Tortured by Love

1

Azure was earnestly holding the hand of the demoness, Seraphina, swearing an oath to God to make her his wife.

I stood there, an awkward presence, next to them.

The reason was straightforward. Before confessing his love, Azure had come to my room, asking genuinely for my help to plead with our master, Wynd Vaughn.

In our sect, I was raised with the expectation of becoming Azure's wife.

"Violet, you've always been understanding. If we break the engagement together, Master Vaughn's wrath towards Seraphina might be lessened. Don't you think so?"

At that moment, I realized that even the reserved Azure could be passionate, but that passion was never for me.

He seemed afraid I would refuse, so he kept recounting the night he and Seraphina had pledged their lives to each other.

Finally, he said to me, "To love someone is to support their happiness. Violet, if you truly love me, you'll help me."

"Do I love him?" I wondered, lost in thought.

To ensure our union, our master, Wynd Vaughn, had cursed me with the Insect Curse since childhood.

He claimed the only way to lift the curse was to make Azure fall in love with me.

Every month on the fifteenth, the curse would take hold, the pain unbearable. While the other disciples had fun, I was alone, enduring the agony in the shadows.

Azure was oblivious to my suffering.

He is the noble son of Jasper Sage, the head of the Immortal Sect, and I am but a foundling. Jasper didn't want his son to suffer, so the onus was on me to win Azure's heart.

If I failed, I would live in perpetual torment.

As a child, I was spirited and playful, much like any other. But one day, Wynd caught me being carefree.

That night, he summoned me in private, his brow furrowed, and made me kneel outside the corridor all night to reflect.

"You must remember you are to be Azure's wife! How can a partner be so unruly? You must be gentle and obedient, always putting him first, winning his affection. Do you understand?"

That night, the biting wind left me with a lingering ache in my leg.

I had to be compliant and love Azure or suffer the consequences.

Over time, even I forgot if my affection for him was genuine.

Now, looking at him kneeling before me, I couldn't help but feel a bitter amusement.

Look at Azure, so well protected, never questioning why I would disappear on the fifteenth of every month. He just took my sacrifices for granted.

Wynd demanded my obedience and gentleness, but he didn't understand Azure at all. In the end, he pushed him towards the passionate Seraphina.

I wondered if the older man would regret his actions.

But at this moment, I could only comply as always. "As you wish."

2

Wynd was seething with rage, lashing out at Azure with his whip. Blood seeped through, staining his clothes crimson.

Yet Azure stood silent, resolute in his love for Seraphina.