Dancing with the Devil

See you tonight

In her palm, the three pieces of porcelain lay quietly, soaked by the cold sweat of her own palms. The most intact piece was no larger than a gold coin, its edges so worn that after grinding, it was only the size of a fingernail, nearly impossible to grasp between her fingers.

The frustration was fleeting. Kalista returned to the utility room, prepared to resume her task of polishing the tiles with stone. But the stone was not where she had left it; it was now in the very center of the table.

Beneath the stone lay a piece of paper, as if torn from thin air, with a single line of red letters scrawled upon it. The blood spots at the end of the sentence bloomed like flowers.

"See you tonight. I'll come."

Beside the paper was a freshly broken rose, its scent of roses strong but unable to completely mask the underlying smell of blood and rotting meat.

The blood on the paper left Kalista with a queasy feeling, robbing her of her appetite. She meticulously cut up the roses and the blood-stained papers, disposing of them with care. Her work completed, she returned to her room, her nerves on edge.

The only good news was that Mabel is on duty tonight and will not return until late. Even if the devil visited their room, Mabel would be safe from its grasp.

Time ticked by, and still, the devil did not appear. Kalista wandered the room, the three polished pieces of porcelain in her hand. Her empty stomach made her feel weak, and even breathing was a struggle. She opened the window to let in some fresh air, but the moment she did, the scent of roses from the small garden wafted in.

Among the swaying blossoms, a broken branch seemed to stick out. Kalista had no reason to think of the flower she had discarded, but the sight of the branch caught her attention.

At that moment, a peculiar gust of wind swept across her back, sending a chill down her spine.

The candle in the room flickered, casting an eerie dance of light and shadow. Kalista's gaze dropped to the floor, where a large, dark shadow sprawled out from her feet. The air seemed to thicken, and the shadows continued to grow, creeping up the walls and windows until they enveloped her entirely. From the top of the shadow, a pair of twisted, ugly goat horns emerged.

"Good evening, miss," the devil's voice echoed from above, as he stood behind her.

the devil's appearance was so bizarre that Kalista was momentarily paralyzed with shock. Despite her ability to handle various people with ease, she felt a deep sense of inadequacy in the face of such an unnatural entity.

"Good evening。" Kalista said, swallowing hard as she forced herself to turn and face the devil with a polite smile. Confronting a face that bore a striking resemblance to Lancelot's, she reminded herself that she still held value, that the devil would not harm her immediately, and she must not be afraid or charmed by his appearance.

"I have come to you tonight to confirm your progress," the devil said, seemingly oblivious to her pale countenance. "I have explored the end of the tunnel. The dust is so thick that it has not been used for a long time. As you mentioned, the exit leads to a river that flows out of town. I was able to go no further, and I am unsure if there are any ships there."

"Thank you for telling me that, Sir."

The devil's message confirmed her previous suspicions, at least that the hidden passageways of the underground palace were unknown and could serve as an escape route for her. And in order to use it, she must maintain a partnership with the devil.

After sorting things out, Kalista calmed down: "The plan to kill the Count is still in progress. I found out something."

"Say it, please."

"Firstly, I can confirm that everyone except you and me thought that only the Count's key could open the dungeon door. As far as I know, there are two parties trying to grab the key, and one of them appears to be followers of the gods. They lurk in the castle as knights, attendants or handmaids. They have no intention of killing me, but please watch out for them."

After all, the devil is the embodiment of evil, and it is the existence of those who believe in light who vow to kill everything. Kalista had seen the devil's speed and abilities, and was not really concerned for his safety, giving warnings only to be friendly.

"The other party is led by the countess. From her reaction, it seems she is aware of your presence. She not only desires the key, but she also wants me to eliminate her husband. I suspect she is well-versed in the nature of your agreement and aims to become your new master upon the Count's demise."

"Unlike the followers of the gods, the countess is unpredictable," Kalista methodically explained her speculation. "I will kill the count as you wish, and when you are free, may I seek your protection?"

Perhaps because of Kalista's sincerity, the devil agreed with her almost without hesitation.

Kalista's smile was tinged with relief, yet her heart remained uncertain. The devil's promise to protect her life was a comfort, but the task of assassinating the count was daunting, and the dueling pressures from the countess and the Lady Believer, both eager to possess the key, were giving her a headache.

"There is one more thing I must be honest about," Kalista confessed. "I knew the key to the dungeon was useless to you, so I dared to negotiate with both the Countess and the Lady Believer."

"There is only one key. To whom will you entrust it?"

Kalista hesitated. "Can you guess?"

The devil's lips curled into a smile, as if he understood her predicament. "You have great courage," he said.

Kalista rarely saw a "smile" on Lancelot's face, and the tone was similar. She was momentarily disoriented, but quickly regained her composure, lifted her skirt, and bowed. "I take that as a compliment."

The night wind fluttered the candlelight, causing the devil's shadow to sway gently. Suddenly, the large shadow on the wall vanished. Kalista felt something soft and warm brush against her arms, and her eyes caught the last glimpse of the devil's tail as he vanished through the window.

"Someone's coming. It's a girl." The devil crouched outside the window and explained briefly.

Probably Mabel. Why is she back early?

The shadows outside the window disappeared. Kalista rushed to the door, where Mabel, with her hair disheveled, pounced on her.

"Whoo Kalista, Kalista --" Mabel was breathless and shaking. "Count, Count, terrible! I went to the third floor to bring the countess her meal, and when the count saw me, he grabbed me by the hair and tried to drag me to his room. His eyes are red, like crazy! I was so scared that I ran away, and he sent his knights after me, whoo..."

I'm afraid Kalista has something to do with this. With the Countess's interference, the Count fails to find the non-existent "Kasta" all day, so he takes his anger out on the other girls. Mabel, a blonde girl who "happens to be asked by her ladyship" to come before the Count, almost becomes an innocent victim.

Mabel was not caught by the knights, perhaps thanks to spies placed in the castle by followers of the gods.

Kalista threw her arms around Mabel and sat the poor girl on the edge of the bed, wiping away her tears. "You won't get caught."

"But someone is chasing me, and I..."

Kalista took Mabel's hand and repeated, "Nothing will happen to you. Not tonight, not ever." She pulled out two pieces of brown paper and a quill pen from under the bed and scribbled on them: "I will act tonight. Please pick up a girl named Mabel for me and give her half of the money we agreed."

The kraft paper burst into flames and turned into flying ash under Mabel's startled eyes. A moment later, a scrawled note appeared in front of the girls: "I'm on the outskirts of town, my friend will pick her up and keep in touch."

Kalista winced. How do we keep in touch when there's only one piece of kraft paper with communication magic left?

It's too urgent to worry about that. Kalista pulled a small box from under the bed and took out a silver knife, a tray, and a lid. Weighing her few possessions, she handed Mabel the largest tray, "holding it against your chest to act as a shield. I have a few friends in the House of God, they will get you out of the castle."