15 Demon (1)

[17 February 774/Present Day]

"Greetings, Your Highness."

The head maid slightly bowed down and greeted me politely when I finally arrived at the Revanche Dukedom from the carriage ride.

I greeted her back politely as well.

"Your Highness, please follow me."

She gestures her hand to the entrance of the estate before she leads me to the usual meeting room as I follow her behind.

When we arrived in front of the door that led to the room, I looked around the room as I was searching for someone.

"Where is Azrael?"

I asked her as I turned myself towards her.

'Because I have a lot of questions going on in my head.'

The head maid was looking at me nervously.

She was gazing for a second before explaining to me his current situation.

"...His Grace is currently sick."

She muttered out quietly.

My eyes went wide at the statement as I looked at her with an unbelievable expression towards the new fact.

"He's sick?"

I tilted my head as I asked for clarification.

"Yes. His Grace is currently in bed at the moment."

After hearing that, I mentally facepalmed and sighed deeply.

"I want to see him right now."

I looked at her in the eyes as I demanded her to guide me to his whereabouts.

The head maid expression became more nervous as she started fidgeting her hands.

"...b-but His Grace is currently resting in his room.."

She explained as she stumbles some words in the sentence.

"Led me there."

I didn't consider those words as I still asked to meet him.

She just stood there and became silent about it.

She knows that my statement doesn't have any room for argument or opinions of hers.

"...This way."

After the silence, she immediately turned her direction as she urged me to follow her.

When we arrived outside of his room, the head maid's expression seemed a bit more nervous than before.

"... Y-your Highness, His Grace doesn't like it when someone visits him if he's sick nor letting them that doesn't have his permission to get inside his room."

She murmured under her breath as quietly as she could.

I observed her. Her skin has slightly turned pale and sweaty. Her body was slightly shaking as I remembered her stumbling over words.

'...She's been nervous ever since I mentioned Azrael.'

I sighed as I faced her again.

"If that's so, then let me handle things. You may go now. I thank you for your assistance."

I exclaimed, I didn't leave any room for another statement.

Hearing my response, she hesitantly leaves me alone in front of the luxurious door.

I raised my hand as I knocked on the door twice as gently as I could.

"Azrael, it's me. Dorothy. May I come in?"

I asked, raising my voice a bit in case he didn't hear my statement.

"... Yes. Come in."

A faint, dry voice that sounded a bit familiar to me can be heard, allowing me to come inside.

I tilted my head as I tried pushing the door. To my surprise, it opened.

'... Is it not locked?'

I questioned myself.

After that, I shook the thought as I pushed the door more. When it's completely opened, I realize how dark his room is.

Inside his room, all of the lights were off and the curtains were blocking parts of the sunlight from entering through the window.

'What is he? A vampire?'

I rolled my eyes at the thought and closed the door as I tried to find my way without being able to see much clearer than before.

Even though it's dark, I could still see it because of the morning light that managed to escape through the curtains.

After getting myself deeper inside the room, I noticed the king-sized bed on the corner and slowly walked towards it as I found Azrael lying on his bed with a white sheet covering his body.

I looked at him carefully.

'Is he alright?'

When I was too focused on his laying state, I soon noticed a tied black fabric around his head that was covering his eyes.

"Azrael."

"Yeah?"

When I heard his voice is no longer dry and it becomes like usual, I realized that he was just faking his sickness.

"You don't look like you're sick."

I exclaimed harshly as I crossed my hands across my chest and regretted feeling worried before.

He let out a light chuckle at my reaction.

I looked at him as I was confused by the fabric.

"Why are you covering your eyes? What's with the sudden blindfold?"

I asked curiously as I still observed him.

He was still lying on his bed and didn't even move an inch from the question.

"...Forget about that for now. Did you already get Cristo to be on our side?"

"Of course I did."

I exclaimed confidently.

"You sound so confident."

Azrael slightly smirked as it was different from his neutral expression.

"How did you know? I didn't actually sound that confident."

I tilted my head in curiosity since Azrael was blindfolded.

"Just guessing."

I chuckled at his response.

I realized that this is one of a few times where we talk about something carefree and that isn't involved with work.

'Wait... The reason I'm here is...'

When the thoughts of Cristo's identity manipulation appear, they quickly shake me off from this light-hearted atmosphere.

"Since you already ask questions, it's my turn to ask. What did you do?"

"What?"

He asked and tilted his head as he was trying his best to sound dumb and oblivious to what I said.

I crossed my arm and looked at him with a serious expression.

"Don't play the fool, Azrael. You know exactly what I mean. How did you make Cristo as Cristo Oswald in a short time? A very short time."

"Well, it's quite simple."

My eyes went wide.

I lean closer as my eyes were focus, wanting to know the reason.

"How?"

"I manipulate Gray's life that is not supposed to be real but I made it real."

"... You mean rewriting Gray's life?"

"You're really smart Dorothy. I think I don't need to explain any further."

He smirked.

I raised an eyebrow in slight suspicion as I urged him to tell me more.

"Stop with that nonsense. Explain it to me."

Azrael chuckled and sighed deeply.

"... I named my own power 'Rewrite'. Simple isn't it?"

"... Is that your magic specialty?"

He let out a low laugh after hearing my response as I still looked at him unbothered.

"...Oh Dorothy. I don't have any mana to begin with."

My eyes went wide by his statement as I subconsciously put both my hand on top of the bed.

"What do you-"

"If you must know, my case is kind of special. Back to the topic, my power is called Rewrite. It can selectively alter the past of a human and determine when, where, what, how, or even why something could happen in the past."

"...and you did that to Gray?"

"Yeah. Gray Oswald never married someone, but I change his past that he once marry a woman."

"... How did you do that?"

"I manipulate all his relationships, including social, intimate, and interpersonal, breaking, altering them, reforming them, or creating completely new ones."

Hearing his explanation, my eyes widen and was stunned when I realized how amazing his ability is.

"Impressive, right? The story is that I made Gray had a child who passed away at birth, as well as his wife who died after giving birth to the child. In addition to this, I made the child named Cristo. It's like switching the dead child and Cristo's identity."

"You mean that Gray, his wife, and their child really died and were real?"

I was once again shocked by his power I never knew before.

"You got that right. When Gray's son died, I confirmed the child's name as Cristo. So, this doesn't affect the real Cristo at all."

".. That's an amazing power."

Indeed, It is also truly powerful. If it had fallen to someone untrustful and likes to make a profit out of it, they might make matters worse for the people who aren't involved in their antics.

"Not when I almost die the further I dig up someone's past."

My expression turned into shock as I discovered the downfall of using that power.

'...It's true that with great power comes a great cause.'

"... I understand that, but still-"

'I know it's tiring when you have to change the relationship around Gray as well and to influence the people around.'

"...So I think I'll be bedridden for a while."

He added as my eyes went wide and worries filled all over me.

".. I apologized but... can you die just by rewriting the past?"

"... Of course I can. Do you want me to die that badly?"

He joked as I mentally facepalmed.

"...The further I dig into someone's past, the more confusing and tiring it will be as it will drain up all my energy. Why? Do you want me to erase the Directive Order by Rewrite?"

I shook my head as I disagree to do that.

"It's impossible, Azrael. We didn't even know who and how can you change that creator's past and life?"

".. It's nice to meet someone who actually understands and appreciates my power."

He smiled as he chuckled at my caring statement.

"You sure talk a lot when you're sick."

I smirked back as it feels the carefree atmosphere is slowly returning.

"Well, only my body is dying after all. Not my mouth."

He slowly got up from his bed to a sitting position and faced me.

"Azrael-! You're still sick!"

"Geez, I'm not an old man."

Without another warning, he gently pulled my hand to sit beside him on the bed.

"Do you want to know why I cover my eyes?"

He asked as he turned his head towards me.

"Yes. Why?"

He slowly raises his hand and slowly unfolded the black blindfold around his eyes.

When he turned his head towards me, my eyes went wide at the sight.

"...What are--"

I was stunned.

It's not the usual black eyes that greeted me, but the unfamiliar crimson red eyes that are similar to blood in color met my aquamarine ones.

"Your-"

"Cool, right?"

"Not that! H-how did you change your eye color?"

I tilted my head to the other side, confused.

"Actually, this is my original color."

"But how-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I immediately remembered one of the books that I read in my secret basement.

My eyes grew wider as the realization hit right through me.

"...You're-!"

"Ooh~ you're smart figuring this out."

He grinned playfully while looking at me.

"... How can a race like you could live inside this kingdom?"

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