DNCTFB 16

<Episode 16>

Monster hunters were supposed to deliver all monster parts to the temple and receive rewards based on their value.
Selling or using them directly was strictly illegal.

“If I stopped going on monster hunts, the ones in trouble would be the temple.
Even if I took nothing, they wouldn’t be able to do anything to me.”

Hearing that, Melody quietly began sorting through the materials. As she worked, she could feel his red gaze slowly move—from her eyes to her hands.

After splitting the loot into two piles, Melody pointed to the smaller one.
Deonis asked,

“That’s all you need?”

“No, that’s what you should send to the temple.”

It looked small, but it included plenty of materials commonly used by the temple, so no one would complain.
And honestly, that much was already more than enough for things like chandeliers or cold storage machines.

“If there’s anything else you need, let me know. I’ll get it for you.”

“I don’t need anything right now.”

Melody carefully packed what she needed into a basket, then added,

“You should get treated.”

Blood had soaked through his white shirt—likely from a wound he got during the expedition.

Instead of answering, Deonis tapped the table twice.
The sharp, loud sound carried emotion— it was clear he didn’t even want to hear the word treatment.

Melody let out a small sigh.

“How about I make a healing tool? It won’t use holy power, but it could stitch up wounds, apply medicine, and wrap them in bandages.”

“Finish the magic-nullifying machine first.”

“Making a healing tool won’t take long. I’ve made something similar before.”

“So it’ll still take time, right?”

“I’m not so untalented that I can’t work on two things at once.”

“Then show me a finished product first before you talk.”

“I just don’t want you to be in pain. You finally have some relief—why let that go?”

At her frustrated words, Deonis stared at her and said softly,

“…It bothers me.”

What bothers you?!

Melody clenched her fists.

She never thought watching someone who couldn’t even tell when they were hurt could be this annoying.
Maybe because in the novel, he’d seemed like a man who could destroy the whole world.

“It’s not some fake kindness or anything. People can care about other people, right?”

“Am I even a person?”

“Then what—are you a ghost?”

His eyes locked straight onto hers. Red as fire, and full of something hard to read.

‘Deonis can tear monsters apart…’

Her mind went blank under his sharp stare.

“If it bothers you, I’ll try not to care. Be in pain or not—it’s your business.”

He silently listened to her grumpy words. Then suddenly, he unbuttoned his cuff.

A clear wound ran across his forearm—clawed by a monster.

“It’s the wound that bothers me. Because I don’t feel the pain… it just stands out now. It’s kind of ridiculous.”

“It’s not ridiculous at all.”

“Then keep worrying about me.”

The way he said it—so confidently—was unbelievable.

“I will. If you get treatment.”

To her surprise, he stretched out his arm. Maybe it really was bothering him more than he let on.

Melody smiled faintly.

With clumsy hands, she applied medicine and wrapped his arm in a bandage. She tried hard not to touch his skin—but it wasn’t impossible.

‘I did it without touching him!’

When she finished, she stepped away—leaving Deonis behind with a slightly annoyed look.

Mages weren’t affected by holy power, but their natural healing was stronger than most people.
Simple cuts could heal in just a day.

But wounds from monsters were different. Maybe because of the poison, they took much longer to heal.

A few weeks from now, Deonis will be on another hunt. It’d be hard to come back without a scratch. Monsters weren’t something humans could easily deal with, no matter how skilled he was.

It was amazing he hadn’t been seriously hurt yet.

‘When does Riheline show up? If I can finish the portable magic-nullifying machine before then, that would be perfect.’

Riheline was the only person Deonis ever wanted to touch.
If Melody could finish the machine in time, maybe Deonis could go to her and get treatment.

After all, Riheline was kind even to Ryan. There’s no way she’d ignore Deonis’s wounds.

‘He’s better looking than Ryan… and his body’s way better, too. There’s no reason they can’t end up together.’

And the more she saw of Deonis, the more he seemed like a better person than that trash Ryan.

‘Sorry again, trash.’

Melody mentally apologized to trash (again) as she thought seriously about the portable magic-nullifying machine.

The hardest part was making something strong enough to handle Deonis’s enormous magic
and then properly control the magic that was absorbed.

‘First, I need a way to hold up against his magic.’

Melody clenched her fists in determination.

When she returned to the workshop, someone unexpected was waiting.

“The Chief Attendant?”

“Did you just come back from seeing the Duke?”

Melody gulped.

His perfectly combed white hair and spotless clothes reminded her of everything she’d done wrong.

‘Last night… we ran into each other right after I came out of the Duchess’s room…’

Even though Deonis gave her permission to place the magic tool there, she’d still gone against what the Chief Attendant had said.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s surprising. I thought you’d walk out proudly after getting the Duke’s permission.”

“The order of magic formulas matters. My mistake came before the permission, so it still counts.”

“But I assume you did it for His Grace.”

Though his voice was stiff, there was a gentle warmth in it.

“Since returning from the expedition, His Grace seems… lighter somehow. I may have looked down on your tools because they didn’t match the Duke’s estate.”

“Their shape was… yeah, a little off.”

The Chief Attendant looked around the workshop thoughtfully.
Then he pointed to one of the machines.

“Is that also a magic tool? May I ask what it does?”

“Oh, that one helps control temperature when melting metal in the forge.”

“What’s the next one you plan to make?”

“Um… a tool for treating wounds.”

“That would be very useful for soldiers who don’t have time to go to the temple.”

Melody felt like a student being graded—but she answered sincerely.

The Chief Attendant looked around some more, asking a few more questions, then stopped by the window and let out a long breath.

“Did you know? Everything in this estate passed through my hands. The wood used here, every sheet of parchment, even the paintings on the walls.”

Melody naturally thought of Empress Fiona’s portrait.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was polite, but full of feeling. The Chief Attendant bowed his head in return—perfect posture, not a hair out of place.

Melody’s eyes widened.

“I heard you restored the late Empress’s portrait.”

“Ah…”

So this is why he came to her workshop.

“That was Her Majesty’s final portrait. I thought about throwing it away after it was ruined… but for the Duke’s sake, I left it hanging. Ever since he gave up his claim to the throne and left the palace, he’s been in pain every day.”

The old man’s face showed layers of guilt, worn deep over time.