‘What a long day.’

Daphne sighed deeply.

In fact, Daphne felt like it was one day, from the strange room to meeting the demon.

She had fainted for three days, but she was unconscious.

‘The problem is that this long day is not over yet.’

Daphne stared at Kael, who had his eyes closed and was holding her hand tightly.

Without changing clothes, red blood was drenched on the cream-colored sofa where Kael was lying.

There was blood on Daphne’s sleeve, which was now holding Kael’s hand.

Daphne, sitting by Kael’s bedside, carefully examined Kael.

‘Does he seem to have calmed down a lot?’

Since Daphne came, Kael’s thirst has not subsided.

But the only time she felt fear was when she first brought up the talk of sponsorship to Kael and earlier.

‘It was really scary.’

It seemed that a monster in the form of a human, but was not a human, was walking. The thought of running away instinctively dominated her mind.

And it was pathetic at the same time.

In order to not lose reason, to not repeat a tragedy.

She could clearly see Kael suppressing his thirst even at the cost of hurting himself.

‘I thought my life was unfortunate too.’

Kael’s life wasn’t easy either.

Daphne reached out carefully and ran her hand through Kael’s hair, as Zegman always did.

As if responding to the touch, Kael opened his tightly shut eyes, revealing silver eyes.

“Your Grace.”

His gaze reached Daphne, as if to tell her to speak.

“Are you feeling better now?”

He nodded lightly. However, as if it were still not enough, he put strength into the hand he held.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here, so get some more rest.”

The corners of Kael’s lips twitched. He wanted to say thank you, but it seemed he didn’t even have the energy to do that.

Soon his eyes closed again.

“Phew.”

Daphne smoothed his hair, sighing very lightly in case Kael could hear it.

She was going to reorganize the questions that had accumulated while she was sharing her power with Kael.

‘Didn’t the demon smile?’

It obviously smiled. She was certain.

The eyes bent like a human smiling, or the eyebrows gently raised. The corners of the lips curved up.

There was no such thing.

Nevertheless, Daphne could see that the demon smiled.

‘Why?’

Mmm, a deep crease formed between Daphne’s brows.

‘Was there a setting like this in the original work?’

There wasn’t.

In the first place, the main character’s group did not encounter demons several times.

They only happened to encounter a few demons that leaked out of Bertrand territory once or twice.

In the case of Flora, she remembered that they first met when she came as an envoy.

‘What was the previous life like?’

She tried hard to think about it, but nothing happened then.

There was no singularity.

But why.

‘And my power has gotten stronger.’

Daphne looked down at her hand. When she used her power, the light flowed out intensely and then vanished.

‘It was very weak at first.’

Even if she tried her best right next to Count Coman, the count could not detect it.

But not now. It was quite strong, like magic.

‘There are more than one or two strange things.’

A room full of neologisms, a smiling demon, a stronger power.

One thing she could be sure of was that there was a hint in the room she went to for the first time.

‘As expected, I have to go to that room.’

The moment she was so sure, Kael opened his eyes.

“Your Grace?”

“Outside, my father.”

The words were chopped up. It still seemed difficult to speak out.

Daphne turned her head toward the door.

“You mean Mister Zegman is outside right now?”

Kael nodded at that. Then, as if telling her to go, he relaxed his hand.

“I’ll be right back.”

When she patted his head and said so, Kael closed his eyes again.

“Mister Zegman.”

When she opened the door, Zegman was actually in front of it.

Even his hands were cold, as if he had been standing in front of the door, waiting.

“Baby, are you okay?”

Zegman, who knew how to discern Kael’s condition, immediately looked at Daphne.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Did Kael not go wild?”

His gaze was meticulous, wondering if Kael had hurt Daphne.

“I’m okay. His Grace didn’t go wild either, and now he’s asleep. But, um, I think I’ll have to be by his side.”

At Daphne’s words, Zegman was visibly relieved. And shortly after he looked at Daphne with a questioning look.

It was a given.

Originally, because of the curse, Kael would have been drugged and put to sleep or locked up somewhere.

‘That’s why it’s good to hide your power.’

Daphne smiled, pretending not to know Zegman’s feelings.

At first, she thought about making a suitable situation.

A saint, a prophet, or whatever.

However, it’s been a long time since God disappeared and so has the saint.

Therefore, she was not ready to claim to be a saint.

But it’s hard to say that she’s a prophet.

‘If a woman says she is a prophet, they will always accuse her of being a witch.’

An evil and cunning witch, there was a possibility that she would be pushed out of a political battle later on if she drove it that way.

‘No matter how bad a man is, he’s a pseudo.’

Tsk, old people with thoughtless ideas and prejudice.

Daphne inwardly clicked her tongue.

So she had no choice but to hide it. Commoners and others were prone to ostracism.

Isn’t the example sleeping in that room now.

‘Say something to Zegman.’

Frankly, she didn’t seem like a normal child usually, but the power to calm Kael seemed to require an explanation right now.

Especially for Zegman, not for anyone else.

“Baby, it’s okay.”

Tangled in thoughts, Zegman covered her head with a large hand. He brushed her hair carefully, as if telling her not to worry.

“It’s okay to talk when you want to.”

It was similar to what she heard from Kael on their return from Acmel.

She somehow got choked up.

“Mister Zegman. Mister Zegman, don’t you think I’m strange?”

She asked what she had buried in her heart because she was emotional.

Kael, he said this and that, but not Zegman. Nevertheless, isn’t he always telling her that it’s okay?

Like a real family.

“Hmm.”

At Daphne’s question, Zegman rubbed his chin as if he were thinking. Soon after, he smiled.

“If it’s not strange, that would be a lie. My family is all weird.”

“Ouf!”

He tousled her hair again with his large hand. Daphne blinked.

“Among them, I’ll be the weirdest.”

Somehow, she burst into laughter at the confident voice that he would not lose to anyone.

Daphne laughed softly, and Zegman laughed along.

“By the way, is Mister Zegman okay?”

It was Zegman who shot the bow forcefully with a body that had not yet healed.

“No, I’m not okay.”

Zegman immediately drooped his shoulders with a sullen face.

“My heart is hurt, my heart. No. My face is hurt.”

He then covered his face with his large hands.

“It was the first time our baby watched me, but I couldn’t kill the demon in one shot.”

Hng, Daphne burst into laughter again at his playful voice.

But Zegman’s eyes, seen through his fingers, were as serious as they could be.

‘I shouldn’t laugh.’

Daphne quickly put on a poker face.

“Next time, I’ll make sure to show you how I can send a guy off with one arrow.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Come, and Count Philbert has something to say to you.”

As Zegman beckoned, the count came forward, having been standing at the corner.

“I’m going to rest.”

Zegman left. Although he went into the next room because he was still worried about Kael and Daphne.

“Grand Duchess.”

Count Philbert bowed.

“Count, are you going home already?”

Daphne blinked. It was no wonder that Count Philbert was ready to go on a long journey.

“Yes, His Excellency is back, and now I shall return to the Philbert estate as well.”

“I didn’t expect you to leave already. What a shame.”

Half out of courtesy, Daphne smiled brightly and spoke with sincerity.

But after saying goodbye, the count remained still.

He remained firmly in his place, as if he still had something to say.

“Actually, there is something I have to say to the Grand Duchess before leaving.”

Count Philbert’s face, saying so, was that of someone who was firmly determined to do something.

It feels like she experienced it a few months ago.

“Thank you for saving me during the day.”

It was a thank-you for Daphne pulling the hem of his cloak so that the count could avoid the demon.

“And please forgive me for being narrow-minded.”

As expected.

She thought it was similar to the time with Sir Wessler.

‘If you show it through direct action, people will accept it right away.’

Daphne smiled brightly.

‘That was the right answer.’

She was scared earlier, but throwing herself for Count Philbert was the answer.

She moved after confirming that Zegman took out his second arrow.

It was unexpected that the demon smiled and Kael saved them.

“No, I just did what I had to do.”

Hearing those words, the count drew in a breath. Furthermore, he was touched.

The count began to shed tears.

“As expected, you are the Grand Duchess.”

Huh? Something strange was going on.

Daphne blinked.

“I misunderstood. The Grand Duchess is such an amazing person!”

Am I?

“The courage to move even in front of a demon you saw for the first time! Wisdom and judgement, plus the spirit that stopped the demon!”

…Spirit? Did I have something like that?

“And even the tolerance that accepts me, who is narrow-minded.”

Count Philbert clenched his fists. Tears were still flowing from the count’s eyes.

“Grand Duchess.”

Then Count Philbert glanced at Daphne with his eyes twinkling.

“If you ever need anything, please call me, Count Philbert, at any time. Since I owe you my life, I will follow the words of the Grand Duchess no matter what.”

The count, who had repeatedly thanked and apologized, was eventually dragged away by the aide of Philbert.

Daphne blinked vacantly, waving at the distant count.

It felt like a storm had passed.

Today was a really long day. Long indeed.