In fantasy novels, fortune-tellers at festivals were always eerily accurate — like they’d been given spoilers straight from the author.
Thinking he was one of those skilled kinds, I quietly followed him into the tent and sat down.
"As I thought, you two came because you sensed an ominous energy, right?"
But what was this sudden, shocking news like a lightning strike from a clear sky?
“An ominous energy?”
“You narrowly escaped a great misfortune. Of course, you haven’t completely shaken off that ominous energy yet.”
I had only come to check my love fortune for fun, but I was so dumbfounded, I couldn’t even respond properly.
‘Isn’t that one of those classic fortune-teller lines?’
If I were to compare my situation to a novel, I would say I have gone through the introduction, development, crisis, climax, and resolution, and was probably in the epilogue or extras by now.
But if I had clearly overcome the major crisis, why was there still foreshadowing of yet another?
‘Skilled, my ass…’
I couldn’t even bring myself to smile — my lips just twitched as I turned to look at Felix.
However, he remained silent, staring at the fortune-teller as if he knew something.
‘Seriously?’
We had barely survived all the hardships and taken down that irredeemable trio — and now what?
What else could possibly be waiting for us?
‘Isn’t God supposed to be on my side?’
Based on what Leraze said before, since I wished for Claudia’s happiness, the God of this world would definitely be on my side, not my enemy.
I didn’t want any more crises!
Just let me be happy for once!
But my panic only lasted a moment.
Having unintentionally grown quite used to crises, I took a deep breath and calmly asked a question.
“Could you please explain exactly what you mean by this ‘ominous energy’?”
“Even if you say that, I can only envision vague scenes. The future branches into countless paths depending on a person’s choices.”
“In that case, just tell me whatever you know.”
I slid a pouch of gold coins across to the fortune-teller.
The old man’s pupils flickered at the unexpectedly generous tip.
After a brief hesitation, he carefully spoke.
“One thing is certain: you are the person at the centre of all this misfortune.”
“...Me?”
I pointed at myself with my finger, blinking repeatedly.
“But with the blessings of the world upon you, what is there to fear? No matter what crisis may come, the peace that surrounds you and the favour of fate are already destined.”
By this point, the fortune-teller’s words barely registered in my ears.
“Fel...?”
I trembled slightly and turned to Felix, sending him a pleading look for an explanation.
He seemed to avoid my gaze for a moment, then sighed and reluctantly spoke.
“Actually, during the hunting tournament, I faintly sensed demonic power.”
“Ah, demonic power?”
A devil again?!
“The devil wasn’t summoned into the Empire’s lands. To be precise, it seems the devil summoning ritual failed.”
Well, that made sense.
I briefly searched my memory and recalled traces of Benjamin summoning the devil.
No ordinary person could have manifested such a horrific scene — one too dreadful even to speak of.
And it was not like there could be two souls in this world as pure and full of mana as Felix’s.
That was why I believed devils would never appear in this world again.
“When a summoning ritual fails, most summoners perish; however, on very rare occasions, they acquire the devil’s power.”
That was news to me. So, putting together what the fortune-teller said and what Felix said...
“Are you saying someone recently gained demonic power because of me?”
“Please don’t say such a thing. Rin is absolutely not the cause. You are just a victim.”
Felix spoke in a firm, decisive tone.
I had a strong gut feeling — ‘don’t you dare blame yourself.’ It was a phrase Felix and I often repeated when Claudia was being tormented by the irredeemable trio.
His tone and demeanour were exactly the same as back then.
Even though I thought it was ridiculous, I couldn’t help but ask.
“Could it be that person liked me so much they tried to summon a devil?”
Felix remained silent, quietly confirming my suspicion.
“No, just who on earth...”
He precisely pointed out the hunting competition.
That was the day Claudia, who usually rode well, suddenly fell awkwardly from her horse and sprained her ankle.
On top of that, she was nearly attacked by a wild beast that appeared out of nowhere.
Fortunately, Felix saved her.
But what if it wasn’t just a coincidence — what if someone’s malice, fueled by demonic power, was behind it?
Come to think of it, many people acted as if the rumour that Claudia and I were a real couple was true.
‘No wonder I had a bad feeling about it.’
Whoever it was, how dare they try to harm the Emperor?!
Even before the rage could fully surge through me, one thing was clear — this was outright treason.
No matter how much they did it out of affection for me, there could be no mercy.
Treason, regardless of the reason or the person behind it, meant only one thing: execution.
"There’s no way Fel would’ve stayed silent after finding that out. You’ve already identified the culprit, haven’t you?"
“Well… I was planning to tell you after today.”
“What? After everything we've been through with the irredeemable trio, what could possibly be worth hiding? You should’ve told me right away!”
Having personally dealt with a complete lunatic like Benjamin, I was confident I could face most shocking situations without flinching.
But the fact that he didn’t tell me right away and kept it hidden all this time… a sudden wave of betrayal and hurt washed over me.
“How many times have I told you to stop carrying the burden alone and suffering in silence?!”
I raised my hand and gave Felix a sharp slap on the back. He looked down at me with wide eyes, startled like a rabbit caught off guard.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Think you did something right?”
“...”
Maybe stunned by my sudden outburst, he didn’t say a word.
The fortune-teller gathered the pouch of gold coins and his bag, then quietly stepped back and pressed himself close to the tent.
“Heh heh. Please, carry on with your conversation comfortably. This old man will return in an hour.”
Then he abandoned his tent and took off just like that.
He must have expected that the fallout from this mess would soon come back to him — he was truly a skilled fortune-teller.
I clicked my tongue with a short “tsk” and tilted my head with a touch of annoyance.
Felix, still dazed from being smacked on the back by me, finally came to his senses and dropped to his knees, like a knight who had failed to carry out his duty.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re good at apologising.”
“I won’t do it again.”
“Hmph.”
‘You sure know how to talk, but I don’t believe you anymore. There’s a reason they say “old habits die hard.”’
For a moment, I almost softened because of that loyal, obedient expression, but this time, I refused to accept his apology and just snorted.
"But I absolutely did not stay silent just to handle this alone. It was a personal matter."
"Lies. Fel only avoided me for a while because he was tracking down the culprit, right?"
"No, it’s true that I avoided you."
“Why?”
By now, Felix must have realised that silence wouldn’t help him — after all, I had already dug too deep.
He was quick-witted, after all.
His cheeks flushed even redder than when he’d eaten something spicy.
The way he fidgeted, his face heavy with self-reproach, was unexpectedly endearing, and I almost forgave him again.
He replied hesitantly.
“The impulse I feel... how is it any different from hers...?”
"There’s no way they’re the same!"
How could merely thinking something be the same as acting on impulse?!
You must have been digging yourself into a hole again and ended up drilling all the way into your core...!
No, wait a second.
“Her... you say?”
Liking me?
I was so stunned I even forgot to be angry.
Before Felix named the culprit, I had just assumed it was a man — because I was into men.
I judged everything entirely from my own perspective.
‘Isn't it extremely rare for someone to summon a devil out of friendship?’
Summoning a devil in an Empire already on edge from the devil incident was madness enough — but to do it for love…
‘The likelihood is definitely greater than friendship.’
For someone like me, who used to act clingy and affectionate toward fellow women, it was an utterly shocking experience.
‘I can't believe she might actually like me.’
Right. That could definitely be true. In this vast world, how could everyone be heterosexual like me?
But I was shocked at myself for never once considering such an obvious possibility.
I had confidently sworn there would be no mercy, yet I nearly faltered simply because the other person was a woman.
“Who... who is it?”
I steadied myself, recalling the times Claudia and I had narrowly escaped serious injury or death.
Unlike when I asked if he’d tried to handle it on his own, Felix answered my question without hesitation.
“It’s Lady Redlight.”
・・・・・
The place in Hell where human sins were judged was a vast, funnel-shaped abyss.
It was carved out when Lucifer, once an angel, was cast down from Heaven, endlessly falling and piercing all the way to the ends of the earth.
Far below the dizzying cliffs, rivers of lava flow like torrents, accompanied by the agonised screams of tormented souls.
Low-ranking devils lurked nearby, dragging back any souls who barely escaped the pit.
A fragile human body would burn to a crisp just by touching the flames, but souls that have reached Hell did not lose their form even when thrown into boiling lava.
Though they still felt the pain as intensely as ever.
Larry watched the entire scene with a blank mind, resting his chin on his hand.
While Lucifer was away at a meeting, Larry was temporarily overseeing the tortures in his stead.
“I don’t even know why I’m putting up with all this.”
Larry muttered under his breath.
Lucas, Benjamin, Constantine — by the rules, all three were the most heinous souls that Lucifer himself should have managed directly.
But because Leraze took one of them away under the pretence of a contract, even Larry, just a fragment of his soul, ended up suffering needlessly.
Larry was currently serving as an errand boy for the high-ranking devils.
Leraze had sold him to them under the pretext that he would learn a lot, but in truth, it seemed Leraze just wanted him to get out, build some connections with the devils, and stop being so listless.
‘Not just mimicking humans — now he’s playing the role of a real parent? Please.’
Larry, bored by the unchanging scene of Hell, stared blankly before flopping down flat.
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
No sooner had he done that than a message arrived from Asmodeus.
Irritated, Larry jumped up from his seat and ran his hand through the back of his hair.
“What now?”
—You need to go to the surface world for a bit.
“I’m not going to the surface.”
ᅳReally? Leraze said you’d definitely go.
“There’s no way Leraze would say that.”
Larry replied, full of disbelief.
Asmodeus, seemingly annoyed by the pointless argument, briefly explained the whole situation.
To put it simply, a summoning circle suddenly appeared right in front of him, and before he knew it, he’d accidentally breathed into it.
It was such a rookie, clumsy mistake that he probably felt embarrassed even saying it out loud.
ᅳIt’s faint, but my power has seeped in. You retrieve it.
“Why me...?”
ᅳLeraze said you’d understand if I told you it was related to Irene Amber.
“...”
ᅳThe power you retrieve is yours to handle.
Asmodeus spoke as if doing him a favour, chuckling, “There aren’t many low-level devils like you.”
Then, he abruptly cut off the message.
It meant that although Larry had the ability, he was still young and low-ranked, making him perfect for running errands.
“Ugh, seriously...”
He hadn’t even glanced toward the surface, worried he might foolishly appear before Irene and meddle.
He had no idea what was going on over there at all.
‘She’s probably doing just fine without me.’
Larry stared blankly at his palm for a moment, then clenched his fist tightly.
There was no need to overthink it.
All he had to do was retrieve the power quickly and return immediately.
・・・・・
Early the next morning, I quietly headed to the underground prison of the imperial palace.
I intended to ask Lady Redlight why she had done it — whether she had been threatened by a third party or if there was some unavoidable reason.
“I did it because I love you, my lady. I love you so much!”
But the moment I heard those words, my heart completely hardened.
Hadn’t I heard that line far too many times before?
I looked at Lady Redlight, shackled and struggling in her dungeon cell, with a sense of dread.
Though her appearance and gender were different, I saw Lucas in her — especially those eyes gleaming with madness.
It was no longer human.
“I don’t understand what loving me has to do with summoning devils.”
“Irene, you never showed me the slightest interest! Then why did you comfort me? Why were you so kind to me?”
“It seems you want to blame me, but out of all the countless ways you could have courted me, Lady Redlight, you chose to summon a devil.”
It hadn’t even been that long since countless innocent lives had been lost because of demon-like humans and devils.
'If you had just hit me or cursed at me back then, I would have been more lenient with you than I am now.'
“You said I’m the most beautiful in the world!”
“I don’t think I ever said that.”
Lady Redlight was undeniably beautiful, but there was no way I would call her the best while Claudia was still around.
When I corrected her firmly, she ground her teeth in frustration.
“Even if I concede a hundred times and say it’s all my fault, summoning a devil can never be justified.”
It wasn’t really my fault, to begin with. Still, I did reflect a little.
Being warm and friendly with someone of the same gender was fine, but I should probably hold back when it started to feel like a pseudo-romance.
Cases like Lady Redlight’s might happen again, and some people might find my actions uncomfortable.
“You won’t be able to avoid the execution.”
We couldn’t just let it slide — not if we wanted to win back the public’s trust and prevent future devil summonings.
She had to be made an example of and punished thoroughly.
Although I tended to soften when it came to women, I knew when to draw the line firmly.
If Felix hadn’t been there on the day of the hunting tournament... just imagining it terrified me.
“Looks like I wasted my trip. Well then, I’ll be going.”
I gave a slight nod in farewell and exchanged a look with the guard.
Just as when I arrived, he personally escorted me to the entrance.
Anguished screams filled the air behind me, but I never once looked back.
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