IJIV 03

Chapter 3

The Black Ironwood was burning.

Although it was said to be impossible to use as firewood because it didn’t catch fire, as expected, the demon’s flames were far stronger than ordinary fire.

‘They said it’s Blue Flame… but it’s not really that blue, huh?’

The core of the flames glimmered with blue, but you had to look closely to notice it.

‘Well, does the color really matter? As long as it’s burning, that’s fine!’

I sank into the sofa, satisfied as I watched the dancing flames. The warmth spreading from the fireplace relaxed my frozen body. Finally, I wouldn’t have to shiver from Erel’s ridiculous cold anymore.

‘There’s plenty of Black Ironwood to use as firewood, so I just need to keep this fire going.’

“Hey.”

Unlike me, completely satisfied with the situation, the demon looked displeased. But I had already gotten everything I wanted from him, so I no longer felt the need to cater to his mood.

“You’re still standing there?”

I waved my hand halfheartedly in response.

“My wish is fulfilled now, so go home.”

“Go home?”

“Yes. Home. Don’t demons have homes? Go back to where you were living.”

I didn’t know what demon neighborhoods looked like, but since their appearance was similar to humans, I guessed their lifestyle wouldn’t be too different.

‘They probably have homes and families too.’

But the demon frowned, as if he couldn’t understand.

“You called me.”

“Yes.”

“Then you should take responsibility.”

“Responsibility? Why me?”

“You knew what it meant to call a demon’s name and make a contract, didn’t you?”

Of course I did. When you call a demon’s name, he appears and grants your wish.

‘Isn’t that all there is to it?’

The demon banged his chest in frustration at my blank expression.

“This contract is a lifelong contract!”

“…Excuse me? Lifelong contract?”

“Yes! I have to stay by your side until you die! Constantly granting your wishes!”

“…What?”

What is he saying? I only wanted to light the fireplace. I thought after granting a wish, the demon would go back to his home. A lifelong contract? So I have to have this annoying thing attached to me all the time? I never wanted such a burden.

“You’re a demon, right? Demons are selfish. Why would you agree to a lifelong contract… getting nothing in return?”

At my obvious question, the demon hit his chest in frustration.

“That’s why normally we demand payment! Or we contract with someone interesting. Someone who kills people or starts wars, that kind of person.”

But I was neither. I had called the demon’s true name, so he could take no payment from me. And I wasn’t exactly an entertaining human, so there was no reason for him to view me as a fun game.

“Uh… can’t my wish just be for you to go home?”

“No. There’s only one way I can return to the demon realm—your death.”

‘Ordinarily, that would mean waiting until I die…’

But he was a demon. He could kill ordinary humans without a second thought. Could he kill me right here and return to the demon realm?

While I considered that, the demon approached me with a blank expression. He came close and wrapped one hand around my neck. Even in the suddenly warm air, his hand was cold. His grip was soft yet firm, and if he wanted, he could easily twist my neck.

Strangely, I didn’t feel afraid. Calmly looking up at him, the demon let out a small chuckle.

“You can feel it instinctively, can’t you? That I can’t kill you.”

The demon released my neck and raised both hands.

“From the moment we’re bound by this contract, I cannot harm you. You can rest easy on that.”

“I suppose you could still use tricks to get me killed quickly, like a hitman or something.”

“Then just make a wish to not do that.”

The demon, who had been pouting, tilted his head as if realizing something.

“Wait… you’re telling me how I could kill you?”

“But… you just told me how you can’t kill me.”

The demon rolled his eyes in shock, clutching his head as if he had made a mistake.

“Ah, damn it! I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s too late.”

I smiled and made my wish immediately.

“Do not kill me. Directly or indirectly. I don’t want to die.”

Even if it was in a book, this was my hard-earned second life.

‘And I was born as a lucky noble—don’t I at least want to enjoy the good life I missed in my first life before I die?’

The problem was this demon that suddenly appeared.

“I’m doomed… no payment, no killing… and of all people, it had to be a boring human who called me… completely ruined…”

I watched as the demon rested his chin in his hand, muttering “ruined” over and over.

He was ridiculously handsome, as you’d expect from a demon who seduces humans. Not even the crown prince, considered the most handsome of Catherine’s five admirers, could compare.

‘Silver hair and red eyes… Ebria has common reddish-brown hair and green eyes.’

His looks were unreal, almost like he didn’t belong in this world.

‘Even his stupid face, feeling guilty, somehow looks like a painting. Unbelievable.’

I sighed, staring at this extremely handsome demon.

“Okay. So I’m responsible for you, right? After all, I called you here, so I’ll take that much responsibility.”

“Responsibility…”

The demon looked at me, holding his head, full of doubt and displeasure.

“How do you plan to take responsibility?”

“Feed you, let you sleep, stuff like that.”

Being a duke’s daughter, money wasn’t a problem. She probably inherited a good fortune from her father.

‘So taking care of one person shouldn’t be difficult.’

But then I remembered: this wasn’t a normal human. Maybe he needed something other than ordinary food.

‘Like a vampire drinking blood?’

Maybe that’s why he was obsessed with blood earlier.

I asked quickly, just in case.

“You eat like humans, right? I don’t want to fetch anything weird. No blood or hearts or anything like that.”

The demon frowned in disbelief.

“How do you see us? We eat bread and meat like civilized beings!”

“Then no problem.”

“No problem? Eating and sleeping is your whole life? What about my fun? Demons live for pleasure!”

The demon shouted angrily. I let out a small laugh. This demon really didn’t seem to understand what a boring life was.

“Ah, the demon is full. Let’s see how boring life can get, then.”

“Hmph. How could you?”

“Your contract says you must grant all my wishes. What if I wished you couldn’t eat or sleep, and had to stare at the wall every day? Life would be so boring!”

The demon’s confident face turned pale.

‘So this was his face when I asked him to light the fireplace.’

Seeing his beaten-down expression, I realized I had won.

“Okay, feeding and letting you sleep counts as taking responsibility. You can find your own fun.”

The demon pouted but nodded. He looked displeased but had accepted it.

Now that I’d roughly sorted out the situation with him, I had to decide what to tell others about him. His appearance was so striking that it would be hard to just explain it away.

‘I’ll need to use some trick.’

Just then, the demon poked my arm as I was thinking.

“Hey, human.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really not planning to start a war…”

“No.”

“…Okay.”

At my firm answer, the demon slumped his shoulders.

‘Even though he doesn’t have ears…’

He looked like a disappointed big dog with drooping ears. Without thinking, I reached out and lightly patted his silver hair. The demon lifted his head and alternated glancing between my hand and my face, looking confused.

“What’s this hand doing?”

“Uh… comforting?”

“Feels like you’re treating me like a regular dog…”

Being a demon, he was surprisingly good at reading human emotions. I quickly diverted my gaze and changed the subject.

“So, what should I call you? I can’t just keep calling you Demon all the time.”

It was an important point. I didn’t want to add to his fame as “the demon I summoned.”

“Do you have a preferred name? I’ll use that.”

“Doesn’t matter. Whatever you want to call me is fine.”

“Hmm… so I can call you Mengchang, right? Mr. Mengchang?”

“Hey! That’s not it!”

The demon shoved my hand away.

“I’m smart! Not stupid!”

“Then tell me what to call you. Otherwise, I’ll call you Mr. Mengchang.”

“Ugh, seriously… why did I get summoned by someone like this….”

The demon grumbled, ruffling his hair.

‘Another regret moment, huh?’

Since he controlled fire, he seemed to generate a lot of body heat.

I looked disinterestedly at the fireplace, waiting for him to burn off the heat. Gradually, his grumbling faded. Soon, silence settled, and after a while, I heard his voice in my ear.

“Harry.”

“Harry?”

“When someone calls me, that’s usually the name. My real name isn’t even used among family.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Your real name is for contracts. Did your previous contractor call you Harry?”

“You’re my second contractor. The first was a fool who wanted to be king, and he didn’t care about my name. He only wanted my power.”

“So I’m the first human to call you Harry?”

“….”

The demon—no, Harry—turned red. Realizing his face was heating up, he hastily covered it with his hands.

“D-Don’t give that any weird meaning!”

“When did I give it meaning?”

“You did! Just now!”

“I’m just stating a fact.”