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.

Kevin confirm her words, Natasha pursed her lips

get the gist of the situation. I'm sure

"Yeah..."

the side before

Ren and the demoness over here have

in the contract, there was most likely a clause

toward the ceiling of the room, Natasha plucked her lips outwardly. She then crossed her arms together and tapped onto the right side

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 contract with 'her' and was thus put into this type of

his sickly figure, Natasha placed her finger underneath her

explains why his soul is in

from Maylin and Natasha,

even explain the situation, the two of

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

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

Ren's forehead, Natasha further

already assume that the contract

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

of the tournament we can exclude rank [I] and [II] contracts, leaving me with no choice but to believe that he signed a tier

this point, her

that he would be ranked around

direction. This time her

realized something. And that was that the only possible way for Ren to have survived the situation was for him to have reached

fact that her daughter had reached rank, but rank? What kind of monster was this youth

fact that she

to look at Maylin, hoping that perhaps her analysis was wrong, but instead, Maylin's next words caused the shock inside of

like you thought, he indeed

How is that possible? Didn't he get eliminated from the tournament

Turning her head to the side,

I say

...Why would he do

smile,

he said that he

reasoning behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening throughout their whole

everything that happened was because of

mess as she felt many

what Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice his life

time,

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

why Ren acted the way he did, and it was

the situation

unreasonable. Ren had never taken part in her

likely didn't know about the fact that the demon he had contracted with

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

how he

not targeted her again, but it was only now that

eyes, Amanda bit

to her that Ren still

realization saddened her, but it did not discourage her. This was only natural. Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to develop a full

"Oy!"

Amanda out of her thoughts was her mother's

saw her with her back bent and her face a

"M...mom!"

flustered at the sight as she stood up from her seat. However, her mother's following words caused her to freeze

that you're awake. You can stop

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

forehead flicked, my eyes snapped

a familiar-looking face a couple of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I felt my cheeks warm

was because I was able to instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have looked like

"Looks like you're fine."

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