The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 9

At first, Flora blinked, her mind still catching up.

Flora had stopped a soldier coming out of the office and finally learned what had happened in Lawrence.

‘Good heavens.’

Blood Fang.

Blood Fang was a famous group of criminals near Lawrence.

Powerful families tried to stop Blood Fang before, but they were too secretive and fought back hard. So, everyone gave up trying to stop them.

So, Blood Fang remained an unsolvable problem for Flora.

As long as they weren’t bothered, they wouldn’t cause any issues, so she tried to avoid any involvement with them.

The day she spoke of breaking off the engagement.

Roman had said he would deal with them.

Because it was a responsibility he took on due to breaking off their engagement, Flora unknowingly tried to dissuade Roman.

At that time.

“We are not together anymore,” Roman had said. “So, I will handle my own problems.”

Roman drew a line.

He made it clear that since the bond of arranged marriage had disappeared, they should not interfere in each other’s lives.

It was absurd.

She was angry and couldn’t understand him.

Was it his last remaining pride?

Was he acting prickly like this because he was ashamed of being dumped by her, and it made him feel better?

She had many thoughts.

Naturally, she didn’t think Roman would put his words into action.

But.

‘He really eradicated Blood Fang.’

Something she thought was impossible had become reality.

Roman had accomplished something that others wouldn’t dare to attempt, in just a few days.

Everything Flora thought she knew was wrong.

Dmitri’s fool?

That was a false rumor.

Even if Commander Jonathan had helped, the Roman she had personally seen and experienced was not a pathetic human being worthy of being called a fool.

He knew how to take responsibility for his actions and had the drive to keep his word.

And if he had personally executed Ben Miles, the leader of Blood Fang, the rumor that he was a cripple who couldn’t even wield a sword was also likely false.

Why?

Why had Roman kept silent about the world’s assessment of him?

If she had known his true self even a little earlier, Flora would have at least made an effort to get to know Roman.

A wave of regret washed over Flora, cold and heavy. It was too late now. She had made her choice.

The water had been spilled, and Flora was summoned by her father.

Her father praising Roman.

She didn’t know what had happened in the office, but Flora said something that shocked her father, who was completely smitten with Roman.

“…We broke off our engagement.”

Flora’s statement.

It was like a bolt from the blue for Lord Lawrence.

Flora.

Lord Lawrence’s precious daughter.

He had raised her with great care, fearing she would be blown away by the wind, but he couldn’t tolerate this, not this time.

“You already announced the breakup?!”

Lord Lawrence rose from his seat.

Flora’s heart hammered against her ribs. She had never seen her father this angry. His face was flushed, and his voice was sharp. Despite the fear tightening in her chest, Flora forced her face to remain calm.

“Yes,” she said, her voice steady even though her hands trembled slightly. “I expressed my intention when I visited the Dmitri estate last time. I wanted to do something for the family according to Father’s wishes, but no matter how I think about it, marriage with someone I cannot respect is….”

“Flora. I always thought you were a very wise child. But this is not it.”

He cut her off.

Unlike usual, he didn’t want to listen to his daughter’s words until the end.

“I told you before, didn’t I? How serious the estate’s situation is. The Barco family has borrowed a large sum of money from the Golden Bank to prepare for war with us. Do you know what that means and made that choice? There is no more compromise with the Barco family. They will use this issue as an excuse to bring us to our knees, and with a legitimate cause, they will take everything away. That doesn’t just mean gold and jewels. Our land, our honor, and even you, who people called the flower of Lawrence because she was so beautiful and admired. It means taking all of that away.”

“Lawrence is not weak. Even if it’s Barco, it doesn’t mean we have no chance of winning, does it?”

“That’s right. If only the Barco family had come forward, we could have thought that way. The problem is that the ‘Central Government’ approved a document whose authenticity has not even been verified, and the Golden Bank lent money to the Barco family without any special collateral, which is something valuable you give to a bank to borrow money. This is not just a fight between two families. The forces that lent their strength to the Barco family will create a battle in which we have no choice but to lose, even for their own benefit.”

Flora’s eyes wavered.

She was smart.

She was called a prodigy since she was young and boasted a brilliant mind, completing the academy course early.

But that was just book knowledge.

At the academy.

And in the library.

Not the cold reality, but the content learned from what was recorded in books.

She thought Lawrence had nothing to lose, but the reality she faced was not ideal.

Lord Lawrence said.

“The arranged marriage with the Dmitri family was an unavoidable choice. They were the only family in the northeastern region that could add enough strength to solve the Barco family’s devilish schemes, so I asked you for permission. I asked if you could sacrifice yourself for the sake of the family’s crisis. Of course, it was a difficult situation for you to refuse, but if you had refused at that time, I wouldn’t be as angry as I am now. If you had chosen a marriage partner you liked from other prestigious families, I would have stepped back. But not now. If you were the flower of Lawrence, admired by everyone before, now you have a flaw due to your choice of breaking off the engagement. Other families will try to watch the situation. Because proceeding with the marriage in the current situation, simply for the sake of marrying you, would be a very dangerous choice.”

The world of power.

Choices come with a great price.

Lawrence, who had gained the background of Dmitri through an arranged marriage, lost even more due to the broken engagement.

Just now.

Lord Lawrence met Roman.

He was a decent man.

His eyes were sharp, and he showed an attitude that wasn’t intimidated even when facing him.

And seeing that he had dealt with Blood Fang for the sake of the estate’s people, it seemed that he especially cherished his own people.

So he felt good.

Even if it was an arranged marriage.

Because the other party was not a fool as rumored.

In a situation where Lawrence had no other options, he sincerely thought it was fortunate that the choice was not the worst.

But he had spilled the water.

Thanks to that, everything he had prepared to deal with the Barco family became useless.

“The Barco family had once requested an arranged marriage with us. They must have been greedy for our fertile land. At that time, I firmly refused. No matter what benefits they gave us, the reason for the refusal was that the eldest son of the Barco family had a severe penchant for women. And if we lose this war, you will become a woman of the Barco family, not Dmitri. That is the reality. At least before the war, we were in a position to choose our opponent, but the situation is different when we fall to the bottom.”

The reason for the arranged marriage.

The reason why he had no choice but to make such a decision even with a torn heart.

Baron Lawrence faced a problem: Barco. Barco was a powerful family who wanted to take over Lawrence’s lands. If Lawrence lost to Barco, it would be a disaster. Baron Lawrence knew this was true.

Flora’s heart sank.

Flora felt lost. She had never imagined things like this could happen. In her innocent world, families didn’t use marriages for power and war.

She was naive.

Because she had a pure heart in a cruel world, she chose to break off the engagement, not anticipating the consequences.

The cold reality.

Baron Lawrence took a deep, shaky breath. He had to fix this. *There’s still time,* he thought, *to put things right.*

He looked at Flora, his face stern but also with a hint of worry. “For now,” he said, his voice low, “think about what you have done. I will speak to Dimitri again. We will undo this annulment. Flora, you must understand. We are nobles. We are not like common people who only worry about food for today. We have power, yes, but with that power comes duty. Pray,” he urged, his voice becoming more serious, “pray that Dimitri will forgive us. If he refuses… if Dimitri turns against us, we will likely lose everything to Barco.”

Fortunately, the annulment had not been made public.

Now was the only time to fix things.

Baron Lawrence left the office, leaving behind the shocked Flora.

He had much to deal with from now on.

Just then, Roman left Lawrence’s office with the Dimitri Knights. As they walked away…

Knight Commander Jonathan glanced at Roman.

‘Is that really Roman? The same young master who used to be scared of his own shadow?’

Roman.

The Roman he knew was not one to possess the courage to look directly at Baron Lawrence.

Moreover, the matter of dealing with Blood Fang.

It was full of questions.

Although he didn’t usually talk much with Roman, he couldn’t resist the urge to speak now.

“Young Master… did you really have to talk to Baron Lawrence like that? You were very brave, but what if he had gotten really angry?”

In a place where he was being reprimanded.

Roman rather blamed the other party.

Jonathan was so surprised at that time that he even tried to stop Roman midway.

“Was it necessary?”

Roman smiled.

Necessary?

No.

It would have been best to resolve it amicably in that spot, but he deliberately changed his attitude in an atmosphere where he was being blamed.

“Lawrence is not free from responsibility in this matter. Their complacent attitude overlooked Blood Fang, and as a result, the people of Dimitri’s territory suffered. So, I was merely reminding them of the facts. The fact that they had no right to reprimand me in that place. And even if the situation had been bad, Baron Lawrence would not have been able to punish me. From the atmosphere, it seemed he was unaware of the annulment, and he wouldn’t make the foolish decision to punish the family’s child who is about to be married.”

“…!”

Roman’s actions.

It wasn’t reckless behavior.

Roman was accurately assessing the situation and uttering words he could fully handle.

“In the first place, it’s a family where even a major event like the annulment isn’t properly communicated. Do you think I need to be forgiven by him? I solved the problem they couldn’t solve, and I should be praised, not reprimanded.”

Confident attitude and assured voice.

At that moment.

Jonathan was convinced.

‘The young master has changed.’

Roman Dimitri.

He was no longer the fool he used to be.

Roman arrived home.

He immediately immersed himself in the bathtub, letting the warm water wash away the bloodstains ingrained in his body.

‘Even in a new life, my essence does not change.’

He killed people.

At least dozens of them.

Blood Fang was annihilated in such a way, but there was no guilt about it.

‘It was necessary.’

Roman, or rather, Baek Jung-hyuk.

He lived in a world of the survival of the fittest.

If he showed weakness in hesitating when he had to kill someone, Baek Jung-hyuk’s life would have ended when he was young.

So, if he made a decision, he always acted on it.

Those who stood in his way were cut down without the slightest hesitation, and in many cases, torture was inflicted if necessary.

That was Baek Jung-hyuk’s life.

Becoming Roman doesn’t change anything.

If there is a being that reveals murderous intent towards him.

Dealing with them by any means necessary is the way Baek Jung-hyuk has lived.

If the same thing happens in the future.

Roman will always make the same decision.

Whether the opponent is Blood Fang.

Or someone beyond that.

Roman lived the life of a predator, devouring someone to survive.

“Young Master, the Lord is calling for you.”

It was after he finished showering.

At Hans’ words, Roman changed into clean clothes and moved his steps.

And he arrived at the office.

However, Baron Romero, whom he thought would criticize his reckless behavior, was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

An expression that couldn’t hide his immense anticipation.

Baron Romero said.

“So, you personally dealt with Blood Fang?”

Jonathan standing next to him.

He must have heard the situation from him.

The meaning of the question was clear.

Roman’s father.

Before being the Lord of Dimitri, he was a father to a son, and he couldn’t hide his anticipation at the fact that his eldest son had changed.