~CMWDD 18~

Chapter 18

Swallowing his dry saliva, Ancedo quietly moved to a place suitable for burning letters. He always made a point of destroying clients’ letters immediately.

Whoosh!

The letter went up in flames.

Visibly excited, Ancedo called over a priest who knew his true identity. The priest, with fluffy hair, looked at Ancedo with a tense expression.

“Is something the matter?”

“I have a task for you. About the heiress of Armeniacha who came by yesterday—do some background checking. Find out if she’s dangerous or not.”

At the mention of Ollentia, the priest’s face reflected confusion.

“Why her…?”

“That’s none of your concern. I just took an interest.”

In fact, Ollentia had already provoked him first.

Ancedo was extremely suspicious by nature, which allowed him to maintain his perfect disguise all this time.

He didn’t hesitate to sacrifice for the sake of the act. A month ago, when a house caught fire, the “rescue of a child” was nothing more than a staged performance. He had set the fire as far as possible from the room where the child was, then rescued the child safely.

Continuing such “good deeds” was dull, but they solidified Ancedo’s reputation. More people sought him out, he gained subtle power, and it also made it easier to hide his smuggling operations.

No one suspected Ancedo of embezzlement.

Leaning deeply into the back of his chair, Ancedo thought of Ollentia: her skin as clear as pure water, her platinum hair glinting, and her golden eyes.

She had a far more graceful and beautiful presence than her ex-lover, Moring.

Unconsciously, Ancedo licked his lips.

“She’s unexpectedly tempting.”

The more he thought of Ollentia, the more his filthy desire surged. He licked his lips with his tongue. He was very eager to taste her sweetness and fragrance.

At the Odor Count’s mansion banquet hall, Dimidius sat comfortably, observing Jack Odor.

As last night, the man’s expression was tense.

From the research Dimidius had done on Count Odor, he was supposedly sociable and cheerful. Then why was he so stiff now?

He seemed overly polite for a simple negotiation.

Still, judging by his barely trembling body, it seemed he had grown somewhat accustomed to being around Dimidius—though only because Dimidius was suppressing much of his own presence.

“…Does the food suit your taste?”

The Count’s question earned a nod from Dimidius.

“The lamb is of fine quality.”

The Count’s face brightened briefly at the compliment. He had negotiated with many people before, but never with a figure as formidable as Dimidius, hence his stiffness.

Unaware of this, Dimidius returned to the main topic.

“Let’s forget the differences from yesterday. It’s better to start fresh.”

A subtle pressure lingered in his words.

The Count swallowed and asked,

“You still wish to monopolize the sale of Phantasmal Flowers, Your Grace?”

“Yes. I can adjust the price as needed.”

Dimidius was willing to negotiate within reason. Still, the Count seemed deep in thought.

“But from our side, signing a full monopoly contract right away feels a bit premature.”

Dimidius absentmindedly swept back his hair, picturing the Phantasmal Flower in his mind. Like a white sunflower, it radiated light through divine power. The more he saw the flower’s brilliance, the more he felt the wickedness of demons throughout his body—a denial of existence that felt profoundly unsettling.

“I understand. The value of the Phantasmal Flower may rise further, or there could be other unknown effects.”

“Yes, exactly!”

“But you must also realize that over time, its effectiveness could decrease.”

Dimidius’ voice grew icy at the end, a silent warning. The air around him felt frigid.

Count Odor shivered, gripping his own shoulder. Dimidius’ presence was that imposing—strongly built, masked, and part-demon, exuding an immense pressure beyond human.

A moment of silence passed between them.

Dimidius studied the trembling Count’s face carefully. He realized why he kept noticing Jack Odor—it was subtle resemblance to Ollentia Armeniacha. The soft, thick hair and gentle eyes were especially alike.

‘Lady Armeniacha must resemble her mother,’ he thought.

Snapped out of his unrelated musings, Count Odor spoke:

“…How about promising to monopolize only the current stock, Your Grace?”

Dimidius cleared his throat.

“A short-term contract, I see.”

“Yes. Since we can’t know whether the value will rise or fall, this seems a reasonable approach.”

Dimidius internally felt the flower’s value would not easily drop. Its effects were comparable to ancient sacred relics.

Though the divine power of the Phantasmal Flower was recently discovered, he felt it would not simply be a consumable item.

‘I will definitely monopolize the Phantasmal Flower.’

Recalling prior information, he addressed the Count:

“I also understand you’re seeking northern distribution routes for your perfume business. As you know, other brands dominate up north, so it won’t be easy. But if I help, the situation changes.”

“Y-yes?”

The Count was astonished; he hadn’t expected Dimidius to know that.

Seeing the Count’s surprise, Dimidius continued:

“Especially your new Crystal line suits the northern cold. I should try it myself.”

Odor perfumes were well-known in the south but struggled in northern regions, including the Belial territories.

Count Odor’s interest was piqued—if Dimidius helped, expansion wouldn’t be difficult.

Towards the end, Dimidius offered a proposal that was hard to refuse. He even seemed well-informed about the perfume trends, which was subtly impressive.

The Count, satisfied with the strategy, extended his hand.

“V-Very well, Your Grace. I promise monopoly sales of the Phantasmal Flower until next year. If we find the northern routes, I might even achieve my long-held wish.”

Although still internally assessing the flower’s value, the Count was eager. He realized he might gain more from Dimidius in pursuing northern business expansion.

Many feared the Demon Duke Dimidius, but others, like Count Odor, were eager to align with him for business gains.

Dimidius and Jack Odor continued their meal, each reasonably satisfied.

While enjoying the Count’s elaborate banquet, Dimidius remarked casually,

“…Bring your niece into the main mansion. That villa near the daisy fields seems unsafe.”

Not only was it unsecured, but to Dimidius, it looked extremely risky. He couldn’t leave Ollentia there.

The Count’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How did you know my niece is at the daisy field villa?”

“That evening, I met her separately and found she wasn’t at the main mansion. It seemed strange, so I investigated. My apologies.”

The Count fanned his flushed face.

“This is… embarrassing.”

“No need to be embarrassed.”

“So… may I really bring my niece to the main mansion? I’ve been concerned. Although it’s a restricted area and I placed guards…”

“Bring her immediately.”

Before the Count finished, Dimidius urged decisively.

‘Restricted area? I got in. There’s no guarantee no one else could.’

He had been worried about her safety ever since seeing her walk into the forest near the daisy field.

‘Why me?’

A brief doubt crossed his mind, but thinking of her as someone important justified it—Ollentia was significant due to her divine power.

The Count rose to bring Ollentia to the main mansion. Dimidius finally exhaled in relief.

At the villa, a maid approached Ollentia, who was resting in the living room.

“Miss Armeniacha, the Count has come.”

“Now, at this hour?”

It was late, so Ollentia widened her eyes, staring at the entrance.

The Count entered, his face radiating joy, his eyes sparkling as if containing starlight.

“Uncle? What is it?”

Smiling warmly, resembling her mother, Count Odor said,

“My niece! Let’s go to the main mansion quickly. I came to tell you in person.”

‘What is this about?’

Puzzled, Ollentia tilted her head. The Count nudged her forward.

“Embarrassingly, the Demon Duke Dimidius already knows you’re here.”

“So?”

“He seems surprisingly considerate. Concerned for your safety, he ordered you be brought to the main mansion immediately.”

“Huh? That can’t be…”

‘The Duke is worried about my safety? Why?’

It was strange—he usually only spoke ill of her, yet now he was concerned.

And he even told Count Odor directly?

Ollentia hugged her shoulders, feeling a strange mix of emotions.