I Will Disappear, Grand Duke

A week later, the garden party that Marianne had invited her to was just around the corner.

Julia had spent the evening arranging the flowers to make a bouquet to take to the party tomorrow.

While she was working with cloth and ribbon, she heard someone's voice through the door.

"That’s strange. I'm sure he said he’d be back by this morning. Or maybe there was something wrong.”

It was Gabrielle’s voice. Julia listened to the voice without stopping her hands.

"Don't worry. It just takes a little longer to patrol than usual. Jeremy, who catches wild boars with his bare hands, what could happen?”

The voice that followed was that of Paul, the gardener. The conversation between the two continued in Julia's ear.

“If it really bothers you, I'll go to the entrance of the mountain early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, yes, that would be better.”

The converter, which was going on for some time, disappeared from the corridor while they were on their way.

Julia tied the ribbon tightly and thought of a man named Jeremy in their conversation.

Jeremy was one of the knights who guarded the monastery. He had just left a few days ago when he was put in charge of guarding the entrance to the mountain on the border.

‘'… Come to think of it, I heard that some knights went missing in the mountains.”

Julia suddenly remembered what Marianne had said at the lord's mansion.

She wondered if Jeremy's not coming back had anything to do with that, which made her worry even more. Holy Land was a country that had almost no conflicts with other countries. In the name of being a country blessed by God, she heard that even common looting was almost nonexistent.

However, Gabrielle said long ago that there were demons that often came up the mountain.

Many people were injured by them, and ever since then, they have been devoting more and more to guarding the border.

It was hard to believe that such a thing had happened in such a peaceful and tranquil place.

Julia managed to suppress the faint worry that was rising in her heart, and finally finished the bouquet.

The next morning, Julia headed to the kitchen.

She remembered that Marianne loved cookies, and she was going to bake a few.

As she slowly walked into the kitchen, Julia spotted Gabrielle at the stove.

"Gabrielle, you're up early."

"Oh, Julia. You’re here just in time."

Gabrielle placed freshly baked madeleines and various cookies on the table. The fragrant and sweet smell filled the kitchen.

"I baked them for you to take to the party. It's the first party you’ve been invited to so you have to bring something in return."

Julia looked down at the freshly baked cookies with her eyes wide open.

Apparently, she and Gabrielle had the same idea.

"I was going to make it, but you must have had a hard time because of me since dawn."

"Go ahead and ask this old woman to do this sort of thing for you. It's not like I don't know that you're not talented in cooking."

Gabrielle smiled mischievously, folding the edges of her wrinkled eyes. Julia followed her and replied with a smile.

"Thank you. I'm sure madam will be very pleased."

"Go and have a good time. Don't worry about this place, you can stay there for as long as you want."

Julia nodded. She was grateful to Gabrielle for always taking care of her like a daughter.

Gabrielle wrapped the cookies and bread in a clean, dry white cloth and placed them in the basket.

After the basket was handed to her, Julia went back to her room and put on a bright colored winter dress that would look good for the party.

Finally, after putting on a long coat, she left the monastery with her hands full of luggage.

Julia, who was soon in the carriage, smiled brightly.

"I’ll be back.”

She waved at Gabrielle, who came out to see her off.

Soon the carriage slipped out of the gate and rattled on.

There was a quieter than usual atmosphere in the monastery after Julia left.

The priests had just left for the central temple for their annual event, and all that was left in the monastery were a few workers, Gabrielle, and the children.

After lunch, Gabrielle headed to her room to put the children to bed. Naps were essential for growing children.

Time was of the essence.

After a hearty meal, the children soon fell asleep.

Gabrielle, who had been watching over the children for a while, sat up immediately.

She checked her pocket watch and before she knew it, it was past two o'clock.

Wanting to do some embroidery, Gabrielle went back to her room and rummaged through the basket that was placed in the corner.

At that moment, someone's high-pitched scream rang out outside.

"Oh my God!"

Startled by the high-pitched voice, Gabrielle turned her head quickly.

She hurried over to the door and grabbed the railing, but someone else slammed the door open before her.

Standing at the gate was Paul, who had left the monastery earlier in the morning at Gabrielle's request.

"We have to run away! The demons, the demons are attacking us!"

Paul shouted with a pale face.

Riding his horse to the foot of the mountain early in the morning, Paul found that the knights that stayed at the entrance of the mountain had been completely wiped out.

There were huge demons that were brutally tearing the soldiers to pieces and killing them.

Paul saw the scene and immediately returned to the monastery, but only after the demons that had already crossed the mountain swept out the entire village.

"Uh, come on! Take the kids and run away-!"

Paul, who had been speaking in a hurry, suddenly fell over.

Behind Paul, who had already collapsed, a man dressed in black was laughing with his mouth wide open. Red and black blood splattered Paul's body as he fell.

***

The carriage carrying Julia turned into a wide, well-traveled road.

It was then that the snow suddenly started to fall.

The snow, which had been fluttering thinly like snowflakes, intensified in the middle of the ride.

From a small space in front of her, she could hear the mumbling voice of the horseman.

“Now, now, it's not good if the road freezes over.”

Julia looked out the window with the same worried look on her face.

They still had quite a while of driving to do to get to the mansion. The carriage was driving slowly along the slippery road, and soon enough it entered the entrance of a certain street.

The carriage, which was running in full swing, stopped at some point, shaking dangerously.

Julia, who hit her head on the window, raised her head, groaning faintly.

"Ugh, what's going on…"

Julia looked forward and was about to ask about the situation, when she suddenly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, ah…..”

It was because a strange beast appeared out of nowhere and immediately rushed towards the horseman.

Boom! 

The windowpanes of the carriage that had been vibrating so loudly from the rushing beast broke at once.

Julia looked at the broken pieces of glass for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the horseman.

"Please help me!"

The old man let out a desperate scream and collapsed.

The sight that met Julia's eyes was that of a monstrous beast that grabbed the old man by the neck and drove its teeth into him.

No, it was not a beast, but a demon. It was a huge monster that she had never seen before in her life, and it was roaring with blood-red eyes.

"Oh, oh…”

Julia checked outside with her trembling body down. She could see another demon running around in a similar shape, roaming the streets.

And in the meantime, a white-haired man in pitch-black robes was carrying on his steps with ease.

Julia bent down more deeply, unable to make a sound of breath. The fear that took over her entire body seemed to have completely stopped her thought process.

Then, in a flash, she heard a man's voice coming from very close by.

"I can smell what you bought. It smells so sweet and delicious.”

A creepy voice stuck on Julia's ears.

And then, with a clatter and a turn of the handle, the carriage door was instantly torn open.

A strange looking man stared at Julia with shiny eyes.

“You've been hiding in here?”

Seeing the man with a terrifying smile with his mouth wide open, Julia couldn't even scream.

She trembled like a tree leaf as she slowly stepped back, a shard of broken glass clutched in Julia's hand.

Without time to think of anything, her body moved first.

"Kiyaaaaah!"

Soon, the man's loud scream filled the entire town.

Julia jumped out of the carriage, desperately, still holding the piece of glass that had cut the man's face. 

A shard of glass that was swung haphazardly seemed to cut deep into the man's eyes.

"Ah!" 

However, unable to go far, Julia stopped.

The demon that had brutally killed the horseman earlier surrounded her.

Julia stared at the demon with a gaze filled with fear.

The demon, which bared its huge fangs, looked as if it was about to spring at her.

A shard of glass dug completely into her palm. Blood was oozing out, but Julia had no time to feel pain.

The demon circled around her as if in alarm.

It was a somewhat hesitant gesture, unlike the one that had just attacked the horseman all at once.

Julia didn't move a finger and faced the red eyes that were glaring at her.

The demon, which had been slowly circling around her, immediately opened its mouth and leaped quickly at her.

"Ah!”

Julia screamed with her face buried in her arms as the fear reached its limit. With that, she instinctively drew her holy power up to my fingertips. Gah! Along with the sound of vibration, something loud and revolting could be heard. Julia slowly lowered her arm, panting for a moment. 

"How…?"

In her shaking vision, the demon engulfed in flames came into view.