Chapter 67………………………..
“Then how am I supposed to trust you, Duke?”
‘Fair point.’
I can’t show him anything yet, but I’m telling him to trust me for now. This sounds like something a cult leader would say.
On top of that, Owen already knew I was Leonhart’s stalker.
In his mind, my image must be stamped as the worst.
No matter what I do, he’ll only be suspicious.
Thinking I’m trying to pull a trick on him.
‘Failed author, are you going to stay silent all the time?’
This is exactly what I expected. Fine. Don’t regret it later.
“You hate spirits, so I can’t force you. But I’ll show you evidence you absolutely can’t doubt.”
“Fine… go ahead.”
Owen replied indifferently. He didn’t even intend to believe me, no matter what I did.
“The spirit I made a contract with has already contacted many beings in the Underworld. Adela Helsington was one of them. What I’m about to tell you is something the spirit heard from her.”
“And…?”
‘Please don’t let this backfire on me…’
I swallowed hard and spoke.
“Owen, remember the village that was completely wiped out?”
“…What?”
“The one the beasts attacked and slaughtered entirely. Don’t you remember?”
Owen’s face stiffened.
“You cried in front of the poor villagers. You couldn’t ignore them. So you tried to at least give them a funeral, but there was no way.”
“W-How did you…?”
“There were too many dead, and the expedition didn’t have time. Plus, it was midwinter; the ground was frozen and the shovels wouldn’t work.”
“….”
“At that time, you were chasing the Demon King, so you had to hurry. You knew that, so you begged that no one should bother you further and just let you pray. Adela Helsington said that broke her heart.”
Owen’s eyes widened slowly.
“That’s why she made it snow. White snow, like your hair, to cover the people with your warm heart.”
“….”
“She said that.”
“….”
“Adela Helsington.”
“Huh!”
Owen covered his mouth.
He gasped as if about to faint, shaking his head violently.
A pure face contorted with the agony of resisting a devil’s temptation.
“No, no, no. Don’t lie. Only a few people saw that scene. All the members there saw it! That… that can’t count as evidence.”
I knew this would happen.
I calmly brought up something only the two of us could know.
“At some point, Adela Helsington asked you a question: were your eyebrows and hair white from birth?”
“…!”
“She told you not to be embarrassed. Your hair is proof that you loved your mother so much. She said she would be proud if it were her.”
“….”
“Of course, Adela Helsington told this to the spirit.”
Now Owen couldn’t even breathe.
Tears fell from his wide golden eyes.
“Oh, God… it’s really… Lady Adel. Lady Adel!”
“Eh? No, I’m not Adel. It’s what my spirit heard… ugh! Let go!”
Owen clung to my waist, crying profusely.
He was using every ounce of strength, his waist about to break.
“W-wait, I c-can’t breathe… ugh…”
“Lady Adel! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
“I said I’m not Adela Helsington! Ugh, my waist… Do you not understand, or are you pretending?”
“For a moment, you seemed like Lady Adel… Can I just call you Adel?”
This idiot… does he think that’s possible?!
“If you keep calling me that, I’ll pretend this never happened.”
“Duke.”
“….”
“Shall I heal you?”
Changing his mind instantly, huh.
I sighed silently.
“Are you going to stay kneeling there all day?”
“Huh?”
Owen blinked like he was suddenly realizing why he was kneeling like a loyal servant at my feet.
‘He’s just used to sitting like that in front of me all the time. It’s become a habit.’
I sighed again and watched as Owen slowly stood up.
“Um, Duke, could you tell me more? Or maybe relay my words to Lady Adel?”
“Relaying is difficult… No, why would I? I just showed you evidence. I have no obligation to fulfill your requests.”
“I see…”
Owen’s expression instantly darkened. The contrast was so sharp it almost gave me a pang of guilt.
“…If you listen well and act in a way that pleases me, I might consider it.”
“Really? What should I do?”
Owen’s eyes sparkled like a hawk spotting prey.
“First, the fact that I—no, my spirit—can contact Adela Helsington must remain secret.”
“Even from His Highness Leonhart and Lord Ruspell?”
“Don’t you understand the meaning of secret?”
“I understand! I won’t tell anyone, even if it kills me.”
‘Not reassuring…’
Owen can’t lie and tends to spill everything unintentionally.
“My plan is to use the spirit to find a demon capable of stealing Adela Helsington’s soul.”
“That sounds like a very good plan.”
“Honestly, I don’t know how long it’ll take. Even if we find a demon, meeting it is another matter. I’m not a dark sorcerer, after all.”
“You just need to find the demon. I’ll handle the rest.”
His confident voice made my heart drop.
“…Is there really a way?”
“There are many forbidden books stored in the temple. I’ve heard some contain methods for a commoner to make a contract with demons.”
Owen wasn’t recklessly searching for demons.
“What if the demons demand a price?”
“I have a plan. I’ll never do anything to harm Adel—or rather, you.”
“….”
There’s no choice. I just have to buy time until the ending.
“Anyway, until we find the demon, don’t do anything. Don’t rush or beg. Understood?”
“I was ready to wait my whole life anyway. Don’t worry. But…”
“But what?”
“I want to hear about Lady Adel sometimes. Could you do that?”
“What’s the point? Whatever I tell you, you’ll probably already know.”
Owen smiled faintly.
“Duke, have you ever thought about old times alone? Repeatedly, whenever you have time?”
“No, never.”
“Only those who’ve tried know how empty and lonely it feels.”
“Then… shouldn’t people with the same memories share them?”
“You really don’t understand anything, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“When lonely people gather, loneliness doesn’t diminish—it grows. The pain of losing someone precious can never be erased.”
Owen still looked sad.
But the tense, precarious atmosphere from earlier had disappeared.
The situation had seemed hopeless, but now there was a breakthrough, and he regained his balance.
‘No wonder he’s a cleric.’
Owen never wavered as long as he had someone to rely on.
The best trait for a cleric, perhaps.
‘Even if the one he relies on shifted from God to me…’
I opened the pouch on my desk and shifted the topic.
“There’s one more child I sponsor: Piace Ivrante. Help that child.”
Owen’s eyes went wide.
“Piace? Is the child hurt?”
“No.”
I paused and lowered my voice.
“I think the child has holy power.”
“…Piace is a boy?”
“She’s a girl. Very cute.”
Owen’s expression turned awkward.
“Sorry to say, Duke, but holy power only manifests in boys. I think you’re mistaken.”
“But she healed me.”
“Eh?”
“When I was hurt, Piace healed me.”
Owen’s face changed drastically. He whispered in a low tone.
“Duke, think carefully. Are you sure Piace really healed you?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“Impossible…!”
Owen remained speechless, shocked.
The serious atmosphere made me tense as well.
“Is the appearance of a saint so shocking? Is there a problem?”
“There’s a prophecy stored in the temple for a long time. I haven’t seen it, so I’m not sure, but apparently… it says that if a saint appears, the world will be covered in darkness.”
“Ah…”
The prophecy warns that the arrival of a saint signals the rise of a great villain.
‘Covered in darkness? That’s a bit much for Bianca, who was always so bratty and loud.’
We can’t know how capable Bianca will be as a villain when she grows up.
Piace’s power seems weak against a villain, indeed.
Her abilities are healing, not offensive.
But I wasn’t too worried.
‘In parenting stories, the protagonist always prevails.’
“Duke, aren’t you afraid that the world will be covered in darkness?”
“Piace hasn’t even awakened yet. Worrying now won’t change anything. It’s better to prepare.”
“You are truly strong, Duke. Just like Adel… no, someone I know.”
“….”
“I only called her Lady Adel once, so forgive me.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.”
I glared at Owen, then stood.
I took out the colored paper Piace had given me from the clutch and handed it to Owen. His eyes went wide.
“What’s this?”
“The child told me to give it to you.”
“Uh… can I open it?”
“It’s yours. Do as you wish.”
Owen studied the paper for a while, then smiled brightly.
“The child has great observation and expression skills. She has talent in art.”
I felt pleased. I had thought the same.
“But where did the child see me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Here… she drew me.”
“What?”
I hurried over and looked at the paper.
