After walking a few steps, Noir’s body dissipated into mist.
Eugene continued to stare as the mist faded away before muttering in a dazed voice, “...What was that?”
He couldn’t understand the meaning behind Noir’s tears at the very end there.
Why had she been crying? Was she sad that their game was over? Since this was Noir, who often did crazy things, it made sense that she would pretend to shed tears for such a reason.
However, Eugene got the feeling that the tears he had seen just now… It hadn’t seemed like Noir was acting. Even Noir herself had appeared to be embarrassed by the tears flowing down her cheeks.
—I wish it was twilight right now.
The words Noir had muttered were lingering in Eugene’s head.
Eugene wasn’t sure what to think of that.
What had she meant by those words? Ignoring the thoughts circling in his head, Eugene turned around.
Eugene had already decided long ago that he would not allow himself to be swayed by things such as Agaroth’s memories and emotions, nor would he allow himself to be swayed by Noir Giabella’s past life. There was no other way to solve the issue that Noir posed.
Eugene’s conversation with Noir had proven very valuable. Not only had he discovered Noir’s true purpose for constructing this city, but he had also confirmed that Noir was an enemy with whom he would never be able to compromise.
He still had one of his three remaining questions, but there was no need to use it immediately.
‘I can just use it later,’ Eugene decided. ‘Though, in fact, I don’t really have anything more to ask her….’
Perhaps it was because Noir had departed, but people had begun to walk through the previously vacant surroundings again. After pulling up his hood to block any unwanted gazes, Eugene headed back to his accommodations in Giabella Castle.
‘I get the feeling that Kristina and Anise will be worried…,’ Eugene thought to himself.
He had told them that he was going out to do some reconnaissance, but… it had gone on for much longer than he had expected. They had initially thought that, even if Eugene was generous with his time, he would be back by around midnight. But the morning sun had already risen. When he thought of how Anise would be waiting to give him a hard time, Eugene’s heart dropped, and his shoulders slumped.
…It also reminded him of yesterday. He recalled the feeling of their lips pressed against each other and then—
Eugene choked on a breath and covered his lips with his hand. Naturally, the feeling inside his mouth right now was no different from how it usually was. After coughing a few more times, Eugene hastened his steps.
How was he even supposed to look Anise… or Kristina in the face? Eugene kept on worrying about this until he finally arrived at Giabella Castle.
By the time he arrived at the penthouse, Eugene realized that the worry he had been so obsessed with until moments ago was a mere triviality.
Giabella City was known as the city without a night. So this top-floor penthouse could easily be lit up with just the night view from outside the window instead of the indoor lights.
Seeing how the sun had already risen, the penthouse should have been bright, but right now, the penthouse was immersed in pitch darkness. The large glass windows had been covered by thick blackout curtains, and all of the lights, including the chandelier on the ceiling, had been turned off.
“...Um…,” Eugene hesitantly entered the dark living room.
Someone was sitting on the large sofa. It was Kristina Rogeris. She was wearing her black clerical robes, the same shade as the darkness filling the living room, and her eyes were closed.
“What... are you doing in here with all the lights turned off?” Eugene cautiously asked.
Eugene couldn’t be sure whether the Saint who was waiting there with her eyes closed, kneeling on top of the sofa and with her flail set down next to her, was Kristina or Anise.
If he were to judge her identity based on this ominous situation alone, it was probably Anise, but he was still uncertain because, lately, Kristina hadn’t been far behind Anise when it came to making Eugene feel threatened.
Click.
Instead of replying to his question, the Saint pressed a button on a remote control. When she did so, the TV in the living room turned on, and a pre-recorded video began to play.
It was from Giabella City’s personal news channel, which Eugene had also watched last night during dinner. However, the video recording of what was broadcast as breaking news covered a different subject from the news he had seen yesterday.
“Haaah…,” Eugene unconsciously let out a sigh when he saw what was recorded on the video.
The recording was of Noir Giabella choosing a ring in a department store late at night. Noir was seen on screen looking back at Eugene while holding up her rings, and the video showed Eugene saying something in response. Because of the camera angle, Eugene’s facial expression was expertly obscured, and all the sound was completely cut out.
“It’s a misunderstanding,” Eugene quickly insisted.
However, the Saint’s lips remained firmly sealed. Unlike when he had first entered the room, her eyes were now open, but her darkly shadowed eyes felt even gloomier than the living room with all the lights turned off.
The video was fast-forwarded. The screen quickly sped through the scene of Noir picking out a ring in the department store. Then it showed Noir busily walking around the different floors of the department store as she chose some clothes. All the while, Eugene followed along without saying anything.
“It’s really a misunderstanding,” Eugene repeated himself.
The video fast-forwarded once more. This time, the background had changed.
Eugene and Noir were walking down the street at dawn. Once again, the angle was expertly chosen, as several flashy motel signs could be seen behind the two pedestrians.
Sincerely mortified and aggrieved by this sight, Eugene clutched at his chest, “It really wasn’t like that!”
“You’re going to die no matter what,” the Saint finally spoke up. “After hearing you deny everything so firmly, there’s no other choice apart from that.”
With a creak , her head turned towards him. Her shadowed eyes suddenly glowed from within the darkness.
Due to the eeriness conveyed by those eyes, Eugene unconsciously clenched his fists in tension. Before he even knew it, his palms were already drenched in sweat.
“First, you went to choose a ring in a department store late at night, then at dawn…” Kristina couldn’t bear to finish what she was about to say, and her shoulders were shaking in anger.
Eugene was sure that if he just left her like this, the misunderstanding would definitely continue to snowball. Eugene ran up to her and knelt down across from Kristina.
Eugene desperately tried to convince her, “Hey, Kristina, I told you it wasn’t like that, didn’t I? It’s all a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding. There’s no way that I would get up to something strange with that bitch, Noir!”
“Are you trying to pass it off as a one-night fling[1]?” Kristina’s eyes flashed with light one more time.
It looked as if two blue will-o-the-wisps were flickering within the pitch darkness.
Kristina took a deep breath, “Sir Eugene. I really want to trust in everything that you say and do, but right now, Sir Eugene, you smell of that slut’s perfume and body odor. Also… there is the stench of alcohol.”
Damn it. Eugene’s expression twisted into a scowl as he flapped his cloak around, trying to get a sniff.
Indeed. Perhaps it was because of him walking around with Noir for half a day, but her smell had definitely permeated into his clothes.
Eugene tried to convince her once more, “I can explain everything.”
“I’m afraid to even listen,” Kristina said with a shiver.
Eugene shouted in offense, “Hey! What is there to be even afraid of?! Unless I lost my mind, I wouldn't do—”
“I was worried that slut may have overpowered you and compelled you to act as her boy toy, Sir Eugene… but currently, your mind seems to be very clear,” Kristina noted suspiciously.
“I’m perfectly fine. Nothing at all happened, not the slightest thing,” Eugene insisted and widened his eyes as he stared intently at Kristina, trying to convey his innocence.
He had to admit that it was a situation that could be easily misunderstood, but Eugene still felt sad, aggrieved, and angry to be misunderstood like this by the Saint. Even if other people might not know better, the Saint at least should be well aware of Eugene’s character.
As Eugene glared at her with his eyes full of sincere emotion, Kristina also let out a low cough as the look in her eyes softened, “...Ahem.”
When she pressed another button on the remote control, the lights in the darkened living room turned on, and the curtains covering the windows began to open on their own.
“It was just a joke,” Kristina said apologetically.
“What?” Eugene asked, still perplexed.
Kristina confessed, “I decided to pull a prank on you because you returned so late. There’s no way that Lady Anise and I would doubt you, Sir Eugene, over something like this.”
It was true that they had thought that Eugene might have gotten carried away after the emotions from his past life suddenly resurged… or perhaps, like Kristina had just said, he may have been forcefully seduced and carried away by Noir.
They couldn’t help but have just the slightest bit of suspicion that something like that may have happened to Eugene. However, just like Eugene had thought, Kristina and Anise were well aware of what kind of people both Eugene and Hamel were.
Eugene protested, “You’re saying it was just a joke after switching the lights off like that and creating such a tense atmosphere…?!”
“If you had just contacted us before it got so late, Sir Eugene, we wouldn’t have been so upset,” Kristina pointed out.
Eugene argued back, “How could I have contacted you in that sort of situation?!”
“You could have done it somehow,” Kristina said as she picked up the flail she had placed next to her.
It wasn’t like she had swung it threateningly; Kristina was just holding it by the handle, but for some reason, Eugene felt intimidated and hunched his shoulders.
“If we had truly suspected that you were being unfaithful, Sir Eugene, we wouldn’t have been waiting here with the lights turned off like this,” Kristina added.
“Then what would you have done?” Eugene asked curiously.
“We would have probably gone out looking for you ourselves. In fact, Lady Anise did urge me several times to go out looking for you, Sir Eugene, earlier this morning,” Kristina revealed.
The moment that she said this, Kristina’s body trembled slightly. Anise had taken control of their shared consciousness.
“I really feel like Kristina has grown up a lot. Now, she even dares to tread all over my toes like this[2]!” Anise complained.
“She really does seem to have grown a lot from when we first met,” Eugene muttered as he recalled his first meeting with Kristina.
However, Anise seemed to have understood his words differently as she frowned in disdain and glared at Eugene.
“I always knew that you were a sly bastard. So you’ve been looking at Kristina with such eyes from the very beginning?” Anise accused.
“What, did I say something strange?” Eugene blinked in confusion.
Anise snapped, “Don’t act so naive, Hamel. I haven’t forgotten what happened yesterday!”
What happened yesterday… Eugene blinked his eyes rapidly as his face twisted into a frown.
“I didn’t do anything yesterday! I-I’m not at fault for what happened that day. In fact, it was Kristina — no — it was you who did something to me!” Eugene returned her accusation.
Anise demanded in outrage, “Do you really believe Kristina’s lies? Do you really think that her words made any sense! Kristina was the one who did the kissing, but you think I was the one in control of her tongue! It only makes sense that she’s the one who moved her tongue!”
Eugene hesitated, “That’s… I mean, I don’t know for sure what’s going on with your whole situation. Sometimes, when it’s you who’s doing the talking, Kristina is the one moving your body… so wouldn’t you be able to do something like that?”
“You crazy bastard! Are you seriously saying that!” Anise shouted as she leaped to her feet and kicked Eugene in the shin. “This kick is from Kristina!”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Eugene asked skeptically.
Anise grew even angrier, “If you don’t believe that, then why do you still believe that I’m the one who did that thing with our tongue yesterday?!”
“That’s… that’s because it seems like something you would do…,” Eugene muttered quietly.
“Just what on earth do you really think of me?! I won’t do such… such lewd things!” Anise spat out with a hiss, and then her body trembled once more.
Control of their body was once again passed back from Anise to Kristina.
“Sister! If you say it like that, then doesn’t it seem like I’m the only one who would do something so obscene? Haven’t we already come to an agreement on yesterday’s issue?” Kristina protested.
It had been earlier this very morning, just a few hours ago in fact, that they had agreed on how to properly divide their roles from now on and on how to make further progress once they had the opportunity to do so. Kristina knew that it was a mistake to have blurted out Anise’s name in a panic, but there was no point in crying over spilled milk[3].
Eugene, who watched with a puzzled expression as the two of them began to fight for control of their body, looked around the living room and decided to change the subject, “Where are the kids?”
Anise scoffed, “What time do you think it is right now? It’s still early in the morning. There’s no way that those two kids would wake up this early in the day.”
“I’m not sure about Rai, but Mer doesn’t actually sleep, right?” Eugene asked doubtfully.
“Even if she doesn’t sleep, she can at least pretend to sleep or do something similar. If you’re curious, just go to their room and see for yourself. It looks like I’ll have to hash this out with Kristina first,” Anise said as she straightened her spine and firmed up her stance.
Eugene got up from the sofa, sighing in relief now that the tip of the sword was no longer pointed at him.
Although the penthouse was spacious and had many individual rooms, Raimira and Mer had insisted on sharing the same room. As a matter of fact, the two of them even slept in a large bed under a shared blanket.
“Why are you both pretending to be asleep?” Eugene grumbled as he opened the door slightly.
No matter how well-insulated the rooms might be, the senses of Raimira, a dragon hatchling, and Mer, a high-performance familiar, should be able to detect even the slightest disturbances.
“Is it done?” Mer raised her head, the blanket still covering her up to her chin.
Seeing her like this, Eugene instinctively approached the side of their bed and patted Mer on the head.
“What were you expecting to be done?” Eugene asked gently.
“The disciplining,” Mer responded.
Eugene frowned in confusion, “Disci… what? Disciplining? Of who to whom?”
“Of you, Sir Eugene, by Lady Anise,” Mer clarified.
After hearing Mer say this as if she was stating the obvious, Eugene’s hand, which had been stroking her head, naturally flowed downward until he was pinching Mer’s cheek.
“Why would I be disciplined by Anise?!” Eugene grumbled.
“You were wandering around the streets at night, doing bad things,” accused Mer.
“What bad things am I supposed to have done?” Eugene angrily demanded.
“I’ll tell on you to Lady Sienna,” Mer threatened as she glanced at Eugene with narrowed eyes.
That… that was a threat that even Eugene found difficult to ignore. Eugene slightly relaxed the grip of his pinching fingers and sat down on the bed.
Eugene coughed, “Ahem…there’s no need to say anything unnecessary to Sienna when she’s so busy developing and practicing new types of magic in Aroth, right? It will just be a distraction to her.”
“That’s a good point,” Mer nodded. “But even though Lady Sienna is working so hard, is it okay for you, Sir Eugene, to go out and have fun during a secret meeting with the Queen of Sluts so late at night?”
“You… I told you not to use such vulgar language, didn’t I? Also, secret meeting, what secret meeting?” Eugene pretended to be oblivious.
“Benefactor, isn’t it too discriminatory if you only pat Mer’s head and pinch her cheek? Benefactor, this lady also deserves to be patted on the head,” Raimira curled up underneath the blanket, then rolled over and draped herself over Mer. “Recently, your behavior has been making me feel depressed, Benefactor. If I had to say why, it is because your treatment of this lady had changed greatly from how it was before.”
“How have I changed?” Eugene raised an eyebrow.
“Benefactor, you haven’t hit me even once on my forehead in the past few months,” Raimira said, lifting a finger and pointing at the ruby on her forehead. “Well… of course, getting hit on my ruby is very, very painful. However, after watching as the Benefactor pinches Mer’s cheeks and gives her noogies, I sometimes think to myself that I also want you to flick my fore… haaargh!”
Pop!
Raimira’s words turned into a scream at the end. Mer, who had been quietly listening to them speak, had delivered a stinging forehead flick onto Raimira’s ruby.
“You idiot. If you want to get hit so badly, allow me to answer your prayers,” Mer sneered.
“What I want to receive is an affectionate forehead flick from my savior, not you!” Raimira insisted.
Like usual, the two began to roll around together in a tussle.
Watching this scene, Eugene was lost in thought for a few moments. He was recalling Gidol, where he had lived when he was younger. The image of two stray cats fighting, which he had often seen on those countryside streets, flashed through his mind.
“That’s… if I hit you when you haven’t done anything to deserve it, that would make me a real son of a bitch,” Eugene said guiltily.
“Does that mean you will hit this lady if I do something that does deserve it?” Raimira asked hopefully.
Eugene hesitated, “Well… if you do something that deserves punishment, then…ye… but I would prefer it if you stayed good rather than do anything naughty.”
Raimira mustered up her courage, “Even so… even so, I still sometimes wish for you to hit me like you did be… aaargh!”
Pop!
Once again, Raimira’s words transformed into screams. Mer, who had just been looking for an opportunity, accurately landed a blow on Raimira’s ruby once more.
Having been struck like this twice in a row, Raimira let out a screech and leaped at Mer, and the two once again began rolling around like a pair of cats.
Eugene sat on a chair some distance from the chaos and spectated their argument. This feeling was quite relaxing. As he watched them fight over something so meaningless, it felt like all of the world’s problems were becoming insignificant….
Just as Eugene was beginning to get the urge to sip some tea while continuing to watch their fight, the wind around him suddenly stirred.
[Hamel,] Tempest’s voice was heard inside of his head. [A problem has occurred.]
Eugene frowned, “A problem? What kind of problem? Does it have something to do with Lady Melkith?”
[That’s right,] Tempest confirmed.
Although he called it a problem, Tempest’s voice was as calm as usual.
In the end, that could only mean one thing. This problem was only inconveniencing Melkith, and she was just making a fuss. In reality, the problem was neither all that urgent nor serious.
“What's going on?” Eugene asked Tempest.
For now, he decided that he should listen to what Melkith had to say, so Eugene asked Tempest to connect them. At this request, the wind began to stir, and Melkith’s voice was relayed to Eugene.
[Eugene! Eugene! We have a huge problem!] Melkith shouted.
“What’s got you in such a panic?” Eugene calmly asked.
[Demons!] Mer let out a loud scream. [The one that threatened to kill me! That ugly creature has appeared!]
Melkith’s voice was watery as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
However, Eugene’s face showed only surprise instead of concern.
This was because, no matter how much thought he gave it, there was no way for Harpeuron, who was ranked fifty-seventh, to kill Melkith.
1. The Korean text uses the idiom of ‘playing with fire’ to describe having a fling. ☜
2. The original Korean idiom uses ‘dance on top of her head’ to describe how Kristina is getting a bit too big for her britches and now feels free to show disrespect to Anise. ☜
3. The original Korean idiom says there is no way to pick up spilled water , which is similar but could be confusing. ☜