I Became the Master of the Devil

That scared me.

Redian had crossed over the hallway and was standing there. Was it because of the unnecessary words from the tailor, or was it because Redian seemed unfamiliar here? Somehow, my skin got cold.

“I guess someone really bothered you.” Redian, who looked at me indifferently, murmured.

“Come near me, Redian,” I said so without realizing it. I still said it even though I knew he wouldn’t approach me on his own accord.

“It’s because I can’t go right now.”

“…”

“My legs hurt from standing there for a long time with my shoes on.”

Redian’s eyes narrowed at my words. He looked like an act raising its tail, guarding itself.

“I can’t move. Hurry.”

But in the end, he narrowed the distance and came closer to me.

“Stay still for a moment.”

“…!”

I gazed into his eyes, clasping Redian’s cheek. It was until my figure was reflected in his blue eyes. Yes. It can’t be black. Even after looking at it for a long time, the color of Redian’s eyes didn’t change. It was a particularly cold blue color, so it could have looked black if you looked at it wrong.

I almost got swayed by the useless words. Fyuuh, that just puts my mind at ease. What’s the point of knowing the original story? There was no time to relax because the writer had laid all sorts of traps.

“Are you sick?”

Then I suddenly felt that my hand was hot. To be precise, my hand touching Redian’s cheek was hot.

“Why are you so hot?”

“…”

Redian shook my hand and stepped back, widening the distance.

“Because of the candy.”

“Candy?”

“Ever since I ate it…”Then, as if holding back what he was about to say, he bit his lower lip.

“It’s good medicine for you. I worked so hard to make it.”

Since the last time, he had been constantly making me feel wronged. I couldn’t let him misunderstand all the kindness I had shown. That’s why I had to point this out.

“Even if it’s hard to believe, believe me. You just have to eat whatever I give you and use whatever I give you as well.”

“…”

“I don’t lie. Because I hate being a liar or using a cowardly method.”

After being betrayed about 40 times and dying, I developed a tendency to recognize such a human being. Of course, I didn’t want to get along with people like that.

“There must be someone who bothers someone like Princess.”

“Someone bothers me….”

“The guy from before?” Redian, with his head tilted, asked back.

If it’s the guy from before… Did he see Ash and I talking?

“No.”

“Then it’s another person.”

I looked back on my memory because Redian asked me quite persistently.

Bothering? However, it didn’t occur to me the last time I felt such a feeling. As I possessed someone’s life repeatedly, I realized bitterly that emotions were a waste. If you don’t love, you won’t get hurt, and if you don’t get hurt, you won’t feel any pain.

“There is no one like that.”

“…”

“Because bothering only comes from useless expectations.”

Who said this? It was a vague memory but deeply embedded in my mind.

“You mean you don’t expect anything from anyone?”

“That’s right.”

His expression became strange for an instant.

“Why?”

However, Redian only shook his head.

“Ah, but I think I’ll be upset if you betray me.”

“…”

I suddenly remembered something, which made me open my mouth. To build trust, you should take every opportunity to have moments of flattery.

“So don’t betray me, Redian.”

At my words, Redian shrugged one of his eyebrows. “What if Princess is the one who betrays me?”

“That won’t happen.”

Won’t happen. Never. It was crazy of me to betray the winner when I already knew the outcome.  

“I’ll take it as permission that it’s okay for me to do anything.”

His eyes calmed down in an instant.

Yes…? What are you going to do?

I was just laying the foundation for our friendship to last forever, even if he became the crown prince.

<Are you calling that an excuse now?>

<Sorry. Forgive me, Redian!>

<No, there is nothing to be sorry about.>

<I will follow you to hell, Siani Felicite.>

Ah, why am I thinking of this again? Still, he doesn’t say that he will betray first. At this level, our relationship must have improved a lot compared to when we first met.

“Anyway, I won’t betray you first.”

“…”

I could see Redian smiling.

Knowing the ending, I wouldn’t betray him, even though he was a bit creepy. After making him the crown prince, it wasn’t a betrayal to live in hiding with my wealth, right?

“Ah, I’ll bring it to you when the gloves are finished, so wait for it.”

Looking at the time, it was time to return to the basement.

“Go back now, Redian.”

“When will you come again?”

“When?”

He seemed to be asking when I would return to the basement.

“Are you going to wait for me to come?”

“Who… I to Princess?”

Then Redian wrinkled his forehead.

“No.” He looked as if he had heard nonsense.

Why is he looking that serious?

“I asked because the basement gets noisy every time the Princess comes.” He spoke emotionlessly. “Princess’s legs hurt, and you can’t move…”

His gaze at me was languid and crooked.

“Princess may have lied.”

“It’s true that my legs hurt.”

“Well,”

It’s getting harder and harder. This little kid didn’t know how to just get over it.

“I will probably be busy for a while. There will be a lot to take care of.”

Having decided to go to Ash’s welcoming ceremony, I had to move from now on. However, by now, the reservations of famous designers would be full, so what should I do?

What is it? At that moment, I felt a presence outside the door.

“Who is it?”

I snugly pulled over the robe of the Redian.

“Is it Daisy?”

“Ah…”

As if hesitating, the door opened cautiously, and someone appeared.

“Luna?”

“I’m sorry for all of a sudden. I’m worried that Sister might have been surprised by what happened earlier…”

What I saw in between was Luna.

“I didn’t know Sister is with a guest.”

Standing near the doorknob, Luna couldn’t take her eyes off Redian. I could see she was surprised by how her fair cheeks turned red.

“Ah, he’s Norma, who is being trained in the basement. I brought him here because I need to talk to him separately.”

“Oh my god. Then that…”

She must have been familiar with Norma. But she may not have known that he was Redian, the most famous among Norma. Luna couldn’t hide her surprised expression, which must be different from what she had imagined.

“…”

Redian spoke to me as if he could sense her gaze. “The training time is over. Please send me away.”

“Yes.”

I grabbed the necklace to send Redian back to the basement.

“Behave yourself. Don’t forget that I’m always worried about you.”

Instead of bidding farewell, I said something like that. However…

“If you’re worried…”

Redian, whom I thought would pretend not to hear it, opened his mouth.

“You can come before I get hurt.”

Because he disappeared immediately, only those words remained, along with the afterimage of his mouth that seemed to be smiling slightly under the robe.

* * *

If she had seen him without his robe, she would have been so shocked that she might have fainted.

Luna was looking at the place Redian disappeared all the time, perhaps because she was impressed by him.

“Come in, Luna.”

I brought Luna inside.

“Would you like some tea?”

“It’s okay, Sister.” Luna then shook her head and looked at me.

Luna, who paid more attention to her appearance than usual, looked pretty, perhaps because of Ash’s visit.

“That dress suits you well.”

“No. No matter how much I dress up, I’m no match to Sister wearing pajamas.”

Luna smiled awkwardly. It seemed that her bright dress was compared to my calm appearance.

“The grand prince has left. I thought he wanted to quietly explore the gallery, but… he seemed surprised.”

“No, it’s all right.”

Only Luna would have been embarrassed by Ash’s provocation.

“Ah, I guess Sister was invited to the grand prince’s welcoming ceremony.”

“I didn’t mean to go, but that’s what happened.”

Luna nodded as if she remembered my conversation with Ash.

“He must have a special affection for Sister if he comes and cares for you like that.”

“…Did it look like that?”

The conversation between me and him was quite brutal to be called that we had a special affection.

“Yes. It’s been a few years since the Benio family hosted a welcoming ceremony, so how grand it must be.”

Luna, who was fiddling with her hand, awkwardly continued her words. “Of course, Sister, the Princes of Felicite must attend. Only then will the grand duke family be able to save face? And again.”

“Luna.”

“…Yes?”

“What do you want to say?”

I looked at her with my chin resting on the shelf.

“I don’t think you’ve ever talked to me this much before.”

The relationship between us in the memory wasn’t very close. Unlike Irik, who quarreled with Sinai over everything, Luna struggled with Siani. There must be a reason for her to continue talking, even if it’s this awkward.

“I, that’s…”

Luna, who was hesitating whether my expectation was right, opened her mouth.

“That’s right. I was only going to tell Sister that the grand prince had left. Sister must have been surprised, so you should rest.”

“However?”

“Um, that man earlier…”

Then Luna’s eyes looked straight at me for the first time.

“Is he Redian?”