Chapter 8
Perdia looked at Sandia with satisfaction.
The girl had understood everything she said almost immediately.
“She’s clever.”
“And this is the last time I’ll be speaking to you so formally.”
“You understand what that means, don’t you?”
The meaning was obvious.
From now on, I am your master.
She was making the hierarchy clear.
“I understand.”
“Then… how should I address you from now on?”
“Should I call you My Lady?”
My Lady.
That was the title reserved for the mistress of a noble household.
Perdia instinctively wanted to refuse.
But after thinking about it…
She was going to marry Ereb.
Only in name, perhaps.
Still, it was a marriage.
After organizing her thoughts, she nodded and answered calmly.
“T-Then…”
“Call me that.”
She still stammered slightly.
“A-Anyway.”
“We’ll figure everything out little by little.”
“Not just with you, Sandia…”
“But with the other two as well.”
“Understood…”
“My Lady.”
“…Yes.”
I’m still not used to that.
Perdia answered a beat too late.
Sandia continued immediately.
“His Grace wishes to see you.”
“Ereb?”
“Where?”
Her shoulders instinctively tensed again.
She couldn’t help letting out a sigh.
“He asked that you come to the library.”
“Right now?”
“Not immediately, but…”
Normally, when the duke summoned someone, they went at once.
Everyone in this mansion served him.
Perdia studied Sandia’s expression before nodding.
“I’m starving.”
“I’m going to eat first.”
“Sandia, tell Ereb that I skipped a meal and I’m too hungry.”
“Tell him I’ll come after I’ve eaten.”
“I’ll borrow the other two maids.”
“I’m still unfamiliar with the castle.”
“…Very well.”
Normally, someone would have scolded her for putting a meal above the duke’s summons.
But Sandia seemed to realize Perdia’s position within the household was… complicated.
So she simply bowed without objection.
After changing clothes, Perdia headed toward the dining hall.
As she walked, she found herself thinking about Sandia.
A remarkably intelligent girl.
Her appearance was cute.
But her stiff voice and expression made her seem strangely awkward.
Perdia smiled faintly.
“This way, My Lady.”
One of the maids opened the dining hall doors for her.
Perdia stepped inside.
Then froze.
“…Why are you here?”
“I heard you were hungry.”
“So I came to eat with you.”
Ereb smiled gently as he idly tapped a spoon against a loaf of bread.
He stood and walked toward her.
After dismissing the maids, he placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her to the table.
He pulled out her chair.
Waited for her to sit.
Then gently pushed it back in.
Despite his gentlemanly manners…
His sudden appearance completely caught her off guard.
“How did you know?”
“Sandia only just left my room.”
Her bedroom wasn’t especially close to the dining hall.
She hadn’t taken very long to get here.
Yet somehow…
He had arrived before her.
Ereb looked amused.
“My study is right next to your bedroom.”
“So I found out immediately.”
“…What?”
“Right next to it?”
“You didn’t know?”
No.
Absolutely not.
If it was right next door, someone should’ve told me!
In her mind, Sandia changed from “clever Sandia” to “overly rigid Sandia.”
“What in the—”
“Sit down first.”
“You must be starving.”
“…”
The delicious aroma of steaming food filled the room.
Perdia unconsciously swallowed.
Trying her best to ignore Ereb’s smiling gaze, she picked up her spoon.
“T-Then…”
“I’ll eat first.”
“Enjoy.”
His warm smile made her strangely uncomfortable.
The moment the soup touched her tongue…
Her appetite exploded.
She completely forgot about maintaining her composure.
Her spoon, fork, and knife never stopped moving.
“I’m not going to steal your food.”
Even after hearing Ereb’s teasing voice, she couldn’t answer.
Her mouth was already stuffed with food.
She simply kept eating with frightening determination.
Watching her amusedly, Ereb leisurely sipped his tea.
Only after emptying six plates did Perdia finally stop.
She leaned back with a deeply satisfied sigh.
“…I think I ate too much.”
“It was nice to see.”
His simple comment made her scratch her cheek awkwardly.
“It’s been almost six months since I last had a proper meal.”
“Because of the war.”
“That’s true.”
“The war lasted a long time.”
Perdia quietly observed him before asking,
“More importantly…”
“Why did you want to see me?”
“You said you’d explain everything.”
“About what we talked about yesterday.”
“Right?”
“That’s right.”
“I could tell you were looking forward to it.”
“Although…”
“It seemed like you were looking forward to the food more than seeing me.”
“I’d be lying if I said that didn’t hurt a little.”
He smiled so naturally that she couldn’t tell whether he was joking or teasing her.
So she simply ignored it.
“Let’s skip the small talk.”
“Tell me what you really wanted to say.”
She wasn’t very resistant to this sort of teasing.
More often than not…
She simply avoided it.
“We have plenty of time.”
“So we can talk slowly.”
“But first…”
“I want to discuss the most important thing.”
“The most important thing?”
“Yes.”
He rested both hands on the table.
Then leaned slightly forward.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
His eyes shifted ever so slightly before he spoke.
“Have you ever heard…”
“…of the Gryxia family’s bloodline?”
“Or the Blood Frenzy?”
“Blood Frenzy?”
Perdia narrowed her eyes.
The House of Gryxia.
The founding heroes of the Empire.
For five hundred years…
They had been the Empire’s sword.
The shield that protected it.
The blade that annihilated its enemies.
The Gryxia family flew a banner bearing a silver eagle.
The Empire itself carried the golden eagle.
It was proof of the unique bond shared between the Imperial family and House Gryxia.
Generation after generation…
The Gryxia family had remained the Empire’s sword.
Yet over the centuries…
Rumors had quietly begun to spread.
Blood Frenzy.
That was the name people gave to the hidden secret of House Gryxia.
Like every old legend…
Its origins reached back into the distant past.
Perdia found herself unconsciously drawn in by Ereb’s quiet voice.
He no longer smiled.
“If you trace the Gryxia bloodline back to its origins…”
“You’ll discover they weren’t entirely human.”
“The records from the Empire’s founding…”
“And those preserved by our family…”
“Describe the founder of House Gryxia…”
“…a man named Terben…”
“…as the Silver Wolf.”
“The Silver Wolf?”
“It could be interpreted as a metaphor.”
“But according to the stories passed down only to the heads of the family…”
“It isn’t symbolism.”
“It’s simply the truth.”
His hand reached toward the fork resting beside his plate.
He stirred the salad before picking out a cherry tomato.
As he casually brought it to his mouth, Perdia’s gaze followed the movement.
“The Silver Wolf.”
“It is said that whenever certain conditions were met…”
“Terben…”
“The first head of House Gryxia…”
“…would grow silver fur across his body…”
“…and attack everyone around him.”
“So…”
“You’re saying he was a werewolf?”
“Similar.”
“But different.”
“He was a Brikolakas.”
“What’s that?”
As he licked a bit of salad dressing from his lips…
His tongue looked strangely red.
Because of the tomato?
“A creature born after killing a werewolf.”
“A predator that hunts werewolves.”
“The master of the silver mane.”
“That…”
“…is a Brikolakas.”
“…I’ve never heard of that.”
“It sounds like some ancient legend.”
“It is a legend.”
“But according to the traditions passed down only through the heads of House Gryxia…”
“The first duke…”
“Terben…”
“…was a Brikolakas.”
Scrape.
Perdia unconsciously pushed her chair backward.
Ereb blinked at her reaction.
Holding her knife tightly, she stared at him suspiciously.
“So…”
“Can you grow silver fur too?”
Ereb burst into laughter.
“Unfortunately…”
“Five hundred years has diluted the blood.”
“Over the centuries…”
“The silver mane disappeared.”
“But…”
His sentence trailed off.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Then opened them again.
The warm atmosphere surrounding him vanished instantly.
His expression became frighteningly cold.
His eyes…
Turned a deep crimson-black filled with killing intent.
He spoke quietly.
“But these eyes…”
“…remain.”
Hearing the story while looking directly into those terrifying eyes…
A chill ran down Perdia’s spine.
She instinctively swallowed.
Slowly…
She pushed her chair back into place and set down her knife.
Ereb closed his eyes again.
When he reopened them…
They were normal once more.
Leaning comfortably against his chair, he continued.
“This…”
“…is what people call Blood Frenzy.”
“It’s the curse of House Gryxia.”
“Can you control it freely?”
“Your entire presence changed.”
“It took me more than ten years…”
“…just to reach this level of control.”
“It was never easy.”
Perdia nodded thoughtfully.
Then tilted her head.
Her brows drew together.
“…But what does any of that have to do with bringing me here?”
“It doesn’t explain why you need me.”
“Or why I have to marry you.”
“It seems completely unrelated.”
“It has everything to do with it.”
His throat seemed dry.
He took a sip of water before continuing.
“As I said…”
“I can control the blood to some extent.”
“But there are times when it’s impossible.”
“When that happens…”
“Every desire reaches its absolute limit.”
“Every desire?”
“Every instinct that exists within a living being.”
“The strongest are…”
“Hunger.”
“Lust.”
“And the desire to kill.”
“Usually…”
“Until one of those urges is satisfied…”
“The frenzy doesn’t end.”
“Unfortunately.”
“So…”
“Which desire is strongest for you?”
“Me?”
He rested his chin lazily on one hand.
Then answered without hesitation.
“Lust.”
“…”
Perdia’s expression froze.
Seeing her reaction, Ereb grinned.
“I’m joking.”
“You don’t have to look so serious.”
“You really…”
“But…”
“I do need someone who can suppress those urges.”
“And that’s why I need you.”
“Perdia.”
“Why?”
Ereb tilted his head slightly as he looked at her.
His eyes had returned to their usual black.
Yet somehow…
There still seemed to be a faint crimson glow hidden within them.
Perdia narrowed her eyes.
“I fell in love with you at first sight.”
“…What?”
Her eyes widened in complete shock.
Did he just… confess?
Ereb looked directly into her eyes.
His gaze never wavered.
“The moment I saw you on the battlefield…”
“I knew it was fate.”
“You stood among countless enemy soldiers…”
“Swinging your sword…”
“Cutting them down without hesitation.”
“Your strength.”
“The smile you wore when our swords clashed.”
“The fact that you were about my age.”
“And that the woman named Perdia was still unmarried.”
“Everything…”
“…was perfect.”
“…”
What… is this man saying?
Was that a confession?
He fell in love with me?
But…
The things he said afterward made the confession sound strangely unsettling.
Frowning, Perdia stared at him.
Ereb continued calmly.
