“Well, do you think I’ll ever have another wedding?”

“Why are you so sure you won’t? You’re still young, who knows, a very nice man around you might propose.”

As soon as Leonard finished speaking, Cordelia laughed. If anything, it was closer to a sneer.

“Who do you think I would marry again, Master?”

“Well.”

“I don’t want to. Once is enough for such a terrible experience.”

Obvious disgust appeared on her face. Seeing her more negative attitude towards marriage than expected, Leonard had no choice but to close his mouth. Cordelia removed the towel from his back as if changing the subject.

“This should be enough. The doctor said it’s not good to do it for too long.”

“Alright.”

“Then I’ll go check on Roti for a bit. Get some rest.”

Cordelia smiled brightly, unlike a moment ago. The warmth of her hand that had touched him was gradually fading. He suddenly found it painful to face Cordelia.

* * *

“I’m curious about something.”

Cordelia said while giving Roti pieces of dried duck jerky one by one. Roti lay on the chaise lounge, nimbly catching and eating them one by one.

[What is it?]

“Why do you protect me? Like before in Diloa or the territory, come to think of it, there’s no reason for you to risk your life to protect me for no reason.”

[You’re asking that now. How quick you are, young human.]

“Come on. It’s only been a few days since I’ve been able to talk to you like this?”

When she first brought Roti to this mansion, his ribs were all crushed and it seemed doubtful he would survive, but it seems the claim of being a high-level magical beast wasn’t a lie as he recovered almost completely in just four days. Moreover, for some reason after the Nazabut incident, Cordelia became able to communicate smoothly with Roti.

“Is it because I take such good care of you? Like, returning a favor or something?”

[You’re making quite a fuss over just giving me a few pieces of meat.]

Roti snorted as if he found it rather amusing.

“Ugh. If that’s not it, I can’t think of any other good reason. So what is the reason?”

[We made a contract.]

“A contract? Magical beasts can make contracts too? What kind of contract?”

[I can’t tell you the specifics. That’s also part of the contract.]

“Then who did you make the contract with?”

Roti silently snatched the last piece of jerky from Cordelia’s hand and chewed it noisily. Realizing he was avoiding answering, Cordelia gave up asking further.

“Anyway, thank you, Roti. If it weren’t for you, I really would have died several times.”

[Hmm.]

Roti turned his head away quickly, avoiding her gaze as if a bit embarrassed. Finding that cute and feeling grateful, Cordelia gently stroked Roti’s body. Usually he would have subtly avoided it, but today he quietly accepted her touch.

She felt inexplicably proud. It seemed like he had opened up to Cordelia a little.

Knock knock.

A polite knock was heard from outside. When she said to come in, the door opened.

“Baron?”

“Do you have a moment?”

“Of course. What is it?”

Cordelia got up from her chair, leaving Roti, and approached the Baron. He smiled kindly and said:

“It’s a nice day, would you like to go out for a walk together? I realized I haven’t properly introduced you to Wilas yet.”

“Sure!”

Cordelia grinned and quickly grabbed her hat and parasol. Roti got up to follow her. Seeing this, Cordelia hurriedly tried to stop him.

“I’m fine, Roti. You haven’t fully recovered yet. Rest.”

[What are you talking about? I’m just going to get some water.]

“…”

Well, if that’s the case.

Cordelia pouted her lips as she left the mansion with the Baron.

As the Baron said, the walk was quite enjoyable thanks to the moderate sunlight and cool breeze. Moreover, he was very knowledgeable and knew even the sad legends behind the statues erected along the way, making it fascinating.

After walking for a while, they passed by the park that Nazabut had wrecked. The scattered piles of stones and remnants of broken trees here and there explained the urgency of that day.

Cordelia stopped briefly in front of it.

“Why did Lydia make such a choice?”

“Even if you have ninety-nine, human greed wants to make it a hundred.”

“Is Master the last hundredth?”

“You know well.”

The Baron stared for a long time at the dried black bloodstains remaining on the park floor. Cordelia’s gaze was drawn there as well. At the same time, she recalled Lydia, whose mind and body had been completely taken over by the demon.

When she first saw her, she was the most perfect woman in the world, but what exactly turned Lydia into a monster?

Love?

Was it that great love that dragged her down to this bottom?

“Love is really scary, isn’t it?”

“What Lydia Elfenbaum did wasn’t love.”

The Baron spoke so firmly that Cordelia couldn’t help but turn to look at him.

“It’s just stubbornness and obstinacy mixed with greed. She put the nice-sounding name of love on the act of forcing her emotions onto others.”

It was a rather scathing and blatant criticism. Since he was always someone who spoke roundaboutly with a jovial laugh, she expected him to express it moderately this time as well. Cordelia looked at the Baron with a surprised expression.

The Baron continued without stopping.

“To her, the Master was just like a shiny jewel that was difficult to obtain. If the Master’s position had been below hers, she would have done even more terrible things. Ah, she already did.”

“She threw away everything she had just for greed?”

“Hehe. People often throw away everything they have for vain things.”

The Baron smiled kindly. Unlike his friendly tone, the content was somewhat cynical. Cordelia suddenly became curious.

“Then, what is love?”

“It’s not difficult. Love is simpler than you think.”

Somehow the conversation seemed to be flowing in an unexpected direction, but Cordelia was willing. They gradually moved away from the blood-stained park.

“It’s the desire to do anything and everything for that person, to give them everything. Even if it means putting yourself through pain.”

“Hmm? Is that all?”

She expected some grand, noble words of sacrifice, but the Baron’s answer was unexpectedly concise.

“Of course, everyone defines what love is differently, but that’s how I see it.”

“The desire to do everything for them.”

“Is there someone who makes you feel that way?”

“Well…”

Cordelia carefully looked back on her life. Thinking of her father and brother still made her teeth clench. Her feelings toward her late mother were deep longing and nostalgia. And when she thought of Leonard…

“I don’t think there is anyone yet.”

She placed her hand on her left chest for a moment, then shook her head.

The Baron looked at Cordelia with a subtle gaze. However, he never rushed Cordelia. If it was something that could be resolved in a hurry, Cordelia would have long since walked down the wedding aisle at Atilei. Everything has its order.

“I see. I hope that love finds its way to you someday, Lady Cordelia.”

Cordelia smiled faintly at the Baron’s words.

The two of them walked for quite a long time after that. As the sun climbed to its zenith, it became a bit harder to walk due to the heat.

“Shall we head back?”

“That would be good.”

They were about to turn around and retrace their steps. Suddenly, the Baron stiffened his body. He quickly scanned the quiet road they had walked along. Cordelia tensed up in response.

“What’s wrong?”

“No way. Please, wait here for a moment.”

“What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing. I just need to check something.”

He took Cordelia to an open-air cafe near the main road. Then he hurriedly disappeared somewhere, leaving only the words that he would be right back and to wait here.

Cordelia sat in a chair, idly passing the time. The surroundings were quiet, and hardly anyone passed by.

“Hello, my lady. Would you buy just one flower? My young siblings at home are starving.”

Just then, a boy approached hesitantly. While Wilas was relatively wealthy and there weren’t many beggars on the streets, that didn’t mean there were none at all.

The dirt on his face looked pitiful. Cordelia rummaged in her pocket and handed him a 1 linkit coin.

“Give me just one.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, my lady!”

The boy handed her a flower and disappeared as if running away.

Cordelia looked at the flower the boy had given her. It was a white daisy, commonly seen anywhere.

She buried her nose in it and inhaled its scent. Along with the smell of unripe grass, there was a very faint sweet scent.

The moment she smelled it, she realized. This wasn’t the scent of a daisy flower.

“Huh?”

The ground tilted. More precisely, her body tilted helplessly.

Cordelia flailed her hands in the air. It was an effort to steady herself, but the world collapsed in vain.

The ground rapidly approached. Cordelia squeezed her eyes shut. Fortunately, her body stopped just before colliding with the ground. Someone’s strong arm was holding her.

She managed to turn her head to see who it was, but the backlight made it difficult to see their face clearly. It wasn’t just because of the backlight, but because her body kept losing strength and her eyelids kept sinking, leaving her without even the strength to see anything.

It felt like her body was tumbling into an endless abyss.

“It’s been a while.”

That voice.

Cordelia instantly recalled where she had heard the voice that struck her ears. However, she couldn’t utter the name of the voice’s owner.

She tried desperately to maintain consciousness, but her mind faded to black right there.