Let the Whales Fight, This Shrimp is Leaving! - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 4
Hidden behind the faint glow in his eyes was a dense, suffocating bloodlust. It froze her entire body, making her feel like a young rabbit cornered by a apex predator.
How strange.
‘Thirteen drops of blood from a venomous creature.’
Why on earth was this specific piece of information flashing through her mind at a moment like this?
‘A venomous creature.’
The man before her could snap her neck in a heartbeat, and yet here she was, dwelling on a recipe.
‘The blood of a creature.’
Chime, chime. A warning bell rang clear in her mind.
‘Ah, of course.’
She understood now. She knew exactly why the Magic Circle had reacted to his blood.
Hoping her voice wouldn’t tremble, she forced herself to speak.
“You’re not human, are you?”
The very demon she had been searching for so desperately was standing right in front of her.
“I am human,” Deyan countered immediately.
His words claimed humanity, but his voice was entirely too rough. It sounded like the low growl of a wild beast.
‘Liar.’
Perhaps reading the sheer disbelief written across her face, he spoke once more.
“I am human, My Lady.”
This time, the beast—or the demon—put a little more effort into mimicking a proper gentleman.
“That is why I told you not to cause any wounds on my body. I apologize for pushing you so suddenly.”
Deyan poured out a string of disjointed sentences in rapid succession.
“Are you unhurt? If you can walk, please leave the room for now and return in… say, an hour. No matter what you wish to interrogate me about, let us do it later.”
“Oh? I’d rather not.”
She smiled, doing her best to project an air of nonchalant calm.
“Lady Idir. Please, I beg of you!”
Squeezing his eyes shut, he ran a hand through his hair, messing it up completely.
He was clearly trying to suppress his rising fury, yet the way he maintained his polite demeanor until the very end was almost amusing.
“Can I not explain this to you later?” Deyan pleaded.
“No. You cannot.”
If she gave him time, this man would undoubtedly find a way to slip through her fingers.
Granted, she had taken a hostage just in case, but efficiency dictated that she wrap things up quickly and easily.
‘Think, Idir Hubert.’
Deyan’s nosebleed had already stopped. As for the wound on his abdomen…
‘It’s not bleeding anymore.’
It was an injury so severe that his survival should have been a miracle.
She had deliberately dug her heel into that very wound, so the fact that not a single drop of blood was spilling now defied all logic.
‘Has it healed already?’
Even a simple pinprick left a mark that lasted for two days. For an injury of that magnitude to knit itself back together in a matter of hours was nigh impossible.
At least, it was impossible for a human.
‘He is the Immortal of Adorif.’
Yes, the man truly was an immortal.
It wasn’t just a grand title used to praise his martial prowess; it was the literal truth.
Once the reality settled in, a sudden, bizarre curiosity gripped her.
“Just how old are you?”
“…Pardon?”
The suffocating bloodlust twisting Deyan’s features flickered and wavered for a fraction of a second.
“What kind of nonsensical question is that?”
“Since you don’t seem entirely human, I thought I’d start by asking.”
“I am human,” the Immortal replied firmly. In the brief interim, his temper seemed to have cooled somewhat, as his eyes looked far more composed than before.
“Then explain it to me,” she demanded smoothly.
“Tell me who you are, and how that wound of yours could possibly heal so quickly.”
“That is…”
The mouth that looked ready to spit out a fierce retort a second ago clamped firmly shut.
“See?”
Smiling brightly, she took a slow, deliberate step toward him.
“You can’t answer.”
“Nothing good will come from you knowing.”
“Hmm. Then perhaps I should report you to the Temple?”
Deyan remained silent. It seemed her threat had struck a nerve.
“You wouldn’t mind that, right? Sir Immortal?”
“Do not call me by such an absurd title.”
To think the best comeback he could manage was a petty grievance like that.
‘How adorable.’
His bickering, which amounted to little more than a tantrum, was genuinely cute.
“Let me make you an offer.”
She picked up the discarded Dagger from the floor. Crouching down right in front of Deyan, she pointed the tip of the blade toward him.
“Thirteen drops of your blood. Even a nosebleed will do.”
“…”
“Give me that, and I will ensure you are returned safely to your homeland.”
His gaze shifted between the sharp blade and her face. He was clearly trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth.
“Of course, you don’t actually have a choice. You are currently my prisoner on charges of illegal entry, Sir Knight.”
She drove the point home with a sweet smile.
“I trust you understand that this is an issue that could easily escalate into a major diplomatic incident between our nations.”
“…”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had any reason to scurry through that forest like a common rat, would you?”
“…First, let us move this out of the way before we speak.”
His firmly closed lips finally parted as he used his index finger to gently push the blade aside.
‘His fingernails…’
Catching a fleeting glimpse of his hand, she noticed that the spots where his nails should have been were covered in thick calluses.
“Let me ask you something. Why on earth are you trying to take my blood?”
“Because it’s a vital ingredient for a Demon Summoning.”
“Demon… what?”
Deyan’s jaw dropped in sheer astonishment.
“An ingredient to summon a demon. I’ve tried the blood of various creatures up until now, but your blood was the only one that triggered a reaction.”
She decided there was no real point in hiding the truth.
“A person who goes so far as to seek out sacrifices to summon a demon is threatening to report me to the Temple?”
“Oh. You caught on to that, did you?”
“Is that not obvious?”
When she giggled in response, Deyan looked utterly dumbfounded. He was staring at her now as if she were some sort of bizarre anomaly.
Meeting his gaze head-on, she shrugged her shoulders.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether you cooperate or not. I can always just take it by force.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she slashed the blade horizontally.
‘Look at him go.’
She had expected him to block the strike with his bare hands under the threat of violence, but the seasoned knight simply leaned his torso back and seized her elbow.
“Give up.”
“Ow, that hurts.”
Instantly taking position behind her, Deyan pinned her arm to lock her in place. Naturally, the Dagger was wrenched from her grip as well.
“The moment I scream, the guards will rush in and overpower you.”
“I wouldn’t advise doing that.”
“They will use brute force to subdue you, of course, and you’ll probably end up with a wound or two in the process.”
“I gave you a warning.”
“What warning?”
She tilted her head back, looking directly into Deyan’s eyes.
The crimson glint that had been dancing within his hazel irises had already vanished without a trace.
“A warning that you’ll turn into a monster?”
“…”
The moment she taunted him, his brow furrowed deeply.
He seemed to view her as an incredibly sharp-witted woman. Or perhaps he simply found her insufferable.
“If you understand the situation, stop this reckless behavior.”
“I’m quite sure you can withstand losing a mere thirteen drops of blood.”
“Abandon this demon summoning business as well. What kind of disaster are you trying to invite with such madness? Have you lost your mind?”
Evidently exasperated by her perpetual smiling, Deyan questioned her rather harshly.
Lifting her free hand, she gently stroked the sharp line of his jaw.
“Perhaps I have.”
Yes, she was mad.
Even Giselle likely thought she had lost her mind.
What kind of ruler throws themselves into demon summoning under the guise of strengthening the nation?
“But try looking at it from my perspective, Sir Knight.”
The grip pinning her arm loosened ever so slightly.
Feeling the dull ache in her shoulder joint recede, she continued speaking.
“Every single nation on this continent, including your own homeland, is constantly eyeing the Plene Grand Duchy, waiting for a chance to strike.”
“…”
“Caught between these great powers, we live in constant terror of being crushed at any moment. You know as well as anyone why they mock me as the Shrimp Princess.”
“I have never used such a derogatory term to describe you, My Lady.”
“I suppose not. And my arm hurts.”
After a moment of hesitation, Deyan finally released her arm.
Did he think it was safe to let her go now that he had disarmed her?
‘How naive.’
Turning her back to him, she rubbed her slightly numb elbow and shoulder.
“Do you honestly intend to make a wish upon a demon? To beg it to make the Plene Grand Duchy powerful?”
His low voice cut through the air like a blade, striking her from behind.
“How foolish. If you truly believe things will go according to your wishes, you are incredibly stupid—”
“No.”
She stood up straight and brushed down the skirts of her dress.
“I am going to wish for the power to exact vengeance.”
Turning around to face Deyan directly, she made her declaration.
“I want revenge against the culprit who murdered my mother.”
In exchange, she would offer the killer’s flesh and blood, along with her very soul.
“Wouldn’t that be a splendid bargain for both the demon and myself?”
“Bring down the Grand Duchess’s body, hurry!”
Whenever she closed her eyes, the vivid afterimage of that day still haunted her.
The lifeless body swaying from the ceiling, bound by a slender rope. The massive form of her father collapsing in despair at the sight.
If losing her mind meant she could set everything right, she would gladly dance in the very pits of hell.
“A person like you, who has spent his entire life wielding a sword from a position of absolute power, could never understand.”
The emotions she could neither ignore nor swallow only grew heavier with each passing year.
“We were so utterly powerless that we couldn’t even uncover the identity of the monster who murdered the Grand Duchess.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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