Welcome to the Demon’s Cabin - Chapter 16

Irene took a wide step as if jumping. Having emerged from the forest, she spun around and smiled brightly toward Idris.

“How is it, is it pretty?”

Beside her green skirt fluttering in the wind, a meadow full of colorful flowers was visible. In the very center of it, a clear blue lake, much larger than he remembered, was sparkling.

“Yes, it is truly beautiful.”

Idris answered in a tone that had softened in spite of himself. Indeed, it was a sight Irene could be proud of. It seemed it would not fall short even when compared to the lake his father cherished and maintained with such care.

Irene wore a proud face at his sincere admiration. That image of her smiling broadly with her teeth showing was truly that of an innocent girl itself.

It was a belated sentiment, but she was a woman with an appearance that was quite the opposite of her eerie eye color. Although her features were glamorous, her impression was on the cute and gentle side. Even more so because she had been smiling brightly all along.

‘If she is not a demon, she must be a variant of a Siren, right?’

They said it was a race that only had extremely beautiful females, and indeed, it is an appearance that makes sense. He knew for the first time through Irene that a face where glamour, purity, and cuteness coexist could exist.

Of course, he knew the probability of her being a demon was much higher, but he could not stop the thought of ‘What if……’ because he could breathe just from that small possibility.

Until a moment ago, he had felt as if he were going insane every second he spent conversing with a horrific being known as a demon; perhaps it was only natural that he now felt like thanking Irene for singing that Siren’s song.

Idris blankly watched Irene, who was smiling while picking a white flower.

“Actually, there is not much to guide you through here. It is enough to just remember that it is dangerous starting from that dark forest beyond the lake.”

Idris’s gaze headed toward her and the dense forest behind the lake. Beside the forest that looked beyond dark and into pitch-black was the cliff he had fallen from.

Likely, that direction is the way out to the Crescent Empire.

If Irene is not an absolute being, that is, a demon, if she is truly a Siren, might there be hope for him too? Just as they were both hostile to humans, the difference between an omnipotent being and a monster that was merely strong was the difference between heaven and earth.

There might be a way to escape from the clutches of this wicked existence. The embers of hope flared up. The moment he clenched his heart tight, Irene poured cold water on his thoughts.

“This vicinity is crawling with monsters, so you must not step even slightly out of this territory.”

‘Damn it. This cursed Black Mountain range.’

Come to think of it, Irene is not the only problem in escaping from here. The memory of the moment he fell from that sheer rock cliff and the pack of Chimeras was vivid.

If it were outside Irene’s territory, he would already be a dead man. It was the same now. The moment this protection disappears, he is nothing but monster food.

Because he had realized her power, Idris could not let go of hope even at Irene’s warning and asked again. He could not just let it pass. Because if he could only borrow her power, he would be able to safely cross through that den of monsters that looked dangerous at a glance and get out.

“Not even a single step?”

“Mmm……. If you are prepared to be half-eaten, it might be possible?”

“…….”

It was a nonchalant tone that contradicted the gruesome content. The moment he moved his lips to say something, Irene beat him to it.

“It is okay. Because it is safe as long as you do not leave this territory! You can just live together with me in my cabin.”

Idris could say nothing. As he faced Irene’s eyes, which had begun to glint with a cruel light before he knew it, he simply could not bring himself to speak. Goosebumps erupted all over his body at the sudden murderous intent. It was as if she were ready to even strangle him the moment he said he did not want to. This was clearly a threat wrapped in kindness.

A threat, that is, to not even dream of leaving.

The blue eyes that had been heading toward the cliff, filled with hope, were fixed upon the red eyes. He could not turn his gaze away.

A pair of large red eyes stared at him intently as if urging an answer. The pressure weighing down on his body grew increasingly severe. He was breathless at the overwhelming sensation.

He could not win against this being even if he died and came back to life. It was not a gap in power where he could dare to attempt resistance. He had expected it, but it was beyond imagination.

“……Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

The moment he barely affirmed with a suppressed voice, the energy that was weighing him down vanished without a trace.

Irene’s chilling expression had also relaxed as if it had never been that way.

‘Hahaha……! Damn it. Wicked things are all the same.’

Even if Irene were a Siren by some miracle, why would she help him? In a Siren’s eyes, he would just be a delicious emergency ration. One that incidentally plays the role of a clown or a parrot.

‘No. Still, an emergency ration is a hundred times, a thousand times better than the soul of a lowly creature to be dragged to hell.’

To be honest, since being confined or murdered was something he was already thinking about, there was less impact than expected. The relief that Irene might be a mere monster was much greater. Had he lost his mind from avoiding his senses too much? He was no different from an idiot.

‘How did I end up in a position to be thankful for something like this?’

He swallowed a sigh and faced Irene. None of it matters. He should just diligently observe whether that woman truly has no contractor. If it is true, she might really be a monster.

Regardless, for the time being, rather than escape or anything else, it seemed it would be beneficial for his well-being to quietly cater to Irene’s whims.