Chapter 113
Flora revealed to everyone all the atrocities that Sir Pete had kept hidden until the very end.
Everyone was once again horrified at the relentless stream of cruel truths.
“It wasn’t just us—those other children were killed by them too! Not only us, but they also wanted to return to their families! How can you not understand that, even though you have a son?”
Her voice, full of anguish, broke as Flora began to sob.
Benio immediately embraced her protectively.
The man who had remained silent until then looked straight at Duke Belasia and said,
“Please tell us if the Duke will not administer proper punishment. We will make the necessary arrangements on our side.”
The near-threat unsettled Duke Belasia.
However, with the demon extermination having failed and demon worshipers appearing as well, it was not wise to provoke Lucifer at this moment. After all, Lucifer had nothing to lose from this failed extermination.
‘From the start, they doubted that this was the work of a demon and began investigating, and in the process, the princess was even kidnapped. Public opinion isn’t in our favor,’
the Duke reasoned. With a face devoid of any trace of a smile, he spoke firmly.
“Do you think that could happen? We will thoroughly investigate not only the demon worshiper himself but also his family, friends, and colleagues, and impose punishment accordingly. It will be in line with the prestige of Belasia.”
Benio nodded at the resolute answer.
“Thank you for ensuring that.”
“Thank? It’s simply what must be done.”
Sir Pete, realizing his life was over, tried to wail and plead for forgiveness again, but before the Duke could say anything, his knights dragged him away.
Amid the chaotic atmosphere, Duke Belasia sighed.
The demon had vanished, and now that no one could enter the forest, there was nothing more they could do.
The work of the extermination squad was finished.
Looking at the squad awaiting his word, he spoke with as much composure as possible.
“Well done, everyone. This extermination ends here.”
For such a grand beginning, the ending felt hollow.
“Hmm, hmm.”
Humming a little tune, Flora strolled through the beautifully maintained garden.
The cloudless sky, the bright sunshine, the subtle fragrance of flowers—everything put her in a good mood. But above all, what pleased her most was that the extermination squad, which had made such a fuss, had ended in failure.
‘Were they really that overconfident? Did they really think demons were so easy?’
Twisting her parasol in her hand, Flora inwardly mocked Duke Belasia and the enforcers.
Blinded by the fact that Lucifer had destroyed the northern demons, they had forgotten what demons truly were—this was their fatal mistake.
They had brought all the enforcers, thinking that would be enough to fight, yet they had acted so foolishly, showing just how long peace had lasted.
‘Back in my day, if you wanted to exterminate a demon, the entire army had to gather.’
Of course, that was for facing just one demon. Humans had a reason to fear demons and consider Morse a catastrophe.
If Morse had not regarded the heroes as friends, or if the demons had united to destroy the world, the empire would never have been established.
‘Hmm, too bad I won’t meet the ones I’ve come across now.’
There was no use thinking about it further; they could not return to the past anyway.
“Miss, why don’t you take a break and enjoy some cool tea?”
Lost in thought, Flora was interrupted by a maid who had been quietly following her.
“The weather is hot, and I was worried you might be affected by it,” the maid said nervously, carefully suggesting a break.
‘Hmm, what to do?’
If this were Lucifer, she would have gone straight to the shade without a second thought.
Then again, it probably wouldn’t have been this hot—after all, this was Duke Belasia’s castle, much further south than the north.
Having concluded the extermination, Duke Belasia had invited all participating nobles to his castle, thanking them for their courage and perseverance.
Lucifer, who had participated under the pretext of judgment, was also invited. Already a week had passed since he could not refuse the hospitality of the Belasia estate.
‘Doesn’t look like he’s bothered. His attitude isn’t bad either.’
The other maids had treated Flora rudely due to preconceived notions about Lucifer, but this maid seemed more reasonable—aside from being tense due to constantly switching maids before.
“Shall we?”
Flora smiled gently, and relief appeared on the maid’s face.
Following her, Flora found a shaded area already prepared for tea, complete with high-quality tableware and sophisticated desserts and tea.
“Would you like a cold beverage?”
“Yes.”
“I can offer either a very tart tea that refreshes the palate, or a bitter-sweet tea that seems very sour but is actually sweet. Which would you like?”
“Just give me the grapefruit tea.”
Flora responded simply to the unnecessary flourish, waiting for her tea.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She took a sip of the cold-brewed grapefruit tea, the coolness soothing her parched throat.
Having been lost in thought, she hadn’t realized how thirsty she was.
Just as she was about to take a bite of the cheese mousse cake in front of her, two small, adorably cute finches fluttered and perched on her shoulder.
“Oh my, how cute.”
The maid, seeing them for the first time, exclaimed, and Flora casually explained:
“They’re my pet birds. Don’t chase them away. The previous maid tried to shoo them, and they pecked her beak.”
As she spoke, the bird with a reddish tail seemed to understand her, flapping its wings.
“Oh, did I speak too harshly? Alright, I’ll behave.”
Flora petted the bird’s head and nodded to herself.
The scene, like something out of a fairy tale, made the observing maid blush.
‘They said she was picky… it’s just that the others were sensitive.’
Unlike the previous maids, Flora restrained her smile, enjoying the quiet moment.
The tiny birds’ squabbles sounded like a comedic exchange but were undeniably cute. Even knowing the birds were demons did not take away the delight—they were still adorable, cheerful, and entertaining.
If she had known reuniting with her subordinates would bring such joy, she would have gone to the demon forest sooner.
While petting the birds, Flora tilted her head slightly as they finished their conversation and looked at her.
“From what I saw, the Duke’s office is busy today as well.”
“Indeed. Gathering officials, holding meetings, and various procedures—it looks complicated. It seems the work regarding the extermination squad isn’t entirely finished yet.”
Flora frowned with obvious disappointment.
Once everyone had completed their work, she could use the excuse of the Duke’s affairs to return north—but no one was leaving, delaying her journey home.
‘The extermination squad failed anyway, and they rescued the survivors. Now they’ll punish the demon worshipers accordingly.’
Even without seeing, it was obvious they would compensate the victims’ families properly. Yet, the week-long delay in procedures felt pointless.
Initially excited to “ruin” the Belasia estate, Flora found no impact and now felt weary of the peace.
Wanting to return to see Athanas, Elena, and Daphina, Flora clicked her tongue in frustration.
“Why the tongue click?”
A strange voice beside her pulled her out of her thoughts.
