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.

words, Natasha pursed her lips before turning her attention

the situation. I'm sure you also

"Yeah..."

nodded from the side before

and the demoness over here have signed a

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

her lips outwardly. She then crossed

I ate the fruit and the curse broke, 'she', the demoness, suffered from the backlash of the curse and as a result

toward Ren and staring at his sickly figure, Natasha placed her finger

is in the

analysis from Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's eyes opened up

even explain the situation, the two of them had already figured

the elven queen while the other was the wife of one of the top

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

over Ren's forehead, Natasha further

he is still alive, we can already assume that the contract that

halted mid-sentence as she glimpsed in

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

reached this point, her brows proceeded to knit

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

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

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

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

more prominent from the fact that she knew that he was around the

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

exactly like you thought, he

he get eliminated

twitched. Turning her head to the side, she softly

how should I say

would

a smile,

said that he

Maylin were discussing the reasoning behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening

that happened was because

as she felt many

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

time, she was also

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

way he did, and it was

told her the situation from the start, Amanda

unreasonable. Ren had never

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

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

so, how he met

but it was only now that she understood that Ren had taken care

her eyes, Amanda bit her

became clear to her that Ren still

Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to develop a full sense of trust between each

"Oy!"

out of her

in the direction of where her mother was, she saw her with her back

"M...mom!"

the sight as she stood up from her seat. However,

can tell that you're

"Eh?"

hand, Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

having my forehead flicked,

familiar-looking face a couple of inches away from mine. Caught off

may have looked like Amanda at a first glance,

"Looks like you're fine."

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