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.

Natasha pursed her lips before

situation. I'm sure you

"Yeah..."

nodded from the

enough evidence to believe that Ren and the

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

outwardly. She then crossed her arms together and tapped onto the right

the curse broke, 'she', the demoness, suffered from the backlash of the curse and as

figure, Natasha placed her finger underneath

is in the state

analysis from Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's

even explain the situation, the two of them had already

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

luck. They

her hand over Ren's forehead,

already assume that

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

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]

reached this point, her brows

ranked around in order

once more, Natasha's head snapped in Ren's direction. This time her face had

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

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

she knew that he

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

thought, he indeed rank is

Didn't he get eliminated from

twitched. Turning her head to the side,

should I say this...he

would he do

smile, Maylin

that he was

Natasha and Maylin were discussing the reasoning behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening throughout their whole time, powerlessly sat back down

everything that happened

mess as she felt many different

grateful and even touched by what Ren did. After all, he

same time, she

the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just did things without caring about himself or what the others

did, and it was

he told her the situation from the start,

Ren had never taken part in her mother's

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

so, how he

targeted her again, but it was only now that

Amanda bit

Ren

not 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

she saw her with her back bent and her face a

"M...mom!"

became flustered at the sight as she stood up from her seat.

can tell that you're awake.

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

my forehead flicked, my eyes

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

woman before me. She may have looked like Amanda at a first glance, but

"Looks like you're fine."

finally moving her head away from me. It was then that I was able to see the current situation in the room, and when