With his vision blurring, Theodore acknowledged it. Truly, there was only one option left. He didn’t want to use it, but there was no choice. Black energy began to surge throughout his body.
It didn’t take long for screams—not his own—to echo through the air.
How much time had passed? By the time blood from the mangled corpses had pooled into dark red puddles, Theodore Baniche had barely regained his senses. No, could it even be called regaining his senses?
In his mind, riddled with pain and madness, only one person came to mind.
***
“Boss, do you know how worried we were? Kidnapping!”
No matter how hard one tries to hide it, rumors are inevitable. The news that Elodie and I had been kidnapped by bandits had long since spread widely. Seeing the teenage girls holding hands and expressing their concern warmed my heart.
“It’s all in the past now. I’ve been developing new menu items while resting. Would you like to try some?”
“Yes!”
The girls answered brightly in unison, as if they had never been upset. I smiled and began preparing a new dessert I had developed—a corn cheese sandwich. Mixing mozzarella cheese, sweet corn kernels, and homemade mayonnaise completed the filling. I generously placed the sweet yet savory filling between two slices of buttered bread, then grilled it in a pan until it turned golden brown, releasing a delicious aroma.
“Wow…”
The girls, who appeared to be the last customers of the day, marveled. It seemed appetizing just from watching the preparation process.
“Boss, how do you come up with desserts like this?”
“Well, perhaps because I’m a genius?”
I joked as I handed each girl a piece of the completed sandwich.
“…!”
The girls’ eyes widened instantly as they took a bite with an audible “Woah.”
“Please make this a regular menu item!”
“That depends on how well it sells, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll promote it to everyone I know.”
The girl wearing the most fashionable dress with a diamond brooch spoke enthusiastically. Just the fact that she frequently visited my café indicated that her family must be quite wealthy.
In short, a rich customer. One who could bring in more future customers. Without saying anything, I placed another piece of sandwich on each girl’s plate. Far from declining, the girls devoured the new sandwiches in the blink of an eye. Well, they’re at an age where they could chew and swallow iron.
Having cleaned their plates, the girls rose from their seats with words of gratitude. I closed the shop and began cleaning up with Felicita.
“Miss Bertin, you’re truly amazing.”
Felicita admired with a sincere tone.
“How do you develop such foods?”
Faced with the same question the girls had asked earlier, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“They just come to mind.”
I couldn’t tell her the truth. I vaguely brushed it off while pretending to focus on cleaning. By the time we had finished tidying up the kitchen, the bell rang with a “ding” as the door swung open.
“I’m sorry, customer, but we’re closed now… Y-Your Grace?”
My mouth fell open. Theodore Baniche, dressed in dark, heavy-looking clothes, staggered in. What was this déjà vu situation?
At the same time, realization washed over me. Theodore Baniche was consumed by black magic. Just like that time. I hurriedly called out to Felicita.
“Felicita! Go to the ducal residence and call Count Jacob. Quickly!”
Felicita, who could hardly take her eyes off Duke Baniche, nodded and ran outside like an arrow. Thus, only Duke Baniche and I remained in the café.
‘Even the smell of blood is the same as that time.’
The only difference was that Ian had been with me then, but not now. In other words, there was no one to protect me from Duke Baniche. But…
‘I can persuade him.’
Last time, my persuasion had helped Duke Baniche regain half his sanity. Even if I couldn’t heal the side effects, I could help him regain enough reason not to harm me or others.
“Your Grace.”
I carefully called out to Duke Baniche.
“Elodie is safe.”
“…I know.”
His voice sounded as if he was suppressing a great deal of bubbling emotions. My mouth went dry. The Duke was in an extremely dangerous state. Perhaps even more so than that time. I spoke calmly.
“No matter what happens to Your Grace, I will protect Elodie with my life. So please be at ease.”
These words had clearly been effective last time, but strangely, today they seemed to keep slipping into the void.
“….”
Instead of responding to my words, the Duke slowly approached me. The smell of blood hit me strongly. Only then did I realize why the Duke’s black clothes looked heavy—not because of the material.
‘…Blood.’
They appeared thick because they were soaked in blood and had congealed.
‘To reach this state, how many people must he have killed…’
I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again. My mind, extremely terrified, began to go blank, and nausea rose, but I had to endure it. The person before me was Theodore Baniche. Not a stranger, but Elodie’s father. And a benefactor who had bestowed many things upon me.
I had to acknowledge it. Other nobles would have long since taken away their biological child and threatened me, saying I could continue seeing Elodie only if I worked as a nanny. But Theodore Baniche didn’t do that. Not only did he guarantee me official rights as Elodie’s guardian, but he also set up a proper café for me in a bustling area.
‘So, I can’t run away.’
Trying my best to maintain composure, I opened my mouth.
“Your Grace, if you’re worried about Elodie…!”
I couldn’t continue. Suddenly, Theodore Baniche embraced me. The weight of the man was transferred directly to me.
I stood stiffly, too shocked to even breathe. It felt as if time had momentarily frozen, and I couldn’t think of anything. Whether from fear or not, my heart was beating so violently that my entire chest hurt.
“…Miss Bertin.”
He called my name with a growl.
“Miss Bertin…”
His turbid voice was tinged with heat. A burning heat was transmitted from the Duke’s chest, which was almost touching my face.
‘He’s in pain!’
My mind finally began to work. The side effects of black magic had become so severe that he was suffering from both madness and physical illness simultaneously.
Fortunately, I had sent Felicita to the ducal residence, so if Count Jacob arrived here, he would know how to handle this. I hurriedly spoke to the Duke.
“Your Grace, you’re very unwell right now. Felicita has gone to call Count Jacob from the ducal residence, so if you could just lie down and wait a little…”
But I couldn’t finish this sentence either. The Duke let out a low laugh.
“You didn’t expect this. Yes, how could you?”
“What…?”
I swallowed dryly. Somehow, I dreaded what would come next. Duke Baniche didn’t answer my question. Instead…
“…!”
My eyes widened. Duke Baniche, who still wouldn’t release me at all, roughly pressed his lips against mine. While I was frozen in shock and unable to respond, his soft tongue invaded between my slightly parted lips.
Though I had never experienced it before, I could immediately understand the meaning of this action. I tried to push Duke Baniche away, but his stone-hard body didn’t budge at all. Rather, he raised one hand that had been holding my waist to grasp my cheek, pressing even more strongly. I tried to bite his tongue, but I kept missing due to its slippery movements. Instead…
‘I feel strange.’
Was it because of the heat transmitted from his heated body? Despite being in a situation where my blood should have run cold, my body was burning hot.
This unfamiliar sensation, which I had never experienced in my life, ran from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, making my fingers curl involuntarily.
“…Mmh…”
As a strange sound escaped from my throat, my vision blurred, and a thrilling shock reverberated in my head.
- lurelia
Known for turning pages faster than I move in real life.