“Well, as always, I spend my days searching for new research material and having a wonderful time. I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Princess.”
Selene, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, responded with a slight nod to Yuria’s formal greeting.
Her gesture seemed light and insincere, especially for someone addressing the Empire’s princess.
However, that was only by normal standards.
Considering that Yuria had been essentially abandoned by the royal family, Selene’s behavior could almost be seen as respectful.
Besides, Yuria owed her continued survival to the woman before her.
Objectively speaking, aside from the differences in status, Yuria was in a far weaker position.
If one were to be more specific, their relationship could be described as a “collaboration,” but only as long as Selene’s suspicious interests remained intact.
Although a surge of anger welled up within Yuria at her own pitiful situation, she quickly suppressed it, maintaining a composed demeanor as she continued.
“This time, I truly appreciate your help. It must have been troublesome to fulfill my sudden request, but you managed to prepare everything I asked for on time.”
“There’s no need to overthink it. I’m always willing to invest in matters related to my research. Honestly, I’d prefer to provide full financial support rather than just helping with specific tasks. Are you still unwilling to reconsider?”
“Of course. Accepting your support would indeed make my life more comfortable for now, but that would only be a fleeting illusion dependent on your reputation. Besides, rumors in the palace spread in the blink of an eye. I’d rather avoid drawing attention from my siblings by revealing our association. For now, keeping a low profile is the wiser choice.”
Yuria glanced down at her unremarkable attire, which was far too shabby for a princess of the Continent’s strongest Demon Kingdom, and let out a self-deprecating smile.
Selene, leaning against the glass wall with her arms crossed, listened quietly before letting out a small sigh.
“It seems that everything written in that letter was true. I had expected as much, but seeing it with my own eyes brings back memories of that day ten years ago.”
“When I first heard of your hidden abilities, I came to see you out of curiosity. You looked up at me with those calm crimson eyes, filled with a curiosity of their own. Although I’ve never said it before, I realized back then what lay beneath those eyes. Like a tranquil lake with its still surface, yet underneath, a deep-seated desire and an insatiable thirst burned fiercely.”
***
“I used every method I could think of for ten years and still failed to control ‘that child.’ Yet, you succeeded on your first attempt. At first, I doubted you. I thought you’d last a year at most.”
“But you’ve not only survived these ten years unscathed, but you’ve also stepped forward boldly at this very moment. I thought that the calm days you’ve lived might have changed you. But now, I see that your deep desire hasn’t wavered at all since then.”
Selene murmured to herself with an intrigued expression, recalling the past.
“I never expected you to be this capable…”
In short, that seemed to sum up her thoughts.
As Selene’s words lingered in the air, Yuria found herself recalling that fateful day ten years ago.
Back then, she had come to terms with being different from those around her.
She endured relentless contempt and oppression, clinging to life fueled by sheer determination.
While desperately searching for a way out of her miserable reality, Yuria felt utterly hopeless.
Then, without warning, Selene, the high-ranking demon before her, suddenly appeared.
Selene, who was then a prominent candidate for the next of the Four Heavenly Kings and a renowned mage-engineer, was famous even to the young Yuria.
Yuria wondered why such a person would have any business with her, a hollow shell of a princess.
But Selene, without much explanation, secretly escorted her to a mysterious location.
The place was enclosed, with a bone-chilling cold seeping into her skin.
After descending deep underground and navigating a maze of indistinguishable corridors, they arrived at an unfamiliar chamber.
There, for the first time, Yuria encountered “that child.”
***
In the center of a vast, empty space, something exuded an overwhelming killing intent that made her skin tingle even from a distance.
The entity was bound by thick chains stretching in all directions.
Despite her instinctual fear, which made her legs tremble, young Yuria stared at the figure, almost mesmerized.
At that moment, she felt a sense of familiarity.
It was a sensation she had experienced before.
Soon, she recognized what it was—it reminded her of the time she first met her mother, the Demon King.
The chilling gaze her mother had given her, filled with murderous intent, had left deep scars.
Although the memory brought back lingering pain, Yuria didn’t back away.
Instead, she focused intently on the entity before her.
Through her efforts, she discerned a few details.
Although obscured by layers of chains, the figure at the center appeared to be a silver-haired girl.
The automaton resembled a human girl.
Though its eyes were open, it seemed devoid of consciousness.
‘Why would anyone seal an automaton—especially one shaped like a young girl—in such a secure manner?’
No matter how much she thought about it, the young Yuria couldn’t even begin to guess the reason.
The only thing she could deduce was that whatever was bound there was extremely dangerous.
She shouldn’t approach it, even out of curiosity.
But Selene’s words shattered her conclusions.
“You will be allowed past the barrier. I want you to approach that entity and use your abilities. Specifically, you must subdue that overwhelming killing intent and gain control over it.”
There was no coercion in Selene’s voice.
In fact, Selene seemed to harbor only mild curiosity, as if she hadn’t expected much from Yuria in the first place.
How this renowned genius had uncovered Yuria’s hidden abilities remained a mystery, but this moment felt like the one and only chance to escape her hellish existence.
Despite her overwhelming fear, Yuria instinctively recognized it as a rare, perhaps never-to-return opportunity.
Her terror clung to her like chains, yet she agreed to the proposal.
Suppressing the suffocating killing intent, she forced herself to take one step after another, each step feeling heavier than the last.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the automaton’s vicinity.
And that’s when an unexpected variable arose.
***
!!!!
Clang!
The automaton, as if sensing Yuria’s approach, began thrashing violently, releasing an overwhelming surge of energy in all directions.
The frenzy was short-lived, as the heavy restraints subdued it once more.
However, this resulted in a new problem.
The thrashing had caused the automaton’s gaze, which had originally been facing forward, to shift entirely downward.
For Yuria’s ability to activate, she needed to make direct eye contact.
This meant she would have to physically lift the automaton’s face—an unthinkable task given her current state.
Even standing still was taking every ounce of her strength.
‘Now, she had to touch the entity?’
The thought alone was paralyzing.
At that moment, Yuria instinctively took a step back.
But as she did, thoughts of her miserable situation and the cruel reality that awaited her if she failed flashed through her mind.
There was no safety in retreat—only an endless, steep abyss behind her.
If all paths led to hell, wouldn’t it be better to make a final, desperate attempt?
In that fleeting moment of clarity, just as she was about to lose consciousness, Yuria miraculously overcame her fear.
Without a shred of hesitation, she moved forward.
She gripped the limp automaton’s face with both hands and lifted it firmly, locking eyes with its dull, crimson gaze that radiated unrelenting malice.
She unleashed her full power, the greatest extent of her ability she could muster at that time.
As her vision filled with the cold, unmoving expression of the automaton, and its soulless, murderous eyes, the struggle began.
***
What followed was a prolonged, grueling battle of wills.
It felt like all the destruction and carnage of the world had been condensed into a single inferno, threatening to consume her entirely.
For the first time in her life, Yuria experienced pain so excruciating that she silently screamed in anguish, regretting her decision.
But despite the agony, she never deactivated her ability.
She knew letting go would be the easiest way out, but after coming this far, she refused to back down—even if it meant burning herself out completely.
Perhaps, by that point, she had succumbed to a form of madness.
Because deep inside, she thought, ‘If I can seize such overwhelming power—power capable of reducing everything on this earth to dust—then maybe…
Maybe I could claim the seat I’ve only ever seen in my dreams.
The radiant throne I glimpsed only once, dazzling and unreachable, but etched firmly in my mind as the pinnacle of power.’
Her deeply rooted, secret desire blossomed fully within the flames, like a brilliant flower of ambition.
In response, Yuria’s awakened power surged beyond its limits, finally suppressing the inferno.
The automaton fell into a deep slumber, seemingly biding its time for another opportunity.
And from there, everything began.
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