#86
A wine glass sat on the table instead of a teacup.
Jeha picked up the glass the servant had poured for him, took a sip, and began to speak.
“I overheard you discussing Marchioness Scarlet.”
Without beating around the bush, Jeha got straight to the point.
Then he immediately expressed his opinion.
“Either way, it’s a problem. If she’s guilty, other noble families might come under suspicion of heresy. If she’s innocent, it calls into question the Inquisition that the Temple revived.”
As Jeha opened up on this difficult topic, the others began to chime in.
“Right. If the Marchioness is truly a heretic, we can’t avoid other nobles being suspected as well. It would be truly disgraceful.”
“Above all, I find it hard to believe she’s a witch. She’s a prominent figure in the capital’s social circles—beauty, wealth, suitors… She lacks nothing. Why would a woman like her stoop to heresy?”
“But didn’t she bathe in the blood of young women to preserve her beauty? Her fame reaches even here to Enkarosha. Perhaps that beauty is the result of heretical acts.”
“Bathing in young women’s blood to become beautiful? Isn’t that nonsense? If it were true, the Central Continent would have run out of young women long ago.”
“Even if it were true, how many women are cruel enough to do such a thing? Not many know that kind of dark magic either.”
Perhaps because they were all young, they had no reservations about voicing their opinions.
Jeha liked that.
“So, would you prefer her to be innocent or guilty?”
Jeha interjected at the right moment.
The youths fell silent for a moment, each lost in thought.
One of them asked Jeha.
“What do you think, Marquis? Do you want her to be innocent or guilty?”
It was hardly an easy answer.
Jeha pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Frankly, both are troublesome. If she’s innocent, the Temple’s authority will take a hit. But if she’s guilty, that’s also quite problematic. As you all know, she has no heir to inherit her fortune, does she? If she’s condemned as a heretic, His Majesty the Emperor will gobble up her vast wealth. If His Majesty gets a taste for such income, quite a few people will need to watch their backs.”
When Jeha brought up the Emperor, the young nobles glanced around warily.
But judging by their gleaming eyes, they seemed to appreciate Jeha’s bold words.
“I too possess the vast wealth of the Belgar family yet have no heir. If someone coveted my property and tried to frame me as a heretic…”
Jeha trailed off and brought his glass to his lips.
No one was foolish enough to miss that ‘someone’ referred to the Emperor.
And although Jeha didn’t mention it, everyone knew the Temple also stood to gain.
“The outcome of this inquisition will cause quite a stir,” a young man said with a sigh.
All nodded in agreement.
These were hot-blooded youths eager to act on their convictions.
But they were suppressed by their fathers in the upper class and lacked the freedom to do as they pleased.
Naturally, they felt frustrated.
“Still, Marquis Belgar, you have Archbishop Hereis. As long as he’s around, no one can recklessly accuse you of heresy,” said one young man.
Jeha smiled silently.
“I hear the Marchioness will arrive in Enkarosha by tomorrow.”
“Surely they won’t torture a noblewoman?”
“Of course not. Torture a noble? A fragile woman at that? No noble would tolerate such a thing.”
The youths began talking again.
As Jeha listened, he recalled an old woman brutally tortured.
She had been saved by him and Hereis, but many others in other territories must have been tortured and burned without rescue.
Perhaps even now, such things were happening.
Jeha drained his bitter wine in one gulp.
He had been busy with horseback riding practice for days, only exchanging letters. Today, he felt he should meet Hereis.
The picnic ended at sunset.
People exchanged farewells and dispersed.
Instead of heading home, Jeha stood alone by the river, savoring the breeze.
The blue sky slowly dyed red—beautiful, yet reminiscent of blood shed by many.
Suddenly, he felt lonely.
He realized he had forgotten, for a while, the loneliness, solitude, and emptiness he had felt right after becoming Bellarossa, wandering the original world where his existence was completely erased.
But in this moment, those emotions surged up.
What was he even doing in this foreign world?
He tried to recall his original family, friends, school, and home, but now they felt more unreal than nostalgic.
Would they eventually fade into faint memories as time passed?
Would he fully become Bellarossa, living through long years consumed by lethargy?
“Paimon.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Paimon, who had been standing silently as if not there, replied calmly.
His unwavering presence brought Jeha stability.
“I’m lonely.”
Jeha muttered, unsure if he was speaking to Paimon or himself.
“Will I live on like this, then one day, when I don’t want to live anymore, pass the name Bellarossa to someone else and vanish completely? Leaving nothing behind…”
“…….”
“That scares me.”
Jeha gazed at the helplessly flowing, red-tinted river and muttered, then repeated inwardly:
‘That scares me.’
He stood there for a long time.
The red sunset gradually faded into darkness.
The river, once dyed red, was now covered in gloom.
Jeha thought how quickly time passed.
And that frightened him.
“Lord Jeha.”
A familiar voice came from a little behind him.
A voice that shouldn’t be heard here.
Jeha slowly turned around.
The man who had called his name pushed back his hood, revealing silver hair tied loosely, fluttering gently in the river breeze.
Their eyes met.
A soft smile appeared in those blue eyes.
A look full of joy.
Suddenly, Jeha’s heart leaped.
Without thinking, he ran hard toward Hereis.
He dove into Hereis’s open arms, as if welcomed, and hugged him tightly around the waist.
Hereis’s unique scent enveloped Jeha.
Feeling like he might cry, Jeha buried his face in Hereis’s chest.
Hereis held him firmly, as if he would never let go.
They stood like that for a long time, holding each other in silence.
In Hereis’s arms, Jeha slowly found peace.
The terrifying loneliness of standing alone in the world faded, replaced by comfort and excitement.
“How did you get here?” Jeha mumbled, as if talking to himself.
“It seemed my god was lonely,” Hereis whispered softly, pressing his nose to Jeha’s crown.
“Did Paimon tell you? That I was lonely?”
“No. He only said you were standing alone by the river. I came because I missed you, and your back looked so lonely.”
Ordinarily, Jeha would have denied being lonely.
He would have said he just enjoyed the breeze and lost track of time.
Because he was now Bellarossa, Hereis’s Demon King. He didn’t want to show weakness or excessive humanity.
But in that moment, none of that mattered.
The only thing important was how much comfort this embrace gave him, and how precious it felt.
“Stay by my side even after the contract ends,” Jeha said, not hiding his heart.
Raising his head from Hereis’s chest, he looked at him and repeated:
“Stay with me always.”
At those words, Hereis’s eyes wavered slightly.
Seeing that, Jeha was suddenly frightened.
Could it be that Hereis didn’t want to?
“Lord Jeha, I…”
Hereis paused, then raised his hand to gently brush back Jeha’s black hair, tousled by the river breeze.
“I want to beg you not to abandon me even after the contract ends. I’ve already given you my body and soul, and it doesn’t matter what you do with them… Whether I become a pebble at your feet, a pet you dote on, or a flower blooming on your desk, just let me somehow stay by your side. Please don’t abandon me.”
Hereis’s plea was desperate. His blue eyes were full of sincerity.
Jeha’s eyes grew hot.
He kissed Hereis to hide his tears.
But eventually, tears overflowed and streamed down his cheeks.
They wet Hereis’s hands, which were cupping his face.
Hereis’s eyes crinkled.
He stopped the kiss and pressed his forehead against Jeha’s.
“Don’t cry. When you show me such a weak side… I only become more presumptuous in my desires,” Hereis said, his breath warm.
Jeha kissed him again in silence.