Chapter 9
Sian slowly stood up, as if asking me to come along, and reached out his hand.
I took it without thinking and followed him.
I didn’t know how long we walked, but before long, we stood in front of a large iron gate.
It was wide enough for a carriage to pass through, so it seemed to be the main entrance leading into the mansion grounds.
Sian was looking past the bars into the property.
Naturally, I followed his gaze.
Wow…
Beyond the iron bars stood a large mansion that followed an elegant, classical style of architecture—but…
It looks like a haunted house.
It was covered in mysterious vines and layers of dust, giving off a gloomy, abandoned atmosphere.
Even from a distance, anyone could tell it had been a long time since human hands had touched the place.
Normally, when people leave a house behind like this, they sell it off cheap and move on.
I guess no one ever bought it.
Maybe “cheap” by noble standards was still too much for anyone else.
A mansion this big would only appeal to nobles who could afford to keep several servants.
Commoners who live with just their families wouldn’t need such a big, expensive place. Cleaning alone would be torture.
Maybe it was because of everything I’d experienced before, but I could practically imagine the story of how this mansion ended up in such a state.
If some poor fool bought this place without knowing, they might die cleaning it.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and turned to Sian.
He was still staring at the mansion, visibly shocked.
“Are you all right?”
I asked carefully, grabbing his sleeve.
“Ah, yeah…”
His reaction left me more confused than anything.
Had he never seen an abandoned house before? Even so, why was he this shaken over someone else’s property…
Wait.
He said we were going to see the house he bought.
A chill ran down my spine as a bad premonition crossed my mind.
“Um… don’t tell me…”
I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Sian’s face had gone completely pale.
And though I couldn’t see myself, I was sure I looked the same.
“Please tell me this isn’t it.”
He stayed silent.
I shouldn’t have said someone might die cleaning it.
Too late to regret it now.
There we were, standing in front of the mansion.
Neither of us could bring ourselves to go inside; we just stood there, frozen.
Even from outside, the outer walls were thick with dust.
If the outside’s this bad, what’s it like inside?
Probably full of rats—if we were lucky.
I looked at Sian beside me.
His expression was even more serious than before.
“Didn’t you check the house before buying it?”
“…I thought the broker was trustworthy. He said if I didn’t sign right away, someone else would buy it.”
Good grief.
I’d lived through twelve lives, and this was the first time I’d seen anyone fall for that line.
“The broker said the owner was so happy to sell it that he even lowered the price a little, considering the repair costs.”
Of course he did.
The owner probably thought of this place as a burden.
And when someone like Sian appeared wanting to buy it…
He must’ve looked like a godsend.
I barely held back a sigh.
But seriously, how on earth did he even afford this place?
He worked for the temple, and they weren’t exactly known for paying well.
“Where did you even get the money for this?”
Even in this condition, a mansion of this size couldn’t have been cheap.
Unless the Holy Knights suddenly started handing out huge salaries…
Sian didn’t answer right away.
He lowered his gaze, hesitated, then finally muttered,
“…I used my severance pay.”
“What the—”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Your severance pay? You mean you… quit?”
He had been the captain of the Holy Knights.
“You actually resigned?”
I stammered, too stunned to speak properly.
He gave up his position just to watch over me?
But I was planning to return to the Demon Realm soon.
Sure, I’d lost my magic for now, but once I got it back, I intended to go home immediately.
“…That was my plan,” Sian murmured, glancing at me.
He looked like he was gauging my reaction.
“But His Grace strongly advised against it, so I only took a leave of absence. I just got an advance on my severance.”
Well, that’s a relief.
At least he hadn’t quit completely.
Knowing he still had a place to return to made me feel oddly relieved.
Good grief… I’m exhausted just from worrying.
But honestly—who spends their severance pay on a house they haven’t even seen?
Can I really trust this man to live alone?
Would he even survive in a place this big?
I’d met countless people over the years, but never anyone quite this reckless.
The faith I’d had in Sian plummeted the moment I saw this mansion.
All right, calm down.
I couldn’t return to the Demon Realm without my magic, and Sian clearly had no intention of leaving me alone.
Realistically, I had no money, no identification, and nowhere else to go.
Living alone might not be impossible, but it would be difficult.
Fine. Then I’ll just live with Sian for now.
Until I either regain my magic or a dungeon gate opens and I can go back to the Demon Realm.
Hopefully the former…
Because a powerless demon lord in the Demon Realm would just become prey.
So, until then, I’d make sure Sian didn’t starve to death, and in return, he’d provide food and shelter.
When I finally regained my power, I’d go home, and he could return to the temple.
It’s a win-win, right?
…Right.
The illusion of optimism crumbled instantly.
“Ha…”
It was a terrifying situation when you thought about it.
I let out a deep sigh and gave up on thinking any further.
Then I stepped toward the mansion.
“W–where are you going?”
“Inside. We’re living here starting tomorrow. Might as well air it out.”
“You’re… really going to live with me?”
What kind of question was that?
Hadn’t he bought this house *for that very reason*?
He didn’t change his mind already, did he?
I looked at him, trying to read his face.
He looked embarrassed.
“Well, I kind of forced the decision. You didn’t seem too thrilled about it.”
At least he knows.
I thought he had no sense of awareness, but it seemed he did understand, at least a little.
Maybe he really did feel a sense of duty to stay by my side and protect me.
“You bought such a big house for us. What choice do I have? Guess I’ll just go along with it.”
I shrugged and grabbed the doorknob.
Even the exterior walls were covered in so much dust it floated in the air.
Who knew what the inside would look like.
I braced myself and pushed.
The door wasn’t locked, but it only opened halfway before getting stuck.
“What the…?”
No matter how hard I pushed, it wouldn’t budge any further.
It was open just enough to squeeze through.
So I did.
It felt strange, squeezing through the entrance of a mansion that I’d supposedly be living in starting tomorrow, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
And then—
As soon as I stepped inside, I froze.
What… is this?
