“…What?”
Yuriel, thinking he might have misheard, asked again.
But seeing Arthur’s serious expression, it seemed he hadn’t misheard.
“That, so, Lady Shekina has now returned to the North…?”
“Yes, that’s correct. He went with the Count.”
“Oh, oh, then the Empress…?”
“We’re going to ignore her.”
Aha. So, they’re ignoring her… But isn’t that something you can’t just brush aside?
Yuriel’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
Declining an invitation from the Empress.
No matter how influential the Daimon Count’s household is, is it really okay to ignore the Imperial Family to this extent?
Are they trying to provoke retaliation? What are they going to do if they get attacked? Sure, they won’t face complete destruction… but still, what if they get attacked?
Yuriel gulped, realizing once again that the only place he could return to was the Daimon Count’s household.
“But… is it really going to be alright?”
“Of course not.”
Arthur answered indifferently.
“When the Imperial Family finds out, they’ll be furious. They’ll think we’re disregarding them, and they won’t let it slide. They’ll start investigating us from the very collapse of the Central Temple.”
“Y-yes, that, that seems… likely.”
“And so?”
But Arthur’s indifferent demeanor quickly vanished. A deadly gleam appeared in his otherwise ordinary eyes.
“So what if they find something suspicious? And what if the Imperial Family decides to come after us? Do you really think they dare?”
He ground his teeth and glared intensely.
“Tell them to f*** off. Who do they think they are, the Imperial Family?”
Sure… In front of the Daimon Count’s household, they could say something like that… But even so, the Imperial Family is still the Imperial Family.
Why do other nobles, who hold even more power than the Imperial Family, and the Papacy still follow the words of the Imperial Family? It’s because of the Imperial Family’s legitimacy!
The Daimon Count’s household, with less than fifty years of history, going head-to-head with the Imperial Family?
It’s obvious whose side others will take.
Yuriel’s eyes shook wildly in panic.
“But, but, but, still, we shouldn’t…”
“And so.”
Arthur’s lips curled into a smile.
“Are you suggesting we hand over Lady Shekina, as they want?”
“…Pardon?”
What did he just say?
Yuriel’s eyes widened.
“I heard the Prince will be attending too. It’s obvious what they’re trying to do. They’re planning to tie Lady Shekina to the Prince and manipulate things as they see fit.”
“T-that… that’s absurd…!”
Yuriel, his mouth wide open, was about to say more.
“No!”
Bang!
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a familiar child rushed in.
“That must never happen! Absolutely never! I’d rather die than let it happen!”
Dehan…? Why are you here…?
***
Whiiiiish!
Shekina couldn’t believe what was unfolding before her eyes.
No, it was more accurate to say that she didn’t want to believe it.
‘Does this even make sense?’
Shekina let out a hollow laugh as she felt the cold wind brush her cheek.
The truth was, she had been considering returning to the North.
However, with the Empress’s invitation arriving, she thought she couldn’t leave immediately. She had even considered the possibility of being tied to the prince, as was mentioned.
But now, she were suddenly back in the North?
Without rejecting or accepting anything?
Is this really okay?
Shekina felt a sense of distance and barely managed to regain her composure.
“Boss, isn’t this a bit much?”
Lucart looked down at Shekina instead of answering.
“Weren’t you planning to return to the North? Or were you planning to stay in the capital forever?”
“That’s true, but… shouldn’t we finish things up before leaving?”
“Everything is already settled.”
He cast a warming spell on Shekina as he spoke.
“You have nothing left to do. So, just rest at the castle. Don’t think about anything.”
“But… there’s still the Empress’s invitation…”
“Don’t think about anything.”
Lucart repeated his words, and Shekina, realizing that nothing she said would be effective, remained silent. It was clear that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t change anything.
‘I should just stop talking.’
With a sigh, Shekina tugged at Lucart’s sleeve.
“Got it, but take this for now. It’s not just cold, but the wind is way too strong.”
“……….”
Lucart waved his hand again, and Shekina felt the wind that had been battering them suddenly stop.
“Whoa. What kind of magic is that?”
Shekina’s eyes widened. She had never heard of magic that could stop the wind entirely. Lucart chuckled at Shekina’s reaction.
“Transfer magic.”
“…What?”
Shekina’s eyes grew even larger.
Transfer magic is a spell that allows one to transfer their sensations to another person. In this case, Lucart had taken on what Shekina was feeling, meaning the cold wind Shekina was feeling had been transferred to him.
“Um… but then, wouldn’t you be cold?”
As Shekina hesitated, Lucart gently tapped her cheek and muttered as he moved forward.
“There’s no wind a child can endure that I can’t.”
The sight of Lucart’s back as he said that… was quite reassuring.
“Achoo!”
Hmm, maybe it’s best to pretend not to have noticed that.
***
As soon as Lucart left, the demons, having received Arthur’s message, began to move busily.
Because the Demon King was returning?
Of course not!
“Lady Shekina is coming!”
“Heat up the room! Hurry!”
“Food! Where’s the chef?”
It was all because Shekina was coming back.
The demons, who had been eagerly awaiting Shekina’s return, rushed out all at once. As a result, the Demon King’s castle was now livelier than ever.
“Yeah, I’m totally pumped right now! Feels like I could fly!”
“Demons can fly, you idiot.”
Leaving the bickering of the First Legion’s demons behind, Sebastian folded his arms with a serious expression.
‘Is this really the right time for Lady Shekina to come back?’
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Shekina to return. In fact, he was happy because he had many questions he wanted to ask. But there was something else to consider.
‘The elders.’
Sebastian frowned as he thought about the elders, whose eyes would light up upon hearing of Shekina’s return.
“What’s wrong?”
At that moment, a demon approached Shebastian. It was a blue-haired demon, the one Shekina often called ‘Blue.’ Sebastian glanced at him.
“I’m just worried. I’m not sure if this is really the right time for Lady Shekina to return.”
“The elders?”
“…Yes.”
Blue’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, I’m not at ease either.”
The moment Shekina left the Demon King’s castle, the elders began tracking her. They even tried to kill her.
The First Legion demons had fought fiercely to stop them, but everyone knew it wasn’t over. Now that Shekina had returned, the elders would likely intensify their efforts to oppose her.
That’s why Sebastian, along with the other demons, was worried.
But in the end, worry was just that—worry.
Shekina had returned now.
And standing by her side was none other than…
“Do you really think the Demon King is unaware of all this?”
The Demon King.
Blue’s mischievous eyes crinkled into a smile.
“Let’s just trust the Demon King and not worry.”
He was very curious about how much the Demon King had changed during his absence from the castle.
