Chapter 8

As the sun was setting, Jeremiah finally stopped crying and pushed off the blanket covering his body, getting out of bed.

It was inevitable. No matter how much resentment lingered from the events of the day, feeling sorrowful also required energy.

-*Growl*.

“Ugh… I’m hungry.”

Why do people have to suffer from hunger if they don’t eat three meals a day?

Jeremiah, who wished his appetite would vanish along with his energy, opened the desk drawer where he usually kept money, just in case.

But, of course, all that awaited him was emptiness.

Feeling even more despondent, Jeremiah turned away from the desk and began searching every corner of the mansion.

“Money… I need something, anything that can be turned into money.”

Even if it was just dry, tasteless bread, he needed something to fill his stomach.

With that thought, he searched the mansion, but aside from the bare necessities, there was nothing of value to be found.

Of course, this mansion was practically abandoned by the main family.

When he first arrived, the place was already empty, so it was impossible for anything valuable to remain.

Still, if he really wanted to find something, it would probably be the belongings he brought with him when he arrived.

“Something to sell… something I can sell…”

Eventually, Jeremiah even rummaged through his wardrobe, soon turning his attention to the underwear hidden deep inside.

Since the family had instructed him to pay attention to appearances, even his underwear was made of high-quality materials by skilled artisans.

If he sold them at the market, he might be able to get enough money to sustain himself for a while.

Yes, if someone were willing to buy the underwear he had worn…

“No, that’s ridiculous!”

Hesitating to cross that line, Jeremiah quickly buried the underwear back in the depths of the wardrobe and turned his attention away.

Following that rejection, the sound of a belly clock echoed. Feeling even more drained from the increasing hunger, Jeremiah sighed deeply and recalled the dining table from earlier in the day.

A table that could be called a feast, made with high-quality ingredients and masterful skill.

Although it had cost him his entire fortune, there was no denying the care and warmth that had gone into that meal.

Unlike those who had oppressed him, that demon had prepared that table for him…

“Was I too harsh?”

As he began to feel a sense of longing for that care, a vague regret started to form in Jeremiah’s heart.

Even though he had just been summoned and might not know better. After all, he was the one who had summoned him, so wasn’t he also responsible for what he had done?

“…Um, Mr. Demon.”

So he wanted to talk to him again.

With that thought, he called out to him, but all that returned was the hollow wind blowing through the empty mansion.

“Mr. Butler, Sebastian?”

Even when he had explored the mansion earlier, there was no sign of him.

Realizing belatedly that he had left the mansion, Jeremiah felt anxious but quickly remembered that he was the one he had summoned and hurried back to his room.

What he found was a black magic book. A tome containing methods to summon demons and the spells to control them.

“So, like this…”

Finding the method to locate a summoned demon within its pages, Jeremiah focused his magical energy and prepared to cast the spell.

Holding his breath, closing his eyes…

As his nerves gradually heightened, his consciousness naturally began to lean in one direction, like a compass needle.

“…I can feel it.”

He faintly sensed his presence outside the mansion.

Realizing this, Jeremiah threw on a coat over his pajamas and stepped out of the mansion, setting foot on the streets.

With the sole intention of meeting him and talking again, he headed in the direction where his presence grew clearer…

“Uh, huh? Where is this…?”

As he walked absentmindedly, Jeremiah suddenly became aware of where he had ended up and tensed up.

He had entered a dark, unfamiliar street connected to the market.

This place was known as the “back alleys,” the dark side of the prosperous city, a major residential area for the impoverished that even the guards rarely paid attention to.

In other words, anything could happen here at any time.

“It’s dangerous. I should go back…”

“Hehe, hey there, miss. What are you doing here all alone?”

Feeling a sense of danger, Jeremiah turned his gaze toward the source of the voice, trembling.

There stood a man in dirty, shabby clothes.

The so-called beggar looked at Jeremiah with a sinister smile.

“Uh, um…”

“Hehe, miss. You shouldn’t be wandering the streets alone at this hour~ How about I take you home?”

Had he been drinking?

Feeling uneasy at the sight of the man with a flushed face approaching, Jeremiah began to slowly back away.

“Hey, why are you acting like that, miss? People might think I’m going to eat you or something.”

It’s dangerous.

Sensing this, Jeremiah tried to retreat, only to realize his back had hit a wall.

Had he entered a dead end? Noticing this, the beggar smiled even more broadly and began to scrutinize Jeremiah’s body.

“Huhu, you’ve got a pretty face, like a young lady from a noble family… Miss, do you have a boyfriend?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Come on, you can tell me. Do you have a boyfriend or not?”

“…N-no.”

“Oho, so you’re a virgin?”

The man spoke vulgar words without hesitation.

Along with his gaze, Jeremiah could sense the greed boiling within him, but her legs were trembling and refused to move.

“Kuhuhu~ I must be living right to get such a lucky break~ A virgin dressed like this just falling into my lap~”

“P-please don’t…”

“It’s okay~ I’ll be gentle~”

A lustful voice escaped his parted lips. And then, a lecherous hand reached out.

Unable to bear the sight, Jeremiah closed her eyes tightly, choosing to turn away from reality.

‘Help me…’

She just wished this moment would end.

‘Help me, Sebastian!’

With that, she recalled the presence of the one she had been searching for and, relying on that memory, released her magical energy.

-*Thud*!!

Amidst the dull sound, Jeremiah opened her eyes and slowly took in the scene before her.

What she saw was the man who had been trying to harass her, now lying pitifully on the ground.

“Ugh! Wh-what the! Who dares…! *Cough*!!”

The beggar, grimacing and clenching his fists, was suddenly lifted off the ground by someone grabbing his neck.

The face was familiar.

Black hair, black clothes, and red eyes.

“You.”

But his voice lacked the warmth she remembered.

It was cold and sharp, like shattered ice.

“You have dared to lay hands on someone you should never have touched.”

The man in the butler’s uniform, speaking in such a menacing tone, began to tighten his grip on the beggar’s neck.

*Crack*, *creak*. The sound of bones twisting accompanied the beggar’s body twitching.

Yet, despite not being able to breathe, the beggar continued to gasp.

In a quiet voice, the butler asked him a question.

“How do you think you should pay for this sin…? Would you kindly tell me with your own mouth?”

“G-guh… S-stop…”

“Shall I rip out your heart and place it before your eyes? Or perhaps slice your flesh thin and force-feed it to you? Burning you alive until you turn to charcoal is also a fine method…”

The grip on his neck gradually loosened.

Though half his breath was restored, the beggar’s face only grew more terrified.

“If you have a better method, please tell me yourself.”

Yes, he wasn’t spared.

He was only allowed to speak so he could suggest his own punishment.

“Something long and painful… until you beg for death with your own mouth.”

“Ugh… Aah…”

Despite the encouragement, the beggar only foamed at the mouth and trembled.

The man in the butler’s uniform, staring at him with cold eyes, raised his other hand and prepared to aim at his chest.

What was that motion for?

Jeremiah, watching the scene, didn’t know, but one thing was clear.

If left alone, something irreversible might happen.

“Stop!!”

Finally finding her voice, Jeremiah shouted toward the man who was instilling even greater fear.

“Sebastian, stop! I’m fine, so…!”

Instinctively, she understood.

If this demon was angry because of her, then only she could calm his anger.

-*Thud*.

As if confirming her prediction, Sebastian released the beggar on the spot.

Yet, his gaze remained cold, and that alone was enough to convey his intent to the beggar.

If he dared to approach her again, there was no telling what would happen.

“Leave. Before my master’s mercy runs out.”

“U-uaaah!”

The beggar screamed and fled down the street.

Without paying any further attention, Sebastian turned his gaze and approached Jeremiah.

“Se-Sebas…”

“Are you hurt?”

There was no time for her to finish calling his name.

Before that, he expressed concern for her, and Jeremiah quietly gave him the answer he wanted.

“Y-yes. I’m fine, thanks to you…”

Even though he was a demon.

Feeling a sense of dissonance at receiving concern from such a wicked being, something even her family had never shown her.

“…That’s a relief.”

Yes, the words that followed were ones he couldn’t have spoken without worrying about her.

“Truly… I’m so glad you’re safe, Miss Jeremiah.”

As the warmth from her memories returned, Jeremiah, silently facing him, slowly placed her hand on her chest.

-*Thump, thump*.

The sound of her heart pounding once again.

Worried that he might hear it, she felt anxious.