Thiendavis – For The Perfect Salvation

Chapter 33: Feeling Played by a Demon  

"I am curious about your curse, Count."

That single line was enough to douse the previously amicable atmosphere.

Zion's expression immediately hardened, while Evie's heart plummeted even more than when she had locked eyes with him earlier.

In that fleeting moment, Evie's butler, Diez, acted on his own judgment.

As soon as Evie gasped in shock, Diez dashed into the tent, grabbing Evie.

He then began to flee at an unbelievable pace with her in his arms.

His movements were so rapid that even Zion couldn't respond, leaving Evie only to realize she was being carried by Diez after they had exited the tent.

"Diez, wait...!"

Evie shouted to stop the butler.

But before she could finish her sentence, a chilling sensation swept over her body.

Just as their instincts warned them, thunder struck around them with a deafening roar.

"Ahhh!"

Startled by the explosion and the flash, Evie screamed.

Diez skidded to a halt, holding onto Evie with one arm as he clawed the ground.

The lightning continued to lash around Evie and Diez without pause, prompting Diez to grip Evie's shoulder more tightly, clicking his tongue in frustration.

Members of the investigation team were scattered in their places inside the tent, showing no signs of struggle or resistance.

It seemed unusual until he realized what it was.

Zion Laurel had used lightning, the kind one would use to bring down a dragon, to subdue the soldiers instantly.

Amidst the threatening lightning, Diez desperately searched for an escape route.

However, there seemed to be no opening, and Zion, the master of the lightning, nonchalantly caught up with the pair.

“No need to run away.”

With a monotonous voice, the lightning surrounding Evie and Diez subsided.

Nevertheless, the two could not relax.

“Not that you could escape anyway.”

It was the cold steel in the count's approach that prevented them from easing up.

As the count drew near, Diez shielded Evie behind him.

And this displayed Zion made him feel utterly astonished.

Zion hadn't made a move yet.

Evie Ariate had frightened herself, and her butler had intervened arbitrarily, running off.

As if this weren't enough of a shock, Diez now shielded Evie Ariate with the gravity of a protector guarding a cub, which Zion found utterly ridiculous and laughable.

“Let’s finish our conversation. Stop pretending to be scared.”

Zion ignored the butler and spoke directly to Evie over his shoulder.

Fortunately, Evie was wiser than her servant.

Stepping out from behind the butler, Evie faced Zion with a tense expression.

Despite Diez’s quick decision, they were still within the disorderly barracks of the investigation unit, with torches casting red flickers and soldiers scattered about.

The lightning had only just ceased.

“What do you know about me?”

“I know the count has been cursed.”

“Why do you suspect that?”

“It’s not a suspicion. I’ve already confirmed it.”

“How?”

“My butler—through Amanecer's Eye.”

Upon Evie’s admission, Zion grimaced.

'Amanecer's Eye? Why would a mere butler possess such a thing?'

Amanecer's Eye is a piece of Amanecer grafted into a human eye to mimic the insight of dragons.

The dragon's body resembles minerals more than that of humans or animals.

Thus, it doesn't age or decay, and even if shattered, each fragment retains its unique abilities.

This is why the owner of the Manyanya Tower greedily coveted Amanecer's fragments.

Amanecer is a dragon of profound insight, and its fragments are imbued with such perception.

Amanecer's fragments are typically used for fortune-telling, though they can also be planted in a slave’s eyes to create hunting dogs for the higher nobility.

Hunting dogs with Amanecer’s Eye undertake various errands with sharper senses than any real dog.

Espionage, tracking, or even assassination.

So, hearing that Evie’s butler bore the eye of such a hunting dog began to irk Zion deeply.

Moreover, Zion recollected the incident earlier that evening.

Evie and the butler leaning in to inspect the glasses intently.

Recalling this moment, a cold sneer crossed Zion's face.

It must have been then, with a feeble insight, they deduced Zion’s curse.

With a face that seemed incapable of harming a fly, they managed to deceive his confidence.

Zion's eyes grew cold, and Evie sensed the shift in his demeanor quite noticeably.

“What else do you know?”

“All I know about you is this. The rest is just conjecture.”

“What did you speculate?”

“I suspect the Grand Duke Laurel is using the curse. Please, wait a moment, Count...!”

Cornered by spilling her guts, Evie pleaded desperately.

As Diez again attempted to intervene, a bolt of lightning flashed at his feet.

Silently, the thunder scorched the ground, sending up smoke, and Zion glared at Diez with icy intent, warning not to meddle again.

Zion's gaze towards Diez was distinctly colder than when he looked at Evie.

With the hunting dog subdued, Zion spoke again.

“Please continue.”

Though changed from a question to a suggestion, possibly due to Evie's plea, even still, Evie felt she sat on pins and needles.

It seemed she had, foolishly, prodded where she shouldn’t have.

She should have prepared for scenarios like this.

But having just discovered the count's curse, with Mrs. Marso having come to see her, she hadn’t had time to prepare.

That was, of course, another of Evie's blunders.

Suppressing her frustration, Evie bit her lip and soon gathered her thoughts.

Chastising herself was pointless now.

The water had been spilled, and Zion Laurel was hardly lenient.

She had no choice but to get her bearings and respond.

“I confirmed the existence of the curse. But I couldn’t think of anyone brave enough to curse the count. Then I considered the tendencies of previous Laurel counts and speculated if the duke had been exploiting curses. It seemed too difficult for anyone to soberly accept the task of overseeing Amanecer.”

Evie's composed explanation prompted Zion to sigh.

The unnecessarily clever Evie Ariate.

Why did she have to uncover this?

Curiosity often leads cats to their demise.

If left unchecked, unrestrained Evie Ariate would definitely have a shorter life span.

Evie asked in a serious tone as Zion heaved a sigh.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“No, I won’t.”

Zion replied testily to the ridiculous question.

Evie, judging his mood, furtively asked again.

“Then, what about my butler?”

“I’ll consider it.”

Though he had no intention to act, Zion chose sharp words.

The audacity of Evie Ariate, having used Amanecer's Eye to unravel his secret and then spew sweet words, vexed him.

He considered saying more but eventually softened as Evie awkwardly hesitated.

“I think you misunderstand; I have no intention of silencing or discrediting you for such conjectures.”

“Then why did you strike lightning?”

“Because you ran.”

Zion’s answer had Evie looking at him incredulously, her initial fear dissipating.

Throwing lightning meant for dragons at a person only reflexively?

Nearly fainting, Evie felt gravely wronged.

Yet Zion felt no remorse.

They had poked around and connived, assuming they wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout?

Zion couldn’t help but find satisfaction in Evie's resentful gaze.

Simultaneously, however, he clucked his tongue quietly.

Evie Ariate was indeed unnecessarily perceptive.

Every deduction she made was correct.

The righteous Duke Laurel indeed used curses to push their second sons to the frontier as part of their duty.

This was a significant secret of the Laurels, but Zion had no intention to hide it.

He cared little for his house’s safety, and rumors about previous counts’ conditions already abounded.

Even if the Duke Laurel’s use of curses became known, little would change.

As long as they benefited, the nobles would merely watch quietly, regardless of whether the Duke Laurel cursed, buried, or sacrificed their children.

They might only lose that veneer of self-righteousness.

Thus, Zion's warning was more for Evie than for the Laurels.

“You’re free to speculate, but you’d do well not to speak of this aloud for your safety.”

“I really don’t want to talk about this...”

But Zion’s advice didn’t resonate with Evie.

Realizing this belatedly, Zion clucked his tongue once more.

Evie Ariate, quick-witted yet unable to keep secrets.

She was bound to cause significant trouble.

‘Should I just lock her up?’

Zion's mind tilted further toward confinement.

Sensing this, Evie began edging away.

"Our conversation veered unexpectedly. Should we continue tomorrow? It’s late, please return home tonight. I’m sure the villagers are worried. I’ll take care of things here."

Evie spoke in a weary voice.

Zion felt equally deflated, wanting to retire for the night.

Yet instead of agreeing, he looked at Evie with suspicion.

His sharp instincts, honed over years of fighting formidable foes, told him Evie still had more to play.

The way he often foresaw a final twist with Amanecer, Zion felt a peculiar intuition and asked Evie, just in case.

“Is the conjecture you’ve shared all you have about me?”

“No, there’s more.”

Zion couldn't believe it.

His gaze turned sharp again, and Evie retorted indignantly.

“Respect my freedom of thought, Count!”

“I respect it. How many more conjectures?”

“Three more.”

Not one or two but three, her brilliance needed acknowledgment.

Zion offered a smile, begrudgingly appreciating this convenient, honest curse, while Evie grimaced, exposed by the curse.

“Let’s hear them, then, in order.”

It wasn’t a question but a considerate suggestion.

Not that there was any exit.

Thus, Evie, half resigned, began to speak carefully.

“First, I speculate the curse on you differs from previous Laurel counts.”

“Why?”

“Your personality is too distinctive.”

Evie’s blunt honesty only deepened Zion’s smile.

And she was correct once more.

But it wasn’t surprising, these were deductive observations anyone could make.

Zion nodded, his demeanor seemingly inviting her to continue.

The patronizing attitude provoked Evie, who spoke with annoyance.

“So, I thought perhaps that man partially lifted your original curse. You must have been cursed like previous counts before stepping into the frontier. However, only something like that would give you reason to owe him.”

Zion’s smile subtly changed.

Its lightheartedness faded, turning slightly serious.

Evie, once more, had hit the mark.

That was impressive enough for Zion to hide his amazement by crossing his arms.

Carefully observing Zion’s shifted demeanor, Evie continued.

“Even so, there remains a curse on you, indicating it’s a new curse placed after the first was lifted.”

Fortunately, the final conjecture was lacking, allowing Zion some relief.

Yet Evie had not finished speaking.

“And knowing you wouldn’t endure a curse willingly, I assumed you might be tolerating it. If that’s the case, it’s likely the Duke Laurel imposed this new curse to replace the old.”

Ultimately, Zion’s smile vanished.

Was it even possible?

With no special information at her disposal, Evie Ariate had traveled this far with just the knowledge of Zion's curse.

And now, what Evie suggested revealed a secret that only Zion knew, a secret unknown even to his half-brother, the Laurel Duke.

Zion felt as though he had been toyed with by a demon.

Yet, pretending not to be shaken, he spoke softly.

“...Is that all?”

“No.”

Evie shook her head lightly.

She went on to add.

“Therefore, I’m now speculating that your current curse is one that prevents you from speaking about secrets.”

Finally, Zion felt chills run down his spine.

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