Episode 31
“Why this…?”
Did he really use his power just to see a flower again?
Reyana stared at the smoke in disbelief.
In response, the smoke flickered, as if it felt wronged.
Suddenly, a tingling sensation prickled Reyanaās fingertips. Startled by the unfamiliar feeling, she looked at her hand and saw the strange script from her contract with the demon reappear on the back of her hand.
“What is this?”
As Reyana questioned in shock, the smoke brushed past her hand.
The meaning, once incomprehensible, now became clear to her.
[Donāt discriminate. We made a contract.]
It had felt scary before, when she didnāt understand it. But now that she knew what it meant, it seemed almost laughably simple.
She looked down at the flower that had dropped to the ground, then up at the black smoke floating softly in the air. Carefully, she picked up the flower.
“…Thank you.”
It was a pretty yellow flower. A little crumpled and dusted from falling on the ground, but still beautiful.
The smoke whirled joyfully in the air and brushed against her hand once more.
[Goodbye. You wonāt be seeing me for a while.]
With those words, the smoke slowly dissipated.
From that day on, Theodore began recovering quickly.
His fevers stopped coming so frequently, and once he was able to get out of bed, he smiled and moved around much more than usual.
He was finally acting like a child his ageāseven.
Seeing him laugh brightly made Sally beam with joy.
“The young master looks to be in a good mood these days. Itās such a relief.”
“Is that so?”
“Maybe itās because the young lady has moved into the estate? He kept begging to go see you before.”
Reyanaās eyes stayed fixed on the child.
Theodore, mumbling to himself while looking at the flowers in the garden, plucked one and came running to Reyana.
“Reyana, itās a gift.”
Reyana hesitated for a moment, then accepted the flower he offered.
“Thank you.”
As she smiled gently, the childās cheeks flushed with shy warmth.
He giggled and ran back toward the garden.
“He really has brightened up a lot. Itās all thanks to you, my lady. He talks more now, and smiles so often…”
Sally trailed off, noticing Reyanaās darkened expression.
“Is something wrong?”
Reyana shook her head at Sallyās concerned question.
“Itās nothing. I mean… itās probably nothing.”
Her answer sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.
Sally tilted her head in confusion before leaving to tend to the young master.
Left alone in the garden, Reyana looked absentmindedly at the yellow flower in her hand.
It was the same type the demon had given her.
āIs it a coincidence? It must be… right?ā
This change should be something to rejoice over.
So why did she feel so uneasy?
Just then, the boy came running back to her.
“Reyana, what are you doing here all alone?”
“Oh, I was just thinking.”
The child looked up at her dazed expression and asked,
“What were you thinking about?”
About how the grand dukeās personality suddenly changed.
But Reyana couldnāt bring herself to say that and instead deflected with a weak smile.
“I was thinking about how pretty the flower you gave me was.”
“Oh, that one? Do you want more if you liked it?”
“No, just one is enough.”
“Itās not just one. Itās two, isnāt it?”
“What?”
Reyana looked surprised, and the boyās eyes grew wide.
“Is it not?”
There was uncertainty in his voice. That confused look only shocked Reyana more.
“So… you really remember.”
The moment when he saw her training to become a knight. The moment when he gave her a flower.
It had been the demonās doingābut Theodore remembered it like he had lived it himself.
“But did I really… do that?”
Triggered by Reyanaās words, the boy began to look confused.
He had unconsciously merged the demonās memories with his own, but Reyanaās question had made him realize it.
Reyana gently embraced the bewildered child.
“Your memories might be confusing, but everything you remember with me happened. If youāre curious about anything, you can ask me.”
“Mmhmm.”
The boy wrapped his little arms tightly around her waist.
As she held him close, Reyana realized what had been making her so uneasy.
The child who had the demonās memories.
The child who could use the demonās powers.
To Reyana, the boy and the demon felt like one and the same.
After calming Theodore down, Reyana headed to the grand dukeās room. She needed to talk to him about the boy.
But the room was empty. She checked the time and realized it wasnāt yet the end of the workday. So she looked for the butler instead.
“Please inform the grand duke when he returns. I have something I need to discuss with him.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The butler responded respectfully, and Reyana replied with an awkward smile.
“You can speak comfortably with me.”
But the butler firmly shook his head.
“How could I? Knowing that you are to be the future mistress of the grand duchy, speaking casually would be no different than dishonoring the house.”
“…It just makes me uncomfortable.”
“You may feel that way now, but I hope you will adjust in time. Iāll help you every step of the way.”
It was a kind but firm refusal.
Since he wouldnāt budge, Reyana gave up and turned to leave.
Just then, someone came to mind.
There was one more person in the estate she could talk to about the demon.
“I wonder if heās still in the mansion…”
Reyana calmly made her way to the basement.
“What brings you here…?”
The man looked startled.
He fumbled to his feet and welcomed her, even offering up the only chair in the room.
“Iām fine standing.”
“No, please…”
His voice was as low as if it were crawling along the floor.
The man looked either nervous or afraid.
But as a priest, he had no reason to fear a knight like her. Reyana decided it must be her imagination and didnāt give it much thought.
“The demon that resides in Theodoreās body…”
“Demon?”
“I came to talk about that.”
Reyana frowned deeply as she said the word demon.
Why did that word feel so hard to say?
Perhaps because that demon had given her a flower, had granted her requests without hesitationāhe didnāt seem like an evil being.
“…What are you trying to say?”
The manās speech was short and awkward. Clearly not from Astel.
“Where are you from?”
“……”
“Iām just curious, thatās all.”
“…Geltha.”
Geltha… A subtle tension filled the space between them.
The war the grand duke had declared was between Astel and Geltha.
For him to be working for a family now at war with his homelandā
Maybe thatās why he looked so gloomy.
“Your speech is a bit rough, but to be working at the Astel temple, you must be quite skilled.”
Reyana tried to speak cheerfully.
Wasnāt he the one who could hear the demon?
He was the only remaining priest in Astel. Since the nation denied the demonās existence, his abilities couldnāt be publicly acknowledged, but the cursed royal family needed him nonetheless.
āWait, I can read it too, canāt I?ā
She had heard the demonās speech, and after their contract, her hand bore incomprehensible symbols.
After a brief moment of thought, Reyana stretched out her arm to the hesitant man.
“Do you know what this means?”
A black mark was engraved on her skin. She didnāt know the meaning, but it clearly resembled a word.
She wondered if he would recognize it as a sign of her contract with the demon.
The manās eyes widened. His hand trembled as he reached out to her.
But the moment he touched her hand, he flinched and quickly pulled back.
“A contract… with the demon…”
“Thatās right. So you can see it.”
Reyana lowered her sleeve, genuinely impressed.
She had shown Sally too, but Sally saw nothingāonly marveling at how strong Reyanaās arms looked.
But this man recognized the demonās mark instantly.
“Do you also know what it means?”
It definitely looked like a word. But no matter how hard she tried, Reyana hadnāt been able to read this one.
As the man stared at the mark, he opened his mouth.
“When you understand its meaning…”
His voice changed.
Like a beast crying out, the sound startled Reyana, and she looked up.
“You will understand the existence of the demon.”
His previously awkward speech became clear and articulate.
Even his voice had changed.
Reyana instantly recognized whose voice it was.
The demon’s.
