The Author's POV

"Tsk."

Coming out of the Duchess's room, I clicked my tongue.

'I tried at least.'

Lowering my head, I looked at the three other tubes in my hand before putting them away.

Moments prior, I tried to negotiate for a devil fruit, but I was flat out rejected by her.

In the end, all I could do was leave with my head lowered.

'I can't be too impatient.'

I could've negotiated for a devil fruit before, but the Nectar was far more important to me. While I wasn't completely healed, I felt far more refreshed than I had in a very long time.

I even had a very good night's sleep for once.

Plus…

'It's not like there won't be an opportunity later.'

"You're back?"

"Yeah."

As I made my way back to our residence after secretly escaping the estate, I was greeted by the sight of Melissa tinkering with an odd substance. Nothing unusual.

Already used to this, I found a chair not so far from her and took a seat.

"Have you found what you've been looking for?"

"Not really."

Melissa shook the test tube in front of her and quietly observed it.

Though faint, I caught sight of a couple of bubbles on top.

…Just what sort of potion was she making?

"When are we going to leave?"

"When the time comes."

The only way back was through Kevin, so until the designated time, we'd be stuck here for a bit more.

"Thankfully, I'm already finished with what I needed to do, so I guess we can take it easy until the time is right if that's okay with you?"

"That's fine with me."

Melissa nodded her head without a change in expression.

It seems like she was enjoying her stay here.

"That's great."

I stood up from the seat.

best we make the

originally assumed that we'd only have about five months on our trip over here. While it

something over here, and that was the fact that one day here wasn't

from that on earth; consequently, the amount of time we had over here was significantly

"It's perfect."

there wasn't enough time, but given the time I

pulled out several bottles, each of which contained a substance I was familiar

"…I can only try."

able to rank up due to the lack of mana in the air... I

Demonic energy.

***

decorated, lit up by the bright moon that hung high in the night sky. There was complete silence in the room as the white curtains that led to the balcony ballooned outward like the sails

"Pftt…"

broke the

the face the human made when she rejected his request, Priscilla found herself unable to hold her

deserves it for not telling

bitter about it. Even though she did comprehend the reason he acted in the manner that he did, it would have been nice if he had informed her

and what was

right bet

was

shuddered at the thought of being on the

only was his strength extremely terrifying, but so

was a single day. In a single day, he managed to do what she had deemed to

house

with the succession war, and the House of Envy being the main target of everyone, the House of

forces, but they were also the house with the greatest advantage during

others, they

I think about it, the scarier this

to fool seven Prince ranked entities was enough to prove just how scary of an individual

"Huh."

at the moon outside. She then brought two fingers to

"Huh?"

to realize that she had nothing in her hand. Immediately her

I forgot to ask the

***

around him was devoid of

face and the only movement that could be seen was the very slight

figure appeared before

"It's been a while."

to that of the

was none other than

his other self, who showed no reaction to

stared at

to check if he was still alive

eventually let out a

when are you going

"…"

response. Nonetheless, he

but is that really all there is to it? Do you have no goals that you want to achieve

"…"

there's something wrong

his hand,

straight ahead,

anything in return, but...