The One Who Stays By Your Side at Your Darkest Hour #9
The Esterien royal family, which ruled Rosdea, possessed several direct territories. Among them, Locni Castle was a vital military stronghold.
The cape on which Locni Castle stood jutted out like a shield protecting the capital Myrdin from the sea, and its strategic value had been recognized since ancient times.
For this reason, the heir to the throne was traditionally appointed as Lord of Locni and given responsibility for governing the region.
However, the heir rarely actually resided there. In most cases, it was little more than a title.
After all, few heirs wanted to live in a gloomy castle perched on a windswept cape far from the bustling prosperity of Myrdin.
With very few exceptions.
And the current heir to the throne, Alena Esterien, was precisely one of those rare exceptions.
At a young age, Princess Alena had set foot in the territory granted to her and turned Locni’s soldiers into her own loyal forces.
Alena Esterien.
She was a beautiful young woman who had just passed twenty, and she was also a sister who deeply missed her younger sibling.
Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.
The sound of light, rhythmic footsteps echoed across the stone floor.
Just from that noisy gait, Alena could tell exactly who was coming.
Neil Bloodfire. The man they called ‘Cheerful Sir Neil.’
“Your Highness, I have news to report.”
Neil burst through the door and bowed with an exaggerated flourish.
Alena narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly and gave him a warning look.
“Watch your tongue, Sir Neil. I am not ‘Your Highness.’ You should address me as ‘Princess.’”
“Who’s going to hear us anyway?”
“Enough. State your business.”
Neil shrugged and delivered his report.
“My man in Iredain has brought bad news, good news, and even better news. Which would you like to hear first?”
Alena raised a hand in warning.
“The bad news, Sir Neil. And for the love of the gods, please lower your voice.”
“Hmm, why the bad news? Just so you know, my subordinate told me that people who choose bad news first tend to be cautious, while those who pick good news are optimistic. And the ones who ask for the best news first? Idiots!”
Alena’s lovely brows furrowed deeply.
Neil was a capable man, but his frivolity was enough to cancel out all of his competence.
“If you came here just to spout nonsense, you should go visit the court jester in the capital. I’m sure he’d laugh heartily at your jokes and then stick a sign on the back of your head that reads ‘Idiot.’”
“Ah, I really don’t want to go to Myrdin.”
When Alena glared at his endless prattle, Neil raised both hands in surrender.
“Don’t look at me like that. Alright, the bad news first… It seems Princess Irenie was targeted.”
“Leni, as expected.”
Alena’s eyes flashed.
Neil nodded.
“Yes, just as we anticipated. But there was one unexpected development… Our original plan was to trace the mastermind behind it, but the kidnapper was killed before we could even begin.”
“The kidnapper is dead? By whose hand?”
“They say Princess’s personal priest killed the kidnapper. He seems to be no ordinary man.”
“A priest? Who is he?”
“His name is Emil of Tyssos… He’s the priest Alon Ricgard brought in not long ago. I’ll tell you more about him later.”
Emil of Tyssos.
Alena committed the name to memory and asked again.
“Leni’s personal priest, Emil of Tyssos… Very well. Then what is the good news?”
“Our King Raymond’s illness has worsened. It seems he won’t last much longer.”
Alena gave a satisfied nod.
“Hm. That is indeed good news.”
Neil let out a small chuckle at her reaction.
She truly despised her own father.
“Good. Then pay even closer attention to Iredain. No—actually, it would be best if you went there yourself, Sir Neil. Especially with Leni’s situation…”
“You want me to go in person?”
“Why? Is that a problem?”
Alena shot him a fierce glare.
Neil abandoned his attempt at more teasing and bowed his head.
“Sigh, understood. If this ‘loyal knight’ Neil is needed, then by all means.”
“I didn’t know you had such a nickname. Well, fine. Then what is the best news?”
“Right. I almost forgot to mention it. The best news is… hmm.”
Neil paused dramatically.
Alena was about to snap at him for the theatrics, but the moment his lips parted again, she forgot everything else.
“—Irenie’s curse has been lifted.”
* * *
[Emil, wanna kiss?]
Pidea had started talking nonsense again.
It was clear as day.
Emil reached that conclusion immediately.
He wasn’t even flustered anymore. It wasn’t as if this demon girl only said weird things once or twice a day.
“Hey, can demons lose their minds too?”
[I’m perfectly sane. It’s just that your lips look so delicious when they’re flushed red like that. What should I do?]
“You’ve definitely lost it.”
Pidea began giggling as usual.
[Ah, that’s too harsh. I just meant I’m feeling sexually aroused by you.]
“It’s your body, though.”
Emil said, dumbfounded.
In response, Pidea slowly licked her lips.
It was a meaningless gesture for a demon whose lips never dried, but it was filled with playful seduction.
[The body isn’t what matters. Hmm… how should I put it? It’s just that the existence called ‘you’ is incredibly attractive.]
“Thanks. I had no idea I possessed charm that transcends species.”
[No, that’s not it. Right now, I—Pidea—am wearing the persona of a ‘young girl,’ so I’m drawn to you. You could call it a side effect of assuming this personality.]
Pidea licked her lips again and smiled.
It was playful as always,
but there was also a strange coquettishness to it.
“But sorry, I don’t recall ever seducing you. Did I do something?”
[Playing innocent, are we? Hmmm, after showing off such a cool side yesterday?]
A cool side?
Emil thought back to yesterday but couldn’t recall anything noteworthy.
Was she talking about rescuing Leni?
He wasn’t sure if that counted as cool, but…
[When you fought the kidnapper! You took him down with nothing but a stick. Did you learn swordsmanship in your previous life? Seriously, it was so cool.]
Pidea said, eyes sparkling.
So that was it.
“Swordsmanship? Hardly. What I know is how to fight and survive. What I used that day was just a cheap trick. Dodge roughly, swing roughly. That’s all.”
What a grandiose way to describe it.
Emil asked, puzzled.
“That’s all it was? There are plenty of people who handle swords far better than that. I wouldn’t even rank among them. I just swung a stick in a somewhat convincing way.”
[No. Emil, that’s not what I’m trying to say. Of course, that was impressive too, but…]
Pidea continued with heated eyes.
[That day, I lent you my ‘eyes.’ That means you and I were connected. So I could feel your emotions vividly. When you saw that child kicked and bleeding, the pure rage you showed…]
That’s right.
That day, Pidea had lent Emil her eyes, which meant they had been sharing one body.
[I know you well. You’re not the type to get angry easily over someone else’s business. That’s why the emotion you felt in that moment, when you raged for her sake… it was incredibly intense. And sweet.]
“…Is that so?”
Damn it. He really hated these cringeworthy conversations.
Pidea gave a sly smile.
[Yes. So… do you understand now?]
Then she slowly twisted her body and whispered into his ear with a moist, sultry voice.
[In short, you made me wet.]
Good lord.
Oh my god.
Those words made Emil cough violently in utter embarrassment.
“Cough, ahem, ugh, cough, cough!”
“Priest… ? What’s wrong?”
Leni looked at him with worry.
That damn perverted demon girl…
Emil shook his head.
“It’s nothing… Just a cough.”
“Really…?”
Even after that day, Leni acted as if nothing had happened.
She asked him to read books to her like always,
She squirmed uncomfortably when he fed her,
Yet still reluctantly accepted it.
It was somewhat admirable.
To remain so composed after going through something like that.
‘That aside…’
Emil glared at Pidea again.
She was grinning wickedly.
Just look at that lewd smile.
Come to think of it, wasn’t this sexual harassment? Good grief, to think he’d be sexually harassed by a demon in his lifetime…
“Um, Priest Emil.”
Just then, Leni called out to him.
Emil ignored Pidea and turned his head.
“Yes? What is it?”
“…I’m scared.”
At the sound of Leni’s trembling, tearful voice,
Emil looked at her in alarm.
Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“…My lady.”
“Why did that man try to take me away? How did he even know about me…? What if someone like him comes again? Priest… I, I’m so scared.”
Leni could no longer hold back. Tears began to spill.
Emil didn’t know what to say.
“Is it… is it because I’m a horrible, cursed being? Would everything be better if I just disappeared…?”
“My lady, no. That’s not true!”
Emil pulled her into his arms.
The small girl was trembling against his chest.
“Your curse is not your fault. What sin is there in being born? Likewise, what sin is there in simply living? Who would dare condemn that? No one can!”
“Priest…”
Emil clenched his teeth.
Composed? Admirable for not acting like a child?
What a stupid thing to think.
Leni was no fool.
She understood perfectly what it meant to be targeted, and there was no way she wouldn’t be terrified.
Pidea watched the scene and snorted.
It wasn’t a lie.
Emil was a selfish man.
He was insincere, worldly, lazy, and an egoist who only ever thought of himself.
That same man had come to his own conclusion.
‘If I let this child continue to suffer, I won’t be able to feel happy even if I’m lying on a soft bed, embracing a beautiful woman, and drinking fine wine. Damn it.’
Emil was a terrible egoist.
That was precisely why he chose the path that would put his own heart at ease.
“My lady… do you know what the sea is?”
“…The sea?”
At Emil’s sudden question, Leni let out a hiccuping sob.
“Yes, the sea. The mirror that reflects the world in blue.”
“I know what the sea is, hic… but why are you suddenly…”
Emil spoke as cheerfully as he could.
So that all her tears would fly away.
“Today, we are going to the sea.”