In front of the Duchess’s room, Lloyd swallowed dryly as he awaited her summons.
A slight tension hung in the air. The faint scent of blood lingered within the mansion, just barely perceptible to the average person. It was clear that this place was no ordinary residence.
‘Are they offering live sacrifices?’
The scent of blood was quite strong to Lloyd’s near-superhuman senses, making him wonder if they were running some sort of blood farm.
This was not a good sign.
Given that Lloyd had been captured and brought here, it wouldn’t be surprising if he ended up as a sacrifice alongside the others.
‘I must prove my worth somehow.’
Otherwise, he’d become just another live offering.
Escaping this damn mansion was his ultimate goal, but he needed to stay alive to achieve it.
“Come in.”
A voice called from beyond the door. It was mature and chilling.
◆
Villain.
Most people cannot be clearly divided into good and evil, but among them, there are always those who stand at the extremes.
The Grey Duchess was a good example.
Her light ash-colored hair was elegantly tied back.
Her dignified purple eyes and a matching purple dress exuded an air of refinement. Even her white, sensual skin that peeked out as her dress slipped while she crossed her legs, seemed to transform into a symbol of power, marking her as a true villainess.
She smiled in this direction.
“You’ve come.”
Of course, running away wasn’t an option.
If he had fled, he would have likely witnessed his limbs being dismembered. The ‘Journal’, this eerily precise guide, often labeled such people as villains, indicating they were usually capable of such acts.
“Yes.”
“Was the escort carriage satisfactory? I couldn’t arrange anything special for you. All the children auctioned off had to ride in that carriage.”
Her every word was gentle, but Lloyd felt a chill, as if a snake was coiling around him. Though he didn’t show it, the atmosphere of this mansion was far from ordinary.
“It was fine.”
Hehehe—.
The lady laughed from behind her fan.
“You seem to know how to handle yourself, even at your age.”
“Knowing one’s place doesn’t depend on age.”
As he responded, Lloyd took a deep breath.
There was a sweet yet fishy smell.
What was this scent?
Looking around the room, his eyes caught a flowerpot on an antique table.
Though he didn’t know the name, the bright red flowers seemed to emit the scent of blood.
— ‘Blood…’
Once again, a voice murmured in his head.
Recently, the voice had been becoming more concrete. Was his mental state deteriorating? Hearing hallucinations was undoubtedly a sign that he wasn’t sane.
Lloyd bit down hard on the inside of his lip.
He was trying to ignore the voice by pretending not to hear it. Now was the time to act normal.
According to the Journal, the Grey Dukedom (II) only allowed one to be brought here as an ‘experiment subject’ or something equivalent. In other words, Lloyd’s current status was that of an ‘experiment subject’.
He didn’t know what the cursed experiment was, but it certainly wouldn’t be a normal sl*ve life.
Therefore, Lloyd needed to win the Grey Duchess’s favor.
“So. How do you plan to repay the value of 100 million Krone?”
She asked.
Lloyd interpreted the question like this:
‘If you can’t prove you’re worth 100 million Krone, you’ll become an experiment. Child.’
The immediate retort that came to mind was, ‘When did I ever ask you to buy me for 100 million Krone?’ But such a retort was meaningless.
‘Then become an experiment and roll around.’
He would answer.
Lloyd lifted his head slightly.
The Grey Duchess wore the confident, dominating smile of a ruler.
This place was already her domain.
The moment he entered, the playing field was tilted.
Lloyd couldn’t help but admire her.
‘I’ve never seen someone with such political sense in this world.’
She was the type who knew how to make deals.
Locking someone in her space and negotiating within the framework she set. She always benefitted from negotiating in her ‘territory’.
This was also Lloyd’s favorite method.
‘Well, that’s probably how she managed to seize the dukedom as a widow.’
Now, what should he do?
He had become the one being hunted.
The strategies that came to mind immediately were twofold.
The first was to prove he was worth more than 100 million Krone.
Or…
‘Break the board.’
Lloyd knelt on one knee on the floor.
His actions were proper, but his words were harsh.
“Duchess, you aim for the throne, no, something equivalent, don’t you?”
The Grey Duchess fell silent.
Her eyes, once full of laughter, now softened in curvature.
Snake-like eyes that make you stiffen just by looking at them.
Gulp.
Maybe he had thrown out something too big.
He said he’d break the board, but he just brought up a secret she would have kept tightly hidden. It was an action that would easily make her dislike him.
“… Ahahahahaha!”
Finally, the Duchess laughed.
She laughed without covering her mouth with her fan, and she was chillingly beautiful, except for the sharp look in her eyes that were like a cat’s hidden claws.
“So?”
Her tone turned cold.
This was the critical moment.
How he responded would determine his fate.
“If by chance you think that way, what are you going to say to me?”
His mouth went dry.
He was more nervous than when facing the Demon King’s generals because the ‘aura’ emanating from the Duchess was far superior to theirs. Her stature, political eloquence, and capabilities were overwhelming.
Swallowing, he spoke.
“Now is not the time.”
“Not the time?”
“Yes. Right now, there is no space for you to exert your power.”
“Space, you say.”
She smirked slightly.
The coldness in her expression warmed up a bit.
“Interesting. Can you explain a bit more specifically?”
His heart raced.
Starting as a commoner, becoming a Duke’s wife, then the head of the family, and not being satisfied even after devouring the family—
How could he satisfy such a villainess?
First of all, the scale had to be large.
“The continent is currently divided into three parts.”
“… Three parts? The Holy Kingdom of Constantine, and the Britannia Empire. Who is the third?”
“The heroes. Saintess Aria, Princess Aina, and Claire of the Harold Trading Company. The three heroes.”
“Those children all belong to their respective factions.”
“But you can feel it too, Duchess. The support for them among the common people is extraordinary. It’s practically worship.”
They defeated the Demon King who tormented the continent for decades.
Moreover, they eliminated the treacherous Hero from another world who schemed to sell out the continent.
Regardless of the truth, the support for them is absolute and almost worshipful.
That in itself is power.
“So what you are trying to say is…”
“Yes. In the current state, there is no room for you, Duchess. The legitimacy of the Empire, the sanctity of the Holy Church, and the narratives of the three heroes—just these already saturate the power pie of the continent.”
The Duchess opened her fan.
Flutter, flutter.
She brought it to her lips and fanned herself lightly a few times before speaking.
“I guess I’ll have to push the three heroes aside.”
“Precisely.”
“You’re saying to wait?”
“It’s only been a year since the Demon King’s defeat. Their reverence is still growing thicker at this time.”
This explanation should suffice.
She seemed more politically and power-savvy than any other person he had seen since possessing this body. Like a thousand-year-old, nine-tailed fox.
Sararack.
The Duchess, with a satisfied smile, crossed her legs the other way. Lloyd turned his gaze away from her white thighs.
“That’s enough for today.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. I didn’t have high expectations, but you might prove your worth.”
“I hope I can meet those expectations.”
“Of course.”
Smiling brightly, the Duchess stood up.
She then personally opened her door.
“There will be some procedures to follow. Don’t worry too much and rest once it’s over.”
… Was that a pass?
Lloyd sighed inwardly.
“……Thank you. But why are you being so nice to me?”
Pff—
Laughing, she replied.
“That’s a bold question. Are you assuming I like you?”
“I have a curious nature.”
“I should return your own words to you.”
“…?”
“A tool belongs in the shed, a jewel in the display case. I really liked that. I thought you were a child who understood a woman’s heart.”
Clap, clap. The Duchess clapped lightly.
Just that alone triggered PTSD. Clap, clap, clap, clap. Applause echoed in his head. And then the inner voice crawled out slowly.
— You smell of blood… Let’s cut that wrist off.
‘… Damn it.’
Why is this voice becoming clearer?
At first, Lloyd thought it was his own hallucination, but it gradually seemed like someone else’s voice. It felt like it had become more distinct since he entered this mansion…
No. It doesn’t matter. Don’t listen to it.
Let’s just chalk it up to the strange atmosphere of this mansion.
— ‘Didn’t you have something to ask?’
Ah.
Unconsciously following the voice, Lloyd spoke up.
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“I saw some children being taken downstairs earlier. Where are they being taken?”
“The basement?”
“Yes.”
The Grey Duchess tilted her head.
“What are you talking about?”
“…?”
“We don’t have a basement in this mansion.”
But he was sure he saw children being taken down.
“You must have been seeing things. You must be very tired. Go and rest.”
◆
After Lloyd left the room.
A butler approached the Duchess.
“He’s definitely not an ordinary child.”
“You think so too?”
“Yes.”
The Duchess had felt the same since she first saw Lloyd. That child was special. For someone in their early teens, he was exceptionally bold and intelligent. That alone made him useful.
“He’s worth the 100 million Krone.”
“But you must not forget the real reason we bought him.”
“True. What do you think? Does he seem like a vessel for ‘Him’?”
The Duchess quietly pronounced the word ‘Him’.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why?”
“He endured the smell of blood here. The Master of Darkness is not one for such patience.”
“Indeed. He didn’t hide his mention of the altar either. That doesn’t fit with his personality.”
The butler nodded silently.
“Even if we don’t find it, if he’s in the mansion, ‘He’ will naturally reveal Himself. No matter how special the boy Lloyd is, can a human body withstand ‘His’ presence?”
“That’s true. What about the other children? Any potential vessels?”
“After thorough checks, it seems not.”
“Hmm. Did we miss Him? He was supposed to appear at this auction.”
“With the three heroes involved, it couldn’t be helped. But ‘He’ can resurrect without our help. There’s no need to rush.”
“Indeed.”
The Duchess leaned lightly against the desk and continued.
“Let’s wait a bit, as Lloyd suggested.”
“What about the other children? Should we dispose of them as planned? We do need some more test subjects…”
“No. Let’s observe them a bit more.”
“Observe?”
“Let’s use them as bait for Lloyd. They didn’t get along well from the carriage ride, did they?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and the venom?”
The butler opened the wooden box he was holding.
— Squirm, squirm.
Inside, pitch-black worms, visibly poisonous, were writhing.
“Shall we feed them all?”
“Yes, feed them all, to Lloyd as well.”
