A Betrayed Master Will Not Return

56 – Original Sin (2)

The sound of birds chirping in my ears.

At the sound that made my heavy eyelids open, I slowly got up from my seat.

The time when the sun rises and a new morning dawns.

The shining sunlight and the blue sky visible through the window seemed to show a bright future ahead.

And beneath the bright sky like this, by the window.

There was her figure…

Elly’s figure.

She was sleeping with only a thin blanket covering her.

Her skin looked even whiter under the sunlight, and she had shiny silver hair, emitting a pure and pristine charm that made her seem not of this world.

As I looked at her, my heart fluttered once again, and I cautiously reached out my hand towards her.

Unlike yesterday, she felt slightly cold.

As I gently touched her, I unknowingly began to imagine a happy future that I would share with her, and a smile started to form on my lips.

At that moment…

“…”

“Ah… sorry. Did I wake you up?”

Elly suddenly opened her red eyes and looked at me, then slowly got up from the bed and replied with an expressionless face.

“No, it’s not. I was trying to wake up anyway.”

“Um…well…”

Her voice was so composed that it felt slightly awkward.

As a result, I couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of confusion.

“Even though it’s our first time being in a relationship… isn’t it a little cold?”

Although we hadn’t explicitly discussed it so far, yesterday’s events were a first experience for both her and me.

There were still traces of red stains from her body on the sheets.

Even though it could be interpreted as some form of compensation for doing something significant,

The fact that someone like Ellie, who could be considered extraordinary, gave me her first time, was something that couldn’t be thought of without her having feelings for me.

Furthermore, if it had reached this point, it was no longer just someone else.

It was as if she couldn’t say anything even if I called her my lover.

At that moment, while I was feeling slightly upset and confused about Ellie’s attitude.

“How was it? … Yesterday… about what happened.”

“!…”

For a brief moment, Ellie’s expression on her face began to tremble slightly.

Her faint, yet distinct flushed face and slightly trembling pupils.

At the same time, I felt a slight reluctance in her gaze as she looked at me.

Watching her like that,

I finally realized the reason behind her slightly cold attitude.

“I…enjoyed it. Very much. Um…how about you, Ellie?”

“…I also felt a little pain. But it wasn’t bad…”

There was still a sense of stiffness, but it was not devoid of meaning, unlike coldness.

“That was… you were feeling embarrassed…”

It wasn’t meanness or coldness, but rather a somewhat sincere shyness in Ellie’s response.

I realized this fact a step late, but quite clearly, and I thought there was a surprisingly cute side to her in front of me.

“Well… it’s a bit difficult for me to look straight at Ellie’s face right now… but even so, this appearance is quite refreshing, isn’t it?”

An unexpected aspect of a capable politician showing a serious smile.

In this way, the fact that I caught a glimpse of another face of her that others didn’t know became a factor that strengthens my affection for her.

“I’m glad… if you’re satisfied. Even though I am lacking… I hope you will continue to support me well in the future, Mr. Gelert.”

“…Indeed.”

A phrase that is considered to contain multiple meanings, expressing a request for support.

Not simply an employer-employee relationship, but a relationship that can be seen as lovers…

Feeling deep joy in those words, I answered with a smile on my lips.

“Well then… let’s finish up and leave. It would be better to have a simple meal for now.”

“Yes…”

According to Ellie’s words, I slowly got up from my seat.

In the meantime, unable to take my eyes off her beautiful body still in front of me.

And with sincere joy that someone like her has become my lover.

*

“Uh, uh…”

Jenny, barely suppressing her unsettled stomach, walked forward,

With a face still quite pale from excessive drinking the night before, she walked along the corridor with her colleagues.

“Jenny, are you alright?”

“I told you… Even though I keep saying it’s just a hangover, I drank way too much…”

“Uh… Well… Looking at myself, I did push myself too far…”

Despite already having relieved her stomach several times before coming here, she was still not in a good condition.

She had definitely gone way over her drinking limit and ended up almost inflating like a balloon due to intoxication, so it was perhaps a natural consequence.

However, amidst her physically weakened state, Jenny was quietly contemplating for a different reason.

She had clearly overdone it with the excessive drinking.

To her… No, to all the Devil Hunters, including her,

They couldn’t help but worry about what lies ahead.

“Laplasse is dead… If that’s the case, what will happen to us in the future?”

They no longer had to fight against demons.

There was no longer a reason for innocent people to die at the hands of those bastards.

So, what will happen to the Devil Hunters who have survived all this time while exterminating those demons?

“No matter what, even if I am not thrown onto the street in one morning… what could Lady Ellie be thinking?”

With doubts and anxieties about that fact,

Jenneu, for some reason, asked Gabriel, who has been silent since earlier, in a small voice.

“Hey Gabriel, what do you think?”

“What… are you talking about?”

“Well, what do you think will happen from now on? Right now, we are in a situation where the hunt is completely over, like a hunting dog after the hunt. Since there are no more demons in this situation, what will we do to survive?”

Usually, when asked like this, Gabriel would provide a fairly realistic story.

However,

“…I… I don’t know either.”

“Hmm… is that so?”

In response to this, she answered with a slightly stiff voice today.

Gabriel showed a rather different feeling than usual.

Feeling a slight doubt about that fact,

Jenneu walked forward in silence, temporarily reducing her words, along with a strange sense of discomfort.

“Come in quickly. Please come inside.”

As always, Napolea greeted them politely upon their arrival at the conference room where Ellie was waiting.

Feeling slightly surprised by her seemingly fresh appearance despite having indulged in heavy drinking the night before, Jeanne and the Devil Hunters entered the room. The first thing that caught her eye was Ellie sitting in her seat, and Gelard, whom she had seen for the first time since hearing that he couldn’t attend the party due to work. It was a familiar scene that seemed no different from usual, but Jeanne couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation as she observed them. “What’s this? The atmosphere seems quite different from usual…” She couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but as a woman, Jeanne’s instincts subtly told her that something was happening between them, as she noticed them exchanging glances with a hint of blush on their faces. “Oh… Could it be…” She couldn’t be certain, but considering the fact that the two of them had been alone together yesterday and the enthusiastic atmosphere they had, there was enough reason to think about it. “Quite interesting, is it? Well… It doesn’t really concern me.” Brushing off the thought lightly, Jeanne took her seat with the others. And then, addressing the women who had finished preparing to listen to the conversation, Ellie spoke in a serious tone. “Thank you all for gathering here. Well, since we don’t have much time, let’s get straight to the point. Napolea.” “Yes.” Following Ellie’s instructions, she immediately handed out paperwork to the Devil Hunters. At the same time, Ellie addressed them in a solemn voice.

Jen knew to some extent and was also curious about the part he had anticipated.

“As you all may know, with the death of Raphale, the origin of demons, there is no longer a need to maintain the profession of Devil Hunter. However, it is not something that we can just discard all the talented individuals who have worked hard until now. Therefore, under the command of His Majesty, we have decided to implement the following policy. Please take note of it.”

“This is…”

“!…”

The contents written in the document,

While confirming it, Jen’s face, which had been slightly filled with unease just moments ago, began to brighten.

The content that stated all Devil Hunters in this country would be incorporated into the Central Army.

Although the treatment will change, the fact that, from Jen’s standpoint, she wouldn’t end up on the streets was enough to consider it as not a bad content for the time being.

“The trinity conference will take place in a week from now, where we will officially discuss this matter. Please be prepared in advance.”

“Ah… Yes! I… I will do so.”

“Well, there may be some aspects that are a little disappointing… but understood.”

Devil Hunters responded in a bright voice.

However, even though they didn’t openly show it,

At that moment, one of the girls among them was sending a cold gaze without diverting her eyes from the contents of the document.

“Sly bastard… Could it be that he’s trying to stab us in the back once again in this manner…”