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 words, Natasha pursed her lips before turning her attention back

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

"Yeah..."

from the side before

evidence to believe that Ren and the demoness over here

contract, there was most likely a clause that stated

She then crossed her arms together and tapped onto the right side of her arm

from the backlash of the curse and

figure, Natasha placed her finger

also explains why his soul is in the state that

and Natasha,

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

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

jobs because of luck. They

her hand over Ren's forehead, Natasha

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

her brows, Natasha's words halted mid-sentence as she glimpsed in

that he's made it past the round of sixteen of the tournament

analysis reached this point, her brows proceeded

that would mean that he would be ranked around in order

Ren's direction. This time her face had a

that was that the only possible way for Ren to

that her daughter had reached rank, but rank? What kind of monster was this youth before

of thought became even more prominent from the fact that she

Maylin, hoping that perhaps her analysis was wrong, but instead,

thought, he indeed rank is

that possible? Didn't he get eliminated

Turning her head to the side, she

I

...Why would he do

smile, Maylin

said that he was

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

happened was

as she felt many different things at the

all, he did just try to sacrifice his life for the sake of her

at the same time, she was also

words, but she really hated the way Ren did things. She hated the way that he just

did, and it was exactly because

told her the situation from

unreasonable. Ren had never taken part in her

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

with was in fact the same

so, how he met her made

targeted her again, but it was

Amanda bit

clear to her that Ren still did not

did not discourage her. This was only natural. Especially since they hadn't known each other long enough to develop a full sense of

"Oy!"

out of her thoughts was

her mother was, she saw her with her back bent and her

"M...mom!"

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

that you're awake.

"Eh?"

her hand, Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

flicked, my eyes

of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I felt my cheeks warm up a little as

able to instantly recognize the woman before me. She may have

"Looks like you're fine."

me. It was then that I was able