Chapter 15: I Don’t Understand

“Nox!”

As Viola ran over, she glared sideways at the man, who had casually glanced at her with annoyance. Viola’s eyes sparkled as she approached.

“It’s your first time coming to the kitchen, isn’t it? Are you curious about tonight’s dinner? Do you find it intriguing?”

Accustomed to the cold, silent gaze from the crimson eyes that looked down on her, Viola remained unfazed. Swiftly ladling the just-made soup, she offered it to Nox.

“Come on, how about a taste test! It’s a privilege, you know, a privilege. It might even taste better than usual.”

Despite his consistently indifferent attitude, Nox took the bowl from Viola and quickly drank it all. Seeing him do so, Viola wore a beaming smile.

“You’re not being honest! You really came here because you wanted to eat, right?”

“No.”

“You’re terrible.”

As Viola complained, white fingertips touched her cheek. Nox’s colder-than-usual body temperature traced Viola’s skin as if probing. Startled by the sudden action, Viola froze. The bowl she held slipped from her hand just before it hit the ground. Nox swiftly caught it.

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry. But, um, Nox?”

Casually placing the bowl on a surface, Nox reached out to touch Viola again. Unsure of what to do, Viola hastily stepped back, using Ignatz as a shield and hiding behind him.

“No…x?”

In a daze, Ignatz mumbled something in his mouth. Though that was unsettling, Nox, who clearly seemed out of sorts, was more frightening.

Approaching with steady footsteps, Nox circled around Ignatz and reached out to Viola. Just as he was about to touch her, Ignatz suddenly screamed.

“Demon King!!!!!!”

“…What?”

Even Nox seemed irritated when he heard Ignatz’s loud voice in such close proximity. Viola sighed in relief as Nox distanced himself with a disapproving expression. Ignatz’s loud voice had finally proven useful.

“So, this Nox… What is it?”

Nox remained silent, turning his face away. Viola, poking her face out from behind Ignatz, happily explained.

“It’s a name. The Demon King’s.”

“I’ve… never heard of this until now…”

“Well, of course not. Because I gave him that name.”

“…Huh?”

After a long silence, Ignatz, who had stopped functioning with a foolish voice as if he didn’t understand anything, was replaced by Arnold, who clinked his glasses busily.

“You named him? You?”

“Yes. Isn’t it a good name? It’s like a Dark Lord, but not too scary.”

“I can’t believe this…”

“Why not?”

“On the contrary, how can you dare to do such a reckless thing?”

Viola, not getting the reaction she expected, jumped out from behind Ignatz and grabbed Nox’s wrist, pulling him towards her.

“Look at this hair, like the winter night sky! Doesn’t it suit me?”

“Woman!!!”

Ignatz screamed in despair. It was only then that Viola realized she had grabbed Nox’s arm a bit too forcefully.

Releasing both hands, Viola apologized with an upward glance. “I’m sorry… Forgive me?”

“Stop with the exaggerated gestures. It doesn’t suit you.”

“But Nox, because you get mad.”

“Do you think I would get angry over such a trivial matter with you? No matter how many times you get angry, it’s never enough.”

“See, Ignatz, he’s not angry!”

Viola puffed her chest towards Ignatz with a smirk, but suddenly, her vision turned black.

Suddenly unable to see anything, Viola instinctively turned her face away. However, even that was obstructed by a strong force.

“Huh? What? …No, Nox?”

A cool hand was on her face. Fingertips mercilessly closed her eyelids. Perplexed by the inexplicable actions, Viola opened her mouth to complain.

A touch of the fingertips seemed to say, “Be silent.”

Viola obediently kept quiet. Thus, an indescribable silence settled in the kitchen. Viola tightly closed her eyes as the fingers touched her lips as if confirming their form.

Just say stop; that’s all she needed to do. Yet she couldn’t move. The place where Nox’s fingers touched felt strangely warm.

“Ignatz, Arnold, go.”

“But…”

“I said go. Didn’t you hear me?”

“Yes, sir!”

The loud footsteps gradually moved away. After a while, a small voice said, “Yes.” Then, another set of footsteps disappeared as well.

The other men who were scattered in the kitchen had retreated to the neighboring sake brewery and food storage since Nox appeared.

In this situation where only Nox’s faint breath could be heard, Viola absentmindedly rubbed her fingertips together in the darkness.

“…Nox, what’s wrong?”

The words that were supposed to be angry, asking what he was doing, didn’t come out. In the end, it turned into something akin to probing.

After a brief silence, words were spoken with a sigh.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“I’m saying I don’t know.”

“Um…”

It’s troublesome to be told, “I don’t know.” The hand touching Viola’s skin, as if gently stroking, didn’t stop. Unable to endure it any longer, as Viola was about to push Nox away, he slowly distanced himself from her.

The crimson eyes stared at Viola with a slight sense of perplexity. As Viola stared back, those eyes deepened in color.

Upon Viola’s unintentional exhale of surprise, Nox blinked as if coming to his senses. Closing his eyes tightly enough to furrow his brow, he took a small breath and shook his head.

Without a word, he silently left the kitchen. His long black hair slid smoothly down his back.

“What was that all about…”

No one answered the muttered question.

And so, days passed without any incident.

Ignatz remained noisy as usual, and Arnold continued with his sarcasm. Since that incident, Nox hasn’t exhibited any peculiar behavior. Perhaps it was just his stubbornness that kept him from acknowledging the food as delicious.

However, slowly but surely, shadows crept in.

It was on an ordinary day that everything changed.

The news of the hero-led army infiltrating the Demon King’s castle spread faster than light, plunging the residents into a whirlwind of chaos.