The Holy Lady, The Curse - Chapter 7 Part 4
After letting out a short sigh, Seiden picked up the teacup in front of him. As Seiden was about to bring the teacup to his mouth, Yebar’s eyes flashed maliciously upon seeing it. The moment Seiden was finally about to drink the tea Yebar had prepared,
“Are you keeping the rest of the Demon God Book safe?”
Yebar’s face crumpled at that sudden question, losing self-control. Seiden had put down the teacup he had brought to his lips while asking an out-of-the-blue question. Why now! Yebar, who had been full of expectation only to have it deflated, replied unpleasantly.
“Of course.”
“Bring it here.”
“Ha! What are you doing now?”
Yebar hit the table with a thud, angry and in disbelief, but Seiden just stared at him blankly. It meant he wouldn’t move until he checked the Demon God Book.
Panting, Yebar had no choice but to stand up. Then, unlike last time when he summoned the Demon God Book with just a hand gesture, he went to a bookshelf where hundreds of books were haphazardly stuffed. After undoing several barriers, Yebar found the Demon God Book kept in a safe place and brought it.
“There, satisfied?”
When Yebar asked sensitively with his fist clenched in displeasure, Seiden leisurely picked up the Demon God Book. He roughly looked at the Demon God Book here and there before dismissing his suspicion and throwing the book back to Yebar.
“It’s intact.”
“Did you think I would just carelessly toss it aside? Especially a book that’s already been exposed once?”
Yebar, who had been squawking excitedly, picked up the teacup in front of him and drank it in one go.
“I was just checking, so calm down.”
When Seiden placated him half-heartedly, Yebar, though trembling, sat down at the table again to complete one plan. Yebar glanced at Seiden’s teacup, still full of tea, and sneered.
“Why aren’t you drinking the tea? Don’t tell me you’re suspicious of that too? Why don’t you just pour it on the floor?”
It was a voice full of annoyance. Seiden let out a short sigh, then picked up the teacup and drank it all at once. At that bold action, Yebar’s heated eyes flashed happily again.
“There, happy?”
When Seiden asked, putting down the empty teacup, Yebar cleared his throat awkwardly, ahem, ahem, and rolled his eyes slightly. Yebar, suppressing his throat that was already tingling with some expectation, cautiously began.
“Well, now that I’ve answered everything, it’s my turn. From now on, you have to answer my questions honestly, okay?”
Yebar spoke in a careful voice, glancing at Seiden’s expression. Seiden was staring at Yebar blankly with his usual indifferent expression.
Since he’s not displeased, is it a success? If this failed, there would be enormous consequences for his personal safety. So it had to succeed. Yebar, holding his anxious heart, slowly asked the next question.
“Did you use the oil you bought last time?”
Then Seiden, who briefly raised his eyebrows, soon nodded. At that nod, a refreshing pleasure burst from within Yebar. To think that this mad dog would answer his question without ignoring it, and such a personal question at that! It was a success!
“Then, with whom did you use it? It’s okay, you can tell me everything.”
When Yebar asked friendly with a grin, Seiden, who had been sitting straight and staring at Yebar blankly, slowly bent his waist and leaned closer to him. Seeing this, Yebar also quickly leaned his body closer to Seiden with an expectant face, as if ready to hear a whisper. They’re even, finally. Maybe he could grab his weakness and nullify the contract. Or modify the contract to its original terms and use him.
Soon, Seiden answered that hopeful expectation.
“Before that, let me ask first. What did you put in my teacup?”
Yebar’s eyes widened and his breath caught. Flustered, Yebar tried to keep his mouth shut, but his lips moved on their own and gave an honest answer.
“I, I put a magic potion of liquefied contract in your teacup, Sir.”
Seiden, as if he had expected this, asked again with an impassive face, not even surprised.
“What kind of contract?”
“It-it’s a kind of slave contract. I put the master’s potion in my teacup and the slave’s potion in your teacup, so if both people consume it, the contract is made and you become my slave.”
Ah, no! Yebar, though flustered and shedding tears, diligently completed his answer.
Yebar, who had his weakness properly caught by Seiden, needed a chance to make up for it, and Yebar had tried to overturn the previous contract by making another slave contract with Seiden.
“Is that so? Then shall we experiment?”
“Ex, ex, experiment?”
“Bow down and press your head to the floor.”
“Gasp.”
Then Yebar’s body stood up on its own, and immediately bowed down, hitting his head on the floor with a thud. Ugh. Unable to move, Yebar bowed down as Seiden ordered and thought about where this had gone wrong.
A contract made by consuming something was ancient magic that required considerable magical power and expensive ingredients. It was also magic that would bring enormous danger to Yebar, who attempted it, if it failed. Nevertheless, to make Seiden his slave, he struggled to produce the potion while Seiden was away from the capital…
“Haha… But why did it turn out like this…”
As Yebar muttered, trying hard to smile, Seiden stared at him intently with eyes full of displeasure. Yebar soon realized that Seiden had switched the teacups. No, but when?
Shocked, Yebar realized that Seiden had taken advantage of the moment when he went to find the Demon God Book, and even ordering him to find the Demon God Book was part of his plan.
“You didn’t trust me! Ha! Isn’t this too much!”
Seiden looked down at Yebar, who was making unreasonable complaints while bowing down, as if dumbfounded. It was natural. Seiden had never trusted Yebar for a single moment. From the moment he summoned those ridiculous teacups, Seiden anticipated that he would have played some trick in them.
The sudden mention of the Demon God Book was for the same reason. Seiden knew how people like Yebar kept their precious items. Since he had already discovered the existence of the Demon God Book, he would have kept it in an even more difficult place to retrieve, not trusting himself.
“Wait a moment. Sigh… Alright. I was wrong. Haha, you are indeed amazing, Sir. Excellent! I can’t beat you. I won’t struggle anymore and will be loyal from now on. So stop joking around and release me quickly. Please?”
Seiden looked down at Yebar, who was making a fuss, pleading one moment, getting angry the next, and then begging, and spoke in a leisurely voice.
“Like my slave said, it seems the best thing for us now is to find out the function of the stolen holy relic.”
“R-right? Sir’s words are all correct. Of course.”
“Good. From now on, search for that. And if you find anything, send a message immediately.”
Then he smoothly stood up and turned around. As Seiden was about to leave the room mercilessly, Yebar’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“Wait a moment! Sir! What should I do if you leave like this! Just a moment!”
Then Seiden’s footsteps stopped abruptly at the door. Yebar pleaded, stroking his chest.
“I was wrong. Ah, isn’t this ultimately beneficial for you too, Sir! Let’s stop here, and please release me quickly. We need to find those things as soon as possible. I’ll work hard.”
Seiden leaned against the doorway and looked at Yebar.
“Will you really work hard?”
“Of course!”
“And never try such tricks again?”
“I will never do it again.”
Hearing that pitiful answer, Seiden soon spoke, like he was granting a favor.
“As punishment for rebelling against your master, stay like that until this evening.”
Then he turned around without hesitation and moved his steps.
“What? You’re joking, right? Wait, h-hey! Hey! You fraud! You didn’t even catch the monster! Argh!”
Yebar struggled in frustration, but Seiden moved on without looking back even once.
* * *
Geril, who said he would visit again soon, really came back to the temple after just a few days. It was solely to meet Bellota. Geril had to create an excuse to visit the temple again, so he quickly fabricated evidence that the Demon God Stone discovered in Selento had no connection to the Grand Temple and submitted it to the Emperor. Thanks to this, the Grand Temple was able to escape from being suspected of causing the full moon to rise early, surprisingly easily.
Bellota also knew all of this, so she couldn’t refuse Geril’s visit. The two met in the Second Garden, which is said to be the most secluded yet the most beautiful in the Grand Temple.
“That day… Were you not hurt anywhere?”
Geril carefully asked, looking at Bellota who was more beautiful than ever under the fully bloomed flowers.
Because Geril had requested a private audience, the group of priests who always stuck by Bellota’s side couldn’t be seen. Of course, he had come to the temple only after obtaining information that even that annoying Holy Knight Commander was away on business.
“No. I’m fine.”
Bellota answered calmly.
