Karin remained silent, her head up, curious at the height of the large gate in front of her. The red barrier that separates life between the demon aristocracy who live forever and the citizens of Alfansa who rely on the devil aristocrats for their economy. Only those chosen, like Karin, are allowed to access this gate.
Her father used to tell Karin who was behind the red gate. Ordinary civilians who work there because they have qualified skills, or bride-to-be girls of demon aristocrats. The aristocrats had superhuman power and were immortal, but they only had one flaw. Cannot reproduce with anyone else. So, whether they liked it or not, the nobility had to look for brides among the people of Alfansa.
Karin could see thousands of tall structures and a perspective of the city that was no less gorgeous than Alfansa as the red gate slowly opened. Karin also noticed the demons strolling by, and everyone appeared normal, like the majority of Alfansa's population. If their worlds weren't so far apart, Karin might not be able to tell the difference between a regular Alfansa citizen and a demon aristocrat.
"Where is Katon?" Karin enquired as she surveyed the area.
"Mr. Katon has a lot of work," James kindly said. He invited Karin to get back into the car.
"Will my mother be okay, James?"
"Sure. You can visit her once a year, but only from a distance."
James explained. "You can ask Mr. Katon's dogs to look after your mother once you marry."
"Dogs? So the dog that was assisting me was Katon's?"
"Yes. But I'm sorry to hear about Albert's death."
"Is the tattoo on my neck Katon's initials?" Karin asked, touching the back of her neck.
Through the rearview mirror, James caught a glimpse of Karin. He gave a slight smile.
"Mr. Katon's manners surprised me. Other aristocrats usually make that mark on the bride-to-be sensitive's place."
Karin frowned in disgust "What exactly is this symbol? You believe we're pets?"
"Imagine if that sign hadn't been there, Karin."
"Yes! I could be free right now if this symbol wasn't there."
"The dogs cannot protect you if you do not have this symbol. They're constantly on your side and will attack if necessary."
"I don't like this tattoo!" Karin scowled at Katon, but she took it out on James. "What are we going to do now?"
"We're headed to Sofia's girls' dormitory."
"Why?"
"Don't you still have to go to school? You'll be there until your wedding."
Karin remained silent. Everything happened so quickly that every breath she took may have meant a lot to her life. All of her problems and threats in life, which other women enjoyed since being pursued by numerous men had become a nightmare for Karin. She would prefer to be a virgin than lose her father and marry someone she has never met.
"James!" As James stepped out of his car, a woman ran up to embrace him. Karin softly opened the car window to listen in on their chat.
"Is Katon's bride here? Where is she?" The middle-aged woman seemed eager to meet Karin. James returned his gaze and motioned for his guys to open the door for Karin.
When the middle-aged woman spotted Karin, she gaped and clutched Karin's cheeks. She even shed a few tears as her eyes sparkled with happiness.
"You're Katon's bride, right? Oh, how lovely!" As she took hold of Karin's body, she sobbed.
Karin was shocked to her core.
"It makes sense why Katon picked you. I'm Mrs. Vienna, and I'm in charge of this dorm."
"Karin Nevada." Karin gave a quick response but ignored Mrs. Vienna's invitation for a handshake.
"Karin, your belongings are already in the room, and I'll hand you over to Vienna," James says. James said goodbye and reminded Karin to be patient by patting her on the shoulder. Karin snorted in frustration instead of happiness, not understanding why she had to be patient with all of this.
Mrs. Wina led Karin to her room on the third floor, at the end of the corridor. Karin looked around the dormitory and began to feel a little safer because it turned out that the world of the demons was similar to hers.
"This is your room," Mrs. Vienna said as she handed Karin the key.
"Alone?"
"Of course! When someone else is in the room, how can Katon meet you?" Mrs. Vienna went away, waving.
Karin was the only person left and she was still hesitant to enter but had no other option. She entered her room and was shocked to find it extremely identical to her own room. There is even a portrait of her and her father on the desk. Karin knelt down, unable to hold back her sobs. If only her father was still alive, she would not be experiencing this pain. Surely, her father would fight as hard as he could to keep Karin from coming here.
* * *
Mrs. Vienna had prepared her new school outfit, as well as the written rules in the dormitory, which had been printed on a piece of paper. Mrs. Wina had pasted the rule paper in Karin's room without being asked. The woman seemed to dislike anyone who disobeys and violates the rules.
Each student is required to eat breakfast at 7 a.m. in the dining hall, where a different cuisine is available every day. On Mondays, the canteen offers egg sandwiches, vegetable salad, and a glass of soy milk for breakfast. Karin regarded her meal without tasting it.
"How long do you want to look at it?" asked a student sitting next to Karin. She smiled and moved closer to Karin "My name is Tanya. You must be a new student, right?"
Karin sighed and nodded.
"If it's okay, whose bride are you, exactly?"
"You can't know," Karin replied quickly.
Tanya raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear such a sly response from Karin. But then she laughed. "Are you embarrassed about your future husband? Come on, you're still the bride of a demon, even though your future husband is only a low-class demon," Tanya chuckled. "Of course your rank is higher than living as a regular citizen."
"I'd rather be a regular citizen," Karin said briefly. She signaled to Tanya with a glint in her eyes that she didn't want to be disturbed.
"Okay, good. It is entirely up to you," Tanya moved her body away from Karin, indicating that she appeared to be irritated.
The bell rang, signaling that breakfast was finished and it was time to go to school. Mrs. Vienna had told Karin about the school she would be attending the night before. She will attend a school called Sofia, where all of the demons will gather to get to know the candidate better. However, the demon may decide not to marry his bride-to-be along the way. And as a result, the demon's future bride became a free agent, and if she didn't find a replacement husband within a year, she had to die.
And Mrs. Wina informed Karin that there was one prospective bride her age who had been dumped by her future husband. That person is Erna, Karin's former classmate. Karin's mission today is to find Erna because she is the only person who lived in the same neighborhood as Karin when she was in Alfansa.
"Hi!" someone scolded, suddenly touching Karin's shoulder.
"Are you a new student?" she asked, smiling.
"Yes."
"Hello, my name is Dewi." She introduced herself without being asked. "Have you met Tanya?" She pointed to Tanya, who was walking not far ahead of them.
"Yes, but why?"
"She's the most well-liked and fortunate girl in our class. Katon Bagaskara's future wife."
"Katon?!" Unconsciously, Karin exclaimed.
Dewi assuredly nodded. "That's what she said to everyone."