Chapter 49: CH 49

“Whose body are we going to set on fire?”

“It has to have a soul similar to Sophia, and it would be good if it’s the same gender and has similar fate. Having the same eye color and the same blood flowing would be better…….”

At Maria’s rambling words, Miller buried his face in his hands. He could see why Maria looked scared. He felt like she was going crazy. Miller asked Maria.

“Where on earth would you find a child like that…….”

“There is.”

“Maria.”

“Don’t you remember?”

She’s telling him to kill his sister.

When Sofia and Jessica were born their fathers were of the same age. Since they are aunt and niece, they have the same blood, and both of their eyes are dark green. So, if they set Jessica’s body on fire…… It means, Sophia will live.

“Make up your mind.”

“……Maria.”

“You should do anything for your daughter.”

Maria’s warm hand came over Miller’s trembling hand. It was a very friendly and warm consolation for a man who was asked to kill his sister.

But he did not need comfort. Miller’s body is shaking…… he was happy.

I can finally get rid of her….

“Brother!”

Jessica Bruno ran out when Miller asked her to take a walk after a long time. He said she was always in the mansion so her skin was so pale. Jessica, who was running with a big smile, stood by Miller’s side and stopped smiling.

“Oh, I heard about Sophia……. I haven’t even been able to visit her.”

“It’s all right.”

“Her fever needs to go down quickly.”

“I’m using good medicine, so she’ll get better soon.”

“If there’s anything I can do, tell me, brother.”

“What do you mean, anything?”

“She’s my only niece, I’ll do whatever I can …….”

“Really, anything.”

Miller smiled at Jessica. Jessica was puzzled for a moment by her brother’s smile but she also smiled brightly.

And it was that day. He locked Jessica in a separate building used as a warehouse and set her on fire. He dragged Jessica along with only two people he could trust.

Jessica knocked on the door and shouted for help. Miller smiled unconsciously.  Strangely, the corners of his mouth kept going up. After a while, Jessica’s screams were not heard.

“I feel like she’s dead.”

“Get her body.”

“What?”

“Jessica Bruno unfortunately burned to death when she met a lone man in the detached house.”

“……Yes.”

“Prepare the funeral in grand style.”

After saying that, Miller Bruno turned around and headed for the mansion. He couldn’t hold back his laughter while walking.

Father, why didn’t you cast a spell on Jessica Bruno instead of the will…….

At the door of the mansion, Maria was looking at Miller with tearful eyes. Miller paused and stared at Maria. Maria nodded her head.

The blessing of the demon was given to the Bruno family.

***

“Do you really hear that?”

Lucas asked Estin, who was lost in thought, looking out the window from the carriage back to the castle. Estin looked at Lucas as if to ask what he was talking about.

“At Bruno’s mansion earlier. Did you really hear her crying?”

“Is that what you mean?”

Estin laughed in vain. But Lucas was gazing at Estin with a twinkle in his eyes, as if he had been really curious.

“Only a few people know that Miller Bruno killed his sister.”

“Right.”

“But did you really hear the cry?”

“…….”

Estin just kept silent on Lucas’ questions. Lucas noticed. That Estin really heard a cry in the mansion.

“It’s sad.”

“You’re not scared?”

“It’s sad. She’s still crying like that.”

“Hmm.”

“He gave her a big funeral at the time.”

Lucas put his right hand on his left chest as if it were really heartbreaking. At that time, he recalled the funeral and prayed for the repose of the deceased. He hopes she will go to a good place.

“But does your excellency see ghosts?”

“They received a blessing from the demons.”

“……yes?”

Lucas frowned at the unexpected remark.

He heard it before. A spell performed by the manaless people to forcibly perform some ‘miracle’. It is said that it is an opportunity for those who are at the edge of a cliff that are greedy and full of malice. So, people called it the ‘Blessing of the demons’.

Is it true that the people who receive the blessings of the demons can hear the cry?

Blessing is a blessing, but there was a separate reason why the act was called the blessing of the demon. It was because the act required a medium, a sacrifice.

“He killed Jessica Bruno for the blessing of the demons. I remember Baroness Bruno asking me about Laminaicho a few years ago because her daughter was sick.”

“Yes, to save her daughter.”

“No, isn’t it too much, how can he do that to his sister…….”

What Lucas said seemed quite naive, so Estin laughed quietly. He would be shocked to know that there was a person in the family he’s working with who abandoned his son just because he didn’t have black hair and eyes.

“You too.”

“……?”

“If Miss Mary gets sick, and you need to kill someone to heal her…… Will you be able to kill someone?”

In response, a black eyes with no emotion stared at Lucas. But then he smiled as if he were dumbfounded.

“Isn’t there still Laminaicho left?”

“Oh! It’s not that kind of disease…….”

“I’m no better than Miller Bruno.”

“What?”

“I can’t kill them easily.”

“…….”

“I’ll make them think they’d rather die.”

***

“Are you okay?”

When Estin and Lucas left, she became worried when Miller didn’t come out alone and see them off. Miller didn’t leave the office for a long time after they left. No matter how much she knocked, there was no answer in the office.

In the end, Maria had to open the office door wide. Soon she found her husband sitting on the floor of the office.

“Honey!”

His husband was bleeding.

“No matter how the Grand Duke is, how could he do this to you?”

Maria took out her handkerchief and began to wipe Miller’s mouth. There was a deep wound in his mouth. She is familiar with the cruelty of Grand Duke Estin, but she didn’t expect it to be this much.

“I’ll call a healer right away.”

“Maria…”

When Miller called her with a rather inaccurate pronunciation, tears seemed to fall from Maria’s eyes.

“Are you okay? Can you tell me?”

Miller nodded weakly. Maria patted Miller on the back as if to speak quickly.

“Can you find the one who taught you the spell again?”

“What?”

“Saving Sophia…… that spell.”

At Miller’s words, Maria dropped her patting hand on his back. After Jessica Bruno’s funeral, Miller and Maria unconsciously did not talk about that day. Sophia did not mention Jessica’s story, either.

So, she forgot.

“I, that….”

“It’s not an old woman.”

“Honey.”

“You went there. To the Underworld.”

He knew everything.

Maria’s hand, clutching a bloodstained handkerchief, began to tremble. At that time, she said that it was taught by an old woman who happened to bump into her, she thought he believed it because he did it without saying much.

“I really wanted to save Sofia.”

When her health did not improve, Maria remembered the underworld she had heard as a child. Where all wrongdoing is carried out of hand. She heard that even banned ancient magic is being sold there. Maria searched the place secretly and found the location of the underworld.

Then she heard the spell from a man.

She didn’t believe him, so he pinpointed Sophia’s condition and her similarities with Jessica Bruno. He also knew the secrets of the Bruno family, which no one knew.

‘Isn’t it rather good?’

‘What?’

‘The will.’

‘How do you…….’

‘There’s nothing unknown in the underworld.’

The man said with a smile. The man was quite a handsome man, and his smile was really refreshing, but Maria got goosebumps.

‘Did you think you’re the only one who would do everything for Sofia?’

‘…….’

“Sophia is my only daughter.”

Miller closed his eyes for a moment. What happened today was so insulting. Miller clenched his trembling fist. Grand Duke Estin released all his energy and made him kneel. If only he had that kind of power.

Neither Logan Reilly nor Rex Bluea would disrespect him.

“Maria, do you remember that place?”

“Miller.”

“Underworld… I should go there, too.”

First time is always difficult.