[CHAPTER 54]
See, I told myself to get a grip quickly.
It was not that I could not understand Sian’s position.
Of course he would be flustered and find it hard to believe.
I had vaguely considered the possibility that he might not trust me.
Even so, I believed more strongly that he would.
Because I had already kept it in mind, the fact that Sian did not trust me was not that shocking.
What truly shocked me was how low my mood had sunk.
I told myself it could happen, so why do I feel this awful?
I asked myself, but no answer came.
Sian reached his hand toward me as my mouth stayed shut like a clam.
“Jere—”
Tap.
It was my own hand that knocked his away.
I startled myself after doing it.
I had not meant to, but my body moved on its own.
Seeing the look of surprise on Sian’s face made it hard to keep looking at him.
Why are you making that face?
I am the one whose mood is crawling through the mud right now.
“…I will take my leave.”
Leaving the two of them behind in silence, I turned away.
***
Not far away, Jahar Knox and Ratia were patting their bellies while drinking cocoa that had come from who knew where.
Judging by the empty hands, all the snacks they had been holding were long gone.
“Jerena? …Hey!”
“Yes?”
“Your nose is bleeding!”
Startled, he hurriedly pressed his robe against my nose.
Ah, no wonder my vision had felt dizzy.
I had thought the world was spinning just because I felt so bad.
That kind of description is common in romance fantasy novels.
Did it really have to be this realistic?
Only then did I notice the metallic scent of blood mixed with the dusty, herbal smell of Jahar’s robe.
“…It smells like dust.”
“Is that really what matters right now?
What is wrong with you?”
When I threw out the comment for no reason, Jahar let out a hollow laugh and pressed harder on my nose.
“Jerena, did something happen?”
Ratia approached worriedly and held my hand tightly.
“No, I am fine…”
I shook my head, but it did not seem to reach her.
The hand she was holding began to feel warm.
“Jahar, you can let go now.”
“You healed her?”
“Yeah.”
Jahar released his hand from my nose.
The smell lingered a bit, but the bleeding had clearly stopped.
“Sniff, thank you…”
“You scared me.
Stop getting hurt!”
Strictly speaking, I was not hurt.
“What happened all of a sudden?
Are you tired these days?
It is not like you have any reason to be.”
“I think it was because I suddenly used magic without any preparation.”
It was clearly the aftereffect of reinforcing my legs with magic while running toward Sian.
Yes, I had run using even the tiny bit of magic I had left to save you, Sian Allister.
Thinking it over again only made my chest tighten further.
What was I hoping to gain, running until I got a nosebleed?
I felt foolish to the point of embarrassment.
It was definitely a foolish thing to do.
A foolish thing, and yet I did not regret it.
Because Sian was not hurt.
Even now I am relieved that Sian is fine.
Am I some kind of pushover?
That wave of self-awareness hit me briefly, at least.
“We seem to be done having fun, so let’s head home.
Are you okay with that, Ratia?”
“Yeah.
I am full.”
“Did we come to watch something or just to eat…”
Muttering, Jahar started walking, and I followed behind him.
We were heading home.
Then Jahar suddenly stopped, and I almost ran straight into him.
“What is it?”
“Serena, was the magic you used earlier because of that?”
With an indifferent face, Jahar raised his hand and pointed somewhere.
Where he pointed stood Sian and Seria.
Perhaps because I was worried about a repeat of earlier events, I unconsciously examined Seria’s hand.
This time, I felt no magic at all.
That was a relief.
“…”
“Aha.”
As I silently watched the two of them, Jahar narrowed his eyes as if he had caught on to something.
“Were you that upset that Sian was hanging out without you?”
“Upset?
What are you talking about?”
“Well, you really look upset.”
I dismissed it as nonsense for a moment, and then realization struck me like a blow to the head.
Ah, is that it?
So that unpleasant feeling I had been carrying was disappointment.
Were Sian and I close enough for me to feel disappointed?
Another question followed right after.
I see.
I was disappointed.
Disappointed that Sian did not trust me.
Facing this unflattering side of myself was always difficult.
I lowered my gaze and walked past Jahar without a word.
“Jerena, wait up!”
I could hear Jahar and Ratia hurrying after me, but I did not stop.
***
“I-Illay niiiim…!”
“Has the work been going well?”
After returning to the Demon Realm, Illay first sought out his aide.
He wanted to check whether the tasks he had left behind were being handled properly.
“I am really going to quit.
Working demons this hard, you are more demonic than demons themselves…”
“What is wrong with a demon acting like a demon?”
Illay chuckled at the aide’s complaints and checked the documents piled on the desk.
This one is urgent, and this one can wait…
Standing before the documents, Illay scanned them and sorted them with practiced ease.
It was a skill honed from holding the position of second-in-command of the Demon Realm for hundreds of years.
When he was about halfway through, the aide spoke to him in a very cautious voice.
“By the way… did you find them?”
“Find what?”
“Well… the Demon King…”
The aide’s voice trailed off, as if expecting Illay to explode at any moment.
Illay paused with the documents in hand and looked up.
The aide squeezed his eyes shut, his face pale with fear.
“…Did I not tell you?”
“Pardon?”
“I found them.”
“…You diiiid?”
The aide’s voice shot up in shock.
“No, wait, really?”
“Lower your voice.”
“Ah!”
Illay swiftly checked their surroundings, releasing his magic to sense any presence.
It seemed no one was nearby.
“They were really a-alive…?”
“I told you I went once after finding the Demon King.”
“That was when you found them?
You came back looking dissatisfied, gave orders, and left again.
I thought you were going to search again.”
…Was that so?
He thought he had explained it briefly, but apparently that had only been in his own head.
As Illay looked awkward, the aide continued questioning him.
“Then why have they not returned?”
“What?
The Spirit King?
They were born not long ago, so already involved with someone that important…”
“Honestly, I never thought they would actually come back.”
Leaving the muttering aide behind, Illay set the documents in his hand down with a firm thud.
“Then what did you think I was doing in the human world?”
“Well… I honestly thought you were half out of your mind—
Ahem!
Well, as long as things are fine, that is good, right?
Should we announce right away that the Demon King is safe?”
At Illay’s sharp glare, the aide hurriedly corrected himself.
“No.
Not yet.”
“What?
Why not?
If we announce it, the demons causing trouble to become Demon King will calm down.”
“…Not now.”
“Why?”
Seeing the confusion written clearly on the aide’s face, Illay let out a shallow sigh.
At least the aide needed to understand the situation.
After deciding quickly, Illay chose his words carefully.
There was no need to reveal that the Demon King was living with humans.
And if word spread that they had lost their magic, it would cause serious upheaval.
After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.
“Only you are to know this.
Right now, the Demon King is…”
“Yes?”
As Illay continued, the aide’s complexion changed moment by moment.
Shock, disbelief, and pity all crossed his face.
In Illay’s carefully fabricated story explaining why Jerena could not return to the Demon Realm yet, the only thing that could truly be called fact was that “their condition is not very good and they are currently recuperating.”
What Illay failed to consider was that the Demon Realm always had those who preyed on the weak.
Neither of them noticed that someone was standing beyond the door, holding their breath and listening to every word.
