Chapter 4

“P-Put me down.”

Jeremiah’s tightly sealed lips finally opened when they reached the kitchen.

Even that was done very passively, but the demon who claimed to be a butler didn’t seem to mind at all and gently set her down.

“Hehe, if that’s what you wish.”

With an unusually careful and un-demon-like tender touch.

At the end of it, Jeremiah, now standing, glanced at him and voiced her rising suspicion.

“Um… you *are* a demon, right?”

“Right now, I’m not a demon but a butler. And please call me Sebastian.”

“W-Well, your essence is still a demon, though.”

For Jeremiah, who never wished for a butler, his obsession with being one was rather irritating.

Seeing Jeremiah’s sharp attitude, Sebastian smiled wryly and let out a remark.

“…Yes, that’s right. My essence *was* a demon.”

As if he himself wasn’t entirely pleased with his own identity.

Just as Jeremiah vaguely sensed his self-doubt, he smiled again and opened the door leading to the dining room.

“Then, please take a seat and wait for a moment. I’ll bring the meal shortly.”

With that, he left her side and headed back to the kitchen.

Jeremiah watched his retreating figure with a dissatisfied gaze.

If things had gone as planned, she would have been plotting her revenge by now. But instead, this so-called demon was offering to serve her a meal, which naturally made her suspicious.

‘Is that guy really a demon?’

Common sense dictates that demons should exude an evil aura and commit heinous acts without hesitation. Yet, the way he carried her to the dining room even showed a hint of consideration.

Yes, there was a kindness in him that she had never felt before.

‘No, that can’t be…’

But such realizations are quickly swallowed by prejudice in an instant.

Seated in the dining room, Jeremiah’s mind was now filled with suspicion toward him.

‘He might seem caring now, but inside, he’s pitch black. There must be some ulterior motive behind him cooking for me.’

A demon personally preparing a meal? From a common-sense perspective, it’s nothing but unsettling, isn’t it?

Surely, the food must be poisoned, or some evil scheme will unfold the moment she eats it. Realizing this, Jeremiah steeled her heart and glared at the kitchen entrance.

‘That’s right, no matter what tricks he tries, I won’t be swayed. What I desire is revenge. I summoned that demon for revenge.’

She didn’t know what his ulterior motive was for claiming to be a butler, but she wouldn’t be swayed by his plans.

Just as she firmly resolved herself, he soon emerged from the kitchen and approached her with a sly smile.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Sebastian placed the dishes one by one in front of her.

Jeremiah, still suspicious, stared at the food, but as the aroma wafted up from the dishes, her guard began to waver.

“T-This is…?”

“It’s a stew made with button mushrooms. I used herbs to enhance the aroma. And this is a steak made with veal. The meat is tender, so it should be easy to eat.”

Yes, what lay before her was… food.

Not some evil thing dragged up from Hell, but something carefully prepared by human hands… no, something crafted with genuine skill that could be called a high-class meal.

“You… can cook too?”

To Jeremiah, who was even more shocked by the perfectly normal meal, Sebastian chuckled and replied.

“Well, I used to be in charge of my sisters’ meals in the past.”

“…You had siblings, even as a demon?”

“Though it’s been an eternity since I last saw them.”

If it had been so long since they last met…

Could there be some complicated family history?

“Anyway, please eat. You must be very hungry, right?”

Just as such questions arose, Sebastian urged her on.

Snapping back to her senses, Jeremiah nervously eyed the food in front of her.

The savory stew and the steak glistening with oil and sauce.

It was something that could rival the meals she had at her family home, and something she hadn’t been able to eat since being cast out.

Without any servants, she couldn’t eat proper meals, and at best, she could only make do with dry bread bought from the market.

‘This… means nothing.’

Yes, meals were trivial in the pursuit of revenge.

If she were truly committed to her goal, she could even consider flipping over this carefully prepared meal right here.

Yet, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the food.

-Gulp.

Feeling her mouth water at the sight of a proper meal after so long, Jeremiah’s hand unconsciously reached for the utensils and aimed them at the food.

The well-polished knife sliced through the tender meat, and soon, a piece skewered on the fork entered her mouth.

Though solid, the meat melted smoothly on her tongue the moment it touched it.

As the juices burst forth with each chew and flowed down her throat, an uncontrollable sense of euphoria began to rise from deep within.

“Is it to your liking?”

At that moment, a gentle voice came from beside her, but Jeremiah couldn’t respond.

By the time she regained her senses, her mouth was already too busy eating.

‘It’s delicious.’

It was a feeling she should deny.

In the pursuit of revenge, gourmet food was meaningless.

‘It’s delicious, it’s delicious…’

Yet, her hands didn’t stop, and the food on the plate gradually diminished.

‘And it’s warm…’

After eating for a while, she felt her heart swell with the warmth filling her stomach.

Unlike the meals at her family home, where she couldn’t even savor the taste due to her parents’ watchful eyes.

Unlike the cold dining table where she ate alone after her fiancé repeatedly canceled their meal plans.

In this moment, the food she was eating carried a warmth she had never felt before.

“…Miss?”

Just as she became aware of this, her vision began to blur.

Following that, a hot sensation rolled down her cheeks, and Jeremiah, having set down her utensils, brought her hands to her eyes.

Why was this?

Why were tears she hadn’t shed even when cast out by her family now flowing at this moment?

“N-No, this is… it’s nothing.”

Embarrassed, she turned her face away from him.

Yet, the suppressed sniffles quietly echoed, and Sebastian, who had been watching her, smiled wryly and handed her a handkerchief from his pocket.

“I don’t know the details, but it seems something you’ve been holding in has finally burst.”

“Something I’ve been holding in…?”

“Nothing strange about that. If it’s been building up, it’s necessary to let it out.”

An encouragement unbefitting a demon. A kindness unrelated to her desire for revenge.

Though it felt as sinister as a poisoned apple, Jeremiah quietly accepted the handkerchief he offered.

She wiped away her tears and waited for her heart to calm down.

All while the butler silently watched over her.

“…Thank you.”

What came out at the end of that silence was something that could genuinely be called sincerity.

To his puzzled reaction, Jeremiah shyly added.

“I just felt like I had to say it.”

Perhaps it was because she had never encountered such kindness before.

Deeply moved by his tenderness, she expressed her gratitude, to which he smiled contentedly and bowed politely.

“I’m glad the meal was to your satisfaction.”

Yes, it was more satisfying than any meal she had ever had.

And if he were to remain her butler, she could continue to enjoy such meals. As she foresaw such a future and felt a sense of anticipation, Sebastian, who was clearing the table, casually spoke to her.

“Now, Miss. Since we’ve finished lunch, may I receive some funds to prepare for tonight’s dinner?”

“…Huh?”

“I need money to buy ingredients for the meal.”

Sebastian replied as if it were the most natural question.

Feeling momentarily dazed, Jeremiah was overcome with a sense of unease and asked him back.

“U-Um… Sebastian? Where did you get the ingredients for the meal we just had?”

“I bought them from the market while you were asleep. The funds were from what I found in the desk while cleaning…”

-Thud!

Jeremiah immediately dashed out of the kitchen and ran back to her room.

Upon opening the drawer where she kept her money, all that greeted her was emptiness.

“A-Ah…!!”

A groan of despair escaped her.

Grabbing her head in frustration, Jeremiah turned to Sebastian, who had followed her with a bewildered expression, and shouted.

“Y-You!! What on earth have you done?!”

“What do you mean…?”

“That was all the money I had! It was everything I received when I was cast out by my family!”

Already, she had little money left after buying the black magic book and had been making do with dry bread for meals. And now, he had blown it all on a single meal.

Without even consulting her!

“Hmm, I see. So that was all your money.”

Sebastian nodded thoughtfully after hearing this.

Seeing his reaction, Jeremiah, now filled with anxiety, asked him again.

“T-Then, what about dinner tonight?”

“Uwaaaaaah!!”

After spending all her remaining money without permission, he had the nerve to casually bring up dinner.

Losing her composure, Jeremiah waved her hands and yelled at him.

“That’s it!! I don’t need a selfish demon like you! Get out of this mansion right now!!”

Yes, Jeremiah had realized.

The tenderness and warmth she felt from him were merely a prelude to this moment of despair.

A demon is, after all, an evil being that brings harm to humans.

****

“Well, I’ve been kicked out.”

After being driven out by Jeremiah, I found myself sitting on the street, pondering how to move forward.

I used the money I found lying in the desk, but who knew it was all she had? If I had known it was her entire fortune, I would’ve been more frugal…

Well, what’s done is done. I need to figure out how to fix this.

Being kicked out is one thing, but if she decides to reverse-summon me, I’ll have to return to Hell.

“No choice. I’ll have to earn some money by tonight.”

Alright, where can I get the money to feed our Miss?

The best option would be to find some day labor, but as a stranger without any proper identification, there aren’t many who would hire me on the spot and pay me.

If I’m going to earn money, it’ll have to be something that doesn’t require identification… Hmm? Wait.

“What’s this…?”

A poster on the wall caught my eye as I wandered the streets.

Written on it was a newspaper article with the following content:

[Serial Underwear Thief Appears in Herta City. Reward Offered for Informants.]