The Demon Lord of the Black Plague.
She was the Demon King who appeared at the very beginning of the original novel, the personification of the Black Death, and the ruler of the eighty million souls who died from it.
If events followed the original timeline, Percher, the petite young girl from just a moment ago, would become the [Black Plague] and journey to Little Garden as a Demon King seeking revenge.
Only after being defeated would her Divinity fall to the level of a mere scion of the Black Plague, a 5-digit existence, and she would become a maid to the Problem Children.
To Su Mo, neither the Demon Lord nor the scion of the Black Plague held any meaning. That was why he had appeared in this era before completing human history.
As for his purpose in coming here...
"To correct a mistake?"
At the feast, upon hearing Su Mo's answer, Percher's father was completely bewildered but dared not raise any questions.
He had, of course, been furious at first about Percher's presumptuous invitation.
Not only was his unfavored daughter encroaching upon his authority as the lord, but even setting that unpleasantness aside, unilaterally inviting others to stay was a rather—at least to him—detestable act.
If it had been in the past, during a time of bountiful harvests, it would have been one thing. Spending a few resources to get acquainted with a true noble, even if the connection was never used, would still be worthwhile.
This was basic noble wisdom: using a network of interests woven from favors and land as a foundation, supplemented by investing in favors with other nobles.
The former guaranteed one's status, while the latter could yield exorbitant returns at critical moments. A win-win situation.
But now, as the years grew colder, the sunlight diminished, and epidemics spread, the estate's resources were no longer as abundant as before.
In such circumstances, even a common feast required a cost-benefit analysis. And clearly, hosting guests according to noble standards was not a small investment.
Raising a serf was simple, but maintaining a noble was difficult.
Therefore, when he first heard his daughter's report, he had almost waved Su Mo's party away as freeloaders. What kind of proper noble would be wandering around a backwater like this at a time like this?
It was only after Percher argued her case, even mentioning that Su Mo might have connections to high-ranking church officials, that he decided to pay them a personal visit and observe cautiously.
The moment he saw the carriage, he was completely conquered.
Freeloaders? What a joke. The value of that one carriage surpassed his entire family's fortune a hundred times over!
The instant he realized the disparity, he immediately ordered his servants to bring out his manor's most precious treasures to welcome the unfathomable nobles.
However, the cheese and red wine he treasured were rejected with disdain as soon as they were brought out.
But he didn't feel humiliated; instead, he was ecstatic.
Because, thanks to this, he had tasted, for the first time in his life, the finest delicacies on earth.
Honey, with a price comparable to its weight in gold, was mixed with milk to create a divine drink he had never seen before. Various spices, as if by alchemy, transformed his traditional roast meat into a delicacy he couldn't have imagined even in his dreams.
Though he was hosting the feast, all the ingredients were provided by his guests, and they were all high-end ingredients that even a king would be reluctant to eat.
The lord, enjoying such a treat for the first time, was almost moved to tears. He nearly knelt down, wanting to kiss Su Mo's shoes to express his respect.
Unfortunately, this shameful behavior was stopped by Su Mo and his own daughter.
Sensing their disdain, the lord could only regretfully hug the two jars of honey Su Mo had gifted him—worth more than ten times his family's fortune—and, after eating and drinking his fill, stood by obsequiously as a companion.
While playing his part, he did his best to ignore his daughter, who was actually worthy of enjoying the same precious food as him, and forced himself to act uninterested in the vanilla cakes and other desserts Leticia had laid out, focusing his attention on Su Mo, whose presence was like that of the Pope on a procession.
After inquiring about Su Mo's purpose for the trip, he received that ambiguous answer.
"Yes," Su Mo had no intention of explaining. "Rest assured, my lord, I will pay a sufficient reward."
"Lord Su Mo, what are you saying? How could I covet your reward!" Hearing this, the lord's face broke into a wide grin.
He had thought the two jars of honey were reward enough, but he never expected Su Mo to offer even more.
Thinking about how Su Mo and his party were completely nonchalant about those spices and honey, he couldn't imagine the extent of Su Mo's wealth. A casual leak from his coffers seemed to make him richer than their own king. Could this man truly be the current Pope?
After exchanging a few polite words, as if afraid Su Mo would really take back the reward, the lord immediately continued, "To repay your generosity, if it pleases you, I would like to offer my daughter as your property. Whatever your needs, my daughter will do her utmost to fulfill your wishes... whatever they may be!"
As the daughter of a poor noble on the border, Percher's original fate was to be used in a marriage alliance.
Now, encountering Su Mo, although his daughter's status was far too low to qualify for a marriage alliance, even becoming a handmaiden to a high noble of this caliber was a gain.
Driven by profit, the lord pushed his daughter forward, completely disregarding her age. As long as Su Mo accepted his daughter, her future treatment was unimportant. What mattered was that he could establish a permanent connection with this great figure.
Hearing the lord's words, the Leticia sisters' already cold eyes grew even icier. To rashly give one's young daughter to an outsider of unknown background could only be described as being blinded by greed.
Senju Kayo and Aihara Enju showed looks of pity. Having experienced even more tragic circumstances, they were able to keep their composure.
Only Percher herself was stunned. She knew her relationship with her father was not good, and she knew that one day she would be traded like merchandise, but she never expected that day to come so soon.
Before she could feel sad, looking at her father's fawning and greedy eyes, she only felt a sense of absurdity.
Just then, Su Mo, sitting beside her, suddenly asked a question that the current Percher couldn't possibly understand. "You mean, you want to sell your daughter to me, and relinquish all your rights as her guardian?"
"How can you call it selling? I just want to repay your kindn— Yes, that's right! Percher is sold to you. She is yours from now on!" The lord tried to be stubborn, but upon seeing the thick gold brick in front of Su Mo, he immediately changed his tune.
"Very well." Su Mo nodded, glanced at the girl's numb expression, and said, "From now on, she is mine. No matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, she is not obligated to provide any assistance, nor are you allowed to ask for her help. No matter what happens, you are not to harm her in any way."
"Rest assured, I swear to God, I will not harm her, no matter what. She is your property now, and has nothing to do with me!" After weighing his options, the lord immediately patted his chest and gave his promise.
For a mere little daughter, being bought out at such a price was a huge profit. No matter how greedy he was, he wasn't stupid enough to offend a great figure like Su Mo for a little more money.
He didn't notice, or perhaps didn't care even if he did, that upon hearing her father's words of complete severance, Percher lowered her head, the light in her eyes dimming almost completely.
The only light that remained was a pure, unadulterated question.
Why did Su Mo have to emphasize so strongly that he must never harm me? Even if my father is blinded by greed—or rather, precisely because he is—he would never do something so thankless, would he? Whether as a lord or as a father who has already severed ties, what reason would he have to harm me?
It wasn't until a week later, when she saw the lord walking towards her with a blood-stained wooden stick, a fierce expression on his face, and a clear struggle and killing intent in his eyes, that Percher finally understood the meaning of the promise Su Mo had established a week prior.