Chapter 49 - The Duchess’s Daughter Ponders Deeply (2)
“N-neh?”
Elina’s voice cracked in shock at Parmela’s utterly astonishing declaration.
“My lady. I apologize. Perhaps you’re still suffering from battle fatigue. I must have misheard you just now… Could you repeat that one more time?”
“I, Parmela Herthe, wish to be engaged… with Theodor. No—that’s not his real name, is it? That… Heavenly Demon, was it?”
“…”
Elina would have been less shocked if Parmela had declared herself a man.
Gaping stupidly at Parmela, Elina’s expression was utterly unlike her usual dignified and composed demeanor.
But true to her role as the Herthe family’s shadow who had served generations of young ladies for centuries, she quickly regained her composure despite this unprecedented announcement.
“I’m truly curious how the young lady of House Herthe—one of the Great Ducal Houses of the mighty Arkesia Empire—could possibly consider becoming engaged to a dangerous individual of unknown origins… But first, I’d like to understand what chain of reasoning led you to this conclusion.”
“Reasoning? It’s love.”
“…”
From Parmela’s perspective, could there be any meeting more fated than this?
A common swordsman rescuing a ducal daughter from bandits—a cliché scenario.
Yet hidden beneath lay a secret…
He was actually an outsider from another world, wielding the power of demons.
Persecuted by the church for this, he fled south in search of sanctuary, only to encounter Parmela by chance.
First as master and servant, then as her mentor in mastering the Black Flame Art, and ultimately—the man who spectacularly rescued her from demonic possession.
No romance novel could rival the sheer romanticism of their story—
“Then shouldn’t our meeting naturally conclude with us being together?”
“……”
She was truly a lovestruck maiden.
“And most importantly… do you know what he said to me after saving me from possession?”
“What did he say?”
“‘You’re really… such a bothersome woman.’ Kyah!”
Parmela, who had been mimicking the Heavenly Demon’s low voice, suddenly shrieked as if mortified, covering her cheeks with both hands before plopping down onto the floor.
If love were a disease, Parmela would be terminally ill.
Looking at her mistress who had completely transformed into a lovestruck girl,
“…I should have banned romance novels from the start.”
Elina sighed deeply.
But she quickly steeled herself.
As the loyal shadow of House Herthe and its exemplary head maid, Elina remained acutely aware of her duty to make her mistress face reality.
“—My lady.”
“Hah… What should I do? Just talking to him for a few minutes makes my face burn like this.”
“My lady. Are you aware of the political upheaval caused by your unilateral annulment of the engagement?”
At Elina’s quiet rebuke, Parmela’s expression instantly stiffened.
“Even if your engagement with the Crown Prince was essentially a facade agreed upon by both families, that was merely an internal matter. After the annulment became public, the imperial ministers sent formal letters of protest, and other influential houses—believing discord had arisen between the imperial family and House Herthe—immediately began scheming to undermine us.”
Like rapid gunfire, yet with perfect enunciation, Elina reminded her mistress of these harsh realities.
Parmela stood silently. No trace of the romance-chasing girl remained on her face.
“…I know.”
“Then you must also understand how utterly unrealistic this ‘romantic plan’ of yours is.”
“But—”
“—This morning, a letter arrived from the Imperial Security Force.”
“…!”
“It’s a notice of intent to detain the individual known as the Heavenly Demon.”
“How dare they arbitrarily…! He’s under the protection of House Herthe!”
“It’s precisely because he’s under Herthe’s protection that they’re observing proper procedures and courtesy.”
Elina cut in firmly.
“Consider this, my lady. A man summoned by heretics in Radain Holy Nation’s territory through demonic rituals. His power is sufficient to single-handedly defeat Fallen Deities. Had he been like Radain’s clergy—vanquishing demons with holy light—we might have spun him as an apostle sent by Juten. But the moment he absorbs and wields demonic power, there’s virtually no justification for protecting him.”
“That such a man concealed his identity and approached both the Crown Prince and a ducal daughter makes it perfectly reasonable to deem him extremely dangerous.”
“…But that’s—”
Seeing her mistress still clinging to hope, Elina exhaled a barely audible sigh.
“—And one more thing. The family head has sent a letter.”
“!”
Parmela visibly paled.
Instead of relaying its contents, Elina handed Parmela the sealed letter bearing House Herthe’s crest.
-You are no longer to involve yourself in this matter. Your sister will be leading the investigation team.
After reading the two curt sentences, Parmela’s hands trembled slightly.
“…I’m not disregarding your feelings, my lady. But you are the future of House Herthe. You must… face reality.”
Elina carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.
“As Herthe’s shadow, I will always support you, my lady. So please… just this once, reconsider.”
Parmela bit her lip hard.
“When exactly are the guards coming?”
“Tomorrow at noon.”
“…Fine. Then we should prepare to receive our guests.”
Having regained her usual ticked-off, imperious demeanor, Parmela began walking toward her office.
-‘Don’t make me laugh. I’ll never give up.’
But once kindled, the flames of love cannot be so easily extinguished.
—
“You lasted longer than I expected.”
Standing by the hospital window overlooking the imperial guards assembled in the garden, I voiced this observation.
Not long after Parmela left yesterday, the head maid had returned.
Imperial soldiers were coming to detain me—Parmela had tried to stop it but failed.
She’d come to apologize for being unable to keep her promise.
“Well, not that I planned to stay forever… but given everything that’s happened, this outcome was inevitable.”
Despite facing imminent arrest, I remained surprisingly calm—even to myself.
Maybe I’m just too exhausted to react.
‘Whatever… let it be.’
I hate complications. If they want to take me, I’ll go quietly.
A bit of jail time doesn’t bother me…
“If things get annoying, I can always escape.”
[Remaining Demonic Qi: 98%]
My reserves had fully recovered since the last battle.
While I’m not confident about waging all-out war against a vast empire, breaking out of custody and slipping past the capital’s defenses would be trivial.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Creak—
For an arrest, the visitor’s entry was remarkably gentle.
But when I saw who it was, I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“—I do resemble my younger sister quite a bit. The hair color comes from our father.”
Flowing crimson locks. A tall, athletic build for a woman.
Yet her face was the spitting image of Parmela’s—
Just slightly more composed and mature-looking.
“Thank you for cooperating with the Empire’s request, Lord Heavenly Demon. I’m Elaine Herthe, Captain of the Imperial Security Force.”
The young woman in a crisp military uniform smiled and extended her hand.
“—Quite cordial for someone here to arrest me.”
“Your deeds—eliminating two Fallen Angels and defending the Academy, the Empire’s very heart—remain undeniable facts.”
“And yet you’re arresting me?”
“People fear the unknown. This detention is merely procedure—to lift that veil of mystery so others may treat you fairly.”
‘Smooth talker.’
“Of course, I understand how difficult that is to believe from your position. So let me swear upon my name and family’s honor: you’ll face no unreasonable treatment during this investigation.”
Elaine placed her left hand over her heart as if taking an oath.
“And I’ve no intention of being harsh with my sister’s lover.”
“Isn’t breaking an oath within three seconds a bit much?”
Fake news, that.
—
By the time Auriel’s group reached the Academy, two days had passed since the battle between the Heavenly Demon and the Fallen Deities.
What greeted them—having raced their horses to the limit—was an Academy with a quarter of its grounds in ruins, swarming with investigating professors and imperial soldiers.
“Halt.”
As the two attempted to enter, guards crossed spears to block their path.
“The Academy is currently closed to outsiders.”
“Then kindly inform your superior that the Saintess of Radain requests an audience.”