The prince, Benita, was in a foul mood.
A few days ago, Benita and his entourage had visited the Count Daimon household. On the surface, it was for fostering friendly relations with the Count, but in reality, it was to get closer to Shekina Daimon.
However, Shekina was absent, and Benita had been waiting for her endlessly.
One day, two days… three days passed, and Benita started to get confused. Was Shekina really away, or was she deliberately avoiding meeting him?
If it was the first reason, Shekina had clearly known about Benita’s visit and deliberately stayed away, which would be a slight against the imperial family. If it was the second reason, then it would mean she was mocking the imperial family.
Either way, this was disrespectful to the imperial family. Benita gritted his teeth, feeling the anger rise within him.
“Has Shekina Daimon arrived at the castle?”
Benita asked his attendant. The attendant, a demon posing as a human, was irked by how casually Shekina’s name was being used. He had to suppress his anger, remembering Arthur’s words.
– Treat the prince well for now. After all, we need to maintain a friendly relationship.
The attendant took a deep breath.
“She arrived yesterday, but she is scheduled to leave the castle again for some business.”
“What? She arrived? And she still didn’t come to see me? She must have known I was here!”
Whether you are here or not is not my concern. It’s noisy with a mere human talking so much. The attendant thought, trying hard to suppress his irritation.
At that moment, Benita’s uncle, Ferda, entered the room. Benita, seeing him, raised his voice immediately.
“Uncle! Shekina Daimon has returned, but she didn’t even come to greet me!”
Ferda’s face tightened slightly, but the excited Benita didn’t notice.
“I’ve been patient all this time, but this can’t go on! How dare she disrespect the imperial family like this?! If they’re planning a rebellion in this far-off place, what should we do? We must send the imperial knights immediately!”
Ferda sighed deeply.
Does the prince even have his eyes properly open? If his eyes were working properly, he would have seen the capabilities of the Count’s household.
The entire castle was surrounded by powerful magic, and everyone inside was a skilled individual. If they so desired, both he and Benita would be nothing more than corpses. They had to be cautious in their actions, but the prince acted as though this were the imperial courtyard itself.
“Your Highness.”
Ferda sighed again.
“There must be some reason behind this. Let me investigate, so please calm your anger.”
“However…!”
“A walk might be a good idea. Staying in your room for days might be making you more frustrated and angry.”
Just as Benita was about to shout again, he noticed Ferda’s expression. If he said one more word, a letter would be sent straight to Her Majesty the Empress. If he didn’t want to face a whipping when he returned, it was better to stay quiet here.
“…Fine.”
Benita clenched his fist tightly and left the room. He thought he saw the attendant snicker, but even that seemed like something he couldn’t get angry about. How unfair—he was a prince, the only heir to the empire’s bloodline…
“Just wait, Shekina Daimon. If I ever lay eyes on you, I’ll make you pay for this!”
Benita muttered, vowing to make her regret keeping him waiting.
“What did you say?”
At that moment, a strange voice interrupted. A child stood at the end of the hallway.
The child seemed to have been beaten, his whole body in disarray. His hair was tangled, and there were scabs on his face. His clothes were filthy, as if he’d rolled on the ground. Yet, his bright blue eyes were strangely sharp.
Benita alternated between the child’s eyes and the wooden sword hanging from his waist, then spoke.
“Who are you? If you’re blocking my way, you must state your name and affiliation.”
The child, who was none other than Dehan, realized that this was the prince he had heard so much about.
“I am Dehan, a servant of the knight order.”
“A servant?”
For a moment, Benita hesitated under Dehan’s gaze but quickly scoffed.
“Are you saying that a mere servant dared eavesdrop on my words?”
Benita gritted his teeth and shouted.
“Does the Count’s family not know that a single word could get them executed for treason?”
Dehan stared at Benita with unblinking eyes. Should he kill him? No, that would be a decision made in anger. If he did that, it would cause trouble for the Count’s household.
“I said I would teach Shekina Daimon a lesson. What, is it wrong for me to say that?”
“………”
Ah, how badly he wanted to kill him.
Dehan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the rising bloodlust.
“Lady Shekina is my master.”
“Oh, so you’re not a servant, but a slave.”
“How can I remain silent when my master is insulted?”
“So?”
Benita smirked, daring him.
“Are you planning to take me on?”
If he drew his sword, Benita could be beaten senseless, but that wasn’t a good idea. Who knew what kind of trouble the vengeful prince might cause?
Dehan thought for a moment and then withdrew his murderous intent, giving Benita a faint smile.
“I’ll guide you to the castle.”
“Guide?”
“Yes. You’ve been in your room for days, so you must not have had a chance to see the castle. I’ll guide you around.”
Benita hesitated for a moment before agreeing. He thought it would be a good idea to get to know the castle inside and out.
“Fine. Show me around. But it better meet my expectations. If not, your head might not stay attached to your shoulders.”
“…Yes.”
Dehan forced a smile as he replied.
“It might be nice to see the knight order as well.”
Would the impatient demons tolerate this prince? Dehan thought not, but he proceeded to guide him.
***
Shwaaak—
The light from the teleportation magic dissipated.
Lucart slowly looked around. He was in the same place he had first gone out with Shekina, the western desert.
“Wow. It’s just as it was.”
Shekina tilted her head as she spoke. Lucart’s gaze left the desert and landed on Shekina’s small head.
When he had first arrived here, he didn’t even remember the homunculus’s name properly.
But now…
– Are you really worried about me, Boss?
He hadn’t been able to answer easily then, because Shekina was right.
Yes, he was worried about Shekina. He was concerned about her getting hurt, or even dying.
‘How foolish.’
He had watched his demon subordinates die without batting an eye, yet now he was worried about this small creature.
What was this feeling?
Why did he wish for her not to die? Why did he wish for her not to be hurt?
As Lucart continued his thoughts, he unknowingly placed his hand on Shekina’s head. Surprised, Shekina turned around, and Lucart spoke.
“I’m worried about you.”
“…Huh?”
“I wish for you not to die.”
“……..”
“And I want you to live a long life by my side.”
Seeing Shekina flustered, Lucart let out the emotions he had been holding inside for so long.
“…I want you to live happily.”
And with that, the feeling finally had a name.
It was love.
