Chapter 027
Evelina took a deep breath and lightly sliced her finger with a small knife. Bright red blood beaded up, and she pressed her finger, allowing the drops to fall to the ground.
The blood, which should have splattered on the floor, was instead absorbed into the shadows without a trace.
Out of the shadows, Lucifer suddenly emerged. The small demon smirked mischievously at Evelina.
“What’s this?”
“Fresh human blood. I just squeezed it directly from my finger.”
“Hmm. You sure know how to serve me. That damned king keeps a high-class demon like me trapped in his body and uses me, but even getting a single drop of blood is tough!”
Lucifer muttered curses in the demon’s incomprehensible language.
From the moment she received Lucifer, Evelina had planned how to handle him. Demons were creatures driven by instinct.
As long as a few conditions were met, Lucifer would help her. He had probably been starved of human blood for a long time, so satisfying that desire wouldn’t be too difficult.
Lucifer licked his lips clearly pleased and flew around contentedly. After circling once, he leaned in toward Evelina, his expression impish.
“You must want something from me if you’re doing this, right? Speak. I’m in such a good mood, I might grant you whatever it is.”
“Is this enough for you, Lucifer?”
“What do you think?”
“I’ll give you blood once a week.”
Lucifer’s eyes sparkled.
“In return, don’t tell Alejandro about what I’m doing.”
Keeping quiet and earning a little extra on the side was definitely a good deal for Lucifer. He spun around in delight.
“That’s all you want? Really? You’re a kind human, aren’t you?”
“Only if it’s not a life-threatening matter. If my life is in danger, you must inform the Crown Prince immediately.”
Lucifer was sent to protect Evelina anyway. He was already compensated by Alejandro, so she needed to negotiate her own terms.
Lucifer pouted.
“Fine, fine! You’re saying to only report dangerous situations and keep quiet about the rest, right? Not a big deal. I’ll do what you want. But…”
“…”
“Let’s make it once every five days.”
She had expected this much. The fortunate part was that Lucifer naively accepted her offer.
Evelina sighed in relief.
“Deal.”
Evelina wrapped her finger with a handkerchief and laughed, feeling a sense of accomplishment. She had tackled the biggest task. Lucifer was a double-edged sword.
If she couldn’t keep him in check, everything she did would end up being reported to the Crown Prince.
“And especially, keep anything related to Casper a secret.”
“Hm… alright.”
“Good job.”
Evelina squeezed out another drop of blood, which Lucifer drank sweetly and smiled brightly with his young face.
“I’ll keep it a secret! Promise! Lucifer likes good humans!”
Evelina patted Lucifer on the head.
Pure evil could be oddly innocent. That’s why dealing with Lucifer was simple. Evelina smiled. A few drops of blood were enough to win him over. With a satisfied grin, Evelina lay down on her bed, feeling accomplished.
* * *
I visited Dear Elizabeth again today with a light heart. After last night’s events, I felt refreshed. In truth, even Rebecca and my usual surveillance didn’t follow me all the way to the dessert shop.
Since the demon Lucifer had been implanted in me, the monitoring had become even more lax. Maybe they were starting to trust me? Or perhaps the Empress had been quiet lately?
Either way, it meant more free time for me.
And now that I’ve got Lucifer on my side… Heh, today’s off to a great start.
“I’m here to buy some cake slices today.”
Casper glanced upward, signaling me to head upstairs. Smiling, I paid for the cake I had chosen.
* * *
Casper watched the woman walking up to the second floor with a curious gaze. Evelina Regnis. Just as Evelina had said, she was a target of both the Empress and the Pope. The Empress was desperate to kidnap Evelina, and the Pope was turning a blind eye to the Empress’s schemes.
It was unclear if the Emperor knew about all this, but what mattered was that Evelina and those two were enemies.
Though Casper didn’t know exactly what they intended to do with Evelina, she had more than enough reason to be hostile toward them. There was still much to learn from her, and it wasn’t like he could fully trust her yet.
But a… friend.
At least that much was possible. A clean and practical relationship—giving and taking only what was necessary.
“Casper.”
Evelina approached him with a bright smile. For her, Casper was someone she genuinely wanted to be close to. He was the first person she had chosen of her own will.
There was a clear difference between what is done out of obligation and what is done by choice.
“…Lady Evelina.”
She waved her hand dismissively.
“You can talk to me casually, like before. It’s better that way, don’t you think? Have you looked into me? Did you get the information you wanted?”
“I got what I needed.”
Casper replied without hesitation. He had no respect for nobility. Having lost everything once, there was nothing left to fear.
Evelina, indifferent, spoke lightly.
“So, what did you find out about me?”
“That the Empress is trying to use you for something. That there’s something she wants from you. And that you and the Empress can never be on the same side.”
“…To be precise, they plan to use me as a sacrifice to save someone.”
Casper’s eyes widened.
If what Evelina was saying was true, the Empress was after her life. And the Pope was involved in this black magic ritual?
This was more serious than he had imagined. The Pope had the power to sway the hearts of the empire’s people. And the Empress, as the mother of the nation, held immense authority over them.
Could it be true that these two figures were involved in the crime of black magic? If this came to light, it could shake the very foundations of the empire.
“And this involves Elizabeth too.”
Evelina pointed out the piece of information Casper hadn’t uncovered yet. As soon as Elizabeth’s name escaped Evelina’s lips, Casper felt a cold chill run down his spine.
His mind went blank, and in that space, a deep red fury welled up.
“Did you just say… Elizabeth?”
Evelina nodded lightly.
“The reason they needed Elizabeth’s holy power is the same reason they need me.”
Evelina gave a bitter smile.
“To save the dying prince.”
Casper clenched his fists. He understood immediately. There was one more prince in the empire, one who had been hidden away due to his frail health.
Prince Adrian.
The only son of the current Empress.
Little was known about him, but now it was clear they were willing to sacrifice lives to save him, no matter how much it cost.
“As you stay by my side, you’ll naturally come to understand why Elizabeth had to die. Casper, isn’t it obvious now why you should take my hand?”
Casper rubbed his heated throat.
Evelina was right.
“…Alright.”
“What are you planning to do once you know why Elizabeth died?”
“I’ll decide when the time comes.”
Casper turned his head to look out the window. His eyes, clouded with an emotion he couldn’t quite grasp, grew darker.
“…There’s something I need to do.”
“……”
“I need my own people, Casper. People who will protect me and fight for me.”
“Isn’t it enough that the Crown Prince is protecting you?”
“Why do you think the Crown Prince is protecting me?”
Evelina gave a bitter smile.
Despite everything, her rationality remained intact. Evelina was well aware of Alejandro’s calculations regarding her.
“Will the Crown Prince still protect me when I lose my usefulness? Won’t he just use me as a sacrifice?”
Evelina asked coldly.
“So, find people who will truly protect me.”
“…Understood.”
Evelina sighed softly and nodded. Then she added one more thing.
“Look into Alvaro’s magic.”
“The realm of magic is vast. With such vague instructions, it’ll take a lifetime to gather all the data.”
“Just focus on the magic that uses sacrifices. Anything humans can perform.”
“Alright. Now, how about we go enjoy some more delicious cake?”
Evelina smiled brightly.
“Where did you even learn all this?”
“…Elizabeth taught me.”
That was a landmine.
Evelina turned her head and cleared her throat. She regretted mentioning it. It felt as though the warm camaraderie they’d been sharing had just shattered into pieces.
