—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When evil people die, the world becomes a more peaceful place.
“Oh my, to think Carlson was a demon…”
“I knew it when he used to beat his wife like she was a rag doll.”
“I heard he even sacrificed the servants who followed him to demons. They were children of prominent local families, how could he be so cruel?”
“Do you know what he said to us the other day? He offered his wife in exchange for money! That’s when I knew he wasn’t right in the head!”
“I knew the master was a bad person, but I never imagined he would collude with a demon.”
“A human empowered by a demon had the audacity to request an exorcism demonstration from a priestess. If Priestess Lumia hadn’t noticed sooner, we would have been played even more.”
Carlson’s demonically transformed corpse was displayed in the town square.
His head and body were separated, and a special sealing circle created by Lumia surrounded it.
People would spit or urinate on Carlson’s corpse whenever they felt frustrated, relieving their stress.
His body, already battered by stones, was mangled, and his face, apparently beaten with a poker overnight, was pulped like a rotten tomato.
They said he would be burned soon, which was a shame.
“Should’ve lived a better life, you bastard.”
I sat by the window and sipped my coffee.
With Carlson gone, and the three servants who tormented me also gone, I was truly free.
Isabelle had destroyed my slave contract as soon as Carlson died.
We were living a leisurely life, spending Isabelle’s family fortune day by day.
“Evan, want another cup of coffee?”
“Huh? No, I’m good.”
I hoped this life would continue.
The three of us gathered together, drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, playing simple games, then whispering sweet nothings in the same bed at night.
Occasionally making love with Lumia, who was starved for lust, and exchanging knowing glances at the temple.
“Isabelle, what are you reading so intently?”
“Huh? Our daughter. She heard Carlson died, and she said she’ll come visit.”
But sometimes, the ordinary is disrupted by the unexpected.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Mother, I heard that man died. To think he was a demon… I’m so glad he died before he could lay his hands on you.
Are you alright? I’m doing well. Sylvia failed the magic tower exam again, apparently. She wants to take the written exam, but she keeps getting rejected during the document screening. Sylvia is the smartest and most talented mage I know, so I don’t understand why the magic tower won’t accept her.
Mother, since that man is dead now, I’ll come visit. There’s so much I want to talk about with you. Mother, I’m sorry I’m not strong enough yet. Once I graduate, I’ll make sure you never have to struggle again.]
Isabelle’s daughter’s letter overflowed with love for her mother.
Isabelle’s daughter.
I vaguely knew of her existence, but I had never met her.
By the time I arrived at the mansion, she was already enrolled in the academy, enjoying her student life.
“Who’s Sylvia?”
I asked about Sylvia, whose name kept appearing in the letter.
The name sounded familiar, as if I had heard it occasionally while falling asleep in the attic.
Isabelle said,
“She’s Alice’s friend. Whenever she sends a letter, it’s always full of Sylvia, isn’t it? They must be very close.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Yeah, I heard she’s a real beauty.”
Isabelle said this and smiled sweetly.
Hearing that she was beautiful made me feel good.
Elena, who was clearing the coffee cups, pinched my cheek and said,
“Pervert, dream on. She has a boyfriend.”
“What? She has a boyfriend?”
My fantasies about Sylvia were shattered, and I felt disappointed.
Isabelle chuckled and said,
“Elena, do you remember what she wrote in the last letter? Sylvia got a boyfriend who’s a knight, but she’s worried because he seems like a bad guy.”
“That’s right. She said he had a bad attitude, a bad personality, and there were rumors about him hitting on other women. She went on and on about it. It was the longest letter I’ve ever seen Miss Alice write to you.”
“She’s a dear friend, so she wants her to find a good man.”
A knight with loose morals?
I couldn’t imagine what kind of person he was.
The knights I had met during my time as a slave were greedy, but they were always polite on the surface, strict with the lower class, and obsequious towards the rich.
They were the type of people who, despite having terrible personalities, were good at navigating social situations.
What kind of things must he be doing to be so openly known for his bad behavior?
Isabelle carefully folded the letter and looked at me.
“I think I should tell Alice about our relationship, don’t you? That you’re her new stepfather now.”
Even as she said the words, Isabelle seemed to find it strange.
I could imagine the situation and chuckled, shaking my head.
No matter how I tried, I couldn’t picture myself being introduced as someone’s stepfather.
“I wonder if Miss Alice will be surprised. Getting a new stepfather right after Carlson’s death.”
“Evan saved us when Carlson was tormenting us. What greater motivation for love is there than that?”
“What if she objects? I was a slave, and Alice is from a noble family. She must have a lot of pride.”
“Well… I believe our daughter won’t object.”
Isabelle said this, looking out the window.
I followed her gaze and looked up at the sky.
The sun was shining brightly in the clear sky, as if hinting at our bright future.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Alice returned to the village after a long absence.
The old carriage she had taken from the academy rattled and groaned.
Alice adjusted her clothes and stretched her back.
The road to the village was so rough that her whole body ached after the journey.
Several priests were patrolling the village.
Apparently, after the demon incident, they were strictly scrutinizing outsiders.
At the entrance to the village, a priestess with short hair was using her divine power to scan those entering.
“Seriously, this is such a nuisance.”
Alice was fed up with the complicated procedures.
Ever since news had reached the Academy that Carlson had died under the influence of a demon possession reached the academy, she had been dragged to the temple for a thorough examination.
Seeing the same procedure repeated at the village entrance was incredibly frustrating.
Carlson was always like that.
He acted recklessly when he was alive, and even in death, he caused trouble for others.
Alice always prayed that she would never become like him.
“What brings you here?”
The priestess asked Alice with an indifferent expression.
Alice had never seen her before.
She must have been demoted to this area while Alice was at the academy.
Judging by her use of divine power and her dignified bearing, she seemed to be from the capital, and Alice couldn’t understand why she was in this rural village.
“Uh, that young lady is from the academy. She’s probably already been examined there.”
“Is that so?”
The priestess, called Lumia, stopped channeling her divine power and stepped back.
Alice gave her a brief greeting and entered the village.
“It’s been a while, sir.”
“Oh, Alice, how have you been?”
“Not bad.”
“I’m so sorry about what happened at your home. It’s a terrible tragedy. If only we had…”
“Sir, I’m sorry, but I have things to do at home, so I have to go.”
“Oh, alright.”
The priest said this, his eyes lingering on Alice’s chest and thighs.
Even though she was wearing a tightly buttoned uniform and white stockings, he couldn’t hide his lust.
Alice shook her head and distanced herself from him.
The priest, who seemed to want to say something more, smacked his lips and returned to the village entrance.
Alice hated this entire village.
The people who had remained silent while Carlson beat her mother had suddenly changed their tune and started sympathizing with her family after the priestess came and exorcised the demon.
Alice knew how proudly Carlson had boasted about beating his wife during drinking sessions.
She knew that Carlson had leered at her and had constantly tried to force himself on Elena.
And she knew how far the hypocrites in this village had turned a blind eye.
“Disgusting bastards.”
Someone else’s business.
In the end, wasn’t all misfortune someone else’s business?
The fact that Isabelle almost died, that eight-year-old Alice almost starved to death locked in a room, it was all someone else’s business.
People only pretended to be sympathetic and sad when misfortune befell them directly.
Carlson’s corpse was displayed in the square.
His body, mangled and broken, with horns sprouting from his head.
Ironically, Alice thought the obese Carlson who had ruled the mansion seemed more demonic than his current form.
“Suits him well.”
She spat on the ground and headed towards the mansion.
The stately mansion.
People pitied Isabelle and Elena, who lived there.
The people who had turned a blind eye while the nightmare unfolded were now speaking up, now that it was over.
Alice loathed those hypocrites.
She didn’t want to leave Isabelle in this place any longer.
After graduating from the academy, she would find a good job.
She would use her abilities to buy a beautiful, modest house in the capital and bring Isabelle and Elena there to live together peacefully.
She would find a wonderful man for Isabelle and make sure she never had to lift a finger again.
Wasn’t there a saying that salvation always came to those who suffered?
Alice would do anything for her mother, who had sacrificed so much for her.
“What should I say…?”
Standing at the gate, Alice fidgeted, thinking about what to say to Isabelle.
How should she greet her?
Hello? I’m home?
After a moment of contemplation, Alice decided to say, “I’m home.”
Her mother would be physically and mentally exhausted from the shock, so it would be good to cheer her up with a bright smile.
Alice nodded and opened the door, shouting,
“I’m home!”
“Ugh…! Mm…!”
“Oh.”
In the first-floor lobby, there was a sofa.
On the sofa, a man Alice had never seen before was sitting, and Isabelle was sucking his cock.
The man, who had been stroking Isabelle’s hair with a blissful expression, froze, and Isabelle, pulling away from his cock, quickly straightened her clothes.
Wobble-wobble~
The man’s cock glistened.
“Uh… you’re home?”
Alice was speechless.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
