Chapter 6

Kirios glanced back at me. “And you’re still doing it. Even though I’ve been criticizing you, you just smile.”

Oh, so you are aware that you are initiating a fight?

I thought that was your usual personality, because being mean to me was like breathing for you.

But I couldn’t say it straight away, so I decided to just cover it up.

“Well, it’s scary but…., I worry that if I behave incorrectly to the men here, then something more frightening will happen. That would be a big deal.”

Then Kirios got angry.

“I have no intention of harming a child like you!”

“You still hate me.”

“……..”

After hearing my answer, Kirios stiffened his shoulders.

I thought he was secretly looking at me, and then he closed his mouth with an uncomfortable face.

Hehe, you didn’t expect me to hit the nail on the head like this, right?

I complained inwardly and continued.

“It’s alright. It’s only natural. Doesn’t demonic blood flow in me?”

“No, kid. That’s ….”

“In addition, we met here in the Devil Castle. If I were Kirios, I’m sure I would be suspicious.”

In front of Kirios, who had a complicated face, I shrugged my shoulders proudly.

“Even the demons don’t like me. So never mind.”

Not a human, not a demon.

A being that belongs nowhere and is not welcomed by anyone.

That was me.

And well, I’m used to being treated like that.

Kirios didn’t add anything to my words, but his eyes still looked disturbed.

Well, it was better than bothering with asking about this and that.

I just decided to think positively.

‘So now….should I put the food on a tray and carry it?’

I trotted towards the table.

I was straining and pulling at the heavy tray when Kirios suddenly called me.

“Little kid.”

“What?”

Looking up, Kirios wrinkled his brows and then he said, “I don’t feel sorry for you. Not at all.”

……..So what?

I nodded as if that were obvious and stared at Kirios blankly.

“That’s okay.”

Who told you to be sorry? What a funny guy.

Then Kirios’s face seemed to frown.

“Give it to me.” 

“What?”

“Give me the tray.”

Kirios quickly grabbed the tray with food and started nagging.

“I’m helping because it would be frustrating to let you do it. With your pace, it would take a long time just to go back and forth between the kitchen and the center hall.”

“Ah, yes…….”

Did anyone even ask?

I tried to suppress my desire to shake my head.

Kirios seemed to be walking ahead by moving his long legs, then looked back at me and responded.

“Aren’t you going to come quickly?”

But then.

“Cough!”

A cough broke out suddenly. Surprised, I covered my mouth reflexively.

This feeling of my chest tightening, this sensation of a burning in the throat!

‘This is ominous.’

I think I’m going to vomit blood soon, right?

Why are the side effects of recovering demonic energy appearing now!

Kirios narrowed his brow and asked me.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“M-My throat is itchy.”

“…….really?”

Kirios had a rather suspicious expression, but to be honest, coughing a couple of times was common.

Hearing my excuse, he seemed to accept it.

I staggered back.

“Well, I…..”

“What?”

“I’ll go to the bathroom. Please go first.”

“Go ahead.”

Kirios left the kitchen without looking back.

I rushed to the bathroom.

“Cough, Cough Cough!”

As soon as I closed the bathroom door, strong coughs wracked my small body.

I hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands.

“Keugh, ha….”

I coughed with such a force that I could vomit up my intestines, then I removed my hand.

‘Oh, this is bad.’

There was a lot of blood….

Come to think of it, I think my body was shivering.

I slightly hunched my shoulders. 

“Ha, I really have no luck.” I let out a deep sigh.

I thought it was over because I vomited blood the other day, but I guess I hadn’t fully recovered yet.

On days like this, it was best to vomit blood a few times and then fall asleep.

Still, I couldn’t stay in the bathroom forever.

I got up and washed my hands thoroughly to make sure there were no blood stains left.

My pale face was reflected in the wash basin mirror.

“Let’s say I’m tired, so I’ll go to bed early today.”

I strained my legs and walked out.

My legs were shaking. 

I think I might end up terribly on the floor.

Ha, really.

Isn’t my four-year-old life too hard?

***

“Stir it.”

Tatiana pushed her head into the dining hall.

“Are you here, Miss Tatiana?”

Cesar immediately greeted Tatiana with a welcoming face.

“I’ve been waiting for you. Shall we eat together?”

“No.”

Tatiana shook her head.

“I’m going to bed early tonight.”

“….already?” Cesar lightly furrowed his brows.

Tatiana looked up at Cesar with a tired face.

“Yes, Tati is sleepy,” she answered.

“Hmm.”

He thought she might really be tired.

She was only a four-year-old child.

It was a considerable amount of exercise just to go around and collect nursing supplies in the morning, but didn’t she even prepare food in the kitchen?

‘Besides the time….’

Cesar glanced sideways through the window.

The twilight sun was dyeing the whole world red.

“Why don’t you eat and then sleep?”

“It’s fine, I’m going to rest alone.”

Well, when you rest you probably would want to be alone.

Cesar nodded and brought a plate of food and put it in the child’s hand.

“It’s good to rest, but don’t skip meals. Okay?”

“……”

The child looked down at the plate and smiled brightly.

“Yes!”

After that, Tatiana went back to her room.

The three warriors looked at each other.

“What the hell is she?” Kirios opened up first with a crooked tone.

The subject of the conversation was Tatiana.

“How can such a small girl stay in the Demon Castle?”

“She said she is a mixed blood between humans and demons, and she was a slave in the Demon Castle.”

“What? Mixed blood between humans and demons?” Kirios snorted skeptically. “How can you believe that? Mixed races have never existed before.”

“But I can feel a slightly demonic energy in the child. Did you feel it too, Kirios?”

“…….that.”

At Siegfrieds sudden words that hit the mark, Kirios felt the need for an answer.

At the same time Cesar nodded.

“I agree with Siegfried.”

“Shit.”

Kirios sighed, annoyed.

It was Cesar who handled divine power, which was the opposite of demonic energy.

If Cesar was certain, it must be true that Tatiana possessed demonic energy, albeit very weakly.

Being grumpy for no reason, Kirios asked back.

“You aren’t just saying that about the kid because she’s cute?”

Of course, Cesar had a strongly compassionate personality befitting a priest.

However, the problem was that his benevolence tends to be exercised selectively.

For example, vulnerable children or small animals….

That was why Cesar was so eager to support the orphanage, and the other priests used to worry because he picked up small animals every time–

“How could that be?”

However, Cesar only glanced at Kirios pitifully.

“Of course, it’s true that Miss Tatiana is very cute, but I don’t judge her by her cuteness alone.”

….Even in the midst of this, that tenacity that stubbornly insisted that Tatiana was cute.

Cesar added, “Anyway, if what Miss Tatiana says is true, she must have lived quite a hard life in the Demon Castle.”

“………”

“………”

A heavy silence fell.

That would be the case, because they themselves knew best that demons treated other races worse than insects.

Besides, the child didn’t seem very healthy from the looks of it.

A skinny body, frizzy hair, and clothes worse than rags.

Only the bright blue eyes that shone like jewels were worth looking at.

“Besides, doesn’t the child act very mature for her age?”

“That….that’s true.”

“Perhaps because life itself was so difficult, so she had no choice but to grow up early.”

Cesar continued his words as he looked at Kirios.

“A normal four-year-old child isn’t like that. They’re more selfish and fussier. But Miss Tatiana is different. Doesn’t she look like an angel?”

….Angel?

Why was the story flowing in this direction?

Kirios frowned.

“So, if there was anyone who didn’t feel the slightest pity for that lovely child,” at the same time Cesar solemnly declared, “That man is truly a cold-blooded man, without blood or tears, and God will never forgive him for his evil…..”

“Okay, I get it!”

Unable to overcome the pressure, Kirios waved his hand in disgust.

“I’ll just watch her for a while, so stop nagging me!”

Then Cesar clicked his tongue briefly.

“The future of the Mage Tower is really bleak to have such a foolish man as the head.”

“Do you really want to die?” Kirios widened his eyes threateningly.

Then Siegfried shook his head, admonishing, “You’re not even children, but how long are both going to fight so childishly?”

After squabbling for a while, the three eventually went to bed side by side.

However, Tatiana did not appear the next day.