#093

Dantalion's beady rat eyes went rigid. In an instant, he transformed into a pitch-black mist and flew toward Catherine.

"Haha! How could I possibly dare to go against Lord Leviathan? I've fulfilled my duty, so I'll take my leave now. Call me anytime if you need me!"

With those words, the darkness enveloping her vanished completely.

Tsk. Chezare clicked his tongue briefly and reached out to cover Catherine's eyes.

"Demons are all so damn eccentric and exhausting."

You're a demon too.

When he withdrew his hand, Catherine was no longer trapped in darkness. It wasn't the dirt path from 600 years ago, nor Mars's tent. She was back in her own world—in the basement of the mansion, where the crimson devil summoning circle still glowed ominously.

"Miss!"

With a dramatic cry, someone rushed forward and cupped her face.

"How's your body? You okay? No injuries? I figured a girl like you, Catherine, would be fine even if the world ended! But I was still worried just in case, so seeing you're totally unscathed is a huge relief."

"Would you hear me out for a sec? Yeah? In the middle of all that hopelessness, there was one silver lining. Roze didn't go on vacation and stayed to guard the mansion. So I explained everything to her in excruciating detail..."

And Demian really did explain in excruciating detail.

"...And then Roze somehow borrows a mana carriage outta nowhere? She handles that mana carriage like it's nothing, looking all so cool and majestic..."

Yawn. Catherine yawned so wide her mouth nearly split.

"...And wouldn't you know it, Chezare wasn't at the ducal residence. Luckily, the old butler there was kind enough..."

When will this end?

"So I relayed the situation to Chezare, came back here via the butler's magic, and waited for you, miss. Roze got tired of waiting and went to bed."

She hadn't caught every detail amid her wandering thoughts, but one thing was clear: Demian and Roze had jumped into action for her sake. That made her feel both guilty and grateful.

"Good job, Demian. You did amazingly. You're my lifesaver. Thank you. Let's keep working well together. I don't think there's a better partner than you."

When she grabbed his hands and shook them firmly, Demian nodded proudly.

Chezare, who had been watching with arms crossed for a while, spoke up. "You done, knight? If you're finished, let's head back to Panya Castle."

As he opened the wooden door to the basement, the silent devil summoning circle called out to Chezare without a word from him.

"You can wait for next time."

Come to think of it, this suspicious summoning circle was the one that had sent her to Dantalion in the first place.

Chezare said this devil summoning circle isn't his— he's just managing it for someone.

So the original owner must have been her mother, after all. With Dantalion as the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠broker, it was obvious.

"Should I go tell Roze that you're back, miss?"

"Don't wake her. I'll tell her myself when I see her."

"Got it."

And so Catherine returned to Panya well over a fortnight later. Only three days had passed here, but to her, it felt like an eternity.

"Then I'll head to my room. Can't wait to hear what kind of earful I'll get from the marchioness tomorrow."

Demian shuddered dramatically before retreating to his room. His pale face suggested he was genuinely worried.

Grandma won't say much.

Catherine had grown up free-range since childhood. A few days' absence would probably end with just a mild scolding.

Back in her room, she placed the box on the dresser and sat on the bed. Outside the window hung a bright yellow half-moon— no different from the sky she'd seen in the world 600 years ago.

"Chezare, I have so many questions for you."

He approached and suddenly flipped up the blanket on the bed, gesturing for her to get under it.

"It's too late at night for that. We have plenty of time, so let's take it slow."

I haven't bathed properly lately, so I'm filthy.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, the grime clinging to her body vanished like magic. Chezare had cast a spell.

He knows what I want without me saying it now.

It tickles my heart.

She obediently lay down as he wished. He smiled softly and murmured a quiet goodnight.

"Sweet dreams."

He vanished, leaving Catherine alone on the bed. As silence settled, her tensed muscles relaxed, and sleep came rushing in.

In the hazy space between dream and reality, a soft presence crept onto the bed.

Nyaa.

A small, warm furball curled up on her stomach. It was Yaong.

Catherine fought off the waves of drowsiness and mumbled slowly. "Yeah. It would've been easier if I'd brought you."

It wasn't fun. But meeting Mars and her mother had made her happy.

"Yeah. It was good."

Tap tap. Yaong's tail, wagging happily, slowed to a stop.

Even though she was exhausted, Catherine couldn't help but smile. She fumbled her hand down and grasped what she assumed was Yaong's front paw—a tiny bundle of warmth that fit entirely in her palm. She kneaded it gently.

"Sleep well."

And soon, she plunged into deep slumber.

✽ ✽ ✽

The next morning, as expected, Panya Marchioness didn't scold Catherine harshly for leaving the castle without a word. But she didn't let it slide entirely.

"If there'd been no word today, I was going to send out a search party. I get your free-spirited ways— I was the same in my youth, your mother too. It's practically a family trait. But at least give us a heads-up before you go. The knights were worried sick."

"Yes, ma'am."

Part of her wanted to tell Panya Marchioness about her ordeal, but Catherine decided to keep it buried deep inside.

She'd just worry more.

She'd probably face restrictions on wandering freely.

"When you have time, go visit the knights. They still see you as that toddler crawling on all fours. They threw a huge fit about going to find you."

"I will."

It'll be noisy again.

Yaong, now used to the knights' rowdy vibe, had already fled elsewhere. Bracing to be squished among the burly men, Catherine flung open the door to the knights' quarters.

The knights, mid-yawn, spotted her and bolted upright.

"Aigoo, miss! You lot, the miss is here!"

As always, she endured being slobbered over like a three-month-old puppy— licked, nuzzled, and hugged.

"Where've you been, miss? Huh? You've gotten all skinny in just a few days!"

"Which scumbag lured you off? I keep telling you, never trust those male bastards!"

"Hey now. The miss is the one doing the luring, not getting lured. Oi, newbie! Nothing happened to the miss, right?"

Demian, casually nestled among the knights by now, replied. "If something had, I'd be in even bigger trouble."

Demian looked rough himself. Apparently, the knights' "special commendation" for being trustworthy had involved sword spars.

Even back in her room catching her breath.

Even patting Yaong as it prowled nearby.

Even savoring a lavish lunch.

Catherine's mind was filled with just three things: Chezare. Lilith. And the box from her mother.

...Am I way too calm right now?

A cool breeze rustled through her hair. Catherine patted Yaong's back. Yaong was galloping wildly across the plains, carrying her, utterly losing its mind.

"Yaong. From here, go play with Demian."

Yaong seemed to have a special fondness for words like "bald" and "hair loss."

Back in her room, she grabbed the box and burrowed under the covers. What could be inside? Heart pounding, she carefully opened it.

Surprisingly, nestled inside was a book. A tiny one that fit in her hand.

"This is..."

What the hell?

The tension piled up all day crumbled in an instant. For a mother's keepsake, it felt suspiciously, extremely, plain— no illusion there.

Though, thinking about it, it's exactly what I need most right now.

A guidebook for living as a Great Demon! She wondered how much it could sell for.

She flipped to the first page. This might actually be pretty good.

The table of contents wasn't long.

"Assets and positions?"

Before skimming the front, she peeked at the last chapter.

Imperial Bank account: ...a lot of money.

Queens Bank account: ...a ton of money.

East of Pollypa Square in the desert city, under the bakery: gold... a lot.

Gold under a bakery? What?

Her chest tightened. She was already living comfortably thanks to Chezare, but now she might be rich enough to scatter gold on the streets.

The next section was positions.

Honorary Professor, Imperial Academy Department of Magic Studies.

Elder of the Western Magic Tower.

Affiliationless Transcendent: Chaos of Chaos.

So Chaos the Great Mage was Lilith. One of the popular transcendents among boys back in her childhood. Not as famous as Chezare, but renowned as a handsome one.

Busperfield elite unit Black Snake, codename Pigeon.

Papal Cardinal.

She was speechless at the cardinal part.

Would there ever come a day she'd use them as Lilith? [