When The Red Beast Devours Me - ✿ dusk blossoms ✿

“Ihis.”

Mahie’s low voice settled over the bedroom, cold as ice.

Ihis looked at him with an expression as close to her usual one as possible, and Mahie narrowed his eyes as he stared at his daughter before continuing.

“Have you discovered anything new about Cahilid?”

“……Pardon?”

She had thought he would question her about what happened yesterday.

At his sudden question, Ihis froze, looking slightly flustered.

“You must have spent quite a bit of time facing that bastard these past few days.”

“……”

“And yet you have discovered nothing new?”

Slap!

Ihis’s head was suddenly snapped to the side.

Instinctively, she clutched her cheek as it began to swell red, and Mahie parted his lips in a voice thick with irritation.

“Do you think your healing power exists to be used on such worthless things? I have told you time and time again! You must do your utmost for the glory of Erbereje!”

……Ah.

Only then did Ihis think she understood why Mahie was angry.

It was because she had used her healing power as she pleased.

Without so much as consulting him.

First, there was the matter of healing Cahilid under the lie that he suffered from a chronic illness. Then there was what she had said yesterday about healing Cedric.

In the end, it was no different from him being enraged because the dog he had raised had performed tricks for someone else.

At his shameless behavior, Ihis almost let out a hollow laugh.

But Ihis forced herself to swallow it down.

“From now on, do not step forward needlessly.”

“……”

“Even if Cahilid’s side comes asking you to heal him, tell them you are unwell. There is nothing you can find out from him anyway, so do not waste your power on useless things!”

Mahie huffed angrily.

“……But Father, building trust with Cahilid’s side would not be a bad thing.”

“What?”

“You said it yourself. Cahilid is the very justification needed to start a rebellion. Until you are certain he has completely come over to our side, you must not reveal any of your cards.”

Mahie froze for a brief moment.

“Cahilid already knows that I have healing power anyway. In that case, it would be better to use that fact instead. As I told you before, Cahilid is ill. You remember what I said, don’t you? That blood congestion has formed throughout his body and is clashing within him.”

“When I healed the wound you received earlier, I examined you…… and it seemed as though something similar to blood congestion had formed throughout your body.

Blood congestion?”

“I-I heard that cases like this happen from time to time. If someone suffered a serious illness in childhood or was badly injured in an accident, the blood congestion that should have naturally disappeared afterward sometimes remains and begins clashing inside the body……”

What brushed past Mahie’s ears in that instant were the words Ihis had spoken on the first day Cahilid came here, after diagnosing him.

“Perhaps we may be able to use that.”

“Use it? How could someone like you possibly do that!”

“I once read about it in a book. It said that if such blood congestion is treated carelessly, it can instead cause an even worse clash.”

It was an absurd story.

After all, the very idea that there was blood congestion inside Cahilid’s body was a complete lie.

Ihis continued speaking.

“I mean that I could pretend to heal him on purpose, while causing a clash that would make his condition even worse.”

“What?”

“If I repeatedly damaged Cahilid’s body little by little in that way, then healed him again…… Cahilid would have no choice but to rely on me. And if he relies on me, then naturally, that means he will rely on you as well, Father.”

“……”

“Your will is no different from my own, after all.”

As if this was something he had never expected, Mahie fell into thought for a moment.

If she can be used in that way……

Yes. Then it would not be so difficult to move that proud Cahilid according to his own wishes.

Using Cahilid, who was of imperial blood, as a pretext to start a rebellion—and even after the rebellion succeeded and the imperial palace was seized, if he could hold Cahilid’s physical defect in his grasp and manipulate him with it, there could be nothing better.

Cahilid, forced to depend entirely on Ihis’s healing power, would have no choice but to hand over all the authority he held to Mahie.

And Mahie would be able to become the wielder of imperial power he had so long desired.

“Of course, with the information I currently have, it would be impossible to make that happen.”

Not missing the look of contemplation on Mahie’s face, Ihis drove the point home.

“Please allow me to use the study for the time being. The books you used before when you…… trained me are still there, aren’t they? If I look through them, I may find something useful.”

No answer came back.

Mahie still seemed lost in thought.

Although she was calmly spouting lies, her heart was pounding like mad.

Ihis did not let even a hint of it show.

Her gaze turned to her father.

Looking at Mahie with clear eyes, she spoke with emphasis.

“I am a being born for the glory of House Erbereje—for your glory, Father. You have always told me that.”

“I will never disappoint you, Father. Have I ever done so even once until now?”

Everything Ihis said was right.

Mahie was not such a fool that he failed to understand that. He had simply taken his frustration out on her in a moment of irritation.

Yet even knowing that, why did he feel so uneasy?

Why did the daughter before his eyes feel different from the one he had seen until now?

Even though nothing had changed.

Even though she was still in a position where she had no choice but to obey his words like a slave.

No…… No. It is only my imagination. That girl can do nothing on her own.

It was because Cahilid’s unpredictable behavior had put him on edge.

In the first place, there was no possibility that someone like Ihis could ever rebel against him. And Mahie had never taught his daughter any such insolent ideas.

“Very well. I will allow it.”

After quite some time had passed, Mahie slowly parted his lips.

“You must find out something, no matter what. If you fail to do so……”

Mahie’s eyes gleamed with a repulsive light.

“Before you become the glory of Erbereje, I will make you regret ever being born. You understand what I mean, don’t you, Ihis?”

“……Yes, of course.”

Ihis nodded with a grateful expression.

And she thought—

How could I not know what it feels like to regret that?

It is an emotion I have never once been able to cast away since the day I was born.

There was no way for Mahie to know what lay in her heart.

✦ ✦ ✦

The study of House Erbereje was, as was typical of noble mansions, exceedingly large and grand.

However, there were books there that could not be found in the study of an ordinary noble family.

They were ancient texts concerning healing power.

Even Ihis had not been able to use her healing power freely from the very beginning.

In order to draw out Ihis’s incomplete healing power to its maximum, Mahie had begun training her from the time she was young—training that was closer to *buse.

Those ancient texts had been brought in for that purpose as well.

I might be able to find something about mana, too.

From the beginning, she had another intention.

How could she more effectively lessen the mana amplifying inside Cahilid’s body, even a little?

And ultimately, how could she remove it entirely?

She wanted to find that method.

Because right now, that was the most effective way she could help Cahilid.

After Mahie left, Ihis immediately left the bedroom with Aila.

“Thank you, Aila.”

When they reached the front of the study, Ihis confirmed that no one was in the corridor and thanked her in a very small voice.

“For not saying anything to Father.”

Aila, her expression stiff, gave no answer.

In a way, it was only natural.

The reason she had kept her mouth shut was not because she pitied Ihis or cared about her. It was purely because of Cahilid’s threat.

“It may sound hypocritical, but I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“……”

“And of course, that includes you. So please, I look forward to your help from now on.”

“Please go inside. I will wait here.”

At Aila’s formulaic response, Ihis gave a bitter smile.

This was probably the best she could hope for.

Thinking that there was nothing she could do, Ihis slowly opened the door to the study.

Then her expression turned slightly surprised.

It was the first time in her life that Ihis had entered the study herself.

Until now, Mahie had only ever ordered the maids to bring books to her.

The smell of books filling the spacious study.

The sunlight pouring in through the large windows.

The peaceful atmosphere.

At the unfamiliar sensation, Ihis unconsciously stood there like a fool, looking around.

That peace did not last long.

Thud!

With a dull sound, Ihis’s head snapped downward.

“……”

She saw her vision gradually turning red.

Blood dripped from her torn scalp, staining the floor, and the thick book that had been mercilessly thrown at her rolled carelessly across the ground.

A familiar voice rang out.