Synopsis
[Girl x boy anthology]
How women who aren't what they seem devour their lovers, leaving nothing behind...
[Story One: An aloof, silent "widow" who is secretly cruel and vicious x an honest, gentle priest who can't resist his desires]
The woman in black has been coming to the temple to pray every day lately. The worshippers all avoid her.
Out of kindness, the priest approaches her.
On the seventh day, his kind concern finally makes her lower her guard. A lonely tear slides down her cheek, and an ordinary friendship begins.
But at some point, her pale face enters his dreams.
Night after night, his dreams are wild and sensual. He can't bring himself to face his god honestly, and he dares not look into her eyes.
The two grow increasingly distant, while the city becomes more and more unsettled. One day, she leaves the temple late. He hesitates for a moment, then follows her, doing what his heart wants.
Blood fills his vision. A cold hand grabs him.
The nightmare that has tormented him for so long becomes reality. She pushes him down onto the altar, while the solemn statue watches them.
"Let's ask your dear Lord," she says with a beaming smile. "Would He be willing to make you my next husband?"
[Story Two: A shy, frail but naturally violent female guide x a cold, powerful sentinel brother who obeys his sister in everything]
Deep in the latest sanitized contamination zone, the strongest sentinel finds his long-lost younger sister. People joyfully welcome the young S-class guide.
Ordinary people place their hopes in her, while her colleagues can't help making her a topic of conversation. Some are envious, some resentful, and some worry that her S-class sentinel brother will bully her, since she looks undernourished.
No one sees the frail girl pinning the man firmly beneath her, her gray eyes fixed on him as she smiles.
"You're different from them. You'll always be my family."
He can't deny it, even as his sister gives the chain in her hand a gentle tug, making him stumble and fall to his knees. His face and limbs are covered in wounds.
"Will you follow me, brother?" she asks in a soft, weak voice.
He lowers his head. He can't get back up, and he can't refuse her.
[Story Three: An honest, ordinary beta student who is secretly good at reading people x an arrogant, overbearing alpha scion who is secretly fragile and sensitive]
Born into a powerful family and bearing the title of alpha, he has every right to look down on most people, including the beta commoner in the corner of the classroom, who keeps her head down and studies all day.
So what if she gets good grades? She's dull and stiff, and doesn't even fight back when people bully her. What a useless beta.
On a whim, he drives off a group of bullies, glances at her, then walks away without looking back.
He doesn't notice the gaze following close behind him.
Then his irregular heat hits. Dazed in the supply closet, he grabs her as she accidentally enters the room.
In an instant, the tables turn. A seemingly slender hand grips the alpha's throat, its fingertips digging maliciously into his gland.
"Your pheromones are all over the place. It must be miserable, right?" For the first time, he clearly hears her voice. "Thank you for helping me. I'll help you, too."
[Story Four: A cheerful, naive princess who is secretly playing the pig to eat the tiger x a dragon who hates humans but gradually falls into her lies]
The dragon hates the kingdom's army for seizing its home, driving out its kin, and slaughtering them. Bound by magic, it has become a half-dragon, half-human monster, trapped deep in the forest for decades. No human has ever come near it.
Except for the little princess who blunders into its barrier.
She's noisy and absurdly stupid. Even when a swipe of its tail sends her tumbling into a valley, she isn't afraid. Instead, she happily comes over to examine the dragon's scales.
Her warmth gradually melts the ice around its heart, but after much hesitation, the dragon eventually takes advantage of her.
The princess, having lost her family, raises her sword.
A handful of confidants know that the new king broke the dragon's wings and imprisoned it forever in the dungeon.
Several candles burn silently there. Only they hear its sobs of despair night after night, as well as the young monarch's laughter:
"I betrayed my people to spare your life, so stop crying, darling."
[Story Five: A gentle, elegant young suspect who is secretly cunning and manipulative x a stuffy, slow-witted older detective who falls into a trap]
He plans to retire after taking one last case. Who could have guessed things would get this complicated?
Every clue he has points to her, his nominal niece: the girl everyone loves wherever she goes.
Trusting the younger generation, the detective works tirelessly, neglecting sleep and meals, until the truth finally comes to light and his niece is cleared of blame.
But now, a piece of earth-shattering evidence lies before him. She smiles at her uncle and hands him a stack of photos.
At last, he understands that his muscles haven't been sore when he wakes up lately because he's getting older.
[Story Six: A calm, rational saintess who is heartless deep down x a reckless, beastlike demon with a kind heart]
She pities all living beings and knows everything. Her fame has reached even the filthy places few people dare to visit.
A demon shunned by his own kind because he loves ordinary people, he secretly hides near the temple, risking death by burning at the stake just to catch a glimpse of her true face.
Cold and distant, like the moon suspended high in the sky.
Unable to stop himself, he follows in her footsteps, but one night he accidentally catches her testing the effects of magic potions on living things: animals, humans, and demons.
"So you didn't know I'd noticed you." Without changing her expression, she grabs him as he tries to save his companion. "Good boy. Then you can take their place."
Reader's guide:
1. A girl x boy anthology. Each story takes place in a separate world, though there may be references between stories. All times and locations are fictional and unrelated to the real world.
2. In Story Two, the female and male leads are artificially created experimental subjects with no blood relation. Both are adults, and their relationship does not develop while they are considered siblings.
3. In Story Five, the female and male leads have no blood or actual family relationship. The female lead is the daughter of the male lead's good friend, and she is an adult.
4. All male leads are virgins, there are no role reversals, and the female leads have no sidekicks.
Theme: Love the world and love life.
