Chapter 18
The Perfect Plan to Avoid a Dead-End
“If we make sure that damn thing can’t be used, he won’t dare try anything stupid again.”
“…Want me to show you exactly where and how to kick for best effect?”
“…Maybe not…”
“Thought so.”
Even Herace backed down, admitting that it might be going a bit too far.
“Tsk. Still, you’ve got to stay vigilant. Something serious could happen.”
“I am plenty cautious. And Heran is a 500-year-old grandpa, after all. Of course I’m not worried.”
“Grandpa? Now that’s a low blow. Time may have moved on, but for me, it stopped 500 years ago. I’m still a strapping young man, not some old geezer.”
“Oh, please. That’s such a bald-faced lie!”
“You keep denying it, and now I’m getting mad. Want to find out firsthand if I’m a grandpa or not?”
“Wh-What? Why are you coming closer?”
There wasn’t even any space left between us, yet Herace kept moving closer. I shrank back, startled.
“Just thought I’d educate you since you seem unaware.”
His lips were so close it felt like they might touch mine. My vision swam dizzyingly from the visual overload.
Unable to endure the tension, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly.
And in that very moment—
Thwack—a flick on my forehead landed, not hard but sharp enough to be felt.
“Ugh?”
“Open your eyes.”
Herace chuckled and pulled me outside.
The hallway was quiet, everyone else already gone.
“You little rascal. I wonder what you were expecting to close your eyes like that.”
He poked my cheek and teased, making my face flush crimson.
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I kicked him in the shin.
“You pervert!”
I yelled as I fled. If I got caught by that snake of a man, he’d only tease me more.
I was too embarrassed to even show my face.
“Ugh! So humiliating!”
But as I was running blindly ahead, a hand suddenly shot out and gripped my wrist tightly, throwing me off balance.
“Ugh—!”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
Ethan’s angry shout hit me like a slap.
‘Ethan Dyke. What the hell is this psycho saying all of a sudden?’
I twisted my body and hit his arm.
“Let go of me!”
“I don’t care what your excuse is—what you did is insane!”
“What are you even talking about?!”
Forget it. I shut my eyes and swung my fist.
Thump—a painful grunt escaped him. But unfortunately, it wasn’t because of my punch.
“Let go. He’s hurting.”
Herace, who must’ve arrived without me noticing, twisted Ethan’s wrist and pried his hand off mine.
Gone was the mischievous grin he’d worn earlier. His face was dead serious, eyes sharp and cold.
His intimidating aura made my spine tingle.
“Or maybe I should just rip that arm off? If you think you can live without it, go ahead and keep grabbing her.”
The menacing warning worked—Ethan’s grip gradually loosened.
I quickly slipped behind Herace. He might tease me, but he was the only one I could trust.
Herace and Ethan stood tense, eyes locked.
Just then, an unexpected sound broke the deadly tension.
“Sienna…”
“…Ban?”
Now wasn’t the time for him to call me!
I looked around frantically and spotted Ban, tied up tightly with rope, sniffling with swollen eyes.
“Sienna… we’re so screwed…”
His words came out garbled—either from being gagged or crying too much.
“Sienna Winter. Care to offer an explanation?”
Ethan rubbed his wrist and stared at me with open contempt. Ban looked pitifully defeated.
That’s when the situation finally hit me.
‘I’m seriously screwed.’
I knew there was no way I’d get past Ethan quietly—but this? This I hadn’t expected.
‘Of course I’d run into the worst luck. As if meeting the Light Order wasn’t bad enough—now Ban’s identity is blown too?’
Damn this world. Damn this plot. Is this some cosmic joke to destroy me?
“You’re calling that a regular doll? Do people call demons dolls these days?”
Ethan’s glare looked like he’d tear me limb from limb.
“For the record, he was my doll before anything else.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?!”
Ethan raked his hands through his hair in frustration.
His usually neat hair was a mess—something I’d never seen him show anyone. It was an emotional outburst rare for someone like him.
BOOM!
Another explosion rocked the building. The emotions on Ethan’s face quickly disappeared.
He realized now wasn’t the time to argue.
“Sienna Winter. I won’t let this slide. I’m reporting this to Lord Ronen immediately.”
“What?”
“I’m taking the demon. You will stay quietly in the chapel. Do not make contact with the Light Order under any circumstances.”
“What? What does the Light Order have to do with this?!”
Seriously, where did that come from?
“There’s a chance you colluded with them to use black magic and summon a demon.”
“Are you kidding me? I nearly got crushed to death by those cult freaks today!”
“And if that was part of the act?”
What the hell is he talking about? This is driving me insane.
“And you—her so-called magic teacher—if you run, I’ll send the Paladins after the Duke’s household.”
Ethan glared at Herace, then at me hiding behind him, and turned away abruptly.
“Wait! Hey! At least let me explain!”
“Explain what? That you sold your soul to a demon to cure your illness?”
“I didn’t sell anything! That’s not what happened!”
“Or maybe you cursed Daphne to death?”
“I’m so sick of this! Daphne this, Daphne that—did you coat her name in sugar or something?! Can’t go a single day without saying her name? If you like her so much, quit being a priest and open a flower shop with her! Dammit—cough! cough! gah!”
“Sis!”
“Sienna!”
Blood surged up my throat.
Drip. Drip.
My blood stained the floor, and Herace and Ban called out my name in panic.
My chest had felt uneasy for a while, and the burst of anger must’ve triggered it—I broke into a fit of violent coughing.
“Cough, cough! H-Heran! P-Potion…!”
I frantically pounded Herace’s arm, unable to stop coughing.
Herace quickly brought out a potion and gently helped me drink it.
“Drink it slowly.”
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.
As the medicine went down, my breathing eased.
It was one of Herace’s custom emergency potions, made for me to use until I found a proper mage.
“Phew… I really thought I was gonna die.”
Wiping the mess of blood and potion from my lips, I heard a stunned voice above me.
“Your… your body… It wasn’t this bad…”
Ethan’s eyes trembled. He looked genuinely shocked at what he was seeing.
Maybe instinctively, as a healer, he started to reach toward me.
‘Is this the first time he’s seen me cough up blood?’
Probably. I’d always been too proud to show any weakness in front of him.
Seeing me—who was always cold and sharp—coughing up blood and looking like death must’ve shaken him hard.
“I told you. I’m dying.”
I sneered as I spat those words at him.
“You thought I was just being dramatic, didn’t you?”
He looked like he wanted to say something but clamped his mouth shut.
“…I didn’t sell my soul. I didn’t make any deal. It just… happened that I ended up with him. I swear to—”
No. Swearing to God won’t work here. He won’t believe that.
“Fine. I’ll bet my entire S/S collection I bought this spring.”
“…You’re wagering that?”
“Yup. And the blue sapphire my father gave me for my birthday last year. You know the one. It’s as big as my fist.”
“…You’re serious.”
“I am.”
That should be enough, right? He saw me cough up blood—he can’t still be pushing—
“…Regardless of the reason, summoning a demon is still a crime.”
Yup, he’s still pushing.
My bad. I actually tried to reason with this hard-headed idiot.
“Heran. Shut him up.”
“Gladly. Been dying to do that since earlier.”
At my words, Herace snapped his fingers. Ethan’s mouth slowly sealed shut like a zipper.
“What are you—mmph! Mmgh?!”
“Finally, some peace and quiet.”
Herace stretched, clearly satisfied.
“See, if you’d just minded your business, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“Mmgh! Mmm! Mmph!”
I looked around the now-empty hallway. Everyone had fled due to the Light Order’s attack. Not even a mouse stirred inside the temple.
Lucky for me. Unlucky for Ethan.
“No use yelling. No one’s coming to save you.”
“Should we bury him?”
“Not a bad idea.”
I nodded at Herace’s playful suggestion. After all, Ethan had brought up Daphne one too many times.
