As the Demon Sword, the culprit behind it all, melted… the untimely heavy snow finally stopped.
Lian knelt before Vera. Her hair tie had snapped, but her long hair didn’t scatter — it had been frozen into a solid shape by the frost.
Vera felt the strength in the arms holding her gradually weaken.
She was finally liberated from the Demon Sword’s control.
She mustered all her strength to fling the remaining hilt away, then pulled the girl kneeling before her into her arms.
“Lian En, Lian En…!”
She was still bleeding… a shocking, vivid scarlet continued to stain the remaining white of the tattered dress spread across the ground.
To the Demon Sword, her blood was like boiling lava, but to Vera, it felt like a warm, gentle spring… just like the hot spring they had soaked in together at the peak of the Border Mountains that day.
“Don’t die… I’m begging you… don’t die, don’t die.”
Vera used her trembling fingers to wipe away the frost covering Lian’s face… she missed the warmth and softness that used to be on those cheeks.
She cast Healing Magic, attempting to close the horrific wound on her abdomen.
Lian kept her eyes closed. The blue sword scars on her body were spreading at an extremely slow pace, threatening to merge into one.
No one knew better than Vera what would happen if those scars connected… Like a madwoman, she poured her remaining Magic Power into Lian’s body to stop their spread.
“Open your eyes and look at me, okay? I promise I won’t scold you anymore… I won’t force you to be the Hero either… I was wrong from the very start… even though that child already warned me…”
She held Lian tightly, pressing her own cheek against Lian’s ice-cold face.
……
Honglian Palace, Xīlong Pavilion.
Two fully armed soldiers stood guard before Prince Nolan’s Royal Suite.
Their expressions were solemn and grave, and the rifles they held against their chests were perfectly upright — loaded with special bullets capable of piercing the Mana Barrier of High Demonkind.
As they stood ready, a silver-haired maid walked gracefully toward them.
“Head Maid.”
They saluted Feiyin, and she returned the gesture.
“Greetings to you both. I have been ordered by the Duchess to invite Prince Nolan to attend today’s festival.”
“Does that mean the Prince’s suspicion has been cleared?”
“Yes.”
“That is wonderful news. Please, go right in.”
Feiyin did not need to offer any further explanation for the soldiers to believe her words and let her pass.
Everyone serving in Honglian Palace knew that this silver-haired girl had grown up alongside the Duchess’s daughter and was the Duchess’s most trusted subordinate.
No one would ever suspect her.
And so, Feiyin entered the room — it was as dim as ever, as the person inside had neither opened the curtains nor lit any candles.
She walked in and saw a lonely figure sitting upright on the sofa, looking like a wax statue.
“Princess?”
Feiyin smiled at the “statue.” She didn’t speak aloud, but she was certain her voice reached the other party via Mental Sense.
The person sitting on the sofa was the last remaining member of the demon quartet, Luc — she was currently wearing Prince Nolan’s Imitation.
‘Please don’t call me that, Lord Magus.’
She stood up and bowed slightly to Feiyin.
“Greetings, Prince Nolan. Your suspicion has been cleared. Please come with me to the Crown Festival venue… the Duchess will apologize to you in person there.”
Feiyin spoke aloud. Luc immediately realized that the Lord Magus had said this specifically for the two guards standing at the door.
Thus, she responded with a voice full of indignation, and after a bit of pushback, she followed Feiyin out with a look of feigned reluctance.
Feiyin had arrived in her steam car. The two remained silent until they were inside the car and driving.
Only then did Luc dare to initiate a conversation via Mental Sense.
‘Lord Magus… I still want to ask about my companions. How are they?’
Even with no one around, she only spoke through Mental Sense — this was something the Lord Magus before her had repeatedly emphasized.
‘I told you yesterday, they are safe,’ Feiyin replied as she gripped the steering wheel and started the car.
‘Instead of worrying about their safety, you should focus on cooperating with me to complete the mission the Regent gave you. You haven’t forgotten what she demanded of you when you contacted her yesterday, have you?’
‘…I haven’t forgotten. I will definitely carry out her orders.’
Feiyin’s words reminded Luc of everything that had happened yesterday —
She had originally defeated the Hero’s Daughter, but she was subsequently knocked down by someone. When she woke up, Feiyin was standing before her.
Luc had long suspected that the Head Maid was the mysterious person who had repeatedly let them off the hook in the palace… but she never imagined the woman was the Shadow Demon Lord who had been missing for over three hundred years.
Even less did she expect this Shadow Demon Lord to be an undercover agent sent by the Regent to infiltrate the humans.
When Feiyin first revealed her identity, Luc was unwilling to believe it.
However, after seeing Feiyin easily repair the Imitation Selene had made for her using the Shadow Demon Clan’s abilities, she had no choice but to believe.
Afterward, Feiyin produced a Glowing Bead and used it to contact the Regent far away in the Demon Realm.
Luc didn’t doubt the authenticity of the call for a second… because through the bead, she truly saw the person she missed day and night and heard the voice that haunted her dreams.
“I know everything. You failed… You couldn’t even manage to kidnap that girl?”
Hearing those words, Luc felt as if she were falling into an abyss.
She saw that the woman’s face was filled with its usual melancholy and sorrow… She hated herself for failing to bring news that could provide her mother with comfort or joy.
“I have asked you many times… do you really want to become the Demon King?”
“I do… I do! As long as I can share your burdens, I will definitely —”
“Your answer still hasn’t changed… you’re always like this. When will you finally grow up?”
The woman in the bead let out a heavy sigh, overflowing with disappointment.
Her blue eyes gazed gloomily at Luc… yet it was as if she were looking somewhere else entirely.
“You cannot become the Demon King just for my sake. You carry the blood debt of your father and your kinsmen! If you remain this cowardly… when will you ever take revenge for them?!”
“I’m sorry… Mother… I’m sorry… I will reflect… I will definitely reflect… I will awaken my power immediately and reclaim everything for you, for Father, and for our people —”
“Don’t call me Mother. I am not your mother. I am the Heavenly Demon Duke, the Regent. And you… are merely the lowest-ranking heir of the Celestial Demon Territory. You cannot even awaken the power of the Heavenly Demon.”
Her heartless words filled Luc with despair.
“…I am tired of placing my expectations on you. I will give you one last chance. Go and kill the Hero’s Daughter right in front of the Hero’s wife… Don’t even think about bringing her back alive. I want that woman to experience the deepest pain in the world… just as I did back then. With the assistance of the Shadow Demon Lord beside you, even a piece of trash like you should be able to manage, right?”
Luc felt Feiyin’s hand on her shoulder. She saw Feiyin smile and nod slightly toward the mother in the bead… and so, Luc could only fight back tears as she made a promise to the bead:
“I will succeed this time… I definitely will!”
“Good. If you still fail even with the Lord Magus’s assistance… then never come back to see me. Just like all the other trash… it doesn’t matter where you die.”
Those final words before the image faded echoed repeatedly in Luc’s mind… instantly washing away her concern for her companions’ safety.
She didn’t ask Feiyin any more questions; she simply stared dead ahead, imagining the ways she would kill that hateful Hero’s Daughter.
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