"Feel free to let me know anytime if you want to go out or if you need something…"
Then, Konny who was waiting outside the door called Lara with a loud voice.
"Milady! Someone from the manor is here, he said His Lordship was very angry. He told you to get your portrait drawn again. What do we do? He also told you to come home right now…"
Did I get caught?
Lara sighed.
Still, she thought she could last a few more days, but her father seemed to have checked the portrait. Nevertheless, it seemed that he still did not know about what had happened in the arena.
Lara gazed at Demian, rubbing her lips with her fingers.
"Be careful."
"About what?"
"After what had happened today had…spread, father could ask someone to get rid of you."
"If your father knew that we kissed, he would get rid of me?"
"…Yes."
Lara, who did not want to say the word 'kiss', if possible, tried to beat around the bush, but it was no use. Every time Demian said the word 'kiss', he persistently followed Lara's eyes.
"It might be dangerous to stay here. The more people talk about the incident, the bigger the rumor would get. People will misunderstand and think that we are in a very deep relationship, the same goes for my father."
"A very deep relationship."
"You get me? Be careful."
"Was it Marquess of Bailey?"
Demian slowly stood up.
As he stretched his tall body, Lara took a step back without her realizing it.
"Is your father an expert of swords? Is he an owner of swords? Or probably a master?"
"No. His swordsmanship is just ordinary."
"Then, is he a sorcerer? Is he an owner of a tower, or a leader of a sorcerer sect?"
"No. He is not a sorcerer. He is just an ordinary noble. He considers honor and reputation as important."
"Does he have knights loyal to the family from generation to generation?"
"No such thing. House of Bailey has never been a commander of the border."
Demian tilted his head to one side. His black hair spilled over his white forehead.
He asked a question full of wonder.
"Then, how can he kill me?"
"Demian."
"I won't die. If your father is an ordinary noble, he can't kill me no matter what it takes."
"He can make someone else do it, he can poison the bread you eat, or he can send an assassin while you sleep. Hautean is the country of nobles. As a slave, you can never stand up to my father."
As she said so, Lara felt a strange awkwardness. She felt like she was saying something wrong. This man, Demian Rhode Drake, was a powerful man who could stand his ground even against the Empire's finest knights. But how can Lara, who did not know much about him, make such a conclusion about his death?
"Lara."
Demian approached her.
With his back slightly bent, he tilted his head to one side and looked into Lara's face.
"I won't die."
He laughed with the corners of his mouth twisted, it was a fierce-looking smile. Now that she saw him, Lara realized that this man did not seem to know how to smile softly. She was still not avoiding his gaze. Demian reached out and grabbed a handful of Lara's hair. Through his long fingers, her thin hair gently ran down. As she watched her hair being played around in between his thumb and index finger, Lara said in a calm voice.
"I have to go back now."
"Master Lady."
He bowed close.
Without realizing it, Lara took a big step back. His lips crept close to her face and quickly became further.
"Don't call me like that. My name is Lara. Or just call me… Young Lady Bailey."
Demian smiled and raised his hands. Without Lara realizing, her wallet was already in his right hand. As if it was a matter of course, he took the checkbook out of her wallet in a confident manner. A slave who took care of his own sponsorship money. Lara did not know what to criticize first.
"…Buy clothes first."
"If that's your order."
Demian smiled and nodded.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Lara's plan to go to the dress designer was canceled because of the frantic kissing incident. As Demian took all the money in her wallet, she did not even have any money to pay for the dress deposit. Leaving behind the regret that she could not order extreme and shocking clothes, Lara left Demian's room and headed for the entrance of the arena. If she had known this would happen, she would have stopped Demian when he took all the money in her wallet.
Demian was interested in Lara. Even Lara, who was slow when it came to men, could tell that much. Having been born a slave and lived a life without wanting anything, he confessed, "you're different" with a look that could not be explained with words.
It did not seem like it was love at first sight nor did it seem like he wanted physical pleasure from her.
No, it was not such a sweet feeling.
To put it bluntly, it was like the obsession and sense of kinship that a mutant—who thought he was the only one in the world—felt when he met another mutant.
"Milady, what should we do now?"
"It's okay."
"We should not go to the arena today… I apologize for urging you to come here. You're not going to get in more trouble because of me, are you? Right? I heard His Lordship was very angry."
"Konny."
"Yes?"
"Don't worry, father won't do anything to you. At worst, he will raise his voice and give you a warning."
"What about milady?"
"Maybe I'll be grounded?"
But it would be different for Demian. Marquess of Bailey would soon be told that Lara and Demian hugged each other on the floor of the arena and shared a sloppy kiss.
He would be angry.
He would give a scornful reaction.
He would not admit that it had happened, saying that it was ridiculous.
After killing Demian and making it as if nothing had happened, he might keep Lara under restraint and monitor her.
How should I respond then?
I did not want to run away and hide.
Because I did not do anything wrong.
I won't even cling and beg to him while crying. I don't have anything that I want from father anymore.
Should I scream and fight him back?
Should I insult the family using foul language, ones that father hated the most, and sneer at him for being the Prince's pawn?
Or should I run out to the ballroom late at night and go into a random hotel with a man I had just met for the first time?
Wearing a low-cut red dress, as if saying "look at me".
It won't be difficult to find a man to accompany me to the hotel entrance with just a few gold coins.
Anything was fine.
Reputation doesn't matter to me.
Just imagining her father's distorted face made Lara feel better.
Lara would drag him to the bottom so that he could never use his daughter again. Then, she would laugh out loud and break up her relationship with his father. That was her revenge against her heartless father who took the lead in offering his daughter as a demon's sacrifice, in addition to selling his one and only daughter to the trashy Prince.
"That sounds fun."
"Pardon? What is it, milady?"
"Nothing."
When they went outside, several carriages were waiting at the entrance of the arena. Before returning home, the young noblewomen gathered in groups to talk and made the next appointment. Workers, escort guards, and maids also worked diligently to help their masters return home.
"…!"
When Lara appeared in that noisy place, the murmurs had suddenly stopped.
Everyone looked at Lara.
The young noblewomen, their maids, workers, and even the escort guards.