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Bella let out a deep breath, and a puff of mist escaped her lips. She watched as it slowly dissipated in front of her, like a sigh of winter.

A bluish aura began to rise beyond the castle walls. Dawn was breaking.

“Is something wrong, miss?”

Turning her head, Bella saw Blanshe standing there with a worried expression. Bella immediately softened her face.

“It’s just… I can’t sleep.”

“Are you worried about the Count?”

“…Maybe.”

Blanshe’s words hit the mark, and Bella hesitated for a moment before giving up on making excuses. Though Blanshe had served her for a long time and wasn’t always the most perceptive, she could read her master’s heart like an open book. Sometimes, she even noticed emotions that Bella herself hadn’t realized.

Every time Blanshe saw through her like this, Bella would instinctively deny it.

But deep down, she knew. No matter how much she denied it, those emotions were undoubtedly rooted in the depths of her heart.

Suddenly, Blanshe noticed something in Bella’s arms and spoke up.

“That bear doll… Did you bring it all the way here?”

“…I feel empty without it.”

Bella, feeling a bit embarrassed, hid Dmitri in her arms. She knew how it must look to others—a grown woman who couldn’t sleep without a doll.

But Blanshe didn’t laugh or scold her.

“I understand. It’s a precious doll to you, isn’t it?”

“It’s not that precious… It’s just been with me for a long time.”

With a bitter smile, Bella gazed at the Duke’s castle in the distance.

Tristan, who had gone to search the castle, hadn’t returned to the barracks even after a full day.

Tristan had a tendency to lose himself in his work, often neglecting his surroundings. It wasn’t uncommon for him to work late into the night, checking on reconnaissance missions.

But despite that, Bella felt an inexplicable unease today.

“Hee… What a cute doll.”

“?!”

At the voice that came from right behind her, Bella flinched, and someone snatched Dmitri from her hands.

“W-wait?!”

“I never knew the Princess had such a cute side. Hehe…”

The woman with heterochromatic eyes—Helga—had suddenly appeared and was examining Dmitri.

“Why are you here…?”

“I don’t sleep much, so I was waiting for the Count to return.”

Helga, who had been giggling, asked with a sly grin.

“So, were you waiting for our Count too, Princess?”

“…I don’t owe you an explanation. Just give me back my doll.”

“Ah, just a moment.”

Helga inspected Dmitri, even sniffing it.

“What are you doing?!”

“Hmm… I smell something… like the Count’s scent on this doll.”

“W-what?”

For a moment, Bella was startled. Dmitri was a doll she had received from Tristan when she was a child.

But that was strange. No matter how much time had passed, there was no way the scent would still linger…

“Stop talking nonsense. You’re not a dog. And how long are you going to keep sniffing my doll?!”

“Just five more minutes…”

“No! Give it back!”

A small scuffle broke out between the two. Despite Helga’s skills, she was no match for Bella’s agile hands, honed by swordsmanship.

And just as Bella finally grabbed Helga’s hand…

*Rip—*

With the sound of stitches tearing, Dmitri spilled its white stuffing and fell to the ground.

“……”

“……”

The three of them froze at the sight of Dmitri’s ruined form.

“Uh…”

Helga was the one to break the silence.

“So… this is self-defense, right?”

“Blanshe.”

“Yes?”

Bella didn’t answer Helga’s question. Instead, in the lowest voice possible, she gave her loyal servant an order.

“Kill her.”

“M-miss?!”

“Make her suffer the same fate as Dmitri.”

Bella’s shoulders were trembling. Tears were even welling up in her eyes.

Helga, not expecting the usually composed Bella to react so emotionally, waved her hands in panic.

“W-wait! Stop! I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

“I don’t want to hear it. Just die quietly.”

“Give me some time, and I’ll fix it! Ah! If you want, I can even drench it in the Count’s scent…!”

“What good would that do? What are you waiting for, Blanshe? Kill her now and avenge Dmitri…”

Bella stopped mid-sentence.

Someone on horseback was approaching.

*Clip-clop*

The horse came to a halt where they were standing. Recognizing the rider, Bella greeted her with relief.

“Ariel? Did you finish searching the castle?”

“Perfect timing. Everyone’s here.”

“Huh?”

Ariel, who had been searching the castle with the Count until late, looked exhausted. But beneath that exhaustion was a sense of urgency and desperation.

What could have happened?

But Bella was surprised for another reason.

“We need your help.”

The girl who had spoken was riding alongside Ariel.

When the girl removed her hood, Bella couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Your Majesty…?”

*

The flurry of snowflakes stopped.

A heavy atmosphere settled over the snow-covered plain, and the world fell silent as if it had stopped.

“C-count…?”

In the silence, Tristan stood up.

He had suffered injuries that would have killed an ordinary person. The blood staining the snow was proof of that. Yet, he stood up as if nothing had happened.

“Kyaaah?!”

A shockwave sent the maid flying. Tristan’s expression didn’t change as he watched the maid roll across the snow.

*Whoosh*

The severed arm of Ruelberta, which had pierced Tristan’s back, suddenly caught fire. Ruelberta’s eyes widened as he watched his arm consumed by flames.

“What… is this…?”

The flames were pitch black. Like the embodiment of a demon’s dark magic, they quickly consumed the arm without a trace.

The moment Ruelberta saw those abyssal flames that seemed to swallow even light, a primal emotion surged from deep within him.

-Those flames are dangerous.

His instincts were warning him.

He didn’t fully understand, but he instinctively stepped back, sensing that touching them would bring pain worse than death.

*Keeeeee—!*

At that moment, the starving demon roared. Perhaps it was the scent of blood. The demon, now out of control, swung its massive axe toward its prey.

“W-watch out!”

The battered maid screamed. But Tristan just stood there.

*Whoosh—!*

The axe blade, cutting through the cold wind, struck the ground.

Ruelberta, who had devoured three high-ranking demons, was no ordinary foe. The demon he had created with his magic power was of the third rank in the hierarchy—the Blue Thunder Flower.

Though it lacked intelligence, it possessed power capable of easily destroying a castle. A mere graze from its axe would cleave a human in two.

*Splat!*

A spray of bright red blood erupted.

The axe blade cleanly severed Tristan’s left shoulder.

“……”

Yet, Tristan didn’t fall.

Despite the massive blood loss that should have killed him instantly, he simply stared blankly at where his shoulder had been.

“?!”

Then, something strange happened.

From Tristan’s wound, not blood, but black flames began to rise. But this time, it was different.

*Aaaaah—!*

The flames screamed.

It was ‘despair.’ The screams of those who had died miserably in despair.

As the flames grew, their screams became more agonizing.

It was a nightmarish scene. What was even more shocking was that Tristan’s shoulder was regenerating in the blink of an eye amidst that chaos.

*Gaaaaah!!*

The demon that had swung the axe roared and stepped back. The flames that had erupted from Tristan’s shoulder had transferred to it.

The demon thrashed wildly, trying to extinguish the flames. But once the flames took hold, they showed no sign of dying down. Instead, they greedily consumed the demon’s body as if they had a will of their own.

It didn’t take long for the massive demon to disappear. Its calves, knees, thighs, and arms were all swallowed by the flames. Finally, its head was completely consumed, and the black flames subsided.

Not even ashes remained on the snow.

It wasn’t burned—it was annihilated.

The emotion reflected in the demon’s eyes just before it disappeared was… despair.

The ‘Wrath’ demon, Ruelberta, couldn’t hide his confusion.

‘Despair’ was the Demon Lord’s unique trait and fundamental power. He had expected as much.

But Ruelberta hadn’t been wary because he was a high-ranking demon of the Flower of Evil.

While the Demon Lord had the power to overturn the world, at the end of the day, the Demon Lord was still just the Demon Lord. No matter who held the title, ‘despair’ would be meaningless against demons.

Or so it should have been…

‘Is that… the Demon Lord’s ‘despair’?’

Ruelberta was shocked as he watched Tristan, who had just incinerated a high-ranking demon.

He couldn’t believe it. No matter how much time had passed, the Demon Lord was only a threat to humans and lesser demons on the surface.

There was no way he could overwhelm a demon like this.

Moreover, Tristan was a weak human who couldn’t even use magic due to the curse. He had been using ‘Wrath’ until now, but even that was impossible in this situation.

“Hmph… So this is your last resort, Tristan!”

Ruelberta shook off his doubts and fears and ordered the demon.

*Groooooo!*

The remaining demon roared and raised its spear toward Tristan. Though it had no sense of camaraderie, the fact that it had been bested by a mere human must have fueled its rage.

Tristan’s head was overshadowed by the demon’s massive figure.

“Kill him!”

Ruelberta imagined Tristan being shattered by the demon’s log-like spear, but…

“…? What are you doing? Finish him off…”

Ruelberta was dumbfounded as he looked at his loyal servant.

The demon, which had been poised to strike Tristan, was frozen in place.

Only its eyes moved frantically, as if panicked.

As Ruelberta tried to make sense of the situation, Tristan came into view.

Surprisingly, he was quietly crying.

Not out of sadness or joy… but with a face devoid of all emotion.

Tears streamed down his cheeks and fell to the ground. When Ruelberta noticed that the tears were pitch black, he gasped.

Where Tristan’s tears fell… the demon’s massive shadow suddenly stirred.

From the shadow, something rose. It had no face. Its crude form resembled something a child might mold out of clay. It stopped in front of the frozen demon.

“?!”

The thing opened its massive mouth. When Ruelberta saw the sharp teeth inside, he realized what was about to happen.

A mist of blood erupted.

The thing began to greedily tear into the immobilized demon.

As Ruelberta watched his loyal servant being devoured by its own shadow, he let out a small groan.

“What is this…!”

“It’s a nightmare.”

Ruelberta reflexively tried to counterattack the presence behind him, but it was too late.

“Ugh?!”

Just like the demon, Ruelberta was grabbed by the neck by his own shadow.

“‘Despair’ is an abyss.”

The one looking down at the immobilized Ruelberta was the dark noble… Tristan.

“And the abyss is a place where not even a single ray of light can reach.”

“Kuh…!”

Ruelberta glared at him with eyes filled with ‘Wrath.’ Even the strongest human heart would crumble under such ‘Wrath.’

“Don’t get cocky, human!”

The effect was immediate.

Tristan, feeling the all-consuming ‘Wrath,’ froze.

No matter what power ‘Despair’ held, it couldn’t surpass a demon’s. No trait could stand against ‘Wrath.’

But Ruelberta’s expectations were completely wrong.

“What lies in your abyss? Is it ‘Wrath’?”

“?!”

Tristan stared coldly at Ruelberta, unaffected by the ‘Wrath.’ And when Ruelberta saw those eyes, he gasped.

“Just what… are you…?”

Because within them lay an abyss devoid of any emotion—only despair.

 

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