Chapter 19

I turned to Heath. Jeremy bowed his head and left quickly. Heath looked at Jeremy’s back as he drifted away for a moment and said again.

“What’s going on?”

“Jeremy was hurt, so I treated him. My healing magic works for Jeremy.”

“Really?”

Heath’s expression in reply was still dark. I embraced Jeremy, but he is still a little boy. It’s best to pat his back to soothe a child.

“Was that not a good thing?”

“No. There’s nothing Julia can’t do in this castle.”

“I’m glad.”

“Julia is kind.”

After saying that, Heath took my hand and kissed me lightly on the back of my hand. Just that, Heath said no more about Jeremy.

See, Heath is so sweet. He doesn’t have to be so scared.

It was the next day.

I woke up in the middle of the morning. As I dug into the soft blanket, Heath patted me on the shoulder and called me to have breakfast. Half asleep, I buried my head in the pillow and procrastinated for a long time before finally getting up.

“I brought you a meal.”

“…Huh?”

I woke up to an unfamiliar voice. The voice heard on the doorstep was not Jeremy. A new servant stood before my eyes. The servant looked like a human being, but if I look closely, there was a sense of incompatibility.

There was no expression on his face and the movement was awkward. It was an elaborate doll powered by magic.

Upon Heath’s permission, the doll put down a plate of food on the table next to the bed and left the room. He walked with a uniform stride without blushing or smiling shyly at the sight of the bed.

“Where is Jeremy?”

I thought I treated him with healing magic, but were there any remaining wounds? Don’t tell me he got hurt because he was bullied again?

But Heath gave a slightly different answer.

“Do you want to see the servant?”

“…Huh?”

Heath’s words sounded low and cold. Unlike the usual Heath, he had no soft smile. Heath said again, sweeping away my disheveled blonde hair.

“You call him by name.”

Why? I got goosebumps when he spoke with a friendly look on his face. Maybe it’s the influence of intuition, but I don’t have a good feeling about it. I had a hunch that I shouldn’t answer straight away.

“Oh… …no. I just asked because everything suddenly changed.”

“I left him with another job for a while. In the meantime, the magic doll will take care of Julia, so you can tell it anything you need.”

Is it true? I could not hide my displeasure and looked at Heath. Don’t tell me he’s doing something hard or getting bullied again, right?

“Julia always cares about other people.”

“It’s not like that. I’m just worried about Jeremy.….”

Those who bullied the servant were punished. So there’s nothing to worry about Julia.”

“……Okay.”

I was nervous, but I had no choice but to nod first.

Later, a code sent by the chef revealed that Jeremy worked in the kitchen. I’m glad everything’s all right anyway.

I was worried about him, but it was difficult for me, who was determined to leave soon, to be deeply involved in the affairs of demons.

Anyway, the Demon realm was comfortable, and there was a lot of time left until the temple sent ransom. I thought I shouldn’t do this, but I relaxed. I’ve lived a busy and hard life, so I can be comfortable. Let’s have some fun and think.

But my comfortable life in the demon realm was ended by an unexpected incident.

Chapter 4. Break away

“Uh, uhm…?”

Suddenly I woke up from the force that was shaking my shoulders. It’s still dark outside the window. What the hell is going on at this time of night? Is it Heath? I murmured in a half-asleep voice.

“Who……what…?”

But it was an unexpected voice.

The voice of a man who is not supposed to be here, whom I never thought I’d hear here.

“Lady Julia.”

“Sir Leo…?”

It was Leo, the head of the Holy Knights of the temple. Leo stood in my bedroom with a black cape covering his head and clothes. Behind him, there were also men wearing black cloaks, and considering that they were memorable faces, they were also knights.

Their appearance buried in the darkness seemed familiar but unfamiliar at the same time.

In an instant, I woke up as if cold water was doused on my head. I jumped up, but my head didn’t work properly.

What about the castle security? And Heath? How did the Knight Commander of the Holy Knights get here without being noticed? Wasn’t there magic in the castle?

Thoughts swirled around flowed out in crumpled words.

“How did Sir Leo get here? How is the security of the castle guard?….”

Leo caught me up before I could finish the question.

“I’m here to pick up Lady Julia. We don’t have time. I’ll explain as we go.”

“But….”

Where are you going?

But Leo was as tough as ever. He led me out of the room without further answering my questions. My arm was sore to the point of pain. I was almost dragged out of the bedroom by men in black capes.

The darkened corridor of the Demon King’s castle was just silent. It’s strange. I couldn’t see the magic doll that always guarded the front of my room or the guards standing at the end of the hallway.

Furthermore, Leo strode down the hall as if he knew the way. A couple of narrow passages were also passed. The passage, which was built of magic stones and did not know where it led to, strangely guided the way straight when Leo opened the door.

Then Leo stopped in front of a wall with no sign. Still, it was quiet around. It’s as if there’s no one in the castle but us. I stopped Leo and asked him why.

“Sir Leo, can’t you……. Are you going to get me out of here?”

Are you trying to sneak me out like this?

“You don’t have to worry about anything, Lady Julia. I know the way.”

No, that’s not good enough. It’s very difficult.

My purpose is a ransom of 100,000 gold, and I have no intention of going back to the temple. Didn’t I come all the way here to the Demon Realm to escape from my life in the temple that is worse than a slave?

If I escape here by Leo’s hand, my life plan will not be fulfilled. At best, I’ll be working from morning to night among the old priests.

Of course I thought they would be preparing to give my ransom by now, but the temple is taking such a difficult route. Are they really going to start a war?

I looked up at Leo, hiding my true feelings, and said in a wretched voice as much as I could.

“But… I can’t put Sir Leo in danger because of me. The guards……. No, the Demon King Heathcliff might be back. I can’t go with you.”

But Leo gave an unexpected answer in a low, subdued voice.

“Lady Julia seems to like this place.”

Did it show that I ate well and rested well? I gained some weight in less than a month, my hair was glossy, my skin was smooth, and my eyes, which had been empty and dark, returned to normal. I chose a way to persuade Leo again, but Leo continued.

“Is the reason why the Demon King Heathcliff kidnapped Lady Julia is to become a human sacrifice?”

“……what?”

The unfamiliar word that tapped in my ear was very terrifying. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. A human sacrifice, a person’s heart for killing someone or something…… Do you mean the ancient religious customs that had already disappeared hundreds of years ago?

“A human sacrifice?”