[IYFILWATIP] Chapter 25

Kirona knew exactly when the “time” he mentioned would come: when the fifth fever ended.

“So you’re supposed to take me away when that time comes? On the day the fifth fever ends?”

“Yes.”

He nodded calmly. Kirona shook her head as she picked up the sword that had fallen to the floor.

“You won’t be able to take me. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Please, hold on until the end.”

He let out a breathy laugh. Kirona had expected him to be provoked by her defiant words, but he wasn’t. She began to think that perhaps people’s image of demons was just a stereotype. She had thought a demon would be rude, unpleasant, and violent, but he seemed more like a gentleman.

But what did it matter if his words were soft? He didn’t deny her death. He acknowledged that the end was inevitable, and his message was essentially, “Go ahead and struggle; I’ll take you anyway.” In the end, he was still a demon, a being that fed on human suffering. If a sacrifice came too easily, it would be boring for them. They might be willing to show some patience for their entertainment.

Resolving not to yield to him, Kirona decided to probe for more information.

“Besides, I’ve already come close to dying once. If I die before the fever even starts, you won’t be able to complete your task, will you?”

“You’re talking about Francis, aren’t you?”

His unexpected response caught Kirona off guard. Her eyes widened.

“How do you know about that?”

“Because I’m always watching over you.”

He stroked her again. His hand was still cold, but it felt strangely comforting at that moment.

“Why?”

“To protect you. Until I take you away.”

“...”

“Forget about that bastard. From now on, only good things will happen.”

She should have snapped back at him, saying that meeting him because of her illness was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. She wanted to tell him that if it weren’t for that, many of her miseries would have been avoided, and she wouldn’t have met Francis.

And yet, despite his claim that watching over her should have been creepy, Kirona found she couldn’t be angry. His words of comfort were too much of a balm for her battered heart. She needed the soothing coldness that cooled her fever.

“Good things?”

“Yes, good things.”

Kirona, without thinking, buried her face in his hand.

“You’re a liar. No one can know what will happen tomorrow. I never imagined I would end up like this, living like a corpse at sixteen, waiting for death...”

“...”

“So how could you know if only good things await me?”

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to deny or believe his words. Part of her wanted to yell at him to stop talking nonsense, but another wanted him to offer her assurance.

It was absurd—seeking comfort from the very source of her misery, hoping for a shred of hope from him.

But she had heard of a strange phenomenon where hostages develop a sense of attachment to their captors. Kirona thought she might finally understand those hostages. When faced with such extreme circumstances, people tend to cling to whatever is nearby, even if it’s the one responsible for their suffering.

It was a survival instinct. Kirona wanted to live and had resolved to do everything she could to survive. With that in mind, perhaps these feelings weren’t so strange after all.

“Are you afraid?”

He looked at Kirona for a long moment before finally asking. Kirona nodded silently.

Summoning courage didn’t make the fear go away. Since becoming ill, Kirona had always feared the days to come more than she anticipated them. Now, with the imminent task of achieving something no one had ever succeeded in, the fear was even greater.

“A horse running through a storm does not fear the wind, and a fish trapped in a raging torrent does not fear the waves.”

He patted Kirona gently, almost as if in prayer. Kirona furrowed her brow as she recognised the source of the quote.

“That’s from the Theresia scriptures. It’s a theological text.”

“Yes, I know. Is there a problem?”

“You’re a demon.”

“I didn’t read it; I just picked it up somewhere. I’m not very religious.”

“Of course, you’re not.”

My goodness, a demon quoting scripture. If the temple priests found out, they’d be horrified. Kirona smiled faintly at the thought of their faces turning pale.

“I was considering trying an exorcism as a last resort if I couldn’t find a cure.”

“Well, now that you know it won’t work, you won’t waste time on it.”

“Yeah, I know. An illness is an illness, and a demon is a demon. I’ll find another way... I have to.”

He listened quietly and began idly running his fingers through Kirona’s hair again.