The Precious Sister of The Villainous Grand Duke

For a moment I was speechless as I watched Dona Euclid comfort Charlotte who was weeping.

"How can you go to the North when you have such a soft heart?"

"That's right. Look at Lady Anissa. She's still a little girl but she's already having fun taking other people's lives."

Dorothea added as if in response to her words.

"Ha."

I wondered why she called for me. In the end, she had been up to something like this.

'Does she really have no malicious intentions?'

As situations continued to flow like this, even if she's the female protagonist, I couldn't help but be suspicious. It suddenly occurred to me that Charlotte's dazzling white aura, as her face was dripping with tears, was artificial because it couldn't be that clean.

"Young lady, what is so funny?"

Dorothea's eyes fell on my smile. I shook my head, taking back the gun that Charlotte took.

When I turned the gun and touched the pretty tea table, everyone shrieked in surprise. I pretended not to notice their trembling shoulders and replied bluntly.

"How are you going to eat the refreshments that came with the mince pie if you're this sensitive?"

Dorothea frowned at my words and pointed at the baked dessert with meat and fruit.

"How could the already cooked ingredients be the same as the preyed animal in the hunt?"

What exactly was the difference?

I wanted to question her high-pitched voice right away but I held back my temper.

'The nobility conference is just around the corner.'

If I look despicable to these people now, it would only further delay the approval. I started to worry about the children I left in the North.

The summer in the North wasn't very hot, but I was terrified sometimes, afraid that the ice statues might melt on a particularly hot day.

"...I will just go back and stay at that corner."

I whispered softly to Charlotte, who was wiping her eyes with a blue handkerchief and rose from my seat.

'I'd rather be alone where my heart would be at peace.'

For a while now, Baal had been trying to come out so I had been struggling to step on the shadow with my feet.

There weren't many eyes watching in the capital's mansion, so using an ability was able to get a free pass, however, breaking the law with so many nobles watching would have meant Veronica would be frozen forever.

"You can come out now."

It was only when I reached a secluded place where I couldn't hear any people moving about did I lift my foot which was pressing on Baal.

"Oh my goodness!"

Baal crawled out of the shadow, groaning. He looked like a ghost that popped out from the television that I'd seen a long time ago.

"You have gotten a lot heavier. I thought my back was about to break."

I stared at the demon with a sidelong glance and leaned on an old tree.

"You don't even have bones."

"What were those trashes before? How dare they talk to you like that, Princess?"

"It's nothing."

"What do you mean it's nothing! Those rude southern punks."

I smirked at Baal's temper rising as he continued to fume with a snort.

'I can't believe it's more comfortable to be with a demon than with humans.'

When I was with Charlotte and the madams earlier, I felt suffocated, but chatting with Baal made me feel refreshed.

'I guess I'm really a Northerner now.'

The people of the capital were too terrible.

"Baal, do you know about the Saint of Vallandia?"

"Vallandia is the birthplace of Solisism. A saint from there would be a follower of Hera."

"Then, can someone like that use the abilities of Eredia?"

"Huh?"

Baal's eyes widened and he circled his place. Following the demon's movement, the trees that had been blooming for spring shook lightly.

"Not at all. Hera and Eredia's abilities are inherently different from each other."

If that's the case, then she didn't have the ability to purify an aura like Eredia's.

'So, how can Charlotte control people's minds?'

I opened my mouth again thinking that Baal knew more about the southern gods than I thought.

"There was a prophecy about the savior of the North. Have you ever heard of such prediction?"

"Ha? Savior?"

Baal giggled as if I was saying a joke. I quietly listened to the demon's laughter sounding like thin fingernails scratching the floor.

"Do you think the demons of the North are foolish enough to hand over their lives to the Southerners?"

"Then, why does the saint keep talking about salvation?"

"I guess stopping our clan is salvation from their point of view."

Baal frowned as if his pride had been hurt and added, "But if those bastards' prophecy is right, I would have been annihilated hundreds of years ago."

However, the people thought that the prophecy would surely come true.

'It was like that in the original as well.'

I shifted my eyes and turned my gaze to Baal who was slumped on the floor.

The demon was covering his face with a strange cloth I didn't know when he had taken out.

'It looks just like a gas mask.'

Baal tapped on his chest as if he had a hard time breathing.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"The air of the Southern land is dirty so it's hard to breathe. It's hot."

Baal answered my question and pointed at the tree I was leaning on. It was then that I realized the forest was full of purification trees.

A light hawthorn scent wafted from behind.

"I see. That's why it's suffocating."

I liked the purification trees, but I didn't want to stay in the South any longer.

I strongly sympathized with the demon's words. Baal, who had been crouching next to me, patted my head.

"Please endure a little more. No matter what the emperor or nobles do, there is no excuse not to give their approval."

"Really?"

"Yes. As long as His Majesty doesn't cause a major incident, that is."

I scratched my jaw at Baal's murmured utterance.

'Why am I anxious?'

"What incident?"

"Like summoning me and wielding me in front of the Emperor and the House of Lords, or going crazy about establishing a kingdom, and so on."

My lips stiffened as I remember Dietrich worrying whether he should establish a kingdom or smash Euclid.

As I gnawed on my lips, Baal pinched my cheek to stop me.

"Don't worry too much. You know how cold and sensible-minded a person His Majesty is."

"He is, right?"

I nodded, reassured at Baal's trustworthy words.

"Yes. It's all right as long as it doesn't have something to do with you, Princess."

If it hadn't been for those added words, I would have continued to be reassured. I opened my mouth, glaring at the grinning Baal.

"...And if it has something to do with me?"

"Then, it would be a bit dangerous. Don't you remember that he almost threw everything away instead of handing you over to Asmodeus?"

Of course, I remember.

'How could I forget?'

Dietrich was a child who didn't know how to get agitated and was willing to lay down his life with an indifferent face.

I clenched the back of my hand that turned pale in my fist and felt like crying.

'I need to protect myself.'

For now, I shouldn't get involved with other people. I made a firm resolve to hide until the hunting competition was over.

"Anissa, what are you doing here?"

However, Charlotte appeared on the other side with a rustling sound, overshadowing my determination.

"I was looking for you."

As she approached me with a worried smile, she found Baal crouching next to me in a similar position to mine. She immediately pointed her finger and opened her mouth.

"Isn't that a demon?"

Baal frowned at Charlotte treating him like an object. The demon gritted his teeth and placed his hand on the floor as if he would jump out at her anytime soon.

"Baal, no."

I whispered to stop Baal and stood up. Unable to take her eyes off of me, Charlotte retreated hesitantly.

"It's a crime of treason to use abilities in the capital, Anissa."

"I didn't use abilities. I let him out because he was feeling stuffy."

"You can also use shadow abilities? But I definitely–"

"Definitely?"

"I definitely didn't feel that kind of darkness coming from you."

Charlotte closed and opened her mouth as if she couldn't understand what was going on.

'I'm now certain she uses abilities similar to Eredia's.'

"At any rate, I didn't use him to attack anyone. Can you pretend you didn't see anything?"

I grabbed Charlotte's hand and glanced at her meekly. The female protagonist is 'nice' so she wouldn't be able to tell on me right away.

As I expected, Charlotte gave a defeated sigh and smiled.

"I understand. But please be careful. Her Majesty is keeping an eye on Dietrich."

"Why were you looking for me?"

"I thought that Madam Dorothea was rude to you earlier. I'd like to apologize in her stead so I came looking for you."

Charlotte even shed tears as if she was really feeling sorry for me. I tilted my head to the side seeing her delicate face being distorted, shrugged my shoulders, and said, "But Charlotte, it wasn't just the Countess who was rude."

"Pardon?"

"You're the one who set the mood by saying I brought a musket, Charlotte."

I narrowed my eyes and watched her reaction. Finally, the tears in her eyes which had been welling up, burst as she cried.

I was a little dumbfounded at her face which looked like she was being called out unfairly.

"But I only said those words for your sake, Anissa."