Chapter 76
Catherine hurried toward the castle gate. They hadn't been apart for that long, but something felt off. By the time she arrived, the usual dreary atmosphere had deepened even further. There, perched obediently on the parched earth, was a massive beast with wings.
"Yaong?"
Catherine couldn't be entirely sure it was Yaong. While Yaong's true form was about the size of the statue in the plaza fountain, this gargoyle was big enough to smash that fountain with a couple of tail swipes. Its fur was a softer yellow than Yaong's, and it had sturdy horns sprouting from its head. Its claws looked thicker and tougher than Yaong's, and its wings were grand enough to envelop its entire body.
The gargoyle began grooming itself diligently with its front paws, exuding an air of bold charisma. Surprisingly, that grooming convinced Catherine.
It's Yaong!
"It's Yaong."
Demian, who had seemed tense, spoke up in a voice suddenly relaxed, clearly sharing her thoughts.
As Catherine examined Yaong's grooming more closely, she asked the knight in charge of the gate, "We need to check its condition. Let it out."
Karl, who had appeared by her side unnoticed, blocked her path with a firm expression. "Absolutely not, miss. Magical beasts are slaves to their instincts. No matter how close you were once, something showing off that much menace..."
Again, again. Catherine turned to Demian with a weary face. "Demian, help me out here."
Judging from how it kept grooming and shaking itself, it might have ticks.
Demian scooped her up without hesitation. "Grip my shoulders tight."
In an instant, Demian dropped down below the walls. It was amazing that falling from such a height left not a single ache.
As he set her down, Demian said, "Miss, looks like that thing's got ticks. Ticks on a magical beast? How tough must its life force be? If they spread to the mansion, we're done for. We gotta treat 'em all here."
Catherine didn't like that Demian was thinking exactly the same thing as her. For some reason, it felt unsettling to share the same level of mindset with him.
"Miss! You bastard, Demian Rodria! Putting the miss in danger like that! You're getting twenty smacks on the ass from my fist!"
"That's the second-scariest threat I've ever heard, right after from Lord Chezare."
Ignoring Karl's shouts, the two walked briskly toward Yaong.
Yaong, recognizing Catherine, paused scratching near its neck with its hind leg and slowly rose to approach.
Sir Karl's not wrong. I can't be sure how Yaong's changed either.
The tension grew as the distance closed. Demian half-drew his sword to protect her.
"Completely..."
Finally, Yaong drew near, trembling slightly before rapidly spreading its wings and circling Catherine once in a grand loop.
「Aren't I cool! Totally cool, right!」
Then it folded its wings, landed, and rolled over in front of her with a thud.
「Check this out! Tail's totally cool, right! Teeth totally cool! Claws totally cool!」
"Sorry, Yaong, but I can't check while you're rolling on the ground."
Fortunately, Yaong seemed unchanged. Thrilled with its majestic new form, it chomped playfully on Demian's leg and wagged its tail.
"Damn, feels like bathing in gargoyle spit..."
Catherine stroked Yaong's even fluffier fur and casually asked, "Anywhere hurt? Like, super itchy or anything?"
「Huh? Nope.」
"What were you doing out here?"
Yaong spat out Demian and proudly unfurled its wings. 「Showing off this body's awesome pose to Catherine, duh! Grooming for the big reveal!」
Demian shook off the saliva-soaked hand and shook his head. "No tick worries, then."
"Yaong, can you shrink back down?"
At Catherine's question, Yaong replied matter-of-factly. 「Of course, easy peasy. Though this body's majesty takes a hit, if Catherine likes...」
Suddenly, Yaong's eyes widened mid-sentence. Catherine looked on puzzled, wondering what was wrong.
Then, something popped out of Yaong's massive maw with a ptoo.
「Ptooey, ptooey.」
What fell to the ground was a small scrap of paper soaked in thick saliva. Yaong, now back in its yellow kitten form, stretched languidly and chattered on as if relieved.
「Ahh, finally spat it out! That tiny paper was stuck in my throat, sooo itchy!」
So that's why it kept scratching its neck. Demian grimaced and picked up the wet paper. "This looks like a photo?"
It was precisely a torn fragment showing only a young girl's face.
Catherine's expression hardened visibly as she examined it. "Yaong. Where'd this photo come from?"
「Dunno. Think I swallowed it while drinking water or something.」
The person in the photo was someone Catherine knew.
「Meow?」
Catherine scooped up Yaong and rushed back toward the gate. The knights running alongside her asked in surprise, "Miss, that tiny gargoyle—is it okay? It was flying around earlier like it was gonna wreck the whole area."
"That's just how it is."
「Yup, that's me.」
The knights followed her back into the castle in a clamor. Perhaps from years dealing with magical beasts, they gossiped loudly without being asked.
"Must've reached adulthood!"
"Huh. I've lived in Panya nine years, but first adult gargoyle I've seen."
"What're you surprised about after just nine years? Gargoyles are rare to spot. There's even a saying that seeing a flying gargoyle's shadow means good luck that year."
As far as Catherine knew, Yaong was only just three years old—a young gargoyle. It had only gone to Abyssland for a few days, and now it was an adult?
And that photo stuck in Yaong's throat...
Something was definitely off. Catherine headed straight up the stairs.
If her guess was right, this photo fragment's origin was Panya Castle.
"Miss, where to?"
"Mother's room."
"Huh? Why there?"
Catherine opened the door to her mother's old bedroom without hesitation. It had been years since she'd come here. The room was as immaculately clean and quiet as ever, exuding a lonely air of abandonment.
Catherine approached the bed with the photo scrap in hand. A large family photo hung beside it.
"The Marchioness looks the same as ever. Then the lady next to her is..."
"My mother."
It showed Marchioness Hansburg Panya, her mother Green Panya, and Viscount Orleans seated in stiff poses. The family photo felt rigid, and it had one oddity: the little girl's face in the center was neatly cut out in a circle.
Catherine fitted the scrap Yaong had swallowed into the hole. It matched perfectly without a gap.
"How..."
"Argh! How could this happen?!"
Demian turned to her with a shocked face. "The girl in this photo—it's you, right, miss? Now that I see it, I feel stupid for not recognizing you immediately—it's identical! But how'd this end up in Abyssland?!"
He shook her shoulders, more worked up than she was. Anyone would think he was the victim of this bizarre incident.
Catherine raised a hand to calm him. "Easy, Demian. No surprise there. You already knew my mother wasn't human."
Demian huffed roughly. "Th-then does this mean your mother's still alive? I'm freaking out here. There's gotta be some huge secret! I'll help however I can—let's uncover it!"
The more Demian excited himself, the cooler Catherine's mind grew.
Her mother had vanished one day without a trace. Catherine still remembered it clearly. It was the first time her mother, father, and stepmother Laura—who had been a servant then—faced each other after it came out that Laura's child was the viscount's.
Mother's cursing was something else.
After hurling insults at Laura for a while, her mother suddenly hurled herself out the window. When a startled Catherine looked down, her mother had vanished without a trace.
After that, her father barely spoke to anyone for a time. The servants all gossiped that her mother, who had grown fond of Orleans, had returned to Panya. But no word of her mother ever came after that.
"But why rip out just your face? Gives me the creeps."
Catherine gazed steadily at the family photo on the wall. It had been ages since she'd examined it this closely after her mother's disappearance.
Makes me think back to then. Our first family photo. They went all out hiring a top photographer from Orleans...
But something was wrong. Catherine distinctly remembered the background being the Orleans mansion. Yet in the actual photo, it wasn't Orleans. Instead of a lush flower garden, there were gray stone walls radiating dampness even from here. The floor wasn't verdant grass either, but rough earth strewn with stones, where a strange pattern glimmered.
That pattern. No, magic circle was definitely...
"The mansion's basement."
"Pardon?"
It was certain. Catherine whipped around and dashed toward the door. Using the magic key, she unlocked it—not the warm halls of Panya Castle, but a dank basement appeared. The crimson magic circle on the floor greeted her familiarly.
"Those who possess me shall rule the world."
She checked sitting, lying down, even upside down—it was definitely the basement. The family photo's background had been swapped from the Orleans garden to Christopher's basement.
"What the..."
How was this possible? As Catherine stood dazed, staring at the floor, a strangely distorted voice emanated from the crimson magic circle.
You have met the conditions. In accordance with the ancient contract, I shall fulfill my former master's command.
A brilliant white light enveloped Catherine, and her vision began to blur.
Conditions? Ancient contract? Her already muddled mind grew more confused amid the cryptic words.
...Wait. This screams 'dangerous situation' on sight?
That damn suspicious magic circle! She'd always thought it'd cause trouble someday. Should've erased it ages ago!
But it was too late for regrets. Feeling her consciousness fade, Catherine slowly closed her eyes.