075
Tap.
The dazzling radiance faded, and two feet gently touched the ground.
He may still be a *greenhorn, barely out of childhood, but he’s the very one who has impressively led the House of Raximon through the crisis following the duke couple’s disappearance—a house many thought would crumble.
No one could deny his extraordinary genius, which was as notorious as his lack of manners.
And that magical prowess unique to Lacifer Raximon was just as undeniable.
“It’s been a while since we last met.”
The platinum hair—characteristic of the Raximons and said to be laced with magical energy in every strand—waved gently.
Following the slanted, catlike eyes, one would meet his amethyst pupils, sparkling so brilliantly they could be mistaken for gemstones.
Yet within them danced something unsettling, something twisted, making it impossible to feel at ease.
“I’m Lacifer Raximon. May I ask what business you have with me?”
“There’s a problem with my daughter.”
Regardless of his age or how one felt about him, he was acting as the head of a noble house.
Diegon, therefore, chose to speak with respectful informality—appropriate for someone of such status.
“We can’t tell if it’s a curse or some kind of magic. It just happened out of nowhere.”
And no matter the circumstances, Lacifer was the only one who could solve this problem.
Because Lacifer wasn’t just any magician.
For generations, the heads and heirs of House Raximon have possessed a unique ability known as the ‘Eye That Pierces Truth.’
Before such a gaze, no lie could prevail—or so the legends said.
In light of what had happened, Diegon had no choice but to rely on that ability.
Just as he was steeling his nerves—
“Pfft. Oh, how adorable.”
Lacifer, who had been gazing calmly into the tank, suddenly burst into laughter.
“She turned into a dolphin. Absolutely precious, honestly.”
Startled by the sudden attention, Shupetty—now in dolphin form—blew a cheerful spray of bubbles, as if greeting them.
Lacifer Raximon, staring at the dolphin, beamed so brightly that it was almost infuriating.
After a long moment of awkward eye contact with dolphin-Shupetty, which nearly caused Diegon’s composure to snap, Lacifer finally turned away.
The most absurd part? The moment his back faced the tank, the smile disappeared completely.
“To put it simply, this is divine punishment.”
“Divine punishment?”
“In other words, you could say she lost a bet… Anyway, it’s a penalty. She’ll revert to normal in a few days.”
A bet? With a god?
Or perhaps… with a spirit king?
The strange explanation didn’t quite make sense, causing Diegon to frown. Before he could say anything, Galizard, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
“Are you saying my granddaughter lost a bet with someone?”
“Yes, it seems so. Spirit Kings are beings nearly on par with gods. Even if they act gently or seem friendly, they are not human.”
“…….”
“And so, if you break a promise with them—or lose a bet—you face divine punishment. That’s just the way it is. Honestly, it’s surprising it ended this mildly.”
Knowing why this had happened didn’t clear up Diegon’s frustration—in fact, it only made things more complicated.
He had always known Shupetty was a special child.
But he hadn’t realized just how special she truly was.
‘Then… was that time with the Aurora Box also part of a bet?’
It was a field he knew little about, so his thoughts wandered in every direction.
But what mattered most to him was how he could support his daughter—as her father.
‘Aurora should have been here.’
If Aurora, who had a strong affinity with spirits, were around, she would surely have understood what all this meant.
And she would’ve helped him figure out how to handle it, how to raise their daughter.
She could have been a source of comfort for their child—more than someone like him, who only knew the way of the sword.
Aurora would have been the pillar of strength their daughter needed.
“Oh, and by the way—don’t bother asking anything about the bet with that god-like being. To ‘ordinary people,’ there are things that can’t be explained. You’d just end up in trouble.”
That statement was clearly meant to isolate Lacifer and Shupetty from everyone else—to create a world where only the two of them existed.
It was deeply displeasing.
“You said she’ll return to normal in a few days. Can you tell exactly how long?”
In response to Galizard’s question, Lacifer nodded.
“Yes, well… it’ll be three days at most.”
“I see.”
“While we’re at it, why not let her explore the ocean a little instead of just keeping her confined in a tank? I think she’d enjoy it.”
Understanding the suggestion, dolphin-Shupetty spun around in agreement.
“I don’t believe that’s a bad idea.”
At that moment, Lieutenant Commander Rachel—who had been silent—spoke softly.
“The young miss is suffering right now. Even if she doesn’t look like it.”
“My daughter is… suffering?”
“Yes. Being confined in a small tank for too long is not good for her mental health. Dolphins are meant to roam the ocean, after all.”
Of course, that made perfect sense.
Like his father once said—what kind of lunatic would put a dolphin in a tank?
And yet, that was exactly what he had done.
What if he sent her out to sea and lost her?
What if she was swept away into the deep, deep ocean, never to return?
Of course, a dolphin whose home is the sea wouldn’t just drift away. And Lacifer would stay by her side until the curse was lifted.
But still…
Even if he had to abandon everything else, he would need to take Shupetty back to land the moment she returned to human form.
It might’ve been excessive worry, but…
“Hm. Then perhaps… this is a good time to properly meet the Ancestor Whale.”
“Father…”
“It’s not dangerous. You know that, don’t you? There’s no safer place in all of Pashayen’s seas than by the Ancestor Whale’s side.”
Shadows could not penetrate the ocean.
The sea was a realm of pure, absolute water—where Pashayen’s power was at its peak.
And where the guardian of that realm, the Ancestor Whale, resided…
Shupetty would be happy for the remainder of her punishment period.
“It would be best for the whole family to be with her. Bring the children along.”
“But…”
That would leave a significant hole in the family’s strength.
While Diegon worried about that, Galizard turned to Lacifer and extended a hand.
“You’ve come a long way. Why not stay a few days and chat with us?”
What he really meant was: While the family’s strongest are with Shupetty, you should hold down the fort.
“If I can take a look at Shupetty’s room, I suppose I can manage that.”
Lacifer responded with a bright smile.
“Back when I was trapped in that cursed shadow sack, I was terrified. Shupetty helped me a lot. I even dipped into my savings to express my gratitude—though I’m sure you already knew that.”
If nonsense is told sincerely, it can almost sound plausible—but this was just plain nonsense.
Why had he even crawled into that wretched trap to begin with?
And now he wanted to ‘see her room’?
“Trying to enter her bedroom without her permission… that I cannot tolerate.”
His firm refusal left Lacifer letting out a disappointed sigh.
“As expected, it’s a no. Well, I have no interest beyond that.”
That sigh, full of exaggerated regret as if he couldn’t understand why—it was infuriating.
How could someone be so devoid of charm just by existing?
“What on earth is your obsession with my daughter?”
Diegon couldn’t hold the question back any longer.
If Lacifer were her bonded partner, it would make sense…
But he wasn’t.
“……..”
Then their eyes met—Lacifer slowly raising his head.
In that brief exchange, with no words spoken, Diegon realized everything.
Why Lacifer treated others with cold disregard.
Why he acted like a completely different person around Shupetty.
‘He already knows.’
That Shupetty is his destined mate.
They simply weren’t bound yet by the official bond.
And that—was terrifying.
That fanatical devotion, as if nothing else in the world had any meaning without her.
That unshakable fortress no one could breach.
That belief that only the two of them needed to exist in the world.
That was no longer affection.
It was already… obsession.
🍓; *It implies that the person is very young and inexperienced
