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With Allen’s death, the Marquis successfully seized the advantage, managing to repel the remaining forces. The existing entities were scattered beyond the torture chamber, losing their focal point, and the Marquis swiftly stabilized the situation from the threats posed by the enemies.

Reconstruction would take quite some time due to the extensive damage, but that would fall to those who considered themselves the heads of the Marquis household. Siabel seemed to have residual duties left with the Marquis, but there was nothing urgent for Shione and me at that moment.

Despite the chaos outside, after Ileyana Kalia declared victory in the war, all immediate fires were extinguished, promising that the heads of families would provide due rewards in the near future. Subsequently, we could enjoy a proper peace in the top-tier chamber prepared by the Marquis.

So, it seems—

‘She’s been sleeping all day.’

Even with the sun high in the sky, Shione showed no signs of awakening.

Perhaps it was due to her severe mana exhaustion from earlier; after all, she hadn’t been able to rest properly.

With nothing to do, and not wanting to be pulled into trouble by someone else while idling in my room, I had come to Shione’s room without permission. However, the fact that Shione was sleeping so deeply was indeed rather boring.

I reflected on the events that had transpired thus far.

‘Allen is dead, but the demon remains alive.’

It was quite literal.

Upon rejoining with Siabel at the battlefield, I found that Allen was already dead. However, the critical issue was that the demon manipulating him was still very much alive.

It was fortunate that the Marquis hadn’t descended upon the capital unprepared for the demon, but the lingering feeling of not being able to uproot the cause left an unpleasant impression.

‘Ileyana Kalia mentioned she would inform the royal family.’

Not just the Count’s House, but everyone in the kingdom must be prepared for the demon.

Ileyana Kalia, already well-known within the mansion, was preparing to visit the royal family to convey this intent.

The battles at both the Count’s House and the Marquis’s domain, along with the fight in the Great Forest right next door, would surely herald new changes for the kingdom.

And—

‘My mana has increased a lot.’

With the demon that had been interrupted by its own mischief now gone, the conditions for the rewards I had been unaware of were fulfilled.

My mana capacity had grown considerably. It was no longer just a glass cannon, but rather, I had amassed a solid foundation that could now reliably manage even a high-level spirit.

In addition to that, my senses had returned in many ways, and I had gained numerous enhancements, but the most crucial aspect was this.

‘The fact that the demon has weakened is the biggest news.’

The demon of illusion and deception had failed to manifest in the world due to Allen’s blunder.

It seemed it had put a lot of effort into manipulating Allen to catch a breath of the continent’s air. As a result, all plans had backfired, weakening it considerably.

The Status Window even showed signs of glee, indicating that the demon had lost power; thus, for a while, it would not be able to interfere significantly as it had during the war at the Marquis’s residence. Neither the Marquis nor the Count’s House would be able to handle a full-fledged demon yet.

‘I wonder if she’s still breathing.’

Unknown to Shione, whenever she was deeply fatigued, she sporadically let out a cute snore. Given how deeply she had fallen asleep, it wouldn’t be surprising if I heard that adorable sound…

I slowly walked over and drew back the curtains of the window. The excuse to wake Shione would be that skipping meals isn’t good for the health. As her personal attendant, if I didn’t do it, who would wake her from her sweet slumber?

Moreover, as I opened the window, I saw Shione wriggling like a caterpillar.

Without hesitation, I grabbed her blanket.

“Princess Shione, it’s time to wake up. Skipping two meals isn’t good for your health.”

Swish—

As I moved the blanket aside, Shione’s clothes came into view.

A thin negligee that made her underwear semi-transparent. I was momentarily taken aback by her choice of clothing, which was far from her usual loose-fitting cotton attire.

“Uh…?”

Startled, Shione turned her body towards me.

Her blue eyes, partially concealed by her bangs, burned a hot shade of blue.

Isn’t it said that the higher the temperature, the bluer the flame?

In that sense, Shione contained that scorching fire within her gaze, which I knew well what it was burning from.

I subtly replaced the blanket back to its original position and spoke.

“Now that I think about it, you could probably sleep a little longer. I’ll prepare a simple lunch—”

Thump.

Shione grabbed my wrist.

“I’m fully awake now!”

Contrary to her words, Shione did not look like someone who had just woken up.

It seemed she had awakened while I was unaware and had been waiting for this moment. Such determination!

“…Aren’t we supposed to go to the Count’s House soon? Siabel is preparing the carriage for our return as we speak.”

“Shameful.”

Shione bit my arm.

The force was stronger than expected, leaving her bite mark on my arm.

“…That hurts. What’s this all about?”

“Oh, look at that cute bite mark. Check this out, Ray.”

Shione marveled at the mark she had left on me.

I could only sigh at the thought of how hard she must have bitten down to achieve such satisfaction. The surrounding skin was turning red.

“Can I do it again?”

“Will that be alright? This actually hurts more than you might think. Keep this up, and I might bite you back.”

Her words made Shione’s cheeks flush red, as if something had stirred within her.

“This is something the male protagonist does for the female lead, you know.”

“Excuse me?”

“…I read it in a book. It’s my favorite scene, so I wanted to try it out.”

“Are you talking about those novels in the bookshelf in your room, Princess Shione?”

Shione nodded.

I vaguely recalled a book with an absurdly long title that occasionally caught my eye; I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of content it contained.

“…Really, are you going to do it?”

“….”

Thanks to that, my words felt like mere fuel being tossed onto a small flame.

With the unexpected arrival of the negligee and all that ensued, time that had once dragged on at a snail’s pace now flowed quickly.

As we joked and played around, the atmosphere coolly settled down. Shione then spoke as she tapped into her mana.

“Once we return to the Count’s House, I need to ask my mother to find a wizard for me. I’m sure there are improvements to be made on this spell.”

“Improvements, you say…?”

“This was a spell established during our ancestor’s lifetime. Throughout the years, the wizards of the kingdom have gathered vast amounts of information and advanced their magic. Though it is undoubtedly a highly completed spell, there’s a chance it could be further developed from here.”

“That’s a good choice.”

It was a commendable thought.

Wanting to improve upon the magic she had gained rather than being satisfied with it was truly praiseworthy.

Especially since the only wizards I knew seemed to go crazy over completed magic. They would surely be intrigued by the mysterious spell Shione had in her hands.

“…And I also need to look into Herrel again.”

Herrel was a name I had never heard of before from Shione.

Yet, something about the name felt eerily familiar. After racking my brain, I began to recall who it referred to.

“If it’s Herrel, then you mean Princess Shione’s former personal attendant, right?”

“You know Herrel?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but I got a notebook left by the previous attendant when I was receiving training as a servant. The last page had Herrel written on it.”

Back when I first joined the Count’s House.

There was indeed a notebook containing trivial things, like how to clean Princess Shione’s room and what snacks she liked. However, I had only glanced at it, and it was soon forgotten. If the Count’s House hadn’t interfered, that notebook would likely still be in my room.

“Can I see that notebook when we return?”

“Of course.”

What’s so significant about showing a single notebook?

I simply hesitated to bring it up, as it seemed Shione and that attendant had some connection I couldn’t easily discuss.

To lighten the mood, I decided to speak as if I were a traveler suffering from nostalgia, finally able to return home.

“There will be many tasks awaiting us upon returning to the Count’s House. With magic and faction matters, and you still need to burn my slave contract, right?”

“True. It won’t be easy to have an extended break this time. But don’t worry. I prioritize you, Ray, above all else—before factions or magic.”

Shione’s sparkling smile radiated warmth.

“I’ll burn your contract first when we get home. Oh, and—”

Comparing her smile to that of a fox brings to mind a sense of cunning lurking within.

*

A few days later, stories between the Marquis and the Count’s House, led by Siabel, were finalized. With all preparations for supplies and transportation for our return to the Count’s House in place, we set out without delay.

The Count’s House had played a significant role in subduing the demon of the Marquis, and having already become one of their heroes, the members of the Marquis gathered for farewell greetings before we departed.

Carriages lined up, with soldiers from the Marquis watching over them, maintaining a dignified formation as a salute.

‘Ah, there’s Eunice and Abel.’

Once Siabel finished her farewells, they finally approached us.

We exchanged brief pleasantries.

“Princess Shione, Sir Ray. We’ve received tremendous help from you. We will absolutely not forget this favor.”

Before I knew it, my title had changed to “Sir,” and while I was still conscious of that title, Shione responded while shaking Eunice’s outstretched hand.

“The next time we meet, I expect you to be the head of the family, Lady Shione. I look forward to that.”

As the two noble ladies conversed, Abel directed his attention to me, and the moment we shook hands, I could perceive a peculiar element.

‘…This is.’

Though he didn’t possess mana, it felt as if he had the aura of a knight imbued with mana.

Now that I looked closely, he seemed to have entered a new level, wearing a face filled with confidence unlike any before. I heard he was to be recognized for his efforts and appointed to command a new battalion.

After battling a madman like Allen and finally seeing a well-adjusted person made me smile lightly.

“It seems you’ve reached a new level.”

“Thanks to you, Sir. I’ve finally found a way forward.”

Abel replied with a grin.

“The eradication squad I’ll be leading will become a sturdy ally for the Count’s House in defeating demons together.”

Eradication squad.

That battalion he acquired was specifically established to hunt down demons.

I had no idea how capable or influential they might become, but a new ally against demons was always welcome.

Having exchanged our last farewells, we boarded our carriage.

“Shione, let’s go back. Your mother has been looking for you all day.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’ve also been absent, so she must be quite distressed.”

Through winding mountain paths, expansive plains, and various towns and small villages, sometimes crossing valleys, we finally glimpsed a city with a massive fortress that didn’t pale in comparison to that of the Marquis.

Homecoming.

We had finally reached the Count’s House.

 

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