“The evil god had been thinking the dragon’s curse would be solved quickly. So to make them let their guard down, it created something called a ‘hereditary disease’ and tried to spread it throughout the ducal family.”

“What about after that? It wouldn’t end with just that.”

“When they were relieved, thinking the curse was broken and enjoying peaceful daily life, it intended to parasitize that body as a host.”

‘Certainly, after the curse ended, I was too busy being happy to think about why the curse occurred in the first place.’

I’d thought of the ‘curse’ as just the first and last hurdle—who could have imagined there were more stages remaining?

“Parasitizing as a host means it intended to use that body to move around?”

I carefully asked him to confirm the one conclusion organized in my head.

“Yes. It was full of thoughts of completely taking over that body, awakening, and walking around freely.”

“That’s still the case now.”

Theodore nodded obediently, and my heart felt devastated.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have paid more attention.’

I’d been complacent, thinking everything was over after breaking the curse.

That’s why I didn’t easily notice what changes occurred in Theodore. Even when it was mentioned clearly in a letter, I didn’t think about it at all, just passing it by.

‘Though I couldn’t have done anything even if I’d known.’

At least I could have used my healing ability beside him so he wouldn’t be in pain.

“At first I thought I hadn’t woken up properly. When I realized that wasn’t it, I even wondered if I’d gone mad. I was encountering things I shouldn’t see, shouldn’t hear, shouldn’t know.”

He began confessing everything to me. From when mental synchronization with the evil god first began until now.

“Even in waking moments, scenes appeared vividly before my eyes as if I were dreaming.”

“What kind of scenes?”

“At first I saw unfamiliar people. Most of the visible people were imperial citizens. Those people were having conversations with someone, showing happy expressions.”

“Unfamiliar people but imperial citizens? Not just one person, but many? Did you find out who they were?”

“I think they might be those who had encounters with the evil god. Since everything the evil god saw visually belongs to part of the past, I think I could see it as synchronization began.”

He added that otherwise, when sitting still, his vision would become hazy then return to normal, and during that time he could hear the evil god’s inner thoughts.

“At first I thought I hadn’t woken up properly. If not that, I thought it might be because I was psychologically exhausted from experiencing war.”

Theodore shook his head side to side with those words.

“But I hadn’t not woken up, nor had I gone mad. Because there was one thing that could resolve all my doubts.”

Finishing those words, he got up from his seat and began fetching something. Then he held it out before me.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the diary left by the first head.”

When I asked how he obtained this, he said it wasn’t difficult to obtain thanks to becoming the heir to the ducal family. He added that he searched for it as soon as he returned from the war.

‘It really is.’

The diary also contained the details of the deal with the evil god. Of course, that story was full of a sense of achievement and smugness that he had accomplished something.

I looked at it then asked Theodore.

“Does Father know about this too?”

“He seems to know of its existence, but doesn’t seem to know the contents inside. I came to look for it because of the synchronization, but Father doesn’t like reading other people’s diaries, and even though this was something he could obtain as heir, he said he didn’t feel the necessity and didn’t read it.”

It seemed the duke had racked his brain over the hereditary disease and Theodore’s curse, but had no interest whatsoever in the first head.

Of all things, he missed seeing this diary.

“Besides this, there’s something I’ve newly learned recently.”

“What is it?”

“It’s…… the evil god’s thoughts.”

Theodore answered concisely.

“I learned it as I gradually synchronized mentally with the evil god. Unfortunately, I can’t know what the evil god is thinking right now, but instead I can know what thoughts the evil god had in the past.”

“Why can you only know the past? It would be incredibly helpful to know what it’s thinking now.”

“The reason is……”

Theo continued speaking immediately, knowing the reason.

“Though I’m synchronizing with it, I think it’s because it’s not complete.”

“Then if you become completely synchronized? What happens then?”

In my head, I was picturing a situation where the evil god held Theodore in the palm of its hand, manipulating him at will. While now the connection between the evil god and Theodore could be called small, I couldn’t help but think of the worst-case scenario of ‘what if it gets worse from here?’

“First, the evil god is thinking of parasitizing me as a host and taking my body. Currently, it hasn’t completely taken over. Like how I can face you now. But if it becomes completely synchronized as you say, then……”

Theodore’s expression darkened instantly.

“Then perhaps it won’t be me but the evil god controlling this body facing you. Though that’s just my imagination.”

He called it imagination, but to me it seemed like a reality that would soon occur.

“Don’t imagine such things! I’ll somehow prevent it.”

You just need to think only good thoughts!

“Is there nothing more you’re curious about, Isabel?”

“There is one thing.”

I readily asked at his question.

“Then can the evil god equally know the thoughts you’re having?”

“I’m not sure about that. But just as I can know the evil god’s past thoughts but not its present thoughts, I’m thinking the evil god might be the same.”

“Then until the ‘evil god’ completely disappears, living peacefully might be difficult.”

I really don’t understand why life is so tumultuous.

Once Theodore’s curse was resolved, war broke out, and when the war ended, didn’t we get entangled with the marquisate and family problems?

Just when I thought everything was truly over, even an evil god was trying to ruin Theodore’s life, giving me a headache.

‘Whatever happens, I have to resolve it.’

Think. Figure it out!

‘What methods are there to make the evil god disappear?’

I fell into thought with Theodore before me.

About ways to live without having one’s body taken by the evil god.

※※※

“What kind of books do you want to find, Little Mistress?”

“If you tell me the titles, I’ll find them for you.”

The next afternoon, I called Chloe and Claire and asked them to find books.

They asked back with enthusiastic expressions at the fact that I was requesting something after a long time.

“I need information about ‘evil gods,’ so gather all related books.”

First, feeling the need to learn about evil gods, I decided to scrape together information about them.

“Should we just bring books from within the ducal family?”

“Or should we borrow from a large library in the Empire, or buy books from a bookstore?”

The two presented choices in turn, and I chose both.

“I need books from within the ducal family, books borrowed from the library, and books bought from bookstores!”

Right now, the more information the better.

The opponent probably sees right through us, but that doesn’t mean we have to just be on the receiving end.

Moreover, it’s a god! An evil god!

“Then I’ll deliver the books from within the ducal family first.”

“I’ll go obtain the other books.”

The two split up, saying they would carry out their respective tasks, and Chloe was the first to return to the room.

“These are all the books about evil gods.”

The books about evil gods that Chloe handed over numbered about twenty.

I looked up to check the books stacked neatly on the table and swallowed dryly.

‘Finishing them all today is impossible. Let’s take time and read slowly.’

Even if it would take time, I thought it would be good to start quickly, so as soon as Chloe left the room, I began reading the books.

The books were mixed from thin to thick and when I’d read about five books—

‘I found it!’

My eyes felt like they’d fall out, but I discovered the information I wanted. Something like a method to eliminate the evil god.

〈In the era when the Empire and temple were first created, the main god made a magic sword. That magic sword remains dormant in the deepest part of the temple where no one’s eyes can reach.〉

The story about the evil god was written on the very next line.

〈The method to seal an evil god is simple. Simply make the evil god dwell in that magic sword.〉

‘This is it!’

〈To make the evil god dwell in the magic sword, someone who knows how to handle a sword and possesses excellent swordsmanship skills is needed.〉

This content was all that could be helpful.

Unfortunately, as if the author of this book also didn’t know the detailed parts, other content began with a different subtitle.

‘Outstanding swordsmanship skills……’

The puzzle pieces clicked together in my mind.

‘This is totally Theodore!’

Recently, Theodore had been surpassing Dylan’s abilities.

If it was Theodore, he might be able to make the evil god dwell in the demon sword and seal it.

‘But the demon sword is in the temple.’

Before long, I fell into despair again. The most important condition—the ‘demon sword’—wasn’t in our hands.

‘How do I get my hands on the demon sword that’s practically dormant in the temple?’