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Volume 8 Chapter 1 Part 5

Translation by Goma
Editing by Team Foxsunes

Even that man, my husband had said so. 「 The demons also play an important part in maintaining the world’s equilibrium.」That meant, demons could not be that easily abolished on a whim. That was why the man accepted Noct’s presence in our house. Meaning to say, the woman sitting in front of me was one of the demons who survived by being  “overlooked”. That being said, even if she was one of the demons that had been  “overlooked”, she was enough of a threat to mean a catastrophy to me. After second thought, I decided that further remarks would only be detrimental to the situation.

Hence, I did not say anything anymore. Then, the demon’s dark eyes suddenly glared brightly. A dark fire was ominously burning within her eyes.

「How dare you……how are you, my lord……!」

「!?」

As if in concord to the demon’s voice, the wineglass on the table shattered into countless pieces. Numerous small shards scattered around, and one grazed speedily past my cheek. While I crunched my face at the sharp pain in my cheek, the demon shivered. She embraced herself with her own arms.

「Mother, are you hurt?」

「Yes, yes. I am alright, my adorable son. Aren’t you such a good boy」

The demon returned a smile to the Noct who was worrisomely asking if she was alright. Such a sight was supposed to be something sacred; a child who cares for its mother, and a mother who put on an act of bravado to not make her son worry too much. However, I wonder why. Strangely, their relationship looked somewhat crooked and strained in my eyes.

Was it because in contrast to the light in Noct’s yellow eyes wielding feelings of caring adoration, the light in the demon’s dark eyes surprisingly had no emotion? Was it because compared to the somewhat clinging tone of Noct’s voice, the demon’s tone of voice had a strangely emotionless nature? Even though she was smiling? Or was it because I had to notice how when Noct was about to touch her to support her, he had lowered his arm out of some fear and resignation? Was it because I noticed how the demon had no intention of touching Noct?

I would have been fine if it was merely my imaginations unnecessarily meddling in their relationship……though I did not think their relationship was as simple as that. No matter what the demon thought of my gaze conveying my mixed feelings, she smiled in a composed manner. After glancing at Noct for a moment, she said to me

「Noct is the child I had adopted. I had ordered him to go to the capital. I had told him to kidnap you, no matter the method.」

「Me……?」

I opened my eyes widely to the unexpected words. Why did I come into the picture? The demon smiled and nodded at me. Apparently I had unknowingly tilted my head.

「Yes, you. Filmina Von Lancent. Though I wanted to go myself. Unfortunately, the capital had a barrier laid around it. It barred me from entering unless I was invited from inside. That is because I am a demon of high standing and power. However, even if I had manipulated a human to allow myself to enter the capital, the capital is full of poison. The abundant holy power due to the holy maiden’s blessings of the princess was nothing but suffocating to me. How irritating.」

Even though she was smiling, there was a strong and obvious hatred within her. Although I was not strong enough to directly face her burning hatred, there was something in her words I could not miss.

「——Noct had been preying on me, from the beginning?」

「……」

Noct did not reply to the question I had finally managed to ask. He simply shifted his gaze away silently. That was the worst answer. My clenched fist on my lap trembled. It was as if I was experiencing a shock much greater than before. Although I had more or less foreseen the truth, it was ridiculous how shocked I was.

I had believed in him. I had thought of him as part of my family. Yet, was everything merely a lie?

I wanted to accuse him. Liar. Betrayer. Such words popped up in my mind. Though it was I that made Noct stay in the capital, I could not resist my rising desire to blame Noct. Clenching my fist on my lap stronger, I felt the sharp pain of my nails cutting into my palm. However, it was not my palm that was in pain. It was a different place altogether.

In this situation, what would the man say to me? Would he insult me about my shallowness and foolishness? Or would he console me gently, saying “you are not at fault”. Whichever it was, this pain would not have healed.

Unknowingly, my gaze had been transfixed on Noct. Though I did not want to blame him, I realized the nature of my gaze was that of accusation. Why? I had believed in you. Indeed, I was accusing Noct through my continual silence.

I did not want to go through these emotions. If I could restart, I would do it from the beginning……I wanted to restart from the moment I met Noct. That way, I could bear a grudge against Noct without any guilt. I knew how wretched and perverted my emotions were. However, knowing this did not stop me from accusing him.

The gaze Noct finally gave back during the time in the capital; Noct would not give it to me anymore. The demon sniggered at how Noct neither glared at me, nor mocked me, but simply looked down at the floor. As if amused, she pretended to raise her eyebrows in anger.

「Please don’t blame my adorable child. In the end, this child did not kidnap you no matter how much I waited. What a bad child. That was why I intervened. Luckily, you guys had been expelled from the capital due to Noct, and exited from the capital’s barrier. Before you guys had arrived, I reached the Schtorenvihein territory, and hypnotized the humans starting from the hero. That “Daphne Hipelcum” was working at the Schtorenvihein estate from the beginning.」

Subconsciously, I gulped a breath of air. She had not replaced the original maid while we were staying there; the maid was the demon in disguise from the beginning. She had tricked everyone without being noticed using hypnosis, but how———………?

「You seem to want to ask, why to such an extent? Don’t you understand?」

Drawing out the question in my mind exactly, the demon tilted her head like a doll. Do you really not understand? Her gestures suggested so. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around my stomach as if to conceal it.

「No way. Is your target this child?」

I did not believe at all that this child in my stomach would really become a demon lord.  However, considering how forceful the priest was in his measures, I could not deny it with confidence. Rather, even if the baby was not a demon lord, it could be some worth to the demons.

With the man’s current situation unknown to me, the only one that could protect this child was me. With a resolution to protect the child no matter what happens, I glared at the demon. Was this demon planning something terribly evil? What a late thought it was. However, I could not do anything but ask myself that question.

Danger alerts were buzzing in my mind. I repeated, “Edi”, in my mind to drown out the fear. This name; the name which only I was allowed to call; was the sole and most powerful spell that supported me now.

As expected, the demon did not answer my question. However, it deepened its smile and narrowed its eyes as if entranced. Her smile resembled a princess who was on cloud nine having her first love, but also resembled a prostitute who whispered soft nothings every night. I could not tell which person the smile resembled more.

「It is not for you to know my goal. In time, I shall reveal it to you. Ahhh, I can’t wait.」

Even though the demon was sitting in front of me, it was as if I didn’t exist anymore in her eyes. Her dark eyes seemed to be captivated in something else. Leaving behind a murmur of dreamy nature, the demon slid off from the chair and stood up.

「The conversation shall end here. Until the time comes, do try your best to be quiet and obedient.」

「Wa, wait!」

It seemed that the demon had finished saying what she wanted to say, because she took Noct and left the room. Though I wanted to chase after them, my legs did not move. They were tangled, and instead, I sat down on the floor with a splat. Noct’s yellow eyes glanced my way for a moment. However, there were no words that followed the glance. The door mercilessly closed in front of my face.

The noise of the key being locked echoed in my ears. However, I could not bring myself to the door.  I just sat there, dumbfounded.

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