How long had it been since she'd woken up to such a refreshing morning?
“Good morning, Giselle. Did you sleep well?”
“Good morning, Your Grace. I slept a little lightly, but I'm fine.”
Giselle smiled faintly and dipped her head.
It was a code known only between the two of them.
I was asking whether Deyan and his subordinate had caused any trouble during the night, and Giselle's answer meant that there had been a few minor issues, but nothing serious enough to worry about.
“Really? Then shall we have tea together later?”
“Of course.”
That meant we would go check on the two prisoners together.
“The weather is lovely today, so I brought some brighter colors.”
“What do you think about these pearl earrings?”
“They all look wonderful. You two really do have excellent taste.”
“You flatter us.”
Laughing cheerfully, the maids helped me get ready while we exchanged lighthearted conversation.
After breakfast, I took a walk with Giselle.
By the time I finished handling a few matters related to managing the estate, the morning had slipped away.
“Ah, that's right!”
Just as I was about to settle down and enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea, I suddenly clapped my hands.
“I still had something to do, didn't I?”
I had completely forgotten about Deyan and the hostage.
Well, not forgotten exactly.
I'd been deliberately ignoring them.
“I wonder if they've eaten properly. I'm worried.”
I said it in a tone that conveyed absolutely no concern whatsoever, resting a hand against my cheek and letting out an exaggerated sigh.
“I wonder if they like sweets.”
Then I filled a large picnic basket with fruits, desserts, and light snacks prepared for tea time.
I didn't forget to bring a colorful picnic blanket and a lantern as well.
“Mmm-hmm~”
On the way to the prison, a cheerful tune naturally escaped my lips.
I hope he's the type with weak mental fortitude.
The sooner I could obtain the blood of an immortal and summon a demon, the better.
This time, it'll definitely work.
Humming happily, I descended the underground prison staircase one step at a time.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
“Cough...! Cough, y-you—!”
The pitiful sound of someone pounding against iron bars echoed from deeper within the prison.
Excellent sense of rhythm.
It matched perfectly with the tune I had been humming.
“Did you have a peaceful night?”
I asked with a bright smile.
Not that an answer was necessary.
Deyan Voislav Nemanic was curled up in a corner of the cell with his hands clamped over his ears.
The look on his face screamed exhaustion.
As for his subordinate, Holdin, he was hanging from the bars like a piece of wet laundry while coughing his lungs out.
“Why...! Why did you only come now? Cough!”
“Because I felt like it?”
I replied with a smile.
Holdin opened and closed his mouth soundlessly, completely speechless.
Meanwhile, Giselle spread the blanket near the bars and began setting out the food.
I picked up the sweetest dessert and slid it through the bars.
“Please, have some. I wasn't sure whether you liked sweets, so I prepared a variety.”
“Don't eat it, cough! Who knows if she's poisoned the food?”
“Sir Holdin looks like he needs something cold. Here.”
Splash.
I poured chilled fruit juice filled with ice into a cup, the refreshing sound ringing through the prison.
Setting the cup before Holdin, who was staring at it longingly, I poured another glass for myself and drank it right in front of him.
Only then did Holdin snatch up the cup and gulp it down.
“Did it never occur to you that I might have poisoned the cup?”
“Pffft—! Cough! Hack!”
“Oh dear. I was only joking.”
The moment I said it casually, Holdin glared at me with wide eyes.
I didn't bother looking away.
“I heard you've been desperately asking for me all night.”
What sort of bizarre scheme had that head of his come up with?
The thought alone was amusing.
After staring at me uncertainly, Holdin suddenly held out his empty cup.
“Yes. I didn't expect you to ignore all that commotion so thoroughly. May I have another?”
“Of course. I even brought some cold-brewed tea.”
“Thank you.”
While Holdin bowed slightly and refreshed his throat, Deyan finally approached the bars.
Naturally, not because of the food.
“Have you changed your mind?”
“No. Not at all.”
“The demon will demand a price far more terrible than you can imagine.”
“I see.”
I answered dryly, took a sip of tea, and pushed a plate toward him.
“Eat. This is our head chef's specialty.”
“I'm not saying this lightly.”
“Enough of that. Say what you actually came to say.”
“...”
“You spent the entire night causing a disturbance and demanding to see me. I'm assuming you have another proposal. Let's hear it.”
The moment I pressed him, Deyan snapped his mouth shut.
Then he glanced sideways at Holdin.
I followed his gaze and met Holdin's eyes.
“The one who summoned the demon that cursed His Grace was my father.”
Holdin began speaking without preamble.
“I'll keep it brief. In exchange for summoning the demon, we offered a human heart. The heart belonged to the former Margrave Nemanic—His Grace's uncle.”
A heart?
The two-syllable word lodged itself firmly in my mind.
“Ah, don't misunderstand. Everything was done according to the former margrave's own wishes.”
Holdin added that Deyan had been the only one excluded from the decision-making process.
What kind of demon required a price like that?
The difference between a human heart and thirteen drops of blood was enormous.
For now, I silently listened.
“In the Nemanic family, one male heir has traditionally been sacrificed in every generation to create an immortal.”
“A demon that grants immortality in exchange for a heart?”
“Yes. More precisely, it bestowed regenerative abilities so extraordinary they were nearly equivalent to immortality. The cost, however, was an overwhelming urge to slaughter and agonizing burning pain.”
Nearly immortal.
Which meant it couldn't overcome the flow of time.
You would still die of old age.
So not true immortality.
“Immediately after receiving that power, His Grace killed everyone present, including my father.”
“...”
“And even afterward, whenever he was injured, he would lose the ability to distinguish friend from foe and slaughter everyone around him. The stronger the injury, the stronger the murderous impulse. Once the impulse subsides, unbearable burning pain follows.”
I glanced at Deyan.
Like a criminal awaiting judgment, he sat silently with his head lowered, absentmindedly touching his fingertips.
The places where all his nails had been torn away.
Because he never wanted the power, he considers it a curse?
That seemed like an overly simplistic way to look at it.
After all, that power had allowed him to survive and secure his authority all this time.
As harsh as it sounded, I wouldn't mind having that kind of power myself.
“Why tell me all this so readily?”
“Because I'd like to propose a deal.”
“A deal? With me?”
Did he truly understand the position they were in?
My smile vanished.
Yet Holdin's expression didn't change.
“Please allow us to meet the demon you intend to summon.”
Instead, he calmly stated his demand.
You've already summoned a demon before, yet you want to meet another one?
The son of a man who summoned a demon.
And a demon that killed that man's father.
Under normal circumstances, they should have been sworn enemies.
Then why were they working together?
And why seek another demon?
“What is your objective?”
“I consider it my duty to lift His Grace's curse.”
“Because of what your father did?”
“Yes.”
“But Deyan killed your father.”
“That was not His Grace's own will. And to be honest…”
Holdin hesitated.
Then his face twisted sharply.
It wasn't the expression of someone remembering a respected father.
“I think he died because he deserved to.”
What kind of life had this man lived?
Still, I had more pressing concerns than listening to family tragedies.
“You may think me unfilial if you wish. But not every father in this world is as good as Grand Duke Hubert.”
“...That's true enough.”
Smiling sweetly, I handed him a plate of desserts as well.
“Ah, thank you.”
Unlike Deyan, Holdin accepted it without hesitation and immediately began devouring it.
Apparently he had been quite hungry.
Didn't I tell someone to feed them?
Come to think of it, I had only ordered them to be watched.
Well, they're eating now. That's what matters.
I dismissed the issue and continued listening to Holdin's proposal.
“I will help Your Grace summon a demon.”