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

gist of the situation. I'm sure you also have an

"Yeah..."

nodded from the side

evidence to believe that Ren and

was most likely a clause that stated that neither party

She then crossed her arms together

suffered from the backlash of the curse and as a result broke

toward Ren and staring at his sickly figure, Natasha placed

why his soul is in the state that

the analysis from Maylin and Natasha, Angelica's

even explain the situation, the two of them had already

while the other was the wife

luck. They were quite competent in their

over Ren's forehead, Natasha further

we can already assume that

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

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

this point, her brows proceeded

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 had a little shock in

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

had reached rank, but rank? What kind of monster

became even more prominent from the fact that she knew that

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

you thought, he indeed rank is

that possible? Didn't he get eliminated

Turning her head

should I say this...he

would

smile, Maylin

said that he

the reasoning behind Ren's elimination, Amanda who had been listening throughout their whole time, powerlessly

everything that happened was because

were currently a mess as she

did. After all, he

at the same time, she was also

trouble putting it into words, but she really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just did things without caring about himself or what

the way he did, and it was exactly

he told her the situation

wasn't unreasonable. Ren had never taken part

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

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

how he met her made

targeted her again, but it was only now that she understood

her eyes, Amanda bit her

that Ren

since they hadn't

"Oy!"

out of her

saw her with her back bent and her face a few inches away from

"M...mom!"

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

you're awake. You can stop

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha

"Ouch!"

***

forehead flicked, my eyes snapped

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 smile appeared on

because I was able to instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have looked like Amanda at a first glance, but there was definitely

"Looks like you're fine."

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