Anna, being new to the place, didn't know how to find the priest. She returned to the kitchen and found Rebecca, explaining the situation briefly. Even the usually composed Rebecca was startled, hastily going to find the head butler. What followed had little to do with Anna. The head butler quickly sent for Louis, the priest. This was the privilege of the lord and his family when they were ill—they could directly call upon the priest.
When Priest Louis arrived, Anna watched from a distance. He was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with thinning golden hair, a sight that even divine intervention couldn't prevent. His expression was compassionate, just as Anna imagined a priest would look. The priest rushed to Parich's side, where Wilson, the Earl, was already nervously waiting. After all, Parich was his only heir, and he was very fond of him, not wanting anything bad to happen.
Anna stood outside, straining to hear what was happening inside, but all she heard were calm and collected voices, without any dramatic exclamations about exorcising demons. Eventually, Wilson smiled and escorted Priest Louis out.
...That's it? Was the demon exorcised?
Considering that the demon hadn't shown any overly powerful abilities, Anna optimistically thought that the demon might be a weakling, easily vanquished by the priest with no fuss.
With hope in her heart, Anna approached Waldo and asked if she could retrieve the dining utensils. Now that Parich was feeling better, Waldo, who had calmed down, nodded in agreement and led Anna upstairs.
"Parich seems better now," Anna said with feigned worry. "I was so scared when he collapsed."
Waldo, now more relaxed, nodded. "Parich is fine now. Priest Louis used Holy Healing to cure him, but he's still resting."
Holy Healing! That sounded powerful and radiant—surely capable of destroying a demon, right? Anna was filled with excitement, her heart racing. She asked, "What happened to Parich? I thought it might be food poisoning and was so scared."
Waldo shook his head. "Priest Louis said it wasn't the food. It was the dark power within him acting up. He used Holy Healing to eradicate it, and now Parich is fine."
Dark power! Eradicated! If Waldo hadn't been there, Anna might have cheered out loud. Suppressing her excitement, she asked, "May I see Parich? Just a quick look from the door. I won't go in."
Waldo, thinking of how Parich often had Anna bring his breakfast and had even proposed to her, didn't refuse. He led Anna to the bedroom door.
From the doorway, Anna could see the bed with its gauzy drapes, barely making out the figure lying there. But just one look made her heart sink. She couldn't see the person clearly, but the oppressive, dark aura around the demon was unmistakable.
Far from being destroyed, the demon didn't seem weakened at all!
Anna's spirits plummeted. She left the room quickly after gathering the dishes. Earlier, she'd been ready to believe in the goddess if the priest had truly vanquished the demon. But she was deeply disappointed. The priest hadn't even detected the demon's presence. According to Waldo, the priest just "eradicated the dark power within him"—it sounded like he had removed an appendix!
Anna realized that seeking help from the church was futile and gave up the hope that a divine entity would destroy the demon. There was no savior—she could only rely on herself.
The one benefit of Priest Louis's visit was that he confirmed Parich wasn't poisoned, so Anna didn't have to worry about being accused. Since the demon was now bedridden, Anna had to bring him lunch and dinner, in addition to breakfast.
While the kitchen prepared Parich's lunch, Anna went outside for fresh air, where Abigail, Kelly, and Fiona approached her.
Anna noted how the three seemed inseparable, always together. They expressed concern about Parich's condition, and Anna reassured them that he was fine, putting smiles on their faces.
Anna wanted to learn more about the wizards from them, but the kitchen soon had lunch ready, and she had to leave.
On her way to Parich's room, Anna saw a figure in the usually quiet garden—a stranger in a black robe with gold embroidery, nearly touching the ground.
Was this the four-star wizard residing in the Earl's estate? The young genius?
Following Rebecca's etiquette lessons, Anna should have left quickly, but her curiosity got the better of her. She approached cautiously and stopped two meters away, speaking softly, "Honored sir, is there anything you need?"
The man, seemingly unfazed by Anna's voice, turned around. His young, handsome face was marked by the pride of an earl's son and a genius wizard. "I need you to leave," he said calmly.
Anna wasn't surprised by his attitude. Nobles and commoners were worlds apart, and only a demon-possessed Parich would ignore this divide. Giving up on her curiosity, Anna walked away quietly.
Waldo was waiting at the door and helped Anna carry the lunch inside.
Anna expected to see the demon in bed but found him sitting casually in the sunroom, wearing loose pajamas.
Rotgar was in a foul mood. The human body was too weak—he hadn't felt pain in ages. If it weren't for his bet with Balan, he would have left this body. He still needed Parich's body to win over that human woman, so he couldn't leave yet. The pain and the presence of light elements were annoying, even if the weak priest couldn't really harm him. And now, he had seen Anna talking to the wizard, Ulysses Russell.
Rotgar suspected Anna had found a new target. Ulysses, a young four-star wizard and a duke's son, was more appealing than a common earl's son. For a shrewd woman like Anna, the choice was clear.
"Parich," Anna called softly, avoiding eye contact as she set the food on the table.
Rotgar observed her, accessing Parich's memories. "My dear Anna, is your refusal to marry me because you've fallen for someone else?"
Anna was startled. Did her friends tell the demon what she had said?
She glanced at the demon, noting the dark, oppressive aura around him. "No, of course not," she denied firmly. "Where did you hear such nonsense? I haven't fallen for anyone."
"No one told me. I saw you with Ulysses Russell," Rotgar said, nodding toward the window.
Ulysses Russell? So, that's the wizard's name. Anna quickly denied it, remembering to stay wary of the demon. "You mean the respected wizard? I was only asking if he needed anything. I'm just a maid doing my job."
"Is that so?" Rotgar responded skeptically. He didn't fully trust her, knowing she was good at hiding her true intentions. He needed to observe more. Whether she pursued him or the wizard didn't matter to him. If she aimed for the wizard, he could possess Ulysses and achieve his goal.
"By the goddess, I swear it's true," Anna insisted.
Rotgar sneered. "Ulysses Russell is only here temporarily. He'll leave soon. Don't concern yourself with him."
Waldo interpreted this as jealousy, but Rotgar meant to urge Anna to act quickly if she had any plans.
Anna decided to take his words as an order from her master. "Yes, Parich," she replied, but thought, "I'll still approach him."
She was deeply curious about wizards and wanted to learn magic!