CH 75

“When we meet that punk, let’s move together with me. It’s unacceptable to go alone without a word like today.”

“Uhm.”

“If you try to hide it with an irresistible cute act about something like that, I won’t fall for it. Okay?” 

Catherine asked in surprise.

“W, when did I ever act cute? If someone sees it, they’ll think it’s a kid trying to hide something by saying it was a mistake and acting cute!” 

“I’ve never said you’re acting cute, so don’t be flustered.”

His long, thin fingers grabbed both of her cheeks. Cesare pressed Catherine’s head to him as if ordering her.

“Come on, promise me. Will you or will you not?”

A person shouldn’t make promises recklessly.

Especially when the other person is a devil, she should be more careful. Because a promise has a lot more meaning to the devil than it does to humans. 

It had a completely different meaning from the simple plans and proposals that had previously been shared between them.

‘…It doesn’t matter if we meet unexpectedly.’

No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed that she would meet again with Percyville once or twice.

Every time she did that, she didn’t want to call this guy in and make him uncomfortable. She’d rather swear at Percyville as much as she can and give it to him!

“Hurry up”

The pressure on both cheeks becomes stronger. Catherine quickly agreed. 

“How is it?”

“Promise. You know what a promise with the devil means, right?”

“Yes.”

“Today, it wasn’t even a promise, but your heart is so cunning. But next time—”

His strong hand is now covering Catherine’s face in a tight squeeze.

“You know there’s nothing to gain.” 

“I told you I understand, right?” 

“Okay.” 

Catherine’s face regained her freedom. Of course, it didn’t hurt because Cesare treated her like a crystal cup, but this tingling sensation was uncomfortable.

“But what are you going to do, Cesare? I’m going to go back after making an appointment with Giovanne again.”

Cesare answered her question with a hand in his pants pocket, as if it were nothing.

“I can just say I came to see Belial. It looks like she has been hiding in the Hanging Gardens because she doesn’t want to be seen—. Thanks to you, I’ll have a good look.” 

She doesn’t think Giovanne would naively believe that, but—. Well, it didn’t sound like a bad plan.

Catherine tried to leave the drawing-room to find Giovanne.

“Catherine.”

“Why?”

Cesare tilted his head at an angle and pointed her somewhere. 

“I’m just telling you just in case, if you really want to see his face, you don’t have to meet him face to face.”

Catherine’s gaze descends to where his fingers are pointing. At the end of it was a small bag that he carried with him every day, and inside the slightly opened entrance—. Isn’t there an unfamiliar notebook that she has never seen before?

“Busperfield is the most advanced magic tool technology on the continent. Perhaps, with that notebook, you will be able to keep in touch with Giovanne.”

Ah. It means this is a magic tool.

Catherine carefully opened her notebook. The notebook was thin and light. However, it was made of a hard leather case, giving it a very old-fashioned look.

After opening the first page, she noticed that it was written in cursive which was very different from Cesare’s old-fashioned cursive.

「To my students.

If you have any questions related to magic, such as witchcraft, demonology, etc., please ask here. The kind teacher Giovanne will give you clear answers. 

P.S.: The study of roots will be further researched and carried out by Giovanne personally.」

‘This is a very good method.’

After all, if he’s smart, his body won’t suffer. Catherine wrote in her notebook, 「I’ll go home first.」, After she wrote her answer, she put it in her notebook with a satisfied look on her face. Cesare was blown away at the sight.

“Don’t forget to tell me every time he makes a lame joke. I’m gonna smash the hanging garden in half.”

Catherine thought. Won’t there be a time in the far future when he uses harsh words like “tear up” and “bury alive” and not a noble language, just like his true nature in the abyss?

“Then I’ll go back to Phanya, Cesare. See you later.”

So Catherine returned to Panya with her new family member and notebook in her new bag. And it wasn’t until she had dinner that she remembered Damian’s presence, and she had to bring him back.

✽ ✽ ✽

Two days passed, and Meow didn’t return. As Catherine began to worry, the Marquis of Phanya comforted her with her insignificant tone.

“Monsters are a race that closer to instinct than humans. Since it left the human world and returned to Abyss Land, the land of monsters, it must be hunting and preying like crazy by now.” 

“If it’s a food, I’ve been feeding Meow well.”

The Marquis Phanya asked with an absurd expression on her face.

“If it’s food, what kind of food?” 

“Cat food.”

Immediately, a voice was heard saying that it was ridiculous.

“Huh. You say such a stupid thing sometimes. Monsters don’t eat such food. Especially, the closer they are to pure blood, the more they eat humans and lower-class monsters. Don’t worry, it’ll be back after it full.”

It was a shocking truth. Of course, it’s not like Catherine didn’t know that.

‘But Meow definitely grew up after eating what I gave—’

Although Meow often joked about hunting humans for fun, Meow never said anything about being hungry in front of her.

Well, when Meow returns, she’ll know the truth. If the words of Marquis Panya were true, it seemed that they should reflect.

While in Panya, Catherine went in and out of the headquarters of the Northern Imperial Border Guard, as she did as a child.

The knights of the garrison and Phanya’s soldiers remained so mixed that it was impossible to tell them apart. The exact group to which the garrison belonged was the imperial family. Knights from different groups couldn’t stay close to each other.

However, Phanya was a very rough place, where life and death came first, and above all, the Marquis of Phanya perfectly controlled the discipline, so all the knights stayed without hesitation.

“So you know. There is a small yellowfish that the Lady has brought, but I found out that it was a Gargoyle called the king of winged monsters among those monsters!”

“Oh oh!”

“Even pure blood.”

“Oh oh oh!”

“It is said to have been raised by the Lady. Kk! As expected, Her Excellency Hansburg’s granddaughter! Our little cutie!” 

“Oh oh oh oh!”

Without a doubt, there was nothing wrong with how they treated Catherine. 

“I haven’t seen you in years, and you’ve grown up so much! I’m proud of you, my Lady!”

“It hurts.”

Catherine had to be lifted into the air more than once because the big knights didn’t know what they were doing. Also, whenever the knights came back from the subjugation, she had to be held tight like a ritual because the knights would often pat her on the back and head when they were emotional.

Just like now. 

“You’re tall! You’re becoming more and more like the late Lady Grin! Your calm expression and nervous voice are very similar! Ah, that’s the kind of Lady from the Marquis of Phanya!”

“Are you cursing me now?” 

“Hahaha! I’m saying that your head also gets bigger now!” 

They don’t deny it. While Catherine shared endless thoughts with the knights, Damian’s body was growing one by one with large and small wounds.

He competed against the knights of the Guard at least five times a day, and even when he was half dead from exhaustion, he couldn’t hide his smile and said he was cool.

As if holding a welcome ceremony for a new knight, the knights who teased him ironically recognized him one by one. 

It was rare for the knights of Phanya, who had such a strong tendency to be exclusive, to acknowledge external articles in such a short period of time. 

“This punk has a bit of gut…”

“A cheeky guy. It’s worth chasing after our little Lady. But don’t be cocky! There are still 100 more knights to deal with you!”

“If you don’t even win the heart of one of them, you won’t be able to leave Panya…”

The knights of Phanya roamed endlessly around Damian with a rude laugh. What hell are they gonna survive as a knight? Then, when they were tired, they drank and enjoyed playing card games.

“Foolish guy. I thought he had a strong personality and a fierce personality, but he can’t even win once.”

“That’s because you guys only hold cards all day. Look. The back of this card is even worn out.”

“Tsk tsk. Now there are people who are defending that black lion. This is why handsome people are so annoying.” 

Damian, who was a noble in the Imperial family, couldn’t beat the old men of Phanya in a card game.

Every time he lost, his punishment was to clean the floor of the training ground. One day, she asked this question because she was worried about Damian.

“Damian, if you’re having a hard time, why don’t you go back to Christopher? As long as you get along well there with Rose, I’ll come back after the business is over.” 

The business here was to investigate her mother’s room. But for some reason, she delayed it for a day or two and stayed here for a few days.

“Yeah? What are you talking about? These days here are so much more fun than the years I spent in the Imperial Palace, though? I’m not going back until I win the card game against those guys. I’m going to hold out until the day I don’t have to mop this damn thing up.”

The Damian she knew was not such a fighting and ambitious man.

What the hell did those men do to Damian? No, did Damian like that kind of training from the beginning?

“The Imperial Knights don’t mop.”

“Yeah, they don’t even do garden chores.”

Having said that, Catherine had nothing to say either. Just a week after her stay in Phanya, a peaceful day came to an end. 

“K, knights!” 

Someone ran to the headquarters, where only silly jokes were exchanged. It was a boy soldier who was guarding the headquarters the other day. 

“T, the news is that a giant Gargoyle is in front of the gate!”

All the knights’ eyes turned to Catherine. Carl, who was half dozing on the sofa, said in a slow voice.

“Isn’t that the Lady’s yellow cat?” 

She thinks so. The boy stamped his feet and informed the knights.

“But the condition of the Gargoyle—”

The boy soldier is terrified and unable to continue his words. Felt uneasy about it, Catherine stopped playing the card game and got up.

Could it be that something bad happened to Meow?

“Guide me right now.”