CHAPTER 25…………………………………………….
“What is Lumiere doing, I wonder.”
Even while working, she kept thinking about him. Because of that, her hands often paused, and naturally, a scolding voice reached her ears.
“Protesting, are we?”
Jenya put down the pen she had been fixing and lifted her head. As if waiting for that moment, the Demon Lord met her gaze.
“You’re protesting because you almost died?”
He had said nothing when she came in for work, so he must have realized she’d nearly died. Concealing her mockery, Jenya smiled faintly.
“When was that?”
“Show me the documents you handled today.”
The gaze fixed on her desk was loaded with disbelief. Following it with her eyes, Jenya was genuinely horrified.
“When… did the ink bottle…?”
Jenya hastily reached out and set upright the ink bottle she couldn’t even remember tipping over. But all the ink had already spilled, overtaking the documents she had just finished.
Looking down at the ruined papers with stunned eyes, Jenya slowly raised her head. She blinked gently at the Demon Lord, who was still watching her.
“Was it on purpose?”
On purpose? If she wanted to vent, why would she mess with documents she had been holding all morning instead of taking it out on the Demon Lord directly?
“The shock from yesterday was too big; I can’t concentrate properly. I guess it was just too much for a fragile human like me.”
Jenya dramatically placed a hand over her chest, bringing up the warehouse incident as evidence.
“Don’t I look paler than usual?”
Without properly looking at her face, the Demon Lord replied,
“Wasn’t it always like that?”
Jenya asked, showing no hint of hurt,
“Aren’t you just… not paying much attention to me?”
The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow.
“You said you’d let it slide, didn’t you?”
Apparently, he had already heard about it from Eligos. And naturally, he must have heard the warning meant for Jenya as well.
Jenya smoothly lifted the corners of her mouth.
“I already admitted I was caught, and even asked for hazard pay…”
“Tch.”
“Besides, you must have heard from the three of them. Why say nothing? I’m curious how it all ended.”
Even as she asked, Jenya subtly gauged the Demon Lord’s expression. How far had the three demons talked?
“The punishment ended with that. The mirror’s compensation was split between Count Veris and Marquis Lerazie.”
She wished he would just stop talking.
“But you’re probably not asking about that.”
Half resigned, Jenya asked,
“…So it came up, huh?”
“It did.”
“Do you have anything to say about it?”
“Do I have to concern myself with your love life too?”
A face that clearly said “annoying.” The Demon Lord’s reaction was completely natural.
The problem was that Jenya felt guilty, so every word seemed like he was probing her.
‘But if I talk more, it’ll show I care.’
In the end, she shrugged and returned to the first topic.
“Anyway, I’m still a bit out of my mind from yesterday.”
Insisting she was mentally shattered, Jenya drew a weary look from the Demon Lord.
After a brief silence, he gave the answer she wanted.
“…I’ll take care of it myself.”
Jenya smiled brightly and gathered the ruined documents.
“By the way, could you restore these papers too?”
“…”
“You usually don’t make mistakes.”
The Demon Lord snorted as if mocking her.
“So you made a mistake today just because you’re dissatisfied?”
Annoying as his sarcasm was, it wasn’t unusual for him to act like this. Jenya clutched the papers and smiled politely, as if moved.
“Your Majesty’s generosity fills me with gratitude. So please, grant it once more. I’ll do my best.”
Ignoring the Demon Lord’s gaze full of silent curses, she approached and subtly placed the papers on his desk.
“Please, I ask a favor.”
“You truly have no equal among your masters.”
Muttering at the “hardworking master,” Jenya smiled as she waited for the papers to be restored.
Knowing she wouldn’t back down, the Demon Lord placed his hand on the papers. In no time, they were returned to her neatly.
Jenya accepted them with a bright expression and bowed.
“Thank you.”
If he hadn’t helped, she would have had to redo everything.
“Don’t let your mind wander elsewhere; focus.”
Though annoyingly added at the end, it wasn’t wrong, and Jenya nodded obediently.
“Yes, I will.”
Back at her desk, for the first time since arriving, Jenya worked without distractions. If she made a mistake this time, there would be no excuses.
Completely absorbed in her work, she didn’t notice the Demon Lord’s gaze lingering on her.
Jenya sighed, thinking about the ink-stained, messy desk. She wanted to ask the Demon Lord to clean it too, but that felt like pushing her luck.
Still, unwilling to delay leaving work, she decided to leave cleaning the desk for tomorrow.
As she hurried back to her room, a voice she thought couldn’t reach her sounded behind her.
“Human.”
“…Marquis Vinee?”
It was Marquis Vinee, whom she hadn’t properly greeted the previous day. Jenya quickly glanced around.
But Count Veris, who had stuck to her like fish poop, wasn’t nearby. Strange.
“I heard that Your Majesty’s schedule was finished.”
Meaning, why was she still at the Demon Lord’s castle? Vinee spoke with an expressionless face.
“I was getting the document from Eligos confirming the task was done.”
If it had been anyone else, she would have just said she was busy and left. But out of courtesy to the one who had helped her for three days, Jenya waited for him to speak.
Fortunately, Vinee got straight to the point.
“Does Your Majesty know about your past?”
It wasn’t exactly welcome news. Hiding the sharpness rising in her chest, Jenya feigned innocence.
“My past?”
“Everyone assumes you were an ordinary orphan living in the temple.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. I was an orphan living in a temple.”
Vinee raised his eyebrow.
“…You don’t intend to say anything?”
If this were serious, why hadn’t he told the Demon Lord directly? Whatever happens, now that she’s been warned, this reaching the Demon Lord’s ears would only complicate things.
Jenya’s previously smiling expression vanished, and she asked sharply,
“Do I have to? Now, at this point?”
“…”
“Nothing will change.”
Vinee opened his mouth to argue, but Jenya spoke again first.
“As for me…”
Jenya let out a long, exasperated sigh and glared at Vinee.
“But if I talk, others will change. They’ll read meaning into every action of mine…”
She scanned him from head to toe, then met his green eyes again.
“Like you, Marquis. You’d probe me, right? That’s too troublesome. I’m already tired and have too much to do.”
Tilting her tired face, she asked,
“If luck runs out and I lose my job—or really end up in danger—would you help me?”
Vinee answered with silence. Jenya acted as if she hadn’t expected anything.
“You wouldn’t, right? Then there’s no reason to stir up trouble.”
She tilted her chin, daring him to speak. After a long silence, Vinee nodded.
“…Understood.”
Surprising. She had expected him to scold her or warn her that he was watching.
He did have a soft side despite appearances. She had pushed him deliberately, testing that.
Jenya decided to leave quickly before he changed his mind. But once again, Vinee caught her attention.
“Your lover.”
Touching her most sensitive topic.
“You’d better be careful.”
Ha. She nearly snorted in disbelief. Careful around the hero—the safest person in her life surrounded by demons?
Her incredulity was clear, but Vinee looked serious.
“His power is similar to His Majesty’s. Dangerous, destructive. It might be fine now, but you don’t know when it could go wrong. Be careful.”
How far will he go? She watched him silently as he frowned.
“I know you’ll find this unpleasant, but many demons are insane.”
For example, like your friend Veris.
She understood Vinee’s concern. His suggestion to tell her past directly was for her safety, in that context.
But fortunately, Lumiere wasn’t a demon—he was a hero, a normal human.
Jenya smiled gently as Vinee fell silent.
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
Then she once again put on her polite maid mask.
“But we can handle our own affairs. We’re close, and we will remain close.”
A stark contrast to her earlier sharpness.
Had Vinee realized she wasn’t concerned about his opinion? He nodded slowly.
“Alright. Understood.”
Jenya quickly bowed and moved off before being detained again.
“Then… take care.”
Feeling Vinee’s gaze from behind, she didn’t look back.
