sonovelo Chapter 24: Desire Demon (4)
Chapter 24: Desire Demon (4)
Chapter 24: Desire Demon (4)
Marik’s group gladly went the extra length for the likable noble, Risir.
Usually, they rarely bothered with the hassle of setting up tents, unless the weather was cold enough to freeze their face off. But they did that just for Risir!
-...Shall we set one up for you two as well?
Unlike with Risir, whom they eagerly helped without being asked, their offer of tents to Fienne and Eron was laced with obvious reluctance. This wounded the pair’s pride, leading them to decline the offer.
As a result, their current campsite had only one tent, which could still be considered a luxury.
“...”
Fienne inadvertently became the lucky recipient of this luxury thanks to Risir volunteering for night watch and giving up the tent.
When Risir offered the tent, Fienne had considerable expectations for it. This was due to the fuss Marik’s group and Risir made, as if the tent were some grand manor.
Those expectations were thoroughly betrayed.
“How annoying.”
Fienne sat up with an irritated huff. The makeshift bed—little more than a few old blankets stacked together—offered an unfiltered connection to the sacred earth. In other words, small, unremoved stones jabbed uncomfortably into her body.
The noble sleeping bag, which had valiantly volunteered as a pillow despite its humble origins, had been exiled to the corner long ago due to its rag-like stench. Fienne had to admit that was a mistake.
“My head hurts...”
Inside the cramped tent, the stench of the sleeping bag subtly but persistently lingered. She should have thrown it outside entirely instead of just shoving it into a corner.
Then again, perhaps even that wouldn’t have made much difference. While the sleeping bag was the main culprit, the unpleasant odor seemed woven into every component of the tent itself.
She shouldn’t have expected a surprise miracle from something that already looked so shabby on the outside.
So what now? Sleep on the ground like everyone else?
“Is that even possible...?”
Fienne was special. Not because she carried herself that way or sought recognition, but because others perceived and treated her as such.
From the moment she became aware of this unique status, Fienne had enjoyed a life of constant privilege.
Need long-distance travel? A single glance from her was enough. Merchants leading grand caravans would eagerly welcome her, giving over the best seat, the finest meals, and the most comfortable sleeping arrangements. They’d feel grateful and honored simply for the chance to extend kindness to her.
That had been Fienne’s reality until now. Sleeping outdoors? It was unthinkable.
But this entire journey had been a series of the unthinkable.
-Are carriages supposed to be this bumpy?
-My bottom hurts. Can’t you at least give me a cushion?
-What do you mean there’s no such thing? It’s just a cushion, what are you talking about?
-Excuse me? This is tonight’s dinner? Not feed for the horses?
-Where can I take a bath?
-Why am I asking you? Don’t you bathe?
-...You don’t? Until we reach our destination?
And to top it all off, this terrible sleeping arrangement...
“Oh, really!”
Fienne furiously ruffled her snowy long hair.
Why do I have to endure this?
It was all because of that man. Even now, the thought of him made her shudder with indignation.
She had approached that insignificant bastard child with a calculated plan—to dominate Bendel and expand her influence. Who could have predicted that he would possess an incomprehensible ability capable of nullifying a Progenitor’s power?
What nonsense!
Normally, such humiliation, such degradation, was beyond imagination. Fienne didn’t even want to conceive of it.
If only she could turn back time. If she could, she wouldn’t have gone near Risir in the first place.
No. That wasn’t enough. At this point, simply correcting the mistake wasn’t sufficient. Fienne could still recall, with painful clarity, the moment of her greatest humiliation—the moment her power was reduced to nothing.
Believing she had lost everything, she had cast aside all her pride in desperation. She willingly offered herself, her very being, the one thing everyone coveted but she had never surrendered to anyone.
Yet what she received in return was the condescension of being treated like a child.
“Wh-what did I do wrong...? Is it that strange to close my eyes and pucker my lips?! Isn’t that what everyone does?! Why do I have to be treated like a child!!!”
Fienne rolled on the floor, flailing her delicate arms and legs. This was professionally known as suffering a ‘cringe attack’.
After enthusiastically abusing her blanket for a while, Fienne grumbled aloud.
“I really hate...the likes of him...”
She meant it. She hated his terrible judgment that dismissed what made her extraordinary. She hated the unjustified way he treated her like a child.
But as Fienne stewed over Risir’s flaws, a particular memory surfaced. She recalled him reaching out a hand to help her up, then pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the dust and tears from her face.
“...”
The turmoil in Fienne’s eyes shifted, taking on a ripple of a different emotion.
Back then, he...he had the same unchanging expression as always.
Even though he knew I was a Progenitor. Even though he knew my power was gone.
It was a thought that had occasionally haunted Fienne. What if the Progenitor’s power, which she had suddenly gained one day, were to vanish just as abruptly?
She could never imagine what it would be like before. But now, when the thought crossed her mind, the first thing that surfaced was Risir’s face. And without realizing it, she would wonder: Even if I truly became someone worthless, wouldn’t he still treat me the same way he always has?
“How annoying...”
This was why Fienne couldn’t get that infuriating man out of her mind. His annoying face kept intruding on her thoughts, keeping her awake.
“...”
Suddenly, she cast a
“No, not you Fienne. This world...”
“?”
***Risir ran a mental simulation to explain what happened to Marik’s group.
Huh? Mr. Risir? Why did Mr. Eron suddenly become a woman?
Well you see, she turned from a Desire Demon into a human. By the way, Eron’s mine now.
But he had no confidence of neatly wrapping up something like that.
In the end, Risir and his companions left the group and resumed their journey before dawn broke.
As time passed and dawn approached...
“Oh, a carriage.”
They came across a carriage parked across the road.
It wasn’t a cheap vehicle driven by a coachman, but a luxurious carriage with a roof, fine finishing, and ornate decorations. There were no visible emblems indicating a family or group.
The people around it seemed very busy, as if they were wrapping up their camp and preparing to depart.
Let’s just ask if they can give us a ride.
Risir’s group approached the carriage with a light heart. But then, a man emerged from the carriage and walked toward them with heavy, deliberate steps.
Risir and Fienne immediately froze, a chill running through them as if their very hairs were standing on end.
The man also stopped.
“...”
“...”
A standoff ensued, roughly twenty paces apart.
Risir and Fienne exchanged a brief glance, and that was enough to reach an unspoken agreement—it was too risky to approach the man any closer.
Risir was preparing to state his business, expecting to be met with rejection. But then, suddenly...
“Lord Dares!!!”
They heard a desperate cry from inside the carriage.
“The young lady’s condition has improved...!”
“...What?”
The oppressive tension in the air vanished.
***
[There is a unique entity nearby]
[You are affected by the entity]
***
[Abnormal status is weakened]
[Abnormal Status: Black Curse]
***