STVWDTD Chapter 33

Hotter Than Ever Before

"I didn't think you were like this, Angela's descendant. How disappointing. That child comes before me?"

"Enough. Just get out of Rodrick's body already. How long are you planning to occupy someone else's flesh?"

"I won't leave until we find Angela's gravestone—"

"Don't even dream of it. No cooperation unless you return Rodrick to normal."

The words cut clean as a blade. The man had no choice but to close his mouth.

Faced with Diana's unyielding stance, he switched tactics—pivoting to pathetic. He lowered his gaze, arranging his expression into something pitiful.

Blood beaded at the corner of his split lip. The bruises blooming across his swollen cheek made him look even more wretched.

"So cold-hearted. Don't you know to respect your elders?"

Diana laughed at the nonsense. "Are all elders the same just because they're old? Demanding respect based on age alone is rotten thinking. Ancestor."

Noel, nestled in Diana's arms, nodded along with her words—then his eyes locked directly with the man's.

A sneer curled Noel's lips. He stuck out his tongue.

A vein bulged at the man's temple at that infuriating sight.

"Say whatever you want. I have nothing to discuss with you, Ancestor. Return Rodrick. Negotiation starts after that."

The mana draining from her body was never consistent.

Some days it leaked out multiple times in small amounts. Other days, nothing escaped at all.

Even while absorbing Rodrick's curse, she wondered: Will this actually cure me? Absorbing the curse was merely a means of reducing immediate suffering.

Without addressing the root cause, nothing would be fixed.

What if she completely absorbed and eliminated Rodrick's curse?

If her body still wasn't healed then—wouldn't she just have to search for another cure?

In the midst of that worry, Rodrick's ancestor had provided the answer.

'Eliminate the one who cursed you. Or deal with those connected to you.'

Rodrick's ancestor had said there were people draining her mana.

That when they burned through her power recklessly and depleted it, she would die.

Fine. She understood that much. She was someone's battery. Setting that aside for now—

"Why aren't you answering? Rodrick. Hand him over. Now."

She'd been shocked to discover scars and sigils on her back that she hadn't known existed. But that was all. The shock's aftermath was already contained.

Face a problem, solve a problem. One thing at a time, starting with what's right in front of you.

"Ha, must you really go this far?"

"Who's being unreasonable here? Even empty houses get knocked on before entry. Did you get permission before barging in?"

The man broke into a sweat, avoiding her gaze. That arrogant attitude from before—where had it gone? He hedged and wavered.

Under Diana's relentless stare, he raised both hands in surrender.

"Fine. Fine. I'll leave. But I need to stay with you."

What the hell does that mean?

"Don't tell me you're planning to possess my body this time?!"

Diana backpedaled, clutching Noel, her expression revolted.

"..."

The man looked at Diana with distaste.

"Descendant, you really do like peculiar children."

Rodrick remained silent. He'd been quiet for a while now.

He's seen a lot. Plenty to think about. The man dismissed it as nothing important and led Diana toward the vault.

"Now, let's go inside."

Within the vault holding vast quantities of treasure, there was another secret door. She hadn't known this existed. Though honestly, with secret passages already present, what wasn't hidden here?

The man strode forward without hesitation.

"This is where the family heirlooms are kept."

They stood before a glass case positioned at the very back among the heirlooms.

"So you're entering this right now?"

"Yes."

It was a ring set with a blue sapphire darker than Rodrick's eyes.

The band supporting the sapphire was studded with countless diamonds that glittered like stars. The overall atmosphere was one of antique elegance.

"This ring has been passed down through our family for generations. Only the lady of the house may wear it. Here, you take this."

"I'm not the lady of the house, though?"

As if that were irrelevant, the man said, "Aren't you going to marry this boy?"

How are ancestor and descendant exactly alike? Why does he say it like it's so obvious?

To begin with, Rodrick wasn't even the ducal heir, and even if she married him, she had no intention of becoming the duchess of the house.

Why would she do something so tedious? Once her body was healthy, she'd lounge around at home living the life of a wealthy unemployed person. She already had plenty of assets. She just needed to get healthy.

"What about the Duke's permission?"

"I'm giving permission, aren't I?"

Look at this ancestor. Why so shameless?

"If someone dead for several generations suddenly announces they've granted permission for the lady's symbol, will people just say 'Oh, I see' and believe it?"

"It'll be fine. Everyone seems scared of this boy anyway. They'll accept it."

"..."

She was speechless. This ancestor was impossible. The man removed the glass case surrounding the ring.

"Now, put on the ring."

"No. The order is wrong. Enter first. I'll put it on after that."

Diana was thorough about such things. Rodrick hadn't even returned yet—she had no obligation to follow orders.

"..."

Not an easy opponent. Once Diana stated something, she never backed down. The man fell silent before speaking.

"You really never lose once, do you?"

He muttered low that this personality was different from Angela's. The man closed his eyes and placed his hand over the ring.

Both Diana and Noel tracked the movement of the black shadow rippling across Rodrick's body with their eyes.

The black shadow was instantly sucked into the ring through Rodrick's hand as if drawn in.

"Rodrick?"

A silence so deep even breathing couldn't be heard. Beneath lashes long enough to cast shadows, blue eyes were revealed.

"..."

Those wordless, vivid blue eyes were cold enough to sting.

At an hour when everyone slept except those on patrol.

"Your Grace."

Nathan—who'd been scolded by Diana for not greeting the Duke, the master of the house—stood in the Duke's secret study.

Like a knight commanding a division, he stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back.

That slovenly appearance from before was nowhere to be seen. His expression was unusually grave.

Nathan only lowered his gaze to look at Duke Schwartz, who sat comfortably in a single armchair.

"Devir Beatus."

Nathan handed his brother's letter to the Duke. The Duke tapped the letter resting on the armrest. Tap, tap.

"Devir Beatus's whereabouts are unknown. Do you know them?"

"Classified information. I cannot say."

Nathan spoke firmly, though he too didn't know Devir's location. He'd find out when he reached the capital.

Even without Diana's request, he'd been planning to go. Something felt wrong.

He'd told Rodrick he'd severed ties with Devir Beatus long ago, but that was a lie. For what they planned to do going forward, it had to appear that way on the surface.

He wanted to confront his brother. You said Diana was somewhere safe, you bastard. And that place is Schwartz?

Though he had to come to Schwartz on Devir Beatus's errand, he didn't like it. Too many coincidences to be just coincidence.

"I don't know what your siblings are plotting, but I don't see why you're dragging us into it."

Despite confirming the letter's contents, the Duke calmly claimed ignorance of the situation.

"Don't forget I helped subjugate the monsters."

The Duke propped his chin on his hand at an angle, looking at Nathan. The blue eyes deepened by years carried weight.

"Like sibling, like sibling."

Quite brazen.

It was an old matter. When Rodrick was absent, Nathan had wandered the North and eliminated monsters that had attacked a village.

He'd milk that for all it was worth? Nathan had already been rewarded back then.

"..."

Without answering, Nathan shamelessly kept his head high, standing in perfect form.

The Duke lowered his gaze to the letter again. He began weighing his options. What was gain and what was loss. The decision didn't take long.

"Fine. Our Northern forces will remain silent before the Emperor. We won't participate in central politics and won't take anyone's side. Furthermore, we'll protect Diana Beatus as our highest priority."

"Thank you."

"But does that child know about this?"

"She won't. I don't want her to know either."

"Overprotective."

It wouldn't be strange if Diana led an army and attacked under the right circumstances.

She was that bold. Yes, he liked Diana enough to feel confident entrusting the North to her.

At the smile creeping onto his face, Nathan recoiled.

"Absolutely not!"

"I didn't say anything."

"I will never marry Diana off to this place!"

Where had that grave demeanor gone? The heavy atmosphere surrounding Nathan vanished completely.

"We'll see. That remains to be seen."

Nathan ground his teeth. The aura was sufficiently threatening. But like looking at a puppy, the Duke remained utterly composed.

"I'll be going."

Defeated in the battle of wills against the Duke.

"Please take good care of Diana."

Nathan sighed, gave a brief bow, and turned.

"Lord Nathan."

The Duke stopped Nathan as he turned. Nathan was already armed and ready to depart.

"Yes. Please speak."

"When you meet Devir Beatus, tell him this."

Nathan's expression as he quietly listened to the Duke's words was a sight to behold. The habit of smiling more deeply when angry surfaced without him realizing.

"No alliance is as certain as a marriage alliance."

Bang! Nathan didn't even answer—just closed the door and left.

If Diana had been there, she would have scolded him for being rude. Nathan emphasized each syllable like spitting out a vulgar curse.

"That fucking Schwartz!"

Marriage alliance my frozen ass. Absolutely not. Won't give her! Can't! Nathan stomped through the empty corridor, his footsteps echoing.

"Um, Rodrick."

His expression was so cold it felt like they'd returned to when they first met. His gaze, as if looking at something worthless, was filled with frost.

"You came back, right?"

Rodrick, who'd been rolling the ring in his palm, tossed it to Noel. Noel easily caught the ring and imprisoned it in his small hand.

Meeting Noel's red eyes, Rodrick was so cold and emotionless his thoughts couldn't be read.

"I'm entrusting it to you."

"Wait, Rodrick!"

But Rodrick's large hand gripping Diana's wrist as he pulled her from the vault was hotter than it had ever been.

[Mm, seems the descendant is quite angry?]

Noel looked at the ring, then at the black shadow floating in the air. Noel clicked his tongue in a very un-childlike manner.

"He's angry at you. Who'd be happy about having their body taken over without permission?"

[Haha.]

Undeniable acknowledgment. The black shadow said nothing more and had to leave the vault caught in Noel's small hand.