Loving a Monster

Count Vrax was the last surviving member of a family lineage known for their wickedness. His father had forced him to witness brutal rituals conducted on innocent people from a nearby village, which left a permanent mark on the castle he lived in. As a result, the castle became cursed, and no one dared to approach it. One day, a daring woman named Ruth entered Count Drax's mysterious castle to uncover the secrets hidden within its dark depths.
She believed that the tales told by the villagers were exaggerated. As Ruth explored the castle, she began to communicate with the immortal Count from the shadows because he was afraid that Ruth, upon seeing him, would feel a deep dislike for him. She discovered the price he paid for an existence linked to eternity. Ruth found that the Count longed to be loved by someone, but the curse on the castle made everyone see him as a monster.
Despite the curse, Ruth eventually came to trust the count, and she married him. They shared happiness for over thirty years until Ruth passed away, leaving the Count alone again in his immortal nature. After she left, the count continued to wander eternally through the dark corners of his castle, each day the same as the previous one. Every morning, the count went up to the highest window of the castle to look in the direction of the village to see if another Ruth was coming.
The count did the same for hundreds of years, hoping she would one day arrive at his door, but she never came. After seeing that, once again, no one would come, a tear always ran down the count's cheek.