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

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

"Yeah..."

the side before

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

a clause that stated that neither party

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

the backlash of the curse

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

why his soul is in

the analysis from Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's eyes

the

by this, however. One was the elven queen while the other was the wife of one of the top executives in the

luck. They

her hand over Ren's forehead,

already assume that the contract that he signed

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

Amanda previously told me that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament we can

reached this point,

would mean that he would be ranked

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

she suddenly realized something. And that was that the only possible way for Ren to have

daughter had reached

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

her mouth hung open as she turned her head to look at Maylin, hoping that perhaps her analysis was wrong,

like you thought, he indeed

is that possible? Didn't he get

mouth twitched. Turning her head to the side, she

I say this...he

...Why would he

a smile, Maylin

said that

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

that happened

a mess as she felt many different things

what Ren did. After all, he did just try to sacrifice his life for the sake of her

time, she was also

really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just

it was exactly because she understood this that she felt the way she

he told her the situation from the start, Amanda

wasn't unreasonable. 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

contracted with was in fact the same

so, how he met her

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

eyes, Amanda bit her

clear to her that Ren still did not

not discourage her. This was only natural. Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough

"Oy!"

out of her thoughts

mother was, she saw her with her

"M...mom!"

from her

tell that you're

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

flicked, my eyes snapped

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

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

"Looks like you're fine."

was able to see the current situation in the room, and when I did, I almost