Episode 31
Lucifer stood with his arms crossed, leaning casually against the fortress wall as he watched Catrina.
Catrina ignored him and moved swiftly.
She had to go before the sound stopped.
I have to go…
Right now.
That thought grew stronger, unnaturally so.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
But before she could get far, Lucifer stopped her. He grabbed her wrist.
She tried to yank herself free, but his grip was too strong.
“…Let me go.”
She had to reach the sound of the flute. Go there, and…
“Hmm. Strange.”
Lucifer muttered as he looked down at her. His crimson eyes gave her chills.
“Let go of me! Let me go!”
Catrina screamed.
She had to break free from Lucifer and reach that sound.
Go there. Go…
“Why is Catrina acting like this?”
“Let go. I have to go…”
“Go where?”
“The sound… the sound…”
She could hear it.
The enchanting tone beckoned her with an irresistible pull.
“Sound? What sound?”
“…”
“You’re not hearing a flute, are you?”
Her heart clenched painfully.
If she didn’t go now…
“So it is the flute.”
“…”
“This is odd. Really odd. Why can you hear something like that?”
Why won’t he let me go!?
Rage surged inside her.
“LET GO OF ME!”
SMACK!
Catrina slapped him hard across the face.
Lucifer blinked, momentarily stunned. He looked incredulous but didn’t react with anger. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist.
“It’s late. You should get some rest.”
“Let go, let go of me!”
Catrina struggled wildly, but Lucifer paid her no mind. He easily lifted her slender frame into his arms.
She kicked and flailed.
She had to reach that sound.
She had to…
Suddenly, the sound stopped.
At the same moment, Catrina came to her senses.
…What?
What is this…?
She was sure she’d fallen asleep in her room. Then why… why was she here?
She looked around.
She was outside the castle walls.
Beyond, she could see the dense, black forest.
A chill ran down her spine.
“Ah, are you coming to your senses?”
“…Lucifer?”
“Ah, looks like you’re finally back.”
Catrina was bewildered.
Why am I in Lucifer’s arms…?
Just as confusion overtook her, a searing pain stabbed through her skull.
“Ahh…”
She clutched her head.
Then slowly, the events from just moments ago trickled back to her.
She had heard a flute. As if bewitched, she’d followed its sound. Then she’d encountered Lucifer…
Wait—
“Was I enchanted by a relic?”
Catrina bit her lip.
Being lured by a relic was horrifying enough, but what terrified her more was…
If this ever got out…
It was still early dawn.
Only she and Lucifer were out here.
Catrina glanced at him.
His crimson eyes sparkled more brilliantly than ever before.
“Catrina, should I keep this a secret for you?”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
Everyone had gathered for breakfast.
Catrina felt drained. She shoved food into her mouth without really tasting it.
After what happened last night, she hadn’t slept a wink.
What if she was drawn in again?
Why… why me…?
When she’d visited Asius in the past, nothing like this had ever happened.
Why now?
It seemed she was the only one affected in this way.
Why her?
No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer.
Then, the dining room doors burst open.
“A disaster! The flute-playing man appeared again last night!”
A castle servant rushed in, shouting.
“But… something’s different this time.”
“…”
“You need to come see for yourselves—immediately.”
On the way out of the castle, Catrina spotted a cart passing by.
It was loaded with expensive cloth.
She glanced at Gilbert. The cloth looked identical to the one he was wearing. No one else in the castle wore anything like it.
Something’s not right.
Asius wasn’t known for its wealth.
It had been land conquered from barbarians. But the desolate soil had made farming nearly impossible, turning it into more of a burden than a blessing.
They had managed to survive each year by developing a specialty crop, but even so, making it through the winters had always been a struggle.
That was the reality of Asius.
Then where did all this money come from?
“Is something troubling you, my lady?”
Noticing her gaze on the cart, Gilbert hurried over.
“Ah, well… This year’s harvest was rather plentiful, so we were able to gather some extra funds.”
He added, clearly trying to explain himself.
But once suspicion was born, a few vague words couldn’t put it to rest.
“I see.”
Catrina decided to let it go for now.
There was a more pressing issue at hand.
Once everything settled down, she’d look into it properly.
“This way, please!”
She followed a servant.
The area was filled with tents—it was the infirmary.
“Ggghhh…”
“Urgh, h-help…”
All the people who had followed the flute the night before and returned were now here.
They twisted and writhed in pain, their faces sickly pale, lips tinged blue.
“Externally and internally, there’s no visible damage,” the doctor explained. “But they’re all suffering tremendously, and we can’t explain why.”
No one had an answer.
Catrina quietly walked among the patients.
“…Why is this happening?”
Niel looked on with concern.
“My lady, you shouldn’t look too closely.”
“Huh?”
“It’s grotesque. Your eyes are too precious for this.”
Gilbert, ever pompous, rambled nonsense.
“I’ll try using some divine power for healing.”
“Ohh! As expected of the saint!”
Niel began channeling divine energy to heal the afflicted.
Catrina turned her gaze away.
“That was a close one.”
Lucifer’s whisper brushed her ear—he had appeared behind her without a sound.
Startled, she turned sharply toward him.
“You know, I wonder what would’ve happened if you had chased the sound again last night.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. If you had, I would’ve taken excellent care of you.”
“…Please. Just shut up.”
You’re nothing but a nuisance.
Catrina clicked her tongue and turned her attention back to the patients.
She wasn’t a doctor. She had no medical knowledge.
It wasn’t like she’d discover anything just by looking at them.
And yet—
These symptoms…
They were familiar.
While everyone’s eyes were elsewhere, Catrina quietly pulled back one patient’s blanket.
If her suspicion was right, there should be a sign—that mark.
She examined the body quickly, searching for the trace she was expecting.
And finally—
She found it.
She now had an idea of what was going on and how to proceed.
The only thing bothering her…
“Catrina, should I keep this a secret for you?”
…was Lucifer.
She glanced sideways.
The moment their eyes met, his smile widened into a crescent moon.
