Chapter 38

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Early dawn.

Lucy woke up groggily.

She looked around and made a flustered expression.

“…”

She was in Ellie’s room.

Ellie was curled up in her arms, breathing softly in her sleep.

That part wasn’t a problem.

But,

“You guys… you’re still here…”

Amon and Darcan were nearby.

Amon was sitting on a sofa near the window, and Darcan was standing motionless beside the bed.

Five skeletons stood guard like sentinels in front of the door.

Lucy recalled last night’s events.

Last night, Ellie had begged Lucy to play with her, saying she couldn’t sleep.

Ellie had taken a long nap during the day, so she was full of energy.

Of course, Lucy had also taken a long nap with Ellie, so she wasn’t sleepy either.

But she found it bothersome to play with Ellie, so she summoned Amon and Darcan.

She had summoned a demon and an undead into a young girl’s room.

Ellie looked at them with a surprised expression, then said,

“Wow, it’s Amon and Darcan!”

She seemed delighted.

Having already seen them once at Bishop Oswin’s mansion, she wasn’t particularly scared.

In fact, she was happy to see them.

Amon and Darcan played with Ellie quite well.

Amon opened his mouth wide and told Ellie to stick her head inside, and Darcan petted Ellie a bit more than necessary. There were some minor issues, but overall, they played hide-and-seek and even gave her piggyback rides.

Ellie laughed brightly and enjoyed herself.

She petted Amon’s head and even hugged Darcan.

During role-playing games, Lucy summoned skeletons to act as the audience while she lounged comfortably on the bed.

At some point, she must have fallen asleep.

While Lucy slept, the skeletons guarded the door, and Amon and Darcan remained as they were.

Amon was repeatedly putting Ellie’s doll in and out of his mouth, and Darcan was still standing motionless by the bed.

Lucy let out a small sigh and said,

“Go back before anyone sees you. Thanks for last night.”

“Keke, call us again next time. I want to play with Ellie again.”

“Me too, me too, Master. It doesn’t have to be for battle…”

Whoosh—

As Lucy dismissed the summons, they all disappeared.

Only then did Lucy turn her gaze to Ellie.

Ellie had rolled around in her sleep, causing her nightgown to ride up above her waist.

“…”

So that’s why Darcan had been standing by the bed.

Lucy straightened Ellie’s nightgown and pulled the blanket up to her neck before getting out of bed.

She needed to use the bathroom.

The bathroom was right next to Ellie’s room.

Lucy rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked over.

As she opened the door,

“Ah.”

Someone flinched in surprise.

“L-Lucy, you’re awake…?”

It was Ed.

◈

Ed had tossed and turned all night.

The image of Ron giving Lucy the necklace kept replaying in his mind.

Lucy’s smile at that moment was vivid, and so was Ron’s embarrassed expression.

Ed’s thoughts escalated until he was imagining Ron and Lucy’s wedding.

In his imagination, Ron and Lucy had grown into adults.

They looked incredibly happy as they kissed, and soon Lucy’s belly swelled, and a baby was born.

The baby looked just like Ron and Lucy.

“No!”

Ed kicked off his blanket and sat up abruptly.

“No, no!”

He felt uneasy.

It felt like his imagination might become reality.

“I… I need to give her something too!”

Ed frantically began searching his room.

He looked for something he could give Lucy as a gift, but unlike Ron, he didn’t have anything suitable.

“Ugh…”

Ed slumped down with a defeated expression.

If he had known this would happen, he would’ve bought some jewelry or something.

It didn’t even have to be jewelry—just something girls would like…

“Ah!”

Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind.

Come to think of it, there was something girls would like that didn’t require buying.

It was already scattered all over the garden.

“Flowers! I’ll give her flowers!”

Ed smiled with confidence as he stood up.

Lucy was a girl, so she would surely like flowers.

She might even like them more than jewelry.

Flowers were pretty and fragrant, after all.

He immediately headed to the garden.

Roses seemed like the perfect flowers to give Lucy.

Yesterday, he had noticed how well the red dress and ruby necklace suited her.

Ed picked a bunch of roses and made a bouquet.

In the process, his fingers got pricked by thorns, but he didn’t care.

In his mind, he pictured Lucy smiling as she received the bouquet.

― Here, Lucy. I picked these because they suit you.

― Oh, they’re beautiful. Thank you so much, Ed.

Ed’s imagination went even further.

Lucy blushed shyly, then leaned in to kiss him.

Ed closed his eyes and puckered his lips.

Their lips met, and…

“Hehe.”

Ed snapped out of his daze.

This wasn’t the time for daydreaming.

He needed to prepare.

He had to give her the bouquet in the most impressive way possible.

Ed rushed back to his room, took a bath, and dressed up meticulously.

He tried different hairstyles and changed his clothes several times.

Now that he had a rival in Ron, he had to pay more attention to his appearance.

Soon, Ed emerged from his room looking neat and headed to Ellie’s room with the bouquet in hand.

Outside the window, the dawn was still a bluish hue.

Lucy was probably still asleep.

But she would wake up soon.

The plan was to give her the flowers the moment she stepped out of her room.

Receiving a bouquet first thing in the morning would surely make her feel wonderful.

“Hehe, Ron.”

Ed smiled triumphantly.

“Sorry, but Lucy is mine.”

Ron was a heavy sleeper.

He usually woke up very late.

He was probably still sound asleep right now.

“The early bird catches the worm.”

Just as Ed, confident in his victory, approached Ellie’s door,

Creak.

The door opened.

Out stepped none other than Lucy.

“Ah.”

Startled, Ed quickly greeted her.

“L-Lucy, you’re awake…?”

“…”

Lucy looked dazed.

Having just woken up, her hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes were half-closed.

One shoulder of Lucy’s nightgown had slipped down slightly.

She looked a bit disheveled.

But she was still beautiful.

No, right now, she looked more cute than anything.

Either way, Ed’s heart was pounding.

Lucy asked.

“What are you doing here?”

Her voice was drowsy.

Ed hurriedly replied.

“I-I was just passing by…”

“Hmm.”

Lucy turned away.

As if she had no more business here.

Ed quickly called out to her.

“Uh, Lucy!”

Lucy stopped and glanced back at Ed.

She looked slightly annoyed.

Ed hesitated for a moment but mustered the courage to hand her the bouquet.

“Here, take this.”

“…”

Lucy silently stared at the bouquet Ed handed her.

Her eyes were as lifeless as a dead fish.

Ed began to feel uneasy.

“I-I thought it would suit you…”

“Thanks.”

Lucy took the bouquet and walked away.

She didn’t seem particularly happy or touched.

It was a completely different reaction from what he had imagined.

“…”

Ed slumped his shoulders, feeling dejected, as Lucy disappeared into the bathroom.

◈

The bluish dawn.

Leyton Castle, still not fully awake, was enveloped in a quiet, cold atmosphere.

Arthur moved without hesitation.

The outline of Leyton Castle began to come into view.

As he approached the castle, he stealthily moved along the castle walls.

Arthur’s eyes carefully observed the structure and security of the surroundings.

If he revealed that he was affiliated with the Holy See, he could enter through the main gate without issue, but doing so might alert the heretic and allow them to escape.

Since it wasn’t yet clear who in the Leyton family was the heretic, it was better to keep his affiliation with the Holy See hidden.

Soon, Arthur found a drainage ditch in the middle of the castle wall.

The drainage ditch seemed to have been neglected for a long time, with vines covering the entrance, but a small gap was visible.

He crouched down and squeezed into the drainage ditch.

Then, without hesitation, he crawled through the narrow, dark passage.

After a while, he reached the end of the drainage ditch.

A grate blocked the way.

Arthur grabbed the grate with his hand and quietly chanted a spell.

Whoosh!

His hand glowed white, and the grate melted away.

Exiting the drainage ditch, he was now inside the castle.

Arthur scanned his surroundings.

Just then,

“Hey, who’s there?”

A patrolling guard noticed Arthur and approached.

Arthur’s eyes gleamed coldly.

The guard looked at Arthur suspiciously.

“You… you just came out of that drainage ditch…”

Whoosh!

In an instant, Arthur swiftly reached out.

His hand clamped over the guard’s mouth in one swift motion.

At the same time, the guard’s neck twisted unnaturally.

Crack!

The guard died instantly, and Arthur quietly laid the body on the ground.

There was not a hint of emotion on Arthur’s face.

The guard’s death was merely a minor sacrifice in the process of carrying out his sacred duty.

This, too, must be the will of the divine.

Arthur pushed the guard’s body deep into the drainage ditch.

It would take some time before the body was discovered.

By then, his task would be complete.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Not sure how that’ll work out in his case, heh.