Chapter36……………………………………..
The Human Realm
Zenya hurriedly rubbed her eyes. But no matter how much she blinked or rubbed, the man in front of her didn’t disappear.
“Zenya.”
She stared, mouth slightly open, as Lumiere approached her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“W-Why are you out here?”
Zenya quickly looked him over. Lumiere was wearing the robe she had given him before, but it didn’t hide that strikingly handsome face at all.
After scanning their surroundings, Zenya forced strength into her stiff body and strode straight toward him.
She tugged the hat down over his forehead and hissed quietly,
“What on earth are you doing?!”
Her mind went blank from shock and confusion, and Lumiere lowered his head.
The distance suddenly closed—so close she almost bumped noses. Zenya frowned and pulled her head back, then asked sharply as Lumiere smiled brightly,
“Why are you smiling?”
“Just… because I’m happy to come greet you.”
His carefree answer almost made her laugh in disbelief. Zenya stared up at him, and Lumiere blinked once.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t run into any other demons.”
She narrowed her eyes as if to ask Is that really true?—and then Lumiere wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“What are you doing?!”
They’d held hands before, but this was the first time he’d pulled her in like that. Zenya froze in alarm, but Lumiere tilted his gaze toward the side corridor.
“Someone’s coming.”
Her heart dropped straight to her feet. Zenya held her breath and stared anxiously down the hallway.
“What are we going to do?”
If he came out here, surely he had some kind of plan, right?
At her question, Lumiere smiled faintly, then pulled her behind a large statue tucked against the wall.
“Don’t move.”
Zenya was pressed between Lumiere and the wall, breathing shallowly. He was so close she could feel his breath stirring the hair at the top of her head.
How long had they waited like that?
Her ears strained, but no footsteps came. Zenya frowned.
Did he lie?
The moment that thought surfaced, Lumiere’s words—that he liked her—came back to mind.
She opened her eyes, flustered and annoyed with herself, when faint voices finally drifted closer.
“…Really? Then tomorrow…”
If she’d spoken out loud, she would’ve been embarrassed. Even though she tried to act indifferent, it was obvious she’d been paying way too much attention to Lumiere’s words.
Still… if they were this far away, couldn’t they just return to the room?
“You think you can win?!”
“What do you know? I trained a lot this time!”
“Oh please. You won’t even be able to keep up!”
“Hey! If you get caught, you’re dead!”
The servants’ childish banter faded quickly into the distance.
After confirming they were gone, Zenya shoved Lumiere away and stared at him suspiciously.
But Lumiere only smiled with an innocent face, as if he didn’t even notice her glare.
Of course, Zenya didn’t trust that harmless-looking expression anymore…
But she didn’t want to press him over something uncertain and end up embarrassing herself.
I can’t let him know I care.
And right now, figuring out the truth mattered less than getting back to her room as soon as possible.
Zenya grabbed his sleeve.
“Let’s talk once we’re back in our room.”
Lumiere hesitated as she tugged him along, then twisted his hand and took hers instead.
“If someone comes, we’ll know. You don’t have to rush.”
She already knew that from what just happened, but Zenya didn’t slow down.
No matter what, this was enemy territory for Lumiere. Standing around in the middle of the corridor was insane.
“I know. But we should still be as careful as possible.”
“Then it would be better to go a little later.”
Careful… so they should go later?
Zenya stared at him, confused, then frowned.
“…Don’t tell me someone’s coming?”
“A guest came to the room earlier. So I stepped out onto the terrace for a while.”
“What?”
What was he talking about now?
“It seemed like a servant. They kept calling for you, as if they planned to wait until you opened the door. I thought it would be troublesome if they sensed I was inside.”
“So you came out so you wouldn’t get caught?”
Lumiere answered calmly.
“I also wanted to come greet you.”
At that added remark, Zenya awkwardly turned her head away.
Why did he have to like her and complicate everything?
There wasn’t even some special reason.
Wouldn’t it be better if he just dealt with the Demon King, said goodbye neatly, and left her alone?
The thought was selfish and shameless.
But Lumiere didn’t know moderation either, so she decided she wouldn’t feel guilty.
“…Alright.”
Zenya started walking again, and Lumiere fell into step beside her.
“You’re angry, aren’t you? About what happened in the garden.”
Only now he asked?
Zenya didn’t even look at him as she replied.
“If I said I wasn’t, that would be a lie.”
“I don’t want to apologize.”
She hadn’t expected one, but the sheer confidence of it made her chest tighten.
Zenya forced her head forward and pretended not to care.
“Fine. Don’t apologize.”
After that, they walked in silence for a long while.
Guided by Lumiere, they circled through the corridors until—
Zenya finally stopped at the hallway leading back to her room.
“Do you think it’s safe to turn the corner?”
Please don’t be there, she silently prayed.
Thankfully, Lumiere answered firmly.
“Yes. No one’s there.”
Zenya restrained the urge to cheer and hurried forward.
He was right. There was no servant waiting outside her door.
“…What is that?”
Instead, a box—large enough to be bigger than her face—sat in front of it.
Zenya stared down at it, then asked Lumiere,
“…What do you think it is?”
He answered easily.
“A magical item.”
“A magical item?”
Was that really something to say so casually?
“It doesn’t look that impressive.”
Impressive by whose standards?
If it was by Lumiere’s standards…
Zenya took a small step back behind him.
Without hesitation, Lumiere bent down and picked the box up.
Zenya squeezed her eyes shut, imagining a trap or a bomb that might explode the moment it moved.
But nothing happened.
When she opened her eyes again, Lumiere was looking down at her with an amused smile.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
When Zenya let go of his robe, he laughed out loud.
“Because you’re cute.”
Zenya shuddered like she’d heard something she shouldn’t have, shoved him aside, and flung open the locked door.
Lumiere followed her in, shut the door, and placed the box on the table.
“It must be what the servant left earlier. They said they had something to give you.”
“I suppose so.”
If she hadn’t been able to reason that out, she wouldn’t have allowed such a suspicious object to remain.
She would’ve ignored it—or at least called Beep.
Still, the unknown item made her tense.
But having Lumiere beside her was comforting.
If something happened, she believed he would save her again, just like before.
Zenya met his eyes.
“Should we open it?”
“If you want.”
His confidence made her trust him more.
With a calmer heart, Zenya untied the ribbon.
The wrapping wasn’t particularly elaborate. Once the ribbon came off, only a plain white box remained.
She didn’t hesitate further.
The moment she lifted the lid, a black half-mask appeared inside.
“A mask?”
It was completely random.
Why would something like this be left outside her room?
She hadn’t even heard anything about a party.
Zenya tilted her head and reached in—
But a hand shot out and stopped her.
“I’ll check first.”
Lumiere stepped forward protectively and lifted the mask.
A paper slip caught on its string fluttered down onto the table.
Lumiere picked it up and showed it to Zenya.
The writing was small, so Zenya leaned closer toward him.
“Instructions?”
“It seems to be a manual for the mask.”
- The mask size can be adjusted to fit the wearer.
- Upon wearing, hair color will change immediately. Please use caution.
- Unless the wearer wishes, the mask cannot be removed.
“…A normal mask? Really?”
Suspicion overflowed.
Even if it was normal, she didn’t know who had sent it.
Zenya was about to crumple the paper—
When Lumiere pointed to the back.
“Zenya. Here.”
In tiny letters, a single name was written.
Eligos
It was only a signature, but Zenya was certain it was Eligos’s handwriting.
No servant would be bold enough to impersonate him.
Zenya crushed the instructions and tossed them back into the box.
The gift, already unsettling, now felt worse.
Eligos had given her a mask.
Right after the Demon King had said she could bring a companion on the trip.
Anyone could tell it was meant with Lumiere in mind.
We’re screwed.
This proved that Eligos and the Demon King knew something.
Annoyed, Zenya snatched the mask from Lumiere’s hand and shoved it back into the box.
“Zenya?”
“No. Gross. Disgusting.”
She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Lumiere’s hand clean.
As she scrubbed earnestly, she realized she was treating him like a child.
Lumiere, unbothered, simply held his hand out obediently.
When she glanced up, his lips were curved in a smile.
Have I gotten too comfortable with him?
Zenya stiffened, stopped, and handed him the handkerchief.
Lumiere took it without complaint and finished wiping his hand.
Then he looked her in the eyes and smiled softly.
Really—what was so funny?
I’m going insane over here.
Zenya glared at him, but Lumiere spread his hand proudly as if to say it was clean now, smiling brightly.
Zenya, completely dumbfounded, let out a small laugh despite herself.
