The Sleeping Devil

His loose, sagging belly jiggled, and his greasy cheeks raised into a smile. Coupled with his drawn-out, slug-like voice, it sent shivers down my spine. His lascivious gaze made my brother, standing next to me, visibly tense.

"Ugh, I really can\'t stand this kind of person."

"Please, bear with it a little longer, brother."

Although it seemed as if Didier\'s murmurs went unheard, I quietly urged him to endure somehow. Sergio, true to his title as lord, maintained his usual carefree demeanor and dealt with Gernika cheerfully.

"Your fiancée? I don\'t see any marks."

"Well, you see, a lower-ranked noble who admires this girl intruded and ended up cutting off my finger like this," Gernika revealed his hand, showing the cleanly severed ring finger. He twisted his sticky mouth and shifted his gaze from Sergio to Sara.

In this world, during the engagement ceremony, vows are exchanged with the gods, and marks are etched onto each other\'s bodies. A ceremony is necessary even to annul the engagement, as neither party can unilaterally break it. However, if one cuts off the mark, it seems the other\'s mark disappears as well. Ah, I\'ve learned something quite interesting here.

Meanwhile, Sergio, while examining the lifted hand closely, wore a mischievous smirk.

"Hehe, quite a strong arm you have there. Could you bring that man here? Since I\'m on an inspection tour, I might as well judge him myself," said Sergio.

"Oh no, we wouldn\'t trouble the lord. Besides, he isn\'t with us anymore. He\'s disappeared."

Sergio replied to Gernika\'s blatant lie, urging him to hurry up. While subtly restraining the lie, he hurried Gernika along. If only he checked the blade\'s sharpness instead of drawing his sword, Gernika gritted his teeth and instructed a soldier something in a hushed tone.

"By the way, it seems Count Gernika has lost two wives before," Sergio said.

On their way to Klayla, Sergio seemed to have used a magical communication device to have the castle\'s officials investigate Gernika. According to information gathered during their ride, it appeared true that Gernika had lost two recently adult wives in succession, just like Sara. Both had been entering and leaving the mansion since childhood, married on the day they became adults, and passed away after about two years of marriage. Sara might have been allowed to wait until graduation for marriage to avoid suspicion, considering a third wife under the same circumstances might be seen as too suspicious.

However, even that explanation seemed far too suspicious.

"Oh, yes, yes, you\'re well informed. Both of them died soon after marrying me, and I was eagerly awaiting a new wife," Gernika said.

When Sergio snorted at "died," and perhaps having sensed something, Gernika began to offer plausible explanations. He mentioned the nearby volcanoes, which were harsh on women, or that they were naturally frail. He emphasized that Sara, having grown up in Klayla, was safe.

However, we knew. Gernika\'s previous wives were from a town not too far from here.

Moreover, there were unsettling rumors about Gernika\'s excessive fondness for young girls.

"Could it be that Count Gernika still intends to marry this girl?"

"Of course, that\'s the plan."

"Heh, too bad. Sara here was bought for Sheriel, so she won\'t be marrying into your household," Sergio interjected.

"T-that\'s not possible... It\'s a breach of agreement! Isn\'t it, Sara?" Gernika stammered.

Sara tightly clenched her fists and looked down. Her posture somehow resembled that of her father, Count Claira, triggering memories of similar situations they might have faced multiple times before.

However, the fleeting distraction was abruptly interrupted by the loud bang of the door being forcefully opened. A soldier tossed a young man into the room, hands tied behind his back. As the bruised and battered youth rolled in, Sergio looked at him with keen interest.

"Is this the man with the missing ring? Well then, I\'ll take custody of him," remarked Sergio.

The young man bore scars and bruises on his face but had a liveliness in his eyes despite his exhaustion. Perhaps not yet grasping the situation, as soon as he noticed Sara, he stared intensely at Gernika and Sergio.

"Please have mercy! This man disturbed my ritual and cut off my finger. I must judge him!" pleaded Gernika desperately.

"But you see, I am the lord of this territory. I have merely delegated discretion, but the ultimate authority rests with me. Are you unaware of this?" replied Sergio.

Despite Gernika\'s desperate pleas, there was no mercy from Sergio. When pressed to explain the obvious, Gernika, sweating profusely, managed to strain his voice.

"....b-but... If that\'s the case... can\'t you leave that girl instead? If she returns, we\'ll forgive his crime."

This wasn\'t the right approach, was it? Was he really governing a major city like this?

I\'m getting quite tired of this. Even though I slept in the carriage, I\'m feeling exhausted today. It seemed the same for Sergio, who sighed and glanced back at us.

"This is becoming a hassle. Shall I just behead him here? We haven\'t been able to communicate properly anyway," Sergio suggested.

Well, it might end up that way. But we can\'t just behead someone here without cause. After all, the castle officials have investigated, and a replacement noble must be found. The bound young man and Sara both stared wide-eyed at Sergio, as if they couldn\'t believe what was happening. It\'s just too chaotic...

"Father, it\'s not acceptable. Please investigate the deaths of the two previous wives properly and then judge when you return from your trip."

Perhaps he was reluctantly convinced, as Sergio shrugged his shoulders in boredom. Didier seemed to be expecting this outcome and let out a small click of his tongue.

There were numerous attendants in the room---Gernika\'s servants, soldiers, and aides---but there was an eerie silence, as if no one knew how to react. Maybe because of Sergio\'s casual attitude, they couldn\'t grasp the situation properly.

"Sara was bought for me as a gift for my birthday. His punishment and my maid are unrelated. Do you understand?" I stated, trying to maintain a calm and composed demeanor expected of a high-ranking noble. However, for some reason, Gernika knelt at my feet. With a grin exposing his gritted teeth, he leaned in uncomfortably close.

I almost drew out my sword instinctively and hastily dispelled the magic circle.

"Can you not come near Sheriel? It\'s disgusting, isn\'t it?" Didier swiftly stepped forward to shield me, providing a brief relief from Gernika\'s intense gaze. Sara had been subjected to Gernika\'s whims for years since childhood. I could understand the urge to escape, even if it meant becoming a slave.

"Therefore, I\'ll take custody of them. Also, you\'ll be transferred to the castle, so please wait there for a while. We are still on our trip," Sergio declared.

Sergio casually remarked and suddenly, Beriard soldiers and knights who seemed to have been on standby restrained Gernika.

"Let go! What madness is this! Why am I being treated like this?" Gernika struggled with his plump body, but being restrained by three people, it wasn\'t easy for him to break free. Amidst Gernika\'s yelling and the stiffened servants, Sara rushed to a man.

"K-Kyle... I\'m sorry."

"Are you okay? If Sara\'s safe, then it\'s my win."

While I wouldn\'t want to disrupt their reunion, it seemed better to have a conversation in a calmer setting, so we decided to return to Klayla.

"Hehe, did you see, Sheriel? This is it, this! Salvation from despair... Isn\'t it a splendid glow?"

"Please, brother, don\'t get carried away."

Desperately pulling Didier\'s arm, which seemed on the verge of treating the two as toys, I managed to escort them out of the room.