The Villainous Noble’s Father - Chapter 16

Pop! Another sharp explosion echoes through the garden.

I react on instinct, quickly leaping back.

Metal shards?

Where I stood just moments ago, multiple tiny chunks of metal strike the ground, then dissolve as if they were never there.

They’re formed from magic…?

I glance toward the Master. His crimson eyes meet mine, he hasn’t moved a step and is watching me with unwavering focus.

So this is his magic…

Metal shards, created with magic and launched at incredible speed, without even a chant or gesture. That tiny popping noise, those must be the sound of the shards ripping through the air.

“Hmm. So you can dodge my Black Bullets…”

He murmurs this without emotion, but his assault doesn’t stop. The bullets keep flying.

Bang! Pop-pop! Splat! Pop-pop! Bang! 

Popopop! Splat!

“Ugh…!”

They just keep coming. Eventually, I can’t dodge them all, one grazes me, and part of my body bursts apart. I can’t help but scream.

I quickly regenerate the damaged part, but it’s a losing battle. They’re too fast to block, and there’s no chance for a counterattack. Worse, the bullets are coming from every direction, 360 degrees!

“Maximum range, 300 meters. Black bullets, fired automatically within a designated area at hypersonic speed. This is the mass-kill barrier spell that earned me the title Reaper of Kuroki.”

That’s too much killing intent! I’m a high-ranking demon, and even my body is being pierced like a cushion!

He’s stripped this spell of anything unnecessary. It’s purely designed to kill the enemy while keeping the caster completely safe. I used to think “Reaper” was a gloomy nickname for a war hero like the Duke, but now I get it.

He is a reaper. There’s no better word.

Pop-pop!

“AAH!!!”

I get distracted for just a second by his explanation, and my legs are blown off.

“They say vampires are immortal demons, but apparently that immortality has its limits. It’s likely tied to your magic reserves.”

It sounds like he’s just muttering to himself, but knowing this cold, calculating Duke, he’s watching my reaction, testing if he’s right.

Unfortunately… he is. My regeneration relies on rapid magic-powered healing. And now, after taking so much damage, I’m running out of magic. At this rate, he will kill me. I can already tell, my wounds aren’t healing as quickly as before.

“W-Why!? Why are you trying to kill me, Master!?”

I cry out, even though I know it’s hopeless. I have no plans. No strategy. Just a desperate plea to live. For a brief moment… the Master reacts. The black bullets stop.

“I-I admit I have demon blood! But that alone isn’t a reason to kill me!”

It is strange.

Master is known as a humanitarian, he was one of the signers of the Oath of Dies Irae, the treaty that banned discrimination based on race or birth.

But I don’t think it’s really about kindness or equality.

Knowing him, he just doesn’t care about those things. He only values people who are useful to him.

“Do you recognize the name ODIM, the Organisation for Daemon Ideal Members?”

ODIM…? The name rings a bell… Yes. A terrorist group of demons.

There’s some demon blood in the Sederholm family line, going back a few generations. About half a year ago, a few demons claiming to be from ODIM came to our estate, asking for cooperation through those old ties.

“I believe you are an ODIM operative. That you’ve seduced Leonard, and are trying to lead him, and by extension, this nation, into betrayal.”

!?

His crimson eyes glow, as if piercing into the depths of my soul.

It could have happened.

Back then, before Leonard apologized to me in this very gazebo, if I had stayed the same heartless person I was, enjoying watching him fall… I would have betrayed him. I would have wanted him to be completely alone, cut off from everything.

Honestly, even now, a part of me still wants to see that broken version of him. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true.

“Judging by your reaction, I’m not far off, am I?”

Crap! He read my mind!

His crimson eyes flare brighter, and the pressure of his magic skyrockets.

“If there’s even a chance you’re part of that organization, then this is where your life ends.”

That’s not logical. That’s raw emotion. The instinctive rage of a parent protecting their child. For the first time, the Reaper of Kuroki reveals true emotion, his eyes burn red with fury as they lock onto me.

This isn’t pressure a human should be able to emit…

H-heh. He really is a reaper…

The sheer difference in power makes it clear, I can’t win. So this is the end, huh? I guess… it can’t be helped. I give up. I’ll close my eyes.

But if I could have one last wish… I wish I could’ve said goodbye to him, just once—

CLANG!!!

A metallic screech tears through the air. When I open my eyes, I see red hair and a luxurious white sword glowing with holy light. He’s wrapped in a sacred barrier from that sword…

Wait. It’s him…!? The commoner who showed up one day out of nowhere. That annoying, jealousy-inducing guy,] who dares to call Leonard “Leo,” who spends all day with him, who even stayed over for a whole month, and gets called “Al” even though his name is just stupidly short, Alan.

Ugh. Just thinking about him pisses me off. Seriously, why are you here? Just leave me alone. And what are you doing, anyway? You’re not supposed to go against the Master. He gave you a good job, didn’t he!?

“Hmph. A holy sword’s protective barrier… I see. You’ve learned to use it well. But Alan, unless I’m mistaken, I am your employer. Do you intend to defy me?”

“I truly regret it, but… it seems I must. Because—”

The two face each other, both with glowing red eyes. And then, Alan gently wraps my broken body in his robe and lifts me into his arms.

Huh?

“—because a friend asked me to.”

His hair is blacker than night, and his obsidian eyes glow like rubies. Like a bright red star in the night sky, like Antares. His body, honed like a warrior’s, holds me carefully.

I mean, I did kinda like his soft look before, but this is… wow. Super hot. He’s the one I’m supposed to give everything to. And now, Leonard is holding me in his arms.

Wait… I love him.

“I’m sorry I was late, Yulia.”

He apologizes, barely making eye contact.

Is he… embarrassed? His sleepwear is torn to shreds, probably thanks to Master’s ruthless magic attacks. At this point, it’s barely clothing. My body is practically exposed.

“I’m sorry it’s just my cloak, but please use it to cover yourself.”

He’s too gentlemanly. I’m obsessed. It’s okay! I’ve managed to heal just in time with what little magic I had left! You can look all you want, I’m actually pretty confident about my body! Heck, you can even touch it, no, please touch it!

Ugh, my heart is racing…

“Don’t worry, Yulia. I will protect you…!”

Oh my god. I love him so much it hurts. I can feel my emotions spiraling out of control. Honestly, I don’t even care anymore.

That I’m a demon, that my mother and sister are regular vampires while I’m a pureblood, that ODIM tried to recruit me, or even that Master is still trying to kill me.

None of it matters anymore.

Leonard… I love you.