Chapter 25: Alice (3)

Moments of parting always come suddenly. It was the same when I first experienced parting. Even while moving houses several times and drifting through a life of slavery, there were definitely moments that could be called heart-wrenching partings.

It must have been my third master. The master who took me in had about three other slaves besides me, but a greedy neighbor framed him as a devil worshipper and threw him into the furnace. The master’s screams as he was thrown in alive were still vivid in my ears.

There were about three other slaves around my age at that house back then. We lived harmoniously, working on the farm together, but we were scattered without even the time to promise a day we’d meet again. There was no way the other children would have the same luck as me, so they probably all died.

“A farewell?”

That’s why I hated partings. Once people separated from their slave status, there was truly no chance of meeting again. Even the people who showed me fleeting kindness, the girl who helped me when I was inexperienced and promised we’d do well together, and the master who pitied my orphan status-once we parted, there was no opportunity to meet.

“Yes. A farewell. I’m a wandering demon, you see. I don’t stay in one place for long.”

And now, the demon was telling me goodbye with a smile. I shook my head back and forth and asked.

“Can’t you not go?”

Even I thought my tone sounded like I was whining. Despite having no right to restrict her movements, I wanted her to be tied to me. The demon seemed to find my question rather cute. She giggled and shook her head.

“No. You can’t. Huh? You’re a fine demon now, aren’t you? A demon who can stand alone doesn’t need a guardian. You’ve corrupted a priest, and you even have two women who love you now, don’t you?”

“I’m still an inadequate demon. There’s so much I don’t know, and I don’t know what to do.”

The demon looked straight at me. I truly had no idea what to do now. Could I just stay put in this mansion and live comfortably? Was it really okay not to become stronger? If there were many demons like me in the world, shouldn’t I also increase my power and expand my influence?

“Then, shall I give you some advice before we part for good?”

Even as I tried to settle for the reality, an unknown anxiety kept bothering me. I quickly nodded at the demon’s offer. Because even if I asked her not to go, she would leave anyway.

The demon sat perched on the windowsill, looking at me. And asked me.

“Evan. What do you want to do? What kind of demon do you want to become? Do you want to become a truly wicked demon and rule the world? Or do you want to live quietly in this mansion?”

“I……”

Of course, I wanted to live quietly. Ruling the world or corrupting it with evil were stories far too grand for me. I wanted to live an ordinary life, casually sleeping with pretty women who came to this town or having orgy parties with my women.

The demon seemed to hear my answer from my expression, even though I didn’t speak. She gave a wry smile, shook her head, and said firmly.

“Do you really want to live quietly in the mansion? Evan. Let me give you one piece of advice. Once you become a demon, there is no option to live quietly. Removing obstacles one by one is merely a temporary fix. No matter how much you avoid priests or run from the world’s threats, all demons eventually face a crossroads in life. Either become a subordinate to a stronger demon. Or die.”

It meant that even if I lived quietly, other demons would eventually find me and try to take everything I had. Just hearing it gave me a headache. I shouldn’t have been happy just because I escaped slavery and gained strength. From the moment I gained demonic power, I had stepped into some unseen power struggle. It was just that the blades had missed me so far, and I hadn’t noticed.

“That’s unreasonable. That kind of thing.”

“That’s the life of a demon. Creating more subordinates, creating stronger subordinates, and becoming a powerhouse in the demon world. That’s the goal all demons pursue. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want that life. Someone who desires to become a stronger, higher-ranking demon will surely find you.”

“So when I encounter such a demon, I have to make a choice.”

“That’s right. Either dedicate everything you have and become a subordinate. Or defeat the demon and rise to a higher position yourself.”

“Then what should I do? How do I become stronger?”

“First, wouldn’t it be good to leave this narrow place, look around various places, and broaden your horizons? Staying in a limited area might help you avoid the eyes of other demons, but you won’t be able to grow your power as much. If you go far, you might meet other demons, but you can absorb the vital energy of more diverse people. Evan. Your power can grow by making women your subordinates, absorbing the vital energy of men, and devouring demons weaker than you.”

If I stayed in this town forever, I would eventually be captured and humiliated. My women could be taken away, and I could return to a time no different from slavery. In the end, strength was everything in this world. Especially for demons, nothing was more important than strength.

“Evan. What will you do?”

Would I live like a slave again, just to stay alive? Or would I continue to cultivate my strength and become powerful? There was no choice. Because I knew the misery of being a slave better than anyone. The demon smiled as if she knew what my answer would be.

I gave her the answer she was waiting for.

“I’ll become stronger. I’ll become strong so that no one can look down on me, and I’ll get many women too.”

“Yes. That’s the spirit.”

The demon nodded and flapped her wings. I knew it was really time to part now. She seemed about to leave quietly, just as she had arrived.

I spoke.

“And after that.”

The demon, who had turned away, looked back at me.

“Hm?”

“After that, can we meet again? If I become a very strong demon, famous even in the demon world, can we meet again?”

I had never met anyone again after parting ways. So I wanted to make a promise. A promise that we would meet again. An expectation that she would be waiting. The longing and joy that would surge like waves upon meeting again. I asked that question, yearning for things I had never experienced.

And she.

“Of course. I’ll be waiting.”

She nodded, assuring me that we could definitely meet again. Her purple skin and red eyes glittered enchantingly, and her wings fluttered beautifully. Her hair color seemed to absorb the night sky’s light, shining a deep navy.

I said.

“Tell me your name. So we can meet again.”

The demon lifted her feet from the windowsill. The sound of her wings covered the chirping of insects. The demon put her index finger to her lips and smiled. As she moved slightly farther away, she said in a small voice.

“Lilith.”

Lilith.

“Lilith.”

When I called her name one more time, she was nowhere in the night sky. As if I had dreamt it, she had vanished completely.

*****

“It’ll be alright. Evan.”

The next day. Morning. We sat in the drawing-room, looking neat and tidy. Isabel held my hand tightly, comforting me, while Elena placed teacups before us with a nervous expression.

The day after parting with Lilith, I had to face another problem without even time to process my emotions.

It was because I had to persuade Alice, who opposed my marriage to Isabel. Isabel seemed to believe that Alice was a very good child and would understand her position, but I was troubled because I didn’t think Alice would back down easily. Moreover, I had to think about how I would live my life as a demon going forward, which was giving me a headache.

How rationally and logically would Alice, after organizing her thoughts, oppose our marriage? Was it even possible for me to go out alone to other regions and expand my influence? Suppressing the irritation and anxiety that welled up just thinking about it, we waited for Alice to enter.

“Alice.”

The door opened, and Alice walked in. She still had her hair neatly braided, and her attire was as prim as a government official’s. Her face was pale, as if she hadn’t slept a wink the night before, and her lips drooped, making her look like she carried the world’s misfortunes alone.

Isabel fidgeted with her fingers, glancing nervously at Alice, who scratched her head and sat down.

Elena, seemingly wanting no part in the suffocating drawing-room, poured tea from the teapot and tried to make a quick exit.

“You too, Sister. Why are you trying to leave?”

But Alice called her back, as if Elena shouldn’t be excluded from an important family discussion. It was a consideration because she considered Elena, who had worked at the mansion for a long time, as family, but Elena’s expression wasn’t exactly pleased.

I felt similarly, so I turned my head away and let out a sigh. Elena also sat down, but the silence continued. In the silent drawing-room, only the fidgeting of fingers and the rustling of clothes could be heard.

“I’ve thought about it.”

When Alice broke the silence, she continued in a calmer tone than I expected.

“Mom, and I, both need some time to sort out our thoughts.”

“Mm. Okay. Alice. You should also sort out your thoughts……”

Alice’s gaze turned towards me.

“This person. I’ll take him to the academy for a short while.”

Everyone’s attention focused on Alice. Alice blinked and added.

“For a moment, I want Mom to have time to think rationally, separated from him. I think Mom is currently going through a hard time and is lonely, leading her to rush into marriage. I’ll take him to the academy as my attendant, so please think calmly for just one semester. If you still want to get married after thinking it over while separated, then I won’t stop you.”

While Elena and Isabel stared at me with surprised faces, I covered my mouth and thought.

The academy.

There would be lots of women there, right?