“Oh, no. You don’t have to.”

I shook my hands and looked at him for a long time.

‘I already knew he was handsome, but…’

Benny was really a great-looking boy. 

Even when he was in the shape of a beggar, he was filthy, but after removing the dirt, his beauty was revealed without any doubt.

The moonlight shone behind his back, clearly revealing a solid silhouette of a boy.

His silver hair, cut short and trimmed, shimmered in the moonlight like the Milky Way, and his purple eyes shone more than the amethyst on a brooch.

‘… Come to think of it, he was the Count’s illegitimate child.’

Although, at this point, I wondered if my memory served me wrong.

Benny didn’t even say a word to me that his father was a count.

I hesitated for a moment, then opened my mouth. 

“…Benny, I have a question for you.”

“Tell me.”

“What my dad said was a lie, right? About your origin…”

I put my face close to his ears and whispered so that nobody could hear me.

My voice rumbled from the inside of the cloth that was tightly wrapped around me.

Benny nodded softly.

“Yeah, I never met the Princess’ father when I was young. We agreed on that story to persuade those who gathered here.”

“I see…”

If so, did Benny grow up loved by his parents like any other normal child?

Somehow I couldn’t imagine that

“What were your parents like?”

“……”

Benny shut his mouth. I thought it was a mistake.

Just as Michael could not even enter the Imperial Palace, illegitimate children were taboo in aristocratic society.

It was difficult to reveal one’s own birth. Even so, I understood.

“If you don’t want to say it, you don’t have to.”

I didn’t ask it on purpose. 

If he asked me how I knew he was the count’s son, I had nothing to say.

Benny asked as he tried to swallow the words.

“Any other questions? I will tell you everything I can.”

I couldn’t miss this opportunity. 

I poured out my curiosity as if I had waited.

“You know, when did you start using the power of evil spirits?”

“I have been using it since I was born. It was when I was 9 years old that I knew exactly what it was.”

Benny folded his fingers as if searching for a memory.

“One day my mother called me and told me. That was the first time I realized that other people couldn’t use my abilities.”

Benny lowered his head and stared at the terrace tiles.

“The cry of the ground, which I have been hearing since I was born, is completely inaudible to others.”

“What?”

I followed him and looked down to the floor.

The marble was smooth without any cracks. 

The surroundings were also very quiet. Thanks to the soundproofing magic on the thin glass door, even the sounds of the noisy ballroom could not be heard.

But Benny looked away as if he was seeing something invisible to me.

“Are you talking about the cry of evil spirits?”

“Yes.”

Benny agreed very simply. I was at a loss for words. 

Whoo, whoo. 

The cry of evil spirits that was sad as if it would tear your heart. 

‘Has Benny always lived by hearing that sound?’

Eat, sleep, and meet people while listening to the cries from under the ground…

‘That would be… very difficult.’

Benny slowly shook his head. His eyes were dry like the ashes. 

I seemed to understand a little about why he always had that expression on his face.

I approached Benny gently.

“Can you still hear it?”

Benny stared at me. His purple eyes loosened softly for an instant.

“I can’t hear it if I’m next to Princess.”

‘What does this mean?’

I thought it was a joke, but looking at his serious eyes, it didn’t seem like that.

“If you’re next to me, the evil spirits won’t cry…?”

“I don’t know if it stops crying, but I can’t hear it anyway.”

“Huhh, why?”

“I don’t even know why. So when I first met the Princess, I was very surprised. At that time, I was also confused…”

Benny suddenly stopped talking and avoided my gaze.

“Benny, why?”

“So…”

Benny’s voice suddenly crawled in.

His cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment. 

“I’ve been rude.”

I dug through my memory and said, “Ah!” as I remembered a moment.

“You mean when you knocked me down?” 

The sensations of that day flashed in my mind. The rain showers were pouring down, the hand that pushed my shoulder, the chocolate that fell into the muddy water.

Although I had forgotten about it for a while, it was strangely clear.

Benny nodded slowly, looking at the ground like he had committed treason.

I smiled lightly and patted his shoulder.

“If you just say you’re sorry, it’s over.”

I didn’t even think about it in the first place.

Benny hesitated and fiddled his calluses-filled hands.

“…I couldn’t say anything because I thought you would only get angry if I apologized…”

I was a little surprised.

It was the first time that Benny didn’t know what to do.

The boy I saw in prison was always mature for his age, as if he was an adult inside a child’s body.

‘Looking at him like this, he’s just an ordinary child.’

I can’t believe he had been worried about that one mistake over and over again.

Somehow Benny looked cute like that, so my voice became softer without even realizing it.

“I’m not annoyed. That being said, I was ruder. I had put you in a gladiator match at will.”

“…It is not rude for you to choose me.”

Benny cut my words firmly and raised his head.

“Thank you. Really.”

The look in the boy’s serious eyes was as if it was scorching, it somehow made my heart tingle.

This time, I avoided his gaze first and laughed.

“Ah, anyway… Let’s call it even. You even hid the fact that I’m the same evil spirit as you. Right?”

“Evil… spirit.”

Benny repeated my words for a moment, then tilted his head vaguely.

“Does the Princess think of herself as an ‘evil spirit’?”

“Huh?”

I scratched my head at the unexpected question.

“Isn’t that the same as evil spirit? Of course, it’s a little different from those who live outside the barrier, but…”

“This is what I call myself.”

Benny made eye contact with me and whispered clearly, as if imprinting.

“Demon.” 

Swoosshh.

The cold wind ripped through the terrace. I silently repeated his words.

“Demon….”

Somehow, it was a word that suited our situation. Because we were neither a monster nor a human being.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve known since birth.”

Benny lowered his eyes and covered his mouth with the back of his hand as if recalling the past.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever shared this word with anyone.”

“……” 

“I thought I should tell the Princess of course. Because you are like me.”

Benny’s eyes were very affectionate.

Was it a natural gaze at the only same kind ‘Demon’ in this world?

I suddenly thought about it.

‘Isn’t this a chance to reveal the truth?’

To ask Benny for help, I had to confess that I wasn’t Alan’s real daughter.

Benny had promised to go to subjugation for the Bauner family, so if the time to inform was delayed, things might get messed up.

‘Originally, after gaining a certain amount of liking from him, I’ll try to talk about it…’ 

So much had happened in such a short amount of time.

It must have been that Benny and I were both evil spirits.

The sympathy he felt for me was an unexpected good fortune.

“…Benny, I have something to tell you.”

I carefully reached out for Benny’s silver hair.

As I recalled, Benny liked to be petted.

Benny trembled, but it didn’t look like he hated it.

His appearance was like a wild dog that had become docile in front of its master.

I swallowed dry saliva and whispered.

“You know, Benny. I actually…”

“What are you doing now!”

Bang! 

The glass door of the terrace swung open.

A boy in a cat mask came up to me and grabbed my wrist.

On his hand were a bunch of colorful, familiar rings.

Even if I didn’t ask, I could guess who it was.

“What, what is it? Michael… Brother.”

I unintentionally tried to scold Michael, but I changed my words.

It was because the door opened and the soundproofing magic was dispelled.

Passers-by heard Michael’s voice and turned to us.

Michael glared at Benny as much as he could, not paying attention to his surroundings.

It was like looking at a young animal that broke into the house.

“Get away now.”

Michael grabbed my wrist. Somehow, it felt like he was speaking to Benny rather than me.

“Wait. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong with you? What if you get infected?”

“Get infected by what?”

“I mean, the energy of the evil spirit.”

Michael pulled me in. His red eyes blazed like embers over the cat mask.

It was like he was saying, ‘What would you do if it was a contagious disease? The Princess of the Bauner family is attached to a monster.’ 

Come to think of it, Michael still didn’t know that I was the same as Benny.

‘Even if it’s a contagious disease, I’m already the monster Michael is talking about…’

I couldn’t tell Michael about it, so I whined and twisted my wrist.

“Release this first…”

Grab!

At that moment, Benny, who was watching silently, grabbed Michael’s wrist.

Because of the sudden action, Michael’s hand quickly fell off.

Benny stared at my wrist that had just been grabbed.

There were no bruises, perhaps because he controlled his strength. However, a thick ring-like mark was engraved on the skin like a toenail.

Benny’s expression hardened as if even the slightest trace bothered him.

The next moment, I was terrified. 

Benny’s hand that was holding onto Michael’s turned into mud.

It was the power of an evil spirit… no, a demon.