“Darlian-sama.
“Darlian-sama.”
Lowering her gaze to look down at the two before her, Darlian remained silent, not speaking immediately, but rhythmically tapping her right index finger against the small wooden surface.
Tap tap tap….
Although the sound was quite faint, in both Luna’s and Atena’s hearts, it felt like the black reaper pressing a sickle against their slender necks.
This suffocating, oppressive silence lasted for a moment before Darlian finally spoke in her usual icy tone.
“Do you know why I summoned the two of you?”
Both Luna and Atena lowered their heads even further, remaining silent and pressing their lips tightly, waiting for Darlian’s next words.
“I should have already instructed and ordered you to carefully take care of the Saintess, with no negligence whatsoever.”
Pausing slightly, Darlian’s slender eyes narrowed, and the coldness deepened within her gaze.
“But what is this nonsense about the meal you fed her?”
“Forgive me, forgive me, Darlian-sama, please give me one more chance…………..”
Ignoring the maid Luna’s pleading, Darlian shifted her gaze coldly toward the silent Atena.
“Viscount Atena.”
“Darlian-sama, I… I truly do not know about this matter.”
You don’t know?
Upon hearing this, a faint, seemingly mocking smile appeared on Darlian’s cold lips before she turned her gaze back to Luna.
“Luna, who ordered you to do such a thing? Was it Viscount Atena? And who else was involved in this?”
Darlian’s voice was like ice in the dead of winter, the biting cold making Luna bow her head to the floor.
“No, it was all me alone. Viscount Atena had nothing to do with it.”
“Nothing to do, huh…” Darlian sneered coldly, then shifted her gaze back to Atena, asking with a tone full of amusement, “Viscount Atena, what do you think?”
“D-Darlian-sama.” Atena’s voice trembled slightly under the weight of her fear, “I really don’t know about this matter.”
“You have been responsible for the Saintess’s affairs for over four months. You say you don’t know? Do you think I’m mad?”
At this point, Darlian had no desire to continue interrogating them.
“Disobeying orders and mistreating the Saintess.”
“Guards.”
The Demon Soldiers waiting outside immediately pushed the door open at Darlian’s command and entered.
“Darlian-sama.”
“Lock Luna in the dungeon to await trial for her crimes.”
“Yes.”
Hearing that she was to be locked away in the dark dungeon, Luna’s pupils instantly shrank in terror, and she hurriedly crawled forward, begging Darlian.
“Darlian-sama, I was wrong. Please give me another chance. I promise I won’t make the same mistake again. I beg you.”
Skirt hem.
Despite Luna’s pleas, no flicker of emotion appeared on Darlian’s cold face.
Perhaps knowing that begging Darlian was useless, Luna turned to Finihiya, reaching out and grasping her hand tightly.
“Lady Finihiya, I was wrong. Could you please say a word for me to Darlian-sama?”
Just as Darlian lifted her teacup to take a sip of the dark tea, she noticed a flicker of hesitation in Finihiya’s profile and immediately spoke first.
“Miss Finihiya, this is an internal matter among the Demons.”
As Luna’s noisy voice gradually faded away, the room returned to its previous silence.
Pale blue moonlight filtered through the slightly open window, and the breeze caused the candles on the iron candle holder to flicker endlessly.
Darlian’s eyes calmly fixed on Atena. After a long moment, she resumed her cold tone.
“Atena, you are temporarily relieved of all duties. Without my order, you are not to leave your room.”
“Y-Yes, Darlian-sama.”
“I will personally have this matter thoroughly investigated. No one involved or aware will be spared.”
***
After Atena was taken away by the soldiers, Darlian tilted her head to look out at the pale downward crescent moon.
She watched silently for a while before a sigh of helplessness and frustration slipped from her cherry-red lips.
When she reached to lift her teacup for a sip, she found it empty.
Just as she was about to pick up the teapot to pour more tea, its handle was lifted first by someone else.
Finihiya slowly poured tea into Darlian’s empty cup.
“Thank you.”
The “thank you” was not Darlian’s—it was Finihiya’s. Originally, Darlian had intended to speak, but Finihiya inexplicably spoke first, causing Darlian to emit a questioning “Hm?”
“Why are you saying thank you? I should be the one thanking you here.”
“I meant for just now.”
Upon hearing this, Darlian’s expression darkened slightly with annoyance.
“This is our problem to begin with; you have no need to thank me. On the contrary, I should be apologizing to you for making you experience such a terrible matter.”
Lifting the freshly filled teacup, Darlian tilted her head back and drank it in one gulp before standing.
“I will give you an explanation about this matter.”
Having said that, she didn’t look back at Finihiya but strode toward the door and walked out.
***
Walking back along the path she had come, Darlian felt vaguely as if she had forgotten something.
But at this moment, she had no mood to think about what it was—her mind was filled entirely with what Luna and Atena had done.
Cold white moonlight poured down, shrouding the courtyard’s blue-green rosemary.
Returning to the room where she had been reviewing documents earlier, Darlian raised her hand and pushed open the door.
In the faint, dim light, she saw Ailus still standing there.
“Darlian-sama.”
“D…”
Perhaps sensing something unusual in Darlian’s tone, Ailus first poured a warm cup of milk for her, then softly asked, “Darlian-sama, is there something troubling you?”
Darlian slowly sat down in the cushioned chair, resting her back against its soft support, then raised her hand to gently rub her temples that throbbed slightly.
“Luna fed the human Saintess moldy Black Bread and sour Soup for dinner.”
“To think something like this would happen…” Ailus furrowed her brows and then showed a trace of guilt. “Darlian-sama, it’s my fault for not finding a reliable servant…”
“This isn’t your fault.” Before Ailus could finish, Darlian shook her hand lightly to stop her. “Besides, Atena tacitly approved, even participated in this matter. It’s my failure.”
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