“N-No, they are not!” Cornelia insisted in a high-pitched tone, covering her ears with both hands. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, lamenting the fact that this utterly despicable woman had immediately pointed out her biggest insecurity.
She had no idea why Marialite was walking around the palace without a bodyguard to accompany her, but Cornelia was certain that if she called out for one, those soldiers would come rushing to her aid.
At that moment, Marialite had absolute power over Cornelia. She could probably even kill her if she wanted to. On the one hand, Cornelia didn’t want to do anything that might encourage Marialite to attack her while she was vulnerable, but equally, she didn’t want to toady up to her, either. In the end, she decided to shoot a piercing glare at her.
“Oh, right!” Marialite exclaimed, clapping her hands together in realization. “I wanted to return this to you,” she said, holding out her palm. In the middle of it sat Cornelia’s pendant, its ashen-colored jewel shining unabashedly.
“That’s mine!” she gasped, instinctively reaching to snatch it from her hand. However, she froze midway before slowly retracting her hand.
Marialite tilted her head in confusion. Cornelia wrinkled her nose; why was she acting like she hadn’t orchestrated this blatant theft in the first place?
“…And what are you asking for in return?” Cornelia queried, her tone laced with suspicion.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t play the fool,” she scoffed. “You were trying to indebt yourself to me so that I would authorize your marriage to His Highness. Or is there something else you want from me?”
“Something I want from you…?” Marialite echoed, putting a finger to her chin in thought. “A variety of seeds might be nice. I’ve just started designing a garden here at the palace, so that would be a huge help.”
Why in the demon realm doesn’t she simply ask the prince for such a thing?
Surely, he would provide her with anything she asked for. And, besides, gardening was an activity that only poor people partook in so that they could feed their families.
Does she have no self-awareness of her position as the future empress?
“Growing plants is a very popular hobby in the human world, you see,” Marialite grinned. “That’s how I used to spend my time back home.”
“Hmm… I never knew that,” Cornelia nodded without thinking. Marialite had read her mind so easily that she let her guard down for a moment. She shook herself; she was forgetting the danger she was currently in. Never had she let someone else take the initiative in a conversation before, and the situation was making her rather uncomfortable.
She convinced herself that it was only happening because of the constant electric current of pain she was barely holding her own against. This would never usually happen. All she needed to do was reassert herself.
“Well, you’ll soon be returning to your home country, so you needn’t bother,” Cornelia said with a harrumph. “You can simply grow plants when you get back, no? When I face you in the duel, the sheer violence I’ll inflict on you will be enough to send you running home. I’ll make sure of it.”
“We’re going to have a duel?” Marialite asked, her eyebrows high on her forehead.
“Yes. Since I don’t approve of the marriage between you and His Highness, that means we must duel each other to determine your true strength. Of course, if you win, I’ll allow the wedding to go ahead, but… Well. Both you and I know that won’t happen,” she grinned wickedly.
“Okay, then! I’ll start working out right away,” Marialite smiled, her eyes twinkling as she flexed her biceps triumphantly.
“What?” Cornelia scowled. She thought Marialite would be cowering with fear at the mere prospect of it. Instead, she was far from scared; she actually seemed to believe she could win. Had she cried and begged for forgiveness, Cornelia was even willing to let her leave Celaeno unharmed. But now…she was furious.
“Are you insane?! You’ve seen my magic! There’s not a chance in hell you’d be able to withstand it!” she exclaimed, her voice turning shrill in response to the palpable fighting spirit flowing from Marialite.
“Well, I’ll never know unless I try,” Marialite shrugged. “That’s what I learned from one of my favorite books.”
“That’s fiction! This is reality, fool! To think you couldn’t tell the difference at your age…” she sighed. “Do you truly understand what’s at stake here? I intend to wound you. Badly! Everyone else might fawn over you and pamper you just because you’re a saint, but I’ll send you home crying in agony!”
“I’ll admit I want to avoid getting hurt,” she smiled sheepishly. “But still, Lord Sirius said he’ll make me happy living here. I think that’s something worth fighting for.”
Unlike Cornelia’s hurried, flustered speech, Marialite’s tone was quiet and full of gravity. She was like a huge, unmovable tree amid a hurricane.
“I want to make a happy life alongside someone who truly loves me. So, if I have to battle you in order to do so, I’ll gladly go through with it.”
“…You’re the second person I’ve met who wasn’t at all scared of standing up to me,” Cornelia observed with a murmur.
“Who was the first one?” Marialite replied curiously.
“Lord Sirius,” she sighed. “This…really is ridiculous.”
At the end of the day, Cornelia would most definitely win in a duel between the two. Nevertheless, on an emotional level, she could never win. Cornelia was certain her words and actions would never, ever have an effect on this woman.
Perhaps Cornelia would defeat her with very little effort, marry the prince, and become empress. However, even if she reached every goal she had set for herself, she would live with the frustration this woman had inflicted upon her until the day she died. When it came to matters of the heart, she would lose to a puny, powerless human with a far shorter lifespan than her own.
No—she had already lost long ago.
“I will be on my way now, so give me the pendant,” Cornelia snapped.
“Of course. Here,” she replied.
It was entirely within Marialite’s power to bargain with her—to demand that she called off the duel in return for her precious pendant. And yet, she simply smiled, readily handing over her one means of manipulation.
Cornelia cast her eyes down, clutching onto the pendant, safely back in her own grasp.
“This once belonged to my mother,” she murmured.
“Oh… It’s a good thing it wasn’t damaged in any way, then,” Marialite said gently.
Cornelia nodded in reply, and a cluster of fireballs suddenly appeared all around her. Apparently, the magical barrier had either worn off or been taken down, because she was able to use magic once more. An airy, light feeling bloomed as the tension left her body.
My butler… Oh, forget him! She had a strange feeling she would never see him again, anyway.
“Listen, you. I’d like to ask a question,” she stated with a shrill tone.
“Yes?” Marialite replied, only too happy to help.
“Do you have any demon friends?”
“Um…not really. Not yet, anyway. I often talk to the maids and soldiers at the palace, but I’m not sure that counts,” she shrugged.
“Is that so? You poor thing.”
In the next moment, a pillar of fire encased Cornelia, and she disappeared, leaving nothing but those few, blunt words in her wake. Marialite stared in wonder for a moment before pulling her fists close to her body, gearing herself up for her next mission.
“I need to start going for a run every day!” she said, devising her new workout plan enthusiastically.
As she made punches at thin air, a single black bird watched from a rooftop outside. It then hopped down from the ledge and flew into an office window.
Sirius held out his hand to welcome it. It obliged, swooping down to perch on his wrist and fold its wings away. He slowly reached out with a fingertip, stroking its beak gently. The bird seemed to enjoy it, because it happily nuzzled its head into the creases on his hand.
“Lady Marialite…” Sirius whispered.
He’d heard what happened with Cornelia. Naturally, he’d anticipated her attempts to break through the barrier, thus he planted those guards in order to catch her in a weakened state, but…never had he imagined that Marialite might save her before they could do so.
What was even more unexpected was the way feisty Cornelia completely lost her will to fight. If Raven ever saw her act like that, he’d probably pass out from shock.
And, of course, he was overjoyed to hear that Marialite was willing to fight; she truly did believe him when he said he would make her happy. That was a big step.
However, at that moment, he was the one who was extremely happy. He wasn’t completely sure if that would be of any use in bringing Marialite happiness, but for now, he couldn’t deny the lovestruck smile on his face.