TDRL 07

Chapter 07

Diabel said nothing as he watched her. After a moment, he smiled slowly.

“Are you disappointed?”

His question struck Aiana as odd. What a ridiculous question.

“Disappointment requires expectations.”

That was her answer. Diabel smiled faintly.

“Is that so? Good.”

Why did she have to speak so cruelly? She could have just been moderately agreeable.

Aiana gave up trying to understand Diabel. Demons are incomprehensible beings. Trying to understand them is itself a stretch.

Perhaps the very fact that she wanted to understand him meant that she still had expectations for him. She laughed at herself.

“Right. There’s no need for us to be disappointed in each other. I’ll show you the best story, and all you have to do is never betray me and simply assist me.”

A deal shouldn’t involve emotions. Diabel nodded at her words.

Stepping into the banquet hall, it was already crowded with people who had arrived. Everyone was dressed to the nines, chatting amiably.

Fragments of conversation drifted over: other people’s love lives, recent news, what they’d bought, what embarrassments they’d suffered.

Aiana entered alone and looked around. Fleta was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t tell whether she hadn’t arrived yet or was talking somewhere else.

“Oh my, isn’t that Lady Aiana?”

A group of women approached as they spoke. She couldn’t quite remember who they were. Aiana grasped the sides of her dress with both hands, spread it wide, and bowed her head lightly.

“Have you all been well?”

Her movements were birdlike. Her face was full of smiles, like a flower in full bloom. The women burst into giggles at the sight.

“Of course. What an honor to meet you at Lady Fleta’s party.”

Aiana smiled. As they exchanged compliments on each other’s clothes and makeup, the women began to glance behind Aiana. Then one of them cautiously asked.

“Um… is the person accompanying you your guard?”

In her previous life, Aiana would have nodded proudly at such a question. Some of the other women had brought knights or squires as well.

They were all good-looking. Servants were a kind of accessory. Having a handsome servant in tow could make you the center of conversation.

And among them, Diabel was the finest accessory of all. Striking enough to draw everyone’s eyes.

“Yes. He’s my guard, Diabel.”

Aiana played along, matching the women’s mood. Diabel bowed his head slightly in greeting.

“I am Diabel, Lady Aiana’s guard.”

“Oh my. He’s so different from our guard. I’d believe it if you said he was a noble.”

Aiana had heard that Diabel actually was a noble. After his family fell from grace in his childhood, he became a swordsman—but that too must have been a lie. After all, he was a demon.

Just as in her previous life, the women’s eyes sparkled as they spoke. The young ladies began to ask Diabel various questions.

Diabel conversed smoothly, as if he had received training in social graces.

A handsome man who spoke well. The noble daughters forgot he was merely a guard and immersed themselves in conversation.

While everyone’s attention was focused on Diabel, Aiana took a step back.

“If you’ll excuse me. Please continue your chat.”

As Aiana tried to leave, Diabel moved to follow her. Aiana hastily stopped him.

“Diabel, it would be impolite to leave the ladies behind.”

“But…”

“Ladies have their own business. Just how far do you intend to follow me?”

At that, Diabel seemed to catch on and nodded. The other women did the same. Apparently thinking she was going to the restroom, they gently tugged Diabel back.

“Stay and talk with us for a while, Diabel.”

“Yes, all right.”

Aiana smiled gratefully and left. As she exited the banquet hall, a maid approached her.

“Miss, are you looking for somewhere?”

“Where is the ladies’ room?”

The maid silently guided her there. Aiana entered the ladies’ room and stood before the mirror.

Then she waited for time to pass. After a considerable while, she peeked outside. The maid was gone.

Only then did Aiana step out. She was alone in the corridor.

The innocent, lively face from moments ago had vanished. Expressionless, she silenced her footsteps and made her way deeper into Rosell Castle.

Aiana walked along the castle’s corridor. The walls were lined with portraits of the Rosell family. Anzgar’s portrait hung there as well.

She thought later it would be nice to cut off the heads of Anzgar and his children and hang them there instead of the portraits.

How long has it been since I slipped away? About fifteen minutes, I think.

If she stayed away too long, people would surely grow suspicious. Aiana hurried her steps. The interior of Rosell Castle was far larger than she remembered.

Well, that made sense. In her previous life, she had been trapped in the banquet hall and never thought to leave. Back then, she was too busy chatting with the daughters of noble houses.

Diabel had been a more precious accessory than any jewel she wore. She had received so much attention that she wondered if she herself wasn’t the star of the party.

At the same time, she felt both pride and a strange jealousy. Diabel smiling at other noble ladies the same way he smiled at her. Even now, he was probably talking with that angelic smile on his face.

Maybe I should have brought Diabel with me.

It wasn’t because of jealousy. By leaving someone as conspicuous as Diabel behind in the banquet hall, people would reflexively look for his master, Aiana.

But if we were seen together while I was sneaking around, I’d have no excuse.

“Who goes there?”

Yes. Exactly this situation.

Aiana paused briefly at the voice echoing through the corridor. At the end of the long hallway stood a boy. White-haired. The same hair color as Anzgar.

The boy walked toward her. Aiana knew him. She was seeing such a young face for the first time, but she recognized him at once.

It was undoubtedly Erez Rosell.

The man who had visited her in prison and mocked her.

She had encountered him just days ago as well. But his appearance was quite different.

He was a boy, still with traces of youth. He must have been a year younger than her. He had a remarkably young-looking face. His impression was quite different from when he was an adult, but she couldn’t have mistaken him.

A little taller than Aiana, with a gentle-looking face. If Fleta was famous as a beauty, Erez was renowned as a handsome youth.

Yet even seeing such a handsome youth, Aiana’s heart remained frozen cold.

The first time she met Erez in her previous life was about ten years after she began her revenge.

She had met him in a barracks. Erez had grown tall, easily over six feet, and years of repeated war had etched ruthlessness into the boy’s face.

After Anzgar withdrew from the front, the eldest son succeeded him, but the truly outstanding talent was Erez, the second son. Behind the figurehead of the eldest son, Erez expanded his power.

Then the reigning king passed away. There were no other princes. Only the late king’s daughter, the princess.

The princess was soon to marry. The groom was the eldest son of House Rosell. The princess was pure and naive, so real power passed to House Rosell. Aiana had heard that Erez Rosell was the one who orchestrated all of it.

To meet him like this. Even right now, I could…

She wanted to kill him so badly. But not yet. While Aiana suppressed her boiling rage, Erez approached.

“…Lady Aiana?”

Erez’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Aiana. He wasn’t the only one surprised.

How does he know my name?

Well, knowing her name was possible. But the fact that he recognized her face was unexpected.

The two had never officially met at this point in time. Aiana hid her surprise and spoke with an innocent face.

“Oh, yes, that’s right…”

“It’s been a long time.”

With those words, Erez extended his right hand. A long time? For a moment, anxiety flashed through her.

Could it be… did he also come back to the past?

But soon, Aiana regained her composure. Because Erez’s face was far too calm.

If Erez had also returned from the past, he wouldn’t be wearing such an innocent expression.

Aiana, though puzzled, lightly placed her hand over his. Erez carefully kissed the back of her hand.

“I heard there was a party for my sister today. You must have been invited.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But why are you all the way here…?”

Erez spoke with slight puzzlement. No matter how far she had wandered from the banquet hall, she must have come quite a distance.

“I stepped out to get some fresh air and got lost…”

Aiana made a small, wry face. Such an excuse wouldn’t have worked if Diabel had been with her.

But who would suspect a little girl of getting lost? Erez nodded.

“I see. Then, would you like me to escort you back to the banquet hall? Or…”

Erez smiled shyly and continued.

“Would you like to take a walk?”

For that Erez to make such an expression. Even the man called a cold-blooded bastard must have been innocent in his childhood. Startled by the difference, Aiana froze for a moment, then smiled brightly.

“Then I’d be grateful.”

She had expected to be sent straight back to the banquet hall, so this turned out well. There was no harm in talking to this man. Aiana accepted Erez’s escort and headed out into the garden.

In the garden, lobelias grew thickly. From a distance, the elegant purple looked like delicate embroidery.

Compared to the Rosell reputation, the flowers seemed rather modest. But the little buds clustered together, making them quite cute up close.

“My sister likes lobelias,” Erez said, as if excusing himself. Aiana gave a gentle smile.

“I see. Lady Fleta has exquisite taste.”

Aiana spoke naturally. Erez guided her around the garden, speaking lightly.

“My father said lobelias have no place in a marquis’s garden. He said a more dignified flower would be better.”

“Is that so? But these lobelias are really pretty.”

Aiana spoke admiringly with an innocent expression. At that, Erez looked pleased.

“I’m glad you like them. I think they suit you well, Lady Aiana.”

“Oh my, really?”

Aiana feigned being touched. After that, trivial conversation continued. Aiana pretended to listen, but her attention was elsewhere.

When she had been invited to Fleta’s party last time, she hadn’t encountered Erez. Since she had this opportunity to be alone with him, she wanted to use it.

Does Erez know about the attack?

Erez hadn’t yet had his coming-of-age ceremony, nor was he the eldest son. It was unlikely that he had been informed.

If that’s the case, even if I talk to him, it’ll be hard to learn about the traitor or the incident.

Perhaps hoping for that much was too greedy. Still, she might be able to get some information.

Under the warm late-spring sun, Aiana searched for something to say, then suddenly spoke to Erez as if something had just occurred to her.

“I was surprised earlier when you called my name, Sir Erez. And you said ‘it’s been a long time’…”

At that, Erez made a small “Ah.” The boy’s face immediately fell. Aiana was taken aback, not understanding why he seemed disappointed.

“…So you really don’t remember,” he said.