“Back then, I only remember looking at you, Master…”
Thinking back, Redian’s gaze had never strayed from me, not even for a moment.
“I wasn’t interested in lanterns or festivals.”
Bright flower petals, glowing lanterns, and bustling crowds. Even though everything must have been a new world for Redian that day.
He really has grown a lot since then. Saying this might make me sound old-fashioned, but the memory brought a smile to my face.
It wasn’t that Redian’s physique or appearance had changed, but his aura had. In the beginning, he was like a sensitive little kitten, flinching at the slightest touch of my hand.
“Such cheesy words only hold truth if you say them the same way even after ten years, Rere.”
“I’ve chased you for thousands of years, so what’s ten years… Anytime.”
He was even skilled at responding to my teasing now.
“In return, give me a present every year, Master.”
“A present? What do you mean, a present all of a sudden?”
I tilted my head at his unexpected words. If he wanted something, he could have it anytime.
“Of course, they are things you can easily give me, Master.”
Ah, it seemed he meant something like a wish coupon issued once a year. I wasn’t sure if we could really spend such a long time together every year for ten years though…
“Alright, fine.”
I agreed readily, hoping that I could truly give him a present every year.
“Yes…” Redian’s eyes curved softly in satisfaction at my answer. “I’ll look forward to it.”
While I was thinking that his smile was strangely beautiful, the carriage landed on the ground. As I stepped out of the carriage, everything was dark. The ground beneath my feet and the grand mansion spread out before me felt incredibly foreign.
“So, how do we do this?”
Glancing around, I turned back to Redian. There was an eerie vibe, but I wasn’t particularly nervous or scared. I was more curious about how he would make me invisible. How free would this world become if my body turned invisible!
“Just…”
I expected him to produce some mystical gemstone, but he didn’t. Redian simply bent down to meet my gaze.
“Like this.”
“What the…”
“You wouldn’t like it if people were watching.” Redian cupped my cheeks and kissed me lightly. “I’ve been holding back since the carriage.”
As our lips parted, entwined deeply for a moment, I realized. Our shadows had vanished from the world.
* * *
“Ananke, why don’t we have abilities like this?” I asked Ananke as I swiftly bypassed the grand duchy’s heavy security. My whole body felt light as if I had wings, and I passed through the guards and security systems instantly.
Why am I, a goddess, only experiencing this now!
-Even if you can, you shouldn’t. Such disguise magic goes against the principles you, the Almighty Goddess, set in this world.
Ananke responded.
-So, maintaining this form for a long time would be against your divine nature. That’s why Redian is accompanying you.
I looked at Redian and his subordinates ahead of me. We could have just come together. It seemed he had sent his subordinates through another route.
The black fog was slowly seeping into the mansion. As they brushed past the garden…
-Think about it.
The leaves instantly withered, and the flowers dried up and drooped.
-Redian often loses consciousness in dangerous situations because he protects you with his own strength.
Now that I thought about it, Redian often fainted beside me during events like the hunting festival. Even though my soul had been split into thousands and my body was lacking even basic stamina, it wasn’t like Redian was weaker than me, so why did I always have to heal him…
-In short, the Almighty Goddess’s human body was always on the verge of breaking down.
I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for an archangel to speak like this, but still.
“Now that I’ve regained my consciousness, things will be different.”
-Of course… Ah, why don’t you try it yourself today?
Ananke’s voice carried a subtle expectation as if she was curious too. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that it might be quite fun.
“Sticking close to master and chattering more and more…” Redian, who had approached me quietly, was now in front of me. “It’s annoying.”
Although Ananke was formless, Redian seemed to sense her presence and stared intently.
“If you don’t want to be thrown back into the sea, tone it down.” He muttered quietly in that direction.
Rere, even if you try to be discreet, I can hear everything…
-It’s fortunate my body has disappeared. If I happened to be in a place where the Almighty Goddess couldn’t see, I would have been strangled by now. Sob sob.
Judging by Ananke’s reaction, this wasn’t the first time something like this happened.
“Master, you must be tired, so you can’t stay in this state for long. We need to return within an hour.” Redian’s gaze fell on the black mist seeping everywhere. “I’ll handle things here, so don’t overexert yourself.”
It was impossible to search the vast mansion within an hour. Fortunately, the devils following Redian’s command were spread out everywhere, so I had nothing to do…
“Rere, I have something planned, so I’m heading to the east wing. You stay at the main building.”
The main building, the center of the grand duchy, was used by Grand Duke Benio, while Ash stayed in the adjacent east wing.
Since Siani used to visit this place in her childhood, it’s familiar. Familiar with the layout, I could gather a lot in a limited time.
In short…
Ash, you’re in for it today.
I had to take this chance to hit him on the back of the head.
* * *
It was when the thickening black mist seemed to engulf the entire castle.
This is why having power is a good thing.
Entering the east wing hallway, I mumbled to myself. It was a huge improvement compared to when I had to disguise myself as a maid to search the basement. And now, with reliable support, even the one-hour limit felt quite generous.
“Let’s get going.”
But then,
Looks like the maids.
I saw a group of people approaching from the end of the hallway. Just in case, I held my breath and stayed still.
“Is it because of the weather? It feels even creepier today.”
They glanced out the darkened windows and passed by me.
Oh, they really can’t see me.
As I relaxed, their conversation became clearer.
“You saw it today too, right? I told you, something’s definitely off with him these days.”
“Yeah. I wondered what he was doing alone in his room every day… He looked like someone who had lost his mind.”
Ash Benio’s room was at the end of this hallway. So, they were gossiping about Ash.
“Shh, be careful what you say.”
“The atmosphere is tense, so if you don’t want to get involved, keep to yourself.”
I watched the maids walk away.
Someone who had lost his mind?
Ash had been unusually quiet recently, and I thought he was just keeping a low profile.
Could he have gone mad?
It was very unusual. He was someone who was obsessed with managing his image, yet he was being gossiped about by the servants.
I hurried to the familiar door and stopped. Creak, as if the wind had opened it, I stepped inside.
“What the?”
I froze in place.
What on earth…?
The stark and dark room, devoid of any furniture, was filled with paintings of a woman. Specifically, paintings of me.
-It’s frightening. Why not take this opportunity to test your power, Almighty Goddess?
“No, it’s too valuable to use here.”
I immediately summoned Ananke and headed deeper inside.
“…Here he is.”
But my steps halted quickly. On a white bed lay scattered blond hair, pale skin, and lifeless lips. It was hard to recognize him as the handsome young man he once was.
What happened to him?
Even in his sleep, he was clutching a painting of me.
-It’s Amon.
“Amon?”
-One of the fallen archangels who turned love into hatred. He spread it in heaven and was punished to live a life of hating what he loved.
“So he feels love and hatred as the same emotion. That’s the worst.”
It wasn’t surprising. I just thought there must be a reason why we kept getting entangled.
“Who’s there?”
At that moment, Ash slowly opened his eyes.
“Who dares…”
A chill briefly passed over his sharp, emaciated features.
“Siani?”
Ash, who was staring blankly into space, reached out his hand.
“Siani? Is it really you…?”
As if sensing something, he stumbled out of bed and staggered in the darkness.
“I knew it. Just like when we were young, you’ve come to save me, right?”
Ironically…
“Siani, where are you now?”
Ash’s face looked as if he was about to shed tears.
* * *
At the same time, Redian, heading to the grand duke’s office, pulled his hood deeper. As he walked, his form slowly became solid from his feet, legs, and shoulders.
“…”
A peculiar smile appeared on his clearly revealed lips.
“Is Ash still holed up in his room? Tsk, if he hadn’t brought that painting, I would have disciplined him.”
Sensing someone’s presence, the grand duke irritably removed his monocle while looking at the documents.
“At least Luna is better. She’s determined to bring down Siani Felicite, even if it means spouting all sorts of nonsense.”
Grand Duke Benio assumed it was one of his aides or vassals. However,
“These days, I’m quite delighted.”
“What…” Grand Duke Benio froze at the chilling voice.
“Thanks to your antics, I realized how much my master loves me.”
“…!”
A black shadow stretched long in the hazy moonlight, with jet-black hair and deep eyes that could mesmerize human souls.
“G-Goodness, y-you are!”
“That’s why I’ve spared you until now…”
He was the very incarnation of the devil described in some ancient tomes.
“Must you keep crossing the line?”
Redian was delighted that Siani cared for him. He had watched quietly because he found it endearing, but if the grand duke targeted Siani as well, that was a different story.
“From now on, don’t make a sound, Grand Duke.”
“…Huh.”
“It would shock my master.”
In the center of the grand duke’s office wall were weapons symbolizing Eunomia, arranged in three sets. Rixon’s sword, Benio’s shield, and Felicite’s arrow. They were exact replicas of the real weapons stored in the Great Temple, crafted with great precision.
“Anyway, these fakes…” Redian’s hand brushed the weapons and grabbed an arrow. “Are fine for dirty deeds.”
Bang-!
“Make sure you put me on the pyre.”
“Keugh!”
In an instant, with a loud bang, black smoke wrapped around the Grand Duke Benio’s neck.
“After being in hell, I’m not afraid of some pyre.”
“Uurgh!”
Without hesitation, Redian drew the string.
“So that you and your son…”
The arrowhead barely missed Grand Duke Benio’s head and lodged in the wall.
“Will be killed by me.”
Redian was smiling. It was truly a beautiful smile.
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