The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 70

All that over someone speaking casually?

I criticized Gabby, “Making such a fuss over how someone talks. So petty.”

“That’s right. He is petty.”

Nigel, still behind the bars, actively agreed with me.

I internally listed all the things I couldn’t say directly to Gabby.

Gabby.

Nigel, you see, once had a one-sided love for your ancestor, Daphne. A man worthy of respect—though, is he really?

I briefly pondered whether having a crush on an ancestor was a valid measure of respect but dismissed it as a pointless thought.

“Hey, are you finding this situation funny?”

Gabby started yelling at me.

“That bookstore, I investigated it. Turns out it’s linked to demon worshippers. No wonder the book titles were all so strange. Anyway, that bookstore’s secret passage is connected to our maternal family’s estate. Do you know what that means?”

I had no idea, but saying that out loud would only fuel Gabby’s anger, so I feigned seriousness.

“I see. This is serious.”

“That’s what I’m saying! If it turns out that the Graham family has ties to demon worshippers, both you and I will suffer huge consequences. I might even have to give up my position as Young Duke. And then how am I supposed to take that old man’s seat?!

Gabby’s face had visibly hardened in just one day, likely from the stress.

Well, considering that his lifelong goal was to dethrone his father, it made sense that he’d be in shambles now that a new threat had emerged.

But why was there a secret passage between the bookstore and the Graham estate in the first place?

I demanded an answer from Nigel.

“Ah, Daphne made that passage. The story is a bit complicated…”

According to Nigel, even after I left for the Demon Realm, he and Daphne continued to stay in contact.

Officially, the divine beast had disappeared, and Daphne had gone into seclusion, so their meetings had to be kept secret.

Initially, Daphne used a summoning circle to bring Nigel to the Graham estate, but—

“That wasn’t practical. Every time she activated the summoning circle, Daphne would be bedridden for a week.”

So eventually, she built the secret passage instead.

“Daphne actively supported our group. Honestly, I think it was partly because she wanted to commit an act of blasphemy. Naturally, this led to exchanges between the demon worshippers and the Graham family through the secret passage.”

Even after ownership of the Graham estate changed, the support continued. Over time, rather than mere financial aid, a cooperative system was established.

“Our group is more influential than you might think. Our reach extends far and wide. We had a mutually beneficial relationship with the Graham family.”

Of course, after the Graham lineage ended, that cooperation naturally dissolved.

“What did I just hear?” Gabby, who had been listening quietly, asked.

“Turns out the Graham family has been connected to demon worshippers for ages.”

I helpfully summarized Nigel’s explanation for Gabby.

“I got that part. But didn’t he just say ‘Daphne’? That’s our ancestor. Why is he talking about her like she’s a friend?”

At this point, it seemed necessary to reveal Nigel’s true identity.

After getting Nigel’s consent, I formally introduced him to Gabby.

“Gabby, say hello. This is Nigel, the leader of the demon worshippers.”

“Nice to meet you, descendant of Daphne.”

“By the way, he’s quite old. Nigel, how old are you again?”

“I stopped counting after I passed five digits.”

“Fxxk. You’re ancient.”

Gabby instinctively cursed.

Nigel and I exchanged glances.

“…His personality is exactly like Daphne’s.”

Was it just my imagination, or did Nigel’s eyes seem nostalgic as he said that?

I decided to explain Nigel’s abnormal lifespan in a way that wouldn’t alarm Gabby.

“The secret to longevity—”

I probably shouldn’t mention that he’s a beastkin. Gabby might not even be aware that beastkin exist.

No need to complicate his already troubled mind further.

Better to keep it vague.

“He gained a long life in exchange for selling his soul to a demon.”

“……”

Gabby stared at me silently. Thanks to my considerate lie, he seemed less shocked.

“Right now, he’s a candidate for my servant. So hurry up and release him so I can put him to work, Gabby.”

“……”

Gabby just stood there, staring at the two of us.

I had seen many of Gabby’s expressions before, but this was the first time he looked so completely dumbfounded. His eyes had even lost focus.

“Fxxk. What is happening to my life? First, my sister suddenly becomes a saintess. Then, I find out our maternal family—ugh.”

Gabby mumbled to himself for a while. After a moment, he seemed to gather his thoughts and refocused his gaze.

“…Thinking about it, having him as a servant isn’t a bad idea. It’ll be easier to keep an eye on him.”

Gabby was deliberately avoiding the conversation we had just had.

“Anyway, I was the one who locked him up in prison, and the old man doesn’t know about it.”

Gabby seemed to be working hard to convince himself.

“Ugh, I hate complicated things. Brat, just make sure you manage him properly, okay?”

“Just trust me.”

“I don’t trust you, not at all.”

Gabby clicked his tongue and continued, “I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear any of this. You take care of it. Well, even if everything gets exposed later, as long as I kick the old man out of the duke’s seat and take his place first, it won’t matter. If it hasn’t been discovered until now, it won’t be discovered in the future.”

After releasing Nigel from prison, Gabby left without looking back.

As he walked away, I faintly heard him mutter, “Damn this house. Now even my maternal family’s a problem?”

***

A new servant had arrived.

During dinner, the duke flinched when he saw Nigel standing behind me.

“Isabella, who is that?”

“Nigel. My servant.”

“Silver hair, huh.”

There was a lot of meaning behind the duke’s words.

Not that I understood any of it.

The way he was glaring at Nigel—did he dislike silver hair?

But Nigel’s hair was closer to gray than silver.

Gabby completely ignored Nigel’s presence. Now that I thought about it, Gabby seemed like the type to just forget about troublesome matters.

Meanwhile, Blackie was in a terrible mood.

Kkamang! Kkamang, kkamang!

Blackie kept barking at Nigel.

“Blackie, come here.”

I gestured for Blackie to come over. Only after I thoroughly petted his head did he finally stop barking.

Was Blackie… jealous? Did he feel that his position as my pet was being threatened?

I briefly considered the possibility, but since Nigel wasn’t even in beast form, I dismissed it.

“By the way, I heard the imperial family is hosting a hunting competition.”

“A hunting competition?” I repeated the duke’s words.

“Yes. The crown prince is hosting it in celebration of his birthday.”

Huh?

Now that I thought about it, it had been a while since I last saw the crown prince.

I asked the duke, “Do I have to participate in the hunting competition?”

“It would be better if you did. If you don’t, there could be rumors later.”

Not bad. A hunting competition.

Just hearing the words made my heart race.

Hunting competitions were held in the Demon Realm as well. Among demons, they were practically festivals.

A festival filled with blood, injuries, and sometimes even death.

Out of curiosity, I asked the duke, “What will they be hunting?”

“Foxes and deer, most likely.”

“Ugh.”

I openly frowned. A hunting competition where you only catch foxes and deer? At the very least, they should be hunting monsters to make it worth calling a hunting competition.

The duke seemed to misunderstand my reaction and added, “Don’t worry. There will be a separate hunting ground for smaller animals.”

Small animals? Did he mean rabbits or something?

That was even worse. At that moment, all my interest in the hunting competition vanished.

***

After dinner, I returned to my room and explained things to Nigel.

“Hunting competitions in the Demon Realm are fun. A new death always happens.”

“…Why is that fun? Isn’t that terrifying and dangerous?”

I ignored Nigel’s remark.

Even if I explained the cultural sensibilities of the Demon Realm to him, he wouldn’t understand.

“During the last hunting competition, a new lord was almost born.”

“A new lord can only be born when an existing one dies.”

“That’s right. One of the lords almost died.”

The protagonist of that incident was Senevia, the Lord of Sloth.

Hunting competitions in the Demon Realm were both a festival and an important means of maintaining order.

Once a year, hunting competitions were used to control the number of monsters.

Thanks to that, fewer low-ranking demons died to monsters.

Last year, Senevia had suddenly decided that hunting was too troublesome and lay down in the middle of a monster’s nest.

And then she was eaten whole.

If Seir, the Lord of Greed, hadn’t seen the scene and cut open the monster’s stomach to pull her out…

“I could have finally achieved my dream of escaping the youngest role.”

“Why is the Demon Realm like this?”

Nigel clicked his tongue at my explanation.

Cultural differences. There was no point in wasting energy trying to make Nigel understand the culture of the Demon Realm.

“Either way, I have no expectations for this hunting competition. Human culture is just too underwhelming compared to that of the Demon Realm.”

I took a bite of the strawberry tart that Jessie had brought from the kitchen and added, “Though I’ll make an exception for their food.”

The fresh strawberries had the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, making for an exquisite taste.