CH 61

Who is the devil worshipper?

It’s either a guest who visits the banquet or an employee who works in this mansion.

I found the head maid who called me after meeting the devil worshiper.

As expected, she was perplexed, saying she had never called me.

She didn’t seem to know.

Next, I went to the maid who told me that the head maid was calling me, but—. 

She said she received the message from a servant in the mansion.

So I asked her if she saw his face, but when she received it, the maid was in a dark place at the time, and she was so busy that she couldn’t even look at his face.

‘The fact that the servants came naturally to the place where they work means that there is a high probability that they are the servants.’ 

I’d like to come forward and find out, but I can’t.

The devil worshipper knows who I am, but I don’t.

It was not good to move in these unfavorable conditions.

What should I do?

I looked out the window. In the distance, Richard’s spy, one of the personnel involved in the construction of the annex, could be seen.

That man will recognize the devil worshiper instead of me.

I intend to inform the spy that the devil worshipers are targeting Richard in this mansion.

‘But how can I tell him?’

I’m in trouble again.

Then a long shadow fell in front of me.

“What are you doing there, Nunim?”

“…You surprised me.”

Surprised, I looked back and saw Yurtha standing with a handsome face.

—I’m already in trouble, but there’s a guy who can’t help.

I sighed and looked up at the sky. There’s a bird flying in the sky—Ah, that’s it.

“Yurtha.”

“Yes. Nunim.”

“Can you catch that bird by any chance?”

“…Do you mean that bird?”

“Yeah. Can you catch that bird?”

“….”

Yurtha looked at me in bewilderment but soon caught the bird quickly.

I didn’t expect much, but he caught a flying bird. I clapped at him in surprise.

“…Why did you ask me to catch a bird?”

“I’ll try to raise it well.”

“Are you talking about such a dirty bird? If you want, a clean bird raised by the nobles—”

“Enough. What kind of bird does the maid raise? Can’t you even joke?”

“…What are you going to use the bird for?”

I said with a smile.

“Ung, I’m going to eat it.”

Even though it wouldn’t understand what people said, the bird cried in fear.

I continued stroking the bird’s head carefully.

“I heard that bird meat is good for your health.”

“….”

Yurtha was astonished without saying anything. 

******

The man was a spy who came in here.

The man who quietly finished his work today was given a rest time.

The man sat under a tree and looked sharply at the annex under construction.

There seem to be no rumors yet, but that annex was actually a room reserved for his master, a man called a monster in this mansion.

‘What exactly are you trying to do over there?’

It was a man’s job to figure it out.

At the same time, the man looked toward the Marquis of Argen.

There were various reasons why he came here.

The purpose was to get information rather than to save his master. Of course, that was also his master’s will.

Chirp, chirp.

Then he heard a bird.

It was a small bird raised by that man. The man got up and walked towards the bird.

What is the bird doing over there without coming here?

The bird closed its beak in surprise as the man approached.

‘I think there’s something in the bird’s mouth.’

Worried that it was eating something strange again, the man crouched down as if he were making eye contact with the bird and said. 

“Spit it out.”

Chirp—.

A bird that understands the man’s words flips and cries pitifully.

“Spit it out.”

Chirp chirp—.

Realizing that there was no chance, the bird spits out what was in its beak. 

The man who checked what was in the bird’s mouth was surprised at the moment.

‘This fruit—’

He knows the situation after he enters this mansion.

A maid named Marie tried to feed Richard this fruit. 

The fruit of the flaret does not affect these small birds, but it is poison to the transcendent.

A maid would not have done this alone, and the man was convinced that it was the work of a devil worshipper. 

In fact, there have been many attempts by devil worshippers.

‘But why is my bird eating this?’

Flaret fruit doesn’t grow around here.

But that doesn’t mean the fruit fell from the sky.

The man’s eyes shone sharply.

There must be a devil worshipper hiding in this mansion. Or someone associated with it.

The man agonized over the small bird sitting on his palm.

Is it a coincidence that the bird ate this fruit?

Did it eat the fallen fruit, or who fed it—.

If done intentionally, the devil worshiper knows who he is. 

‘I need to find out who it is.’

The man moved the bird in his arms.

******

“…Why didn’t you come?”

Richards, soaked in a cold sweat, asked with a hot breath.

He seemed barely sitting.

Silver hair was clinging to his pale cheeks. As if the man’s patience had almost ceased, the man’s blue eyes showed a deep thirst. 

‘I didn’t know it would be like this if I didn’t come in a day.’

Yesterday, I went out to dig up Argen’s herbs.

So Richard’s meal was served by another maid instead of me.

To be exact, the head maid forced another maid to do it.

“—Are you in pain?”

I put down the meal and bent my knees to approach Richard.

“…Scent.”

“….”

“It smells good.”

Richard, who pulled me, buried his head in my neck. My body trembled with the tickling sensation, but I pretended to be calm.

“Just in case, I brought a towel today.”

I swept over his silver hair, which was covered with sweat, to his forehead.

“Let go of me for a moment. Towel—”

Richard didn’t answer and hugged me strongly. It was a sign of rejection.

Damn it. 

I don’t have very good feelings for this man, but I felt a little sorry for him when he acted like this.

It’s no different from being born with a disease. 

‘—I think I knew someone like this before.’

A person who was born with a disease and made me suffer.

‘Who was it?’

I can’t remember anything overshadowing the question.

Because of that person, it seemed that I was soft to the patients—.

Then Richard called me.

“But maid.”

“Yes?”

“Are you going to put something weird on my meal too?”

Richard, drenched in sweat, looked up at me with hazy eyes and asked.

“You must have changed your mind, maid.”

“….”

“You asked me to run away with you.”

There were a lot of stabbing corners, so I was embarrassed, but I didn’t show it and made an expression that I didn’t know.

“The truth is sometimes I want to poison you, but don’t worry because it’s not today.”

I tried to pass it by, pretending not to know it, but Richard had a pocket with fruits in his hand before I knew it.

I’m sure it was in my pocket, but when did he take it?

I tried to grab the pocket quickly, but Richard didn’t hand it over.

He looks at me as if asking for an explanation. 

“Don’t get me wrong. Everything had its own reasons.”

It was hard to say anything about a devil worshiper, so I tried to pretend, but Richard didn’t seem willing to pass on it.

“Maid, we’re supposed to run away together. But why do you carry this around?”

Richard said so and held my hand firmly.

As his thumb slowly stroked the back of my hand, I felt a cool chill behind my back.

“But I think you should explain why you carry these fruits. Don’t you think?”

“There’s nothing to explain. I really don’t want to use it for anyone.”

Except for that bird. Of course, it is no different from ordinary fruits to birds, so it is safe to feed them.

“Then why do you have it?”

His lips were still round, but his eyes were sharp.

It seemed difficult to hide anymore.

I didn’t want to tell him this because I was afraid it might go into Richard’s spy’s ear—.

Should I be relieved that the two can’t communicate with each other in a tightly closed space? 

‘No, it’s not.’

Maybe this is an opportunity.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell Richard the existence of a devil worshipper and let it fall into the ears of a spy.

Of course, this is also possible under the assumption that spies and Richard can communicate.

“I’ll be honest with you, so you have to trust me. Do you remember the maid who put a poisonous fruit on you before that?”

“Well, who was it?”

“It’s your business, but you’re really not interested. So anyway, I think I got to take over the maid’s job.” 

“So, maid, now you’re mixing fruits into my meal?”

“Didn’t you listen to me until now?”

Why does a smart guy act like he doesn’t understand?

“I’ve been threatened that they will kill me if I don’t poison your meals. And I get paid if I mix the fruits instead.”