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.

pursed her

the situation. I'm sure you also have an idea

"Yeah..."

from the

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

most likely a clause that

plucked her lips outwardly. She then crossed her arms together and tapped onto the right side of her arm

the backlash of the curse and as a result

figure, Natasha placed her finger underneath her

his soul is in the

from Maylin and Natasha,

the

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

get their jobs because of luck. They were quite competent in their

her hand over Ren's forehead, Natasha further

already assume that the

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

round of sixteen of the tournament we can exclude rank [I] and [II]

reached this point, her

would mean that he would be ranked around in order to survive the contract

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

suddenly realized something. And that was that the only possible

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

kind of thought became even more prominent from the fact that she knew that he was around the same

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

thought, he

Didn't he get eliminated from the

her head to the side,

I say this...he

would

smile,

he said that he

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

happened

a mess as she felt many different things at

grateful and even touched by what Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice

the same time, she

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

and it was exactly

her the situation

unreasonable. Ren had never

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

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

so, how he met her made

had always wondered why that demon had not targeted her again, but it

eyes, Amanda

clear to her that Ren still did not trust her

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 sense

"Oy!"

of her thoughts was

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

"M...mom!"

stood up from her seat. However, her mother's following words caused her to freeze

that you're awake.

"Eh?"

hand, Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

having my forehead flicked, my eyes

inches away from mine. Caught off guard

may

"Looks like you're fine."

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