Elaine was completely taken aback by the unexpected words.
“What… but… what about Bella’s husband?”
The man who had entered the room with Bella a moment ago. The man called Espel, did not seem to like Elaine very much. She could tell, just by the short conversation the two were having earlier.
However, Bella’s expression after hearing what Elaine had to say seemed a bit strange.
“Husband? Are you talking about Espel? No way! Ahhahaha!”
“Oh, no? Then is he your boyfriend?”
“No! He’s, um…. a friend. Though he is more like family.”
“Friend?”
“Yes. And this might be a bit surprising but…”
“?”
Bella brought her face closer to Elaine, who had on a puzzled expression. She then whispered, covering her mouth with one hand as if it was a secret.
“Actually, he’s like me, not a human.”
“Not human!”
“Espel is a demon.”
Bella straightened her back and smiled mischievously.
A demon. A race from another world, separated from this world. People referred to that place as the Demon Realm. It was only in very rare cases that a demon would cross over into this world.
“I was worried when I saw him lying in the middle of the road and took him in. If I hadn’t helped him, he probably would have died. It was an incredibly dangerous situation. Of course, not just for Espel, but for the people around too.”
Demons naturally hated humans. As a result, there were quite a few deaths to humans that could be traced back to demons.
“If I had left him as he was, there would have been a shower of blood through the streets. At the time, killing a human was like squashing a bug to Espel.”
“Then, isn’t my life in danger?”
“Huh? Haha, it’s okay now. Something like that happened, but then we had a big fight over it and he promised not to mess with people carelessly.”
Bella hesitated for a moment, seeming to be choosing her words carefully.
“Still, Espel dislikes humans a little… a lot. It has gotten much better now that I’ve been with him for so long, but… He doesn’t particularly hate you, so don’t misunderstand.”
“It seems like he does…”
“Anyways, everything will be fine! Espel can’t refuse any request that I make. In the end he’ll do anything I ask.”
“That doesn’t sound like he’s giving his consent.”
“Well if it’s for the greater good, then it’s fine.”
Elaine thought, ‘I think I know why Espel sighed earlier.’ She couldn’t help but sigh herself as she watched Bella smiling brightly without any worries.
***
Elaine woke up early the next morning to sun shining in through the window. She got up from the bed and straightened out the bedding. Bella was nowhere to be seen all morning so Elaine put on her shoes and went outside, intending to explore until Bella came home.
After walking around a bit, a small stream came into view nearby. Seeing the clear water, Elaine felt thirsty. She squatted down by the stream and took a sip of the fresh water. After washing her face, she shook off the leftover drops of water and stood to leave. She yawned and lightly stretched. By chance Elaine’s eyes fell on a nearby tree.
Leaning on one of the thick branches of the tree, someone sat there, looking down at her. A pair of blood-red eyes were fixed on her.
‘Espel is a demon.’
“Uh…?”
In her shock, Elaine’s body lost its balance and she tilted toward the water. The stream was shallow, but there were many sharp and uneven stones at the bottom. If she fell in, she could become seriously injured. Elaine curled her body in an attempt to minimize the damage.
Her rapidly changing view gave the illusion that the branch the man was sitting on was shaking.
‘Oh, he’s gone.’
As soon as she realized the man was gone, she felt a warm sensation around her waist. The man’s grey har fluttered in the air and tickled her face. His red eyes stared at her for a moment before gently setting her on the ground.
Elaine stood there in a daze, unable to believe what had just happened. The man sighed as he ran a hand through his hair turning to leave.
“Thank you!”
Elaine quickly followed the man and shouted at his back. The man continued to walk without even slowing down.
“Espel… Right?”
Only then, did Espel stop. As he turned around, he released another sigh, even deeper than the one from before.
“Hah… It seems Bella told you about me.”
“Yes.”
” Do you also know that I am against you staying with us?”
“I know.”
“Then there is no need for pleasantries. Let me be blunt, leave this place, now.”
Elaine who was staring into Espel’s eyes, asked slowly, one word at a time.
“Is it because I’m human?”
“Did Bella also tell you why I hate humans?”
“She said it was because you’re a demon.”
“It’s just as I thought. While that might have been true in the past, but not anymore. After living with Bella for such a long time, I have lost a lot of my natural rejection of your kind.”
Elaine recalled when he had saved her from falling.
‘Of course, I never thought Espel, a demon, would help me.’
Because Elaine didn’t expect anyone to save her, she never closed her eyes as she fell, even as she was about to hit the water. She was prepared to hit the rocks on the bottom of the stream and get hurt then and there.
But what she met was not the cold stream, but Espel’s warm and soft embrace.
If the reason he hates humans wasn’t because he was a demon, then what could it be?
“Is there something that Bella did not tell me?”
“Don’t you think she is being too nice to you when this is the first time you have ever met each other?”
“I thought it was a bit strange…”
As soon as Elaine had said she had no place to go, Bella’s immediate reaction to have Elaine live with her was not normal.
“Bella has lived alone for a long time. She is very lonely and I think this is why she shows such a strange attachment to humans.”
“…”
“There have been many situations, like yours, where Bella has taken in people she has never met before. Some of them were good people, but betrayal was also not uncommon.”
“Betrayal?”
Espel’s face distorted as if remembering a painful memory.
“Can you imagine being betrayed by someone you trusted? Drinking poison? Vomiting Blood? Having your throat cut while you are asleep?”
Elaine swallowed hard without realizing it. She was so shocked she could not think of a response. Nonsense. How could anyone do such terrible things to such a good person?
With a trembling voice, Elaine asked.
“Why…?”
Espel gritted his teeth.
“Eternal life. That’s what they had all tried so hard to get, even if they had to stab Bella in the back. People still believe in the superstitions that if you drink a witch’s blood, it will give you eternal life. Those damned humans…!”
“Just for… that reason…”
Elaine murmured, soft as a whisper. Espel took a deep breath and closed his eyes softly. Containing his anger, he continued on in a voice that seemed to be suppressing something.
“I don’t want to see her get hurt by humans anymore. This is the reason I am unable to accept you. So, you…”
“I’m Sorry.”
She understood what Espel was saying. He may no longer hate humans, but that does not mean that he is able to trust them.
“But, I want to stay by Bella’s side.”
“Ha…”
“I won’t hurt her like those other people did.”
This was her greed. She desired to stay by Bella’s side and make her smile. For the first time in her life, Elaine was being greedy.
Espel quietly looked into the girls determined eyes. She had strength in her gaze that didn’t match her age. He bent towards her, reached out and plucked a leaf out of her hair, squeezing it.
“…great. For now, let’s move on. Bella’s too stubborn anyways. There is nothing I can do about it.”
Elaine’s expression brightened at his words, Espel continued on.
“But if you ever harm her in any way…”
The leaf in his hand crumbled with the strength of his grip.
“I will eliminate you, without mercy.”
Elaine nodded vigorously, looking at the pieces of the leaf scattered on the ground.
“Great!”
Then she smiled brightly.
“Thank you for your permission, Espel!”
Espel stared at Elaine with his mouth agape.
“You are strange.”
“What?”
“Well… Aren’t you afraid?”
Elaine almost burst out laughing. Ever since she was born, she had never received anything that even remotely resembled love from her family. Her father was indifferent to her, her mother despised her, and only bitter words of hatred came from her stepmother.
She never received the slightest bit of affection from any of them. Bella was the only one who let her feel the warmth of another person. For the first time in her life, she had experienced what it was like to be cared for.
Bella was the one who saved her from death, how could she be afraid of someone who truly worried over and cared for her when she was sick?
“What did Espel say before? There are many people in the world who are worse than animals. I’ve also seen many people like that… I learned that you can’t tell the difference between a human and an animal by appearance alone. “
“…”
“And Bella, who said she isn’t human, is, to me, more human than anyone else.”
Although Espel still had on an expression like he could not understand what she was saying, Elaine was smiling brightly. It didn’t have to happen right away, but she believed that slowly, one step at a time, there would come a day when her and Espel would be able to understand each other.
This was the start of their small family.
The girl was saved by the witch and, because of the girl, the witch was able to laugh and smile more often. They dreamed of a happy future unaware of what awaited them in the future.
Unaware, 11 years in the future, the most terrible tragedy in the history of the empire would occur.
