CHGD 40

Chapter 40

Deus could no longer trust the portrait. What was depicted in it was a face Louis had newly created, not the real Louis.

Louis, who hadn’t realized that fact, panicked and reached out his hand.

*’Father, if there’s anything lacking, I’ll fix it again. So please…’*

*’Enough. Don’t touch our family’s memories any further.’*

An unexpected eviction order. For Louis, who had been playing the perfect son all this time, it was nothing but confusing.

Hadn’t they been the perfect father and son all along? How could it all fall apart because of a single mistake?

Was human affection so fragile that it could shatter just because of a damaged painting?

*’I…’*

But Deus was in no state to answer Louis’s rational questions. He couldn’t possibly approach the man, who was quietly weeping without even a sound.

Louis fled the house just like that. It was as if he were a son driven out by his father.

…And so he came to me, to the castle.

“What should I do?”

“That’s…”

Looking at Louis, who was demanding the right answer from me, I was at a loss for words.

The moment I heard that Louis had fixed the portrait, I instinctively knew something had gone wrong.

It wasn’t the issue of familial affection we’d been discussing.

A strange sense of guilt, as if violating the dignity of a human—of a living being—gnawed at my chest.

I, who had always given plausible answers, couldn’t say a single word this time.

*’Should I tell him to persuade Deus? But he’s already rejected Louis… Yet Louis hasn’t given up on Deus.’*

A sense of duty to grant Louis’s request, and sympathy for Deus as a fellow human, swirled confusingly in my mind.

Just as I was unable to open my mouth for a long while, the dining hall door suddenly burst open.

“My Lord.”

It was a nameless servant who entered. He approached the Count and whispered something in his ear. The Count’s face hardened instantly.

“Deliana.”

“What’s happened?”

“There’s a fire in the city. The location is… the Rozelan residence.”

“……!”

Startled by the sudden news of a fire, Louis and I widened our eyes.

At that moment, like a puzzle clicking into place, a hypothesis came to mind.

A father who had lost his family’s memories and driven out his false son. If he was left alone in the house, what would he do…

“Count!”

“Yes, let’s move.”

The Count must have had the same thought, as he rose with me and rushed out of the dining hall. I grabbed Louis’s arm and ran with him.

“Milady?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help recklessly this time. First, talking with Sir Deus is the priority.”

The immediate priority was to keep him alive. Louis must have realized the gravity of the situation, as he bit his lip and nodded.

Fortunately, the tunnel leading to the city wasn’t far from the main castle. I was out of breath from running, but I forced myself to quicken my pace through the tunnel.

“Deliana.”

“Yes?”

“The story Louis just told… did you understand all of it, Deliana?”

“What do you…”

I was about to ask what he meant by that sudden question, but seeing the Count’s expression, I realized what he was trying to say.

He was worried that I had discovered the existence of monsters.

The description of fixing the portrait, the explanation of acting as a real son—none of that would be fitting for a human to hear.

“We’ll talk… later.”

For my own safety, I thought it would be best to pretend I didn’t know, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Not having the wits to skillfully dodge the question in such a situation, I evaded the answer.

The Count seemed about to say something, his lips moving, but then he shook his head shortly. Then he approached me and suddenly lifted me into his arms.

“W-Wait a moment, what are you doing?”

“The residence is in the center of the city. It’s too late to call for a carriage, and it’s too far for Deliana to run.”

Carried like a bride, I struggled a little in embarrassment, but soon gave up and let myself be held.

*’It is, fast.’*

Not only was it much faster than my own running speed, but I was also out of breath and exhausted.

“……”

*’His arms feel stiffer than before.’*

The Count’s arms were much more rigid than when he’d first lifted me. Whether it was because his muscles were tense, or because I was that heavy.

Given the situation, I pretended not to notice and wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders to keep from falling.

And a few minutes after entering the city, I could see black smoke rising in the distance.

“Father!”

Anxious, Louis began to run ahead of us. It looked as if his legs had grown slightly longer—perhaps he had cast some kind of magic on them.

Seeing this, the Count murmured quietly.

“He’s already begun to be intoxicated.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Let’s pick up the pace as well.”

The Count, now running with intent, was just as fast as Louis. Thanks to that, we arrived at the source of the fire in no time.

*’The flames are fiercer than I expected!’*

The sight of a large mansion burning fiercely was like a scene straight out of a movie. Even getting close, I could feel the heat, and the smoke made it hard to breathe.

Soldiers nearby were fetching water in buckets and dousing the flames, but there was no sign of the fire dying down.

Then, Louis seemed to sense something and shouted toward the mansion.

“Father is inside!”

As he tried to step toward the mansion, I urgently grabbed his arm.

“It’s dangerous!”

“I’ll be fine, this much is…”

Just as Louis was about to shake me off, the Count spoke quietly.

“No, Deliana is right. Deus has rejected you, and your body is becoming unstable. Moreover, your attribute is wood. If you enter that place, in an instant…”

You’ll reveal your true form.

The Count trailed off, but I could guess what he meant.

I had witnessed before that monsters revealed their true forms when they suffered great pain or mental shock.

“But if I leave him like this, Father’s life…”

“That is what Deus Rozelan wished for.”

“……!”

Louis’s expression froze.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t find any words to refute and fell silent.

“From what I can see, the fire was intentionally intensified around the entrance. It’s definitely the work of an insider. And the only one in that residence is Deus Rozelan. Am I wrong?”

“…You are correct.”

“Then you understand Deus Rozelan’s will as well?”

This was Deus’s suicide attempt—a desire to burn to death alone, letting no one enter the mansion.

Louis slowly lowered his head.

His small hands clenched tightly and rested on his knees.

Was he feeling guilty, believing it was all his fault?

Seeing him so human, I unconsciously stepped in front of the Count.

“Wait a moment, Count. Even if that’s the case, it’s not a reason not to save him.”

Besides, I wasn’t cold-hearted enough to let someone I knew die. The Count looked at me with sunken eyes.

“But Deliana, Louis cannot disobey Deus’s orders. Now that he knows Deus’s true feelings, he…”

“Then you help, Count.”

Louis wouldn’t be safe if he went into the fire. But I was certain the Count would be.

He had only given reasons why Deus shouldn’t be saved—he’d never said he couldn’t do it.

“Is that your wish, Deliana?”

A wish.

I had a vague sense of how heavy that word was to monsters. Like a deal with a demon, it might require some kind of price.

The Count must have asked with that in mind.

*’But I don’t want it to end like this.’*

A being who tried to become a real son, and a pitiful father who needed a son—their ending being suicide was simply unacceptable.

Steeling my resolve, I slowly nodded.

“Please help. I want to save Louis and Sir Deus.”

“…Understood. But in exchange, you’ll have to grant my small wish as well.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

The Count passed by me with an unreadable gaze.

After making Louis and me step back, he reached his hand toward the mansion.

*’…Wind.’*

Was it magic, or a monster’s ability?

Golden wind flowing from the Count’s palm slowly enveloped the mansion. Like an eraser wiping away messy scribbles, the flames began to subside instantly wherever the wind touched.

Could a court mage living in the capital perform such a miracle?

No, if they were this powerful, they would have founded their own nation.

Even the soldiers nearby stared blankly at the power that surpassed human imagination. The Count waved his hand, creating a new wind to obscure the view.

After several minutes of the golden wind raging, the flames were extinguished.

“There may still be embers, but it should be safe at this point.”

“Father!”

As soon as the words finished, Louis ran into the mansion.

I tried to follow, but the Count stopped me.

“It’s still hot in there. Let’s wait here.”

“…Alright.”

Fortunately, Louis returned with Deus on his back.

He laid Deus down in front of us. There were several burn marks, but he seemed to be out of mortal danger.

“Father, are you alright?”

At Louis’s words, Deus slowly opened his eyes.

“You are… cough!”

“Slowly, speak slowly. First, some water…”

“Is it really… Louis? Is this, the afterlife?”

At those words, Louis’s body and shadow shook violently.

It was a sign of him about to reveal his true form, a reaction caused by mental shock.