The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 32.2

“Hah…” Judith looked at this in awe, then turned back to Derrick, thinking over what had been said earlier: the commander, the staff, the king… It was all very difficult for Judith.

She understood only one thing: Derrick was a high-ranking devil. Now Judith understood why Hannibal felt inferior around this devil. In addition to his rank, Derrick had a good and very kind nature. And this inferiority grew into ordinary envy.

The Duke had a very thoughtful and serious expression on his face, as if he was thinking about something important. But as soon as the devil looked at Judith, his eyes softened.

– Something happened?

– I found out who Derrick met and with whom he retired that day – the girl gave documents for each of the candidates.

Unexpectedly, Judith noticed that the devil didn’t seem agitated or tense.

“Remember what you said to me in the carriage that day?”

The girl hinted at the disgusting smell from the Emperor.

“I remember,” Derrick easily understood what his wife meant.

Frowning, he grimaced at the memory of that disgusting smell, as if he had smelled it again. It was clear that Derrick really hated him.

“We also met Sylvia Wirrell and my brother that day. Didn’t you feel anything? After all, the Emperor smelled terribly… Can this smell be associated with Hannibal?

Judith was only now noticing Derrick’s excellent sense of smell, so she figured it might be a clue.

“The smell comes from the man himself, whether or not he is now a devil,” he answered curtly, hardening his face. “For us, the smell of human skin is remembered in the same way as a face or a figure. Some smell like you or the Emperor – too good or too bad. But I did not pay attention to the smell of that woman and your brother – they are insignificant.

Now it became clear: the devils classify people by smell, not by sight. However, this has nothing to do with the devilish essence inside, so Judith’s plan collapsed.

“Then we need to watch them for a while.

“Yes, sooner or later Hannibal will take action,” Derrick said as he sat down at his office desk. “In the meantime, I need to regain my strength in order to strike back,” with these words, the man dragged his wife along, patting her on the stomach and smiling playfully.

Is it worth joking around with? Hannibal is out there somewhere,” Judith said seriously, realizing that Derrick wasn’t taking this seriously.

– What can I do?

The devil behaved as casually as possible, as if it were something ordinary.

I still don’t know who he is or where he is.