Chapter 17

A birth that exchanged not blessings but curses.

A childhood filled not with love but with hatred and scorn.

At first, I didn’t think such a life was wrong.

If I was born as a flawed being, it was only natural to be hated by my family, and to escape that fate even a little, I had to obey their words.

So, not to be loved, but to be hated a little less.

I thought living like that was normal, but the year I became an adult, my entire life was denied.

Isn’t it natural to hate such a world?

A life where nothing ever went my way. To now be branded a sinner is too cruel.

But even that hatred is understood by no one, so today, too, she spills her grievances alone.

In the desolate mansion where no one visits, in the deepest room, under the dark bed.

As always, swallowing hatred and loneliness, she drifts off to a lonely sleep…

***

*Whoosh!*

The sound of curtains being drawn, and with it, light begins to flood the darkness.

Her eyes sting, and her brows furrow in discomfort.

Unable to bear the discomfort, Jeremiah struggles with stiff limbs, tightly wrapping herself in the blanket.

“Miss, it’s morning. Time to wake up.”

A gentle voice follows.

But to her still sleep-addled mind, it’s nothing but a nuisance disrupting her peace.

“I want to sleep more.”

“You can’t. The meal I prepared will get cold.”

“Then you should’ve made it later… Ahhh!”

*Whoosh!* Sebastian pulls the blanket she’s wrapped in, dragging her out.

The chill that follows makes Jeremiah hug herself, shooting a resentful glare at Sebastian.

“Ugh, when Sebastian wasn’t here, I could at least sleep peacefully…”

“Such an irregular lifestyle will ruin your health.”

“…Don’t you think it’s weird for a demon to talk about routine?”

“Before being a demon, I’m a butler.”

It doesn’t matter.

Before meeting him, she might have scolded him for saying such things.

Her life was already meaningless, so she had no room to care about her own well-being.

“Here, I’ve brought some herbal tea. Let’s have a tea time before breakfast.”

But now…

Now, there’s someone who cares for her.

“…Did you brew tea again today?”

“There’s nothing better than tea to greet a refreshing morning. I added mint, so it should be cool.”

Unable to dismiss even such feelings, Jeremiah takes the teacup he offers.

The warmth is just right.

Not scalding, but not lukewarm either.

As she sips, the coolness of the mint refreshes her, gradually waking her drowsy mind.

“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”

Her blurred vision focuses.

What comes into view is the gentle smile of a man directed at her.

Sebastian.

The demon she summoned for revenge, who for some reason now serves as her butler.

“…It’s alright.”

She answers softly, handing him the empty teacup. He takes it gladly and reaches out his hand to her.

“Now that you’re awake, let’s go for breakfast. I’ll accompany you. Here, take my hand…”

“Ah, you don’t have to do that.”

Jeremiah walks past his outstretched hand toward the door.

As she does, she places her hand on her chest, feeling the sensation and holding her breath.

*Thump, thump.*

Her heart beats.

Louder with each passing day.

The rhythm grows clearer, imprinting one fact on Jeremiah.

‘Am I too conscious of him?’

She doesn’t yet know what this feeling means, but its cause is surely the demon she summoned.

Yet, Jeremiah doesn’t delve deeper into that feeling.

Though weeks have passed since they started living together, their relationship remains one-sided, with him merely serving her.

‘Come to think of it, I don’t even know why he’s serving me.’

Yes, despite his meticulous care, he is a demon.

A butler, but first and foremost, a demon. The church calls them evil and vile.

Surely, he isn’t serving her without reason. There must be some sinister motive, as befits a demon.

“Miss?”

Sebastian’s voice interrupts her thoughts, and Jeremiah stiffens in surprise.

“Y-Yes?”

“If you stay still like that, your meal will get cold. Are you feeling unwell?”

“N-No, I’m fine. I’ll go eat!”

“Miss, if you run like that, you might hurt yourself.”

Jeremiah dashes ahead to the dining room.

Even as she does, a small curiosity blooms in her mind.

‘Come to think of it, I know nothing about Sebastian.’

She wants to know more about him.

For now, it’s just a small curiosity.

***

“Then, I’ll be off to work.”

After serving breakfast, it’s time for Sebastian to leave.

Jeremiah sees him off at the entrance, but her gaze isn’t on him but elsewhere.

“…Miss?”

“Ah, I… just have something to think about.”

“Ah, I see. You must have a lot on your mind. Then…”

“W-Wait a moment!”

Jeremiah calls out to Sebastian as he’s about to leave.

After a moment of hesitation, she asks him in a cautious voice.

“Um, Sebastian, what do you like?”

“What I like, you mean?”

“Y-Yes. Since we’re living together, I thought it’d be good to know.”

Jeremiah looks at him nervously.

“Hmm, I can’t say there’s anything specific I like, but…”

Sebastian, meeting her gaze, smiles slightly after a moment of thought.

“Anything you do, I’d gladly accept.”

“Huh?”

“…Hehe. Let’s continue this conversation after work.”

With that, he leaves with a cheerful smile.

Left alone at the entrance, Jeremiah clutches her reddened face and plops down on the floor.

“What does that even mean? That…”

Does it mean she can do anything to him? Or that he likes her as she is?

If so, does that mean he desires her? Her body, or her service…

“Pervert!!!”

Jeremiah screams in embarrassment.

After some time, regaining her composure, she feels guilty for thinking such harsh thoughts and swallows her frustration.

‘Well, come to think of it, Sebastian has been working for me.’

Waking her up in the morning, serving her meals, going out to earn money—it’s all for her.

Even if he says it’s for himself, isn’t it true that he’s helping her?

So, it’s only right to be grateful to him.

That gratitude soon turns into a sense of duty to do something for him.

“He said he’d gladly accept anything I do. Then maybe I should cook for him… No, I’ve never learned. Should I buy him a gift? If so, what…”

Jeremiah mutters to herself, pondering various things.

As she does, a realization dawns on her, and she bursts into laughter.

‘How strange, I’m thinking about something other than revenge.’

Her life, which she thought would follow a set path.

Even after derailing and nurturing her desire for revenge, that feeling has gradually subsided since living with him.

Such a daily life isn’t bad. No, it’s rather nice.

‘Just like this…’

That realization brings a small hope to the woman born with the fate of a villain.

‘If I can continue to spend such peaceful times with him…’

As that hope takes shape, her feelings for him gradually solidify.

Yes, this is surely…

*Thud, thud.*

Suddenly, the front door shakes violently, and Jeremiah stops her thoughts, turning her gaze to the entrance.

“Who’s there?”

*Thud, thud, thud!*

“…Hello?”

No answer comes.

Instead, the knocking grows more violent, as if trying to break the door down.

‘Miss. When someone visits, you should first ask their identity before opening the door.’

A sense of unease rises in Jeremiah as she recalls Sebastian’s advice.

‘If no answer comes or the response is suspicious, it’s highly likely they mean you harm.’

Something unusual is happening.

Realizing this, Jeremiah tries to flee, but the moment she does, the door shatters, and the hallway windows begin to break.

*Crash, shatter!*

Intruders burst through the cracks.

Jeremiah tries to escape, but her flight doesn’t last long.

“What’s going on… Ugh!!”

Finally caught, Jeremiah inhales a cloth soaked with a drug.

Despite her desperate resistance, her consciousness sinks into the abyss.

‘Help me.’

A scream that never becomes a sound.

‘Help me, Sebastian…’

With that silent plea buried within her.

***

And then, the time comes when I return home after work.

Even the bag of ingredients for making a cake is thrown to the floor as I survey the messy mansion, muttering to myself.

“I thought today Miss might prepare a gift, so I was planning a small party…”

Jeremiah has been kidnapped.

An event that should never happen in her peaceful life.

“…This is too much for a joke.”

Jeremiah has been kidnapped.

An event that should never happen in her peaceful life.

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