episode_0005

A quite long silence.

Breaking the silence, the voice of the butler was heard with a knock.

“Viscount Alphonse has arrived.”

“Let him in.”

As Father gave permission, the door slowly opened.

Viscount Alphonse, who entered the study, immediately bowed respectfully.

“I greet Duke David.”

That was the first impression.

Dark. It was a man to whom that adjective suited well.

The impression came from his appearance wrapped in a luxurious black cloak made of fine cloth.

Rarely, the combination of black hair and black pupils brought a cold impression.

In the midst of it, the golden sun-shaped embroidery on his chest caught the eye.

The Imperial Sun.

It was a symbol indicating affiliation with the royal family.

Anything related to demons is strictly prohibited in the empire.

Since the founding of the empire on the continent, both times it faced the threat of extinction were due to demons, so there is a great deal of vigilance.

However, demon hunters inevitably get close to demons.

They must know and understand them in order to hunt them.

Therefore, officially appointed demon hunters are all affiliated with the royal family and receive management from the empire.

Among those demon hunters, Viscount Alphonse is quite famous.

“The Extinctioner.”

There is no one in the empire who does not know that nickname.

“He used to be like family, so it’s a little regrettable.”

“Now that you have retired, you should follow the protocol, shouldn’t you?”

“You still speak well.”

Father, who was a duke affiliated with the royal family as a swordsman, seemed to have a familiar relationship with him.

Seeing the natural flow of their conversation, they might have been quite close.

“Is the Duchess also doing well?”

“Yes, she is.”

“That’s a relief.”

Viscount Albert greeted my mother after greeting my father.

Then his gaze turned to me.

Gulp-.

For a moment, under his piercing gaze, I felt as if my heart had stopped.

In a different sense from my father, it was an immense pressure.

“Young master seems to have grown a lot. You look healthy, which is good to see.”

“…Thank you.”

I answered lightly, bowing my head.

At the same time, I thought.

Have I met Viscount Alphonse before?

I looked back on my memories, but there wasn’t a specific memory like that.

I guess that’s probably because it was when I was very young.

For whatever reason, his face couldn’t have not left an impression in my memory.

Regardless of that fact, he showed me kindness, and I didn’t particularly dislike it.

I was still wary, but compared to my first impression, that feeling had diminished considerably.

His gaze, which had exchanged greetings with me, now turned back to my father.

“By the way, I heard you have a request.”

“Well, it’s not certain yet… but…”

My father disclosed what had happened yesterday.

Suddenly, from my change in behavior to even suspecting if it might be the work of a demon.

In the process, my usual conduct was revealed, so I couldn’t help but feel embarrassment as my face flushed with heat.

After hearing all the stories, Viscount Alphonse, with a hmm, shifted his gaze to me.

His look is sharper than before.

Even the feeling that everything is being scrutinized by him arises.

“We’ll need to investigate in detail, but I don’t particularly think it’s the work of a demon.”

“I-is that so?”

“Yes, they only seem to cause seizures when they see us.”

The tension in my parents’ expressions, which had been swirling, softened even more.

Coming from an expert on demons, especially one at the pinnacle, it’s worth believing.

“But wouldn’t it be better to have certainty about anything? It’s better to prove it here than to live with unnecessary suspicion in the future. Of course, if Young Master doesn’t mind.”

Viscount Alphonse said this while smiling at me.

It wasn’t an action like “try it if you dare!” Instead, it was a smile that conveyed trust, as if saying, “Believe and accept it, for nothing will happen.”

I had no reason to refuse, so my answer came out without hesitation.

“I will accept.”

“Yes, good. Then let’s prepare right away.”

A test to prove my innocence and to determine the presence of a demon.

It was an important matter in many ways, so I naturally thought the preparation would take a long time.

But as it turned out, there was nothing to prepare.

Viscount Alphonse took out a vial containing a transparent liquid and a short dagger from his bosom as he spoke.

“The examination method is simple. You just need to drop a few drops of blood into this reagent. However, in order to do that, you have to make a wound on the body of the Englishman…”

As Count Alphonse spoke, he glanced at his father.

His father nodded slowly.

It was a sign of permission.

Count, looking back at me, said, “Is the Englishman all right?”

“Yes, he’s fine.”

“Then, will you give me your hand?”

I reached out my hand.

He carefully knelt down and sat on one knee, opening the bottle cap and placing it on the table.

Then he took my hand.

“You’ll feel a little sting.”

Tss-.

At the sound of his words, a sharp pain came.

The tip of the sharply honed dagger pricked my finger, making blood start to flow.

The Count picked up the bottle that had been placed on the table.

A drop of red blood at the end of my finger gradually grew in size before falling off.

Plop-.

The transparent reagent was mixed with blood.

Afterward, three more drops of reagent were added.

Alphonse, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapped my hand in it.

“I apologize.”

Saying so, he stood up, holding the bottle and moving slowly in a circle.

It was an action to ensure that the blood and reagent were well mixed.

It also served as proof that there was no trickery in the process.

When his movement finally stopped.

The reagent maintained its transparency despite having a reddish hue.

And that was evidence of my innocence.

“If the blood of a demon-tainted person mixes with the reagent, it turns black and viscous. But how does it look to you, Your Grace?”

“…It’s transparent.”

“Yes, the Englishman is not a demon.”

It was a firm declaration.

As if to say there was no room for argument about this matter.

Perhaps that was why.

The words seemed to resonate even more deeply with my parents.

My father brushed his bangs upward and burst into laughter.

My mother covered her face with both hands and bowed her head.

The tension that had been lingering dissipated, and the heavy atmosphere became more relaxed.

I was a prodigal son.

I couldn’t even become a normal son, let alone a filial one.

But my parents sincerely cherished and worried about me in that state.

The fact was too grateful and sorry.

Although the choking emotion tried to erupt, I endured it and slowly opened my mouth.

“…I’m really sorry for being late.”

Unfortunately, I had no talent for expressing emotions.

* * * * *

Viscount Alphonse immediately returned after finishing his work.

Father, who was very excited, suggested staying at the mansion for a few days and having a drink, but unfortunately, the viscount was a very busy person.

Incidents involving demons continued unabated throughout the empire, so naturally, that was to be expected.

“If I have time, I will come to visit.”

The viscount said as he left, but it was just a polite remark.

Father knew that too, so he seemed disappointed.

But fortunately, there was plenty of time for my parents.

Surely, we will meet someday.

Maybe the next time we meet will be after I have taken over the family position.

Let’s postpone our gratitude for today’s events until then.

Let’s welcome it grandly with Luna.

As much as I wanted to firmly confirm my engagement with Iris, in a place where my innocence was proven, I decided to postpone it for a while, thinking that my parents would need time to calm their emotions.

Of course, I plan to get an answer by the end of today.

Perhaps because I take after my father, I seem to have a rather impatient personality.

“Young master, lunch is ready.”

“Oh, I’ll be right there.”

Melina’s expression looked much better than in the morning.

She seemed occasionally anxious, but I didn’t pay much attention, as other servants were the same way.

Finally, we arrived at the dining table.

My parents were already seated, waiting for me.

“Sit down quickly.”

“Albert, sit down quickly. We asked for your favorite things.”

I was momentarily flustered by the fact that I arrived later than my parents, but at their subsequent reaction, I couldn’t help but smile.

It’s been exactly two days.

To be precise, not even a full 24 hours had passed.

In that short time, the small changes that occurred had restored the family to its original state.

The somewhat regrettable past came to mind, but the past is just the past.

It’s meaningless to worry about things that cannot be undone.

I sat thinking like that.

“Enjoy your meal.”

It had been so long that I couldn’t even remember, it was a rare family meal.

However, that peaceful atmosphere didn’t last long.

After the meal, in the study, my mother said,

“Will you reconsider this engagement?”