The End of the Interview
"So these are the culprits who made off with our meat......"
Death glared at them with a fearsome expression, arms folded across his chest.
"How dare you covet my meat? If this were the Demon Realm, you'd be summarily executed."
He wasn't joking. If this truly had been the Demon Realm, that was exactly what would have happened.
But sadly, this was not the Demon Realm, and his opponent(?) was far too young. The pups hadn't even opened their eyes yet, so instead of cowering before Death's gaze, they simply squirmed about, unable to tell up from down.
They would have had to look his way at the very least for Death to threaten them or lay down the law, but he might as well have been invisible. In fact, the truth was that they didn't register his existence at all.
"Arf! Arf-arf!"
The only one responding was Jasper, Bayul's guard dog. Because he refused to budge a single step from the front of the kennel in his determination to protect his mate and pups, Death couldn't actually get anywhere near them.
"So you're not even scared of me, huh?"
Ordinarily, beasts would flee at the slightest hint of bloodlust from Death. But this damned dog, for whatever reason, only got louder the longer he glared.
Even the most elite shapeshifter beasts of the Demon Realm rarely dared to lift their heads before him, yet here was this genuinely peculiar creature.
"Like master, like dog, I suppose."
At Amon's observation, Death nodded, seeming to partially agree.
"Perhaps it thinks itself my equal because its master doesn't fear me either."
"And on top of that, paternal instinct must be at work now that he's guarding his pups."
"Paternal instinct?"
Death's expression went cold, as if he'd never heard the word in his life.
"Every living creature is said to possess an instinct to protect its own offspring. It's likely that instinct taking hold, I would imagine."
"...What a laughable instinct."
Anger suddenly surged up inside him.
So of course Death couldn't help but bristle. He was saddled with every thankless chore in the manor, and treated worse than a dog on top of it. This was a serious grievance, more than enough to warrant a formal protest.
"Arf-arf! Arf-arf-arf!"
As Death's piercing stare lingered, Jasper barked even louder, as if telling him to get lost.
"I can't stand the sight of such a pathetic creature."
Under normal circumstances, the dog's head would have already left its shoulders. But Death had made a promise to Bayul, so he quietly clenched his fist and endured.
—Wow, they really pissed you off, huh?
Tempesta, who had been snickering at the sight for a while now, finally couldn't hold back and cut in.
—Why are you just standing there watching? Just release a little of your power and it'd be yelping in a second.
"And then you'd run straight to Bayul and tattle?"
—How did you know? Wow, you're actually really smart!
"No, you're just an idiot."
At Death's sneer, Tempesta's cute face twisted in a scowl. Ever since they'd returned from the ice mine, Tempesta had taken it upon himself to monitor the demons' every move, unprompted. Bayul hadn't even asked him to. Clearly, the Derrick affair had whetted his appetite for it.
"If you want to keep spying, then just quietly tail people. Stop flapping your mouth about nothing and wasting my time."
—You don't exactly look busy to me?
"......"
—Bar's excused since he's stuck in the kitchen learning to cook, but you don't do anything at all. Even the cleaning you do occasionally is Amon's job.
"...What you see isn't everything there is."
—Is there anything I can't see? There's nowhere I can't go, you know?
Tempesta was a wind spirit. If the boy merely cocked an ear, there was no sound within the castle walls that escaped him. Riding those sounds, he could drift like the wind straight to the scene itself — the ultimate auxiliary operative. And Tempesta took enormous pride in being exactly that.
"I wouldn't be so certain of that......"
—Oh, so you're flaunting your demon pride again?
Tempesta still remembered Death arrogantly declaring that spirits — himself included — didn't fear demons. That was precisely why he'd resolved to repay the favor(?) someday, and why he kept such a close watch.
"I have no idea who's supposedly flaunting this pride of mine."
"He's quite right, Commander."
He had learned long ago that engaging with Tempesta gained him nothing. He tolerated it because it was part of the price of remaining a houseboy — Tempesta was certainly not being indulged for his charm.
"Stop provoking me. Keep it up and I might just act on a whim."
—A whim? What's that supposed to be?
"Something like the urge to erase you from existence, right here and now."
—Wh-what did you say?
Startled, Tempesta darted a good distance away from Death.
"So unless you want me acting on a whim, I'd suggest you behave yourself. My patience isn't exactly remarkable."
—You said that to ME! Bayul's never going to let this slide!
"Can't you see I'm holding back for that very reason? I'd prefer not to, for now."
"Indeed, Commander. For now, you must endure. Bar has been studying so diligently of late that he's cut back on his sleep. If you could wait just a little longer."
"Honestly, how long am I expected to trust that fool......"
One of Death's greatest regrets in life was appointing Bar as his cook. It wasn't as though he hadn't tried replacing him — but for some reason, all the Demon Realm's chefs seemed to be cut from the same useless cloth. That Bar was the least terrible of the lot was the only reason the fool was still alive.
"Let's go. Watching this is just making my blood boil."
He'd been unable to catch so much as a glimpse of meat lately, and it had left him a touch irritable. Having his rank eclipsed by a mere beast stung his pride a little, but he'd decided to let it slide — they were only pups. Truthfully, he didn't have the courage to take the matter up with Rita directly. He knew exactly how much scolding that would earn him.
"Still, aren't they rather adorable, the way they wriggle and crawl about?"
"...You find THAT adorable?"
"Yes. I've never seen anything like it in my life. Such small, fluffy little things."
A soft smile bloomed at the corner of Amon's mouth. He had been watching for quite some time and still hadn't tired of it. He felt as though he could stare all day.
"...You're not planning to keep one someday, are you?"
"Me?"
"Yes. I have an ominous feeling about this......"
Never before had a creature of the human realm been brought into the Demon Realm. There had been the reverse, but never this. Could such a fragile creature survive the Demon Realm's environment at all?
"Bah, why am I even worrying about this."
It was pointless fretting. That was a decision for Amon to make when the time came.
"Hey, Tempesta. Where's Bayul right now?"
—Why do you ask?
"I have something to say to him. Do I really need to explain that to you?"
Death lowered his voice and subtly began gathering his energy.
"Arf-arf-arf! Arf-arf!"
When Ruby and the pups cowered at the pressure, Jasper started barking like a madman.
—I'm telling Bayul EVERYTHING you just did!
"Go right ahead."
—And Bayul's busy right now, by the way! I'm NOT telling you where he is!
Tempesta stuck out his tongue, blew a raspberry, and vanished in a flash. Death stared in that direction for a moment, then quietly added:
"I'll have to teach that brat a proper lesson when I get back."
"I won't stand in your way."
Amon didn't seem to be in particularly high spirits either, and lent his full support.
"Also, it appears Young Master Bayul is with Sir Ian. I sense his presence on this floor."
"Did you honestly think I asked without knowing that?"
"...That may be so, but what on earth are you getting at?"
"Flushing him out. If I scare him off for no reason, it'll only make things more troublesome for us later. So I gave the brat a little reason to act up — and sure enough, he took the bait, just as predicted."
And with that, Tempesta had bolted off at full speed. It was a clean, decisive strike against an annoying pest. Even thinking back on it now, it had been an excellent move.
"I had no idea such deep calculation lay behind it."
"Well, now you know. That's all that matters."
"Indeed. Shall we go see Young Master Bayul, then?"
At that very moment, while Death was so earnestly(?) seeking Bayul out, Bayul was in the middle of hearing Ian's report on Derrick. Other knights of the Full Moon Knight Order had been assigned to surveillance of the estate, and Ian had returned to his original post as Bayul's personal escort knight.
"Aunt Liliana mentioned that there are a lot of eyes watching us lately...... Is that true?"
"Lady Liam is not only His Grace the Duke's sister, but also a minister holding significant office in the faction. It comes with the territory, so there's no particular need for concern."
"She also said there's a marriage proposal being discussed with House Redwin. That's why she's been so anxious — she's afraid it'll fall through."
"Once this matter comes to light, it won't come to pass regardless. Judging by Count Redwin's character, he would never take Young Master Derrick as a son-in-law."
"My uncle must be terribly disappointed, then."
"...He will understand."
"I know that. I do. But it still doesn't sit right with me."
Making decisions in his father's stead — the weight of it was heavier than he'd imagined. Whether he could keep bearing it indefinitely, he honestly wasn't sure.
"You did the right thing, Young Master Bayul. Had you administered an unjust punishment, I would have stepped in to stop you myself. I understand it weighs on you all the more because he's kin, but lingering guilt serves no good purpose. It can cloud one's judgment."
Judgment......
Right. Ian was correct. If he couldn't maintain objectivity, sound judgment would surely become difficult. Anyone could see that Derrick had committed serious crimes.
Don't waver. I did the right thing, and I handed down a fitting punishment. Once a decision is made, one must also learn to let it go. When the time comes to bear the consequences, I'll bear them then. Now was the time to push forward.
"Thank you, Sir Ian. I feel as though my head has cleared a little."
"I'm glad I could be of help."
"What happens later is out of our hands, but for now, please instruct the knights of the Full Moon Knight Order to keep silent about all of this. That includes my aunt's visit to the estate."
"What should we say if asked?"
"Well, something along the lines of what Derrick said, I suppose. The atmosphere wasn't exactly pleasant."
"The moment she returned to the estate, she threw things about in a fit of tears and rage. It was easy to infer that the conversation had not gone to her satisfaction. I must say, I felt proud seeing how well you handled it, Young Master."
A faint smile crossed Ian's face — the man who so rarely smiled. That smile was the highest praise he was capable of giving.
"Have you seen what Derrick is doing?"
"He's shut himself in his room and refuses to come out. He raised his voice at his mother once or twice, but it didn't go on long."
"Then Lilith must know by now, too?"
She was said to be in the thick of her bridal lessons, and Bayul worried that she might be caught in the fallout.
"Lady Lilith is made of different stuff than Young Master Derrick. At most she'll feel sorry for you — she won't blame you, so rest assured."
"It's not being blamed that worries me. It's the fear that her own future might be blocked because of me......"
The words his aunt had spoken during her visit still clung stubbornly to Bayul's heart. If Derrick's disgrace were followed by the ruin of Lilith's marriage prospects, he truly would have no face to show his uncle. He prayed, with all his heart, that nothing of the sort would come to pass.