“...!”
Sylvia's head turned toward the nearby alley. She could sense the spirit of the demons from inside the alley. She raised her voice.
“Lord Cedars! This way!”
Jeffrey, who had been running ahead, stopped and turned around. In the meantime, Sylvia hurriedly ran into the alley.
"Lang...!”
Boom-!
Sylvia tried to reprimand him in a fit of anger but ended up lowering her head with a distorted expression.
"...Sorry."
"Yes?"
"Sorry..."
Tears fell from her eyes like rain. Since Sylvia had her head down, Lang couldn’t see her face. But he could clearly hear the sound of tears falling on the pool of blood. Lang was surprised by the sudden apology, but he quickly found Sylvia’s hand and held it without saying anything. Sylvia raised her head at that movement. The purple fingertips holding her hand trembled as the strength in her body continued to drain away.
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
“..."
“Thanks to you, Madam... I believe that peace between humans and demons is not such a distant dream.”
“...”
“...I saw hope.”
Lang concluded with a calmer smile than ever before. Sylvia finally broke down as the smile slowly disappeared from his face and the life finally disappeared from his eyes.
“...!”
Sylvia buried her face in Lang's clothes and sobbed silently. Only a sound that was not quite a scream leaked out like a squeak. After shedding tears for a long time, Sylvia lost consciousness like a doll whose strings had snapped after hearing Randall's terrified call.
Randall suggested cautiously. When she raised her head at his words, the sky was completely gray. Sylvia swallowed a sigh and nodded coolly.
"...Is it so."
“Auston. The ending is...”
“I will take responsibility. You two can go back and rest. You have been by my side the whole time...”
Auston lowered his head with bloodshot eyes. As soon as Randall and Sylvia left the coffin, Jamie ran over. Jamie leaned against the coffin as if he was clinging to it and cried bitterly.
“Why did you do that... Why on earth, why on earth did you do that...”
The sound of the cry stopped her steps. Sylvia, who had stopped in her tracks with Randall's arms crossed, stood there as if she was stuck in that spot, unable to move her feet.
“...Sylvia.”
Randall made a pitiful sound. There was a strange anxiety in his eyes as he looked at her. However, Sylvia was desperately trying to control her mind with her eyes closed, so she couldn’t look at his face. Eventually, the anxiety in Randall’s eyes spread to his entire face. He was about to call Sylvia with his eyebrows furrowed.
“Master!”
From afar, a servant from Belfort Castle came running, calling out to Randall and Sylvia. The two people's faces hardened at the servant's urgent voice.
"What's the matter."
“That is, now, His Majesty the King’s imperial edict...”
At the servant's words, Randall and Sylvia headed straight for the castle. They found the King's servant standing in front of the castle's main gate, approached him, and bowed down. As Randall bowed, the servant who had come to deliver the king's edict opened the letter he was holding with an expressionless face.
“Listen, Randall Belfort.”
A sudden royal decree. Since the royal family and the North were entangled, nothing good could happen, so everyone was nervous. Especially those who knew of the existence of 'Lang'.
‘...Did you notice it then?’
Sylvia lowered her head and bit her lip. The day David came to the castle to hear her answer. Although Auston clearly said that Lang had not left the lab, she could not easily feel at ease knowing how good David was. Sylvia blamed herself internally. That was understandable because when Lang first came over the twist, she was the one who had blocked Randall’s path. She had been unable to overcome her curiosity at the words ‘a demon that cannot kill humans.’
“The first snowfall in the North.”
“...”
“We humans will go out to punish the evil beings and subdue Kelvetia.”
Kung.
Sylvia's head turned toward the nearby alley. She could sense the spirit of the demons from inside the alley. She raised her voice.
“Lord Cedars! This way!”
Jeffrey, who had been running ahead, stopped and turned around. In the meantime, Sylvia hurriedly ran into the alley.
"Lang...!”
Boom-!
The moment Sylvia stepped into the alley, there was a sound of something piercing flesh, and blood fell onto the alley floor. Her heart sank. Sylvia stared into the alley with her eyes wide open in shock.
“...Lang?”
She muttered blankly, unable to believe the sight before her eyes. What she saw in her golden eyes was the back of Lang, who had dug his nails into his own abdomen.
“Ah, huh...”
A faint sob was heard from behind Lang's back, where bloodstains were spreading more and more. Sylvia unconsciously turned her gaze in that direction and saw the boy, who looked completely unscathed, trembling and covering his mouth.
“Huh, huff, huff...”
“Easy, it’s okay... ah.”
At that moment, a purple hand covered the eyes of the boy, Jamie, who was shedding tears helplessly. Jamie flinched reflexively the moment the hand approached. However, when he realized that the hand was meant to cover his eyes, he let out a louder cry than before. Lang couldn’t even think of pulling out his own hand stuck in his abdomen and covering Jamie’s eyes with his other hand. He tried to smile on his face, which was distorted by pain.
“Forget it.”
“...Lang?”
She muttered blankly, unable to believe the sight before her eyes. What she saw in her golden eyes was the back of Lang, who had dug his nails into his own abdomen.
“Ah, huh...”
A faint sob was heard from behind Lang's back, where bloodstains were spreading more and more. Sylvia unconsciously turned her gaze in that direction and saw the boy, who looked completely unscathed, trembling and covering his mouth.
“Huh, huff, huff...”
“Easy, it’s okay... ah.”
At that moment, a purple hand covered the eyes of the boy, Jamie, who was shedding tears helplessly. Jamie flinched reflexively the moment the hand approached. However, when he realized that the hand was meant to cover his eyes, he let out a louder cry than before. Lang couldn’t even think of pulling out his own hand stuck in his abdomen and covering Jamie’s eyes with his other hand. He tried to smile on his face, which was distorted by pain.
“Forget it.”
“Dark...”
“You just... met a really bad demon, fought bravely, won, and escaped.”
“...”
“You understand?”
Jamie groaned and groaned. Lang, who had been trying not to take his hands off the boy's eyes, suddenly felt something and turned around. He tried to smile with his face covered in cold sweat from enduring the pain.
“Ah... You’re here.”
After Lang uttered those words, he swallowed a groan and stumbled to the floor. Sylvia, who had come to her senses belatedly, hurriedly approached Lang. She said as she tore the hem of his clothes.
“Sir Cedars. Take the child back to Randall.”
"But..."
“Go back to Randall and leave the child with him, and get Auston. We need to get Auston first. Now!”
Sylvia ordered with a stronger tone than ever before. Jeffrey, who had hesitated, said, “I’ll be right back!” and ran out, holding the child in his arms. Sylvia tore the hem of Lang’s clothes into long strips and made them into bandages. She rolled one up and put it in Lang’s mouth, saying,
“If you count to three, I’ll take your hand out. Then I can treat the wound.”
"Yes..."
“One, two, three.”
Lang mumbled something with the cloth in his mouth, but Sylvia ignored him. As soon as she counted to three, she pulled the hand that had penetrated Lang’s abdomen out, and he flinched and bit down hard on the cloth.
'It's no use trying to stop the bleeding, but... '
Lang laughed as he thought about it while his consciousness was fading away. It was a gut feeling. It would take some time for Auston to get here, and when he experimented with it, healing magic did not work on the body of a demon. If there were a demon who could freely manipulate darkness to the point of healing wounds, then that would be different...
“You just... met a really bad demon, fought bravely, won, and escaped.”
“...”
“You understand?”
Jamie groaned and groaned. Lang, who had been trying not to take his hands off the boy's eyes, suddenly felt something and turned around. He tried to smile with his face covered in cold sweat from enduring the pain.
“Ah... You’re here.”
After Lang uttered those words, he swallowed a groan and stumbled to the floor. Sylvia, who had come to her senses belatedly, hurriedly approached Lang. She said as she tore the hem of his clothes.
“Sir Cedars. Take the child back to Randall.”
"But..."
“Go back to Randall and leave the child with him, and get Auston. We need to get Auston first. Now!”
Sylvia ordered with a stronger tone than ever before. Jeffrey, who had hesitated, said, “I’ll be right back!” and ran out, holding the child in his arms. Sylvia tore the hem of Lang’s clothes into long strips and made them into bandages. She rolled one up and put it in Lang’s mouth, saying,
“If you count to three, I’ll take your hand out. Then I can treat the wound.”
"Yes..."
“One, two, three.”
Lang mumbled something with the cloth in his mouth, but Sylvia ignored him. As soon as she counted to three, she pulled the hand that had penetrated Lang’s abdomen out, and he flinched and bit down hard on the cloth.
'It's no use trying to stop the bleeding, but... '
Lang laughed as he thought about it while his consciousness was fading away. It was a gut feeling. It would take some time for Auston to get here, and when he experimented with it, healing magic did not work on the body of a demon. If there were a demon who could freely manipulate darkness to the point of healing wounds, then that would be different...
Hwaak-
"...Uh?"
Lang opened his eyes wide in surprise at the familiar aura that enveloped his body. Then his blurred vision cleared up a little and Sylvia’s face came into view. Red pupils, the wounded area covered in black smoke. Lang was so surprised that he even forgot the pain for a moment.
“Uh, uh...?”
“Why are you being so reckless? What if you were going to die?”
Sylvia gritted her teeth as she filled Lang's wounds with darkness.
'I lost too much blood.'
Filling a wound with darkness was almost as effective as healing magic. It healed trauma instantly, but it could not replace blood lost to fatigue, illness, or bleeding. Sylvia glanced nervously at the pool of blood that had pooled under Lang's body. Lang noticed it too and tried to smile.
"Still..."
He could not understand why the Duchess of Belfort could control the darkness. Of course, he was curious about the reason, and he had a strong desire to study the human who could control the darkness. However, he had a feeling that the end was near for him, so he chose to leave the question as it was of no use and laughed like a child.
“With my own hands, I never wanted to... hurt anyone.”
“...”
“Even if it’s human.”
Lang had never had anyone's blood on his hands in his entire life. He had always avoided fights to the point of being called a coward, so it was natural. So when he tried to grab Jamie, his fingernails grazed the boy's cheek, and blood was left on the tip. Lang was bewildered and despaired at the instinctive killing intent he had never experienced before. He had confidently claimed in front of Randall and Sylvia that 'the Demons have changed'. In the end, are we still just 'Demons' who are slaves to instinct?
"...No."
Lang stopped dead in his tracks, right in front of Jamie's nose. He bit his lip until it bled.
"I am not that kind of person."
More precisely, he did not want to be that kind of being. He did not want to live a life where he could casually hurt others and get his blood on them. So instead of cutting Jamie with his nails, Lang stabbed himself in the stomach. It was extremely painful and difficult to go against his instincts, but he would rather hurt himself than hurt another being. Lang smiled faintly at Sylvia.
“Thank you... Ma’am.”
“...”
“Thanks to you, I don’t get sick.”
Lang's face was pale, not matching his bright smile.
“What on earth did you do so well...!”
"...Uh?"
Lang opened his eyes wide in surprise at the familiar aura that enveloped his body. Then his blurred vision cleared up a little and Sylvia’s face came into view. Red pupils, the wounded area covered in black smoke. Lang was so surprised that he even forgot the pain for a moment.
“Uh, uh...?”
“Why are you being so reckless? What if you were going to die?”
Sylvia gritted her teeth as she filled Lang's wounds with darkness.
'I lost too much blood.'
Filling a wound with darkness was almost as effective as healing magic. It healed trauma instantly, but it could not replace blood lost to fatigue, illness, or bleeding. Sylvia glanced nervously at the pool of blood that had pooled under Lang's body. Lang noticed it too and tried to smile.
"Still..."
He could not understand why the Duchess of Belfort could control the darkness. Of course, he was curious about the reason, and he had a strong desire to study the human who could control the darkness. However, he had a feeling that the end was near for him, so he chose to leave the question as it was of no use and laughed like a child.
“With my own hands, I never wanted to... hurt anyone.”
“...”
“Even if it’s human.”
Lang had never had anyone's blood on his hands in his entire life. He had always avoided fights to the point of being called a coward, so it was natural. So when he tried to grab Jamie, his fingernails grazed the boy's cheek, and blood was left on the tip. Lang was bewildered and despaired at the instinctive killing intent he had never experienced before. He had confidently claimed in front of Randall and Sylvia that 'the Demons have changed'. In the end, are we still just 'Demons' who are slaves to instinct?
"...No."
Lang stopped dead in his tracks, right in front of Jamie's nose. He bit his lip until it bled.
"I am not that kind of person."
More precisely, he did not want to be that kind of being. He did not want to live a life where he could casually hurt others and get his blood on them. So instead of cutting Jamie with his nails, Lang stabbed himself in the stomach. It was extremely painful and difficult to go against his instincts, but he would rather hurt himself than hurt another being. Lang smiled faintly at Sylvia.
“Thank you... Ma’am.”
“...”
“Thanks to you, I don’t get sick.”
Lang's face was pale, not matching his bright smile.
“What on earth did you do so well...!”
Sylvia tried to reprimand him in a fit of anger but ended up lowering her head with a distorted expression.
"...Sorry."
"Yes?"
"Sorry..."
Tears fell from her eyes like rain. Since Sylvia had her head down, Lang couldn’t see her face. But he could clearly hear the sound of tears falling on the pool of blood. Lang was surprised by the sudden apology, but he quickly found Sylvia’s hand and held it without saying anything. Sylvia raised her head at that movement. The purple fingertips holding her hand trembled as the strength in her body continued to drain away.
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
“..."
“Thanks to you, Madam... I believe that peace between humans and demons is not such a distant dream.”
“...”
“...I saw hope.”
Lang concluded with a calmer smile than ever before. Sylvia finally broke down as the smile slowly disappeared from his face and the life finally disappeared from his eyes.
“...!”
Sylvia buried her face in Lang's clothes and sobbed silently. Only a sound that was not quite a scream leaked out like a squeak. After shedding tears for a long time, Sylvia lost consciousness like a doll whose strings had snapped after hearing Randall's terrified call.
***
A few days later. A quiet funeral was held at a graveyard outside the Belfort estate.
“...So please bless this poor life...”
The priest standing next to the coffin recited a prayer for the dead in a calm voice. In front of the priest stood a small boy who kept sobbing and several people. Among them, Sylvia, who was standing in the front, looked at the coffin with an indifferent face.
“...”
A whitish figure came into view beyond the black veil. The body inside the coffin was wrapped in an opaque white cloth, making it unrecognizable.
“...Please take care of him.”
The priest, who had finished his prayer, stepped away at Sylvia’s gesture. Sylvia slowly approached the coffin, holding the hem of her black dress with both hands. She stopped in front of the coffin and stretched out her hand. Her white fingertips gently lifted the cloth covering the body.
“...”
Sylvia stared blankly at the purple cotton that was peacefully closed as if asleep. Then she lowered her gaze and placed the flower she was holding in her hand on Lang’s body. Not the white flower that was used to commemorate the deceased, but a pale yellow flower.
"Oh, Ma'am! Look at this! Isn't it similar to the color of your eyes?"
Lang always found meaning in even the smallest things without overlooking them. His smiling face was refreshing and clear, unlike that of a demon. That’s why Sylvia wanted to avoid Lang. She could clearly see the future where he would erase and destroy all the thoughts, anger, and such that she had. However, Lang eventually broke even the last stubbornness that Sylvia had.
“To you...”
Sylvia quietly pursed her lips. Her throat was choked up, and she couldn't speak for a moment. Then, she heard Jamie burst into tears behind her. The child Lang had saved by sacrificing his life.
“...May peace be with you.”
Sylvia closed her eyes and quietly rested her forehead against Lang's.
“...”
Randall, who had been watching Sylvia with a complicated expression behind her, took a step forward. He stood next to Sylvia and lifted her up with a gentle hand.
“Should you go in now? It looks like it’s going to rain soon, and you just woke up from exhaustion.”
“...So please bless this poor life...”
The priest standing next to the coffin recited a prayer for the dead in a calm voice. In front of the priest stood a small boy who kept sobbing and several people. Among them, Sylvia, who was standing in the front, looked at the coffin with an indifferent face.
“...”
A whitish figure came into view beyond the black veil. The body inside the coffin was wrapped in an opaque white cloth, making it unrecognizable.
“...Please take care of him.”
The priest, who had finished his prayer, stepped away at Sylvia’s gesture. Sylvia slowly approached the coffin, holding the hem of her black dress with both hands. She stopped in front of the coffin and stretched out her hand. Her white fingertips gently lifted the cloth covering the body.
“...”
Sylvia stared blankly at the purple cotton that was peacefully closed as if asleep. Then she lowered her gaze and placed the flower she was holding in her hand on Lang’s body. Not the white flower that was used to commemorate the deceased, but a pale yellow flower.
"Oh, Ma'am! Look at this! Isn't it similar to the color of your eyes?"
Lang always found meaning in even the smallest things without overlooking them. His smiling face was refreshing and clear, unlike that of a demon. That’s why Sylvia wanted to avoid Lang. She could clearly see the future where he would erase and destroy all the thoughts, anger, and such that she had. However, Lang eventually broke even the last stubbornness that Sylvia had.
“To you...”
Sylvia quietly pursed her lips. Her throat was choked up, and she couldn't speak for a moment. Then, she heard Jamie burst into tears behind her. The child Lang had saved by sacrificing his life.
“...May peace be with you.”
Sylvia closed her eyes and quietly rested her forehead against Lang's.
“...”
Randall, who had been watching Sylvia with a complicated expression behind her, took a step forward. He stood next to Sylvia and lifted her up with a gentle hand.
“Should you go in now? It looks like it’s going to rain soon, and you just woke up from exhaustion.”
Randall suggested cautiously. When she raised her head at his words, the sky was completely gray. Sylvia swallowed a sigh and nodded coolly.
"...Is it so."
“Auston. The ending is...”
“I will take responsibility. You two can go back and rest. You have been by my side the whole time...”
Auston lowered his head with bloodshot eyes. As soon as Randall and Sylvia left the coffin, Jamie ran over. Jamie leaned against the coffin as if he was clinging to it and cried bitterly.
“Why did you do that... Why on earth, why on earth did you do that...”
The sound of the cry stopped her steps. Sylvia, who had stopped in her tracks with Randall's arms crossed, stood there as if she was stuck in that spot, unable to move her feet.
“...Sylvia.”
Randall made a pitiful sound. There was a strange anxiety in his eyes as he looked at her. However, Sylvia was desperately trying to control her mind with her eyes closed, so she couldn’t look at his face. Eventually, the anxiety in Randall’s eyes spread to his entire face. He was about to call Sylvia with his eyebrows furrowed.
“Master!”
From afar, a servant from Belfort Castle came running, calling out to Randall and Sylvia. The two people's faces hardened at the servant's urgent voice.
"What's the matter."
“That is, now, His Majesty the King’s imperial edict...”
At the servant's words, Randall and Sylvia headed straight for the castle. They found the King's servant standing in front of the castle's main gate, approached him, and bowed down. As Randall bowed, the servant who had come to deliver the king's edict opened the letter he was holding with an expressionless face.
“Listen, Randall Belfort.”
A sudden royal decree. Since the royal family and the North were entangled, nothing good could happen, so everyone was nervous. Especially those who knew of the existence of 'Lang'.
‘...Did you notice it then?’
Sylvia lowered her head and bit her lip. The day David came to the castle to hear her answer. Although Auston clearly said that Lang had not left the lab, she could not easily feel at ease knowing how good David was. Sylvia blamed herself internally. That was understandable because when Lang first came over the twist, she was the one who had blocked Randall’s path. She had been unable to overcome her curiosity at the words ‘a demon that cannot kill humans.’
She did not regret getting to know Lang in the first place. On the contrary, Sylvia was able to let go of some of the stubbornness she had held onto all this time. However, if this were to harm Randall...
Sylvia glanced at Randall next to her with anxious eyes. In the meantime, the subject made a grave declaration.
“The first snowfall in the North.”
“...”
“We humans will go out to punish the evil beings and subdue Kelvetia.”
Kung.
The moment she heard those words, Sylvia's heart sank to the tips of her toes.
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