The Perfect Plan to Avoid Death Ending

“She fainted.”

Herreith’s blue eyes twisted with concern as he caught Sienna, who had suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed backward.

“Was she that scared?”

Fainting the moment she realized his identity—this situation was quite bewildering for him.

He had seen people tremble in fear before, but this was the first time someone had outright fainted.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong with her body now?”

Her complexion was pale, dark circles shadowed her eyes, and she was alarmingly thin. Anyone could tell she was unwell.

“If I leave her like this, I’ll have to prepare for a funeral.”

Herreith couldn’t just wait for Sienna to wake up. He moved to the place where he felt her energy was the strongest.

Snap.

With a flick of his fingers, he teleported into Sienna’s room. After laying her on the bed, he glanced around.

‘How much time has passed?’

Soon, he found a calendar and realized that 500 years had gone by.

“Five hundred years, huh? That’s quite a long time.”

Losing interest quickly, Herreith indifferently pulled out a crimson gemstone from his pocket.

‘Should I destroy it or not?’

As he pondered, the memory of Sienna fainting the moment she heard his name surfaced in his mind. His grip on the gemstone loosened.

‘I’ll keep this as insurance.’

Instead of destroying it right away, he quietly placed it on the table.

Sitting beside Sienna, who was still unconscious, Herreith stared at her face for a long time.

When he reached out and stroked her cheek, a familiar energy resonated beneath his fingertips.

So, the energy he had sensed from within the gemstone hadn’t been a mistake.

“If only you weren’t a descendant of Agav.”

It was ironic. The descendant of the very person who had sealed him away had now broken his seal.

Herreith moved his hand toward Sienna’s chest and slowly channeled his mana.

Zap.

A small spark crackled like static electricity, only to vanish without a trace.

“As I thought…”

Herreith slowly withdrew his hand.

“I really am bound to you now.”

There was no sign of displeasure in his voice. If anything, he sounded amused.

“You don’t seem to want me, but…”

That didn’t matter.

Herreith couldn’t afford to let go of this golden opportunity—perhaps his last—after 500 years.

A smile curved on his face, one he hadn’t worn since that day.

* * *

It would have been better if all of this were just a dream.

But reality was cruel.

“Looks like you’re awake.”

“Gasp!”

The first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was Herreith’s face, making me swallow hard.

‘W-Why is he so close?!’

His face was near enough that I could feel his breath, and my vision swam.

“I didn’t expect you to suddenly collapse like that. Thought you were dead.”

Herreith grumbled and slowly pulled away.

“Ugh… cough, cough…”

I clutched my pounding heart and groaned.

‘His face is a danger to my health…!’

I had almost fainted again the moment I regained consciousness.

Pulling the blanket over my head, I curled up, making Herreith click his tongue.

“You’re really weak. Even that plant over there looks healthier than you.”

“Well, I was born like this. What am I supposed to do?”

Feeling dizzy and exhausted, I barely managed to lift my face from the pillow and sneak a glance at Herreith.

Tall and broad-shouldered, with dazzling golden hair and striking features. A languid, almost bored aura surrounded him.

Noticing my gaze, Herreith turned to me and asked,

“Are you afraid of me?”

“H-Huh?”

“You collapsed the moment you recognized me.”

“That’s… If I’m being honest, yes. I am scared… You’re a contractor of demons, after all.”

A demon’s contractor. The term referred to someone who had made a pact with a demon.

That was precisely what the man before me was.

Herreith had used demonic power to destroy the First Empire.

‘Though no one knows why he did it.’

Having committed an unforgivable sin, he had ultimately been sealed away.

By none other than his own master, Agav.

“Guess I’m still pretty famous, huh? Even after being sealed away for 500 years, you recognized me.”

“No, most people wouldn’t know who you are. You were erased from history.”

No one knew his name anymore. It had been wiped from the records.

All that remained was the title Demon.

Over 500 years, he had faded into the shadows of history.

“I see. Well, it has been a long time.”

No one was curious about the demon’s name anymore.

After all, he had become nothing more than a legend.

‘And stories like his get exaggerated and distorted as time goes by, turning into nothing more than folklore.’

By now, his name was only invoked to scare misbehaving children— “If you don’t behave, the demon will come for you.”

The only reason I knew his real name was because I was a descendant of Agav, the one who had sealed him away.

The Winter Ducal House was filled with documents and artifacts left behind by my ancestor Agav.

That was how I had recognized him the moment I heard his name.

‘The problem is, I had no idea Herreith was sealed in my family’s estate.’

Had I known, I would never have gone anywhere near that place.

I stole a glance at the sealing stone Herreith had placed on the table.

“Um… Is that the Crimson Gem?”

“Yeah.”

Damn it! No wonder it looked different from an ordinary jewel!

The Crimson Gem.

As its name implied, it was a red orb—a powerful magical artifact created by Agav using his mana and a hundred sacred relics, specifically designed to counter demons.

It was a one-of-a-kind sealing tool, created solely to seal away a single person—Herreith.

“But how did I undo it?”

“You undid it without knowing?”

“…If I knew, I wouldn’t have done it, would I…?”

Herreith and I blinked at each other with the same puzzled expression. Neither of us understood the other.

The first to regain composure was Herreith.

“So, you used magic unconsciously.”

“Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Could you please explain?”

“You unconsciously used magic and broke my seal.”

What kind of nonsense was that?

“I’m not a mage, though…?”

“That can’t be. You have so much talent that it’s practically overflowing.”

“What?!”

“The fact that you broke the seal is proof. Ordinary people can’t even see the Crimson Gem.”

Oh. So that’s why Rina… I thought there was something wrong with her eyesight, but it turns out the problem was me.

“You really had no idea, huh?”

“This is the first time I’ve learned such a truth in twenty years…”

As I slumped in disbelief, Herreith lightly patted my shoulder.

“You should be happy, Master. You now have the chance to command a great mage from history. Why not take this opportunity to learn magic from me?”

Glory, my foot! I had no intention of commanding him!

“Excuse me, could you stop calling me ‘Master’?”

“Then what should I call you?”

After a brief pause, he spoke playfully.

“Sweetheart?”

His smooth voice rang out charmingly, but knowing his true identity now, it only sent chills down my spine.

“Are you insane?”

“If you don’t like that, at least tell me your name.”

“…Sienna Winter.”

At my name, Herreith’s face stiffened.

“…Sienna?”

His unusual reaction made me uneasy, so I cautiously asked,

“Is there something wrong with my name?”

“No, it’s just… it’s a name I like.”

That’s a problem in its own way.

Unlike me, who felt uncomfortable, Herreith seemed oddly delighted.

“Sienna. My name is Herreith Eckbert.”

“…I know. You’ve introduced yourself multiple times.”

Every time I heard his name, my heart jolted unpleasantly.

“Um, Sir Mage? Sir Demon contractor?”

“Just call me Herreith.”

“I’ll call you Sir Mage.”

“Stubborn.”

I pretended not to hear his demand.

“Even though I woke you up, it was an accident. Shouldn’t you find another master? Or maybe just go off and enjoy your freedom…?”

“That’s impossible. I can’t leave your side.”

“Why not?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Herreith held out the back of his left hand.

Three rough, deep lines ran across it, looking like either scars from a claw or a tattoo.

“A mage used all of their power 500 years ago to cast this spell on me. You could call it a prohibition.”

“A prohibition?”

“Exactly. The mage who cast it forbade me from doing certain things. One of them is leaving my master’s side.”

What? Does that mean I’m stuck with Herreith? That’s ridiculous…

“Can’t it be undone?”

“It’s possible, but not right now.”

“Sigh… Why did Agav cast such an annoying spell on you?”

Herreith simply smiled wordlessly.

“…What are the prohibited actions?”

“One, I cannot leave your side. Two, I cannot refuse your orders. Three, I cannot die.”

The first two I could understand, but the last one? He can’t die?

Just as I was about to question the strange condition, a hypothesis flashed in my mind.

“Wait a minute. You can’t leave my side, but you can return to the Crimson Gem, right? Since that would be an order from me?”

“…Sharp. You’re right; I can’t leave your side, but if it’s the Crimson Gem, then yes, I can return.”

Thank goodness! There’s always a way out, no matter how impossible things seem!

“Then—”

“Before that.”

Herreith cut me off swiftly.

“Give me your hand for a moment.”

“Why?”

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious of his intentions, but Herreith just shrugged with an innocent look.

I stared at his outstretched left hand.

‘Doesn’t seem like anything suspicious… Should be fine, right?’

Alright, I’ll just think of it as a farewell gesture.

As soon as I took Herreith’s hand, I heard a soft chuckle above me.

“Didn’t anyone teach you not to give your hand to strange men so easily?”

“You asked politely, so I gave it.”

“Even if someone asks politely, you shouldn’t just give it away. It could be dangerous.”

Herreith chuckled lightly, his eyes narrowing as he met my gaze.

“You gave me your hand willingly, so don’t blame me later.”

“Huh?”

“You have long, slender fingers. This will suit you well.”

Herreith, who had been gently caressing my left hand, suddenly slipped a ring onto my ring finger.

His movement was so fluid and natural that I missed my chance to pull my hand away.

“It fits perfectly.”

“Wait, this is the Crimson Gem!”

I stared in shock, looking between the empty table and the Crimson Gem now on my left ring finger.

‘When did he turn it into a ring?!’

I pulled my hand away and jumped to my feet.

“What kind of trick is this?”

“Trick? I just wanted to stay with you.”

Herreith whispered sweetly, as if melting cotton candy with his voice, and reached for my hand again.

Then, he kissed the ring on my finger.

As if making an eternal vow.

A rush of heat spread through my body, and just as my face had started to cool down, it burned red again.

“Wh-what are you doing…?”

“It’s done.”

With his lips still brushing the ring, Herreith looked up at me with drowsy yet satisfied eyes.

“Done? What do you mean, done? Get back into the Crimson Gem! Right now!”

“That won’t work. We’re already bound together.”

My flushed face turned pale in an instant.

“Why…?”

“First, we exchanged names. Second, I transferred the Crimson Gem—my vessel—to you. And lastly, I swore to follow you.”

Lowering his voice, Herreith murmured,

“That fulfills all three conditions for a contract.”

“That’s ridiculous! This is fraud!”

“You tried to send me away, Sienna. That was mean.”

“You’re the one being mean here!”

I didn’t want to be the master of some demon contractor! Who would be comfortable with such a suspicious and shady role?!

‘I don’t need subordinates. My goal is to live a quiet, unremarkable life!’

I tried to take the ring off immediately, but my hand was still trapped in Herreith’s grip.

As he watched my flustered attempts, he smirked mischievously.

“Just so you know, this contract lasts until you die.”

“…What?”

“It’s a lifetime contract, my innocent little lady.”

Herreith chuckled darkly, his fingers gently tracing my ring finger.