Oh, dear.
Konny slipped one hand up and covered her mouth. Then, she darted her eyes and studied Demian’s face.
‘Is he angry? I suppose he is, right? He’s not thinking that milady is cheating on him, is he? Should I explain it again properly? Won’t that sound like I’m making excuses?’
Konny’s head began to be filled with complicated thoughts. Demian was a very dangerous man, he might kill people out of jealousy. In this case, it would be okay because it was a demon and not a person, but still…
The word ‘simple’ was not enough to describe him. In Konny’s view, Demian was a man with a few screws loose. In that respect, Valentine was not much different.
“About that. Actually…”
After thinking about it, Konny was trying to explain something additionally for Lara. Demian picked up the bread he had put down and took a big bite,
“The venue?”
“Pardon?”
“Where’s the venue?”
Somehow, she felt like she had experienced this situation once in the past. Konny hesitated and drooped her shoulders. Then, she pointed her finger over her head and said.
“First of all, go up and change your clothes. You’re not going to meet milady like that, are you?”
Demian looked down at his clothes. He was wearing leather armor dirty with dust, soil, and black stains. Every time he moved, dry soil fell off his cloak, and Konny frowned because of it.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Lara’s abode in the temple was a place where access was strictly restricted. Even the priests who were ordered to fulfill their duties could not enter at will. If they wanted to meet the saintess, they always had to contact Lara in advance and make an appointment.
Few people in particular knew about the secret space underground of the abode. Only Lara, Konny, Isadora, Valentine, and Demian were the ones who knew.
“This way.”
So Demian was able to get out of the basement and roam around Lara’s abode at will without anyone else’s notice.
“Can’t I just go like this?”
“Are you planning to disgrace milady’s name? Don't you know how important the work she is doing right now?”
Konny took Demian to the dressing room. She dragged him, put him in a chair, and brought scissors. Then, she organized his messy hair with her amazing skills and gave him a trim.
“Lady Lara wore a shiny bead dress and went to the demon’s recital today. If need be, she would shake the beads around and destroy the mood of the concert…”
“That’s so like Lara.”
“It was my idea though…”
Konny giggled.
Demian wore a gray shirt, a dark navy velvet dress suit, and a black tie to top it off. When Konny asked how it looked to him, he just answered with a shrug.
“If you’re going, you have to at least look like the most handsome man in the world! Do you know how much sex appeal that red hair is oozing? Lady Eunice said…Whenever he smiles, the mole on the bridge of his nose flinches. She wants to kiss that mole because it seemed like a dot in the middle of a target.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know either.”
Preparations were quickly completed. Demian smiled with gratitude to Konny, who in turn, looked at him with a proud face.
“Thanks, Konny.”
“That’s it! Smile like that! Go and defeat that red hair!”
“Sure, I will come back with a victory.”
The meaning of Konny’s word, ‘defeat,’ seemed a little different from what he thought, but Demian just nodded.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Paimon’s gaze did not remain with Valac, it was only for a moment that he stared at him. If Lara was any less observant, she would not have even noticed.
“Saintess.”
As if he could not even see Valac, Paimon only caught Lara in his eyes. A voice that seemed to be cracking but strangely erotic squeezed out of his lips.
“Did you like the performance?”
The performance was indescribably great. Lara had no choice but to admit that point. It was so beautiful even to someone like her who did not know much about music.
The night’s recital was held at the theater. Various foods and liquor were placed on the table in front of the stage, the attendants holding trays slowly came and went into the hallways between the audience seats.
Lara sat in the honored guests' seats and took the glass that Paimon handed over. With one knee on the floor, he held the glass with both hands and politely held it out. His long clothes flowed on the floor. His long fingers moved like dancing.
Half of the people who enjoyed the banquet were glancing their way. The fallen saintess and a seductive slave—that was what they looked like in their eyes.
Paimon, reflected in Lara’s eyes, seemed to be absorbed in the role of slaves. It was not a skill he practiced a day or two. Lara had heard that popular slaves lived more luxuriously than most nobles in Lafort, and that was exactly the case for Paimon.
But rather than acting as a slave of Lafort, Paimon attended to Lara as if he was her own slave. Lara naturally accepted his presence as if she was familiar with all this, regardless of the eyes of the people looking at her.
As the banquet was in full swing and as Lara talked to her friends for a while, Paimon approached Valac and said.
“Shall we talk?”
Paimon’s eyes were shiny. When he was dealing with Lara, his eyes that were as deep as liquor seemed to smell like oil. Valac replied, barely pressing his pounding heart.
“What…”
“A shell of a Prince? That’s pretty good for a disgusting vermin. You even managed to get this close to the saintess.”
“It’s not like that!”
“Do you think you’ll be the demon lord if you eat the saintess? No matter how you fill a vermin with diamond, a vermin will still be a vermin.”
“It’s not like that…”
“Follow me.”
Paimon bowed politely to Valac and took the lead in walking. Valac creaked like a broken doll and moved along with him.
‘So it has started.’
Lara, who was glancing sideways at them, smiled with the corner of her lips moving excitedly. Valac was being dragged like a scared dog. He looked at Lara with a face asking for help, but she deliberately ignored him. It was nothing. If he just told Paimon the truth as it was, Paimon would say something on his own or give him his orders, and Valac just had to tell that to Lara.
If he could not even handle that much work, he should not be called a vampire, but a leech.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Paimon took Valac to the waiting room behind the banquet hall stage. Dozens of performers were resting on one side of the waiting room. But when Paimon appeared, they moved outside to avoid him. Valac had not realized it when they were performing on stage, but when he looked closely, their eyes lost focus. It was a characteristic of those who had just become demon worshippers.
“I didn’t have any problem until I took over the Prince’s body. But then, I got caught on my way to the Empire…”
Valac told the story of Prince Sidhar, which Paimon did not even ask. His lengthy explanation was followed with a plea.
“I don’t want to eat the saintess and I don’t even have any intention to interrupt you. Just pretend you didn’t see me and let me go.”
Then, he continued.
“I came out here because I really wanted to play. Even if I stay in hell, I am destined to be eaten by some demon someday.”
“I didn’t expect that a vermin could use its brain.”
A deep sense of contempt came out of Paimon’s voice. He blatantly laughed at Valac.
“A demon is staying next to the saintess like a parasite, and now, said demon is saying that he just wanted to play. Who would even believe him? Do I look that stupid?”
Paimon’s eyes were overflowing, leaving behind a wave, like liquor that had been poured in water. Evil energy flowed out of him. Valac took a step further from Paimon and shouted with a frightened face.
“Even the saintess knows.”
“What?”
“Even she knows I’m a vampire! She still keeps me by her side despite knowing. I couldn’t eat her up!”
“Why?”
Valac did her best to squeeze his brain.
What should I say to make Paimon understand and avoid getting scolded by Lara?
Then he suddenly thought of a good idea and poured out words like a rapid-firing gun.
“The saintess likes demons!”
“Crazy…”
“I’m telling you the truth. It does sound like I’m saying something crazy… But Lara is not the kind of saintess you know. That woman is crazy! She goes nuts when it comes to demons! I should have noticed earlier but it was too late.”
“I call bullshit.”
“That crazy saintess captures demons with the power of God and raises them like they’re her pets! I’m second in her collection.”
Paimon was confident that he would ignore whatever bullshit Valac spouted. Everything he said would be a lie so he thought it would be okay to think the other way around.
But this was a little unexpected.
The saintess collects demons because she likes them? Even when demons collect humans regardless of gender and age because they like humans, they will be criticized as pervs. But a saintess is doing so? And she’s even using God’s power?
Paimon could not believe it. So he grabbed Valac by the collar with one hand and lifted him up. The hand he used was a clean and unstained hand that was used to play musical instruments, but he effortlessly lifted Valac up as if holding a doll.
“Urgh…!”
Valac felt afraid. His long fangs popped out of his mouth. Paimon smiled as if it was ridiculous to see Valac like that.
“A saintess that collects demons? Do you think those frustrating Gods will leave her alone?”
“Urgh… It’s true. You also know how those Gods have such peculiar habits!”
“Bullshit! If you’re the second collection, what’s the first one? Lilith is dead, so don’t even think about saying her name.”
“Look around the saintess. There’s something you missed.”
Valac trembled in fear but succeeded in planting doubt on Paimon.
Valac was a demon very famous for his opportunistic personality even in hell. As his power was weak, he had been sticking to the strong ones here and there. Thus, Paimon believed that if he intimidated him moderately, he would blow everything out.
“Go and continue to be a pet dog for the saintess, I need to use you to get information about her. If you run away, I will chase you to the ends of hell and chew you from head to toe.”
“Okay.”
The two demons returned to the banquet hall with nonchalant faces as if nothing had happened. Valac walked gracefully like Prince Sidhar, Paimon followed him and put fruits and liquor on the tray to bring to Lara.
Demian appeared then.
