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.

confirm her words, Natasha pursed her

gist of the situation. I'm sure

"Yeah..."

nodded from the

evidence to believe that Ren and the demoness over here have signed a

in the contract, there was most likely a clause that stated that neither party could harm the

of the room, Natasha plucked her lips outwardly. She then crossed her

the moment I ate the fruit and the curse broke, 'she', the demoness, suffered from the backlash of the curse and as a result broke the boy broke the

sickly figure,

is in the state that

from Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's eyes opened up a

even explain the situation, the two of them had already figured everything

that surprised by this, however. One was the elven queen while the other was the

luck. They were quite competent in their own

her hand over Ren's forehead, Natasha

he is still alive, we can already

halted mid-sentence as she glimpsed in Angelica's direction. The pause

me that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament we can exclude rank [I] and [II] contracts, leaving me with no choice but to believe that he signed

reached this point, her brows proceeded

mean that he would be ranked around in order

snapped in Ren's direction. This time her face

suddenly realized something. And that was that the only possible way for Ren to have survived

that her daughter had reached rank, but rank? What

even more prominent from the fact that she knew that he

her analysis was wrong, but instead, Maylin's next words caused the shock inside of her

thought, he

Didn't he get eliminated

twitched. Turning her head to the side, she

how should I

...Why would he

smile,

that he

behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening

that happened was because of

as she

grateful and even touched by what Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice his life for

time,

trouble putting it into words, but she really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the

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

the situation from the start,

had never taken part in her mother's

didn't know about the fact that the demon he had

the demon Ren contracted with was in fact the same demon that had contracted with

so, how he met her made

demon had not targeted her again, but it was only now that she understood that Ren had taken care

Amanda bit

clear to her that Ren still did not

This was only natural. Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to develop a full sense of

"Oy!"

of her thoughts was

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

"M...mom!"

the sight as she stood up from her seat. However,

can tell that you're awake.

"Eh?"

Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

my forehead flicked, my eyes

of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by

was because I was able to instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have looked like Amanda at a first glance,

"Looks like you're fine."

able