ALL NOVEL Ch. 11
– For something dirty, it’s the mood that’s important.
With that voice, Deltain woke up from his sleep.
His upper body jerked up as if jumping.
Cold sweat flowed down along with his rough breaths.
Deltain quickly rolled up his sleeve and checked his forearm.
The thornbush-shaped tattoo remained still, just occupying its spot.
Deltain cursed.
“Damn it….”
It had been the same routine for the past few days.
Ever since Agnes provoked him that day, Deltain would confront that moment whenever he dreamed.
Even though he wanted to excuse it as the trick of a demon of lust, the tattoo that would prove it stayed silent, driving Deltain crazy.
Deltain wiped his face dry and let out a deep sigh of frustration.
“Count, I’ll prepare your meal.”
Gerhart, who knew his daily routine well, said as he entered.
Deltain nodded and headed to the shower room.
Shhh-
He cooled his head with cold water.
*
<154 days left until the blossoming of Magic Flower Actrias.>
Oddly enough, Agnes didn’t do anything more after that day’s provocation.
She just smiled sweetly and followed Deltain’s words so well that it surprised him.
But even that seemed like a kind of provocation to Deltain.
After all, where her gaze lingered was on the back of his hand, where a kiss mark used to be.
“It’s almost gone now.”
“Did you think it would last forever?”
“It’s a shame. Can’t I make just one more?”
“Get lost.”
Veins popped on Deltain’s forehead.
Agnes, as if enjoying his reaction, spoke in an exaggerated tone.
“Hmm? No?”
“I’ll sew your mouth shut.”
“You’re mean.”
Agnes stared at Deltain without lingering.
She hummed a small tune.
“… what’s so funny?”
“You, being so restless?”
“I’ve never been restless.”
“Liar. You’re staring at my wrist even now. Oh, or do you have a fetish for wrists?”
Deltain couldn’t suppress a snort of laughter.
“Even if I had such a fetish, it wouldn’t be for your wrist. I’ve said before, your body is too scrawny to be appealing.”
“No matter how you justify it, it’s not convincing. I’m pretty even if I’m skinny.”
Deltain found it exasperating that he couldn’t argue against that.
Indeed, she was a beautiful woman befitting the nickname
Her face, pale from the shadow of death, and the dark circles around her cherry blossom-colored eyes, only added to her air of fragility.
“Stop talking nonsense and take it off. We’re going to use magic again today.”
“Have you held back for about two weeks? Now you’re even dreaming of my naked body?”
“Yes, it would be faster to knock you out first.”
“What are you going to do?”
Agnes giggled.
“If you knock me out, I’ll tell my dad right away. Count Hebron knocked me out and undressed me.”
“Wouldn’t Duke Levadine believe me more?”
“My dad loves me the most in the world. He believes whatever I say.”
“If the chancellor can’t distinguish such things, the empire’s future is bleak.”
“Don’t insult my dad.”
Agnes said, unbuttoning her outer garment one by one.
Deltain didn’t find it a pleasant scene.
The way she hesitated, looking as if she was teasing him, felt like a temptation.
Snap-
Deltain snapped his fingers, and the buttons were undone in an instant.
Agnes pouted, looking deflated.
“No mood.”
“Why is that necessary?”
When Deltain waved his index finger in the air, her shirt slipped down.
Deltain calmed his breathing and placed his hand on her ribs.
“Don’t touch my chest again, okay?”
“If you stay still, it won’t get touched.”
He said, invoking mana.
He created an octahedron cube around her heart.
This was the process of testing how much Agnes’s lifespan could be extended with the magic called Drought.
Knowing how much time was left was also important for Deltain.
‘The magic flower must have built resistance to this magic.’
It wouldn’t have the dramatic effect it had the first time.
Hoping for a miracle that would extend her lifespan by more than 100 days was unrealistic, as the magic flower was a very resilient organism.
The cube rotated, radiating heat.
In doing so, it burned all the mana that had accumulated in Agnes’s heart over the past two weeks.
Agnes’s breathing became rough.
Cold sweat started to flow down her body.
Thump.
Thump.
Deltain felt the heart beating rapidly under the ribs where his hand was placed.
After the magic ended.
<198 days until the blossoming.>
The expected result came out.
Deltain frowned.
“Did it fail?”
“It succeeded. It just didn’t produce satisfying results.”
“Isn’t that a failure?”
“Your lifespan has increased by over 40 days. If that’s a failure, then what’s a success?”
Agnes laughed, trembling.
She still felt Deltain’s hand on her ribs and smiled warmly.
Then she leaned forward.
Tap.
Agnes’s lower chest touched Deltain’s fingertips.
Startled, Deltain quickly pulled his hand away.
Agnes laughed wickedly.
“Pity. Are you surprised by something like that?”
“You crazy…!”
A flush spread across Deltain’s face.
He couldn’t bring himself to face Agnes, so he clenched his fists tightly, and trembled.
“… keep being uncooperative like that, I won’t come back here, no matter what magic I have.”
“Sorry.”
“If a verbal apology erased guilt, there wouldn’t be any laws.”
“I was wrong.”
Agnes clasped her hands together and placed them on her chest, then leaned her head forward.
She shone her eyes as if to elicit sympathy, but her posture blatantly emphasized her cleavage.
Deltain frowned deeply and turned his head away.
“… I’m leaving. We’re done for today.”
“Will you come tomorrow?”
“No. Not tomorrow, not the day after.”
Agnes hesitated.
She stared at Deltain with an unreadable expression for a moment, then asked.
“Why?”
“I have plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“My knights are returning.”
“Oh.”
Agnes understood.
Deltain Hebron’s knights.
That meant only one thing.
“The Hounds of Hebron!”
“They’re not hounds. Just mutts.”
Though he said that, Deltain didn’t seem too displeased with the nickname.
After all, the knights known as the
“They’re demon hunters you personally trained. Are you okay with calling them that?”
“That’s why I call them that. They went on deployment without telling me.”
“I don’t think it’s fair for someone who didn’t know they were deployed to say that.”
Deltain’s brow furrowed.
He had no response to that.
“… they’re my knights. I can use them however I want.”
“I want to see them too.”
Agnes leaned in closer.
“Show me your knights too.”
Deltain felt incredulous at Agnes’s words.
“Do you think my knights are some neighborhood dogs? Coming and going at your beck and call?”
“I didn’t ask you to call them.”
“What?”
“I’m going. To your mansion.”
Deltain’s expression became blank.
Then, he let out a helpless laugh.
“With that body? Give it a rest. You’d collapse before you even got out of the car.”
“I’m not that weak.”
“No, you are. Maybe you weren’t before the magic activated, but now you’re in a state where walking for ten minutes could kill you.”
To slow the growth of the magic, she had burned all the mana in her heart.
Mana was the vitality of a living being.
With all her vitality gone, even simple walking had to be done cautiously.
Agnes blinked, then tilted her head and answered.
“Then come pick me up.”
“What’s this now…?”
“Escort me. Escorting a lady is a knight’s duty.”
“I’m not a knight. I’m a count.”
“Escorting is also a duty of noblemen.”
“…”
Deltain studied Agnes for a long time, trying to understand her intentions.
But no answer would come from that.
Agnes just looked at him with her cherry blossom-colored eyes filled with expectation.
“Hmm?”
“Did you not hear me? You can’t move.”
“That’s why you should come pick me up. If I struggle, help me. If I can’t walk, carry me. And prepare delicious food that I can eat.”
“You just want me to be your doormat, don’t you?”
“Would you?”
A bright smile bloomed on Agnes’s face.
Deltain felt a twinge of discomfort at that.
“Crazy bitch.”
He stood up, as if there was no point in talking further, and walked towards the door.
Agnes waved her hand at him and said.
“I’ll be ready and waiting. If you don’t come, I’ll wait until you do. Without eating or sleeping. Continuously.”
Agnes was certain.
He would definitely come.
*
The next day at Hebron’s mansion.
Deltain, as usual, sat in his office in a black suit, legs crossed.
With one arm resting on the table and his chin propped up, his deeply furrowed brow showed his irritation.
– I’ll be ready and waiting. If you don’t come, I’ll wait until you do. Without eating or sleeping. Continuously.
It was because of Agnes’s words from the previous day.
For some reason, he believed she would really follow through with what she said.
After all, among all the people Deltain knew, she was the closest to being a lunatic.
Deltaine worried for a long time about what would happen if she collapsed, then suddenly jerked in realization.
‘Why am I worried about that?’
After questioning his pride, Deltain started to rationalize his thoughts.
‘… no, I should be worried. Without the magic in her heart, the quest and everything else would be over.’
Deltain’s toes began to tap.
The movement became increasingly restless.
His irritation deepened, and soon enough, he started to grind his teeth.
‘… such a troublesome bitch.’
Deltain stood up.
“Gerhart!”
“Yes.”
“How long until they arrive?”
“The telegram said it would take about half a day more.”
“Prepare some food before they arrive. The menu… yes, the diet I had during my mana exhaustion experiment.”
With that, Deltain put on his blue coat.
Gerhart tilted his head in confusion.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t ask.”
Deltain said that and left the office.
Gerhart narrowed his eyes as he watched the door Deltain had exited, then shook his head, dismissing his thoughts.
Deltain was always too angry for Gerhart to sense any particular strangeness in his behavior.