Chapter 70: Rescued [3]
I quickly bowed my head.
"I greet you, Duke Draken."
The man regarded me with calm, assessing eyes.
"No need to stand," Duke Draken said, his voice low and clipped. "You’re barely recovered. Sit."
I hesitated for only a second before obeying, slowly lowering myself back onto the bed, careful not to show how much it still hurt. I wasn’t stupid. Defying a direct order from a high noble—especially this one—wasn’t brave. It was suicidal.
Still, I kept my gaze low, my posture respectful.
"I’ve heard the full report," he said after a pause. "You used the return stone on my daughter instead of yourself."
His tone gave nothing away. No anger. No praise. Just... observation. A statement of fact.
"Yes, Your Grace," I said, quietly.
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then—
"That was not your duty."
My heart skipped a beat.
Cold sweat began to pool at the back of my neck.
What did he mean? Was he angry that I’d made a decision without permission? That I’d intervened without being ordered?
"Your duty," the duke continued, stepping closer, "was to ensure my daughter’s survival. Nothing more. You succeeded in that. And you did so at great personal risk."
A pause.
Then, to my absolute disbelief—
"...Thank you, Julies Evans."
My breath caught.
Had I heard that right?
A duke—the Duke Draken—had just thanked me?
He turned toward the window, hands clasped behind his back. "Your loyalty exceeded expectations. I will not forget that."
There it was again. Not warmth, not affection—he wasn’t that kind of man—but recognition. Which, from a Draken, was more valuable than gold.
"Anyway, I am not here for not just check up on you. From recovered Alice I heard that there is demon hiding in our territory. Is that right?"
Only then did I realize that his earlier words of gratitude were just a side note, as his voice turned utterly serious.
"Do you know anything about the movements of that vampire after you sent Alice away?"
He was a key figure at the forefront of the conflict between the human-centric Solhaven Empire and the demon-led Drazroth Empire. His primary concern, always, was the stability and safety of his territory—his family, his name, his legacy.
So it made sense.
The moment Alice was safe, his attention would shift to the greater threat.
I straightened slightly, suppressing a wince. My body still ached, but I couldn’t afford to look weak. Not now.
What would happen if Velra—the vampire I saw—fought against Duke Draken?
’...That’s not even a question.’
She might have claimed to have faced the Demon King herself in the past, but right now? She was weakened, still recovering. A noble vampire, yes, but not at her peak.
Meanwhile, Duke Draken wasn’t just some high-ranking noble—he was the Duke of the North.
One of the Empire’s most fearsome warriors. They called him the Horror of Demons for a reason. He’d crushed entire demon battalions without breaking a sweat.
If I told the truth... if I mentioned Velra was alive and hiding... she’d be hunted down and destroyed before she could even draw her sword.
No question about it.
She’d be dead.
I couldn’t let that happen.
So, when they asked what happened—how I managed to survive—I kept my expression grim, my voice steady.
"The last thing I remember before passing out was seeing the demons turn on each other. There was chaos. A fight broke out between them, and I used that chance to escape."
It was a lie.
But a useful one.
If I wanted to keep Velra alive—if I wanted to use her—I had to buy her time. Confuse the ones who’d come looking. Cloud their judgment with just enough false information to slow them down.
The Duke questioning me narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Demons... fighting each other?" he repeated, as if rolling the words around in his head.
I nodded, carefully.
"I couldn’t see much. I was half-conscious, bleeding out. But I know what I saw. At least two of them were tearing into each other."
He didn’t look entirely convinced, but he didn’t press the issue either.
Good.
I leaned back slightly, feigning exhaustion. My head still throbbed—not entirely an act—and I let out a slow breath.
Every word I spoke was calculated now.
Velra might have been a vampire, but she wasn’t the enemy.
Not yet.
And if things went the way I planned... she might become my ally.
Or at least, a valuable piece on the board.
"Can you at least tell me which race the other demon belonged to?" the Duke asked, his voice sharpening slightly.
I paused.
This was the part I hadn’t fully thought through yet.
Too much detail, and the lie would start to unravel. Too little, and I’d look suspicious.
"I... can’t say for sure," I said slowly, choosing each word with care. "It was dark, and I was barely holding on. But the one fighting vempire—it didn’t move like a beast-type demon. It felt... calculated. Cold."
The Duke’s brow furrowed slightly.
"So, a higher-order demon. Possibly a devil or incubi type?"
I didn’t answer right away. Letting silence stretch could sometimes do more than words.
Then, with a quiet exhale, I nodded. "That would be my guess."
He tapped his fingers against the windowsill, deep in thought. "That complicates things."
I stayed quiet. That was the safest option when someone like Duke Draken was thinking.
"A demon civil conflict within our borders..." he muttered, more to himself than to me. "If true, we’ll need to act fast—cleanly. No witnesses. No survivors."
My hands clenched under the covers.
I wasn’t surprised by his ruthlessness—this was a man raised in war, forged in blood. He saw the world in lines of threat and strategy. That was exactly what made him dangerous.
And predictable.
Which meant I could work around him—if I was careful.
After a few seconds, he turned back to me. "Very well. You’ve done your part. For now, your orders are to rest and recover."
I nodded politely. "Yes, Your Grace."
The Duke gave a short hum of acknowledgment, then added, "If anything comes back to you—anything at all—report it to Hans immediately."
"I will, Your Grace."
His voice was calm, but I could tell he wasn’t expecting much. Which was fine by me.
Honestly, that kind of indifference was a blessing. Being in the spotlight of a high-ranking noble—even one as composed as the Duke—was the fastest way to get burned as a lowly servant. I preferred staying under the radar.
’Hopefully, he leaves soon. The patient could really use some peace...’
And just as that peaceful thought formed in my mind—
[Quest Alert!]
A sharp chime rang in my head, cutting through the silence like a dagger.
I almost flinched.
Seriously? Now?
While the Duke turned to leave, giving me the illusion of rest and recovery, the status window in front of me had other plans.
It flared to life, bright and demanding, completely invisible to the Sword Saint but more annoying than his entire presence.
Can I get five minutes without a system notification yelling at me?
Suppressing a sigh, I lowered my gaze and focused on the glowing prompt hovering discreetly in my vision.
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