I had actually said something like that before. Was it after returning from the Holy Tribunal? It was such an offhand remark that I hadn’t expected him to remember it. 

In truth, what I had in mind wasn’t exactly repair, but rather a partial fusion using a demon’s body. However, doing so would undoubtedly result in me being labelled as someone tainted by demons and ostracised. 

“I won’t make Your Highness like me.”

Zetak said quietly, as if he had read my thoughts. 

The same as his. The fact that he chose to say that suggested that he understood that what I’d mentioned was no conventional treatment. He might not know the details, but he seemed to have a vague idea of what it involved. 

I felt I understood what he was thinking. Perhaps he felt that if the matter were left to the research of the mages, they might come up with a legitimate method of treatment that didn’t involve turning someone into a chimera. That might be the solution he had in mind. 

Besides, unlike the human realm, the demon realm was full of demons. Young demons could be obtained without much trouble by simply reaching out. If he really wanted to get one, it wouldn’t be difficult. 

But still. 

“Don’t be greedy. Just managing your own body will be hard enough. If you take on unnecessary burdens, your chances of survival will only decrease.” 

He gripped my hand tightly. 

“Do you really have so little faith in me?” 

“….” 

“If you’re told to wait quietly, then just wait. I know very well that I haven’t given you any reason to trust me. Still, I will definitely…” 

I pulled him closer, cutting him off mid-sentence. As a result, his face was pressed against mine. I wrapped my arms around him and gently stroked his back. 

I felt I understood why Zetak was suddenly so talkative. He was afraid. Not because he had to go to the demon realm, but because he was worried about me being left alone. I couldn’t quite understand his concern, but that seemed to be the case. 

“I will wait… and work on my rehabilitation in the meantime.”

I’ve always thought that hugging someone and patting them on the back was a way of comforting them. But as I held him, I felt like I was the one being comforted. A strange warmth blossomed in my chest and filled a corner of my heart. Is this how human emotions work – spreading from one person to another?

“I’ll make sure that by the time you return, I’ll at least be able to cope with everyday life on my own.”

I said, knowing full well that wasn’t possible. Zetak probably knew that too, but he didn’t say anything. The quiet moment between us was enough. Peaceful, quiet. I couldn’t explain why, but holding him felt inexplicably good. 

“So you don’t have to strain yourself trying to bring back a demon…” 

My words were interrupted by a knock at the door. The warm feeling in my chest vanished in an instant. An intruder. The word visitor didn’t come to mind – intruder did. I had no desire to answer. Right now I just wanted to comfort Zetak. Besides, it was late. If I didn’t answer, they’d just assume I was asleep and come back another time. 

Or so I thought. But the knocking came again. 

“I think I know who it is.”

Zetak pushed me away as he spoke. His expression had turned cold, and I could guess who the visitor might be. Probably Ray. She must have an invitation for me as well. Considering the lateness of the hour, it seemed they had held mine back to deliver it separately. 

When Zetak opened the door, the sight was exactly as expected. Ray was standing there, holding a yellow box, her shoulders stiff with tension. 

“Are you coming in?” 

As Zetak stepped aside to let her in, Ray gripped the large box tightly. She held it so tightly that the wrapping paper was crumpled and her fingertips were pale. 

“No… I’m just here to deliver this… The young lady isn’t feeling well, so I… I have to look after her.”

Normally she would have given the family’s name and explained the details of the invitation. But whether it was fear or guilt, she didn’t seem to be able to handle even the most basic formalities. With trembling hands, she held the box out to Zetak. But he didn’t take it. 

“That’s your problem. I told you to come in.” 

Ray turned pale, clearly at a loss as to what to do. Zetak lowered his eyes to the box she was holding. 

“Whatever it is, it looks light. Something like that wouldn’t hurt even if it hit someone.”

Her face grew even paler, probably remembering the time she had been hit by a vase. Finally, though hesitantly, she stepped into the room. She pushed the box onto a corner of the table, her eyes darting nervously towards the door. Occasionally she looked at me with pleading eyes, as if asking for help, but I ignored her. Zetak must have had something to say, so he let her in. 

“You follow Karial’s orders because you don’t want to die. I understand your circumstances. But that doesn’t mean I accept them.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

Ray murmured, bowing her head with a tearful expression. 

Once again she struck me as a shy woman. That was probably why Karial kept her as a pawn – easy to control with a pointed finger, someone who could be used effortlessly. 

“You probably don’t like Karial either. So why don’t you tell us – what are you going to do at the banquet?” 

It might have seemed like an easy question. After all, we both knew each other’s secrets, but we pretended not to. She had probably anticipated the question. But even though the question was simple, Ray flinched and took a step back, trembling. 

“I-I don’t know anything. The young lady hasn’t told me anything…”

“And you expect me to believe that? You’re the one who manages the showcases, aren’t you? You share their greatest secret. It’s impossible that you don’t know anything.” 

Ray looked at Zetak with a face as pale as a ghost, then turned her desperate gaze to me, silently pleading for help. 

“Just speak,” I said. “If they sent you, it means they want information from your mouth.” 

Her eyes widened in shock at my words. 

“If they really didn’t want anything to be revealed, they would have sent a regular Academy servant, not you.”

Her face grew even paler – clearly I had hit a nerve. She must have been given instructions: pretend to be frightened, then leak just enough information. Both sides were playing an obvious game. One side was waiting for the other to fall into its trap, while the other knew it was a trap and was carefully stepping into it. 

Ray hesitated before finally looking away and speaking. 

“In the northern annex of the castle… th-that’s where the countess used to stay. It was sealed off after her death… but the young lady often goes there.” 

Karial had probably told her to say just enough to *rouse curiosity. But whether through lack of tact or panic, Ray blurted out the whole truth. At that point, she might as well have told us to investigate the place. It was probably the location of Karial’s Chimera lab. 

“Um… can I go now? I really don’t know anything else. I swear… I really don’t…”

Ray gripped her skirt tightly as she spoke. It seemed pointless to press her further – any attempt to extract more information would probably just result in sobs and sniffles. I looked at Zetak, who nodded. Seeing that, Ray hurried out without waiting for my permission, slamming the door behind her so hard the walls seemed to shake. 

“She’s from the same orphanage as you, isn’t she? Did you have any significant interactions there?” 

“If you mean none, then none. If you mean some, then some.”

He replied vaguely, unwrapping the box Ray had left behind. 

“What did they send?” 

“Who knows. Judging by the box, at least it’s not flowers…” 

Zetak opened the box, but immediately froze. When he saw the contents, he understood why. 

“A doll.” 

Inside the box was a doll. Black hair, red eyes – it was unmistakably based on someone.

If that had been all, it could have been dismissed as nothing out of the ordinary. After all, Zetak was publicly known as my lover, so it wouldn’t be strange to receive a doll of me as a gift. 

The problem lay in the details of the doll. A purple flower adorned its right eye, and its belly was covered in countless flowers carved from cubic crystals. Someone unfamiliar with their significance might have dismissed them as mere decoration. But I knew exactly what these flowers meant. 

The Laria flowers – the same ones that were said to have been driven into Zetak’s body countless times. And the flowers weren’t confined to his stomach. They adorned his arms, his legs, his right eye, his shoulders – purple flowers scattered all over his body. 

I couldn’t help but look at him. This doll was a representation of his past, a time when he had suffered at their hands. From the moment Zetak saw the doll, his expression had become cold and distant. But that was all. He remained calm, showing no outward sign of agitation. 

As he lifted the doll, a card that had been underneath it came into view. 

“A card.”

“What does it say?”

He didn’t ask about the invitation. When I looked at the bottom left corner of the card, I saw small numbers written there, just like before. Last time they were 7 and 12, so I thought they referred to a time or date. But now that I saw this, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“84. 257.”

The moment I finished, I saw his pupils narrow sharply through his black hair. No, just as I thought I had seen him, he was gone. By the time I turned, Zetak had already leapt from the open balcony below. There was a heavy thud – far too heavy to be the sound of a child falling.