Enril and Michalis. Their willingness to resort to extreme measures was proof of how much the absence of their lovers pained them.

Perhaps because I had Shahar, I couldn’t help but be concerned about those two.

But it was ridiculous for a mere human like me to worry about such great transcendent beings.

Above all, Shahar was the King of the Underworld, so even if I died, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

“Are you unable to sleep? You’re not injured, are you?”

The coal asked worriedly as I continued to toss and turn long after lying down.

Hearing his voice naturally brought back memories of what happened in the lair, and my cheeks burned.

“No. It’s just that so many things happened today…”

I still felt the sensation of his soft skin and firm, smooth bones at my fingertips.

But what use was a handsome man I could only touch in the dark?

‘I wonder what he looks like in person!’

I finally understood Psyche’s desire to see Eros’s face, even if it meant breaking the taboo.

I was dying of curiosity.

I looked repeatedly at him, who had turned back into a black stone with a gaze full of regret.

Then, belatedly, the misdeeds I had committed against him came flooding back.

I used him like a 3D printer whenever I needed a tool, adorned him daily with childish decorations more suited for a puppy, and used him as a free mode of transportation when I was too lazy to walk.

I even used him as a massage ball when my muscles were sore…

But those were nothing compared to walking around in front of him wearing just a chemise.

It was fortunate that, thanks to his stubbornness, we hadn’t shared a bed.

I pulled the blanket over my head, trying to hide my flushed face.

***

“Commander, please take a look at this.”

A holy knight patrolling the mountain approached Gined.

“Isn’t this a woman’s earring? Could it be that Lady Dronay dropped it?”

What he held out was a fancy gold earring with a red gemstone.

As the holy knight said, if there was anyone who would come into the mountain wearing such an earring, it was likely her.

“Since you are acquainted with the lady, you should return it to her yourself.”

The holy knight handed the earring to Gined with a smile, as if it were a good thing.

“Acquainted?”

Gined, who had taken the earring without thinking, pondered whether he was indeed acquainted with Lou Dronay.

A noblewoman and a priest.

Reflecting the unlikely relationship between the two, the fancy earring on the rough gauntlet looked particularly out of place.

“…?”

It was then that he sensed something strange.

Unable to withstand his holy power, the gemstone split with a crack. Blood, redder than garnet, flowed from the fissure.

Gined immediately recognized whose blood it was.

Janet.

Though Janet was a strong demon, she didn’t have the extraordinary ability to breach the tight security and barriers alone. She must have formed a contract with someone. Indeed, her blood was diluted with human blood.

‘Who is the contractor?’

It was likely an insider who knew the mountain as well as Gined and could come and go without arousing suspicion.

“Sir, what are you doing here?”

Lost in thought, Gined was startled by the appearance of the Crown Prince, who had arrived with his knights.

Clearly displeased by the holy knights lingering near the portal, the Crown Prince wore a scowl.

Pinion, who had been glaring at Gined, suddenly noticed the earring in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“I found it nearby. It has a demonic aura, so it needs to be investigated.”

“Finding jewelry in such a barren place, you’re quite lucky, Sir…”

Pinion, who was about to sneer at Gined, suddenly fell silent.

The large central gemstone surrounded by small diamonds matched the taste of someone he knew all too well.

‘Damn it.’

Swallowing a curse, he snatched the earring from Gined almost violently.

“To think I found my lost earring so easily. Thank you very much.”

Gined’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“What? That belongs to Your Highness… Ugh!”

Nerva, who had cluelessly widened his eyes and asked, was immediately punished.

Pinion coldly kicked his subordinate’s shin and said nonchalantly,

“I’ve recently taken an interest in collecting jewelry. It was hard to find, so I was desperate when one of the pair went missing. It’s a shame it’s broken, but I’m glad to have found it now.”

He then pierced his ear with the earring in one swift motion.

“How does it look? Does it suit me?”

It was more than just suitable. His strikingly handsome face, which stood out even among noble ladies, looked perfectly natural adorned with the earring.

His recently sharpened jawline only accentuated his beauty further.

“There was demonic blood in that earring. If it belongs to Your Highness, it means you have made a contract with a demon.”

“I found it useful and took it as my subordinate. Is there a problem?”

“Knowing that we were searching for the demon, why did you keep it hidden?”

“What would be the point of telling a stubborn person like you? It would only cause trouble.”

“If the Holy See learns of this, there will be even more trouble.”

“Well, as long as everyone here keeps quiet, there’s no issue. Besides, the Pope is in no position to criticize me.”

“Do not speak ill of His Holiness!”

Gined rarely showed emotion.

“Oh, I forgot that you’re the Pope’s loyal dog. I guess I’ll be judged by the King of the Underworld for this sin. Well then, carry on.”

Pinion patted Gined’s shoulder as if in camaraderie and turned away.

His face, once turned, was as cold as ice.

“What on earth are you up to, Lou.”

***

Even after learning the way to Enril’s lair, I didn’t inform the imperial family.

For one, the sheer scale was so overwhelming that it would take a lifetime to fully excavate, and based on past experience, it was clear I would suffer greatly with little reward.

‘I’ll just keep it to myself.’

Despite acquiring an astronomical amount of slush funds, it didn’t feel real because the amount was too large.

More importantly, what was currently occupying my mind wasn’t the dragon’s treasure.

‘If I go to the lair again, will Shahar revert to his true form?’

For that to happen, the golem needed to remain intact.

I could only hope it hadn’t been completely destroyed.

“Why do you keep glancing towards the bedroom? Did you hide some tasty snacks there?”

Janet, sitting across from me, asked.

“It’s nothing.”

‘Nothing, my foot…’

In truth, I couldn’t sleep deeply because Shahar kept appearing in my dreams.

The bold romantic acts I performed with him in my dreams were too scandalous to even speak of.

Waking up and seeing the real coal filled me with an indescribable sense of self-loathing.

That’s why I was avoiding Shahar.

Lacking the courage to return to the bedroom where he was, I lingered in the garden, sipping tea with Janet long after dinner.

“By the way, has Michalis shown any signs? I’m worried he might betray us…”

“Though the Lord is capricious, he is not one to forget grudges. But if I were you, I wouldn’t trust him too much.”

Janet, who was sipping her tea, suddenly narrowed her eyes and stared intently in the direction of the main gate.

“What’s wrong?”

“It seems we have a visitor. Judging by the conversation, it appears to be someone from the imperial palace…”

“Really, the imperial people are so arrogant. They summon and visit people at their whim.”

I grumbled as I stood up.

At that moment, the Crown Prince barged into the garden. His speed was so fast it was almost suspicious.

I saw my father hurrying to catch up with him from afar.

Though I was equally surprised by the Crown Prince’s unexpected appearance, I signaled my father to leave us.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I am Janet.”

It seems Janet didn’t live hundreds of years in vain, as she greeted the Crown Prince with quite a composed demeanor.

However, he ignored Janet’s greeting and abruptly threw a word at me.

“Is it yours?”

“What is?”

Something flew towards me.

When I instinctively caught it, it turned out to be the earring I had lost before.

“What, what is this? It’s the first time I’ve seen…”

It was hard to deny it was an earring when Janet had the same earring on her ear.

The Crown Prince spoke coldly, without a hint of mockery.

“Don’t try to deny it, Lou. I didn’t come here to joke around with you today. As the Crown Prince, shouldn’t I at least know why the daughter of the Dronay family brought demons into the capital?”

‘Oh crap.’

Without anyone saying anything, Janet and I instinctively exchanged glances.

“Janet, run!”

Sensing the danger a step ahead of me, she quickly tried to turn into mist, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince was faster.

In the blink of an eye, he had Janet on the ground and pointed his sword at her.