Chapter 006
Oops, I withdrew my fist, but the incident had already happened.
Fortunately, the curse had vanished, but Loreil, who received an even greater shock, was the problem.
“Di-Did something just explode?”
“Princess? Are you alright!”
Even the maids, having heard the commotion, began to search for me hurriedly.
‘What should I do.’
I don’t know what excuse I should make.
Should I just say I caught a fly that was right in front of my nose? And say the sound of the explosion was a bolt of lightning?
While my mind was becoming complicated, Loreil opened his mouth.
“Was that…… mana just now?”
“P-Pardon?”
“Did you use mana? Princess, you, perhaps…….”
Ordinary humans cannot feel divine power or mana.
Because just as humans cannot see air, mana or divine power were components of nature.
Of course, if it were a priest, they could feel my mana, but it was more accurate to say they detected a demonic nature.
But Loreil, who is not even a priest, detected my mana. That meant…….
‘No way, does he truly have demon blood flowing in him?’
But except for his appearance, not a trace of demonic energy could be felt from him. Loreil pressed me while I was flustered.
“Why is there no answer? I am asking if it was truly mana!”
“That……”
“Besides, that ominous mana, it’s not for an ordinary human……!”
Just as Loreil was about to grab my shoulder and interrogate me.
“Cough!”
I coughed violently. As expected, black blood regurgitated once again.
‘To think I’d be like this after using just that much mana……!’
I tried to cover my mouth in a hurry, but this hemoptysis was worse than before. Feeling even my breath being blocked, I sat down on the floor without realizing it.
“Cough, cough!”
“What—Princess, Princess! Hey! Is anyone there!”
Since I lacked breath, even my consciousness became faint. Just as I was falling toward the floor, Loreil caught me.
He held me in his arms and asked urgently.
“Answer me and then faint!”
‘This jerk, is that something to say?’
I went through the trouble of saving him from a curse, and far from an expression of gratitude!
I thinking that I would never save him again, I closed my eyes.
From afar, the voices of Lilibel and Emma were heard…….
* * *
Inside a quiet carriage, Loreil, who was looking out the window where the sunset was visible, let out a short sigh with his arms crossed.
‘What on earth was that?’
Because it was an incident that happened in a short moment, it could not be organized in his mind.
To Dana, who was ignorant of the world’s affairs due to being imprisoned in the detached palace, just as he was about to explain the situation of the Marquis’s house…….
‘I thought I was going to die.’
Her fist was directed at him.
He could not know why she swung her fist.
Whether it was an expression that she did not want to hear about the affairs of the Marquis’s house, or whether a destructive impulse had arisen because she was the reincarnation of a demon as rumored.
The greatest mystery was the powerful and murky mana felt from that thin arm.
‘It’s not an illusion. There’s no way that power came from a human arm.’
Loreil wiped his nose, which was still stinging, once more. She fainted immediately afterward and probably does not know how the surrounding garden changed.
Because of the shockwave that arose from the fist, the tree behind Loreil was half-broken, and the surrounding flowers were disintegrated into pieces and soared into the sky.
It was a stroke of luck that Loreil ended up with only a nosebleed.
‘Is she truly a demon?’
Demons, devils.
The ancient nemesis of humans and monsters that disturb peace.
Recently, there were quite a few people who regarded them as hollow fairy tales, but high-ranking nobles like Loreil knew that demons truly existed. And that they were powerful beings enough to appear in myths.
Since the thought that she might be a demon occurred to him, he even suspected that her collapsing while coughing up blood at the end might be an act.
Besides, hadn’t it been said that demons dig into the weak parts of a person?
‘Come to think of it…….’
Loreil looked down at his arms that had embraced Dana.
Compared to the enormous mana, it was a light, emaciated body. But the moment he held her in his arms, for some reason, the feeling of not wanting to let go…….
‘Stop.’
Loreil shook off his thoughts. Seeing that he was having such strange thoughts, it seemed certain that she possessed a mysterious power.
Although it was a task he took on unwillingly, as long as he took the role of Dana’s secretary, it seemed he would have to investigate her thoroughly.
Because she might be a monster that threatens the Marquis’s house, or even the Empire.
Inside the running carriage, Loreil, who was inflating his own delusions, suddenly touched his shoulder as if realizing something.
‘Strangely, my shoulders feel light.’
The fact that Dana’s mana had driven out the curse that had been tormenting him for years, he did not yet know.
* * *
As soon as I opened my eyes, I was met with Lilibel’s tearful face.
“Princess! Are you alright?”
I pushed her away as she thrust her face in burdensomely and got up from the bed.
“What time is it now?”
“A whole day has passed since you fainted! I don’t know how surprised I was, they said a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the garden……”
“Lightning?”
“Yes! That’s what the Young Lord said.”
I heard from Lilibel how Loreil had explained the situation.
That I fainted because I was surprised by a sudden bolt of lightning.
It seemed he had recited the very flimsy excuse I had thought of.
“Did I, not cough up blood?”
“That’s right! Even so, the Head Maid brought a doctor last night, saying it might be because of a chronic illness. But the truth is……”
Lilibel, who knew the truth of the hemoptysis, bit her lip. I shook my head, telling her not to worry.
“It’s not an illness, it’s because of magic. I’m all better now.”
“As I thought, right? The doctor also said he didn’t know the cause. I was worried he might have noticed something……”
‘No, Lilibel. That quack doctor wouldn’t tell me even if I really had a disease.’
I thought to myself and smiled bitterly.
He had prescribed mediocre medicine even when I was suffering from poison and curses. He was probably a “parachute” doctor placed by someone who wanted me to die.
It was certain he wouldn’t have diagnosed me properly this time either.
“Then why did you use magic? Was the lightning actually dropped by you, Princess?”
“It’s not like that. Something happened for a moment.”
It was a dangerous curse that activated just by speaking. Since I couldn’t let Lilibel know, I vaguely changed the subject.
“Lilibel, how was Sir Loreil’s atmosphere?”
“Umm, it was the same as when he arrived. Except for his nose being a little red……”
To think he showed no particular reaction in front of Lilibel despite interrogating me like that, it was very strange.
‘Does he have another scheme? Or…….’
While continuing my contemplation, Lilibel asked cautiously.
“Princess, what shall we do about the afternoon schedule? It would be better to cancel it, right?”
“Schedule?”
“The Young Lord said he would visit again……”
‘Right, we said we would look around the venue together.’
I remembered making the promise to inspect the site together.
‘In my heart I want to refuse, but it will only arouse more suspicion.’
Moreover, in order to know his mind, it was right to meet him quickly.
“No, I’ll go out. How much time is left until the appointment?”
“About 3 hours.”
“That’s enough. Prepare a simple meal and clothes for me.”
Thanks to Lilibel preparing right away, I was able to finish getting ready before the appointment time with Loreil.
Lilibel seemed worried about my condition, but rather, I was healthier thanks to sleeping deeply. My mana was also in a stabilized state.
‘As long as I don’t use mana, I won’t be caught again.’
If I think about it calmly, no matter how much Loreil suspects, he has no evidence. Of course, if he reports me to the Temple, a problem will arise, but would he really go that far against a Princess?
While I was calming my mind like that, Loreil’s carriage arrived in front of the detached palace.
Loreil, who opened the door of the carriage, spoke to me with a much kinder expression than when we met yesterday.
“Good afternoon, Princess. I hope I am not late?”
“No, you came right on time.”
He smiled brightly and reached out his hand to escort me.
“Then please get in, I will guide you to the venue.”
“Yes, excuse me for a moment……”
……Just as I was about to take his hand with a reciprocating smile, I sensed an anomaly.
‘These gloves, they are drenched in divine power, aren’t they?’
He was wearing pure white cotton gloves on his hands, and the scent of divine power came from them.
It seemed they were gloves dyed with holy water.
The inside of the carriage visible behind his shoulder was even worse.
‘Fragments of the Sun God, divine symbols, cushions soaked in holy water…….’
Even a fool could tell.
This was a trap.
Inside the carriage, powerful divine power was swirling to the point that a weak demon would have their whole body burned the moment they entered. A hollow laugh leaked out from me at such a blatant trap.
I understand his suspicion, but to try to kill me outright as soon as we meet.
Unexpectedly, Loreil seemed to be a very headstrong man.
Or a moron.
‘You’ve got the wrong person.’
Looking at the state of things, it was certain he suspected me of being a demon. If so, I must not back down here.
I glared straight at Loreil and gripped his hand firmly.
“……!”
Watching him look surprised, I raised the corners of my mouth.
‘I’m not at a level to be caught by a trap like that.’
After stepping vigorously into the carriage, I approached him. I felt the powerful divine power surrounding me, but I didn’t even blink.
After approaching to a distance where his breath could be felt, I said to the ungrateful man.
“Thank you for the kind escort, Sir Loreil. By the way, your nose looks a bit…… crooked today. Was it cold outside?”
“…….”
The corner of his mouth twitched minutely.
