Listening to the increasingly heated argument, Ella felt like this squad was about to fall apart.
Wait, is the Hero Squad really breaking up?
Good, good, finally some good news.
Celes accused Vina of acting recklessly without considering the consequences, while Vina shot back that Celes never trusted anyone or spoke the truth.
Zero kept her head down, too timid to speak. Leah patted her chest and said, “I can’t win an argument with you guys, so I’ll just go back to the Church tomorrow.”
Ella quietly munched on a piece of rice cake.
Chomp, chomp, chomp.
What more is there to say?
Might as well start missing these five as the best squad ever.
After that, Celes put Zero under house arrest, forbidding her from leaving camp—just in case she did something foolish like confess or cut ties.
Lunch ended on a sour note.
Everyone left the hall with a dark look, including Ella, who was secretly overjoyed.
Good, good, this is great.
The Human Race just cut off one of their own arms—how will they ever compete with us Demon Race now?
As for Taidin’s death… Ella frowned slightly.
Originally, over in Lilburg, the Human Race lost their Lord of Lier, and the Demon Race lost Feng Lie.
One bug from each side—everyone should be happy.
But now, with Taidin dead too, it’s two to one.
The humans got their payback.
Forget it, no point fussing over small wins or losses.
The Hero Squad is about to break up anyway—why worry about these little fish and shrimp?
Ella was in such a good mood that her skirt nearly fluttered as she walked through the courtyard.
She almost broke into song.
“Hey~ Little Ella.”
Vina suddenly called out from the corner, her little hands clasped behind her back.
“…What is it?”
Ella stopped and asked.
Honestly, she rather admired the Little Witch.
Every team needs someone like her, the way a live band’s guitarist might suddenly play a song about an ex—without her, things wouldn’t blow up as spectacularly.
But only as long as her mischief wasn’t aimed at Ella herself.
“I just wanted to chat, why so tense~”
Vina blinked her peach blossom eyes playfully, then tossed out another olive branch.
“What’s done is done. So, how about investigating Zero’s background with me?”
“No thanks,” Ella shot back instantly.
“Everyone’s in a bad mood. I’d rather be alone for now.”
She enjoyed watching the Little Witch stir things up, as long as she wasn’t the target.
So, better to keep her at arm’s length.
“That’s really a shame. Sigh,” Vina let out a dramatic sigh.
“Who would’ve thought our glorious, upright kingdom would have someone like Taidin?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ella echoed quickly.
“So terrible.”
As if! What upright figure?
Taidin was never glorious or upright.
Otherwise, how could such a big-shot noble prance around the royal court without anyone stopping him?
If this were in the Demon King’s Demon Race, someone like that would’ve been…
“Are you thinking, ‘If this were the Demon Race, the Demon King would never let him off easy’?”
“?!”
Ella’s mouth twitched, barely keeping her expression in check.
“What are you talking about? Why would I think that?”
“You never know,” Vina said with a devilish smile.
“After all, you did that thing for him.”
She brought her little hands out from behind her back, and Ella finally noticed the book in her hands.
It was .
“I… I don’t understand what you mean.”
“It’s fine if you don’t get it. I’ll explain so you do.”
Vina raised a finger.
“First, when we found you in the castle, you claimed the Demon King knocked you out, stripped you, and left you there. But if you were stripped while unconscious, there’d be some marks. What do you think you are, a peeled egg? So, you stripped yourself and lay down willingly.”
Ella’s heart skipped a beat.
“Second!”
Vina stepped closer, her little hill pressing against Ella’s big rice cake, those peach blossom eyes staring straight into hers.
“Your eyes are so pure—ruby red, a sign of overflowing magic power~”
The little hill pushed the big rice cake back again and again.
“With a pair of big white rabbits like that, do you really think you’re a bunny?”
Ella’s pupils shook violently.
This is bad, this is bad, this is bad—was her identity exposed from the start?
“Third, and last—I’ll give you the conclusion first.”
Vina grinned and lowered her voice.
“You like the Demon King, don’t you?”
…What?
Ella froze.
The Little Witch flipped through absentmindedly.
“It’s such a moving story. Its owner has read it at least five times. I doubt the Demon King would read something so girly, so this book must be yours, right?”
Yeah, right.
Wait, is the Demon King not supposed to read this sort of book…?
No, that’s not the point—the real problem is…
“You’re wrong,” Ella steadied herself, heart rate returning to normal and her presence regaining its force.
“I don’t know why you’d think that, but you’re mistaken.”
Vina studied her for a long time, but couldn’t find a flaw.
She pouted.
“Fine, I’ll go tell the others the story of ‘Brave Little Ella using her beauty to help the Demon King escape from the Heroes.’ The squad’s breaking up anyway, might as well have some fun before it ends.”
Ella shot out a hand and grabbed her.
“Sis!”
“Hmm?” Vina turned back.
“I wasn’t kidnapped by the Demon King, he just found me. We’re like siblings,” Ella gritted her teeth.
That was her bottom line—no way would she accept anything like narcissism.
That would just be self-obsession.
Vina tilted her head.
“Sis-con?”
“Absolutely not!”
Ella denied quickly.
“I just admire my brother a little—he’s very capable and amazing.”
She only said that to make it sound convincing—definitely not to sneak in some self-praise.
“Really not?”
Vina still looked skeptical.
“Really not, I…!” Ella blurted, “I like girls!”
“Oh~ I see,” the Little Witch said, suddenly enlightened.
“No wonder you stripped down to block us back then—you were just projecting.”
“…”
Ella felt her face burning up.
“Alright, alright, relax~ See, I knew from the start, but I never exposed you. I even helped you get into the squad,” Vina finally stopped pressing her, stepped back, and winked her peach blossom eyes.
“Now, help me out—come to the courtyard tomorrow morning. Let’s investigate Zero’s origins together.”
With that, she spun away, humming a tune and skipping off, as happy as could be.
Ella leaned against the wall, nearly collapsing.
That wretched Magician brat!
She’d known from the start that Vina was trouble, but never expected her to hold back this long—when she finally played her card, it was a real trump.
After soothing her oppressed rice cake, the Demon King’s little lady glared with her pretty red eyes, her two rows of tiny white teeth grinding together.
“Just you wait (quietly)!”