Lady Devil - Chapter 29

#29

Griselda did not say or show anything. She merely planted her suspicious gaze like a splinter into the inside of my chest. After that, it was eerily quiet as if nothing had happened.

The fortress forgot its wailing. As if there had never been such an incident, Johannes no longer had seizures. Though Griselda’s gaze occasionally came to mind, making my chest sting, I was able to feel much more at ease. I naively thought to myself.

The devil seems to have completely disappeared.

Also, the curse I had heard from Winfrid seemed to be nothing more than a malicious rumor. Yes, I easily forgot everything. Forgetfulness was like my nature.

Occasionally, Johannes sought me out. When I was confined to my bedroom due to prolonged illness, he came to see me every day under the pretext of visiting the sick. Though we could only exchange greetings with an invisible wall between us, I had to endure it as best I could despite the disappointment.

The clear scent of flowers lingered in my lonely bedroom in Johannes’ stead. Whenever the flowers wilted, Johannes would always bring fresh angelica from an unknown source. The petals I received like a promise somewhat obscured Johannes’ retreating figure.

However, even the days that weren’t particularly satisfying were not long.

As my condition improved earlier than expected, Johannes’ visits gradually became less frequent. There was no longer any excuse for him to come see me.

Of course, I never took the initiative to seek him out either. I was anxious that someone might find it strange if siblings who rarely even spoke to each other suddenly started spending too much time together. Especially Griselda’s dark gaze would often stand in my way.

Whenever my conversations with Johannes dragged on even a little, she would always wear a haggard, uncomfortable expression on her face, as if she were an unwelcome guest. Though it didn’t seem like she was deliberately showing it off, I had known her long enough to easily read her expression.

At such times, I would cut off the conversation and send Johannes away. Sensing my unease, Johannes refrained from visiting my chambers carelessly. It’s unbearable. Johannes once said in passing. We went for quite a long time without meeting.

Finally, Johannes’ handwritten letters began to arrive. They were love letters. It was then that I first learned the surprising fact that he knew how to read and write.

Do you know?

This is now the Age of Mortals. The era after the omnipotent being reaped immortality like a harvest in one hand. It is a militant age where violence is law, force is power, and the logic of death and strength rules over humans. If it weren’t against faith, there would still be an abundance of lords who use devils. Fortunately, devils have long been abandoned, but war remains the same.

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