ILJV 06

ILJV

Posted by Arsiii_here, Released on November 4, 2025

Chapter 06

Baron Insetia stared into the blazing fireplace, deep in thought.

The fire burning the black ironwood — it was the flame he had brought from Ivrea’s hearth.

How could black ironwood possibly burn?

Ivrea had claimed it was a fire she had accidentally created while praying earnestly, but how could that be? If that were possible, no one in Erel would ever have to shiver from the cold again.

He had even once brought in a famous wizard from the capital, said to possess great power. Yet even that man had failed to make black ironwood catch fire.

There’s no way this was an accident. This fire… it’s the power the young Lady Ivrea possesses.

Baron Insetia was not a man who could be fooled by a child’s lies. He had lived too many harsh years carving out a life in the barren northern lands. His bones were far too seasoned to be tricked by some pampered child raised in the greenhouse of the royal capital.

But they say her mana level is extremely low. How could someone with such low power create a flame this strong?

The baron thought of Ivrea’s father — his superior — Duke Oberon. If that man, a meticulous strategist, had chosen to conceal his daughter’s true strength, there must have been a reason.

Probably to avoid external scrutiny. Those with great power inevitably become targets of fear and suspicion.

The Oberon family already possessed a prestige and lineage that rivaled the royal family itself. If such a house were to have a child born with immense power, Ivrea would never have been allowed to live as freely as she did now.

Still, for someone supposedly so powerful, I didn’t feel any strong presence from her…

Yet he soon shook his head. It was said that once one reached the highest realm, ordinary people could no longer perceive that level.

Could it be that the young lady has already reached that realm?

A chill ran up his arm.

It seems the duke truly is weaving a grand design.

If so, then Baron Insetia could only align himself with that vision. That was why, despite his questions, he hadn’t pressed Ivrea further.

Until the duke himself speaks of it, I’ll keep my mouth shut.

Even so, his thoughts drifted to an ancient legend passed down through Erel — a legend known only in the North. Though not as grand as the kingdom’s founding myth, the people of this land still carried it in their hearts.

Now bound under the kingdom’s rule, the North had once been its own nation.

A people of different blood, with a culture unlike the central nobles of the capital.

Long ago, before the Northern lands fell to the blazing power of the Blue Sorcerer from the kingdom’s myths, they had lived freely, by their own ways. The Oberon family itself had roots in the North — and for that reason, the royal family’s watchful eye had always been heavier upon them.

“They say in this far northern Erel, a new flame shall rise to drive away the trials — the first spark that will save this land.”

Could the fire Ivrea had created truly be that legendary flame?

And had the duke sent his daughter here with full knowledge of it — to test the ancient prophecy that every Northerner still clung to in their hearts?

I shall remain silent… until everything comes to light.

Baron Insetia’s gaze sank deep.

“I’ll need to keep everyone’s mouths shut for now.”

He would have to make sure that word of Ivrea’s strange fire never spread beyond the estate.

The butler had spent the entire day combing through the mansion and asking around, but of course, no one claimed to have lost a dog. That confirmed it — Harry was a stray. Late that night, the butler brought him back to my room, and by then, a collar was already fastened around his neck.

“A collar?”

“That butler insisted on putting it on me. Said big dogs are dangerous. A collar! The greatest humiliation in the life of Theocharis!”

Harry sprawled across the floor, scratching furiously at his neck, but the sturdy leather strap didn’t budge.

“You think that’s going to make it come off?”

I chuckled and leaned down to pat his head. Harry froze mid-scratch.

“Why are you patting my head now of all times?”

He sounded genuinely confused.

“Because patting someone’s head is a sign of comfort, remember?”

He remembered what I’d said the first time I’d done it.

“One gesture can have many meanings, though. Right now, it’s praise.”

I shrugged and kept stroking his head.

“Thanks for enduring the humiliation so well, Harry.”

He snorted.

“Giving the disease and the cure all at once, huh? If you hadn’t told me to turn into a dog, I wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“I know, I know. That’s why I’m praising you. Good boy, well done.”

I said it mechanically, undoing the collar as I spoke. As soon as it came off, Harry stood up, shaking himself out with obvious relief.

“Finally, I can breathe again.”

“I’ll tell everyone not to put it back on. But you can’t act aggressive in front of people — otherwise, they’ll insist on keeping it.”

“So yesterday you tell me to be a dog, and today I have to act like a lamb?”

Grumbling, Harry jumped onto my bed and stretched out like he owned the place. I blinked in disbelief.

“Harry, that’s my bed.”

“I know. But I’m your pet, aren’t I?”

“So?”

“You don’t know? Pets have the right to share their owner’s bed.”

Technically, he wasn’t wrong — it wasn’t unusual for people to sleep with their pets.

“But you’re an evil spirit in disguise.”

“I can’t harm my contractor anyway. What’s there to worry about?”

“Well… maybe, but still…”

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him — it’s just that he was, you know, a demon. And demons were famous for their silver tongues.

“I said I won’t do anything. I mean it. You’re just a clueless kid — not my type.”

He flicked his tail lazily.

“By the way, how old are you, anyway?”

“I’ll be eighteen after my birthday. Then I’ll officially be an adult.”

In truth, my real age was older, but by Ivrea’s current body’s reckoning, I was seventeen. Harry scoffed.

“Eighteen? That’s barely a crumb.”

Was he seriously trying to act superior about age? I crossed my arms.

“A crumb? And how old are you, then, mister all-knowing?”

“Me? Two thousand one hundred seventy-six!”

“Two thousand one hundred seventy-six?”

My mind went blank for a moment. Well, of course — Theocharis was a demon that had existed since the founding myths of the kingdom.

Of course he’d be ancient.

It was just hard to believe when his human form looked like a man in his early twenties.

“Harry… were you my grandfather this whole time?”

“Grandfather?! Watch your mouth! I’m a young man in my prime!”

He bristled, ears twitching in outrage.

So for demons, two thousand years is still considered young?

I stared at him, still stunned by the number. He smirked smugly and stretched out comfortably across the bed.

“Well? You gonna sleep or what? It’s late. If you don’t like the bed, there’s always that sofa over there.”

He said it like he was the master of the house.

“This is my bed. Why would I sleep on the sofa?”

I pouted but lay down beside him anyway. The bed was large enough that I barely noticed his presence. Instead, I felt the soft blankets and the gentle warmth from the fire wrapping around me.

It was bliss.

After all that shivering in the cold today…

But now it was finally over. Relief washed over me as I drifted off almost instantly.

Hardships over, happiness begins! Hooray!

“She’s asleep already?”

Harry lay back against the pillows, his eyes narrowing. At some point, his form had shifted — no longer the fluffy white dog, but his true, human self.

“So naive… must be because she’s still a kid.”

To think she’d fall asleep next to a demon just because he said he wouldn’t do anything.

I thought she was the cautious type.

He reached out and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. Her reddish-brown hair wasn’t particularly special, not compared to his own silvery-white, but the color reminded him of flame — the source of her power — and he found that oddly appealing.

She doesn’t even wake up when I touch her.

He poked her cheek lightly. She just turned her head with a faint frown, still deep asleep.

It’s nice that she trusts me… but still.

A little lack of wariness stung his pride.

Do I not look good enough? Humans used to fall over themselves for me.

Demons existed to charm mortals — to win their hearts and then twist their desires. The easiest way to do that was through beauty. That was why demons evolved to possess unearthly looks.

Even among demons, Harry had been considered exceptionally handsome. But his new contractor didn’t seem impressed at all.

Does she seriously think that because I turned into a dog, I’m just a mutt now?

Watching her sleep so peacefully, he almost believed it.

I finally return to the mortal realm after centuries, and this is how I’m treated — like a pet dog.

If the demons back in the underworld found out he’d even worn a collar, they’d laugh at him for at least a hundred years.

All the more reason to get some compensation for this indignity.

The only question was how to tempt her.

What’s my contractor’s desire? She’s pretty, noble, rich… what could she possibly lack?

Still, Harry wasn’t worried. Every human had a hidden longing deep inside them. He just needed to find the right one to whisper to.

Sure, she might say she hated war and killing — but get close enough, whisper sweetly enough, and she’d fall like everyone else.

Because that’s human nature.

He smiled in satisfaction and brushed his lips against her hair.