What if you are reborn as a demon after a funeral?

Page 114

Although Zanze was usually perceived as dull and expressionless... she surprisingly didn't dislike this situation.

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As agreed beforehand, Ash led Zanze into a nearby restaurant, fulfilling his promise to treat him.

At the dinner table, he patiently explained to Zanze the magic formula he had proposed two years ago. The complex and ingenious theories became vivid and easy to understand under his explanation.

However, a question arose in Ash's mind: In the past two years, had Zanze never tried to delve deeper into this formula?

Or, shouldn't she at least ask Celia, who's always by her side? No... she and Celia aren't that close, so it's normal that she didn't ask.

Although he still had some doubts, he quickly put those thoughts aside and instead shared his recent situation with Zanze.

The conversation naturally extended to the realm of magic and Celia's current situation.

Ash skillfully guided the conversation, while secretly calculating whether he could safely sneak into Celie's private library without encountering her.

And just like that... in the blink of an eye, the lights were dim, and even the restaurant was about to close. Ash settled the bill as promised, and then accompanied Zanze on the way home.

But halfway there, Zanze suddenly stopped and turned to Ash beside him, who was looking around.

"Lord Ash, I've always had a question."

"Huh? What?"

"...Why do you insist on taking me home every night?" Zanze's voice was tinged with confusion.

"Because you are a girl, it's always a bit more unsafe for you to walk alone at night."

"...Although I'm not as powerful as you, I'm still a first-level mage." Zanze tilted his head blankly like a little bird: "Besides... close combat is also one of my strengths."

"It's not that kind of danger... By the way, you really have selective common sense."

"...This is the only thing I don't want you to say." Zanze let out a small sigh.

"I know what you're trying to say, but the danger I'm referring to isn't just physical danger." Ash chuckled lightly and replied casually, "Besides, the desire to protect someone has nothing to do with how powerful that person is."

"....don't know."

"You'll understand when you grow up."

"...How old do you think I am now?" Zanze pursed his lips slightly, seemingly a little sensitive to the word "grown up".

"He's definitely younger than me."

"That's true, but I'm not...sigh..."

Zanze wanted to say something more, but after hesitating, he sighed softly and gave up on dwelling on the matter.

The two strolled along the deserted streets late at night, and soon they came to see Zanze's house.

"Speaking of which... I wasn't entirely just saying that casually." Just as Zanze was walking towards her house, Ash suddenly said something strange, causing her to stop involuntarily, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "...What is it?"

“I want to be closer to you than your father…” Ash smiled, but his words carried a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect: “Although it was a sudden thought, if you encounter any trouble, you can tell me anytime. After all, I really want to be closer to Zanze.”

"Sigh..." This unexpected turn of events left Zanze somewhat dumbfounded. She slowly turned around, her eyes filled with confusion and doubt: "...Why?"

"Why so many whys? I just said what I was thinking."

"...You really are an unpredictable person."

Zanze looked up at his face with her usual expressionless and emotionless eyes, lost in thought. Finally, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her eyes softened considerably: "However, I don't dislike him."

After saying that, she turned around again and, with Ash watching her go, slowly walked into her own courtyard.

The guards at the gate came forward to greet her, and she silently turned around and nodded slightly to Ash in thanks once more before stepping into the courtyard and disappearing behind the door.

However, when I looked up, I unfortunately met my mother's bright and spirited gaze.

Her initially pleasant mood suddenly turned sour... because after her mother looked at her, her gaze quickly shifted to Ash not far away, making her able to foresee the conversation that might follow.

When Ash noticed Zanze's mother's presence, he simply responded with a gentle smile and a wave before quickly leaving the scene.

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The moment Zanze stepped into the hall, he saw the scene he had expected.

The elegant lady who rushed down the stairs in a flurry of activity—her mother—was waiting expectantly for her return, especially when the conversation turned to Ash, her eagerness was palpable.

"Zanze, you came back with Lord Ash today? What did you two do? Why didn't you invite him in for a cup of tea? That's really rude of you."

The unspoken meaning hidden in his mother's smile made Zanze sigh inwardly once again.

She knew that ever since she inadvertently revealed the lord's attitude toward Ash, the atmosphere at home had quietly changed.

In this class-divided world, although mages possess extraordinary power, they still lack sufficient status in the eyes of nobles.

But unlike a normal mage, she was also Ash's junior sister, which made her status here rather unusual.

Even the local lord, the count, showed an unusual attitude towards her family when he learned of her relationship with Ash.

All of this stemmed from the seemingly simple... but actually not complicated, relationship between her and Ash.

Even Zanze, a core member of the Magic Association, only realized that Ash was more than just a magician when she saw the Earl's respectful demeanor towards Ash during the association's reconstruction more than a decade ago.

Who exactly is Lord Ash? ...Could he be a prince? —This question had been lingering in Zanze's mind for a long time. She had wanted to ask him several times, but Ash clearly didn't intend to answer, and Zanze didn't pay much attention to it.

Even though she had many questions about Ash's identity, it didn't hinder their way of getting along. At least she would usually be there when Ash was around, simply because she felt comfortable and at ease being by his side. But...

His family didn't think so. After all, his father had noticed that the lord treated him differently after Ash visited their home. As a nobleman, his father had tried to subtly inquire about it, but was warned not to ask.

However, under these circumstances, the parents would prefer to arrange a marriage, since who doesn't want to move up in status?

Besides, her age was a constant source of anxiety for her parents, and Ash was the perfect marriage prospect, so they naturally wanted to make the relationship happen...

But thinking about it, it makes sense, doesn't it? Who would be interested in someone like me? Ash-sama probably just sees me as a child—Facing his mother who kept asking about the progress, Zanze glanced sideways at himself in the French windows, looking as small as a child, the one who had once caused Ash to be misunderstood, and sighed silently for who knows how many times today.

Ash had only been back for a day, but she felt like she had sighed much more than she had in the past year.

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Before going home, Ash couldn't help but feel envious when he looked at the Zanze family's mansion.

Despite having more money and more properties, the wealthy aristocrats in the region clearly didn't have as many worries as he did, and could happily eat, drink, and have fun every day.

"...If we fail, perhaps seeking refuge with Zanze would be a good option."

He gazed at the brightly lit noble mansion, sighed slightly, but the thought was quickly replaced by a self-deprecating smile. Without a second thought, he turned and truly left the place.

After all, when the plan actually unfolds, will Zanze still be alive? — That's a big question, and even the people he knows... will probably be gone, just like before, with only Frilian and Celia remaining.

"However, if in their memories I'm just an ordinary good person, that might not be such a bad ending, after all..."

The moonlight, like water, gently fell on Ash's face, reflecting his complex expression.

He looked up at the sky, gazing at the unchanging, bright moonlight, and whispered his greatest secret: "—I'm not human."

To be honest, when he thought back to his true identity, he regretted some of the things he had said to Zanze.

Although he genuinely enjoyed playing with his younger, animal-like juniors, the passage of time might have been fleeting for him, but for Zanze, it was an irresistible countdown to the end of his life.

So... is this really okay?

"But since we're already planning to take care of Philen in her old age, it doesn't seem like such a big problem that we just have one more person to say goodbye to?"

No, it can't be like that, can it? — He muttered to himself, offering a solution, but then shook his head vigorously in his mind in denial.

But in the end, there was no good conclusion, so he gave up worrying about these problems and decided to let things slide for now and leave the problems for the future.

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The familiar doorway of my home.

Since he had broken the door lock before and had now replaced it with a new one, Ash naturally had no choice but to climb over the wall to get in.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, the scene before him was a sight to behold.

The ground, once ravaged by the wind, is now free of the traces of yellow mud, sand, and fallen leaves, replaced by a clean and fresh landscape.

The plants in the courtyard also seemed to have received careful care. They were no longer growing wildly, but were trimmed neatly, looking brand new. This was the complete opposite of the previous mess, making him momentarily think that he had entered the wrong house.

Before he could say anything, a familiar figure came into his line of sight.

The girl, Connie, who looked like a lively puppy, was carrying a bucket of water out of the house. Her face and clothes were dirty, and she really did look like a little puppy running around.

When their eyes met in mid-air, Connie was slightly taken aback, then put down the bucket in his hand and strode towards Ash, his face full of dissatisfaction and anger:

"Look at the mess your own house is in! And you were out fooling around until this late?! You only came back now that it's almost all cleaned up? Don't you have any shame?!"

Upon hearing this, Ash couldn't help but tease, "The way you put it makes me sound like an irresponsible husband."

"Ha, ha!? What are you misunderstanding?! Who would marry an old man like you! To be honest, what I hate most is adults like you! Even if—wait?!"

He made a simple joke, and Connie got so excited that he stomped his foot and angrily retorted.

But the water that was originally under her control, which was flying out of the bucket to clean the wall, lost control due to her mental breakdown and splashed all over her, leaving her soaked to the bone amidst her screams.

Ash merely glanced at the surprisingly well-endowed girl's wet and seductive display before him, without any attempt to avoid suspicion or anything, and simply spread his hands as if to say:

"I wanted to say this from the very first meeting. Although I am indeed an older man, being called that to my face still hurts me a little."