Chapter 10
People had become kind.
It was said that Northerners were typically blunt and didn’t open up easily, making them hard to befriend. But everyone in Erel, who lived at the northernmost edge of the north, was noticeably warm and friendly towards me. Emma, who guarded me most closely, of course, but even the butler and the mansion servants who used to ignore me. Whenever they saw me, they all smiled kindly and bowed their heads.
It was all thanks to Harry’s flame. After learning that I had personally distributed fire to the poorhouse, the Baron soon lifted the ban and distributed fire throughout the entire territory. However, he strictly monitored to ensure the fire couldn’t be taken outside the territory. The scope of surveillance had expanded from the mansion to the entire estate. Thanks to this, the work of the knight order guarding the outskirts had doubled.
‘I don’t understand why he goes so far with the surveillance.’
I could only guess that the fire burning Black Ironwood was a strategically important asset, and he wanted to keep its use confined within Erel.
Thanks to the fire spreading within the territory, I was on the receiving end of unintended kindness. Remembering even the conversation with the butler that had shown no progress made my head throb with embarrassment.
-“I cannot remember the last time smoke rose from the chimneys. It is all thanks to the young lady’s grace, who pitied the cold of Erel.”
-“Butler, I didn’t light the fire for Erel. I just did it because I was cold.”
-“Yes. I have heard that several times already. Please do not worry too much. I understand the young lady’s heart completely.”
-“…No. You don’t understand it at all.”
-“What do you mean! I know well. Is the fire that burns Black Ironwood an ordinary fire? It is absolutely not a fire one can obtain with a petty mind concerned only with warming oneself.”
-“No, I am petty. The only thing I care about is myself. I’m serious!”
-“Goodness. To be so humble until the very end. It is because you are such a person that you could obtain such a magnificent fire. How benevolent.”
And saying that, the butler gave me an immensely tender smile.
-“No… It’s not like that, so please don’t give me that tender smile…”
Similar conversations repeated several times, but it wasn’t easy to change the butler’s firmly held beliefs. After numerous attempts, I finally threw my hands up in defeat. As a result, through the butler’s mouth, the ‘young lady’s deep love for Erel’ that I didn’t even possess spread throughout the territory.
‘Thanks to that, everyone became kind, and living here is much more comfortable than before.’
I was misunderstood in a strange way, but so what? Anyway, it was a misunderstanding that would naturally disappear once they saw me busy looking out for myself. I couldn’t be bothered to clear up the infamous reputation spread in social circles, so I had no energy to correct this misunderstanding either.
‘I’ve done my part by telling the butler ‘no’ several times.’
If later, when the misunderstanding is cleared up, someone shakes me by the collar asking why I didn’t explain properly back then, I could confidently tell them. See, I said no back then!
‘So for now, let’s just eat something delicious.’
To be honest, the Northern regions weren’t known for a developed food culture. They valued practicality and simplicity. Balance of flavors? Texture? Color presentation? What did any of that matter? The common Northern perception was that food was just for filling one’s stomach, and that was enough.
‘When I first came to Erel, I was so dismayed by the crude dishes placed on the table.’
Still, I thought they might taste better than they looked, but the taste was even worse than their appearance. Because I was hungry, I forced myself to eat, but since it tasted bad, I only ate little by little, just enough not to starve.
As my food intake decreased, my weight dropped too. The dresses I brought to Erel became slightly loose. Even knowing this situation, the head chef didn’t pay much attention. He probably didn’t want to work while also caring about the circumstances of a fussy capital city young lady who was dumped on their territory like a piece of luggage.
But after I shared the fire ember, the head chef, who had become extremely kind to me, put effort into cooking to suit the palate of a young lady from the capital, where gourmet food was developed. The result was the table before me.
I looked at the table, filled with emotion. A wonderful aroma rose from the dishes, piled up so much that there was barely any space. A glossy roasted turkey, freshly baked bread, a salad made with fresh vegetables, and warm mushroom soup. It was just like the food I used to eat in the capital.
But even before I could lift a hand, the plates were already being emptied. It was all because of Harry, who clearly had the spirit of someone who had starved to death attached to him.
“Harry, couldn’t you at least wait until I pick up my spoon?”
“It’s because you just stand there staring blankly. Do you know how much energy it takes to stay in dog form constantly? Shapeshifting isn’t my specialty, it’s tough, I tell you.”
Harry grumbled while tearing into the roasted turkey. He had only chewed a couple of times, but before I knew it, only the bare turkey bones remained. My jaw dropped at the miraculous scene. Harry’s eating speed and quantity were extraordinary.
“You didn’t even eat the dog food the maids gave you.”
“Would you want to eat dog food if you were me? Have some consideration for a demon’s dignity!”
“I understand that, but still, you eat too much!”
I don’t know how much an ordinary adult man eats, but it was clear that Harry was different. If eating this much was normal, all the food in this world would have dried up long ago.
Such a glutton wouldn’t be satisfied with just stealing my meals. Whenever Harry got hungry, he would secretly go to the kitchen and eat. Thanks to that, rumors of a ghost devouring all the food were spreading in the kitchen lately.
‘Really, why does he covet my meals on top of eating all that?’
Because Harry stole my food, I couldn’t even have a maid attend to me during meals. If they saw a dog transforming into a man and cutting steak, everyone would faint, so I was having meals alone after sending all the maids away.
Moreover, I even earned the absurd misunderstanding of being a glutton myself. I can’t forget the maids’ expressions when they saw the cleanly emptied plates, surprised, thinking, ‘Wasn’t this clearly enough for five people?’
‘Their eyes were definitely like they were looking at a monster.’
“Isn’t there an option where you just quietly watch me eat?”
“You’re going to leave some anyway. Food isn’t meant to be thrown away.”
“Then eat after I finish my meal.”
“Eating alone must be lonely.”
“Don’t make excuses pretending to care for me. You just want to eat, Harry.”
“Tch, you saw through me.”
Harry grumbled and put down the cutlery. He took my napkin as if it were his own and wiped his hands, then placed a hand on my shoulder.
“It’s all because of my frustration. Since I can’t satisfy my desires, I’m trying to compensate with eating, at least.”
Harry fiddled with my long hair that fell past my shoulders and pouted.
“Would you like it if I freely expressed my desires?”
The subtle touch that seemed to be demanding something made me feel utterly absurd.
“You do whatever you want, so how can you be frustrated? What desires could possibly be piling up?”
Basically, Harry was self-indulgent. He said whatever he wanted and had to do whatever action he desired to be satisfied. Are all demons like this? Unless I said the words ‘It’s a wish,’ he was completely uncontrollable.
‘It’s like watching a disobedient dog.’
There was a reason Harry’s soul number was a dog. It was some comfort that in his final moments, the leash to control him was in my hand.
“Are you asking because you don’t know? I want to see blood! The desire to kill is a basic demon urge. It’s similar to human appetite.”
“Similar to appetite? Then if you hold it in for a long time, can you die too?”
I asked back, surprised. After all, he’s here because of me; if he died from not satisfying a basic urge, I’d feel tremendously guilty.
Seeing my startled face, Harry seemed to soften a bit and shook his head with a slightly subdued expression.
“Not to the point of death, but it’s very agonizing. The stress is severe.”
“Eh, what was I worried about. As long as you don’t die, it’s fine, right?”
“Is everything fine as long as I don’t die? You said when you eat tasteless food, you wonder if this is really living? I’m like that too. If I don’t see blood, I start to wonder if living like this is really living.”
“Hmm.”
Put that way, I could understand Harry’s feelings all at once.
‘When I was surviving on tasteless food, yes, life was so boring and everything was irritating. Right.’
“But you can’t kill people. That’s a crime.”
“It’s because you say that, I’m trying to find other ways to satisfy my urges. I’m already miserable enough that I can’t kill people, and now you’re going to complain about me eating too?”
“Isn’t there any other way besides eating? The kitchen is in an uproar over missing food, and I’ve become a monster who empties enough for five people all by myself.”
“Filling pleasure in some way… it’s not that there aren’t other ways at all…”
Harry crossed his arms and looked me up and down. After staring at me for a long while, he spoke.
“With a scrap like you, it’s a bit difficult.”
“Why is it difficult? I can do it too. Even if it’s a little hard, it’s better than being misunderstood as a glutton who eats enough for five people.”
It was so embarrassing to see the maids’ astonished faces every time they cleared the table.
“So tell me. What method can be used to fill that pleasure or desire you’re talking about?”
I looked up at Harry, willing to try if there was another way. For some reason, his face flushed.
“Ah, forget it. You really won’t do. I, I’ll just have the roasted turkey instead.”
“Why? What is the other method? Let’s just do that.”
I grabbed Harry’s clothes, and he flinched as if touched by fire, shaking off my hand.
“D-do you even know what that is? I said forget it. I can’t do it with you. I won’t.”
“What on earth is it that you’re being like this?”
“A scrap who’s not even eighteen doesn’t need to know!”
“It must be nice for you, being a grandfather over 2,000 years old. You can use age as an excuse to get out of things like this.”
“I am not a grandfather!”
Simultaneous with Harry’s shout, Emma’s voice calling for me came from outside.
“Young lady, it’s Emma.”
“Emma?”
Clearing the table was the task of lower-ranking girls, not Emma.
‘So she’s not here to clear the table.’
While calming down Harry, who was still stamping his feet, I let her in with a puzzled heart. Harry had already transformed back into a dog the moment he sensed Emma’s presence.
“Come in. What is it?”
Emma entered, bowing deeply, with a slightly troubled expression.
“A guest has come to see you, young lady.”
“A guest?”
As the daughter of Duke Ivria, my connections were wide. There were also many followers who claimed to be my adherents.
‘But…’
“There shouldn’t be any guest who would come all the way here to see me. I didn’t receive any notice either.”
“Yes. They said they came secretly, as it would be troublesome if it became known publicly.”
“Secretly? Who is it?”
“Well… It’s His Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The Crown Prince. That was a truly unexpected person.
‘Was there an event in the story where the Crown Prince came to Erel to find Ivria?’
There was no need to grasp at faint memories. All the narrative in the original story revolved around Catherine; Ivria only appeared as an obstacle tormenting her. Naturally, the story of the villainess, who fulfilled her role as an antagonist and was exiled to the countryside of Erel, was never depicted.
‘I hope it’s not just trouble.’
I even declared the annulment to avoid that very trouble. He got the annulment he wanted, so what else could he possibly want that he came all the way to Erel?
“Where did you seat him?”
“In the drawing room for now. He emphasized secrecy, so I dismissed the people nearby.”
What important matter requires such emphasis on secrecy? I let out a sigh and rose from my seat.
“I see. Let’s go there.”
