DSB 39

“Young Madam! You’re awake!”

The one who opened the door wasn’t the person Lebel had been waiting for. It was Mahan. Lebel clicked his tongue quietly.

Instead of coming closer, Yutis seemed to grow even more distant, he must have felt relieved when Mahan opened the door. Lebel asked in a displeased tone.

“Where’s Yutis?”

“Uh, Young Master Yutis is busy….”

Mahan spoke with an awkward smile. Lebel was sure that Yutis was avoiding him and his expression turned cold.

“More importantly, is your body all right?”

“Is that man abandoning the wife he spent the night with?”

“…What?”

Mahan shook his head violently, saying it was absolutely not that. But Lebel was already hurt.

He didn’t expect to feel irritated over something like this. What was the problem? Wasn’t he the one who had been needed?

He could understand Yutis blaming himself because of the wounds, but why wouldn’t he come to see him? Shouldn’t he be at his side and taking care of him? Hadn’t he always done that before?

“Is that so? If it’s not, then tell him to come.”

“Ah, Young Master Yutis’s condition hasn’t improved yet….”

“If he needs more pheromones, shouldn’t he come to me? Or should I go to him?”

“You can’t! Your condition is more serious than his!”

A small dispute broke out. Normally, Lebel would have forced his way through, but with his exhausted body, he couldn’t overpower Mahan.

In the end, Lebel had no choice but to lie back down on the bed, panting with exhaustion.

“See? You can’t overdo it.”

“…If you hadn’t blocked my way, I wouldn’t have fallen.”

Mahan ignored Lebel’s words and carefully covered him with the blanket. He fussed as if something terrible would happen if Lebel moved even a little.

“The priest will be coming soon.”

“Priest?”

“Yes. Please wait a moment.”

After a short moment, someone knocked on the door and Mahan opened it. Lebel thought it would be the priest he had seen in the village, but it was a completely different person.

“Young Madam, it’s an honor to meet you. My name is Illa.”

Illa was someone who possessed far greater power than that priest and was a human loved by Michael.

Mahan urged him, there wasn’t even time for introductions.

“Please treat the wounds first! The young master brought the priest for his sake.”

“The Young Master ordered me to heal Young Madam’s wounds without leaving any scars. But your body doesn’t respond well to holy power. Normally, you should have awakened long ago, but you remained unconscious for a long time, so we were worried.”

Of course.

His body would react even less to holy power than Yutis’s did. Since his body was human, it could heal, but the demonic energy within his soul would interfere.

“Now that I’m conscious, isn’t that enough?”

“…Please take care of your body.”

Mahan couldn’t understand Lebel’s calm attitude.

Lebel had been a critical patient. Before the priest came, Mahan had seen the physician apply medicine and bandages to Lebel’s wounds.

There were bite marks from a large beast and scratches from sharp claws all over his body. The bedsheets had more red blood stains than traces of lovemaking.

When they saw Lebel lying on the bed, his face white as paper, everyone thought he was a corpse.

But when Yutis shouted that he was still alive and told them to bring a physician immediately, they realized he was still breathing.

They had spent the whole time fearing his faint breaths would stop at any moment.

Yutis had was panicked and blamed himself, but when he came to his senses, he brought Illa, the priest known as the most skilled in the North.

“I’ll transfer holy power to you.”

“I don’t need holy power.”

“You can’t refuse! You may think you’re fine, but your wounds are deep. Priest, I’ll leave it to you.”

Illa gave Mahan a reassuring smile to say he understood.

Lebel was silent.

Was his condition really that bad that Mahan was fussing like that? His arms and legs didn’t move well, and he felt sore, but nothing was severed, so what was the problem?

They said he had already received some holy power, and now his consciousness had returned, so there was no need to make such a fuss.

“I’ll accept treatment, but I don’t need a priest. Bring the physician.”

His body didn’t respond well to holy power anyway. It felt strange that Michael’s power would be passed to him.

“I understand what worries you, but it’s fine. Since your body is human, holy power will work. I’m different from ordinary priests, so I can surely be of help to you.”

Hmm?

Lebel looked up at Illa. He found it odd that he had emphasized “human body.”

“I must focus on treatment, so could you please leave for a while?”

At Illa’s request, Mahan looked at him, asking why he had to leave.

“Some people don’t easily accept holy power. Isn’t it the same with the Lord and the Young Master? I want to see if Young Madam is like that too. Now that you’re conscious, you should be able to feel my holy power.”

Mahan looked at Illa with a moved expression.

“I understand. Please take good care of Young Madam.”

After Mahan left, Illa sat down on the chair nearby.

Lebel spoke out of the blue.

“Do you know me?”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

Illa bowed his head in greeting. His words weren’t directed at Lebel, Yutis’s wife and the young mistress of the house.

“Is it Michael?”

It seemed he had really received Michael’s love.

Just as the Demon God watched over the lives of his children, demons watched their contractors, and angels sometimes watched the lives of those they had shared their power with.

“Did you hear about me?”

“He’s speaking even now.”

“What’s he saying?”

Illa only smiled softly.

So it was something he couldn’t bring himself to repeat. He was surely asking why Lebel was here. Maybe even telling him to drive the intruder out right away.

“You may ignore wounds like this since you’re a great demon, but they’re fatal for humans.”

“So am I going to die then?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then that’s fine. Heal it just enough. You must already know. Since I’m a demon, holy power doesn’t work well. The demonic energy rejects holy power.”

“It still works to some extent. May I hold your hand?”

“There’s no need to go through the trouble of treating me.”

But Illa didn’t back down. Lebel sighed and held out his hand to him.

Lebel slightly frowned when he felt Michael’s power.

The power of angels had only ever wounded him, never been used for healing.

“Hehe.”

“…What is it?”

“Lord Michael’s reaction amuses me. When I’m near you, he shows many reactions.”

Lebel stared at Illa. He was covered in Michael’s favorite color, gold, and shining all over.

The way to earn the affection of the beings called angels was simple. One only needed to please them.

They granted authority and made it look like a grand love, but it was only proof that an angel had marked a human they fancied.

Each time he smiled, his face lit up brightly, which indeed suited Michael’s taste. That one pretended otherwise but liked things that glittered. Angels were like that in general.

“Are you a friend?”

“You’re insane.”

“Lord Michael says the same thing.”

Judging by his words, his inner self probably wasn’t to Michael’s taste after all.

Well, whatever his insides were like, as long as he was pretty, it was enough. Just like Yutis.

“It’s done.”

He definitely felt refreshed. The bruise on his neck seemes to have faded a bit.

“Lord Michael says he wants to speak with you. Is that all right?”

“So that was the purpose?”

“Yes. He says he has something urgent to tell you.”

“I dislike troublesome matters though….”

Lebel massaged his neck. Manifesting in the human world or even sending telepathic speech required power.

Some of them interfered with human affairs constantly, saying a little use of power didn’t matter when they had nothing to do in heaven, but Michael wasn’t one of those types.

And now he had something to tell him? They weren’t exactly on friendly terms.

At that moment, stronger power than before began to flow out of Illa.

“Lebel.”

“…I never said I would listen.”

“How did you end up becoming human?”

So that was the first thing he wanted to ask? Well, he might be curious.

“It was Demon God’s prank.”

“I see. I’d heard you were idly lounging around in your mansion.”

You’ve been hearing about me? Should I offer some kind words in return then?

“…Sorry, but I don’t know anything about your recent affairs.”

“I didn’t expect you to!”

Why was he angry now? This was exactly why Lebel hated conversations like this.

Just a moment ago, Illa had worn a gentle smile and shone with light, but the moment Michael manifested through that body, the beautiful smile vanished completely, and he frowned and wore a fierce expression.

“Ha, that’s enough. You already know this, I’m sure. This place is filled with demonic energy.”

“I know.”

“But the amount is excessive. Do you know why?”

“Who knows.”

“There’s a demon in the North who’s spewing demonic energy. His power has settled into the land and into living beings.”

A demon? Considering the size of the northern territory, that was significant. For it to stain the land to that degree meant the demon was quite powerful. But more importantly.

“Why is a demon in the Middle Realm instead of the Demon Realm? If he’s that strong, is he one of the demons I know?”

“To be precise, it’s more accurate to say he became a demon.”

He became a demon, that meant he wasn’t born in the Demon Realm. Yet since he held immense demonic energy, he had transformed into one.

“And that one’s bloodline belongs to this family.”

Lebel had intended to listen half-heartedly, but if Yutis was involved, things would be different.