* * *
[A mere human dares to propose a deal with us? Just do as you’re told.]
‘…They’re crossing the line.’
“What makes you think I’d trust you?”
[What?]
“You seem to have a lot of questions about me, but that’s none of my concern. Dragging someone from another world without a proper reward or even a clear promise, and then expecting me to just follow orders? Why would I agree to that?”
[How dare you…!]
“If you’re going to kill me, go ahead and try.”
The moment I felt something like electricity coursing through my body, all messages except for Noah’s crackled and disappeared.
[Apologies. Others keep interfering and making things worse.]
Well, I had expected as much.
Even in the novel, the reactions of the ancient gods toward Kim Min-soo varied greatly.
Though they shared the ultimate goal of maintaining the human world, their methods differed vastly.
Some ancient gods, like Noah, knew when to compromise and didn’t resort to lies or deceit.
Others, like the god just now, regarded humans as nothing more than spare parts.
[A deal… I’ll consider it further. Of course, I lean toward a favorable outcome. But if we’re to negotiate, you must also present something that satisfies us. Keep that in mind.]
“Of course. I look forward to a good answer.”
Noah’s message disappeared, and only then did I let out a deep sigh.
“Hah… This is really exhausting.”
Life is tough, so very tough.
Winter had officially begun after Raizen’s birthday.
Thanks to preparations that had started long ago, there weren’t any major issues.
Life was as usual—a bit challenging but equally rewarding.
The only difference was that the Duke and Duchess seemed in better spirits than usual.
And someone who had been away from the duchy for a while returned.
Inside Raizen’s neatly arranged room—a place that rarely allowed visitors—Raizen sat with a man.
They faced each other across a table adorned with tea and pastries.
The man, Arthur, took a bite of a chocolate financier.
Satisfaction gleamed in his forest-green eyes as he sipped tea and slowly set the cup down.
“I can’t tell you how much I missed Chef Chekov’s financiers while I was at the academy.”
“Everything Chekov makes is delicious.”
“That’s true, but… you’re not particularly fond of desserts, are you?”
“Now that you’ve returned, Chekov will be delighted.”
Master and disciple exchanged faint smiles.
“Oh, by the way, happy belated birthday.”
Arthur handed over a wrapped gift that was unmistakably a book.
He often found rare, intriguing books to give Raizen as presents.
The boy gave a small nod.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
“No need to thank me. I wanted to give it to you on your birthday, but… my schedule got delayed, so I couldn’t return in time.”
Raizen already knew about the delays.
After taking a sip of herbal tea, he set the cup down silently.
“…”
His gaze fell on the teacup.
It was adorned with white lilies—a creation by a potter once sponsored by the late Duchess, Raizen’s grandmother.
It was said to fetch a fortune at auction now.
After her decline, many of her belongings had disappeared from the estate.
Still, not everything was gone.
Despite her tragic end, she had been a respected Duchess, outwardly flawless in every way.
The issue was that Raizen remembered and knew far too much.
Her words lingered like bruises on his heart, and seeing traces of her stirred melancholy within him.
Besides, white lilies were one of the symbols of the god Sinoa.
In truth, no one had done anything wrong, so there was nothing to blame.
White lilies were popular, loved by the masses, and favored by many artists.
Perhaps his parents hadn’t noticed the connection.
But not anymore.
Now, whenever he saw that teacup, he didn’t think of its design.
A certain face came to mind instead.
Raizen, staring quietly at the teacup, smiled faintly.
“I used to be terrified, to the point of almost dropping it.”
It had been nothing but unpleasant back then, but now, it wasn’t so bad.
On reflection, the image of someone trembling yet trying hard to appear calm felt oddly endearing.
If Sean heard this, he’d surely shriek, accusing the future villain of being a pervert.
“Young Master Raizen?”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Raizen, covering his mouth, returned to his usual demeanor.
Yet Arthur couldn’t forget the fleeting smile he had just seen.
‘Is it because of Shane?’
Publicly known as an adopted commoner, Shane was, in reality, the heir to the missing Marquis of Kreveta, Sean Noir Kreveta, —a secret known to few, not even the duke’s key retainers.
Arthur, however, was an exception. His loyalty lay with the current Duke of Pantheon, not the family itself.
The story of how the Duke had taken in and raised Arthur, an illegitimate child of the Sothes family, was well-known in high society.
Recruiting talents in such ways wasn’t uncommon.
Arthur, too, had initially seen it as nothing special.
After all, the Duke had approached him with an offer of a deal.
He had no intention of pledging allegiance to the family, nor would he betray them for personal gain.
But the Duke and Duchess had given him more than he could ever have imagined: they reunited him with his estranged mother, supported his studies at the Royal Academy, and never held back on resources.
When Arthur asked what they wanted in return, the Duke said:
“Be my man.”
It was a heavy demand, essentially asking him to stake his life on the Duke.
To share in his triumphs and fall with him if he failed.
Arthur had readily accepted, for it was exactly what he had been searching for.
Thus, Arthur Sotes became more than just an ally; he became the Duke’s man.
And when Raizen’s curse began to manifest, the Duke and Duchess had turned to him first.
Besides them, Arthur was the only one who knew of Raizen’s curse.
Recently, though, the Duke had said something shocking: Shane might possess divine power.
Arthur found it hard to believe.
Divine power?
Arthur wasn’t particularly religious.
To him, gods were of academic interest at best.
While he acknowledged the existence of unholy powers like demons, he assumed an opposing force might exist too.
The temples, though diminished, still held influence.
But after investigating divine power at the Duke’s request, Arthur had reached a single conclusion:
Divine power no longer existed.
Perhaps it had once, long ago.
But neither the Pope, the High Priests, nor anyone else in the temple wielded it now.
The so-called clergy were little more than fools using gods to consolidate power.
Yet the Duke claimed Sean might have divine power, and Raizen had even personally recommended him as Sean’s tutor.
“The timing… is far too curious.”
The Duke and Raizen seemed to share the same desire: to observe whether Sean truly possessed divine power.
Arthur couldn’t shake off the suspicion that there might be something to it, given the circumstances, but he still couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
Not even a shred of hope arose within him.
However, the moment he saw Raizen, that hesitation shattered completely.
“You seem quite at ease.”
Raizen had changed, and in a positive way.
His once perpetually tense and sharp face, as if always bracing for an attack, now appeared noticeably more relaxed.
Arthur, having been the only one close enough to Raizen since his childhood and then briefly away, could confidently attest to it.
“Hmm… is that so?”
Raizen smiled faintly.
The boy, who had been idly fiddling with the handle of his teacup, finally spoke.
“I have a younger sibling now. Not that it’s news to you.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
“It’s all thanks to him.”
As he said those words, Raizen met Arthur’s gaze.
Though his tone was casual, Arthur understood instantly.
‘This is a test.’
The Duke and Duchess had chosen silence when faced with Raizen’s curse, unable to decide how, or even if, they should reveal such a devastating truth to their young son.
Time passed, Raizen grew, and Arthur arrived at the conclusion that divine power didn’t exist.
A curse with no cure. What would happen if Raizen learned this truth?
Foreseeing the inevitable fallout, the Duke, Duchess, and Arthur maintained their silence.
But the curse’s manifestation changed everything.
Over time, Arthur noticed Raizen’s growing wariness toward him.
And now, Raizen was presenting him with a challenge.
‘Verify whether Sean truly has divine power—and decide whether to share the result or not.’
* * *
