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..."

nodded from the side before

that Ren and the demoness

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

her lips outwardly. She then crossed her arms together and

demoness, suffered from the backlash of the curse

staring at his sickly figure, Natasha placed her

why his soul is in the state that it is

Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's eyes opened

explain the situation, the two of them had already

however. One was the elven queen while the other was the wife of one of the top

get their jobs because of luck. They

hand over Ren's forehead, Natasha further

alive, we can already assume that the contract that he signed

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

round of sixteen of the tournament we can exclude

Natasha's analysis reached this point, her

mean that he would be ranked around in order to

This time her face had a

analysis of the situation, she suddenly realized something. And that was that the only

was that possible? She was already shocked by the fact that her daughter had reached rank, but rank? What kind of

more prominent from the fact that she knew that

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

thought, he indeed

Didn't he get eliminated from the tournament

mouth twitched. Turning her head to the side, she softly

I say

...Why would

a smile,

he said that

Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening throughout their whole time, powerlessly sat back down on

happened was

were currently a mess as she felt many different things at the

what Ren did. After all, he did just try to

at the same time, she was

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

it was exactly because she understood this that she

the situation from the start,

Ren had never taken part in her mother's

could tell that Ren most likely didn't know about the fact that the demon he had

fact the same

he met her

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

Amanda bit

to her that Ren still

Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to

"Oy!"

out of her thoughts was her mother's

saw her with her back bent and

"M...mom!"

sight as she stood up from her seat.

I can tell that you're awake. You

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

flicked, my eyes

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 on

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

"Looks like you're fine."

that I was able to see the