Episode 38

Even though she was the one who took away the dessert, she begrudgingly stared at me who was on the verge of tears.

“It’s not much, but it would be served every day at dinner.”

‘What dessert after dinner means! You know how poor Dahlia is!”

The children of the wealthy Liatris Palace truly were so indifferent to other people’s situation.

They could eat these desserts for breakfast and lunch anytime.

I bit my mouth to suppress the tears that were threatening to burst.

I shouldn’t get on Dietrich’s nerves anymore. Because he hated children who cried.

“Your brother is a high ranking candidate, so he should have some money now.”

“What?”

My jaw dropped at Veronica’s shocking words. He had money? Was it my misunderstanding that I thought Dahlia was very poor until now?

As I glared at the betrayal, Dietrich hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Stop saying bullshit. Don’t you know that Derek Lagrange keeps me in check?”

“But it’s not like you don’t have the money to buy these kinds of dessert.”

Even at Veronica’s words, Dietrich only stood silently with a stoic face. The gears in my head started rolling as I planned to search his pocket.

“If you don’t like it, should I take care of your younger sister, too?”

“Yea!”

“No.”

Dietrich and I simultaneously answered Veronica’s question. Not expecting his refusal, Veronica’s eyes widened in surprise and asked.

“Why?”

Yes, why?

I glared  with resentment at Dietrich who refused Veronica’s sweet offer right away. Of course, as he did not have eyes on his jaw, he wasn’t aware of it.

“Her teeth will rot.”

At Dietrich’s words, I felt my molars tingle and quickly pressed my hands over my cheeks.

As if she was dumbfounded, Veronica snorted and without hesitation, she stood up from her seat and left. Silence descended upon the garden of withered roses.

“. . . . .”

I looked up at Dietrich, whom I felt like I hadn't seen for a long time. Children do grow up in a blink of an eye as Dietrich seemed to have grown taller than the last time I saw him.

‘I’ve grown a lot as well.’

I wanted to show off how hard I’ve been practicing the sword these days, so I opened my calloused hands for him to see.

“Detrie, shee this?”

But Dietrich didn’t even spare my hand a glance. I bit my lips at the strange sense of déjà vu at the sight.

Of course, this experience was not something new to me. Even though I tried my best to get compliments, I was still treated like a person who didn’t exist.

I blinked my eyes for a moment, wondering if I had gone back to my previous life. But it was certainly Dietrich who was standing still in front of me.

‘No, Dietrich wouldn’t react this way.’

When I boasted that I would protect him by learning swordsmanship, he would nod as a laugh would escape his lips.

He was blunt, but he cared for me.

However, Dietrich acted as if he didn’t come for me when he came to the garden of withered roses.

As though the only purpose he came was to expel Veronica and as soon as she was gone, he left the garden without greeting me and disappeared.

I stared at his figure in the distance, as he became nothing more than a dot in a blink of an eye.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

I wanted to ask him if he was avoiding me, but I couldn’t catch up to him as he abruptly flew away riding on Zagan.

Feeling glum, I walked back to the corner of the fountain and sat down.

“Baal.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Baal revealed himself out of thin air as if it was only Zagan who followed Dietrich.

Watching the demons softly moving around, I suddenly wondered what would happen if I went into a place with high temperature.

‘They wouldn’t melt, right?’

Imagine Baal sticking to the floor like a leftover ice cream and he suddenly stuck out his face.

“You should say something if you have called.”

“Baal, is Detrie mad at me?”

Baal tilted his head at my words. The demon hesitated before opening his mouth.

“I do not know that. Did the Princess do something to make His Majesty angry?”

I pondered over Baal’s question for a moment. In the past, I used to be careful of my every action so as not to offend him but these days, I haven’t been doing that.

‘But I thought everything was all right. . . .”

I thought we’ve become comfortable with each other to some extent. Perhaps, I have been too arrogant. Feeling sad, I returned to the palace.

***

Dietrich, who avoided Anissa, did not return to Dahlia.

Every day, he could feel someone chasing after him.

There were days when it was difficult for him to endure.

Even though he thought he had become so cold that he wouldn’t feel any more hardships.

Dietrich rubbed his face with a sigh.

‘How many are there left?’

Derek wasn’t the only one who was after Dietrich. He gasped for breath as he hid himself in a tree.

Liatris and Catherine Fermat, who wanted to set up their own children as successors, would often hire assassins or send their family knights.

“Please call on me.”

Although Baal implored politely, Dietrich ignored him.

“It’s fine.”

He signed a contract with the demon to survive, but the more he relied on Baal’s power, the more his soul would be eaten away.

Many of the Grand Duke in Lagrange perished in a way that their souls were taken by demons.

He made sure that won’t happen to him.

Dietrich held his breath, looked at the surroundings below for a chance, and fell onto the assassin.

Even the demon could not help but stare at his movements that were sharper than a trained professional.

“Guah!”

Although he dealt with the assassin quickly, his ankle throbbed as he landed on the wrong foot when he fell.

‘It’s not obvious.’

He had to dine with Derek when the day broke. At the place where dangerous coyotes gather, the moment he shows even a slight weakness, he would get eaten.

It seemed like he fractured a bone but Dietrich straightened his posture just as the sun was rising.

He mustn’t show any weaknesses.

‘The law of the jungle.’

In Lagrange, this was the sole truth and rule for domination.

Dietrich, spending the night outside to prevent the assassins from reaching Anissa, turned his body towards Nature.

‘Wherever you go, I’ll find you.’

“Baal, go to Anissa.”

“Are you alright?”

On the side of the demon who worried about his master, he clicked his tongue.

“Yes.”

Dietrich appeared fine on the outside. His clean, white face and neat brows bore the elegance of a great noble master.

“. . . . Well. You do look alright. You are more of a demon than me sometimes.”

Convinced with Dietrich’s answer, Baal nodded and went to hide in the shadows.

“You’re here?”

Funnily enough, the man Dietrich met was the father who sent four assassins to kill his son last night.

Derek let out a dark smile and embraced him. (Euk) The wound cut by the edge of a knife burst and bled but the black clothes did not make it obvious. That was also because he never groaned.

“Something smells fishy.”

“Perhaps the main dish for today is fish.”

Dietrich smiled, twisting the corners of his mouth upward; he replied to his father then sat down. His seat was right next to Derek, as he sat closest to the Grand Duke in the order of the highest rank for succession.

‘I think I’m going to have indigestion.’

It was a splendid dinner, a lot fancier than what was served in Dahlia, but he had no appetite.

He didn’t know why he suddenly thought of the milk Anissa used to bring all the time, but Dietrich suddenly remembered the savory milk she used to hold with her small hands.

“Right, is your sister doing well?”

Derek, who was gracefully cutting the meat, suddenly mentioned Anissa. Trying to maintain an indifferent face, Dietrich replied.

“Yes.”

“I see. It’s good to see that you have a close relationship.”

Derek’s fingers stroked the wine glass. Watching the red liquid that looks like blood gradually disappearing, Dietrich clenched his teeth.

“It’s a weakness to consider something precious. Do you know that?”

Dietrich knew that Derek was gathering information on the last gate, but he couldn’t answer easily.

“Be careful. That girl looks as fragile as a summer leaf.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“I’m glad you look healthy. Well, what I mean to say is, be strong enough not to die.”

Dietrich snorted low at Derek’s words. Fortunately, no one noticed his injury.

No wonder the demon didn’t even notice.

After a meal that felt like an eternity had passed, he hastily returned to Dahlia.

The child who was reading a book in the arms of the maid ran in delight.

Even though he gave her a dark look yesterday, it was as if she had forgotten all about it.

“Detrie!”

“Why.”

The child came to him with a heavy sound of running and opened her two arms as if to embrace him. Then, she halted right in front of him.

“Are you hurth?”

“. . . . what?”

He was taken aback by the child’s question. His sprained ankle shouldn’t be visible as it was covered by the pants, and he wiped off the remaining blood earlier.

None of the attendees in Nature, Derek, Liatris, and the other successor candidates, noticed that he was in a bad shape.

“Does it hurth?”

The child caressed Dietrich’s face with an expression that looked like she would cry at any moment.

How come his body, which didn’t hurt earlier, only felt pain then?

Why are you the only one who understands my pain?

You wouldn’t be able to imagine my plans as I keep you by my side.

[T/N: The angst T_T]