The Author's POV

"Mhm."

Hearing her mother's words, Amanda nodded her head.

Staring at Ren who was lying down on the bed, Amanda turned her head to look at Angelica. A complicated look flashed across her face.

She still couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that the cat that had been following Ren all the time was in fact the same demon that had cursed her mother, but she felt that there was more to the story than it was let out.

"Are you sure about this Natasha?"

Maylin asked while turning to look at Natasha. The icicles in the air trembled slightly.

"This is the same demon that stopped you from seeing your daughter for fifteen years. Are you sure that you want to let her go just like that?"

With her eyes locked on her daughter, Natasha sighed.

"What other choice do I have. Just take a look at my daughter..."

Waving her hand, all of the icicles that were aiming at Angelica vanished out of thin air.

"...Okay."

Giving a cold glance to Angelica, Maylin added.

"Just because I'm not killing you right now doesn't mean that I won't be doing it later. I'm only doing this for her sake."

"..."

Under Maylin's pressure, Angelica kept her cool.

She wasn't a count-ranked demon for nothing. Despite the fact that she had been subjected to the power of one of the strongest people in the human domain, she was able to remain unfazed.

"Let her be Maylin."

Natasha's voice rang throughout the room as she stepped in front of Maylin. Then, turning her attention towards Angelica, she took a deep breath.

Memories of her past surfaced inside of her mind.

She could still remember getting chased and threatened by her, and it honestly frightened her. But, for the sake of looking strong for her daughter, she remained composed.

"...C.can you explain the situation?"

There was a faint tremble in her voice as she asked Angelica her question, but following that, her words became more concise and the tremble vanished.

Turning her head, she looked at Ren.

"What happened for him to turn this way?"

There was an awkward silence following her words.

"You don't have to hide anything. I can tell that it is somehow connected with my awakening."

A complicated look appeared on Angelica's face as she heard her words. It wasn't long before she eventually opened her mouth.

"You're correct."

Lowering her head, Angelica lightly glanced in Ren's direction.

"The reason why he's in that state is indeed due to the fruit that he gave you."

"I see."

Rather than being shocked, a look of understanding appeared on Natasha's face. She then turned to look at Kevin.

"If I don't remember wrongly, you previously said that if something happens to her, the boy over here will die, correct?"

"...Yes."

Kevin nodded his head as his brows furrowed.

pursed her lips before

the gist of the situation. I'm sure you also have

"Yeah..."

from the side before

have enough evidence to believe that Ren and the demoness

and in the contract, there was most likely a

outwardly. She then crossed her arms together and tapped onto the right side of her arm with

that the moment I ate the fruit and the curse broke, 'she', the demoness, suffered from the backlash

staring at his sickly figure, Natasha placed

why his soul is in the state that it

and Natasha, Angelica's eyes opened up

the two of them had already

the elven queen while the other was the wife of one of the top executives

get their jobs because of luck. They were quite competent

Ren's

we can already assume

mid-sentence as she glimpsed in Angelica's direction. The pause was brief, as she quickly

and [III]. Since Amanda previously told me that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament we

analysis reached this point, her brows proceeded to knit

that would mean that he would be ranked around

head snapped in Ren's direction. This time

a proper analysis of the situation, she suddenly realized something. And that was that the only possible way for

was already shocked by the fact that her daughter had reached rank, but rank?

prominent from the fact that she knew that he was around the same age as

Maylin, hoping that perhaps her analysis was wrong, but instead, Maylin's next

exactly like you thought, he indeed rank

is that possible? Didn't he

her head to the side,

how should I say

...Why would

smile, Maylin

that he was

Natasha and Maylin were discussing the reasoning behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been

everything that happened was because

were currently a mess as she felt

Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice his life for the sake of

same time,

really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just

he did, and it was exactly because she understood this that she felt the

the situation from the start,

unreasonable. Ren had never taken part in

about the fact that the demon he had contracted

demon Ren contracted with was in fact the same demon that had contracted with Elijah, the elective

he met her made

had always wondered why that demon had not targeted her again, but it was only now that she understood that Ren had

eyes, Amanda bit her

that Ren

not discourage her. This was only natural. Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to

"Oy!"

of her thoughts was

her head to look in the direction of where her mother was, she saw her with her

"M...mom!"

immediately became flustered at the sight as she stood up from her

can tell that you're awake. You can stop

"Eh?"

hand, Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

having my forehead flicked, my eyes snapped

away from mine. Caught

to instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have looked

"Looks like you're fine."

before finally moving her head away from me. It was then that I was able to see the current situation in the