Chapter 9
At that moment, two men who had been hiding in the lounge revealed themselves. One appeared from behind a large chair, the other from under a table. Both moved with sharp, precise agility.
The man holding Ollentia spoke to her in a cold, chilling voice.
“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet? Do you think this looks like a harmless game?”
“W-what… are you?”
Looks like a game? Are you kidding me? If I were in her shoes, I’d be screaming too! How scared must I be!
Tears welled up in her eyes from sheer shock. She tried not to show it outwardly, but inside, she felt like she was about to go mad.
She never imagined she’d face something like this. Whoever she had run into, it was definitely a huge mistake.
Ah, I should’ve just stayed quiet! I shouldn’t have come in… I couldn’t resist my curiosity…
But regret was too late now. Ollentia swallowed hard and shut her mouth. She decided to stay silent, as the man had instructed.
If she screamed again, she was certain he would stab her neck with his silver dagger. And the thought of dying like that was unbearable.
It was then that the front door opened, and someone entered along with the men in black uniforms she had seen earlier. Twice the size of the knights, exuding an intimidating presence, wearing a white Bauta mask—the kind that could make anyone tremble in fear.
It was none other than Archduke Dimidius Belial.
Why was he here? Why now? Ollentia couldn’t comprehend it. She stared at him with wide, trembling eyes. Dimidius had blood flowing from a tear in his clothing, as if his arm had been injured.
Gah! What on earth happened to him?
Even amidst the chaos, a chilling sensation ran down her neck, and her limbs shook uncontrollably.
What do I do? I’m so scared!
She was lucky she hadn’t fainted yet. Ollentia swallowed roughly, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t relax for even a moment.
The man holding her spoke to Dimidius in a hollow voice.
“Did you really kill them all? Now there are only three left, including me… you mad devil!”
Dimidius ignored him and simply looked at Ollentia.
“…Lady?”
Until now, Dimidius had barely even breathed during their confrontation. But when he spoke that single word, the man instinctively sensed that Ollentia and he were acquainted.
The masked man felt a thrill and pressed his dagger closer to Ollentia’s neck.
“What? You knew each other? Perfect. If she doesn’t cooperate, I’ll cut her throat.”
Dimidius spoke in a calm, emotionless voice.
“She is a woman unrelated to me. So you cannot act as you wish.”
The man coughed awkwardly.
“Cough! Even if she’s an innocent civilian, you think I can’t kill her?”
He lightly nicked Ollentia’s neck with the dagger.
“Eeek!”
Pain shot through her neck, and Ollentia panicked. Any wrong move could strike her carotid artery.
Damn it! Why are you doing this to me? Fight each other, not me!
The thought that she could die made her curse under her breath. She had no idea what Dimidius was thinking, which frustrated her. Right now, he was the only one she could trust.
It was a mistake to come to first-class… but it’s not like I deserve to die for it.
While she lamented to herself, Dimidius coughed up some blood, then stepped forward without hesitation. His hands were covered in blood.
The surrounding knights gasped in shock.
“Your Grace! We’ll handle it!”
“Yes, Your Grace! There’s no need for you to see more blood. It’s dangerous!”
Why is he coughing up blood all of a sudden? What’s happening?
Ollentia bit her lip tightly, tears streaming. She couldn’t speak because of the dagger at her neck.
But moments later, a feeling of clarity came over her, and she heard Dimidius’ serious voice.
[Lady. Close your eyes for just ten seconds. Trust me.]
It was as if he was sending a message like a god.
How…? Did he use the Devil’s power?
That didn’t matter right now. Ollentia, desperate to survive, shut her eyes tightly and began counting. She would trust him, as he asked.
One… Two…
From the moment he saw Ollentia, Dimidius resolved to give his all. Until now, he had only fought with his sword, but now he realized he would need to unleash his Devil’s power.
A single word he had uttered to buy time had caused Ollentia to be nicked at the neck. Seeing the fragile wound, Dimidius frowned, feeling responsible.
Without hesitation, he unleashed the forcibly sealed Devil’s power. Black energy pierced through his blood vessels, his organs shook violently, and his mouth felt like it would burst. It was the first time he had used this power since the assault on the Archducal Castle five years ago. Keeping the Devil’s power sealed to maintain his human form, using it now strained his body immensely.
A massive wave of magical energy surged through Dimidius’ body. His blood-red eyes darkened further, hair whipping around him. Though he had already lost much blood, he didn’t ignore the trembling, terrified Ollentia.
As the Devil’s aura surrounded him, he sent a message to Ollentia first.
[Lady. Close your eyes for just ten seconds. Trust me.]
Ollentia shivered but obediently shut her eyes. She appeared to count the seconds. Now, all that remained was to deal with the masked man.
Dimidius teleported behind the man as if by magic, dropped the dagger, and struck the man’s vital spot in one swift motion.
Clang!
The dagger restraining Ollentia fell to the ground. The black-masked man collapsed silently, unable to utter a sound.
Unleashing the Devil’s power had made this simple. The other two men were subdued by the knights.
“Your Grace! They’ve been restrained!”
“Are you alright?”
Amidst the voices around him, Dimidius focused solely on Ollentia. The wound on her pale, long neck was out of place for someone as gentle as her.
Is she really okay?
Even the trained Belial knights would have suffered immense pain from the unleashed Devil’s power. Yet Ollentia remained calm, counting the seconds, a testament to her strong divine power.
Sniff! Six… eighteen!
Feeling her legs weaken, she sensed her body lift slightly. Then, she heard Dimidius’ voice in her ears.
“Eighteen, hmm? You were in quite a hurry.”
Only then did Ollentia open her eyes and look up at Dimidius’ white Bauta mask. Time felt surreal.
And she shivered at the realization that she was being held in his arms. The embrace was large and secure, but she didn’t want it.
How long is he planning to hold me…
Before he could finish his previous statement, she hurriedly sat up. Blood rushed to her head, making her sway slightly, but she didn’t fall embarrassingly.
Ollentia looked Dimidius squarely in the eyes.
“Do you think I’ll fall for it twice?”
Dimidius shrugged.
“Still, it seems your learning has been effective. That’s a relief, Lady.”
Ollentia, breathing heavily, shivered as she saw the fallen black-masked men. Dimidius’ knights were removing the bodies, but she couldn’t move easily.
What on earth happened here? My head is spinning…
Dimidius pointed to her neck.
“…Is your wound alright?”
His voice was unusually serious. He seemed genuinely concerned. Ollentia frowned in pain, touching the wound, but tried to act fine.
“I-I’m okay! It’s nothing!”
“Is that so? Then I should have left it a little longer.”
But Ollentia knew. Her wound was minor compared to Dimidius’ injuries. He had a wounded arm and had just coughed up blood. Was something wrong with his body?
Since they weren’t close enough to ask personal questions, she let it go.
Ollentia wiped the blood from her neck with the clean cloth Dimidius handed her and took a deep breath. She couldn’t believe she was in such a scene of carnage.
This… is an assault, right? Who… who dares attack the Archduke of the Bonus Empire?
Fear made her head feel hot. It was as if she had seen something she shouldn’t.
Yet Ollentia gathered her courage and spoke to Dimidius, who was tending to his wound.
“I think I have a right to know. I’m a victim, after all.”
“Just state the matter briefly,” Dimidius said, his voice slightly lowered, perhaps from fatigue.
“Who are the attackers? You must know, Your Grace.”
“I have very complicated circumstances.”
“Yes. I have complicated circumstances as well. Everyone does.”
“Then, could you tell me about those circumstances?”
“That is…”
Her parents had died in an accident. Her cousin and his wife coveted her inheritance. The Pieta bracelet had clearly conveyed divine messages to her, though only three times. She could not possibly explain all of that.
Ollentia narrowed her eyes, glaring sharply at him.
