Chapter 41
Layton already knew all of Selena’s lies.
There was no way he couldn’t. She might’ve tried hard to hide it, but to his eyes, it was painfully obvious.
The faint blush that rose over her pale face, the tremor in her violet eyes that resembled violets—none of it escaped him.
Still, he pretended not to notice, because he wanted to help her keep whatever she wished to hide.
Since arriving at the marquisate, he had only summoned Gaia twice—once in the mine and once alone in his room—so of course Selena hadn’t seen her.
She probably hid how she found out because she didn’t want to reveal the source to him.
And that source is probably…
That pet sparrow she always carried around.
He had no proof, only suspicion—but Layton’s instincts told him enough.
The sparrow that never left Selena’s side was no ordinary pet. It was hiding something.
Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be a threat to her, so he decided to watch quietly for now.
She didn’t expect me to know that I made a contract with a demon.
Once this job was done and they returned to the Grand Duke’s mansion, he planned to expose the creature’s true identity.
Gaia, watching the man lost in thought before her, stifled a bitter laugh.
He wasn’t dazed because of her—he was thinking about something else.
“The one who said we should work—where’d he go?”
Her hand brushed his shoulder teasingly, but Layton coldly pushed it away with his free hand.
“Start.”
No sooner had the word left his mouth than he pointed his sword at her.
With a crooked grin, Gaia grasped the blade tightly.
Blood should have flowed, but instead, a writhing red energy began to seep from her hand.
Feeling the demonic energy saturating his sword, Layton gripped it harder.
It had been a while since he’d personally infused his sword with Gaia’s power.
From the moment he made a contract with a demon, commanding them was no longer difficult—
a contractor naturally inherited the demon’s abilities.
But to wield a demon’s power in full, he needed to infuse that energy into his weapon—just as he was doing now.
Even if summoning her was bothersome, he had no choice but to call Gaia.
When holy power couldn’t purify the corruption—
You fight demonic energy with demonic energy.
He was going to use Gaia’s strength to absorb every trace of the foul energy left in this land.
Layton raised the sword now shimmering with Gaia’s red aura.
“It’s ready. Once it starts absorbing, it’ll be over.”
Gaia lightly tapped the blade, then stepped back.
Now it was up to Layton to absorb the miasma.
That bastard Geist’s power is pretty damn strong.
Just thinking of Geist irritated him. The demon was far more powerful than he’d expected.
Of course, Layton didn’t believe he’d die here.
If he were the sort of man to die from something like this, Gaia would never have chosen to contract with him in the first place.
Layton lowered the sword toward the ground.
Its tip scraped across the earth with an unpleasant sound—like the wail of the corrupted soil itself.
“Careful,” Gaia warned.
He ignored her and drove the sword deep into the ground.
A normal sword would never pierce stone, but this one—fueled by immense strength and demonic energy—cut through easily.
“…Ugh.”
A low groan escaped between his clenched teeth.
The miasma seeping up from the ground was strong enough to make his stomach churn.
Yet that brief groan was all he let slip, and Gaia, watching from behind, clicked her tongue.
He’s a frighteningly strong human.
Sometimes she wondered if he even was human anymore.
By now, any normal body would have been shredded from the inside, spitting blood everywhere.
But Layton didn’t even blink.
I’d really like to know which idiot made an enemy out of him.
For once, she was actually curious about the fool’s fate.
Her alluring face curved with intrigue as she cupped her hands to her mouth and called out:
“Don’t overdo it! You don’t have to absorb it all yourself, you know?”
Her tone carried a strange mix of concern and amusement.
Layton didn’t respond. He simply pushed the sword deeper.
The dark energy was finally beginning to wane.
Just a little more.
The sword infused with Gaia’s power was holding strong.
Let’s finish this quickly and go back.
When this was done, he had somewhere to return to—
The warm, flower-filled Bennett Grand Duchy in the heart of Roteria.
Just thinking of it calmed him.
A place filled with laughter.
A place where, for the first time in his life, he wanted something—
To stay by the side of two beloved sisters,
to live peaceful, ordinary days among people who cherished him.
With Selena. That was all.
Layton tightened his grip on the hilt.
He could feel the vile energy pouring into him.
He kept going until every last drop of miasma was absorbed, then finally pulled the sword free.
“You actually absorbed it all—and you’re still standing.”
Gaia’s red lips parted in disbelief.
Ignoring her astonishment, he let the sword fall to the ground with a dull clank.
His shoulders slumped from exhaustion as he exhaled heavily.
It felt like all his organs had been twisted out of shape.
A bitter taste filled his mouth—then he coughed up blood.
He stared blankly at the drops splattering the ground.
“Layton. You just—”
“Don’t make a fuss over something like this.”
He wiped his mouth roughly with the back of his hand, as if spitting blood were nothing new.
“You’ve taken internal damage.”
“I’ll handle it. Now get lost.”
“Oh my, I do like it when you tell me to get lost.”
Even in the midst of this serious moment, Gaia smiled, admiring the man’s refusal to show weakness.
For someone surrounded by enemies, any vulnerability could be fatal.
That was probably why he never allowed himself anything precious.
Layton turned his back on her, leaving the discarded sword behind.
Noticing this, Gaia tilted her head.
“You’re not taking it?”
“Don’t need it.”
“It’s not even broken. I like it—it reeks of blood.”
She gave him a playful smile, clinging to his arm.
He looked down at her coldly, brows furrowed, and shook her off harshly.
That was why he’d left the sword behind.
So that Selena wouldn’t smell the blood and flinch away from him.
She said I wasn’t a demon—so I have to show her I’m not one.
If the day came when Selena finally realized what he truly was—
His fists clenched and released again, trembling slightly.
He didn’t want to think about it.
He didn’t want to imagine the moment when the small, gentle hand that always held his might finally let go.
She promised to stay by my side.
If the day came when she said she’d leave—then…
He decided not to think about it for now.
It’s fine.
As long as she didn’t notice the iron scent of blood clinging to him—
That would be enough.
When he stepped out of the mine, an unusually warm northern sunlight fell over his light brown hair.
“Haven’t felt sunlight in a while. You should summon me more often.”
After so long in darkness, the brightness almost hurt.
He squinted and walked slowly forward.
In the distance, Elisha was still standing where he’d left her—
and Oliver waited quietly beside her.
Layton frowned at the sight of the poisonous rose walking next to him.
“Go back now.”
Gaia had to return to the underworld before the guards saw her.
Her beauty alone would draw attention, and if anyone reported her to the Emperor…
But he couldn’t finish the thought.
A wet cough wracked him, and this time, far more blood spilled to the ground.
He vaguely heard Oliver and Elisha shouting his name from afar.
He tried to hold on to his fading consciousness, but his mind turned white.
The blood soaking his boots glimmered red under the sun.
He muttered through clenched teeth—
“…Damn it.”
