Chapter 10
Gremory felt strange. Throughout the day, everyone at the Grand Duke’s residence had spent their time for her—Chesion, Isollen, Anna, and even the maids.
Why though? Why for someone like me?
“Mori, try this first. It’s a rare steak—if you like the taste, dip it in the sauce and… Mori?”
“…?”
Gremory was flustered by the ticklish sensation near her chest and didn’t know how to respond.
She had never felt this kind of emotional stir in her life—not even when she had suffered terrible things in the demon realm, not even when an old friend had been found dead. But now, why?
Because Gremory stood frozen in place, the dining room was wrapped in awkward silence. Unable to bear the tension, Anna quickly brought cutlery and placed it in Gremory’s hands.
“If you don’t like it, it’s totally fine to say so honestly. We’re all prepared for that.”
Isollen pulled out a chair.
“Come on, sit and eat slowly. Sorry for earlier—calling it raw meat. I said it was gross, but honestly, when I was being hunted as a witch, I was so hungry I ate all kinds of disgusting stuff. We’ve both been through pain. I went too far.”
After sitting, Gremory hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking.
“…Thank you.”
Isollen and the maids widened their eyes in shock.
“What? Mori, you can talk? I thought your tongue was half cut off!”
“…It healed.”
“Wow, the regeneration ability of people from the Northern Snowfields really is amazing! I’m so relieved!”
“Wow! Lady, congratulations!”
Anna suddenly hugged Gremory tightly. Gremory chuckled watching them celebrate her tongue healing. Humans really were cute sometimes. All this over something so trivial.
Seated at the table, Gremory began tasting the dishes seriously. She started from one end of the table, trying everything in order. Anything she rejected immediately became the maids’ meal.
“I don’t like fish.”
“Yay! I’ll take the grilled salmon!”
“Turkey? Not a fan.”
“Then I’m claiming the turkey leg!”
While the excited maids chattered behind her, Isollen stood beside Gremory, explaining the dishes.
“This is beef stew. Cooked with beef and various vegetables.”
“I hate vegetables.”
“Just try the broth.”
Sniff sniff. Gremory smelled it, then took a spoonful.
“Not bad, but not something I’d seek out.”
“Noted. Next—fruits! These are grapes… do you need an explanation?”
“No need.”
Gremory tried the fruits one by one.
She didn’t even want to look at grapes. Pineapple was awful. Just smelling the peach made her gag.
And finally—
“This one’s good.”
She found a fruit she liked: apples.
The maids and Isollen cheered.
“Yay, finally! Lady, congratulations!”
“How about trying dishes made with apples from now on? Like apple pie!”
“You’re so picky with food! Hahaha!”
Isollen even hugged Gremory joyfully. Lacking the shamelessness to laugh along, Gremory just quietly tried to understand what had tickled her chest earlier.
Later that night, Chession was burning with fever.
Even though a healer had treated his leg, the spider venom left aftereffects that would linger for a night.
Despite the pain, Chession kept smiling faintly.
‘Mori… she’s full of unexpected sides.’
All his life, Chession had built his strength to protect others. Being protected for the first time left a deep impression.
Maybe that’s why his heart kept pounding whenever he thought of Mori. He tried to calm himself by recalling what he’d told Isollen.
‘I always knew, but ignored it. I thought it was just a fleeting emotion. Every woman I’ve rescued before always ended up liking me. Of course they did. I’d feel the same way if a cool woman saved me when I was in danger.’
Yeah… this has to be just temporary. I shouldn’t mistake this for love.
‘But even among my knights from the Northern Snowfields, none are as strong as Mori. Is she special?’
Then, someone knocked.
Thump, thump.
A rough knock, distinctly Mori’s style.
“…Mori?”
“Hey, still alive?”
Without waiting for permission, Gremory swung the door open and entered.
Chession, in just a robe, blushed furiously and scrambled to cover himself with a blanket.
“Y-You’re the first person to barge into my bedroom this late without permission, Mori.”
“I came to check on you. Your face is red. Do you have a fever?”
Her small white hand pressed against his forehead. Chession dove under the blanket in panic.
“I-I’m fine. Just need a full day of rest. I’ve been poisoned by spider venom before, so I’ve built some resistance. But…”
He peeked out from under the covers.
“Did you come because you were worried about me?”
“Yeah.”
Gremory answered without hesitation. You need to stay alive for at least ten more years, or I can’t devour your sister’s soul.
Unaware of this, Chession only felt his heart flutter more. Mori’s pale skin contrasted her dark eyes beautifully. Her sharp, cat-like eyes seemed strangely charming.
Then Gremory added:
“Just get some sleep. I’ll stay here until you wake up.”
“Next to me? Why?”
“Because I’m worried.”
Worried about my prey.
“!!!”
Chession didn’t come out from under the blanket for a long time. Gremory ignored him and sat in the chair beside the bed.
Thirty minutes later, Chession finally peeked out again.
“Hey, Mori.”
“You’re still awake?”
“I have something urgent to ask.”
“What?”
He didn’t mind that Mori spoke informally. Even her slightly snappish tone, which felt like she was asserting dominance, made his heart race.
“At next month’s royal banquet, I plan to confirm whether my half-sibling is still alive. Due to some events, I had to leave the palace and couldn’t protect them anymore. So I use events like this banquet to check on them.”
“I see.”
“…That was kind of serious. You’re not reacting much.”
“Am I supposed to applaud?”
“No, never mind.”
Chession, regaining a bit of composure, got to the point.
“Anyway, I need someone’s help with this plan. I can’t do it alone.”
“So?”
“Will you go with me to the banquet… as my partner, in disguise?”
“Sure.”
Gremory replied casually. That drove Chession even more insane.
“G-Great. Thanks. Until then, I’ll show you around my territory.”
“Okay, now go to sleep. If you don’t, I’ll knock you out.”
“Got it.”
That night, Chession couldn’t sleep at all. The fever didn’t even feel painful anymore.
The next morning, the maids prepared desserts this time.
In the maids’ break room, the table was filled with various cakes and breads. Teas of all kinds were lined up.
Gremory’s tasting began. Tension filled the air.
“Chocolate cake? Nope. This, and that? Also no.”
Financiers and croissants were rejected. Madeleines and macarons followed. However, anything with apple jam was a hit. Especially apple pudding—it was her favorite.
“This is delicious.”
“Okay, apple pudding passes!”
Isollen scribbled notes in her notebook. She’d been analyzing Gremory’s eating habits since yesterday.
Then came tea time. Standing in front of seven tea cups lined in a row, Isollen shrugged.
“I made all of these. I’m amazing at brewing tea.”
“Hmm, this one’s no good.”
“…They taste great to normal people, I swear.”
Tea was easier to drink than food. You could just gulp it down. She didn’t like teas that left a lingering scent though.
Thankfully, Gremory’s tea preferences were fairly mainstream.
“This one smells nice.”
“Oh, black tea wins. Good! That’s the tea nobles drink the most. Try the others too.”
She continued with the remaining two. One was yellow, the other dark.
Gremory tried the yellow one first. Then—
“What is this? It smells amazing!”
Her usual blank face lit up with color. She drank the rest in one gulp.
“Give me more. It’s so good. Feels like I’m being enchanted.”
“Haha! Most people find that one hard to enjoy, you’ve got unique taste. It’s a tea brewed from the Rilkina flower. There’s a legend about it… supposedly it seduces and kills witches—”
“Urgh.”
Suddenly, Gremory coughed up blood. Anna rushed toward her in panic.
“Lady Mori! Oh no! It’s like she drank poison! Lady Isollen, could there have been poison in the tea leaves?”
“N-No way…! These teas were sent directly from my family. That’s impossible!”
Regardless of what Isollen said, Gremory kept coughing violently. Her strength rapidly faded, and finally—she lost consciousness.
