Despicable and Vicious
“It’s been a while. Did you miss me terribly?”
His deep blue-black hair fluttered in the wind that blew. Even amidst this chaos, he alone appeared aloof and dignified.
Beelzebuth Roel Knight Fevernheim.
The enemy who killed his mother, and currently the self-proclaimed Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army.
“Why no answer? Didn’t you miss me? I longed for you so deeply it ached to my bones.”
Covered in blood from head to toe, he greeted her with natural ease. Heidi barely swallowed the nausea that threatened to rise and parted her lips.
“Likewise. I’m so overjoyed to see you that I’m moved to speechlessness.”
Fortunately, her voice didn’t tremble. Unlike her legs, which she didn’t know how she was managing to keep standing on.
As Heidi barely managed to put on a cynical smile, Beelzebuth began approaching step by step.
“I wondered why no corpses were turning up despite all that poison being spread around. To think our Duke of Ravendeim was serving as regent.”
“What’s wrong? Has your beaten skull been so hot that you couldn’t sleep all this time?”
“What kind of way is that to speak to family you’re seeing after so long? Your low birth really shows in how terribly you’ve raised your child, that bastard.”
“How dare you mention her with that filthy mouth of—!”
“Look who’s talking with that filthy mouth of yours. Where did you leave that damned brother of yours, young lady? Hm?”
Heidi reflexively started to lunge forward but managed to stop herself just in time. She could easily be swept away helplessly by Beelzebuth’s flow.
What she was facing now was a monster, not a human. To avoid becoming a monster herself, she had to keep her wits about her.
Heidi took a deep breath and straightened her posture again.
“Listen, I’ve grown up so well that I even have a carrot-like man I need to marry. I’m planning to have a daughter and a son and see about three grandchildren, so I can’t lie down here. So either come back in about 50 years, or just go away.”
Beelzebuth also leisurely placed his hand on his sword hilt.
“Why are you acting like this, Your Highness? You should know, since you were such a distinguished princess. If you carelessly light a bonfire just because your hands are cold, you’ll only cause a forest fire.”
“Are you introducing yourself?”
Beelzebuth’s smooth face crumpled in an instant.
“Stop playing with fire, Heidi. For old times’ sake, I’ll spare your life.”
“You know you can’t do that, idiot.”
“Then I can’t send you off peacefully either.”
Beelzebuth charged without any preliminary movement.
Clang!
Heidi, who barely managed to block, was pushed back significantly at her heels. Cold sweat broke out naturally, knowing that even this wasn’t his full strength.
“Family, you said? Yet you’re despicably pushing with brute force?”
“Despicable and vicious Beelze—that was the nickname you used to call me. I’m acting just as you want, so what’s there to complain about?”
Beelzebuth put more force into the locked swords and pushed harder. Unable to withstand the momentary pressure, Heidi lost her grip on her sword.
“Ah…!”
The broken blade rolled on the ground, and Heidi clutched her throbbing wrist. For a moment, she feared that broken sword would soon become her own fate.
Having caught the scent of fear, a mocking sneer appeared on Beelzebuth’s lips. Like a cat cornering a mouse, he closed in on Heidi.
“What were you trusting in to be so stubborn when it would end this easily? I find it all rather disappointing.”
“Huff, gasp…!”
Heidi stepped backward, squeezing out her depleted magical power. Only magical power far too insufficient to cast even the simplest magic condensed in her grasp before scattering. It was like trying to light wet firewood.
However, she couldn’t just sit still and wait for a dog’s death.
While Heidi kept trying, Beelzebuth drew his sword as if there was no more time to humor her.
Just like 13 years ago, just like when it had cut through her mother’s flesh and broken her bones. Clumps of blood stuck to the blade fell with a thud.
Seeing that, Heidi felt one corner of her mind grow cold. The bitter chill spread like branches, soon dominating her entire body.
Heidi stopped stepping backward.
“But Beelze, you’re the one who looks pressed for time. You know?”
Thinking it was a final desperate struggle before death, Beelzebuth snorted.
“If you wanted to buy time, wouldn’t it have been better to at least kneel? From this distance, my sword tip can reach your heart.”
“I was curious. That’s why I deliberately came here.”
“…What?”
“Considering the forces you’ve gathered so far, it’s not enough to satisfy you yet, but you keep wagging your tail asking to be caught. It wouldn’t be polite to refuse, so fine, I grabbed it readily. Now I see.”
Beelzebuth lowered his raised sword for a moment. Heidi slowly raised the corners of her mouth and took a step closer to him.
“You needed to hide something, I suppose. But what a shame. You were the one caught in the deception from the beginning.”
Sinister killing intent rose in Beelzebuth’s crimson eyes. They were eyes containing all the hellfire that could exist in the world. Heidi stared firmly into those red eyes and continued.
“That I’m here instead of Ian, that you appeared here and confirmed the garrison location, that Cheshire is across the sea rather than by your side. You were the one who was deceived from the start, Beelze.”
“…….”
Beelzebuth maintained silence for a while. But soon he burst into laughter along with a strangely twisted smile.
“Is Ian in Instantia?”
Heidi pressed her body close to Beelzebuth and whispered like a declaration.
“Expect a big fire. You’d better not wet yourself playing with pathetic little flames.”
Immediately, a purple flash erupted from beneath Heidi’s feet. The manifested magic circle took Heidi and disappeared at once.
****
Helena sat on the bed, staring blankly into space. Beside her lay clothes arranged for an elegant appearance. By now, downstairs would be busy preparing for the evening ball.
But inside her was a boredom-like tranquility. Like before a storm.
Or perhaps she was already inside the eye of the storm. There was such a strangely skin-prickling anxiety. To shake it off, Helena rubbed her arms.
At that moment, a knocking sound was heard.
Tap tap.
Having been lost in thought, Helena didn’t immediately recognize the source of the sound and looked toward the door. However, the sound was much lighter and more cheerful than what would come from knocking on that large oak door.
Tap tap.
The sound rang out once more as if to draw Helena’s attention, and Helena finally turned her head to the right place. It was the tightly locked window.
“Ian!”
Though knowing she was alone in the room, Helena quickly covered her mouth as if she had shouted too loudly. Ian tapped the glass with the back of his hand and whispered through the window crack.
“Open the window for me.”
Helena hurriedly undid the locking mechanism and pulled the window inward.
“Good heavens, this is the 5th floor! What if you fall? How can you be so fearless!”
“Birds perch here just fine.”
“Are you a bird?”
“Dion says I’m a lovebird.”
“Poor Sir Cedrick. I can hear him clutching the back of his neck from here.”
While whispering and exclaiming, Helena grabbed Ian’s arm and led him inside, afraid she might lose him.
Having lightly landed on the carpet, Ian looked at Helena’s simple attire and asked.
“Isn’t the ball starting soon? Why are you still in that state? You even received a dress as a gift from the Empress.”
“A maid who serves is supposed to come to each room, so I was waiting. Considering this is Count Rocton’s mansion, it seems like they’re deliberately sending someone late to my room on purpose… But how did you know I received a dress as a gift? Don’t tell me you were watching everything? From where?”
Instead of answering, Ian looked around the room. Soon his gaze landed on the box he had seen during the day. Ian strode over, picked up the box, and returned.
“I’ll dress you.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I’m skilled at this because of Heidi.”
“No, wait, that’s not the problem…”
Helena urgently grabbed Ian’s hands as he was undoing the knots of her night slip. Ian stopped his movements and checked Helena’s face. Both cheeks were flushed red like radishes. Laughter involuntarily spilled out.
“We’ve even slept embracing in less than this. We’re not in a relationship where we need to worry about such privacy now, are we?”
“D-don’t say strange things. What kind of relationship are we supposed to be?”
Ian gently removed Helena’s hands that were holding him and stubbornly removed the night slip. The satin fabric slid smoothly and fell to the floor. Knowing Ian’s stubbornness, Helena didn’t resist further.
In truth, with the Empress having given her a dress and asked her to attend, she couldn’t be late either.
Helena let out a small sigh and first put on the corset Ian offered. Ian stood behind her and began lacing from the topmost hook downward.
His boastful words weren’t lies—his touch was quite steady. But around the middle, he tightened it somewhat forcefully, making Helena gasp.
Ian whispered an apology and lightly bit the exposed nape of her neck with his lips. Helena gasped even more heavily.
“Wh-what are you doing? What if it leaves a mark?”
“I checked the dress design. This part won’t show.”
“When did you even… Why are you acting so frantically?”
Helena tried to turn around, but Ian wrapped both arms around her waist area and held her in place.
“Just a moment.”
“…….”
“Just stay like this for a moment.”
Ian couldn’t bring himself to say it. That all of this was because of transparent jealousy.
Even knowing that your heart looks at me, I was terribly sick of seeing that man reflected in your eyes. Because I was so childishly and ridiculously envious of Eugene Evergale.
From the moment you and that man appeared as husband and wife, I wanted to do this all along.
Thirteen years of patience became unbelievably difficult to bear when thrown into an atmosphere that naturally treated the two as husband and wife. Though I had prided myself on cultivating a properly refined and controlled heart, it was nothing more than deception.
In Partren, no one called her Eugene Evergale’s wife, which made it possible.
He felt too pathetic to even voice it out loud. Yet despite that, Ian didn’t release the strength from his arms holding Helena.
Helena was flustered by the heat constricting her entire body, then gradually relaxed and gently rubbed the back of Ian’s hand.
Then Ian lowered his head and bit Helena’s earlobe. The naturally exhaled hot breath penetrated and moistened her eardrum. Helena flinched and twisted her body. Ian didn’t stop and buried his head deeper.
At the same time, another knocking sound was heard. This time it was the sound coming from the oak door.
“I’m the maid assigned to attend to Madam’s grooming today. May I come in to assist Madam?”