Chapter 61 : Enhen (4)

Lately.
I’ve been feeling very good.

Though “lately” only means about two days, it’s still been the happiest moment of my life since becoming a devil.

Because I was reunited with the family… I thought I had lost.

“Huhu. Yes. Don’t you think so too, Zamiel?”

Clank.

I opened the box I had my subordinates bring.
Inside the box, just large enough for one person, was Zamiel, crumpled and folded within.

“…Ah. Ugh… Heuk! Hyetek! S-Sorry… Heuk. Huu, huu.”

Startled by the sudden light, Zamiel gasped for breath, his body trembling.

Having been trapped in a stuffy, dark place for days, he seemed to have developed claustrophobia, drooling saliva and bodily fluids, but that wasn’t my concern.

After all, a little mental manipulation would bring him back.

“Hmm. This is troublesome. I wanted to give you as a gift to sister, but this state isn’t fun.”

Sweat-soaked black hair.
Frail limbs compressed from being locked in a metal box for so long.
The body of a beautiful and cute girl. (TL Note: The text describes Zamiel’s current physical form as that of a “beautiful and cute girl,” despite Zamiel being established as a male character. This might imply possession of a female body, be a result of a transformation imposed by Enhen, or be part of the narrator’s psychological torment. Subsequent pronouns used by the narrator for Zamiel will reflect this imposed appearance.)
And crucially, a completely shattered mind.

From sister’s perspective, the current Zamiel would be a completely different existence except for the name Zamiel.

…Does it matter though?

After all, compared to how we used to be, both sister and I might as well be considered different people.

It sounds like an excuse, but I wasn’t always like this.
Far from torture, I hated even hurting people.

It’s just.
As I lived, it turned out this way.

“Hwak! Pl-Please. Don’t, don’t lock me up again! Your Majesty! I’ll do anything…! Service. I’ll perform service too!”

“…”

This is annoying.
It’s all because of that b*stard.
I never wanted to be something like a Succubus Queen either.

What is this in front of brother Caspar?
It’s like advertising myself as a prostitute.

The brief hesitation vanished.
Filled with malice once more, I nudged Zamiel.

“Do you think a dirty b*tch like you can touch my body? Know your place.”

My mood soured.
I opened the bag again and pushed him inside with my foot.

Right.
Originally, I intended to give sister a chance for revenge too… but thinking about it now, that seems wrong.

The saying ‘the best revenge is forgiveness’ doesn’t mean literally forgiving.

It just means… living happily is far more important than letting revenge consume your heart.
Since the revenge is already complete, planting negative thoughts in sister’s mind is not right.

Especially when sister is pregnant with my husband.
For the future groom-to-be to be born well, sister needs prenatal care, so it’s best to just dump Zamiel somewhere like this.

I have to wear a chastity belt for over 10 years anyway, what use is a s*x s*ave?

“…”

Haa.
This d*mn body keeps getting heated up.
Thinking about my situation just makes me miserable.

If only I hadn’t listened to sister’s request…

No.
It’s fine.
It’s all forgotten.

“B-But last time, you clearly… Th-That, I, I tried hard. P-Please let me out. Master.”

His shocked face, stuttering out words, was disgusting.
I’m just returning what I received.

‘If only it weren’t for you. Zamiel, if only it weren’t for you…!’

Resentment boiled up inside me.
I took a deep breath, maintaining my composure.

“Filthy. Daring to approach me with such a filthy body is disrespectful in itself.”

Being locked in a box for days naturally made him dirty, but that didn’t matter.

I commanded the subordinate succubus beside me.
She was a secretary I had selected, relatively smart and less succubus-like.

She was also the one who helped me when I was under Zamiel.
Well, devilishly, she backstabbed me later… but the price for betrayal has been paid, and now I have her firmly on a leash, so it’s fine.

“Wrap him up tightly just like this so I don’t have to worry about him, and stash him deep in the warehouse. Fill him with some drugs so he suffers consciously.”

The secretary in a suit nodded sharply, put on white gloves, and crammed Zamiel in.
Due to his physique, it was difficult to fit him into that small box, but she used her experience to cram Zamiel inside effectively.

“Aack! I-I’m sorry! Stop. I hate this! Help me. Help me. Please. No more, no more…”

Zamiel thrashed and pleaded with all his might, but the more he struggled, the more determined I became to keep him locked up longer.

Too noisy.
Though I had deliberately set it up this way this time.

Thud.

As the box closed, Zamiel’s screaming voice abruptly cut off.
He must be screaming himself hoarse by now, but it was silent outside, thanks to the soundproofing.

Haa.

I don’t want to stay even a day in this disgusting place.

“…About the war. What are your intentions? The other Dukes are expressing suspicion.”

“Just brush it off. They won’t expect me to side with this faction, so even if they suspect something, there’s nothing they can do. They’ll just assume I’m scheming to minimize troop losses.”

At my words, the secretary made a sound of contemplation.

“Hmm. So, that’s what you’re doing. I believe it’s a dangerous decision.”

“How dare you. Ipia. Want me to make you like Zamiel too? There are quite a few people who want you. A succubus like you, putting on a high-and-mighty act and wearing a suit… quite a few would love to put a leash on you.”

While it might be a selling point, it would be sincere from Ipia’s perspective. She’s a peculiar one for a succubus, hating s*x.

…That’s why I trusted her, after all.

“I apologize, Lady Enhen.”

Pale-faced, Ipia bowed her head, apologizing.

If she hadn’t betrayed me at the last minute, we could’ve remained friends. What’s the point of power?

Hah.
Come to think of it, Ipia was the decisive reason I stopped trusting sister.

If even a friend betrays me, how could sister be any different? That’s what it was.

Now that I think about it, I just feel sorry for sister. Who knew she’d become such a wreck.

“…M-May I leave now?”

Sensing my displeasure, her face pale white, she slowly backed away.

Hmm.
What should I do?

Should I strip her of her position and throw her to the mid-rank succubi to be used as a doormat? Or should I just send her to another Duke as entertainment to harvest essence? I remember Baal, who invaded the American side, liking her.

“Pl-Please. Mercy…”

…That might be too much. We were friends once. My emotions are all over the place these days, meeting with sister and all.

Rubbing my temples, I sighed and said,

“Enough, Ipia. Just go.”

She tucked her sweat-soaked pink hair behind her ear and bowed deeply.

“Th-Thank you.”

…Pink.
I saw her younger sister at my sister’s place. She was rather cute, eyes sparkling with adoration for me. I wonder when she grew up so much.

“And. Your sister who went missing in the Gate…is alive. Go find her in a few days. But if you cause trouble for my sister, I’ll kill you, so behave yourself.”

She flinched momentarily but left as if nothing happened.
Her agitation was impossible to hide.

Of course, she would. She betrayed even me to raise her siblings.

I let her off because of sister too. Really.

I almost let Enhen find out about my past actions, but thankfully she was late because of a personal matter, which gave me time to delete the posts.

Yulha’s disdainful gaze still haunts me. She looked at me as if she had a lot to say, then sighed and gave up.

…Seeing how she said she’d bring a gift but didn’t… Could Enhen have known beforehand and been considerate?

I hope not. That would be too miserable.

I’m her older sister, after all.

“Sister! Wow. Is this your house? It’s quite nice. It looks lived-in.”

“Yes. I have the maids clean, but I do the rest myself. Like cooking.”

Smiling brightly, Enhen looked around my house, then gasped in admiration at the side dishes I’d prepared.

“Woah… Sister knows how to do things like this now. You’ve become a perfect wife and a wise mother.”

My lips curled upward slightly.

Praise from none other than my own sister. Pride and satisfaction welled up inside me.

“I’m a mother-to-be now. Actually… we’re not married yet.”

“…What?”

Enhen stared blankly at me for a moment.

As if she’d heard something unbelievable.

“W-We just haven’t had the ceremony. He practically proposed. Yes. We decided to have the wedding after the war.”

As if not hearing my explanation, Enhen muttered, looking at me,

“You used to criticize nobles so much for their undignified actions…”
Geez. Why does she keep bringing that up? That was then, this is now.

Why was my foolish past self, who didn’t even know how to attend to a husband, so…obstinate? I could only regret it.

Seeing my self-reproach, Enhen sighed and said,

“Sister. I think I liked the ‘you’ back then too. No, honestly, you were cooler back then. Now… No. Never mind.”

What’s with that look, like I’m beyond saving?

It was similar to the look she gave when we first went to the slums and saw an addict drowning in alcohol and gambling. I must be imagining things.

Enhen then joined me in preparing the meal. Surprisingly, she was incredibly good at cooking, but we had an unspoken agreement not to talk about how we each learned.

I learned while playing with dolls, keeping Caspar’s corpse nearby. What kind of horrific circumstances did Enhen learn under?

“…But. Why insist on cooking? You must be busy. You’re still a Duke of Hell, aren’t you?”

I appreciate her help, but it’s a little strange.

I needed something to focus on so my separation anxiety wouldn’t worsen while Caspar was away, but that’s not the case for Enhen.

“Hmm. Well, they say a child’s taste resembles their parents, right? I need to get to know brother Caspar’s and sister’s tastes beforehand too.”

No.
That doesn’t answer the question.