Adel lowered her gaze to the floor, unable to meet Padre’s eyes, her gaze wandering around his chin.

“You say His Highness applied holy oil to the clothes he will wear.”

“…It’s not an unusual practice. Isn’t it deliberately done in the north where demons are rampant?”

“Of course, I heard His Highness was not affected at all. If something evil had taken hold, he would have been in pain.”

“Holy oil can have delayed effects. It doesn’t always manifest as pain. The common symptom is losing consciousness for a while.”

Adel shook her head.

“I haven’t seen His Highness lose consciousness or be in pain. Neither have the servants.”

“Naturally, it’s an issue that needs to be observed for a full day.”

“I was hasty in contacting you. I know how embarrassing it is to go back on my words after you made the effort to come here. But…”

“Lady Adelheit.”

Adel pressed her lips tightly shut. Padre, who had been looking down at her with a stern face, let out a deep sigh. Then he spoke in a gentle, soothing tone.

“When faced with something difficult to understand rationally, people show one of two reactions. Either rejection or active worship.”

“…”

“Nevertheless, whatever choice is made, it cannot be ignored.”

Adel’s pale chin trembled slightly. Padre’s words were like a sharp awl digging into her conscience. In truth, as he said, she desperately wanted to turn a blind eye.

Just because she had tasted a small piece of the unconditional affection she had longed for so much…

“But the animals’ behavior has changed.”

Adel spoke, her cheeks flushing with shame.

“You know how well livestock can smell demons. They’re usually too scared to even approach, tails tucked between their legs. But just now…”

“Adel. I know well that animals have keener senses than anyone. They detect and warn very quickly when a predator sneaks in among people. But when it lowers itself pretending to be human and mingles among people, eventually the scent becomes similar.”

“…”

“They’ve adapted to the situation. Didn’t you write to me yourself that the livestock were afraid when they saw the Grand Duke?”

“That was…”

“In such cases, it’s better to follow your initial gut feeling. Trust me.”

“…”

“Neglecting a demon will only lead to greater harm. Many people could die. Adelheit. You have made a noble report to me.”

Adel barely raised her pale face to meet Padre’s eyes. The priest’s gentle eyes seemed to instill some courage in her. However, as if a hole had already been punctured in her heart, the courage and support Padre breathed into her failed to fill her chest and simply flowed out.

It was difficult even for her to understand. Was Valentin truly an evil demon, having cast some spell on her in that short time?

“What… should I do?”

She managed to ask. Her lips felt so stiff, as if they weren’t her own. Padre took out a small glass bottle from his bosom and placed it in Adel’s hand.

“Since holy oil was applied to his body, if he is a demon, he won’t easily wake from sleep tonight. Request to share his bed tonight. Then, try to shake him awake, and if His Highness doesn’t regain consciousness, use this medicine.”

As if he had been carrying it for a long time, the bottle was warm with body heat. Was that why? The green liquid inside looked ominous.

“What is this?”

“It’s a method used within the order. Apply it to the tip of a blade and then stab. About a finger joint deep.”

“…And then?”

“Look through a mirror.”

“What should I look for in the mirror?”

Padre’s eyes, rarely devoid of all smiles, stared directly at Adel. It was a gaze so sharp and keen that it seemed capable of scraping out even the deepest, hidden recesses of the soul without leaving anything behind.

Adel’s hand holding the bottle trembled slightly.

“If it truly is a shadow, you’ll recognize it at a glance.”

“My lady.”

At the call of the head maid Margaret, Adel raised her head drowsily. Night had fallen without her noticing. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t realized darkness had come.

While Adel was fumbling a bit, the head maid entered the room and skillfully lit the extinguished candles one by one.

“His Highness will arrive in the bedchamber soon. You must prepare now.”

“Al-already?”

Adel stood up hastily from the chair she had been sitting on.

“Yes. These girls will help with your attire.”

At Margaret’s gesture, the maids who entered the room helped Adel undress. The maids lightly wiped Adel’s entire body with fragrant wet towels, and draped a flowy, thin chemise dress over her head.

A golden robe embroidered with a wolf pattern was placed over Adel’s thin shoulders.

“How shall we do your hair?”

“Just… do it any way you like.”

“Then I’ll brush it well and let it down. It would be a shame to put up such pretty hair.”

The maid who answered kindly began skillfully brushing. Adel clasped her hands together as if to hide them as they began trembling with tension. Whenever their eyes met through the mirror, Margaret was staring at Adel with an indescribable, strange gaze. Was it reproach? Or worry?

In fact, even if she were in the head maid’s position, she wouldn’t want to respect a mistress like herself at all. A face filled with terror while waiting for her husband. It must look pitiful, if not downright unsightly…

Adel endured as several adornments were finished, then asked as if suddenly remembering:

“By the way, where is Grita? By now, she should know that His Highness is coming to my room tonight…”

It was strange that Grita hadn’t shown her face at all, even though this was the first night in a practical sense. From the day Valentin returned alive, she had warned incessantly that he should be watched out for.

Perhaps it was because all means of escape were blocked? Knowing that there was no way to leave this place no matter what? After that night when Grita became like that, for some reason Oscar had also run away as if his tail was on fire…

Margaret hesitated a little at Adel’s question before speaking.

“I believe she is resting in a room blessed by the priest. She is still afraid to leave the room for a while. Of course, she has improved a lot since the beginning, but…”

“Is she still unwell? I’ve been so distracted these past few days that I haven’t been able to check on her properly.”

“Her voice hasn’t returned yet, but there’s no problem with movement. It seems she’ll be able to return to her duties in a few days.”

She seemed to have regained stability after seeing Padre’s face, but it appeared her anxiety had flared up again due to the commotion earlier today.

Nevertheless, it was fortunate that she had improved compared to before. Adel let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief at least. I hope she won’t be sick for long.”

With the final touch of applying holy oil to her plump lips, the preparations were complete. It felt terrible, as if covered in poison, but there was no way to refuse since it was a long-standing tradition of the north.

Adel checked her appearance in the mirror placed on one side of the wall.

The vibrant, rosy-cheeked appearance from the morning had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a woman standing there, pale as a ghost.

“Then we shall take our leave now.”

After the maids bowed and hurriedly withdrew from the room, Margaret entered carrying a delicate emerald necklace on a soft velvet cushion.

“My lady. This.”

It looked antique, as if passed down for generations to the mistress of the House of Ansgar. It seemed they had prepared thoroughly, as today was the true wedding night in a meaningful sense.

Margaret fastened the necklace around Adel’s slim, white neck. As she was moving her hands slowly, perhaps due to trouble with the clasp, Margaret carefully spoke.

“Um, my lady.”

“Yes, Margaret?”

“I know it’s presumptuous of me to say this, but…”

Margaret’s lips moved silently for a while, unable to continue speaking. Like someone who regretted speaking impulsively, or someone about to say something very uncomfortable.

Adel remembered that Margaret had often looked at her with such eyes.

As if looking at something too troublesome to get involved with, yet not quite able to ignore completely.

The conflict clearly visible on her honest face had always ended with Margaret turning away. But now, for some reason, the wind seemed to have changed.

“What could it be that you’re hesitating so much to say?”

At Adel’s urging, Margaret finally seemed to make up her mind and spoke.

“Wouldn’t it be better to send Grita away now?”

“…”

The two women’s gazes met through the mirror.

While Adel just blinked her eyes, Margaret’s cheeks flushed a mottled red. She seemed to regret giving unnecessary advice that wouldn’t be heeded anyway. Margaret continued, as if trying to smooth things over.

“I thought it might help His Highness adjust here more quickly. Rather than keeping only Grita by your side without any proper maids until now.”

“I understand your meaning. But Grita has nowhere else to go besides here.”

“Wouldn’t Reichenau take her back?”

Adel shook her head.

“The Countess is not such a generous person.”

“…Please don’t be angry. I’m saying this after much consideration. Actually, that person…”

“Margaret, you don’t need to force yourself to say difficult things for my sake.”

Adel abruptly cut off the detailed accusation that was about to follow. Margaret looked at Adel with surprised eyes.

Seeing that expression, Adel smiled faintly.

“Did you really think I knew nothing about Grita?”