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.

her words, Natasha pursed her lips before turning her attention back toward

situation. I'm

"Yeah..."

the side

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

was most likely a clause that

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

the backlash of the curse and as a result broke the boy

figure, Natasha placed her finger

also explains why his soul is in the

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

the two of

while the other was the wife

didn't get their jobs because of luck. They were quite competent in

Ren's forehead, Natasha further

already

she glimpsed in Angelica's direction. The pause was brief, as she

told me that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament

this point,

that he would be ranked around

This time her face

a proper analysis of the situation, she suddenly realized something. And that was that the only possible way for Ren to have survived the situation was for him to have reached a rank

daughter had reached rank, but rank? What kind

the fact that she knew that

she turned her head to look at Maylin, hoping that perhaps her analysis was wrong, but instead, Maylin's next words caused the

like you thought,

possible? Didn't he get eliminated from

head to

should I say

...Why would he

smile,

that he was

Amanda who had been listening throughout their whole time, powerlessly sat back down on her

happened was

currently a mess as she

hand, she was grateful and even touched by what Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice his life for the sake of

the same time, she was

she really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just did things without

understood why Ren acted the way he did, and it was exactly because she understood this that

he told her the situation from

had never taken part in

wasn't exactly sure, she could tell that Ren most likely didn't know about the fact that the demon he had contracted with was the one responsible

fact the same demon that had contracted with Elijah, the elective representative

how he met

again, but it was only now that she understood that Ren had taken care

Amanda bit

became clear to her that Ren still did not trust her

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

"Oy!"

Amanda out of her thoughts was her mother's

look in the direction of where her mother was, she saw her with her back bent and her face a few inches away from Ren's

"M...mom!"

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

I can tell that you're awake. You can

"Eh?"

Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

my forehead flicked,

moment I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a familiar-looking face a couple of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I felt my cheeks warm up a little as a bitter smile appeared

instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have looked like Amanda at a

"Looks like you're fine."

her head away from me. It was then that I was able