~CMWDD 09~
Chapter 9
At that moment, two men who had been hiding in the lounge revealed themselves. One emerged from behind a large chair, the other from beneath a table. Both moved with sharp precision.
The man who had grabbed Olentia spoke to her in a chilling voice.
“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet? Do we look like we’re playing house right now?”
“W-what… are you?”
Playing house? Of course not! If it were me, I’d be screaming too! How terrifying…!
She was genuinely shocked; tears pricked her eyes. She tried not to show it, but inside, she felt like she was going crazy.
She never imagined she’d get caught up in something like this. If she’d made a mistake, it had to be a serious one.
Ah, I should’ve just stayed put! I shouldn’t have come in! I just couldn’t resist my curiosity…
But it was too late for regrets. Olentia swallowed hard and closed her mouth. For now, she would do as the man said and stay quiet.
If she screamed again, she feared he’d stab her neck with that silver dagger.
And she absolutely did not want to die.
Then, the front door opened. Alongside the men in black uniforms she had seen earlier, someone else appeared.
Twice the size of the knights, exuding a uniquely intimidating aura.
A white Bauta mask.
A man who could make anyone tremble in fear.
It was unmistakably Duke Dimidius Belial.
Why was he here?
Why would he appear now?
Olentia couldn’t comprehend it. Her eyes trembled as she stared at him. Blood trickled from a torn part of his clothing, suggesting an injury to one arm.
What the… why is he like that?
Despite everything, the cold sensation at her neck made her shiver all over.
What do I do? This is terrifying!
She was lucky not to faint. Tears and snot mingled as she swallowed harshly, unable to relax even for a second.
The man holding her spoke to Dimidius in a hollow voice.
“So, you killed them all? That leaves just three of us, including me… you crazy devil bastard!”
Dimidius ignored him and simply looked at Olentia.
“…Lady?”
Until now, he hadn’t even breathed heavily during the fight, but just that single word made the man instinctively sense that Olentia and Dimidius knew each other.
Filled with glee, the masked man pressed his dagger closer to Olentia’s neck.
“Oh? You know each other? Perfect. If you don’t behave, I’ll end this woman’s life.”
Dimidius spoke in a flat, emotionless voice.
“She’s of no concern to me. You won’t get to do as you please.”
The man coughed, clearly taken aback.
“Hah! Even if she’s an innocent civilian, do you think I can’t kill her?”
He grazed her neck with the dagger.
“Eek!”
The sharp pain made Olentia recoil in terror. If he weren’t careful, he could pierce her carotid artery.
Damn it! Why me?! You fight each other, not me!
The thought of possibly dying made her mutter curses inwardly.
She had no idea what Dimidius was thinking, which frustrated her. Right now, he was the only person she could trust.
It was a mistake to come to first-class uninvited… but it’s not a mistake worthy of death.
While lamenting silently, Dimidius coughed up a little blood and stepped forward without hesitation. His hands were covered in blood.
The surrounding knights were startled.
“Y-Your Grace! We’ll handle it!”
“Yes. You don’t need to see more blood, Your Grace. It’s too dangerous.”
Why is he coughing up blood all of a sudden? What’s going on?
Olentia bit her lips and let tears fall. She couldn’t speak because of the dagger at her neck.
Then, moments later, a strange clarity filled her head, and she heard Dimidius’ calm, commanding voice:
[Lady. Close your eyes for just ten seconds. Trust me.]
It was as if he transmitted the message like a god.
How was he doing that?
Had he used the devil’s power?
It didn’t matter.
Desperate to survive, Olentia shut her eyes tightly and began counting. If he asked her to trust him, she would try to.
“One… two!”
From the moment he saw Olentia, Dimidius resolved to give his all. Until now, he had only fought with his sword, but it was clear that he needed to unleash his devilish power.
A single word spoken to buy time had already caused Olentia’s neck to be cut.
Seeing the wound on her delicate neck, Dimidius frowned. It felt as if it were entirely his fault.
Without delay, he forced open the sealed devil’s power. Black energy coursed through his veins, causing his mouth to bleed and shaking his organs violently.
This was the first time he had unleashed it since the attack on the Duke’s castle five years ago. He had sealed this power to maintain his human form, so using it was extremely taxing on his body.
A massive wave of magical energy surged through him. His crimson eyes darkened further, and his hair whipped around.
Despite all the blood he had already shed, he refused to ignore Olentia trembling in terror.
When the devilish aura enveloped him, he first transmitted the message to Olentia:
[Lady. Close your eyes for just ten seconds. Trust me.]
Startled, she shivered but obediently shut her eyes, appearing to count silently.
Now, only the masked man remained to deal with.
With a movement that seemed like magic, Dimidius shifted behind him, dropped the dagger, and struck at the man’s vital point in one swift motion.
Clang!
The dagger that had restrained Olentia fell to the floor. The black-masked man collapsed without a sound.
Using the devil’s power made this simple.
The other two were subdued by the knights.
“Your Grace! They’ve been subdued!”
“Are you alright?”
While the knights spoke, Dimidius only cared about Olentia. The wound on her long, fair neck didn’t match the delicate image of her at all.
But was she really okay?
Even the trained Belial knights must have felt excruciating pain from his unleashed power.
Yet Olentia remained calm, only counting. Her divine resilience seemed remarkable.
“Six… eighteen!”
Feeling her legs weaken, she sensed her whole body lifting slightly.
Dimidius’ voice came to her ears.
“Eighteen… You were in quite a rush, weren’t you?”
Olentia opened her eyes and looked up at Dimidius’ white Bauta mask. A dreamlike moment passed.
Realizing she was in his arms made her shiver. Though broad and steady, she had no desire to remain embraced.
“How long do you intend to hold me…?”
Before he could finish speaking as before, she hastily pushed herself up. Blood rushed to her head, and she swayed slightly, but thankfully didn’t collapse.
Standing straight, she glared at Dimidius.
“Do you know I’ve been through this twice?”
Dimidius shrugged at her sharp words.
“You seem to have learned well. That’s fortunate, Lady.”
Panting, Olentia trembled at the sight of the black-masked men lying on the floor. The knights were already removing the bodies, but she couldn’t move easily.
Her head was spinning from everything that had happened.
Dimidius pointed at her neck.
“…Is the wound on your neck alright?”
His voice was unusually serious. He seemed genuinely concerned.
Olentia frowned at the pain, touched the wound briefly, and forced herself to act fine.
“I-I’m fine! It’s nothing!”
“Is that so? Then perhaps I should have left it longer.”
But Olentia knew well—her own wound was trivial compared to Dimidius’. He had injured his arm and even coughed up blood earlier. Something was wrong with his body.
They weren’t close enough for her to pry, so she let it slide.
Using a clean cloth he handed her, Olentia wiped the blood from her neck and took a steadying breath. She couldn’t believe she was standing amid a scene of slaughter.
This… is an ambush scene, right? Who would dare attack a duke of the Bonus Empire?
Her head felt hot from fear. She felt she had witnessed something she shouldn’t have.
Yet she found the courage to speak to Dimidius as he tended to his arm.
“I think I have the right to know too. I’m a victim, after all.”
“Keep it brief and to the point.”
Dimidius’ voice was slightly subdued, likely from exhaustion.
“Who were the attackers? You know, don’t you, Your Grace?”
“I have very complicated circumstances.”
“I do too. Everyone has complicated circumstances.”
“So… will you tell me yours?”
“That is…”
Her parents died in an accident, her cousin and his wife were after the inheritance, and the Pieta Bracelet, which had spoken to her thrice, the only times she had clearly heard divine messages.
There was no way he could reveal such things.
Olentia glared at him with sharp eyes.
