Chapter 7
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How long had it been since I’d had such a refreshing morning?
"Hello, Giselle. Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning. I tossed and turned a bit, but I am fine."
Giselle tilted her head with a faint smile. This was our secret code. I had asked her if Deyan and his subordinate had caused any trouble last night, and she was telling me that while there had been minor issues, they were nothing to worry about.
"Is that so? Shall we have some tea together later?"
"Yes, I understand."
This meant she would go and check on the status of the two men.
"The weather is lovely, so I brought out some bright colors for you."
"How about these pearl earrings?"
"They’re all lovely. You two truly have an impeccable sense of style."
"You flatter us."
I finished getting ready, enjoying a lighthearted conversation with the innocent maids who burst into giggles. After breakfast, I took a walk with Giselle. Once I handled a few matters regarding the management of the estate, the morning slipped away.
"Oh, right!"
Just as I was about to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea, I clapped my hands, suddenly remembering.
"I had something else to do, didn't I?"
I had completely forgotten about the existence of Deyan and his hostage. Of course, I had forgotten on purpose.
"I wonder if they’ve eaten? I’m worried."
I sighed deeply, cupping one cheek while speaking in a tone that suggested I wasn't worried in the slightest.
"I wonder if they like sweets."
I packed the fruit, desserts, and light snacks prepared for tea time into a large picnic basket. I didn't forget to grab a colorful mat and a lantern, either.
"Hmm-hmm~"
On the way to the dungeon, I hummed to myself, my steps light and buoyant.
*I hope he’s someone with a weak mental state. I wonder how he’ll be.*
I wanted to obtain the Immortal’s blood and summon the demon as soon as possible.
*This time, I’ll definitely succeed.*
Humming a cheerful tune, I stepped down the dungeon stairs one by one.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Kuh-hem... *cough*, you!"
From inside the dungeon, the sound of someone pathetically banging on the iron bars grated on my ears.
*He has a great sense of rhythm.*
It happened to harmonize perfectly with the tune I was humming.
"Did you have a peaceful night?"
I asked with a bright smile, though an answer wasn't necessary. Deyan Vojislav Nemanjić was curled up in the corner of the cell, covering his ears. The look of utter exhaustion on his face was clear. Meanwhile, his subordinate was hanging onto the bars like a piece of wet laundry, coughing his lungs out.
"Why...! Why are you, *cough*, coming now!"
"That’s up to me, isn't it?"
I replied with a smile to his resentment. Holdin, left speechless, could only open and close his mouth.
In the meantime, Giselle spread the mat near the bars and set out the food. I picked up the sweetest item and slid it through the bars.
"Eat up. I wasn't sure if you liked sweets, so I prepared a variety."
"Do not, *cough*, eat it. Who knows if there is poison in the food?"
"Sir Holdin, you look like you need a refreshing drink. Here."
*Clink, clink, clink.*
The sound of ice-cold fruit juice being poured into a cup filled the dungeon, sounding refreshing just to hear. I set the cup down in front of Holdin, who was staring at the drink with longing eyes, then poured myself a glass and drank it to show him it was safe.
Only then did Holdin gulp down the drink greedily.
"Didn't you think I might have smeared poison on the rim of the cup?"
"Pfft! *Cough*, ack!"
"Oh my. I was only joking."
I said it lightly, and Holdin glared at me with wide eyes. I didn't bother to look away.
"You were looking for me so desperately last night."
I wondered what kind of strange scheme he had cooked up with that brain of his. I was already feeling amused. Holdin, who had been giving me a sour look, shoved the empty cup toward me.
"Yes. I didn't think you would so stubbornly ignore that commotion. May I have another cup?"
"By all means. I also have cold-brewed tea."
"Thank you."
While he bowed his thanks and quenched his thirst, Deyan approached the bars. Of course, he didn't come over because of the food.
"Have you changed your mind?"
"No? Not at all."
"The demon will demand a price far more terrible and immense than you can imagine."
"Is that so?"
I retorted dryly, sipped my tea, and slid a plate toward him.
"Eat. This is the dessert our chef is most proud of."
"I am not just saying this."
"Spare me the lecture. Just tell me what you have to say."
"..."
"You spent the whole time making a scene to find me, so you must have a different proposal, right? Let's hear it."
Caught off guard, Deyan quickly shut his mouth. He cast a sidelong glance at Holdin. When I followed his gaze, I locked eyes with Holdin.
"The person who summoned the demon that cursed His Excellency was my father."
Holdin began to speak abruptly.
"I will explain briefly. We offered a human heart in exchange for summoning the demon. The owner of the heart was the previous Count Nemanich. His Excellency's uncle."
*A heart?*
The two-syllable word lodged itself firmly in my mind.
"Ah. Please do not misunderstand. Everything was done by the previous Count's own will."
Holdin added that Deyan was the only one who hadn't participated in the decision-making at the time.
*Just what did they summon to pay such a price?*
The difference between a heart and thirteen drops of blood was far too vast. I waited silently for him to continue.
"In the Nemanich family, we have sacrificed one of our own for generations to create an Immortal."
"Did you summon a demon that grants the power of immortality in exchange for a heart?"
"Yes. To be precise, he received regenerative abilities comparable to immortality. The price was a terrible urge to slaughter and burning pain."
Comparable to immortality meant it couldn't defy the flow of time. In other words, he would die when he grew old.
*So he isn't a true Immortal.*
"Immediately after receiving the power of immortality, His Excellency killed everyone present, including my father."
"..."
"Even after that, whenever he was injured, he would lose the ability to distinguish friend from foe and kill everyone around him. The urge to slaughter is proportional to the severity of the injury, and when the urge subsides, he must suffer the pain of his body burning."
I glanced at Deyan. He was hunched over like a sinner, silently fiddling with his fingertips. The spots where his fingernails had been torn away.
*A curse because it wasn't a power he sought?*
That was too light a calculation. After all, hadn't he used that power to preserve his life and solidify his authority until now? I felt bad for Deyan, but I wished I could have even that much power.
"Why are you confessing this so readily?"
"I want to propose a trade."
"A trade? You dare?"
Did they truly understand their current situation? I wiped the smile from my face, but Holdin's expression didn't change.
"Please let us meet the demon you intend to summon."
He simply stated his request in a serious voice.
*They’ve already summoned a demon, yet they want to meet another one?*
The son of the man who summoned a demon. And the demon that killed the father of that son. It wouldn't be strange if they were mortal enemies, so for what purpose were they together? And why look for a different demon?
"What is your objective?"
"I consider it my mission to break His Excellency's curse."
"Because it was your father's doing?"
"Yes."
"But you killed your father."
"That was not His Excellency's will. And honestly..."
Holdin hesitated for a moment, his face twisting violently. It wasn't the expression of someone thinking of a respected father.
"I think he deserved to die."
What on earth had they been through? However, my own situation was more urgent than listening to their sob stories.
"I don't care if you consider it unfilial. However, not all fathers in this world are as good as Grand Duke Hubert."
"...That is true."
I smiled sweetly and handed him a plate of dessert as well.
"Ah, thank you."
Unlike Deyan, Holdin accepted it without resistance and stuffed it into his mouth. He must have been quite hungry.
*Did I not tell them to provide meals?*
Now that I thought about it, I only told them to keep watch.
*Well, I’ve provided it now, so it’s fine.*
I brushed the issue aside and continued to listen to the trade Holdin was proposing.
"I will help you summon the demon, Grand Duchess."
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