Chapter 16: Your Return

“Ha ha ha…”

Unrestrained laughter suddenly echoed.

“…Ha ha ha…”

“Hu ha ha ha ha…”

The laughter resonated through the vast darkness.

Vyea’s entire body tensed up; she had never felt so threatened before.

“Hu ha ha… Are you so unhappy just seeing me?”

A golden-haired, golden-eyed little girl stepped out from the shadows, her slender fingers lightly twisting the black-and-white lace of her skirt. She moved at a leisurely pace in circles, as if dancing to an elegant waltz.

“Oh my!”

The little girl stopped in front of Vyea, suddenly covering her mouth in surprise.

With an innocent, confused look, she asked Vyea, “Why have you made yourself look like this? Have you become like me? Hu ha ha ha…”

As she spoke, the Demon King laughed heartily, clutching her belly, “How do you like the punishment for messing with a loli? Surprised? Excited?”

“…”

Vyea pursed her lips and said nothing.

“Ah, silence is so boring.”

Seeing that Vyea was as unresponsive as a wooden statue, the Demon King’s playful smile faded. She stepped forward, wanting to hug her, but Vyea swiftly dodged.

Surprised, she exclaimed, “Ah ri… You don’t like me anymore?”

“Flavielle, stop saying that.”

Vyea looked into the golden eyes full of amusement and lowered her voice, “After everything that’s happened, I can’t just pretend like nothing did. It’s over between us. Besides…” She paused for a long moment, refusing to meet Flavielle’s smiling gaze, “…you’re dead, aren’t you?”

“Am I dead?”

Flavielle grabbed Vyea’s hand tightly. This time, Vyea didn’t pull away but only winced in pain.

“Wasn’t that your choice? The righteous Brave, I let you go back then, didn’t I? But you didn’t leave and still wanted to take me with you.”

“You wanted to capture me with your loyal little followers and strip me of my power.”

Flavielle’s expression darkened, her smile vanishing, “Ye Chi, oh no, I mean Vyea now. Let me ask you once more.”

“If you had another chance, would you give up being a Brave and live quietly somewhere with me?”

“…”

Vyea avoided her aggressive gaze, silent.

Seeing her silence, Flavielle got the answer she wanted.

“Hu ha ha ha ha…”

“…Ha ha ha.”

The Demon King laughed wildly again, but this time her laughter carried a hint of sadness and a touch of mockery — as if mocking herself for loving someone she shouldn’t, or for once being the supreme ruler of the Demon Race but now reduced to this.

In her beautiful golden eyes, it was as if a flower from the other shore was blooming—Flavielle, undoubtedly the overlord of the Demon Race, now looked pitiful, like an unlucky child abandoned by the roadside.

“Brave, you have been too cruel to me.”

Vyea opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words.

It turned out that Flavielle had always been the one taking the initiative — for every first time between them, for confessing first… Was Vyea only ever passively enjoying these moments?

Her heart felt hollow. She wanted to escape this dream, to drown every inch of her body in Wine, as if only then could she forget the reality she refused to face.

Yes.

If only the relationship between Demon King and Brave was as simple as the world said — just pure enemies.

A warm, gentle feeling surged in her heart. Vyea suddenly realized she was being thrown into a Wine Vat, her consciousness numbed.

The lonely Demon King curled up in the darkness, crying silently, growing smaller and smaller, like a yellow apple shrinking in the shadows.

“No.”

Vyea shook her head, trying to clear away the numbness.

“No, it shouldn’t be like this!”

She forced her eyes open, immediately coughing as the sharp sting of alcohol filled her mouth.

Who the hell soaked her in the Wine Vat? And it’s some disgusting rum!

Crash!

The Wine Vat shattered. A white-haired little girl, soaked in Wine, sat at the bottom of the gray clay vat.

A purple-haired girl rushed over to her anxiously.