Melrn Count (2)
Melrn Count. The current head of the Melrn family, Count Devro Melrn, could be summed up in one word: a hero fanatic. From a young age, he'd adored everything about heroes. He'd grown up idolizing tales of the original hero, Arthur Edenberts.
Any man in this kingdom probably admired heroes. The heroes in those stories were dashing figures who overcame any hardship, never yielded, always triumphed, and led everyone with overwhelming charisma. It was only natural that a man who loved such tales would take an interest in the Edenberts family—the hero's bloodline. The Edenberts, house of heroes. How could he not be drawn to its lord, Edgar Edenberts? And to his only child... Emilia Edenberts as well.
"—That's how it is."
Devro Melrn—Melrn Count—explained it all to Emilia Edenberts, who stood naked with Mona's leash gripped around her neck. He spread his arms wide, pouring every ounce of emotion into his words. Like a father sharing cherished memories with his child, his face brimmed with nostalgia and longing.
But...
"What... are you talking about?"
Emilia, the one hearing his tale, simply couldn't comprehend. She shook her head in bewilderment.
Being a fan—that much she could grasp, somehow. Emilia herself loved hero stories. She revered the progenitor Arthur Edenberts and her father, Edgar Edenberts, who had fulfilled his heroic duty so admirably.
But... but. How did that admiration, that fandom, lead to this? How did it twist into slaughtering her father in such a gruesome way? How did it drive him to defile her gentle, kind mother—the hero's wife—right in front of him? How...?
"Because your mother stole your father from me."
"...Huh?"
"That damned whore, that filthy sow... she stole Hero Edgar Edenberts from me."
...?
What was this man saying? What the hell was he...?
"I always wanted to be his friend. Edgar Edenberts's friend. To make that happen, I stirred up trouble in his territory, then swooped in to help at just the right moment—solidifying my place as his close companion."
"He liked me a lot. I became Edgar's one true friend."
"But you know..."
"Every single time, every single goddamn time."
"Whenever I met him, I had to watch him beam about his wife."
"He was a man who loved his wife dearly."
"And his daughter... Emilia Edenberts, standing right here before me... she was undoubtedly another treasure he cherished deeply."
And so, perhaps bewitched by some demon, the man who had long held the position of Edgar's closest friend was consumed by a bizarre jealousy. The realization that he couldn't monopolize Edgar Edenberts. That his dear friend—his best friend—was claimed by that vulgar sow.
What thoughts must have churned in Melrn Count's mind as he witnessed their happiness? From when had he begun nurturing that dark flame in his heart?
"So—I made a contract."
"No one knows this now, but the Melrn family has sealed away a certain demon species for generations."
"That's this woman right here... Mona."
At Melrn Count's call, Mona waved with a beaming smile. Her true name couldn't be spoken. To demons, a name was something profoundly sacred, bound to their very soul. Only the contractor, Melrn Count, knew it—and he would never reveal it to another.
The rest of the story was straightforward. Simple, even. Using Mona's powers, which transcended human perception, and leveraging his full authority as a count, he achieved his goal just a few years ago. He executed the sullied Edgar Edenberts, who had been monopolized by that woman—Emilia's mother. As for the temptress who lured him away, he broke her through relentless training until she fell into utter depravity, then sold her off to some merchant across the sea.
After that, he systematically dismantled House Edenberts, maneuvering from the shadows to claim part of their territory and their most valuable possessions. All to possess as many traces of the hero as possible. To make everything of the hero he idolized his own.
...Everything went perfectly. Smoothly.
But regrettably, one piece was missing. The last remaining hero—Emilia. His plan fell short because he'd overlooked that little girl. After endless, obsessive searching, he'd finally found her. The final piece for his sordid scheme now stood before him.
That's why he was happy. Ecstatic, even. An untainted female. The hero's unstained descendant, right here. No one to steal her away. From now on, she would be his possession, his to conquer and dominate.
It was truly, truly... something to look forward to.
"Disgusting."
Emilia, having heard it all, spoke from the heart.
"Disgusting... Melrn Count... You...!"
Adventuring had exposed her to humanity's uglier sides, or so she'd thought. But facing this man now, she realized how naive she'd been.
This level of malice. This depth of ugliness. This madness—she'd never encountered anything like it.
He was insane. Melrn Count was utterly, irredeemably mad—beyond any judgment she could muster.
Anger and contempt still burned in her chest. Yet she couldn't direct it at him, couldn't even decide if she should. It was all too... confusing.
"Melrn Count... What... what does it take for someone to end up like this...?"
"I... I can't understand it... I love hero stories too... Surely I admire the same heroes...!"
"What... what has to happen to turn into you? I... I don't get it... Not at all...!"
"I just... can't comprehend you...!"
Emilia shook her head vigorously. Her aimless rage twisted, morphing into something like pity as she confronted the incomprehensible. Sympathy for his broken mind mingled with faint revulsion, sprouting and growing in her heart.
"You're—insane, Melrn Count."
She said it not in anger or scorn, but with pity, sorrow, regret. Nothing else would come.
Melrn Count listened to her condemnation—her pity—with narrowed eyes.
"I know, Emilia."
He removed his glasses, setting them aside, and acknowledged it with eerie calm.
At Melrn Count's command, Mona departed. She'd whined about wanting to play with Emilia too, but after securing a promise of endless fun later, she left with a reluctant pout.
Now alone in the room, Melrn Count positioned Emilia in the center and began appraising her calmly—but with a different gaze than before. From head to toe. Every inch, scrutinized.
Not the verifying stare from moments ago, checking if she was the one he sought. This was the eye of a man assessing her value as a woman.
"Beautiful... so beautiful, Emilia Edenberts... Just as I imagined...!"
Her golden hair shimmered like silk threads cascading down. Despite her adventuring life, her skin was flawless, pure white porcelain. Her limbs stretched gracefully like molten gold, crowned by plump, enticing swells at her chest. Her waist cinched elegantly, flaring into womanly hips with seductive curves. Her thighs carried just the right amount of soft flesh—perfect for the touch.
She bore the ripe shadow of a mature woman, ready to welcome a man, yet retained a fresh, innocent greenness, like untouched fruit. Incredibly alluring. Utterly lovable.
"You're a virgin, aren't you?"
Melrn Count panted heavily, lowering his gaze to her crotch as he murmured. His twitching fingers and flaring nostrils screamed their urge to defile that pretty, sealed treasure right then and there, ruining it utterly.
From a noble's perspective, the question was outrageously rude, humiliating. Emilia's face flushed crimson, but some strange compulsion—unable to refuse him—pushed her to answer haltingly.
"Y-Yes...!"
"I'm... a virgin... I've never known a man...!"
So humiliating. Yet still, Emilia answered honestly.