~Chapter 96~
Riden closed her eyes, but within the reach of her breath, she could clearly see inside Ethan’s body.
She pushed her breath deeper, deeper still.
Just before it could reach “that thing” — the one coiled like a black serpent—
Bzzt!
The moment it touched, “that thing” screamed and slithered deeper inside.
‘Where do you think you’re going!’
Riden shoved her breath in with all her strength.
The retreating tail of “that thing” brushed against her breath—
‘Got you!’
Just as she barely managed to grab its tail—
[Kkyaaaah!]
“Ugh!”
The scream from “that thing” made Riden’s head ring.
When she tried to sense it again, it had already scattered like dust.
Riden opened her eyes at last.
He was still holding her hands tightly, sitting on the bed with his eyes shut.
Beads of sweat glistened on his neck and forehead.
‘I should wipe that.’
She leaned over to grab a clean cloth from the side table.
The moment her hands slipped from his, Ethan’s eyes flew open.
“Huh?”
She was pulled forward and fell onto the bed.
Riden stared at Ethan lying next to her in surprise.
He opened his eyes, looking displeased.
“Don’t pull away yet.”
“……”
“Pulling away the moment the work’s done—cold of you.”
His breathing was unsteady.
His body rose and fell irregularly.
With a rough breath, he muttered,
“I’m… a patient, you know.”
“Pfft.”
She knew it wasn’t funny, but seeing such a strong man glare while claiming to be a patient made her laugh.
“Yes, yes, you’re a patient.”
“That’s why we should stay like this. Until the patient recovers.”
Riden nodded faintly and looked elsewhere.
If she looked straight ahead, she’d meet Ethan’s gaze, which felt awkward.
She settled her eyes vaguely on the buttons of his shirt.
“What exactly are you looking at?”
“I’m just keeping my eyes open, not looking at anything.”
Of course, she couldn’t admit she’d been counting buttons and then staring at the chest visible between them.
Ethan stayed quiet instead of retorting.
“If it bothers you, I’ll close them.”
“It doesn’t bother me. Did you do what you wanted to try?”
“I tried…”
Inside Ethan was “that thing.”
She suspected it was the evil god Berbes, and there was something she wanted to ask it.
But she’d lost it right after grabbing it.
“I’ll have to try again next time.”
From what she’d learned at the temple, Shiraka and Berbes had been enemies.
After many fierce battles, Berbes won, split Shiraka into six relics, and scattered them into the human world.
‘If anyone knows where Shiraka’s relics are, it’s the one who scattered them.’
So Riden planned to ask Berbes directly.
But whether he’d answer… was doubtful.
“Your Grace, I have a question.”
“Mm.”
“Can you talk to that thing inside you?”
In the original story, Ethan was only ever shown suffering—there was never a scene of him talking to it.
“It talks to me first sometimes. I could talk to it if I wanted, but it makes me feel filthy, so I usually don’t.”
“I see.”
“Why? Do you have something to ask?”
Riden nodded.
“Do you think it would answer?”
“Depends on the question.”
Even if Berbes knew the relic locations, he wouldn’t want them collected, so she suspected he’d keep his mouth shut.
Then what?
“Should I torture him?”
Ethan’s face showed shock.
“You heard that scream earlier, right? When I pushed my breath in, it screamed like crazy.”
It must have been painful.
‘If I do that a few more times, maybe it’ll spill the relic locations.’
“The only thing I’m sure of is—it really hates you.”
When she looked at him curiously, Ethan replied,
“I can feel it.”
“What did I ever do for it to hate me?”
“……”
“Then I’ll have to torture it. Make it talk.”
Excitement lit Riden’s eyes as she planned.
Since it was an evil god, she didn’t need to feel guilty.
Better to go intense from the start rather than gradually—once a day? Twice?
Riden looked at Ethan while thinking.
‘Hurting Berbes should help Ethan in the end… but I don’t want him to suffer too much.’
Noticing her gaze, Ethan smirked.
“Do it. Whatever you think is necessary. Anything’s fine.”
Riden smiled mischievously and nodded.
“Then torture plan complete.”
Hearing that anything was fine somehow made the atmosphere easier.
She could now even meet his gaze from time to time.
‘His sweat’s still not dry.’
She carefully pulled her hand from his grip—
But he caught it again.
“That’s not what I meant…”
She pulled it free again and gently wiped his forehead with her sleeve.
“You’re sweating a lot.”
He just watched her quietly.
A big man, hands bound, calmly receiving careful attention—it was oddly cute, and she chuckled.
His eyes softened, then closed pleasantly.
“When will you get up?”
“Not yet.”
“You’ve been lying here a while… Haven’t you calmed down yet?”
“The sick one decides that.”
“Hm. Alright.”
She decided to stay a bit longer.
Ethan’s eyes were closed, but it felt like he was looking at her, so she closed hers too.
The room was silent. She could clearly hear his breathing slowly steadying.
‘He’s calming down.’
Listening closely, she thought she could even hear his heartbeat—steady, slow breaths, and midday sunlight spilling across the bed.
It all made her feel peaceful.
‘Feels nice… so drowsy…’
Half-asleep, she mumbled,
“Patient, you’re better now, right?”
“Not yet.”
“We’ve been in here too long.”
“They’ll think we’re decorating the room.”
She was about to drift off when she remembered a question, her voice drowsy.
“Sir Damian.”
“Damian?”
“Yes, I heard before… Sir Damian from the Holy Knights’ Order came, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“If I go to the Order’s headquarters, can I meet him?”
“Yes.”
Alright, then she’d have to visit.
With all her questions asked, her body felt heavy.
It was always like this after doing this with Ethan—drained.
A while later, Ethan slowly opened his eyes.
Riden had already fallen asleep.
Careful not to wake her, he sat up and looked at her sleeping face for a long time.
He untied the curtain cord from his wrists and leaned close to her ear.
Riden, unaware of Ethan’s whisper, only breathed softly in her sleep.
The count’s mansion reception room.
Riden stared at the complex-patterned carpet, lost in thought.
‘What if torturing Berbes doesn’t make him talk? Or maybe he doesn’t even know.’
Her plan to question Berbes directly was different from the original story’s method, so she couldn’t be sure.
‘In that case, I’ll have to turn Mari into a relic detector, like in the original.’
It was annoying, but until she had a certain method, she’d have to keep both options ready.
In the original, Mari had gone to the church on her own, becoming Shiraka’s child, driven by one strong reason—
‘She wanted to save Ethan.’
But right now, Mari had no such reason.
And she didn’t want to tell Mari about Ethan’s curse.
“Young Lady, Sir Damian of House Florence has arrived.”
Riden, pulled from her thoughts, stood up happily.
