TMD - Chapter 42 < Hell Gate (6) >

That night.

“You have begun to change the entire appearance of the mansion in earnest.”

Belled, who was busy with work, was listening to the report.

To be exact, Belled, who should have been busy with work, was listening to the report. Not sitting at the desk, but standing.

Beryl said that she had been removing the decorations of the mansion all day and thinking about how to decorate it.

It must have been so that the soon-to-be-arrived temple would not be suspicious.

Normally, he would have felt like he was watching the temple’s mood and would have felt a sense of rejection.

However, just because it was her job, his aversion seemed to disappear.

Belled, who was listening to the report that followed, was not sitting at the desk in the office.

[Imperial Culture]

[Dietary Life in Various Regions of the Empire]

He was loitering in front of the bookshelf filled with books related to the human world. He was shocked that his eyes were wandering around a place he had no interest in for a long time, but he couldn’t stop.

What caught his attention in particular was

“The Great Temple.”

...Of course, he wasn’t interested in the priests or anything.

Whether they are satisfied with the diet here or not.

They... as long as she is not suspected.

A sudden thought made him narrow his eyes.

[Dietary habits of various parts of the empire]

While looking at the book, he thought about where the Great Hall was. Where she stayed.

The Great Hall was located slightly west of the central part of the continent. So should we look at the diet of the West? Or the center?

[Dietary habits of the western part of the empire are mainly...]

Even though he opened the book, there was no story between the central and western parts. The books of humans were not kind. It seemed that was the case even when he was human.

It was when he closed the book with a short sigh.

“Your Highness, I heard that the Saintess stopped by Stolas today.”

“To Stolas?”

Even after listening to the usual boring reports, Beryl’s story made him come to his senses.

“Yes. I heard that she went to see a flower shop.”

“What?”

What kind of future was she curious about? His interest was completely drawn to Ronove’s report.

However, the words that followed made him pause.

“She asked if she could live for more than ten years.”

“...Ten years?”

That was a very short time for a demon. But it wasn’t a long time for a human either. Belled’s eyebrows furrowed.

Why are you suddenly asking about your lifespan?

This was the first possibility that came to mind.

“Is she having health problems?”

“As soon as Marves returns, I’ll discuss the schedule for the checkup with him...”

Marves, the mansion’s chief physician, had just recently been assigned to work outside the mansion.

...Of course, given the nature of his unique ability, it was uncertain whether he would be able to properly work on a human being. But before that.

“So you’re saying that the checkup can’t be done right away.”

If there was a health problem, it was better to catch it quickly. He quickly got up.

“Your Highness?”

While Ronove was panicking, he had already left his desk and opened the door to his office.

“The results of the flower shop...”

Bam!

“...They said she could live.”

Ronove’s empty report rang out from the closed door. He scratched his head.

Well, ten years is too short. If possible, you should have asked the Vizier about a hundred years... ah, is this too far?

Ronove tilted his head and opened the door. After all, he had a duty to follow Beled.

But.

“... Your Highness?”

His master moved more quickly and hurriedly than he had thought. He was already out of the hallway.

***

It had been a long time since Stolas had received as many visitors as he did today.

When it was rumored that he had an ability similar to seeing the future, he was naturally popular.

However, because of the nature of his ability, which was to see the future ‘only with flowers that he had grown with his own magic power,’ he could not see many flower shops.

So naturally, he became the property of powerful demons, and after that, the questions from miscellaneous demons decreased.

Then, after the demon world was unified by the demon Grand Duke Belled, the number of visitors decreased significantly.

It was because it was no fun to look into the future.

Of course, the bigger reason was that seeing a decisive or distant future required a lot of magic power, or Stolas’s magic power was insufficient to see it.

In the first place, since his magic power was lacking, he couldn’t grow as many flowers as before, so it was convenient for Stolas.

But.

“...I greet you, Your Highness.”

Today was already the third time he had a guest, and Stolas couldn’t help but feel flustered.

The first was Vision, and the second was...

His gaze turned to Decarabia next to him. She was a demon who didn’t really interact with Stolas, saying she wasn’t interested in the unknown, so she was an unexpected guest.

But this time, His Highness the Grand Duke?

Stolas felt like his eyes were going to pop out.

“Does Beryl have a fatal disease that will affect her health, or rather, her lifespan?”

Belled, who knew that he had to ask Stolas carefully to get what he wanted, barely managed to organize his words and asked.

“Ah... could you wait a moment?”

Stolas put down the flower he was holding and picked up another flower. Then, he carefully began to remove the petals one by one.

“There is a disease, there is no disease...”

He repeated this, and when he removed the last petal, he met Belled’s gaze.

“There is none.”

Stolas’ hand removed the last petal. Belled closed his eyes as soon as his voice rang out.

The tension that had been in his shoulders without him knowing was starting to ease.

In the place where hia head had been filled with tension and turned white, he finally felt like he had a thought.

“Can she live long?”

Stolas’s hand gleamed as he asked Belled. The moment his magical hand picked up the flower, Belled realized that he had asked the wrong question. He should have set a standard for how many years a long life was.

However, the fortune-telling had already begun.

“...She can live long.”

Stolas answered as he removed the last petal.

Belled raised his eyebrows. It was a good answer. However.

By whose standard?

Even if he asked that now, Stolas wouldn’t know. He literally could find out ‘yes or no.’

“Then..."

It was just as Belled was about to ask. Stolas pointed to the garden to his lord, who seemed impatient today.

There was only one flower left in the garden that looked empty today.

“There is only one flower left.”

It meant that he could only ask one question.

When he heard that story, Belled’s mind became complicated.

What was I trying to ask?

Her, no, her...

Unorganized words sprang out of his confused mind.

“Can she change our future?”

After he spoke, Stolas’s hand flashed in the moment he paused. It meant that the flower fortune-telling had already begun.

Whether she could change the future was something he had already confirmed in his mind.

It was an unexpected mistake. However, he surprisingly didn’t regret it much.

It wasn’t just because Stolas would have a chance to ask questions if he grew flowers again, even if it took a long time.

He might have wanted to get a definitive answer not only with his ability but also with other abilities.

Tok, knock.

“She can change it, she can’t change it...”

As the flower fortune-telling continued, Belled stared at the flower without taking his eyes off it.

And soon.

“She can change it.”

When Stolas answered, he smiled faintly. Stolas’ eyes widened at that change in expression.

It didn’t seem like the appearance of the lord he knew.

“Then, in that future, will she be with me too?”

Stolas blinked. His lord certainly wasn’t acting like a lord today.

Of course not.

He pointed to the empty garden.

“What is it?”

Asked Veled, his eyes narrowed and half-lost in thought.

Stolas said with a trembling expression.

“There are no flowers.”

“...Ah.”

Belled touched his forehead. It was clear that he was aware that he was out of his mind.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

Belled left, wondering what was so urgent.

Then, Decarabia, who had been watching him quietly until he came and went, turned to Stolas.

“What about my flower shop?”

“I’ll see you later.”

Stolas tilted his head but focused again.

He thought about Decarabia’s question as he removed each petal, and soon opened his eyes.

After removing the last petal, he spoke to Decarabia in a clear voice.

“...You like it.”

Decarabia opened her eyes wide at those words.

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