novelraw Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Episode 22
Benio was fast asleep, unaware of people's concerns. Flora clicked her tongue, thinking he was sleeping well, but he looked so tormented it seemed he might stop breathing at any moment.
Seeing the cold sweat dripping from his forehead, his face contorted in pain, and his shallow, gasping breaths, Flora, pricked by her conscience, retracted her earlier remark.
'Whether it will be useful or not, I should at least try.'
Though invisible to others, Benio's body was entirely stained with black demonic energy.
It was a demonic energy similar to, yet stickier than, the wound inflicted by Basilian, whom she had met on the orphanage's back mountain in the past.
This demonic energy wouldn't disappear and was agitating Benio's wounds, preventing recovery and worsening his pain instead.
"I wonder if I can do this."
Flora let out a determined grunt and climbed onto Benio's bed.
Then, she climbed onto his stomach and placed her hand over his heart.
What Benio needed now was to expel the demonic energy corroding his body and focus on healing.
And expelling this demonic energy was something only Flora in this castle could do.
'It's a bit different in nature from my demonic energy, but I have to do it.'
Until now, she had refrained from using demonic energy in the castle for fear Athanas or Benio might notice, but today was different.
'I should also check to what extent I can use it before they sense something strange.'
Rationalizing her act of healing a Lucifer as killing two birds with one stone, Flora channeled her power over his heart.
Hoping her demonic energy would drive out the dark, viscous demonic energy clinging to Benio's body.
Flora began to concentrate so hard it felt like all the hairs on her body were standing on end.
How much time had passed?
'Ah, it's working!'
Just as she was about to despair at the lack of progress, the demonic energy hidden deep within Benio's body began to flee, streaming out.
As she placed her hand on the dark, sticky liquid that flowed out, it soon emitted heat and vanished as if vaporizing.
His irregularly beating heart had also found a regular rhythm, and his rough breathing was gradually softening.
Seeing his much-improved complexion, Flora wiped the small beads of sweat from her own forehead and exclaimed proudly.
"Phew, success!"
Seeing that the demonic energy was used similarly to the time with Basilian, he should be fine if he rests for a few days like he did then.
Flora scrambled down from Benio's bed.
The faint blue light seeping through the curtains showed that day had broken.
'A forced late sleep for me today.'
Patting her stiff shoulders, Flora quickly left Benio's room before anyone could come.
Or, she tried to.
"Ugh, what is this...?"
Of all times, Benio's voice, who should clearly be asleep, reached her ears.
"You are... Flora?"
His stammering voice was tinged with sleepiness.
Her panic was brief; thinking it was now or never, Flora covered Benio's eyes.
"It's a dream, a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yeah, a dream. It's because you keep thinking about your too-pretty little sister, so you see her even in your dreams."
"Is that so...?"
"Yeah, so when you wake up, you have to tell her she's pretty."
"Right... I should."
Fortunately, perhaps because his vision was blocked, Benio quickly fell back asleep.
'Phew, I thought I was caught.'
If Benio had been fully conscious, he would have noticed that his condition had noticeably improved right after Flora's visit.
Then he would surely have suspected Flora was the cause of his sudden recovery.
'If I mess up and they find out I'm a demonic energy user...'
Flora shuddered at the thought of being captured by the Executor Bureau and burned at the stake.
'This isn't the time for that.'
If she stayed any longer, someone else might come.
'Yaaawn.'
Having stayed up all night, she was sleepy.
Hoping her heavy eyelids wouldn't close before she reached her room, Flora swiftly left Benio's bedroom.
Fortunately, she made it back to her room without encountering anyone. Thanks to the accumulated exhaustion, she fell into a deep, sound sleep immediately, unaware that everyone was marveling at Benio's rapid recovery as a miracle.
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As noon approached, Daphne woke Flora, and she was able to face Benio, who had woken up with a clear mind for the first time in four days.
"I heard from Zamira. I'm sorry, I ended up showing you an unsightly state this time, unintentionally."
And the first words out of Benio's mouth upon regaining consciousness were an apology.
Flora nodded with bleary eyes.
It was true that Benio had shattered her expectations of the Lucifers, and the fact that she had to step in was all because his skills in dealing with demonic energy were lacking.
"Did you not sleep well?"
Benio, sitting propped up in bed, carefully brushed his fingers under Flora's eyes.
'Of course I didn't sleep well.'
When she got back to her room, it was past six in the morning.
'A child's body needs over nine hours of sleep.'
She felt quite wronged by the fact she had gotten less than six hours of sleep, but seeing Benio looking so much better than last night, her complaints vanished and a sense of pride took their place.
'Sigh, this is bothersome. He shouldn't make me worry.'
When Flora shook her head, Benio muttered to himself.
"Your under-eyes look dark."
The hand that brushed her cheek after her eyes was also covered in wounds.
Flora glanced at the scab-covered hand and subtly turned her cheek away.
"It's prickly."
"Ah, sorry."
At Flora's words, Benio pulled his hand back, startled.
"Oppa, your wounds are too severe. You couldn't even wake up until yesterday."
"But I'm fine now."
"No, the wounds are severe."
"But I regained consciousness, didn't I? So this is nothing. I'll be perfectly fine in just another week or so."
Now that the demonic energy was gone, Benio's body was entering the recovery phase.
He might not be as strong as Athanas, but Benio's body also contained a considerable amount of divine power.
'Divine power aids internal healing, so he'll recover quickly.'
That's why Benio could speak so calmly.
Flora touched the arm tightly wrapped in bandages and asked.
"But Oppa, doesn't it hurt?"
"I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all. Actually, I shouldn't have let my guard down when facing the monster..."
At the voice dripping with regret, Flora barely managed to control her expression, which was on the verge of showing disgust.
After pestering Athanas for details, she learned that Benio had fought the monster quite splendidly.
However, a child's crying was heard from somewhere, and the monster started moving in that direction. Benio threw himself in to block the monster, which resulted in his severe injuries.
'The Lucifers are really meddlesome, I see.'
"But I had no choice. That child... she looked about your age. I thought of you, and my body moved before I knew it."
"......"
At Benio's words, Flora stopped touching the rough bandages.
'What kind of talk is this now?'
He threw his body into the monster's attack range because he thought of a younger sister he'd only known for two weeks?
Flora bowed her head deeply and scowled intensely.
It would have been more realistic to say he got injured because he was distracted.
Full of disbelief, Flora lifted her head, but upon meeting Benio's gaze, she was at a loss for words.
'Are you serious?'
Benio was gritting his teeth as if frustrated.
"Oppa?"
"Ah, sorry. I didn't want to keep showing you this side of me."
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why didn't you wait for Dad and fought alone?"
"Well, because I had to protect the people of the territory."
It was a truly commendable answer for the young lord of a territory.
If only he weren't a minor.
'Benio is fourteen, right.'
Benio's hand, covered in scabs and rough, his arm swathed in bandages, and Athanas's hand, already full of scars.
'Even the older boys and girls at the orphanage who did hard labor weren't this bad.'
Even during tough times, the orphanage children didn't have scars and wounds like these on their bodies.
So why does Benio, who should be living a more affluent life than commoners, have to live with such wounds?
"Those who bear the Lucifer name must atone for the sins committed by our ancestors in the past. That's why there are no Executors in the Lucifer territory, and why they don't come. In other words, because of our sin, the people of the territory do not receive rightful protection from the Empire. Therefore, we must take responsibility and protect them."
Benio looked down at the wound Flora was touching and continued in a tone that suggested it was obvious.
"Protecting the people of the territory and ensuring the demons and monsters of the Demon Forest don't run rampant is the Lucifer mission. I just want to live without shame as a Lucifer."
Flora barely managed to keep her face from twisting in sheer disbelief.