[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 24

This time, Kirona didn’t bother to ring the bell to summon anyone. She knew by now that it would be pointless. He was a demon. No one could stop him.

After her first encounter with the demon, Kirona searched the scant resources on Tetra Fever. She particularly investigated why the fever was known as “The Whisper of Five Demons.” She needed to find out whether that nickname was merely a metaphor or if other patients had experienced something similar to her.

She found little information. Many patients reported hallucinations during the high fever, but none had claimed to meet a specific entity as she had.

Yet Kirona was convinced that he was a demon, whether he was a hallucination brought on by the fever, a terrible nightmare, or a vivid reality.

It was a strange and irrational certainty.

He was too cold to be human; his voice was sweet and seductive, and her fever would mysteriously subside whenever he visited. Most importantly, he was obsessed with Kirona. The way he embraced her, the sighs he let out as if he was reluctant to leave her...

Even her mother had given up on her, knowing there was no hope for Kirona’s survival. If her blood had abandoned her, how much less could she expect from others? No one would be so obsessed with someone who was bound to die—unless they were insane or not human at all.

He didn’t seem like a madman. That left only one conclusion.

She sensed someone’s presence in the darkness. Kirona grabbed the sword beside her bed and prepared to face her visitor.

“Are you awake, Your Highness?”

A low, firm male voice echoed in her ear. It was a familiar voice. He approached quietly, like a shadow, and moved easily, sitting on the edge of her bed. Kirona tried to raise her sword to his neck, but he caught her wrist before she could.

“I mean you no harm, Your Highness. Lower your sword. In the darkness, you might accidentally hurt yourself.”

Kirona bit her lip and twisted her wrist free from his grasp. Whether or not physical attacks could harm a demon, the disparity in their skills was evident. Though she had missed a lot of training due to her illness, it was the first time anyone had read her movements so easily, and her pride was hurt. Her reflexes were supposed to be second to none.

“Don’t lie. You’re the demon who’s come to take me away.”

Kirona muttered sullenly. She couldn’t see his face in the darkness, but she could tell he was smiling. He neither confirmed nor denied it, instead asking her,

“...Has your fever gone down? How are you feeling?”

It was ridiculous for the one responsible for her suffering to ask such a question. Was he afraid she might survive when he was supposed to take her life? Kirona found it absurd and gave a bitter laugh before answering.

“I’m weak.”

“Do you still have a fever? Let me check.”

The concern in his voice surprised her, and his firm, cool hand wrapped around her waist. He seemed like he was about to lift her in his arms, just as he had done years ago.

“What are you doing? Do you still think I’m a child?”

Before Kirona could shove him away, he flinched and released her, stepping back. It seemed even he was startled by the changes in Kirona’s body, realising she was no longer the child he could easily embrace and carry.

“My apologies. I wasn’t thinking.”

He was a polite demon, at least. Kirona looked back and forth between the open window and the dark silhouette of the man before asking,

“...How did you get in here?”

“I came through the window. You didn’t lock it.”

“This is the top floor. And there were guards.”

“I’m very skilled.”

Skilled at what, exactly? Swordsmanship? Did demons use swords, too? Or perhaps he was talking about climbing skills, given that he had made it up to her window. Kirona watched him quietly for a moment before asking again.

“Are you a demon?”

He looked like an ordinary, well-built man. Though she couldn’t see his face clearly, his overall silhouette appeared normal. He didn’t have the sharp horns, claws, or long tails that the demons in fairy tales were said to have.

“Are you here to take me away?”

Instead of answering, he placed his hand on Kirona’s face. She instinctively recoiled, but this time, he didn’t withdraw. His fingers combed through her hair and gently stroked her cheek.

It wasn’t a casual touch but a careful, deliberate caress, as if he was trying to memorise the feel and shape of her. It was strange. Kirona was the one who should have been afraid of him, yet at that moment, it felt as though he was the one clinging to her.

He seemed so desperate that Kirona forgot she was supposed to push him away.

“I want to take you.”

After a long moment of caressing her, he finally spoke. His voice was as cold as his touch.

“But I mustn’t. It’s not yet time.”