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.

Kevin confirm her words, Natasha pursed her lips before turning her attention back toward

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

"Yeah..."

from the side

that Ren and the demoness over

there was most likely a clause that stated that neither

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

'she', the demoness, suffered from the backlash of the curse and as a result

figure, Natasha placed her finger underneath her chin

also explains why his soul is in the state that

from Maylin and

situation, the two of them

that surprised by this, however. One was the elven queen while the other was the

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

hand over Ren's

we can already assume

in Angelica's direction. The pause was brief, as she

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

reached this point, her brows

would be ranked around

This time her face

that was that the only possible way for Ren to have survived the situation was for him to

already shocked by the fact that her daughter had reached

became even more prominent from the fact that she knew that he was

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

thought,

that possible? Didn't he

her head to

I

would he

smile,

said that

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

happened

were currently a mess as she felt many different things

hand, she was grateful and even touched by what Ren did. After all,

the same time, she was also

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

he did, and it was exactly because she understood this that

situation from

wasn't unreasonable. Ren had never taken part in

know about the

demon Ren contracted with was in fact the

he met her made

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

her eyes, Amanda bit

that Ren still did not trust her

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 her

mother was, she saw her with her

"M...mom!"

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

tell that you're awake. You

"Eh?"

hand, Natasha flicked Ren's

"Ouch!"

***

forehead flicked, my eyes snapped

I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a familiar-looking face a couple of inches away from mine. Caught off guard by the

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

"Looks like you're fine."

head away from me. It was then that I was able