Chapter 207
Hoo… I’m exhausted.
Christian let out a sigh, his face worn down to the bone.
For nearly the past month, it had been an unrelenting marathon.
He hadn’t even been able to sleep properly.
Weighed down by fatigue and hitting a wave of burnout, he groaned inwardly.
Why the hell am I suffering like this? Ugh… I just want to relax. I just want to goof off…
Beside him, Mari floated gently.
[Seeing you so worn out fills this girl’s heart with pain. Shall I give you a loving massage filled with my utmost affection?]
“…No thanks. Your massages always turn into some kind of poltergeist phenomenon. It’s creepy.”
[Then perhaps I should materialize and offer an even deeper service of love? I can now maintain my physical form for about ten seconds, which means—anything is possible for ten seconds. Oh, just imagining it makes my heart race. Ohoho.]
“What kind of nonsense… I’m tired, so just get lost!”
As Christian waved her off with a half-hearted swat, someone suddenly burst into the room.
It was Jupien.
“What are you doing?”
“…Why are you here?”
Christian asked weakly.
“Did you come for another sparring match? I don’t have the energy to entertain you right now. Just go home…”
He slumped back, but Jupien said something unexpected.
“I came because I have something to say.”
“…Huh?”
“Yulian is acting strange. Be careful.”
“!!”
Christian’s expression stiffened.
Come to think of it… Lady Yulian has been oddly quiet lately. Even when I’ve investigated her, nothing noteworthy came up…
Not that Christian had been leaving Yulian completely unattended.
He had already suspected she might be up to something, so he’d dispatched Mari—now Queen of the Banshees who controlled all the ghosts in the mansion—to keep an eye on her.
But nothing had turned up.
Yulian spent her days quietly.
At most, she roamed through different parts of the household using her characteristic charisma to befriend various people.
But it wasn’t with any suspicious motive—just innocent, sociable interaction.
So much so that many in the household had begun to assume Yulian had truly given up her claim to the family’s power.
I really don’t get it…
Christian shook his head and asked,
“Jupien, why do you think Lady Yulian is acting suspiciously?”
“A while back, she told me there was an illusion-type magic sword in the ruins south of the Gold Cross. She said I should go check it out.”
“And?”
“After that, I had someone look into it. That whole story? A lie.”
Christian frowned.
“Why would Lady Yulian tell you such a lie?”
“I don’t know. But it’s weird. As someone who’s really smart, I can say for sure—she’s hiding something.”
Christian silently agreed with that assessment.
There was no doubt—Yulian was up to something.
What exactly, Christian had no idea.
After Jupian left, Christian sat alone, deep in thought.
What could it be?
He couldn’t afford to leave Yulian unchecked any longer.
No—he even had the uneasy feeling that he might already be too late.
How should I investigate her?
After pondering for a while, Christian let out a long sigh and rose from his seat.
“Where are you going, my lord?”
Melin asked.
“To see Lady Yulian.”
“!!”
There’s a limit to what surveillance can uncover.
Only one option remained.
A direct confrontation.
The question is—how to approach her.
Christian made his way toward Yulian’s residence.
“Christian?”
Yulian blinked in surprise.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“It has.”
Yulian gave a soft smile.
“I’m glad to see you. But what’s the occasion? You showed up so suddenly.”
“I’ve come because there’s something I’d like to say.”
“Hmm?”
Christian stared at her quietly for a moment.
And then, something unexpected came out of his mouth.
“Would you join me at the capital tomorrow?”
“…Huh?”
Yulian looked puzzled.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Didn’t you say before that you wanted to get closer to me?”
Christian shrugged with a sly grin.
“Then why not spend a day together? A date, so to speak.”
“!!”
This was the method of direct confrontation Christian had chosen—
He would bait her into a trap and expose her true intentions.
* * *
Yulian looked completely taken aback.
But before she could say anything, Christian added,
“I’ll be looking forward to it,”
and simply walked off, locking in the appointment.
Knowing Yulian’s personality, if I push her like this, she won’t be able to refuse.
Of course, it wasn’t like she would naively let her guard down and reveal everything.
She was likely well aware that Christian had his suspicions.
But that was fine.
She had a plan in mind.
And so, the next day arrived.
“……”
Inside Yulian’s room in the mansion.
It was still the early dawn.
Yulian opened her eyes blankly.
“That dream again…”
A single tear slid down from her clear eyes.
It must have happened often—she calmly wiped the tear away with her sleeve, unfazed.
Then, as she slowly closed her eyes again, the whispers began to echo in her ears.
—Aaaagh… Please, stop… Stop… Just kill me instead…
—Please… Please… Spare the child at least…
—Why… Why are you doing this to us…?
Chilling, tormented voices.
She had heard them for a long time.
Those kinds of agonizing screams had always echoed by her ears.
Was it merely auditory hallucination?
Whenever she opened her eyes, corpses with mangled, pitiful expressions would appear in her vision.
She suffered from relentless insomnia, and when she finally managed to sleep, she was always haunted by the same horrific nightmares.
It couldn’t be helped.
This was the wound carved into her very soul.
It’s fine. There’s not much longer left to endure this pain anyway.
Yulian sighed.
Still… maybe I should have refused today’s outing.
It was obvious that Christian had some hidden intention behind the invitation.
Most likely, he was trying to probe her—get a glimpse of what she was truly hiding.
But Yulian shook her head.
What does it matter.
The day of fate was already right around the corner.
Even Christian couldn’t stop it now.
At this point, spending one last day together didn’t seem so bad.
Had things been different, Christian was someone she would never have wanted to kill.
* * *
Yulian descended from the mansion and slowly opened her eyes.
Christian was already waiting for her.
He was dressed neatly.
Christian was handsome to begin with, but in formal attire, he almost seemed to glow.
Admittedly, the look also made his usual arrogance and smugness even more pronounced—but that, too, had its own kind of charm.
“You look good.”
“So do you, milady.”
Yulian smiled.
She had dressed up as well, and looked stunning—like a flower in full bloom.
“Not ‘milady’—call me big sister.”
“……”
“Come on, say it—Big sister. Or we’re not going.”
Christian scowled.
“…Big sister.”
Yulian let out a soft chuckle.
“Sounds way better. Shall we go? Will you escort me?”
Christian let out a low sigh and offered his hand.
“Let’s go.”
They boarded the carriage and headed toward the city center near the castle.
A brief silence passed.
Yulian glanced at Christian with a curious expression and asked,
“So, what’s the plan for today?”
“First, we’ll have tea and a meal. After that, a walk through the gardens… and then, perhaps, a short recital.”
“Classic.”
Yulian smiled.
“Well then, I’ll enjoy it.”
They spent time together as Christian had said.
“Is this Lamo tea? That’s not easy to come by.”
“Yes. It’s not very common, but they serve it here. Do you like the flavor?”
“I do. It’s fragrant and smooth.”
They took their time enjoying the tea.
“You don’t seem to be touching the meat.”
“Yeah. I’ve never really liked meat. That’s why the family meals don’t suit my taste. But here—the salad’s fresh and delicious. I like that.”
They shared a meal and strolled through the gardens.
“They have Yale trees. I love those.”
It was the picture of an ordinary date.
Their conversation wasn’t anything special.
Just simple, everyday talk.
Yulian tilted her head slightly.
“Strange.”
“What is, milady?”
“Nothing, really. It’s just… I thought there’d be more to it. It’s surprisingly ordinary.”
She had clearly expected some sort of trap. But seeing no hidden ploy left her visibly uncertain.
Christian responded only with a faint smile.
“Now, for the final stop. Shall we?”
It was a small concert hall.
The audience, already seated, widened their eyes in surprise at the two’s entrance and immediately rose in greeting.
“We greet you, Lord Christian, Lady Yulian!!”
“Oh, it’s fine. We’re just here to enjoy the music. Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
Yulian looked a bit puzzled.
There was only one seat prepared.
“Christian, what about your seat?”
“I won’t be watching.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m today’s performer.”
Yulian looked genuinely surprised.
Christian gave a wide grin.
“It should be worth listening to.”
He walked over and sat at the piano placed on the stage.
And then, the music began to flow.
Just as confidently as he had spoken, Christian’s performance was nothing short of beautiful.
In his past life, after all, he had been one of the greatest performers.
The audience watched as if enchanted, fully immersed in the sound. Even Yulian felt a sudden pang in her chest and quietly clenched her fists.
But then, mid-performance, the music came to an abrupt halt.
“??”
“Ah, the next part really shines when accompanied by a second player. Playing it solo just feels lacking.”
Christian turned to Yulian.
“Would you mind helping me, sister?”
“…Me?”
“It’s a piece you learned in childhood, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”
In a prestigious household like the Dark Demonic House, basic cultural education was standard.
Especially musical training in childhood, since it helped develop the sensitivity needed to control demonic Energy later in life.
Though of course, most don't study it to any advanced degree.
Perhaps because of that, Yulian hesitated.
“My playing’s nowhere near your level, you know?”
“Who cares? It’s just the two of us. Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable that way? Don’t you all agree?”
Who could possibly say no to that?
The audience eagerly nodded in agreement.
“Of course!”
“It would be an honor to hear Lady Yulian perform—we wouldn’t sleep a wink out of joy!”
Yulian let out a small sigh and rose to her feet.
“You’re unbelievable. But you’d better not complain if I mess up.”
“You have nothing to worry about. I’ll keep in perfect sync with you.”
Yulian sat beside Christian and placed her hands on the piano keys.
As her fingers hovered above the keyboard, they paused briefly.
Christian’s sharp gaze immediately caught that brief moment of hesitation.
“Shall we begin, then?”
He smiled subtly and moved his fingers.
Together, the two began to play a melody in perfect harmony.
* * *
Later, on the carriage ride home.
“Today was fun.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“It’s been a while since I spent time like this.”
“It’s not over yet.”
“Hm?”
“I’ve prepared a special event.”
Just then, the carriage came to a halt.
“This place…?”
“I prepared it for you, sister.”
A small, unassuming building stood before them.
Yulian tilted her head, finding it rather desolate—but then, something unexpected happened.
Shhhk—
Christian’s sword suddenly drew and aimed straight at Yulian’s neck.
“!!”
“Shhh, stay still. You might get hurt if you move.”
Black Steel Energy surged from the blade.
Yulian’s face hardened in an instant.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ah, I don’t intend to harm you. This is… my own way of showing consideration.”
“Consideration?”
Christian shamelessly nodded.
“So you can rest in peace. As you know, staying at the estate only makes things more complicated, doesn’t it? So I arranged a quiet place just for you—to help you relax.”
An excuse so absurd, it barely counted as one.
It was clearly imprisonment.
Even if Yulian was acting suspiciously, this was going too far.
But—
“It’s necessary. I can’t let her roam free anymore.”
Christian recalled the truth about Yulian’s "true nature"—which he had just confirmed during their outing—his gaze now heavy with grim resolve.
He could not—must not—leave Yulian unchecked.