably found incubi terrifying and intentionally tried to degrade them. The monsters out of legends always had a weakness, right?”
“I see…”
“Good. Now that you’re convinced, Shuka-san.”
Ideal, who had been listening to my story while continuing to give me small caresses like dropping light kisses on my neck and intertwining our fingers together, suddenly pulled away and smiled at me.
“Shall I make it so that you will never go to a brothel again?”
