CHAPTER 9
“It’s your first time facing a high-ranking demon despite having that mark… You’re lucky. Well, considering you’re engaged to me, I guess you really are lucky.”
Ian smiled as he met my eyes, placing his hand over mine, which was still trembling slightly.
Thanks to Ian, I quickly began to calm down.
“Why did a high-ranking demon suddenly appear…?”
My mouth, still stiff with tension, couldn’t form the rest of the sentence, but Ian understood my question immediately and answered.
“High-ranking demons usually don’t move easily because they gain immense power from multiple contracts. This may be one of those rare exceptions, but… it’s unsettling that she already knew Riley.”
“Unsettling?”
“Yes. I think the demon saw you when the original person still had control over that woman’s body, and that’s when it decided it wanted you.”
I nodded slowly, and Ian continued as he tucked some of my messy hair behind my ear.
“Still, the fact that even a high-ranking demon desires my fiancée… I must admit, that’s quite thrilling.”
It was strange. His cheerful tone didn’t match the unpleasant content, yet he looked oddly pleased.
“You sound excited.”
“Are you seriously joking at a time like this?”
Who was joking first, huh? Totally unfair.
“If you stay here, things like this will keep happening.”
“You mean…?”
“It means it won’t stop at just eating away at Riley’s life anymore.”
Ian murmured in a low voice.
Since Melbor is a high-ranking demon, even if he doesn’t move personally, the lesser demons under his command will relentlessly come after me.
“Fortunately, Melbor didn’t leave a mark on you, so if we leave this place, he won’t be able to track you easily. We should leave as soon as possible.”
Given everything, leaving as quickly as possible, just as Ian said, was the best option.
“Looks like Melbor has retreated.”
Looking around at his words, I was surprised to see that the house was completely back to normal. The broken roof, the floor that had been gouged out by shadows, the shattered windows—everything was restored.
And then—
“Young lady, I brought the tea.”
It was as if nothing had happened. Everything was back to everyday life.
“I’ll prepare it and bring—huh? The witch is… Why is His Grace here?”
Anna’s eyes went wide as she looked between Ian and me. Or rather, at our overlapping hands.
“…Did I just interrupt something?”
Anna knew our engagement was contractual, so she looked utterly confused. She was also the only one who had witnessed all the trouble I’d been through because of Ian’s outrageous antics.
“No, he’s just about to leave.”
I slipped my hand out of Ian’s and gestured with my chin for him to go. At that, his eyebrows rose, and he gave me the same annoyingly thrilled smile from before.
“Anna, would you mind giving us a moment?”
Ian’s eyes were on me, but his politely phrased command was directed at Anna. After receiving a subtle nod from me, she left the room looking a bit uneasy.
Once we were alone again, Ian pulled over a chair and sat across from me.
“As I was saying, it would be best to leave even sooner.”
“I suppose so.”
“Tomorrow. Right after the engagement announcement, we’ll head to Brookeshell. We can prepare a few things there and leave from that point.”
Leaving as soon as possible made sense, but…
I was surprised at the mention of tomorrow, yet the more I thought about it, the more I realized this was literally a matter of life and death. Remembering the hellish events from earlier, I understood Ian’s urgency. Honestly, knowing his personality, I was surprised he wasn’t insisting we leave right this second.
“If it were up to me, we’d leave immediately. But my kind-hearted Riley must say goodbye to her parents, and we have to make the engagement official—so, tomorrow it is.”
Well, he’s definitely improved. At least now he considers my feelings.
“All right. But let’s go see my parents now.”
Only a few hours ago, they’d heard about our engagement. And now I was going to tell them we were leaving for Brookeshell tomorrow? I could already imagine their reactions. But if I didn’t say it now, there might not be another chance. And maybe it was better to overwhelm them with everything at once than shock them twice.
Besides, I needed Ian as my shield to keep me safe.
“Of course. A couple should face everything together.”
“We’re not a couple.”
“A future couple.”
“There you go again with ‘future’!”
I pointed at him with my index finger in warning.
“By the way, are you able to walk?”
“I’m fine. My ankle is better, and I’m not as shaken now.”
I purposely left out “thanks to you” because I knew he’d get all smug.
“That’s a relief. Then let’s go—to meet your future father- and mother-in-law.”
So much for my warning.
“…Just call them father- and mother-in-law.”
“As you wish, my dear wife.”
No—not to me!
Father and Natasha allowed our “trip” more easily than I expected. Mostly because Natasha was in favor, which naturally meant Father was too. After all, couples are of one mind, aren’t they?
“A couple should face everything together.”
Ugh. Why did he have to say something so unnecessary?
I was tapping my head, trying to rid it of those thoughts, when I heard Anna’s shocked voice.
“Tomorrow?!”
“Yes. That’s how it turned out. Just pack lightly.”
Ian said everything he needed was already in Brookeshell, so we just needed to bring ourselves. But still—going to a house without a single woman, with only my body? That felt a little… weird.
“Okay…”
Anna looked gloomy and packed slowly. I held back a laugh and walked over to her.
“Anna, want me to guess what you’re thinking?”
“Whattt?”
“Young lady’s leaving tomorrow, but she doesn’t even seem sad. Did she already fall head over heels for that fancy man and forget all about me?”
Anna’s hands froze mid-pack.
“How do you… How do you know exactly what I was thinking? And if you added ‘you meanie’ to the end, it’d be perfect!”
My Anna—so unnecessarily honest.
“Well, since we’re packing… why don’t you pack your things too?”
“…My things?”
“Yep. I already told Father, and I made sure to tell Ian you’re coming with us.”
“…I take back everything I said about you! Wahh! You really are the best, young lady! Wahhh!”
So Anna badmouthed me too, huh? Turns out she’s not just honest—she knows how to hide things when needed.
After comforting Anna and finishing the packing, night had fallen.
Left alone in my room, the events from a few hours ago replayed vividly in my mind. But everything now looked so normal, it felt almost like a dream—too normal, even.
“I wonder what happened to Eris.”
A girl who used to tremble at the mention of demons—how had she ended up making a contract with one?
Now that she’d made a pact with a high-ranking demon, she couldn’t be called Eris anymore. Most likely, she would live out the rest of her life not as herself, but as Melbor.
I looked up at the sky sprinkled with thousands of stars, closed my eyes, and quietly prayed for her peace.
When I opened them again—
“Your Grace?”
Ian was sitting on the windowsill, looking down at me.
“You’re praying so sweetly that the demons must be going wild.”
“Wh-what!”
He shrugged in response and gestured to the room, silently asking if he could come in.
“…You can come in.”
Ian lightly hopped down from the windowsill.
In truth, Ian had been in the room next door all evening. He insisted on staying in the guest room tonight in case anything happened again, and we’d leave together tomorrow. Natasha’s “It’s late, so you should stay over” had set everything in motion.
And he was also part of the reason I couldn’t fall asleep. Then again, would I really be at ease if someone else were next door instead of him?
“You shouldn’t let just anyone into your room this late, especially a man.”
“You’re not just anyone.”
“Could be even more dangerous than anyone else.”
Liar. He stayed by the window, not even coming close, even though I invited him in.
“Then get out already.”
I stretched my arm to push him out—
“……”
Ian suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me.
I ended up in a strange, half-embrace—neither fully in his arms nor completely separate—and blinked in surprise. Ian let out a quiet snort.
“See? Dangerous.”
“……”
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded rapidly. There was no need to wonder whether it was my heartbeat or Ian’s—both were racing.
Knowing he could probably hear my heartbeat too made my face burn.
But anything I said now would feel awkward, and my posture was too unstable to move. As I silently sweated, Ian’s low voice tickled my ear.
“I figured you wouldn’t be able to sleep after what happened.”
“We’ve got a long journey tomorrow. You should try to sleep, even if you have to force yourself. Don’t worry about demons—I’m here.”
I nodded quietly.
Ian gently lifted me into his arms, laid me on the bed, pulled the blanket over me—and then left through the same window he’d come in.
…Well. Sleep’s not happening tonight.
