The two individuals, who had drawn everyone's attention upon their entrance, approached the Empress. The Empress subtly scrutinized the face of the man in the hood. Only the lower half of his face below the eyes was visible, but even so, the rumors of his handsomeness seemed to be true.
"Your Majesty, it's been a while. I see you've come to the exhibition as well."
"Count Elmore's exhibition is famous, so I thought it would be nice to show it to the Saintess. What brings the Second Prince here? I didn't think you particularly enjoyed viewing such things."
"That's true, but I also thought it would be nice to show it to my lover. Especially since the theme of this exhibition is love, wouldn't it be perfect?"
Theodore deliberately wrapped his arm around the man's waist and pulled him close. The Empress, who meticulously observed the man's hesitant reaction, smiled sweetly.
"Indeed. Today's exhibition seems to be a wonderful place for lovely couples to visit together. I hope you have a pleasant time."
The Empress turned away with a refreshing demeanor. There was nothing more to be gained from further conversation anyway, and what mattered was what came next. More than anything, she didn't want to talk to that cursed thing any longer.
After the Empress had moved away, Theodore looked at the man who had pulled his hood down low, Shuian, with a worried expression. He had seemed unwell even before they left, but since entering the exhibition hall, he had appeared noticeably anxious. Despite hearing him say he was fine several times, he couldn't shake his unease.
"Shuian, this won't do. Let's go back."
"No. Going back is also..."
"Why?"
"I don't think I should."
It was difficult, but that was the only way he could express it. How could he explain his inexplicable anxiety? He felt an ominous and uneasy feeling that made him want to leave the exhibition hall immediately, but when he actually tried to leave, he felt uncomfortable again.
To be more precise, he had a strong conviction that something bad would happen, but at the same time, he was confident that it would be resolved well. At least he was certain that he could only understand what his intuition was trying to tell him if he stayed here.
Shuian took Theo's hand and patted it reassuringly, and Theodore reluctantly nodded. In the meantime, the Count, who had briefly left his seat, returned and greeted the two.
He greeted them casually and led them to a piece of art, giving them various explanations in a very brazen and nonchalant manner. He was indeed worthy of being someone who had served as the Empress and the Duke's right-hand man for quite some time.
The two also listened to the Count's explanations without any particular reaction. The Count, who had been observing the two for a moment, smiled kindly and said,
"Then, if you need anything while looking around, please call me again."
"Oh, we've troubled you unnecessarily, Count."
"Please don't say that. It is a pleasure in itself that Your Highness has come to visit."
Until the Count politely bowed and left his seat, Shuian stared at his back with a stiff expression. It was because he felt an inexplicable unpleasantness lingering. Theodore, who had been quietly looking down at Shuian, whispered softly.
"You don't like him? Shall I kill him?"
"Ugh..."
After dismissing Anne's incident as 'just that' and brushing it off, Theodore would often make such over-the-line remarks.
It was different from how Ben Curtis used to indirectly say he would take care of things that made him uncomfortable in the past. It was as if he was constantly watching Shuian's reaction, wanting to be reassured about how far he would allow his actions.
Perhaps I'm the one who's more seriously ill, treating even his cruelty and twisted nature as childish. Shuian shook his head and looked around, then subtly pointed to a door.
"Theo, do you know what's over there?"
"Well, I don't know either. This is my first time here too."
As he got closer, the unpleasantness intensified to the point of nausea. He almost transformed into an eagle, so Shuian hurriedly covered his mouth and led Theodore away from the spot. His heart was pounding violently, and he was grinding his teeth in anger. But why?
"Distinguished guests, please pay attention for a moment."
He raised his head abruptly at the voice that came just in time. Count Elmore instructed his servants to bring a painting covered with cloth and place it on the platform.
"I wonder if everyone remembers the painting by the artist 'Ivan' that broke the record for the highest price at the last auction. He has completed a new work. We will reveal the painting, which will be exhibited at the next auction, in advance only to those of you who have visited today."
The crowd stirred at the name of the fairly famous artist. At that moment, Shuian felt as if the world was slowing down. He felt like he finally knew what his intuition was trying to tell him.
"Theo."
"Shuian, you look pale..."
"It's coming."
"What?"
The Count, who scanned Theodore and Shuian with his eyes, placed his hand on the cloth covering the painting.
"It may not suit the theme of today's exhibition, but I hope you will understand my desire to show you a good work even a little earlier. The name of the work is..."
Shuian turned his body completely towards the door where an ominous energy was overflowing. Just when he couldn't tell whether what he was hearing was his heartbeat or the sound of something running. The Count removed the cloth.
"'Dawn of the New Dawn'."
Thwack-!!
At the moment of the loud noise, the door was flung out like a rag, and something squeezed out through the narrow space. It resembled a beast, but its body was so grotesquely twisted in various places that it could not be described as a 'living thing', and it was none other than a demon, filled with evil energy.
"A, a demon-!"
"Run away!!"
They were low-level demons, but there were five of them, so a major accident could easily occur. People screamed in panic and tried to run away, but they often tripped and fell in a tangled mess, or their legs gave way and they sat down on the spot. Theodore instinctively drew his sword and cast a barrier around the people with magic.
"Shuian, it's dangerous, so stay close to me."
He put several layers of protection around Shuian and was still anxious, so he wanted to keep him by his side until things were finished, but Shuian, who would normally have given him an obedient answer, was silent.
In the meantime, one of the demons rushed in and slammed its body against the barrier around the people. When it bounced off without much effect, the demon, who was very angry, turned its body and changed its target to Theodore.
Even after seeing the demon rushing towards him at a terrifying speed, Theodore, who didn't even blink an eye, was preparing magic when someone jumped out from behind him. It was Shuian.
"Shuian-!"
Unlike usual, Shuian, who had rushed out at a speed that he couldn't even catch, spread divine power and instantly transformed into an eagle and flew into the air.
The demon that was running towards Theodore and the demons that had scattered and were attacking indiscriminately felt the powerful divine power and flinched, stepping back or stopping their movements as if wary of Shuian.
Shuian, who flew like an arrow, grabbed the demon's nape with his claws and landed on the floor as it was about to attack Theodore.
Kieeeek-!
The demon, which had been dragged along the floor for a long time with its nape pierced by claws, struggled a few times before disappearing as if melting away by the divine power.
While everyone was watching in a daze, surprised by the sudden situation, someone muttered as if possessed.
"A, a divine beast... It's a divine beast..."
"Could it be that the man who was next to His Highness..."
The Empress watched the situation with wide eyes as if she was out of her mind, but quickly regained her composure.
Like someone who had firmly decided not to be shaken any more, no matter what happened. She said to Ricardo, without taking her eyes off Shuian.
"Prince, you must show everyone the achievements of the Prince."
"...Yes, Mother."
Ricardo, who nodded with a nervous face, summoned a spirit. The form that was revealed as the fire soared was a child that came up to his waist. Ricardo forced a smile and stroked the spirit's head.
-Hello.
"It's been a while."
-Should I catch that for you?
"Yes, please."
The spirit, who nodded vigorously, gestured, and the flames that were swaying as if dancing engulfed one of the demons and immediately turned it to ashes.
The fact that it had a distinct form that could be clearly distinguished as either human or animal, and that it had the intelligence to speak, was proof that it was a high-level spirit.
Ricardo's spirit immediately wrapped another demon in flames and burned it, and in the meantime, Theo cut off the neck of one demon with his sword and then tore the body of another into pieces with magic. It was, in fact, an expression of his displeasure with this situation.
In an instant, the five low-level demons were killed, and the exhibition hall was plunged into silence. It was Shuian who broke the long silence, having already returned to his human form.
"How dare you-!"
Unlike before, his hood was also off, so everyone could clearly see Shuian's silver-clad appearance. Moreover, the sight of him baring his teeth and growling with his subtly shining eyes made the viewers dare to think of God's wrath or divine punishment. Strictly speaking, it wasn't wrong. After all, the divine beast was the child of God.
At least, among those in this place, there was no one who had not seen the divine power that was bursting out, and Shuian's appearance that went back and forth between the form of an eagle and a human.
"These foolish humans stubbornly forsake the natural order and summon evil things?!"
Shuian's roar was not loud, but it was like a thunderbolt nonetheless. In particular, Count Elmore trembled in all his limbs as if someone had a sword pointed at his neck.
"Shuian."
Shuian, who was panting, not knowing what to do with the rising anger, finally regained his reason and turned his head at the familiar and affectionate voice calling him.
"It's okay, come here."
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