Published at 23rd of August 2022 09:58:20 AM

I see youre not going to acknowledge your ability until the end.

I felt so uncomfortable that I couldnt even feel whether the food was going through my nose or through my mouth.

I stirred the clear soup with a spoon, recalling the words that Damon whispered.

Lets make a deal.

The deal with Damon was about keeping each others identities a secret.

Whats wrong?

Usually, I would have been eating with my nose buried on the plate, however, Dietrich gently raised one eyebrow when he saw me hardly eating.

I did a double-take and quickly opened my mouth to gulp down the soup.

Hm? What do you mean?

As expected, that bastard really did something to you.

Its not like that.

I quickly made an excuse and tore the bread beside the soup.

Did Damon arrive home safely?

I didnt even apologize for the torn lips he had to suffer when I stuffed the baguette in his mouth.

Dietrich didnt take his eyes off me even though I expressed that I was fine.

Although his eyes always appear insensitive, seeming not to bear any goodwill, I knew that he was worried about me.

I had been meaning to ask you something for a while now.

What is it.

Are you aware of my ability?

Dietrichs eyes slightly widened as if he was surprised by my sudden question. He was an unusual person who rarely changes his facial expressions like that.

I moved my lips slightly and meekly waited for him to answer without urging him to do so.

...I know its not an ability from the North.

Is it possible for the Northerners to have an ability from another region?

Who knows. I dont remember receiving any reports regarding that matter. However, its not something impossible.

He spoke ambiguously, yet, in the end, it means that it was something extremely rare.

Just as I thought, its impossible he wouldnt know.

But why arent you asking?

About what?

About why my ability isnt related to controlling shadows. Why arent you asking about why I have the ability to purify demons instead?

Dietrichs expression, as he slightly lifted his head and looked at me, remained unshakeable and tranquil.

He propped his chin on his hand, sporting an annoyed look on his face as if I asked something useless like asking, how about roasted duck for dinner?

Do you want me to ask?

Huh?

Do you want me to be curious about the whole story of your ability?

I was anxious to death that Dietrich might get angry, but as if he couldnt understand my anxiety, he just tilted his head.

A deep, low voice with a carefree tone.

He slowly opened his mouth.

Anissa.

Yeah.

I dont care where youre from, whether youre a person who rolled over from the Eastern colony or whether you were a child hidden to screw over Derek Lagrange. [1]

The Eastern colony was the land of the cannibals. I was a little perplexed because Dietrich sounded like if I was hungry, he would readily cut off his ankle and feed it to me.

No, you should care about that.

Why?

Of course, he didnt put much importance on blood relationships. The children of Lagrange, who, as soon as they were born, sought the life of their own siblings, didnt learn how to love their flesh and blood.

But, he really doesnt even want to know where I come from?

He answered indifferently, cutting sophisticatedly the veal steak that was served next.

The fact that youre mine wont change.

Huh?

I was a little bewildered by Dietrichs remark and my eyes widened. Who belonged to who?

What?

Its nothing.

When I asked him, he shut his mouth without any explanation. When hes like that, Dietrich would never open his mouth again no matter how many times he was asked.

I stared at the piece of red meat that went straight to his mouth and then shrugged.

I must have heard it wrong.

The Dietrich I knew was indifferent enough to the point where one had to wonder whether he possessed feelings or not.

I cared about Dietrich, and he cared about me.

So it was certainly true that he and I had established a bond, but he would have never said obsessive words such as I belonged to him.

At any rate, he wont ask anything unless I tell him.

I thought that he was being too lenient so I seized the opportunity and brought up something that might cause discord.

HeHermann.

What?

Dietrichs face, which had kept an apathetic expression no matter what I said, hardened at that one name I mentioned.

What about that bastard?

What was really the relationship between the male protagonist and the villain?

I swallowed the name which I tried to bring up again as I watched Dietrich emit a murderous intent just by hearing Hermanns name.

Will Hermann Euclid become a grand duke? Does he have other siblings?

I tried to sound normal and scanned my eyes around. Dietrich, who had worn a black sword around while slicing the meat with a knife, calmed down and started cutting again.

Cut. Cut.

Why was I suddenly sweating at the sound that echoed in the dining room?

He doesnt. Which is a good thing.

Why is it a good thing?

Since there are less bothersome things to take care of.

The bothersome things hes talking about didnt mean killing all of Hermanns siblings, right?

I dont think its the right time.

Damon was a much more hardworking teacher than I expected.

He always arrived five minutes ahead of the appointed time to prepare for class and only finished when the allotted objectives were met.

Last week, when I wasnt able to finish the allotted task, he kept me in the study until daybreak and made me study.

Its not called short-term for nothing.

It felt like I was taking a whole years worth of classes in one month.

I struggled to follow his class, floundering at the tsunami of assignments.

Did you finish your homework?

Damon raised his eyebrow as I handed the homework I barely finished, unable to sleep a wink until dawn.

He was a man who rarely changes his facial expression like Dietrich, and whenever I doze off or failed to do my homework, he would sigh loudly instead of scolding me.

But its kind of upsetting.

Right here.

Damons giving of assignments was close to a lethal dose, so I had to cut my eating time in order to study.

...Did you do everything?

Yes. If youre doubtful, you can double-check.

Hmm. Instead of sighs coming from Damons lips, they were bursts of pain.

He scratched his angular jaw, then took a notebook and started grading. I was heartbroken at the sight of the red marks, but Im glad I did it all.

Thats unexpected.

What is?

I thought you would have given up right away.

The tutoring fee must have been a lot and you expect me to give up?

Why would I?

The Lagranges are usually not interested in society.

But what youre teaching isnt just knowledge exclusive to society.

In fact, he taught broad and surface-level general knowledge of history, politics, and culture.

The content of the class isnt difficult as well.

Moreover, I liked studying when there was no one to compare to.

The class with Damon was one-on-one, and he never talked about other students, so the only thing I had to be wary of was my own laziness.

Do you know why my short-term lecture is famous?

I dont really know?

Because theres not a single young lady who finished it until the end. Every single one of them had given up.

No wonder the fee was so expensive. Unless it was a successor aiming for the title, it seemed rare for a person to take such an intensive class just to get along with socialites.

But they all ended up becoming social figures?

Well, since Im the teacher.

I laughed at Damons low murmur.

I didnt think I was this unlucky when you were a knight.

I grumbled in a low voice and he smirked, tapping my notebook that he returned full of red marks.

Do you admit now? That you know who I am.

Arent you threatening me to admit it?

He even proposed a deal to admit my secret and hell keep his mouth shut, and yet now hes feigning ignorance.

You, I mean, Teacher, as you expected, I know that you posed as a knight in Lagrange. Its because my ability is unique.

Damon briefly nodded his head as if he knew that. I stepped down from my chair and stood in front of him. The eyes that met mine were dark brown like an old tree in the middle of winter.

They were definitely the eyes of Damon, the knight in Lagrange.

But I dont know what you know about me.

There werent many days left with Damons class, before my superficial relationship with him ends, I felt the need to make sure that the terms of the deal were settled.

If you dont disclose that to me, I will reveal everything to Dietrich before this ball.

Damon took the time to assess what I was demanding. His thin lips twitched and he thought about it for a moment.

Are you threatening me?

Yes.

Youre going to be in trouble. I know more than you know about yourself.

Such as?

Such as, who your real mother and father are.

My eyes widened at Damons words. It wasnt because I didnt know who my biological mother was as he conjectured.

Anyone who witnessed my ability could deduce that I was not from the North, however, the truth about my birth mother was a secret that would never be known unless the person was involved.

You know my parents?

What the hell is Damons true identity?

Why did he know that Im Anissa Euclid, an extra that didnt even appear properly in the original?

Notes:

[1] It could also mean Anissa came from the Eastern colony to devour people and talking about screw over Derek, might be a play on eating something, basically eat Derek, literally.