Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: It Seems You've Finally Found a Way to Claim Lord Tail
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“Hmm.”
Enis let out a short hum before opening her mouth.
“Does the amount not please you?”
She tilted her head slightly and continued.
“Then, three thousand crowns.”
Enis's lips curved up seductively.
“I'll give you three thousand crowns per hour.”
Yujin's mouth fell open slightly.
Three thousand crowns per hour.
Even today, they'd spent eight hours together.
If he gave up eight hours every weekend, that would make around four thousand crowns.
This was on par with the monthly salary of a formally appointed high-ranking knight.
Both Yujin and Enis were certain Tail wouldn't refuse such an offer.
Yet Tail smiled faintly and replied.
“Sorry, but I'll have to think about it.”
Enis's face crumpled at his words.
“Then—”
Before she could finish, Tail cut in.
“Enis. If you raise it higher, I'll take even longer to decide.”
Caught off guard, Enis couldn't push the race any further.
Tail's thinking went like this.
Money has weight.
In other words...
The person handing over the money might harbor some kind of expectation toward you.
That expectation could also be called a certain purpose.
Take Enis, for instance—she was offering such an absurdly large sum for his weekends, clearly driven by some purpose or expectation.
The uncertainty and burden from that 'certain' something was the weight of money.
Suppose he picked up a single coin on the street.
A small coin might even equal a stroke of luck.
So he'd take it without a second thought.
After all, he'd already paid for it with his own luck.
However.
What if enormous bundles of cash kept dropping along his path?
If it overflowed his minor luck as compensation?
If it felt too grand for mere fortune?
Then it was right to hesitate before picking it up.
It might be bait laid by someone with a hidden purpose.
And the moment he picked it up, he'd shoulder the full weight of that purpose.
So, any money that felt too good to be true should be ignored entirely—walk away without a glance.
With that in mind, Tail asked Enis.
“If it's weekends, how far ahead are you talking?”
Leaning back against the carriage seat, she replied.
“Hmm. Who knows? Let's say for this semester, for now.”
“My weekends surrendered to you this semester, and the money I'd get for it. Both are pretty important, so I'll need time to think.”
Her eyebrow arched slightly at his words.
“And how long?”
“I won't make you wait forever. Give me three days.”
“Hmm. Three days.”
Enis blinked slowly.
“I'll give you my answer by Wednesday morning. That way, you can plan the weekend, right?”
“Fine. That seems best.”
Enis agreed readily.
Meanwhile, Yujin had been silently watching Tail as he listened to their exchange.
He wanted to tell him to refuse, but without justification or reason, he held his tongue.
Seeing Yujin's expression, Enis let out a soft chuckle.
“Hiding your feelings leaves you speechless, doesn't it?”
“...”
Yujin had nothing to say.
Tail playfully nudged him.
“What? Did you find someone you like since starting school? If so, tell me quick—I might help.”
Yujin laughed at the joking remark.
“What are you talking about? Nothing like that.”
“Come on, who is it? I could be useful.”
“Shut up.”
Yujin and Tail bickered.
But amid it all, Tail noticed Yujin's eyes weren't smiling at all.
'As usual.'
He was definitely hiding something.
'But no need to pry into a secret he doesn't want revealed.'
Tail figured Yujin would tell him someday and pushed the thought aside.
In the pitch-black darkness, Enis returned to her room.
Then, the shadow illuminated by moonlight stirred.
Shhh—
A figure emerged from the shadow.
The beautiful woman immediately bowed toward Enis.
“Did everything go well?”
She was Enis's third subordinate, known in the human world as the head of the Frill family—Rakne.
Rakne didn't possess strength equal to Leon or Zephyr.
But she excelled in brainwashing and illusion magic, often slipping into the human world for amusement.
Enis flopped onto the black sofa, her lips curling into a grin.
Rakne, seeing her good mood, asked.
“What good fortune?”
Enis toyed with her nails and said.
“Yeah. Things are starting to come together.”
An image of one person filled her mind, drawing a lovely arc on her red lips.
“Worth the hassle of enrolling here, at this academy.”
Her black eyes sparkled with delight.
Rakne realized Enis's recent scheme was progressing.
As Enis reached out, the quick-witted Rakne swiftly offered a glass of wine with deference.
Taking the glass, Enis murmured.
“Leon would nag about me drinking again, but whatever. On a day like this, one glass is in order.”
The blood-red wine sloshed gently.
“It seems you've finally found a way to claim Lord Tail.”
Enis took a sip as Rakne spoke.
A sweet aroma filled her mouth.
Savoring the sugary taste, she continued.
“Well, if I wanted, I could have him anytime.”
Her eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Her sly smile made her look like a wicked fox spirit.
A seductive, dangerous aura that lured people in.
“But that's not my only goal, is it?”
She laughed arrogantly.
To Enis, Tail was an endlessly intriguing and entertaining plaything.
That's why she found those two girls—who'd suddenly descended on this rural backwater under the pretext of war—so infuriating.
Daring to scratch and mark what was hers.
But they were too insignificant and young for proper punishment.
Just as she was letting it slide, the chance to deliver Tail's letter arrived.
Her 'punishment' amounted to not passing on their sorrow when refusing the letter.
Tail meant that much to her—enough to make her petty over such trifles.
Rare to find someone this fun in three thousand years of living.
Though now, even if she'd delivered it, the situation wouldn't have changed much—no guilt lingered.
Regardless.
Enis was thoroughly enjoying the current state of affairs.
Every day was pure delight.
Without lifting a finger, Cecilia and Chloe came to Tail in turn, plunging daggers into his heart.
Deep ones, at that.
Enis had watched him through every moment.
The instant she witnessed it all, instinct urged her to upend the board.
Wasn't it hilarious?
After all that clinging, tears, and hysterics, their final choice was this.
A true Demon Lord claimed what she wanted.
And knew how to protect her possessions.
Never letting them slip away.
So she resolved.
To ensure the three could never return to how things were.
To leave Tail by her side alone, dependent on her alone.
Her lips curved wickedly.
Just imagining it thrilled her.
'Yes. Not long now.'
Today, she'd gotten the idea for how to make it happen.
Crossing her legs arrogantly, Enis muttered.
“Tail had better accept those terms.”
Or it'd get quite the headache.
Not for her, of course—for him.
In the darkness, her black eyes glittered.
That dawn.
In an ornate room, a girl tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
The purple-haired girl's eyes were shadowed with exhaustion.
“Damn it.”
The girl—Cecilia—spat the curse with a pale face.
'I'm going crazy. For real.'
She ruffled her hair.
Ever since seeing Tail on the rooftop.
He kept appearing in her dreams.
Tail glaring at her with eyes full of contempt and rage.
His gaze wounded her, yet she craved seeing him so much she didn't want to wake.
Her once happy, joyful dreams had become tormenting addictions she couldn't quit.
'Damn it.'
She'd been cycling through sleep and wakefulness like a madwoman.
Wake from the pain of his eyes in the dream.
Then ache to see him so much she'd try sleeping again.
She'd lost track of how many nights in a row.
'Where the hell did it all go wrong?'