Chapter 30
The underground headquarters of the assassin guild.
Cheshion and his knights had struggled but managed to take down all the assassins—except one.
The last assassin, Luke, possessed a terrifying magical ability: the power to trap his victims in their most horrific memories, driving them to madness. Only Cheshion, with his partial immunity to magic, could face him alone.
“Everyone, fall back.”
The knights hesitated but trusted Cheshion’s judgment and retreated. Luke, his arms covered in black tattoos, stretched a hand toward Cheshion.
A spell was coming. Cheshion dodged instinctively.
‘Damn it, the traps are everywhere—I can’t even get close with my sword.’
True to the guild’s nature, the underground lair was littered with traps—explosive triggers, chains that shot out to restrain—all of which Luke used to toy with Cheshion.
‘Then I’ll just dismantle them one by one.’
Cheshion wrapped his blade in mana and slashed, detonating a trap ahead.
BOOM!
The explosion shook the cramped underground like an earthquake.
‘This’ll work.’
Removing the traps required precision—especially since the air here disrupted mana flow.
Next were the chain traps. The moment Cheshion stepped on a certain tile, chains shot from all directions. He deflected them with another slash.
‘Now, your head.’
Just as Cheshion prepared to strike, Luke clicked his tongue and pressed a hand against the wall.
Instantly, the underground structure shifted like a maze, the ground sinking beneath them. Cheshion staggered, struggling to keep his balance.
“What the—?! You plan to bury us both alive?!”
Unbeknownst to him, Cheshion’s panicked emotions sent a signal through the ring on his finger.
Luke grinned.
“Try struggling like a mole. I know the way out—but you? You’re in for hell.”
Darkness swallowed the underground. Luke vanished into the trap-filled maze.
“Damn it. Running away?”
Cheshion knew escaping this place would take hours. By then, Luke would be long gone.
First, he needed light. Summoning an orb of light, he illuminated the suffocating darkness—
Only to sense Luke lurking around a corner, suppressing his presence.
‘Too risky to chase. Maybe I should ambush him instead.’
Just as he thought that—
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“?!”
Luke whirled around at the voice behind him, gathering mana in his palm—
CRACK!
His wrist snapped like a twig under Gremory’s grip.
“AAAH!”
By the time Cheshion rushed over at the scream, Luke was already being stomped into the ground by Gremory.
“M-Mori? When did you get here?”
“Just now. You called me.”
“I did?”
“Yeah. You were wearing the ring I gave you and thought of me. So I came straight here.”
“……!”
As Cheshion stood stunned, Luke begged:
“I-I surrender! Spare me! I’ll live like a dead man, just let me go!”
“Your puppeteer friend said the same thing before betraying me.”
“I’m not like Monica! I keep my promises!”
Cheshion raised his sword.
“Mori, let’s just finish this.”
“Wait.”
Gremory, who could see into the darkness of hearts, sensed Luke’s secret. He was cursed—upon death, he would inflict his killer with nightmares. Even indirect involvement would trigger it.
‘Annoying. Poison won’t work either.’
As Gremory hesitated, Cheshion frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Do we have to kill him?”
“He’s too dangerous to leave alive. We’ll regret it if we don’t.”
“I see.”
Gremory stared at Cheshion’s face—the face of the man who had thought of her in danger.
‘The ring was meant to alert me if you were in peril… but I never expected you’d call for me in that moment.’
When Cheshion was in danger, the ring had transmitted not just a signal—but his voice, calling her name. That sheer will had pulled her here instantly.
Why? In a life-threatening moment, why had she been the one he thought of? Not his knights, not anyone else.
‘Am I… the one you trust most?’
Well, she had shown him plenty of her abilities. Of course he’d rely on her over mere knights.
……It felt strange. Knowing she occupied a place in someone’s heart.
“Well? Kill him already.”
Luke, venom in his glare, gritted his teeth. Cheshion raised his sword—
But Gremory snatched it and stabbed Luke herself.
Purple energy erupted, engulfing her.
Her vision whitened. Cheshion’s horrified face was the last thing she saw.
‘If someone has to suffer nightmares, better me than the one who trusts me.’
A witch’s resistance would dull the curse’s effects anyway.
Gremory collapsed with that thought.
The demon world wasn’t so different from the human one. Just more witches, more malice. Friendships, gatherings, festivals—all happened there too.
But Gremory had never been part of any of it. Back then, she thought that was natural.
I’m just a sacrifice. Feeling anything would only make life harder.
That was the brainwashing her mother and the witches had drilled into her.
Meeting Renia had started cracking that conditioning.
And now, the injustice of it all burned. Ten years in solitary, eating rats—only now did those memories horrify her.
After being “kidnapped” by Cheshion and brought to the Grand Duke’s residence, the cracks spread rapidly.
Now, she finally understood warmth. The attention, laughter, and trust of the household… she liked it.
For the first time, she had something like a home. A soft, safe place where people welcomed her.
She hadn’t known what she was missing—but now that she had it, everything felt precious. The emotions she felt among them were so peaceful.
‘What if you hadn’t taken me from that filthy hut that day?’
She would’ve remained an emotionless witch. Running alone from the Witch Hunters, never knowing how ugly and lonely that fate was.
Cheshion, you saved me. Because of you, the world glows bright and beautiful—dazzling enough to lose myself in.
‘……But if this peace shatters—’
The “Demon Worship Ritual,” where sacrifices were offered, was a month away.
If she were discovered before then, if she became the Demon’s feast and brought ruin to the Grand Duke’s residence—
Cheshion, you’d regret ever taking me in. Your trust would turn to resentment. That smile you always gave me would twist into something wretched.
Thud. Her heart sank. The world seemed to darken. Visions of the household’s vengeful spirits, screaming in fury, flashed before her.
Breathing grew difficult. Had she ever felt fear this crushing? Now that she knew peace, terror had become equally vivid.
She knew these visions were just Luke’s curse—but shaking them off wasn’t easy. It felt like facing the worst possibility she’d been avoiding.
Just as she was drowning—
“Mori, wake up! Mori!”
Cheshion’s voice.
“Are you okay? Was that a death curse?”
Gremory slowly opened her eyes. The warmth in his face as she saw him—she loved it.
“Hug me.”
“Huh?”
“I want you to hold me right now.”
In the dark underground, Cheshion froze at the sight of Gremory’s slightly reddened eyes.
Then he hugged her. And didn’t let go until she was satisfied.
