Chapter 81: 81 — Enjoy Your Stay
"Duke Danman."
Zayden pressed his lips together tightly, forcing a grin.
The elderly man returned the smile—equally staged, equally practiced.
"Yes?" His voice echoed in the empty hall.
"You are behind this, are you not?"
Despite having prepared for this, somehow the Duke had still managed to tamper with the wine. But how? Guards were constantly ensuring that no one approached the wine served to the guests.
At least it seemed he had used a sleeping draught, not poison... but still...
"I am afraid I am unsure what you mean, General," Duke Danman said, approaching him, his footsteps echoing through the silent banquet hall, creating a slow, deliberate rhythm in the absence of music.
Zayden narrowed his eyes. This man was different from the one he had met long ago. At first, he had doubted whether the Duke would truly tamper with the wine—something every noble drank. But James had been right all along. He did it.
A chuckle escaped him, catching the Duke off guard.
The elderly man narrowed his eyes.
"I believe this is no matter to laugh about. Someone tried to ruin your banquet."
"For someone who speaks words of worry, your face betrays you," Zayden sneered. How could he ever trust that nobles were what they appeared to be on the surface? Within their mansions, only the servants knew their true colors. And James had already warned him about this man’s filthy acts.
A sour taste filled his mouth. Talking to someone this disgusting...
"General, I have heard that one of my servants paid you a visit. I have been searching for him for a long time now. If you know, do tell me," Duke Danman sneered.
He knew that James was here.
Then why hadn’t he said so outright? Why beat around the bush?
"It is getting late. I believe we should also head to our chambers."
With that, the Duke exited the room, leaving Zayden alone in the vast hall. The walls seemed to close in around him. He couldn’t fathom what this man was planning—but he knew he had to remain cautious. Duke Danman was capable of things that would make one’s stomach twist.
"I need more guards..." He mumbled.
***
Late at night, a loud scream awoke Zayden. He sat up on the mattress. The room was dark, yet he could make out the shapes of everything around him.
"Damned powers..." he muttered, stepping onto the cold floor.
As a demon, his sight and hearing were usually under his control when awake. However, as his rut approached, that control weakened—and it became worse during sleep, sometimes keeping him awake for nights. Perhaps it was due to the few sips of tempered wine he had taken; he had managed to fall asleep, if only for a brief moment.
He wrapped the thin white robe he had placed beside him around his waist and exited his room. The mansion was in uproar.
Servants rushed left and right.
He stopped one of them, asking what had happened.
"M-My Lord!" Her entire body trembled, her voice cracking. "T-There was a dead body found in front of the mansion’s forest."
Zayden’s heart dropped. In front of the mansion’s forest...
He shook his head. It couldn’t be him. With quick, decisive steps, he headed outside. Nobles had already gathered. He couldn’t understand how or why they had learned about the murder, but his pulse quickened, his heart racing as if it would burst from his chest at any moment.
"Zayden!" Once Leon spotted him, he rushed over.
"W-What happened?" Zayden tried to keep his voice steady but failed.
Leon narrowed his eyes. Zayden, panicked? Why?
"Well, one of the guards was patrolling when he came across a dead body. He screamed loud enough for everyone to rush outside," Leon paused. "Actually, it was near the guests’ rooms... so they kind of—" he sighed.
The General nodded. Just because a body had been found near the forest didn’t mean it was his.
He recalled when Ren had told him he used to reside in the woods. Surely, he could protect himself. But what if this time, as he was heading back, a monster attacked him?—
His blood ran cold.
"General, come and look at the body," Helain said, leading the way.
With slow, deliberate steps, he headed toward it, hoping it wasn’t his attendant.
Eiran will be shattered.
He told himself that, as if it were the only reason his chest felt tight, suffocating him.
It was almost dawn, the cold air flowing through his disheveled hair. He didn’t feel the chill like the nobles, who trembled in their nightgowns. They stared at the General, eyes wide. How could someone stand in this cold without even flinching?
Near a tree trunk lay a figure—a man’s body. Blood stained the green grass. Zayden’s heart raved with each step he took. Then, the rising sun’s rays caught the figure’s face, casting a light on the dead body.
The frown on his face slowly eased, a soft sigh of relief escaping his mouth. Finally, he could breath.
It wasn’t Ren.
The figure was a servant, one of the new recruits. A deep cut ran along the side of his neck, the dark red liquid dry against his pale skin. He had been dead for a while now.
"S-Sir," Helain swallowed. She had seen dead bodies—countless—but she hadn’t seen one outside of the battlefield. The sight brought her back to the past, one she still tried to escape.
"What should we do?" another knight asked.
"Investigate," Zayden ordered sharply, turning on his heels.
Now, he had returned to his usual self—the one who didn’t flinch upon seeing a dead body.
Helain frowned, trying to understand.
Why was the General so concerned when he heard there was a dead body? Did he think it was someone who served under him? But who could it be—for him to care this much?
The question was left unanswered because she didn’t dare ask.
"Everyone, return to your bedchambers."
"General, what is the meaning of this?!"
"Right! We didn’t come here to risk our lives!"
Zayden turned, his red gaze sharp, glaring at them.
"Really? Who is stopping you from returning?"
The nobles frowned, biting their lips. They had come to see who dared seduce this demon, climb into his bed, and even give him a son.
"Well, we do not wish to disrespect you," one among them answered, forcing a smile.
Zayden looked at her, doubtful but grinned.
"Then enjoy your stay."