For Lady Tamayo, there was only one being in the entire world who deserved to be utterly destroyed: Muzan Kibutsuji. The man holding her now wore that monster's face and possessed his power, and in her heart, there was no difference. She had no desire for peace or understanding. Their conflict was not a simple grudge; it was a fundamental clash between two opposing worldviews.
Tamayo was, as her loyal companion Yushiro always described her, the epitome of a dignified and elegant woman. She carried herself with a quiet grace that was both beautiful and serene. But the man who was once Muzan Kibutsuji, and the new entity known as Tsukihiko who now inhabited his body, had never seen beauty as something to be protected.
To him, it was something to be broken.
In his mind, protection was one form of beauty, but destruction was another, purer form. It was simply a matter of taste.
"Let... go of me," Tamayo hissed, her voice tight with rage. The air in the room grew heavy and still. Her beautiful face was flushed, a mixture of fury and humiliation.
From the moment Tsukihiko had captured her and forced her to research cures under his watch, she knew she would never truly be free. But she had never imagined this. The original Muzan had always been indifferent to women, seeing them as nothing more than tools. She never dreamed that this new version would turn his predatory attention on her in such a personal way.
"Don't move," Tsukihiko's voice was a soft whisper beside her ear, yet it carried the weight of an absolute command. As she struggled against his hold, he continued, "Think about Nezuko. Think about young Yushiro. And of course, think about those powerful Hashira I have trapped within the Infinity Castle. Are their lives not worth more than your pride?"
At his words, Tamayo froze. The fight drained out of her body, replaced by a cold, suffocating helplessness. Two streams of silent tears traced paths down her cheeks—tears of pure, impotent rage. What terrible sin had she committed in a past life to be tormented by this vile, irredeemable monster?
"Tamayo, you have no idea," Tsukihiko's voice became deceptively gentle, as if speaking to a lover. "All these years, I have never once forgotten about you."
Though the words were soft, they sent a shiver of ice down her spine. They were both demons who had lived for centuries. Why was he playing such a childish, romantic game?
Then, in a flash of clarity, she understood. As Muzan's former attendant, despite her revulsion, she knew his nature. Given his twisted personality, her resistance would only fuel his cruelty. A different approach was needed. Engaging him on this psychological level, playing into his sick fantasy, might give her an opening. It was a repulsive thought, but as long as she could distract him, she was willing to do anything. What more did she have left to lose?
The stiffness in her body seemed to melt away. When she spoke again, her tone had changed completely. The cold fury was gone, replaced by a trembling accusation. "Is... is that true?" she asked, her voice sounding like a heartbroken lover's complaint. "Then why did you lie to me? Why did you force me to become this... this monster? Why did you destroy the happiness I had worked so hard to find?"
A dark smile touched Tsukihiko's lips. He tightened his arms around her, pleased by her response. "Tamayo... I've waited centuries to hear you ask me that." He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a sinister confession. "When I first met you, you already had a family. You had a husband and children. I was the one who came later."
His tone turned dark and possessive. "The only way to make you understand was to make you lose everything. I had to make you fall to the very bottom, to drag you into the darkest moment of your life. Only then would you realize that I am the only one in this world who truly cares for you, the only one who truly understands you."
To love you, I killed your family. To love you, I ruined your life. To love you, I turned you into a demon.
This was the core of his twisted belief, and hearing it spoken so passionately made the hatred in Tamayo's heart burn hotter than ever before.
"So... that's how it was," she whispered. A strange, unreadable emotion flickered across her face. Her features seemed to be cloaked in shadow, making it impossible to discern her true feelings.
If Tsukihiko didn't have absolute control over the bodies of all demons, he might have been fooled by her incredible performance. The expression she wore was a perfect mask of confusion and inner torment. Was she struggling with regret? With anger at the tragedy he had created? Or with disgust at his deranged concept of love?
This combination of vulnerability and strength was alluring. Her tear-stained beauty, mixed with a stubborn pride, was a performance that could soften the hardest of hearts. She was a master of this game, far more skilled than the naive Yushiro could ever hope to be. She had accurately read Tsukihiko's emotional state and, in an instant, had decided to meet his twisted needs head-on, attempting to seize control of their morbid dynamic. After all, you can't force someone to love you, especially not a demoness who hates you for murdering her family.
Just as the tension in the room reached its peak, a voice called from outside.
"Lady Tamayo, are you in there?"
It was Yushiro.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Instantly, Tsukihiko felt the frantic, uncontrolled rhythm of Tamayo's heart hammering against his arm. Her composure had shattered. Her greatest weakness had just announced itself, and the monster holding her could feel her terror.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse