CH 39

I hurriedly read the next page. 

[The demon takes away the user’s emotions 

For example, if a user uses black magic when he or she feels extreme anger, he or she will sacrifice the anger at the time.

The demon lives by eating human emotions like this.]

I slowly lowered my eyes. There was no such content in the original. It was only revealed that Ophelia was a black wizard, and there was no other information.  Black magic was not that important in the original work. That’s why I didn’t know how to use black magic. 

But—.

‘It’s an emotion.’

Consider the first time Ophelia learned black magic. She lost her father and fell into sorrow—.

‘You sacrificed your sadness.’

I felt sorry for her. I wondered how much sorrow would have been able to summon demons. However, judging from the phrase ’emotions at the time’, it seemed that only the feelings of the moment were dedicated, not the entire sadness.

That’s probably why the original Ophelia could continue to use black magic. 

‘Because she was sad the whole time.’

I feel bitter. 

‘Then I must feel the corresponding feelings.’ 

I tried clasping my hands. I wasn’t particularly sensitive to emotions, so I thought it wouldn’t be easy. Should I react more quickly now?

“Hmm.”

It’ll work out somehow. 

[This is how the demon feeds on human emotions]

I read the last part again. Does Sylvester need human emotions, too? I thought since he is half human and half demon that would be okay. I can ask if I’m really curious. I will think about it later. 

Now that I’ve got a letter from the former Empress and learned roughly about the black magic, the business is over. So I closed the book and got up. 

“D-duchess!”

At that time, the librarian talked to me. 

“A-are you still going to borrow the book?” 

Huh? No, I was just going to leave the book.

“Y-you can borrow as much as you want. Since the master allowed it. And it seems like a book that suits the Duchess better than us—.” 

Having said this, it felt like I had to take it with me. It feels like being robbed, isn’t it? 

Ehem. 

I lifted my chin by spitting out a small cough.

“Okay. I’ll take it.” 

Then I put the book on my side and left the library. I felt a sigh of relief from the librarian behind me. Why are you so scared when I didn’t do anything?

I have to do something to make it less unfair. I thought about it seriously. 

*****

Sylvester was still in the drawing room. 

After all, the purpose of his coming here was to meet the Grand Duke, so there is no reason to come down to the hall. So Ophelia went down to the hall alone.

“The Duchess!”

“Hop!”

As soon as she went down, everyone’s attention was focused. As if the curse is scary, I don’t curse like I did before. However, it doesn’t go with Ophelia. Because even if I accidentally made eye contact, I was sure to hear a voice saying, ‘What are you looking at, are you crazy?’ 

‘Are you crazy?’ All those who looked at Ophelia to the end with pride in the sound—all were beaten. Make it dusty on a rainy day. 

How could such a formidable power come out of such a small body, even three men could not remove it. 

The Young Lady, who was beaten like that, said she had rarely lived outside, let alone at a ball since then.

Was it— called Olive Becker? Anyway,

This is why people crept away from Ophelia. Nevertheless, everyone secretly looked at Ophelia. So much so that she doesn’t even notice. 

Ophelia was a woman who stood out everywhere. Like the fairy of snow mountain, it has coveted silver hair, white skin, light green eyes, and reddish lips! 

Ophelia was really the most beautiful woman in the empire. Except for the cold and harsh-looking expression. 

They wish she would smile at least once. She was a woman who never smiled.

Oh, if there is a time to laugh, it’s like laughing at others. The expression on her face at that time was really scary—. People trembled as they recalled the cruel arsenic Ophelia. 

Then they found something. It is the book that Ophelia has on her side.

That’s obviously—.

‘An introduction to curse?’

Whoosh. People’s faces have hardened. In particular, the faces of the people who had talked back to Ophelia earlier became paler. It is clear that she brought that book on purpose. To show it to people!

And will she curse them like hell? That witch’s curse is so terrible!

The people hastily moved away from Ophelia. The people move far away. No one was left around Ophelia. 

So Ophelia thought. 

‘I guess I’m being bullied.’

She didn’t even do anything—. She was sad for no reason. Ophelia picked up a glass of champagne and sipped it. Shouldn’t she fill up with bitter hearts and drinks?

It was then. 

“Oh, my. The Countess is here”.

“Countess Fleur?”

“Where? Where? Where is she?”

“She’s with the Grand Duchess!”

There was a completely opposite reaction from when Ophelia came earlier. Fleur seemed to have come. 

Wow, the heroine appears. 

That’s why people’s faces are full of joy.

Unlike me.

Ophelia rubbed her lips.

At a glance, Fleur was with the Grand Duchess. She has a history of making mistakes with the Grand Duchess before, so it’s best not to get caught if possible. Ophelia quietly lowered herself and tried not to get into their sight. But,  

“Here you are, Duchess!”

Tsk. She got caught. Ophelia turned her head toward the Grand Duchess who called her. Somehow, she could see the Grand Duchess walking with an angry look and Fleur looking sullen. 

Something’s off. Ophelia frowned. 

“You don’t know how surprised I was to return so suddenly. To run away like that without even making a proper apology.” 

As soon as the Grand Duchess met Ophelia, she poured out the words. It’s like waiting. 

No, she didn’t go back because she wanted to, but she was kicked out— she wanted to say that, but it wasn’t in that atmosphere. 

Whispering. 

People are starting to gather. It is clear that they gathered because they wanted to see the Grand Duchess scold Ophelia. Knowing this, Ophelia bit her lips hard. 

What to do? After thinking for a while, she soon bowed her head and apologized. 

“I’m sorry, Grand Duchess.”

Anyway, isn’t it right that she did something wrong? As soon as she saw her in a long time, she said that she looked like a grain of rice, so the Grand Duchess could have felt bad. So she decided that it was right to apologize.

Furthermore, she shouldn’t get into conflict with the Grand Duke for fighting with the Grand Duchess. 

“I stepped down without saying hello properly because I was embarrassed. I apologize once again.”

Ophelia Ryzen apologizes? She’s not saying, ‘Shut up, ugly!’

People were greatly confused and began to buzz again. Ophelia looked at them and raised the corners of her mouth at an angle. Yeah. It was a good choice to make up. 

If her reputation rises in this way, it would benefit her and if it would benefit her, it would never harm her. Ophelia rolled up the corners of her mouth and looked at the Grand Duchess.

The face of the Grand Duchess was crumpled.

She didn’t seem to like this situation. 

“I know it’s not sincere to apologize like this now. How shameless you are!” 

The Grand Duchess approached Ophelia and glared.

“It’s not enough to come in here like a rat by stealing  with Countess Cardel’s invitation.” 

This is an obvious fact, so there is nothing to explain. 

“How dare you insult me?”

The same goes for this. She made a mistake because she openly said, ‘It looks like a grain of rice.’

“I can’t believe you pushed this poor Fleur again!”

Huh?  

Ophelia tilted her head slightly, wondering if she had heard it wrong. What did she just say—?

“What are you pretending you don’t know? I know you’ve been verbally abusing Fleur!”

Me? When? 

Ophelia was amazed and her nose was stuffy.

“When did I—”

“The Grand Duchess! No, I was wrong! The Duchess only scolds me—. It’s all my fault.”  Fleur bowed her head and said. Tuk, tuk, and drops of tears fall and wet the floor.

Looking at the falling drops of tears, Ophelia opened her mouth wide.