“Zetak.”

I called his name to stop him. His narrowed eyes moved down to look at me. He was visibly agitated, to the point where one of his spider-like legs could move at any moment and pierce my chest.

I hadn’t noticed his condition until now, as he had been standing behind me and his voice had sounded calm, leading me to believe he was composed. But now, looking into his eyes, I could see clearly – his red eyes were filled with hatred and anger towards Karial. Not even when he looked at me had I ever seen such intensity.

What had he been through? Had Karial done something worse to him? But if so, how could I not have known? He had been at my side for four years. If he had suffered such abuse, there would have been some sign. But the Zetak I remembered was always smiling and happy…

… Always?

“Why do you look so unwell? Are you in pain?”

“Oh, no. I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Do you have insomnia? I’ll ask the palace doctor to send you some medicine. You should rest for the day.”

“No. I want to stay by your side.”

That was good. I remembered his happy smile as he said it. He was always so happy, always smiling… Yes, he was always smiling. But can anyone really smile all the time? Every single day without fail? Is it really possible for someone to be happy all the time?

Even though I struggle to understand emotions, I know it can’t be true. At the time, I didn’t think it was strange. I just thought he was a boy who smiled a lot. Maybe I didn’t want to think too deeply about it.

Crying, laughing, getting angry – human emotions are always changing. But Zetak always smiled. From the moment he woke me up in the morning to the moment he turned off the light in my room at night, there was never a moment when his smile faltered.

Of course there were times when he cried, but his eyes were always bright with happiness. He always seemed happy when he was by my side. Always. But… could I really trust that smile?

I looked down at Karial, who was sitting on the floor, her face pale with fear. What had she done to Zetak? No, that wasn’t the most pressing concern at the moment. The real issue was that Zetak had lost control and might kill Karial right here.

He had already faced a holy trial for injuring my arm. If a noble was killed now, there was no way to avoid the consequences.

Besides, her family belonged to a powerful earl’s house, influential in high society. If there was a trial this time, it would certainly go ahead. At worst, I might have to carry Zetak and escape the palace as a fugitive.

How long could I hide with a demon-possessed child? A month? Maybe two? Wherever we went, I was sure that reports would continue to pour in. The thought alone made me realise that I was already giving him orders.

“Don’t touch Karial. That’s an order.”

“Are you taking her side, right in front of me?”

His red eyes seemed to darken with anger. If I responded, those blood-red eyes would glow menacingly, as if he might strike me down right then and there.

I noticed one of his spider legs move slightly upwards – an unmistakable warning sign. I had fought spiders before and knew enough about their attack patterns to recognise the danger.

The spider legs weren’t limited to the lengths visible to my eyes. Each joint concealed additional segments that could extend like springs during an attack. The greatest advantage of a spider demon was its remarkable speed and wide attack range.

The slight lift of one leg was a clear sign that an attack was imminent. I couldn’t tell whether the target was Karial or myself for giving such an unwelcome command. No, it was probably the latter. Given the direction of the movement, it was aimed at me. Even if he didn’t intend to kill me, it looked like he was prepared to pierce my thigh.

And then, no doubt, he would ask again: ” Should I not touch this woman?” If I answered badly, he would use his other leg. It was a dangerous game – one that could easily be fatal if I made the wrong move.

Yet, if I stood my ground, I would still have my left arm. If I remained resolute… perhaps he intended to carry out his revenge today, even if it meant getting caught by the priests and killed afterward. With his heightened state of excitement, it was unlikely he could make rational decisions.

I gently grasped one of the spider legs that encircled me like a cage. Zetak’s eyes narrowed slightly at my action. I couldn’t tell whether it was because I had casually touched a demon’s body or because I had grabbed the exact leg he intended to use for an attack. For now, it seemed he had halted his immediate intention to strike, so it probably didn’t matter either way.

“Calm down. Do you think I would take her side?”

“…”

“Even if you are wrong and Karial is right, I would still defend you.”

“Your Highness! How could you…!”

At my words, Karial cried out as if the sky had fallen. But no one turned to look at her. Zetak just looked down at me, and I didn’t take my eyes off him.

“But don’t touch Karial. If you are brought before a holy trial again, what do you think will happen this time?”

“…”

“I don’t want to see you like this. So let’s end it here.”

Zetak remained silent throughout my words. However, his blood-red, swirling eyes seemed to regain some semblance of rationality. He cast a quiet glance at Karial. Fortunately, it seemed he understood; his pupils gradually returned to normal. The seething anger and hatred that had consumed him suddenly dissipated, vanishing without a trace. The ease with which he could hide his emotions sent a chill through me—it was likely that whatever hatred he felt toward me was also being pushed deep within.

Turning to Karial, I spoke firmly.

“You two should leave. I hope what you’ve seen here doesn’t become gossip.”

“Your Highness! How can you say that?” Karial protested, her voice rising in indignation. “He’s already a demon! He has no human mind left! You never know when he might turn against you!”

Karial clutched her skirt and shouted. I wondered where she found the courage to jump up and glare at Zetak like that. She really was a reckless woman – staring him down so boldly when she knew he was a demon.

“Even if he were to eat me, that’s none of your concern.”

“How can you say something like that?” she cried, her voice filled with disbelief.

“Or maybe I should ask him to eat me and leave my head behind to send to you,” I added, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Would that make you stop interfering?”

If I pushed her that far, she wouldn’t be able to interfere anymore. Surely Karial had her own secrets to keep. As expected, her shoulders tensed and she seemed to want to say something, her lips moving, but in the end she couldn’t find the words. I wondered what was frustrating her so much as she looked at Zetak instead of me… and Zetak looked back at me. Why was he staring at me?

“Your Highness… even if you try to stop me, this needs to be reported to the temple,” she said, her voice quivering slightly. “This isn’t something you can decide on your own. It concerns the safety of all the nobles in the dormitory.”

“I see. So just talking to you isn’t enough.” I smiled, my words laced with bitterness. “Then let’s try something else. How about I ask him to eat only my intestines and preserve the rest to send to you? Would that satisfy you?”

Karial had grown so pale that she looked almost ghostly. Her lips, now blue, trembled as if she might collapse at any moment. I thought that was enough.

“You must have your own secrets to protect,” I said calmly. “In that case, it would be best to keep your mouth shut. If any strange rumours about Zetak get out…”

What could I say to make this arrogant woman understand? After a moment’s thought, I decided that words wouldn’t work – someone like her wouldn’t respond to mere verbal warnings. Instead, it would be better to leave a lasting impression in a way that she would remember.

I gathered all the energy I could muster, let it swell and then directed it outwards, focusing the power on Karial.

As the teacup began to rattle, the entire room filled with the sound of objects shaking and clattering. I deliberately caused a collision between my energy and the energy permeating the air, creating a wave powerful enough to overwhelm any ordinary person.

“H-Ha…”

Karial’s voice trembled, her face filled with fear.

An ordinary person who had never experienced such energy would struggle to even breathe, much like the two in front of me. I spoke slowly, letting the killing intent I once showed only as a demon seep into my words.

“If even one strange rumour about Zetak gets out,” I said, my voice cold, “I will skin you alive and force you to eat your own guts so you won’t be able to speak again.”

At my words, her face turned deathly pale. They called her a necrophile who turns people into taxidermy, but it seemed she wasn’t so willing to have her own guts removed. Though I intended it as a threat, I wasn’t confident it would actually work. After all, it was something that the butterfly man had once done to me, and in truth, it hadn’t been very effective.

“Stop eating while you fight! If you like eating so much, why not eat your own guts!”

He must have been furious after I consumed his second tentacle. He split my stomach open with his tentacle, tore out my intestines, and stuffed them into my mouth.

To be honest, it didn’t taste very good. Demon guts are disgusting if the bodily fluids aren’t removed properly. However, the tentacle that came into my mouth with the guts was quite tasty. I remembered quickly biting down on it before it could retreat and swallowing it along with the third tentacle. And with that memory came the image of the butterfly-winged man who had held my neck.