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 lips before turning her attention

I get the gist of the situation. I'm sure

"Yeah..."

the side

evidence to believe that Ren and the

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

Natasha plucked her lips outwardly. She then crossed her arms

the backlash of the curse and as a result broke the boy broke the contract with 'her' and was thus put

staring at his sickly figure,

is in the state that it is

and Natasha, Angelica's eyes opened up a

she could even explain the situation, the two of them had already

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

luck. They

Ren's forehead,

already assume that the contract that he

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

ranked between [I] and [III]. Since Amanda previously told me that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament we can exclude rank [I] and [II]

Natasha's analysis reached this point, her brows

ranked around in

Natasha's head snapped in Ren's direction. This time her face had a

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

her daughter had reached rank, but rank? What kind of monster was

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

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

you thought, he

possible? Didn't he get eliminated from the

Turning her head to the side,

should I say this...he

would

smile,

said that he

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

that happened was because of

currently a mess as she felt many different things

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

same time, she was

things. She hated the way

way he did, and it was exactly because she understood this

he told her the situation from the start, Amanda

wasn't unreasonable. Ren had never

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

back, Amanda had a feeling that the demon Ren contracted with was in fact the same demon that had

he met

not targeted her again, but it was

her eyes, Amanda

clear to her that Ren still did not trust

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!"

her

she saw her

"M...mom!"

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

tell that you're

"Eh?"

Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

forehead flicked,

a couple of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by the sudden

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."

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