chapter 123
123 – My wife is the devil (29)
#My wife is the devil (29)
For Julius, the man named Erman Lionelta was, in a word, an ‘idol’.
When I was young.
The day I ran and ran to avoid the devil in the middle of war.
He reached out his hand to me with a kind smile.
Julius admired the saint who mercilessly slaughtered demons but never forgot his humanity and righteousness toward people.
The sight of Erman burning the demon that was attacking him without even looking behind his back, burned the boy’s heart as well.
Just like that, the boy became a priest.
“…… Hey, over there! If you’re going to church, I’ll take you there! “Well, I know because I go there often!”
And 20 years later.
Julius’ heart was once again engulfed in flames.
Of course, the person who set his heart on fire this time was someone with the name of Lionelta.
However, unlike 20 years ago, the girl who once again ignited Julius’ heart was much smaller than the boy’s idol. It was much more lovely.
In that way, the boy’s idol became his father-in-law.
It was a truly ironic fate.
Now that I think about it… It was something that couldn’t help but be ironic.
***
Either by force or by status.
In fact, there were very few people who could give a man named Julius Tapnel any trouble.
As for power, of course there was no one stronger than Julius, so I had no reason to feel in trouble.
In terms of status, there are quite a few people who are higher than Julius, who holds the status of Heresy Inquisitor, but even they are people who would explode with a single punch from Julius….
As expected, there was no reason to feel embarrassed.
“This is the first time since I received disciplinary action.”
If we had to count on one hand the people who could cause trouble for Julius, who lives a life of near omnipotence.
First, a woman of tenacity who won his heart. Cecil Lionel Ta and her only daughter, Leila, who look exactly like her.
A friend who is wasting his whole life trying to fix an accident caused by Julius.
There is also a special Heretic Questioner, Cryle Raynell.
And finally.
“…… Long time no see. “Saint Erman.”
The man who was his idol as a child and is now his father-in-law.
There was a saint, Erman Lionelta.
“… Joy. “Seeing that Shinsu is so clear, it seems like he has quite a taste for life.”
Erman snorted and shook her head at Julius’ extremely polite greeting, which broke the quiet atmosphere in the drawing room.
Wearing a brown suit instead of the priestly uniform he usually wore, he was currently sitting directly across from Julius.
Inside the parlor where Cecil’s parents’ house was taken out.
With Cecil’s father in front of you.
Somehow, I remembered the time when I sat across from Erman with Cecile, who had a slightly bloated stomach.
Without putting a drop of water on my hands, I expressed my bold ambition that I would make the princess happier than anyone else in the world, without making her envious, and a well-forged sword flew out.
It was a truly impressive day when the words, ‘You damned wolf, get out there and lie down.’
“Yes. Thanks to you, I feel like I’m enjoying life quite a bit these days.”
Julius continued speaking with a wry smile at Erman’s attitude, which reminded him of the time when he was dating Cecil.
Contrary to what I thought, the atmosphere was surprisingly not bad.
When I heard Lionelta’s words, I expected her to look close to despair.
It seemed like there had been a big change in his state of mind. I don’t know for what reason.
“I see. Since you seem to be in a good mood…….”
The saint, who looked so young that it was hard to believe he was well over 60, opened his mouth.
The figure with his arms crossed and his arms crossed on a table made of whole wood was reminiscent of an investigator being interrogated.
“I feel really dirty.”
Narrowing your eyes as if you don’t like it is the same thing.
It was as if I had returned to the day when I first encountered him as my father-in-law.
“… ….”
…… It’s uncomfortable.
Really, it’s a stuffy atmosphere that makes you feel like you can’t breathe.
Loosening the collar of his neatly dressed uniform, Julius took a sip of the cooled tea placed on the table.
As he was calmly savoring the taste of luxurious black tea, the words of Lionelta, who had told Julius to give Erman a whack if he ever came face to face with him, suddenly appeared in Julius’s mind.
‘First of all. If you meet him, beat him up and see. ‘Knock it down unconditionally and without thinking.’
When dealing with a smart guy, you shouldn’t give him a chance to use his brain.
“… ….”
I slowly raise my head and look at the saint in front of me.
Erman was still waiting for Julius to open his mouth with his eyes narrowed as if he was disapproving.
You could even feel a slight sense of boredom in his languid expression.
Hmm. In this situation, I’m going to give you a hard time.
I didn’t think anything very pleasant would happen. As expected, I think we need to listen to the words of Lionelta, the Angel of Death, with a bit of filtering.
“…… It was a light joke. You are always so stiff in front of me. “Maybe you should have acted a bit stiff in front of Nirhil too.”
As I kept my mouth shut, carefully choosing the words to use as a topic of conversation, Erman, who was no better than me, opened his mouth again.
Judging from his even more hostile attitude than before, it seemed like he had no intention of antagonizing Julius at least for now.
‘…… Under. I have no intention of being hostile. If you had intended to be hostile, you would have killed me instead of saving me when I was attacked by Arnhill in the first place.’
Get rid of unnecessary doubts. Julius.
If we continue to remain silent and doubt Erman, we are only wasting time.
Sometimes you have to be bold and rule out contingencies.
Julius looked into Ermann’s eyes, remembering the face of Cecile, who was probably wandering the palace hallways anxiously looking for him by now.
“It seems like you have had a change of heart. “May I ask what happened?”
After much deliberation, I asked him the question that became my first topic.
What on earth changed your mind?
What on earth made me want life rather than destruction?
Julius answered the question assuming that Erman was an ally, in a fairly decisive tone.
“…… “It’s a change of heart.”
With his confident appearance.
I watched the ‘recovery’ of Julius, who had always seemed to lack confidence ever since losing Cecil.
Ermann slowly and leisurely opened his mouth.
… Joy. It’s better than moping around.
With a smile so faint that not even Julius could see it.
“The question is wrong, Julius.”
“I have a question… Wrong?”
“Okay. “That is not something you should ask me now.”
“… Is that so.”
…… What is wrong?
When asked why there was a change of heart, Erman answered that he was wrong.
Julius’ head tilted slightly at the way he spoke, which was as confusing as a riddle.
“Ha. “The biggest problem you face now is ‘Arnhill.'”
Perhaps he knew that his words were abstract, and with a deep sigh, Erman added further explanation.
“…… Of course it is. But-“
“What kind of thoughts and time did I go through to come up with the idea of cooperating with you? That kind of thing is of no use in resolving the current situation. “There is only one thing that matters to you now.”
Teok──
With an unconvinced expression on his face, Erman cut off Julius’s words as he tried to protest.
He put his hand inside my suit, showing that he was quite annoyed.
I roughly threw the small, blackened disc that I had kept in my arms on the table.
“Is this the answer?”
I tilted my head and looked at the table, and an object I had noticed before caught my eye.
A pocket watch that controls time created by the angel of charity and love.
It was a holy relic, “Jifnel’s Tears.”
“This is probably something you are familiar with. When your mother tried to tease you. It was something offered as a reward. “I wrote it a few times because you didn’t want to write it.”
“…… Okay. “There is an answer.”
Julius nodded, holding up in his right hand a charred platinum watch that originally had very elaborate ancient characters engraved on it.
Certainly, “Jifnel’s tears” Were sufficient reason for the saint’s sudden change of heart.
At this point, the world has become unstable and time reversal using “Eve” Is no longer possible.
The fact that “Jifnel’s Tears,” A sacred object that enables short-term time reversal, was used meant that the saint in front of us had undergone a small-scale regression.
Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, there will be an ‘incident’ that changes his state of mind.
“… ….”
… When on earth did time rewind? When you first entered the palace? Or when I was talking to Lionelta?
Erman’s words imply that time has already been rewound several times without him noticing.
Julius placed his hand on his temple and tried to roughly estimate the time when the holy relic was used.
“You are so stupid.”
And towards him like that.
The word ‘stupid’ came out of Erman’s mouth as he looked at Julius, who was desperately searching for memories of the past with his brows narrowed.
“I should have said it just now. “What you need to focus on is not such trivial things.”
Dismissing the regression he had experienced as something trivial, Erman tapped Julius’ forehead with his finger.
Julius’s mind, which had been concentrating on the ‘point of time’ of return, suddenly focused on the saint in front of him.
“What do you truly want?”
Clear blue eyes, as if they could see through Julius’s inner thoughts, were staring into his eyes.
“…… “Are you saying this is what I want?”
Kept deep in my heart.
Ermann asks about the ‘desire’ of a man named Julius Tapnel.
Is it that riddle again…? .
What is the correct answer?
As expected─
“Of course. “It’s a happy life with Cecil.”
While he was thinking, Julius’s wind flowed freely between his parted lips.
I did not choose or refine my words, but it was a wish filled with the most sincere heart.
“No. Wrong.”
However, Ermann denied Julius’ words this time too.
After shaking my head once. He leaned back comfortably and crossed his legs.
What can I say… It seemed like it wasn’t the answer I wanted.
“…… You’re not wrong. “Don’t you know, too?”
But that doesn’t mean ‘Yes, that’s right. All right. Actually, it seems like I didn’t really want to be happy with Cecile.’ It was too serious a problem to just ignore.
I can’t just ignore this time.
Because no one can deny his ‘love’ for Cecil.
Because there is no one who has the right to deny it.
…… Even if it was Cecil himself.
Julius’s brow furrowed deeply as he was denied his own love for Cecil.
Even forgetting that his partner is his childhood idol and the father of the woman he loves.
I raised my voice.
“Who said what? “It’s not like I denied your love.”
Unlike his mild-mannered reaction a moment ago, Ermann let out a laugh as he saw Julius’s extremely angry expression.
I guess I was fooled by the pun.
“…… “Please don’t try to test me with something like this.”
Julius growled in a low voice, glaring at the man who was once his idol.
“What I’m trying to say is. The hope is that it is too long. “Does it need to be that long?”
“… ….”
“What is cumbersome needs to be removed. “Just like taking care of a tree requires pruning.”
However, Erman calmly ignored Julius’ warning and continued speaking.
I spoke the mysterious words she said for the first time today, that my wish was too long.
“…… I’m not as smart as you or Cecil. So, just say it straight and straight, without adding or subtracting anything.”
“Now that you say that, let me get to the point.”
“… ….”
“You must go crazy from now on.”
…… ?
I said it clearly and without any hesitation, but maybe it’s because of my mood that I don’t understand it any more than before.
Julius opened his mouth in a low voice towards Erman, who was taking a sip of tea, picking up a doll that looked exactly like Cecil, which was lying face down on the table as if it had lost its soul.
“… “How can you say I have to go crazy?”
…… No.
“To whom…” “Are you saying I have to go crazy?”
But, while I was talking.
I came to understand it naturally.
Indeed, I think I now know Ehrman’s mysterious speaking style.
Anyway, it’s either Erman or Julius. What you look at is the same.
“Of course.”
A magic trick inside an elaborately crafted doll.
Feeling within him the faint traces of his daughter who had become a devil.
Ermann spoke the name of the ‘devil’ in a calm voice.
“It’s Cecil.”
Your desire is what you should aspire to have.
There is only one devil.
That’s right.
Your wife.
…… The devil.