Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

When I saw Cyclamen Castle, I was filled with happy emotions.

The first thing that greeted me was a man with his entire face wrapped.

“You are late, Master.”

Eleonora waved his hand warmly.

He looked suspicious to anyone looking at it, but he was walking around the castle without any restraint.

“Why are you here?”

“I think it’s safest to be next to Master. Oh, I also brought the wolf.”

And then, Eleonora turned his head.

Even though his eyes were covered with bandages, I could clearly see he was wary of Aedis.

“Isn’t Aedis’ side safe?”

Eleonora mumbled back at me, but I couldn’t hear properly because of Sarah’s cry.

“Your Grace! Huwaa! Why are you here so late!”

“Sarah, I’m fine.”

“Where did you go? Uhnng!”

I took out a handkerchief. It was stiff from being wet in the rain and then magically dried, but when I put it in her hand, Sarah wept louder.

“If something happens to Your Grace, I will…… Ugh, I…. !”

“Miss Sarah.”

As if the butler was already familiar with the scene, he sent Sarah to the chief maid. I asked the butler.

“What about Monica?”

“There is no trauma, but she cannot open her eyes.”

Receiving the butler’s report, we moved on. Fortunately, Monica was still treated as a guest of honor.

There is my status, but the degree of injury was also serious, so it could escalate into a family-vs-family fight. However, Paimon proved my survival by saying that the contract with me was maintained.

At my request, Eleonora also sent spiders to spread the news.

But Monica was alone in the room the whole time until she lost consciousness. She refused Charlie’s visits saying that she didn’t know who else she might attack.

I finally checked in front of Monica’s room.

“Oh, did Shaula return safely?”

Unlike Monica, I had no worries for Shaula at all, so when I asked a light question, the butler also rolled his eyes.

“Yes. She ate 20 servings at a time.”

“…….”

Does she have any conscience to eat like that and get paid….?

I swallowed my tears and opened the door. Charlie was covering Monica with a new blanket and ran over with joy.

“Eve!”

Charlie hugged me. A slight tremor was transmitted through her arm.

“I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Charlie.”

Even if neither Charlie nor Monica would ever visit the North again, I would understand. But Charlie spoke kindly.

“It’s okay. I heard from Dame Shaula.”

Dame Shaula…… ?

As I was calculating the probability that the Shaula I knew and the ‘Dame Shaula’ that Charlie spoke of were the same person, Charlie released me. She whispered a little.

“The Grand Duke’s brother, who is a very strong wizard, wants to marry Eve.”

“What?”

“He has already shown spirit by finding a place to live with you, and Dame Shaula told me that he was struggling with Eve’s refusal.”

“What?!”

“Let me know if you need my help. Okay?”

No, it was right about that part of Kadan, but the rest was just nonsense? He’s a bit crazy…… And the house wasn’t built by Kadan, but by Eleonora’s power…….

So, Shaula, you’re going to see it for real.

I swept my hand over my face and swallowed my shame.

Aedis looked at Monica. He pretended not to hear our conversation and was being polite, but his overwhelmingly beautiful face hardened.

“The brainwashing is undone.”

“Well, that’s good.”

I pursed my lips to try to smile somehow.

I’ve never cheated, so why do I feel so guilty?

Only Charlie, who did not know how good Aedis’ hearing was, made a bewildered face.

“Eve? Why are you smiling and crying?”

* * *

I considered clearing up the misunderstanding by having a serious conversation in the bedroom.

However, Paimon was waiting in the bedroom.

“Eveee…….”

Tears brimmed in his eyes like drops of water. Knowing that my heart was weak to that, Aedis retreated.

“I’m going to wash up.”

“Aedis? Wait…….”

“Sniff…….”

The door leading to the bathroom closed while Paimon paused with a runny nose.

I had to approach Paimon. They may look fine on the outside, but everyone was worried.

The maid, whom I met in the hallway, also wiped away tears, and Daisy and Sarah hugged each other and wept loudly. The tears that had been welling up in Paimon’s eyes had reached the limit and were dripping down.

“I’m fine, Paimon.”

“You don’t look fine at all?! I wanted to kill the person who stabbed you! I wanted to catch them!”

“Thank you for your intention.”

I rubbed my cheek against Paimon’s soft face.

“If…… if I was right next to you…….”

“I’m really okay.”

“Hng! I don’t believe it!”

While saying that, Paimon dug into my arms.

“Eve, did you get rained on?”

Even though Aedis had dried the clothes before moving to Cyclamen Castle, it looked like there was still the smell of rain.

“A little. I need to take a bath, too.”

My nerves were focused on my stiff shoulder. Well, Sarah will be worried, so I guess I’ll have to take a bath by myself.

However, as soon as Paimon was dropped from my arms, Tolymann asked to meet me.

I was too lazy to go to the office, so when I asked him to come to the next room, he showed sincerity by running at the speed of light.

He was with a cute brown-skinned boy.

Thanks to this, I had a curious expression on my tired face.

“Is that your son?”

“Is not!”

“Is, not!”

It looked like they’re not on good terms.

Tolymann glared at the boy then straightened his voice and greeted me properly.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Your Grace. Also, I will never forget the grace of telling the Lord to bring us.”

They came back a little bit earlier than us, so Tolymann’s eyes were wide open.

“Oh, you must have suffered a lot.”

“It almost took me three months to get back…….”

He cried silently. Aedis told them to leave first, but even if they left from the desert first, it was a long journey without use of movement magic. This time, Tolymann was truly pitiful.

On the other hand, ignoring the crying Tolymann, the boy looked at me with anxious eyes and continued to lick his lips.

“E, Eve, it’s me.”

“What?”

The boy tightly closed his eyes. I wanted to crouch, but soon the boy turned into a black crow. However, it did not last long and he returned to the form of a boy.

What?

“Raven?”

“I missed you, Eve.”

He seemed to be trying very hard to say it clearly, but the words that came out of his mouth were slurred.

“I’m glad you’re okay. But why do you look like this?”

“I…… want, to, ta, talk to, Eve in, in person. I ask…… asked, to stay, like this.”

Raven expressed his thoughts using relatively easy words. Still, the sentiment was conveyed.

“I am really happy. I also wanted to talk to you.”

Raven’s face turned red like a tomato.

“Can I, call you, Eve?”

“Of course. That’s the nickname I gave you.”

Then Raven suddenly turned his head and looked at Tollyman arrogantly as if to brag.

It’s definitely not good between them.

I purposely called Tolymann to break the brief but intense battle of wills.

“Count, I have a favor to ask you.”

“What favor! Just command me!”

It might sound cruel to command him, so when the Count quickly corrected me as I asked for a favor. I smiled bitterly.

“If I may die, tell Aedis not to be too surprised.”

“…… yeeess?”

“As much as I’m able, I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen, but you never know.”

I did not intend to break my promise to my husband. But it seemed necessary to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

* * *

After meeting with Tolymann and Raven, I went into the bathroom alone.

I took off the dress, revealing my shoulders wrapped in silvery cobwebs.

I drank a lot of the beast’s blood, so the pain was a little reduced.

However, it could not be viewed positively, the color of the underside of the shoulder, which the spider web could not cover, was discolored bluish.

Besides, it was hard like wax. Clear, pearly, healthy skin was nowhere to be seen.

Well, my husband said he would treat me.

I slowly went into the bathtub and then summoned my spirit who was waiting outside the door.

“Paimon, come here.”

“Yes.”

Paimon pouted. However, the adorable dragon staggered backward, showing only its back, and sat down.

“…… Why are you turning around?”

“I don’t want to see you.”

“You can turn around.”

He’s a spirit anyway.

Paimon did not have a specific gender. He could transform either way if he wanted to. Whether it’s the first Grand Duke Kallakis or me.

But Paimon shook his head.

“I don’t want to be killed by the Demon King.”

“Aedis knows that you are a spirit, so will he kill you?”

“He will kill me.”

…… I couldn’t think of anything to counter. My husband is not someone who cuts just anyone with a knife, but he is very caring to his wife.

I put the foam on my hands, being careful not to let the cobwebs come into contact with the water. When I made soap bubbles and sent them to Paimon, his little ears twitched.

I smiled low and made several bubbles.

“You know, there is something I want to discuss with you.”

“What?”

Wow, these bubbles are huge.

I blew more soap bubbles.

“Eve?”

“Ah, yes. It’s about the spirits sealed in the bell tower. I’m still concerned about it, so I hope I can take this opportunity to deal with it.”

A large soap bubble flew toward Paimon.

“Well, if I told them to release the seal 500 years earlier, would they like it?”