WTBHI 37

Chapter 37

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That day, Gremory was in an absolutely foul mood. She’d had a bizarre and unpleasant dream.

“What are the witches doing now? Have they given up on finding me and decided to offer up my mother as a sacrifice instead?”

But that didn’t seem to be the case. Lately, low-level witches disguised as black beasts had been prowling around the Grand Duke’s estate.

Today was no different. A low-level witch, disguised as a black crow-tit, flew right over the Grand Duke’s manor. Gremory, currently in the form of a cat, leapt up and snatched the bird mid-air, slamming her down into a secluded patch of grass where no one was around.

The two witches tumbled to the ground and quickly shifted back into their human forms.

Standing over the small girl with black hair, Gremory bared her fangs.

“You there—low-level witch. Why are you lurking around here? Did someone order a search of this place?”

“No! I was just looking for a comrade who went missing near here! But… wait—Gremory?!”

The girl trembled as she shouted, but Gremory looked down at her with crimson-tinted eyes.

“How are things in the Demon Realm?”

“Same old! The mid- and high-level witches just complain all day and make us do all the work. I mean, even if we did manage to find you somehow, how are we supposed to drag you back to the Demon Realm? We’d just end up dead.”

The young witch blinked up at her, eyes wide with a pathetic sort of innocence.

“Quiet. Your situation’s unfortunate, but I can’t let you leave alive. You know I’m here now.”

“I’m not really looking to survive anyway. Living just means being a slave to the high-ranking witches forever. I’d rather you chop my head off now and get it over with. But so you were here all along… Isn’t this the nest of Grand Duke Cession Edel?”

Even in the Demon Realm, Cession’s name was well-known—especially after he officially banned witch hunts. The witches saw this as a chance to disappear from the world stage entirely.

For nearly ten years, they ceased all activity, trying to reinforce the idea that witches no longer existed. The plan was to resume operations slowly, quietly. That way, if disasters happened, people wouldn’t assume witches were behind them—they’d think it was a coincidence or a natural event.

While the plan was still in motion, only the low-level witches continued working in secret. Their purpose? To bring misfortune to humans for the high-level witches’ amusement. Those powerful witches could survive just fine on the energy of the Demon Realm, yet still treated the lower ones like servants, savoring human suffering as if it were a delicacy.

Gremory used to be indifferent to all that. She’d felt no sympathy for the lower ranks. They were born that way—so they lived that way. That’s all.

But now… she didn’t know why. Something about this bratty little crow-tit’s words rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe it was the lingering unease from the dream. Either way, she didn’t feel like killing this girl.

She wanted to believe she was different now. Different from the other witches… and different from the person she used to be.

“Go back to your contractor. I’ll let you live.”

“What? You’re letting me go? Did I hear that right?”

“You heard me. I’ll just erase your memory of seeing me. Go back and don’t come near here again.”

The girl stared at her, then let out a snort.

“Wow, Gremory. Showing mercy? That’s so… un-witch-like. It’s almost funny.”

“You should be bowing and thanking me, not laughing.”

“I already told you—I don’t care about living. Better to get beheaded now than live as a slave. So don’t do anything out of character. Just kill me.”

“What do you know about me that makes you think it’s out of character?”

“I may be weaker than you, but I’ve been alive a lot longer. I can tell—you’re holding back your nature because you want to live among humans. Maybe you’ve even felt emotions through them that you couldn’t otherwise.”

Gremory’s brow furrowed. The girl chuckled and poked her shoulder with a finger.

“I’ve seen plenty of witches like you. I even knew one who fell in love with a human. You know how that ended? Miserably. All of them. So stop pretending to be something you’re not. Be a real witch—kill me, and corrupt your summoner’s soul while you’re at it.”

“Shut it. I don’t have a summoner.”

“What? Then how are you even in the human realm—?”

“Ahhh!”

Gremory cast a memory-erasing spell. The girl blinked, then turned back into a bird and flew far into the distance.

“…Why do I feel so uneasy?”

She rubbed her aching chest. Maybe it was the girl’s words. Or maybe it was her mother’s voice, echoing up from the place she’d tried to bury it.

“You feed on human misfortune. You can’t be happy with humans. Their affection for you won’t last.”

…Come to think of it, neither her mother nor the little witch had been wrong. Witches and humans couldn’t coexist. And she was a fugitive. Sure, it was just low-level witches for now—but a high-level one could show up at any moment and wreak havoc.

And if that happened, would the people in this manor still treat her the same?

“They could kick me out at any moment, and it would be justified.”

For their sake, maybe she should leave. But at the same time, a greedy little desire began to grow.

She didn’t want to leave.

She was afraid that if she did, she’d go back to her old life.

“I don’t ever want to go back to that.”

For the first time, Gremory wished she could hide the fact that she was a witch.

Still in cat form, she padded toward the one place where she could calm that rising panic.

To the man who had once promised her that even if the sky split in two and the world was consumed in fire, he would never let her go.

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* * *

Cession was busy working in his office when he suddenly froze. A black cat had burst in through the window, trotted right up to him, and plopped herself down on his lap.

“What are you doing? Start petting me.”

“Huh? Oh—okay.”

Without thinking, Cession followed her command. As he stroked her head, the cat let out a contented purr.

His thoughts kept drifting back to her—those ruby-red eyes drowsily watching him. Their eyes met and stayed locked for quite a while.

“…Get back to work. I’m done now.”

The cat hopped off his lap and made her way to the sofa where his coat lay. She curled up in it and dozed off.

His quill paused mid-air. In the past, he’d just been startled when she did things like this. But now, he was starting to wonder.

“Why does she only want me to pet her? Why is she obsessed with my clothes? Is there a reason?”

She didn’t act like this with Isolene or anyone else.

A faint blush crept across Cession’s face.

“Hey… Mori?”

“What?”

“Do you like it when I pet you?”

“Yeah. It’s comforting.”

“What about someone else? If someone else tried to pet you?”

“Never tried it. Don’t know.”

“What if someone did try—would you let them?”

“Why? Are you getting tired of doing it?”

Gremory tilted her head, her red eyes gleaming with suspicion. Cessian, flustered by the sharp tone, quickly shook his head.

“N-No, not at all. I was just curious.”

“Then don’t ask strange questions. Keep petting.”

“Right… Got it.”

Cessian silently resumed stroking her fur. The soft purring resumed, almost like a tiny vibration against his hand. The atmosphere settled into a warm, quiet lull, but his heart kept beating louder than it should have.

He kept telling himself not to think too much about it, but the questions wouldn’t stop.

Why did she only behave like this around him?

Why did she insist on curling up in his coat, and no one else’s?

Why did it feel like she was clinging to him—no, depending on him?

‘No. I shouldn’t assume. She might just be using me because it’s convenient.’

Even so, a part of him… didn’t want her to leave.

Just then, the cat shifted in her sleep, letting out a tiny sigh. Cessian stared down at her curled-up form, then whispered as if testing the thought aloud.

“…You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

The cat didn’t respond. But in her sleep, her tail twitched.

The tail’s twitch seemed almost like a response.

Cessian narrowed his eyes slightly. The warmth in his lap was comforting, but his instincts were too sharp to ignore.

He leaned in a bit, lowering his voice.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, but… I don’t dislike it.”

Gremory’s ears twitched.

His fingers paused for a second, then moved again, brushing gently through her fur.

“You’re not an ordinary cat. I’ve known that since day one. But even so… I’m not planning to push you away.”

He didn’t expect an answer.

But then, Gremory slowly opened her eyes. Her red pupils gleamed, not with drowsiness, but with sharp focus—like a person who had been listening the entire time.

“…So what if I am hiding something?”

The words were clear. Calm. Soft.

Yet they struck him like lightning.

Cessian froze. For a long second, neither of them moved. His hand hovered above her head, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

“You… You really can talk…?”

Gremory yawned, unfazed. Her voice came again, nonchalant.

“I never said I couldn’t. You just never asked properly.”

He gaped.

She stood on all fours now, stretching like any other lazy cat, then turned to look at him over her shoulder.

“You’re interesting, Cessian. So, I let my guard down a bit.”

And then—

With a flash of crimson light, her form blurred.

The small cat was gone.

In her place stood a girl—no, a young woman—with crimson eyes, raven-black hair cascading like silk, and a calm, mischievous expression. She was draped in what appeared to be his oversized coat, barely hanging on her shoulders.

Cessian’s mouth opened in disbelief.

“You’re…”

“Gremory,” she said smoothly, as if reintroducing herself for the first time.

“A demon. And your companion… for now.”

Cessian couldn’t speak. His mouth moved, but no words came out. The revelation had shaken him—more than he was willing to admit.

He wasn’t afraid. Not exactly. But the woman standing before him, wearing the same sharp eyes as the cat who had sat quietly on his lap, felt like an entirely different being.

“You’ve been… a demon… this whole time?”

Gremory tilted her head slightly. “That’s a harsh way to put it. I’ve always been me.”

She began strolling casually around the room, barefoot, her steps utterly soundless. “You were fun to watch. Always so serious, so focused. I was curious how long you’d last before cracking.”

Cessian’s brow twitched. “So, I was just a source of entertainment to you?”

“Not just.” She stopped and turned toward him. Her tone softened. “You’re not like the others. You didn’t treat me like a tool, or a beast. You treated me with… warmth.”

She paused, her crimson eyes locking with his.

“That’s rare.”

For a moment, the air felt heavier—more real. Like something unspoken had passed between them.

Cessian exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “Alright. Let’s assume I believe you. What do you want from me now?”

Gremory smiled, a bit more gently this time.

“I already have what I want. I’m here because I chose to be.”

His gaze narrowed.

“And if I asked you to leave?”

She shrugged. “Then I’d go. But you won’t.”

“…Confident.”

“Only when I’m right.”

There was an awkward silence. Cessian looked down, then around at the room—the same room where he had spent weeks with a quiet, oddly intelligent cat who now stood before him in human form.

He wasn’t sure what to think.

But strangely… he didn’t feel betrayed.

Not really.

“I’m not sure if I’m a fool… or just too tired to care,” he muttered.

Gremory chuckled, a soft, bell-like sound.

“Why not both?”

Then, suddenly, her voice shifted—low and almost wistful.

“You were the first to let me stay. No questions. No chains. No fear. That’s worth more than you know.”

The playful air had thinned. A rare honesty lingered between them.

“…Alright,” Cessian finally said, rising from the chair. “Then stay. But no more secrets. From now on, we talk.”

Gremory blinked. Then slowly, a warm smile tugged at her lips.

“Deal.”

As moonlight poured through the window, casting long shadows across the floor, the strange and quiet bond between a knight and a demon deepened—no longer built on silence, but on truth.

And perhaps… something more.