The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 41

‘But is it really okay for a demon to stay in a temple like this?’

The thought briefly crossed my mind, but then I realized—why not? Every second I spent in the temple was an act of blasphemy. These were the most blasphemy-filled days I’d ever experienced.

I chewed on the grape Jessie put in my mouth.

“Hey!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Gabby threw the fan he was holding onto the floor.

“How old are you, and you’re still running away from home? Go back right now!”

“You do make a fair point.”

Gabby’s face lit up at my words, but his expression quickly crumbled at what I said next.

“I am definitely too old to be running away. So let’s just call it ‘moving out.'” I smirked.

It wasn’t that I had no intention of going back. To make Isabella’s wish come true and make her family regret everything, it would be more effective to stick close to them.

However, during my stay at the temple, my magic had been gradually returning. Isabella’s absence seemed to have stirred some emotions in the duke and Gabby.

I glanced at Gabby. Compared to before, his face looked much rougher.

‘I suppose I’ll squeeze out as much regret as possible from staying here at the temple, then return to the mansion,’ I thought to myself.

Gabby crossed his arms and stared at me with a peculiar expression, as if he had something he wanted to say.

“…Is home really that bad? Bad enough to make you want to move out?”

Gabby’s sudden serious expression made me flinch.

“Why do you want me to return to the mansion? We’re not exactly close siblings, and wouldn’t it be better for you if I disappeared?” I asked him out of genuine curiosity.

“Well, it’s obvious—”

“Obvious?”

When I pressed him, Gabby’s face turned red. He tried to say something, but then closed his mouth at the last moment.

After several attempts, Gabby finally managed to speak.

“…Obviously, because you ran away from home alone! Do you think it’s nice that you got to leave that damn place all by yourself?”

“Hmm.”

I was at a loss for words at his unexpected reason.

So, was he upset because I was here at the temple, living comfortably without him?

Had I been too demon-centric in my thinking, assuming that Isabella’s absence had made him appreciate family more? Did humans think differently?

Gabby continued muttering for a while after that—how it was torture to face our father’s face alone at mealtimes, how our father’s temper had gotten worse since I began staying at the temple, how unnecessarily big the mansion was, and how he felt like he might run into ghosts if he wandered around at night…

I listened quietly and then asked him, “Why don’t you leave the mansion too, then?”

He’s a Sword Master—surely he wouldn’t struggle to survive if he left home.

Gabby snorted at my question. “Are you out of your mind? If I stick around, I’ll inherit the entire family fortune. Don’t you know that my lifelong dream is to take all the old man’s wealth and kick him out of the family as a penniless beggar?”

As soon as he said that, Jessie, who had been listening to our conversation, let out a gasp.

It seemed she was shocked by Gabby’s scandalous statement.

But as a demon, I felt differently.

“…That’s quite a fine dream. I support you,” I said, my eyes glinting. It was impressive that he held such an ambitious goal. I saw Gabby in a new light at that moment.

Gabby laughed awkwardly at my words. “…You’re the first person to ever acknowledge my dream. Whenever I mention it to my subordinates, they all cover their ears.”

“It’s a great dream. Your subordinates just haven’t realized that yet.”

“You think so? Well, first, I’ll inherit the title of duke… Ah, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure to set aside your share of the inheritance.”

Bam!

At that moment, someone kicked the door open and entered.

It was Blackie!

Blackie had just returned from his afternoon walk. He seemed to have had a lot of fun, as his fur was all disheveled.

Blackie began charging toward the bed I was lying on. Seeing Gabby standing by the bed seemed to bother Blackie, so without hesitation, he pushed Gabby away with his large paw.

Thud!

Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Gabby flew a distance and slammed hard into the wall.

I paid no mind to that and focused solely on Blackie in front of me. The bed creaked under Blackie’s massive weight.

“Jessie, the brush.”

Jessie handed me the brush, and I began to groom Blackie’s fur. Seeing that there was only a bit of dirt on his fur, I felt relieved.

‘I told him to stay calm while in the middle realm, and it seems he listened to me well.’

In the Demon Realm, whenever Blackie returned from a walk, his fur would be covered in dried blood for some unknown reason.

Kkamang!

Blackie started to purr contentedly as I brushed his fur.

“So, that beast is the divine beast, huh?” Gabby, rubbing his sore shoulder from hitting the wall, asked me.

“Beast? How rude.”

“Hey! The one being rude here isn’t me—it’s that beast! Didn’t you see him push me just now?” Gabby raised his voice.

Blackie looked at Gabby, tilting his head in confusion.

Kkamang?

Blackie asked me who Gabby was. Since they were siblings, he seemed curious because Gabby’s scent was similar to Isabella’s.

“Blackie, he’s not important. Just ignore him.”

Gabby bristled at my words. “I’m your brother! How am I not important? And Blackie? Don’t tell me—”

Kkamang!

“You named him Blackie because of the sound he makes? That’s incredibly straightforward.”

Gabby frowned, clearly unhappy about something as he looked at Blackie.

“But is that really a divine beast? It doesn’t feel quite right…”

“That’s blasphemy,” I hastily spoke, worried Gabby might discover Blackie’s true identity.

Ignoring me, Gabby continued, “Come on. You’re suddenly throwing around ‘blasphemy’ because you’re the saintess now? Isn’t the biggest act of blasphemy the fact that someone like you is a saintess in the first place? Anyway…”

Gabby examined Blackie closely.

“There’s something about him that just feels off. I’m not sure exactly what it is.”

No one had questioned Blackie’s identity so far, as he perfectly matched the descriptions of the divine beast in the records. But Gabby seemed to sense something was wrong purely on instinct.

It was said that becoming a Sword Master granted one heightened perception beyond that of an ordinary human, but I hadn’t expected it to apply to Gabby as well.

It seemed that even that clueless guy really was a Sword Master.

Lick.

Suddenly, Blackie began licking Gabby’s right hand. Startled by Blackie’s sudden action, Gabby flinched, then looked down at Blackie’s head.

“You know, he’s kind of cute…,” Gabby mumbled.

“Blackie, no.”

I quickly stopped Blackie. That behavior wasn’t just a show of affection.

Blackie was notoriously picky, and he liked to taste his food like that before deciding whether or not to eat it.

If he pulled that stunt here in the middle realm, not only would Blackie be exposed, but so would I.

Besides, a demonic beast like Blackie needed to consume creatures that had demonic energy to avoid digestive issues.

At my command, Blackie drooped his ears.

…Kkamang.

“Hey! It’s just a bit of licking—no need to be so harsh!” Gabby protested at me, feeling sorry for Blackie.

He had no idea that I had just saved his right hand from being bitten off… It seemed the perception of a Sword Master was rather selective.

I smiled brightly at Gabby and said, “You must find life so easy with that brain of yours.”

“Hey, you just insulted me, didn’t you?”

“So, you do have some sense after all.”

“Hey! I can’t even punch you for this.”

Gabby glared at me, then spoke again, “Anyway, stop thinking about staying at the temple and come back home. Your family will protect you.”

“Protect me?”

“Yeah, protect. You don’t seriously think the temple is treating you well for no reason, do you? You’re the first saintess to appear in five hundred years—imagine how much they could use you.”

Gabby clicked his tongue. He seemed to have a lot of resentment toward the temple.

“Just like the previous saintess… Has the temple ever not been deceitful?”

“The previous saintess? You mean Daphne?”

“Hey, is she your friend or something? You can’t just call our ancestor by her name like that.”

I used to clink glasses with your ancestor… Plus, it felt strange to hear something like that from Gabby, of all people, who was a rebel to the core.

Reading my expression, Gabby cleared his throat a few times and muttered, “She’s from our mother’s family, after all.”

It seemed that Gabby’s rebellious nature was limited to our father’s side of the family.

“So, what happened to the previous saintess that makes you say that?”

“She stayed in seclusion at the estate. Until the day she died. How badly must the temple have treated her for that to happen?”

Gabby’s words left me puzzled.

Daphne was one of the most outgoing people I’d ever known. There was even a saying that if you wanted to meet the saintess, just attend the largest party being held that day.

But she went into seclusion?

“If you go to the Graham estate, you’ll find records about Lady Daphne. If you’re really curious, go and see for yourself.”

Seeing my curiosity, Gabby suggested, then continued, “Anyway, stop getting caught up in unnecessary trouble and come back home. The old man at our house is still better than the old men at the temple, isn’t he? At least he’s family.”

“You make it sound like the mansion would be any different.” I frowned slightly as I spoke.

The duke didn’t seem to have any affection for Isabella. Well, he might have changed a little, but that didn’t mean the past could be undone.

There was no guarantee that the duke wouldn’t try to use his daughter, the saintess, for his own ends.

Gabby snorted at my words. There was an odd confidence in his voice. “I’ll take care of the old man myself. So stop arguing and come home. Got it?”

I was curious about what Gabby meant by “taking care of him,” and I almost asked. But then I saw him habitually touching his now-empty waist.

That’s where his sword usually hung…

It seemed Gabby truly was a remarkable rebel.