Chapter 2.18
The only thing he could hear were the shouts of the Holy Knights scurrying everywhere in pursuit of the demons.
Since he couldn’t just sit idle in an emergency situation where demons had appeared, Demian finished dressing and left the tea house.
The Holy Knight Order led by Frid had almost subdued the demons, but he insisted on finding and dealing with one himself.
Thud―!
A demon that couldn’t evade his swift sword collapsed, scattering a faint trace of Demonic Energy.
Demian intentionally let himself be hit by that Demonic Energy. This way, if anyone said they felt Demonic Energy on him, he could brush it off as being from the hunt.
‘This has become troublesome.’
Being possessed by Demonic Energy and sleeping with Levi Heron, and the demon leaving a mark on his body—it was all very annoying, but it wasn’t a matter so large it couldn’t be covered up.
Demian suppressed his rising irritation and walked with long strides.
It was only a short while later that he realized his judgment that he would be able to wrap up the situation quickly had been naive.
***
Levi returned to the Western Garden under the guidance of the Holy Knights who had found her.
Ayla, who had been asking the Holy Knights all sorts of things with an anxious face, spotted her and ran over immediately.
“Levi, are you okay? Where were you?”
As Ayla said this, her eyes were moist. Levi could tell that she had been worried she might have gotten hurt.
To Ayla, who had waited for her even while on the verge of tears, she couldn’t bring herself to say, ‘I was hit by Demonic Energy and unintentionally had a steamy time with the 1st Prince.’
“I’m okay. I was going to take a short walk before the picnic because I was nervous, but then the demons suddenly appeared.”
Levi held up a few lower-grade demons she had been carrying, bound by a binding spell.
“It took a lot of time because I was dealing with these small fries.”
Demian wouldn’t even remember what happened with her anyway, and she had no intention of going around talking about the secret time she spent with him.
Having decided to gloss over it instead of telling the truth, Levi handed over the demons she had caught to the Vice Commander of the Holy Knights.
Lance, the Vice Commander of the Holy Knight Order, took what Levi offered with a stunned face.
“This is…… you dealt with several demons.”
While the surroundings were in chaos, he had inwardly thought that a person famous for being frail rather than for swordsmanship disappearing was a lot of work.
Contrary to his irritation-filled concern, Levi seemed to have been faithfully performing her role as the Imperial Sword who faced demons.
Even though her complexion was pale and her mana was slightly unstable from overexerting herself in the process, she didn’t complain or act spoiled, unlike the rumors.
‘I thought she’d be cowed after hearing people call her a defective product so much, but she actually helped eliminate demons in her own way.’
He felt he could finally understand why people at the Academy had recently been saying that Levi Heron seemed to be undervalued.
Lance continued speaking while infusing some of the Holy Power he possessed into Levi.
“Lady Levi. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the picnic has been canceled. Lord Frid is personally leading the Holy Knights, so please return to your mansion promptly.”
“I understand.”
Levi agreed with a brief nod. As the trained Holy Knights were clearing out the demons that were disturbing the Academy, it was better for her to leave.
Above all, she was extremely exhausted from the secret time she’d spent with Demian.
Just in time, a carriage sent by the Heron family, who had heard the news of the demons’ appearance, arrived, so the time for deliberation was short.
“Ayla.”
“Yeah, Levi. Be careful on your way back. I hope you get plenty of rest.”
Ayla waved her hand, unable to take her eyes off the exhausted Levi, fearing she might trip.
Levi was briefly speechless as she looked at her.
“What are you talking about, Ayla? Let’s go together.”
“Huh?”
“Even if the Holy Knight Order is cleaning up, we don’t know where demons might be hiding. It’s dangerous to stay in the dormitory on a day like this.”
“But—”
“News will surely reach your uncle if you leave the Academy dormitory, but the inheritance lawsuit is in its final stages, so don’t worry about it.”
Levi’s judgment that she couldn’t leave her friend in an environment where a demon might pop out at any moment was rational.
However, to Ayla, the natural kindness Levi showed felt infinitely unfamiliar.
It had been so long since someone had treated her as a precious person who shouldn’t be hurt that she even questioned whether she deserved such consideration.
“No, Levi. I’m fine, so…….”
“As if that’s okay. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks when you can just stay at a friend’s house for a few days, right?”
Levi grabbed the hesitating Ayla’s hand and pulled her into the carriage.
The coachman of the Heron family checked on the safety of Levi and Ayla once more before he began to drive the carriage.
“…….”
Ayla watched Levi, who had leaned against her and fallen asleep as if she had passed out the moment they departed.
Then, she carefully moved her fingertips, just as the Vice Commander of the Holy Knights had done when sharing Holy Power with Levi.
Then, a small, transparent flame flickered to life at her fingertips.
‘……As I thought, it’s too easy.’
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