[CHAPTER 76]
“What?”
“I believe you will understand.”
Unlike me, who was flustered, the Marchioness calmly set her teacup down.
The clear clink echoed softly in my ears.
“No one would want to keep a demon in their home.”
“……”
So she knew.
Only then did I realize that the premise itself had been wrong from the start.
I had thought there would be no one who would treat me kindly if they knew I was a demon.
That was still true.
But not everyone reveals their true feelings honestly.
Why had I forgotten such an obvious fact, that anyone can hide what is in their heart?
My grip weakened as if my strength were draining away.
Before I could drop it, I set the teacup down on the table.
“You already knew.”
“Yes. Before marriage, I did serve as a priest, after all.”
“……”
So that was where Sian’s divine power came from.
Someone with divine power would not fail to recognize it.
The amount of magic filling me changed every day, every moment.
If I did not stay vigilant at all times, magic would inevitably leak from my body before I could fully conceal it.
I had tried to be careful.
I really had.
Still, has there ever been a time in my life when things went smoothly?
Hiding a self-mocking smile behind an expressionless mask, I nodded.
“…I have no resentment toward you, Miss Jerena.”
“You may be a demon, but you do not seem to intend us harm.”
“And Sian too… for some reason, he seems to trust you.”
“……”
“But separately from that, I hope you will understand the heart of a mother who worries about her son’s future.”
Faced with words that were gentle yet sharp as blades, I could only lower my gaze.
I did not bow my head.
If I bowed even my head, it would feel as though I truly were someone who meant to bring harm to Sian.
“If rumors spread that the captain of the Holy Knights of the Grand Temple has allowed a demon into his estate, his honor would fall to the ground.”
My eyes remained fixed on the tea inside the cup.
So I could not see what expression the Marchioness wore.
Perhaps I never would.
Yet the affection and concern for her son carried in her sigh-laced voice alone was enough to weigh heavily on me.
“I cannot control whom you associate with outside.”
“But it would be difficult for Miss Jerena to stay in our estate and be treated as a ‘future daughter-in-law.’”
“And with the family these days… no, never mind.”
“Please forget I said that.”
“……”
“You understand what I am saying, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Everything she said was right, word for word.
There was nothing to refute, nothing to argue back.
Once you know the truth, how could you possibly ignore it?
If it were me, I would have done the same.
I left the room with a faint sense of dizziness, without even having time to wonder what she had stopped herself from saying halfway through.
The Marchioness simply told me to leave the estate by tomorrow.
She did not scold me further, nor did she press me for anything.
It was an exceedingly restrained response.
There was not a trace of resentment toward me or my kind in her attitude.
It truly seemed that all she cared about was her son Sian and her family.
So I could not even dare to feel resentful.
As she said, if I remained here and my identity were revealed, Sian would undoubtedly be placed in a difficult position.
There is nothing to feel wronged about. She is right.
I soothed myself with those thoughts and kept walking.
Even if I were driven out of this estate, it was not as though I had nowhere to go.
I could contact Ifrit and Noah right away.
Or I could stay at one of the estates owned by Fabreine.
It was hardly a hopeless situation.
From the beginning, I had never planned to stay at Sian’s family estate just because I came to the capital.
Then what is this feeling?
The heavy, sinking sensation seemed to keep tugging at my feet.
She is right about everything. And I know her reaction was gentler than expected.
Yes, I knew.
But even if something is right, that does not mean it does not hurt.
In fact, because it was the truth, it felt as though it pierced even deeper.
With every step, the conversation with the Marchioness replayed itself, unbearably sorrowful.
It felt as though the fact I had tried so hard to ignore was being thrust right in front of me.
That I was no help to Sian at all.
That I was nothing but a burden.
I wandered aimlessly.
Even though it was the same estate the butler had carefully shown me around not long ago, it felt strangely unfamiliar now.
I thought about packing my things if I were to leave tomorrow.
But I had not stayed long, so there would not be much to pack anyway.
Getting a little lost would be fine, wouldn’t it?
How long had I been walking like that?
“Haaah… ah…!”
A cry filled with anguish echoed in my ears.
It sounded like someone writhing in pain.
Or perhaps a scream soaked in despair.
The sound came from behind the door I was just about to pass by.
Either way, it was more than enough to stop me in my tracks.
The presence I felt from within reminded me strongly of someone I knew all too well.
I knew it was meddlesome, especially when I was about to be sent away.
I had no right to involve myself in this family’s affairs.
But what I felt inside was unmistakable.
Having made up my mind, I opened the door.
There was no hesitation in turning resolve into action.
The room was filled with the scent of medicinal herbs.
A mixture of various herbs assaulted my nose unpleasantly.
But more unbearable than any smell was what lay within the room itself.
“Ugh… aaah…!”
Would even having one’s entrails torn apart hurt that much?
The owner of the room paid no attention to my entrance.
…Or rather, she could not.
She writhed on the bed, letting out agonized moans without a moment to catch her breath.
It is only natural to find it painful to watch someone suffer.
She had a face so beautiful it took one’s breath away, yet it was difficult to even look at her now.
“Ugh…”
Only when I stepped so close that there was barely a single step between us did her eyes finally turn toward me.
She had managed, at last, to recognize the intruder in her room.
“Ugh, ah…!”
Her eyes widened in shock, and her hand desperately grabbed onto me.
At first, I thought she feared I might do something to her.
But that was not it.
“S-save me… help me… hng…”
The tear clinging pitifully to her long eyelashes somehow felt just like her.
That desperate state of clinging to anything at all.
Now that I see her up close, I am certain. This is truly…
The core stone left behind when a demon perishes.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Perhaps she feared I would leave her, because I felt her grip on my wrist tighten.
“Help… me…”
A person who carries a demon’s core stone is cursed by the gods.
Just as I, a demon with magic, perceived the healing of Sian’s divine power as an attack.
Even though they are human, divine healing no longer works as healing on them.
Because the pain comes from a demon’s core stone, ordinary medicine is useless.
Divine power does not work either.
It is not a phenomenon well known among humans.
Demons rarely perish to begin with, making their core stones exceedingly rare.
And the demon closest to the core stone’s owner usually keeps it dearly protected.
Watching a human die without understanding why, all they could do was probably burn incense like this.
Only a demon familiar to the core stone’s owner can remain sane upon touching it.
Or a demon stronger than the one who owned it.
Which means removing it is something only a demon can do.
In other words…
I can do this.
I quietly looked down at the woman’s face.
A face as beautiful as an angel’s, and one that resembled Sian’s.
Given the circumstances, she must be his family.
I cannot say there is no reason behind my decision to save her.
I had just been weighed down by the thought that I was nothing but a burden.
But that was not the only reason.
The biggest reason was…
Because I can.
I felt her hand gripping my wrist as though it were a lifeline.
I quickly took hold of her hand in return.
