Having enjoyed a brief moment with Kkamangi, Jeha suddenly spoke, a thought striking him.
“Paimon.”
Calling his name, Paimon immediately opened the door and entered, as if he had been waiting right outside.
“Did you call for me, Master?”
Jeha gazed at Paimon, who approached the bed and promptly responded.
“You weren’t standing by the door the whole time, were you?”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t engage in such inefficient behavior.”
Paimon replied, his eyes conveying disbelief at the suggestion.
“Then where were you and what were you doing?”
Jeha’s voice was tinged with genuine curiosity.
“Do you truly wish to know?”
Paimon asked seriously. For some reason, Jeha had a feeling that if he said yes, Paimon would reveal something extraordinary.
“…No, it’s fine.”
Jeha shook his head. Paimon, too, deserved his privacy. He couldn’t demand every little detail.
“That noblewoman who brought those people earlier, have you looked into her background?”
Jeha abruptly inquired.
Naturally, he hadn’t explicitly ordered Paimon to investigate her. However, Paimon always anticipated his needs, efficiently handling tasks in advance. Jeha trusted that he would have already taken care of it.
“She is Countess Delphad. A young widow, she is notorious for numerous scandals involving high-ranking nobles and priests.”
‘So, a female Casanova…’
Jeha tried to recall the appearance of Countess Delphad, the noblewoman he had seen earlier. However, because he hadn’t paid her much attention, her face remained indistinct in his memory. He only remembered her striking crimson hair, much like Zephyr’s.
“If she’s known for so many scandals… it would be difficult to hastily guess whose influence she was under.”
“Shall I investigate further?”
Paimon asked. Jeha pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
Hereis hadn’t mentioned her. Yet, having lived in Enkarosha for so long, Hereis couldn’t possibly be unaware of her. He was likely deducing the person behind Countess Delphad’s actions on his own. Perhaps he had already begun his investigation the moment he returned.
As a Demon King, Jeha wasn’t averse to using cheat codes. However, he didn’t want to render Hereis’s efforts useless by employing such shortcuts for something Hereis could handle himself.
More importantly, there was a contract.
Hereis desired the downfall of both the gods and the temple, and to thoroughly corrupt himself. While corruption could be influenced by others, it would be meaningless unless he himself succumbed to it. At least, that was Jeha’s perspective. Jeha’s role was merely to assist Hereis in his journey toward self-corruption.
“Hereis will handle it, I suppose.”
Jeha remarked nonchalantly, patting Kkamangi’s plump rear.
****
It was later, when Jeha awoke from an unwitting slumber.
Unable to bear the immense weight pressing down on him, Jeha groaned, forcing his eyelids open.
His vision was completely black. Jeha blinked, wondering what he was seeing. Only after several blinks did he realize he was looking at a mass of black fur.
“…Kkamangi?”
Jeha called out softly, feeling the weight on his chest. Suddenly, a rumbling purr began to reverberate. Kkamangi was upside down on his chest, their large rear end firmly pressed against Jeha’s face.
“Move over a bit… Ugh, why are you so heavy? Get down.”
Jeha frowned, poking Kkamangi’s ample rear that was obstructing his view. Kkamangi glanced back and then stood up. At that moment, as Kkamangi shifted their weight onto all four paws, they pressed firmly against Jeha’s chest and abdomen.
“Ouch…”
Feeling as though his internal organs might burst, Jeha gently pushed Kkamangi aside. Kkamangi yawned widely, then reluctantly descended from the bed. Jeha let out a sigh of relief and sat up. His eyes then widened in surprise.
“Hey, you…”
At Jeha’s astonished voice, Kkamangi scratched their ear with a hind paw, looking at him as if to ask, ‘What?’ Jeha’s mouth hung slightly open as he stared at Kkamangi’s enormous size.
“My goodness. How did you get so big overnight? A cat turning into a pig…”
Barely swallowing the word ‘pig,’ Jeha quickly rephrased.
“…into a leopard?”
*Meow—.*
Kkamangi let out a charming cry, vigorously rubbing their head against Jeha’s chin. Jeha swayed, pushed by the force of Kkamangi, who was now the size of a leopard.
“Zephyr!”
Jeha called out softly for Zephyr.
Just like Paimon’s appearance last night, Zephyr immediately opened the door and stepped in.
“Did you call for me, Master?”
Zephyr said, approaching the bed. Jeha pointed a finger at the massive Kkamangi, who was still trying to be affectionate.
“They grew into a… leopard overnight.”
“Did you feed them blood again last night?”
“Yes. But I didn’t give them much.”
Jeha mumbled, almost defensively.
“Even a single drop of your blood is more than enough nourishment. Since you keep giving them blood every time they beg, isn’t it obvious they’d turn into a fat pig like this?”
Zephyr narrowed their eyes at Kkamangi. They clearly weren’t pleased with Kkamangi continuously consuming Jeha’s blood.
*Hiss—!*
Kkamangi hissed at Zephyr as if in protest.
“Don’t call them a pig… They’re still a baby. What do you mean, a pig?”
Jeha chided Zephyr, stroking Kkamangi reassuringly. Yet, he secretly thought that Zephyr wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Please stop feeding them your blood, Master. Otherwise, this rare demon dragon will end up becoming a pig.”
“…Alright.”
Jeha reluctantly nodded. Kkamangi’s eyes widened, clearly understanding every word.
“By the way, letters of well-wishes and invitations have been pouring in since early this morning. Would you like to see them?”
Zephyr said, completely ignoring Kkamangi, who was still hissing in protest.
“Letters of well-wishes and invitations?”
“Since you formally made your debut in Enkarosha society yesterday, it’s only natural for them to swarm like bees.”
Jeha thought for a moment, then nodded.
He was curious about the letters and invitations from the nobles. More importantly, to be helpful to Hereis, he needed to act diligently as Marquis Belgard.
A moment later, Zephyr entered, carrying an enormous stack of letters. Previously, when letters were delivered at Belgard Castle, the butler would bring them on a tray… but this was certainly too much for a tray.
“Wow…”
Jeha marveled at the pile of letters Zephyr practically dumped onto the table. At first glance, the luxurious paper, adorned with gold or silver leaf, suggested that the letters themselves were quite expensive.
Kkamangi leaped onto the table. Consequently, a shower of letters cascaded to the floor.
“Oh, you pig… I mean, you rascal.”
Jeha barely swallowed the word ‘pig’ and pushed Kkamangi off the table. Kkamangi began to cry mournfully, as if Jeha had suddenly treated them harshly. It was both amusing and endearing to see a creature the size of a leopard let out delicate ‘meows.’ Jeha stroked Kkamangi’s head, then turned his attention to the table.
Zephyr, who had gathered the fallen letters, dropped them back onto the table. Jeha, feeling like he was drawing lottery numbers, rummaged through the pile with his hands. Then, his fingertips caught on one, and he pulled it out to unfold.
On the luxurious paper envelope, adorned with gold leaf, the sender’s name was written in elegant handwriting.
[Ainel Fanucci]
Jeha chuckled at the name of the letter’s sender.
It was both amusing and ironic that among so many letters, the one he randomly picked belonged to the protagonist of yesterday’s party. He wondered if this was fate or simply coincidence.
He opened the envelope and took out the letter, revealing neatly written words in an elegant script. Jeha casually skimmed the letter, then suddenly frowned. He went back to the top and began to read the content once more.
“Master?”
Jeha’s expression must have been quite serious, as Zephyr called out in a puzzled voice. Jeha lowered the letter he was reading, then touched his own face with his hand as he asked Zephyr.
“Am I, by any chance, considered incredibly handsome in this human realm?”
Zephyr remained silent for a moment at Jeha’s question. The direct gaze clearly conveyed their meaning.
“Right… I guess not.”
Instead of being offended, Jeha nodded, accepting the implied answer. He then picked up the letter again and skimmed it.
The letter, sent by the 16-year-old girl Ainel Fanucci, was a subtle love letter.
No, to the extent that Jeha, a lifelong single person, could recognize it, it had to be considered quite explicit.
“What does it say that makes you react like that?”
Zephyr asked, his face full of curiosity. Jeha silently handed the letter to Zephyr.
After reading the letter, Zephyr whistled. His eyes sparkled.
“To completely captivate a human girl’s heart with just a brief encounter, you truly are the Master.”
“That’s the problem.”
“The problem?”