Chapter 124

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 124

Chapter Title: The Demon's Wish

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I had a feeling Hayton wouldn't let me go if things kept on like this, so I hopped down from Adrian's arms.

Hayton rubbed the corner of his mouth as I looked at him. Having lived with that kid in my second life, I knew exactly what it meant. It was his habit when he was pleased.

'What's so pleasing about this? Is he nuts?'

What the hell had he eaten?

"If you're tired, you can rest in the next room for a bit—"

"One, no nonsense."

"What?"

"Two, I'm a lady of House Duvered. Mind your manners when you speak to me."

"What the hell are you even...?"

"Three."

I kicked Hayton right in the shin.

"Touch me without permission, and you'll get it!"

"Ack!" Hayton yelped, clutching his leg with a panicked look on his face.

"You, you...!"

"Remember this if you want proper living expenses until you're eighteen. Got it?"

"The money's already been approved!"

"Not the amount."

Hayton yelled, "That's low!", but I just shrugged nonchalantly.

That's why you have to read contracts carefully.

Leaving the fuming Hayton behind, I turned to Adrian.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

His smile looked oddly delighted, and I stifled a laugh inside.

Adrian escorted me all the way home. He wanted to stay until I was better, but I had a bad feeling that if he came inside, this cute puppy would get torn apart by the beasts.

"I'm fine, so head back."

"......"

"Go home and get some good rest, okay?"

"......Alright."

Adrian watched me from outside the door until I entered the mansion.

When I got home, my family was waiting for me, lined up in the central courtyard with scowls on their faces. I flinched and clasped my hands together obediently.

"I'm sorry."

Aunt narrowed her eyes at me as I apologized quickly.

"It's not your fault. This is on the adults who let a child like you go off with the Imperial Guard without protection."

"I insisted on going..."

"Any adult who gives in to a child's whining has no business raising one."

The guard captain bowed his head.

"My apologies."

"We'll discuss this later. Leblain..."

Aunt stared at me intently, then bent one knee to meet my eyes.

"Look at how many people you worried."

Glancing around, I saw my three maids and the servants looking pale, while Dad and my brothers sighed heavily.

"......I'm sorry."

"It's not that you can't make your own decisions. But you should have consulted the family this time. That criminal was furious—who knows what he might have done to you."

"Yes..."

"If you got hurt, it would break all our hearts."

"Even yours, Aunt?"

"Of course."

Aunt tucked a stray lock of my messy hair behind my ear and continued.

"I'd rather it had been me in your place."

I fidgeted with my hands, looking downcast, and Aunt opened her arms wide. Inviting me in.

'She's forgiving me!'

My face lit up, and I dove straight into her embrace.

"Thank you for coming back safe."

"Yes!"

'Aunt smells nice.'

I rubbed my cheek against hers with a grin, and she gently stroked my back.

The one who got an earful in my place was the guard captain. He looked wronged, and I mouthed from Aunt's arms, 'Captain, you're awesome! The best! So cool!' begging for his forgiveness on the sly.

Cleaning up after the Duke Ballua incident fell to Dad.

My dad is ruthless about everything except me, so he piled on crimes that didn't even exist, painting Duke Ballua as utterly vile.

Perfect closure.

A few days later, Duke Ballua's heresy trial was confirmed.

With the door firmly locked, I sat at the table and gripped Etwal. Amid a faint glow, the demon appeared in the chair opposite me.

The demon's expression was extremely displeased, probably because I'd been using it like a handy errand boy until now.

"Tell me what you want."

"You won't have time for sarcasm."

It had been a fortnight since I blocked the demon's attack, but my holy power was still scraping the bottom.

Right after unleashing such immense power, summoning the demon would have drained me dry if not for Adrian—I might have gone mad with barely a scrap left.

The demon clicked its tongue.

"Resentment?"

Unlike Bune or Paimon, it was a truly demonic wish—almost impressive.

'So that's why it showed up so quick for a sacrifice summoning.'

I'd heard Duke Ballua's 'sacrifices' for demon summoning numbered over a hundred, yet it still wasn't enough. Impressive in its own way.

'Resentment means human sacrifices, right?'

I didn't want to harm people to fulfill a demon's wish. Stroking my chin in thought, I asked,

"Then what's your ability?"

"Don't need it."

"No way!"

It seemed so far removed from scholarship!

The demon's face twisted as I gaped.

"Well, I..."

A scholar from nearly a thousand years ago?

A strange sense of déjà vu hit me.

"No way... that was Ballua's ancestor?"

I let out a hollow laugh.

'So that's how Duke Ballua knew this summoning circle. It was the demon his ancestor called!'

Having summoned a demon for their house's glory, generations obsessed over honor.

Which was all a hollow shell, really.

"Unbelievable..."

"No, I don't need honor. Anything else?"

My eyes lit up.

'That could fulfill the demon's wish and give me its power at once.'

"Perfect. That's the one. But I'll take this ability upfront."

"That might hold for other demons. Bune and Paimon only gained full power after I granted their wishes, but you're different."

"Over a hundred sacrifices mean you're brimming with power far beyond Bune or Paimon."

That's why maintaining this demon was easier than the others.

I grinned slyly, and the demon shouted in frustration.

"Thanks for the compliment."

"Shall we go? To fulfill your wish."

As I stood, I paused. "Oh."

And turned back.

"By the way, what's your name?"

The demon fumed that I'd been bossing it around without even knowing its name.

But it told me readily enough.

As I sent it back, I finally learned its proper name: Glasya-Labolas, King of the Slayers.

Three hours before the heresy trial, Duke Ballua lay sprawled in his cell, groaning.

"Bring him... bring him here... I'm not meant to die like this...!!"

No one heeded his bloodcurdling screams.

The cell was silent, not even a breath to be heard.

Terror that he might truly die gripped his entire body.

'Damn it, damn it all!'

This was all that wench's fault.

Leblain Duvered.

That vulgar bitch who looked just like Lisette!

If given another chance, he'd rip her apart for good this time. Gouge her eyes, tear her mouth, reduce her to rags, and hurl her at Theodor Duvered's feet.

Clutching the bars with fingernails torn clean off, Duke Ballua shouted.

"Let me see Him!"

"Who might that be?"

A clear voice out of nowhere made the duke jolt and look around.

But nothing was there.

'Hallucination?'

"Who is 'Him'?"

"......!"

The startled duke froze stiff.

'That voice... unmistakably...'

As the thought struck, the bars outside glowed, and someone appeared.

"How did you...!"

It was the Child of Destiny. That damned wench smiled sweetly as she approached the bars.

"How did I get here? You mean because of the barriers?"

The child smiled, and a familiar man appeared beside her.

A man with eagle's wings and dog's fangs. The eerie pressure and chilling presence—it was undoubtedly the angel he had summoned.

"Angel!"

The duke's face brightened in an instant as he crawled forward, reaching through the bars.

"You've descended again for me!"

"......"

"Kill her. Make that wench suffer... Aagh!"

The angel's eyes narrowed, and the duke's arm twisted in a flash.

Screaming, the duke cradled his mangled arm and retreated. The angel lazily pressed its temple.

"Wh-what?"

"Aaaagh—!!"

Duke Ballua slumped completely, as if his shoulder had popped out.

Leblain nodded in satisfaction and asked,

"Let's make this quick. You're dying anyway—better to go easy, right?"

"You, you...!"

"First: Did you kill everyone from the House of Hope that you bought up?"

The duke gaped in disbelief.

'How does that wench know about that...!'

When he didn't answer, Leblain glanced at the demon.

"Graaah—!"

This time, his fingers twisted grotesquely.

"I-I don't know. Yes, I bought kids and elders from the House of Hope, but I bought plenty from elsewhere too, so I'm not sure if they're all...!"

"Where are the survivors?"

"......"

"Where?!"

"......Stored in the Geranium sheds."

Leblain hurriedly sent a communication to Seria with the location.

Focusing on the communication stone, Leblain spoke again.

"Why make the Baby Bird?"

"......"

"Dad's daughter. The unborn fourth child you fabricated to bruise our family's heart."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Leblain raised an eyebrow at the duke.

"Want your neck twisted too?"

"......I'm saying your premise is wrong."

"Wrong?"

Duke Ballua smirked through cold sweat.

"Want to hear something that'll terrify you? Something that makes you fear losing everything, leaves you lost. Something you'd rather not know."

"......What?"

The duke lifted the corner of his mouth.

"Theodor's daughter was born. She's been growing up nicely all this time."

"What?"

"That child is right now..."

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