episode_0088

It seemed as if the sky was gloomy and dark with rain clouds, almost reflecting my mood.

“…..What about Athena?”

“The master said he was tired and would stay in his room.”

Maid Rosewen speaks with her hands clasped together politely.

It wasn’t just her. There were many people from the mansion waiting to greet her.

But where did Athena herself go? Not even the tip of her nose was visible.

really….

Are you really telling me to just leave like this?

In this situation that came so suddenly, he was unable to say anything.

When I woke up this morning, I thought I had misheard.

She told me to leave the mansion and disappeared.

I clearly thought it was just a product of my imagination.

But when Marie woke up in the morning, took my hand and led me out of the mansion.

When a large carriage was parked outside the gate of the mansion.

It was only after he saw that Rosewen and many other people had come out to greet him that he finally decided.

I realized that what Athena said yesterday was not a lie.

“Huh. You must know you made a mistake.”

Sephir disguised as a human.

Next to me, she grumbled and stuck out her lips.

He looked around a few times with a look of surprise. After confirming that Athena was not there, he let out a sigh of relief.

I turned my head from Gran Sephir and looked at Marie.

She had been grimacing since morning, wondering what was bothering her.

Marie told me this morning.

The words that Athena had told him. And the incredible amount of platinum coins she had given him.

Surely, with this money, you could live comfortably for the rest of your life within the empire.

But I wasn’t grateful at all.

Rather, I couldn’t understand why he was so easily thrown away.

Whenever you say you can’t live without me.

Are you just going to let it go like this?

Are you shocked by the absurd situation?

I started to feel really annoyed inside.

It was definitely me who wanted to get out of this mansion.

And still, he wanted to get out of this hellish place as soon as possible.

but.

But…it doesn’t go like this.

“…Hey! Where are you!”

Sephir called out to him, but he didn’t look back.

Not just her. Leaving behind the cold stares of countless people.

I ran to where Athena was.

No matter how much I resented her.

It wasn’t right to break up like this in an instant.

I’m sure she thinks so too.

But. was I wrong?

“You haven’t gone yet?”

“…..”

Athena speaks to me with a calm expression.

I could only stare blankly at her like that.

“Are you here to say hello? I’m busy, so I wish you’d hurry up and leave.”

I didn’t understand.

It was clearly her who had been approaching me earnestly just a few days ago.

Who on earth is this person who looks down on himself so emotionlessly?

“….Really…go?”

“Then. Did you think I was lying?”

I stood motionless in front of Athena for a while.

She seemed to realize something. She opened her eyes wide and came towards him with a small smile.

“Ah. Sorry. Is this why you came?”

She puts her hand on my stomach.

“Ugh?!”

Soon after, I had a dizzying sensation of something slipping out of me.

In an instant, all the strength left my body and I staggered.

I felt like something important was missing. I felt empty.

When I looked up at Athena again, there was a brilliant golden mana floating and vibrating around her.

“The slave contract ends here. You can go now.”

I was getting angry at the sight of her speaking so indifferently as if the current situation was nothing.

I couldn’t stand it any longer. I ran to her and grabbed her by the collar.

“…..개새끼.”

“What?”

“You really hurt me till the end.”

I wonder, Athena.

What on earth was I to you?

Was it just a toy I wanted to have?

Or was he just a fun person to play with?

How on earth.

How could you make me so miserable?

Have you ever loved me even once?

“….”

This time too. When I saw her not giving me any answer, a hollow laugh escaped my lips.

“Okay. I don’t want to see you anymore, Athena.”

I turned back to her, said my final goodbyes, and walked back the way I had come.

“Eat well and live well, you bitch.”

A small teardrop ran down my cheek.

I thought she said something though.

It was buried in our distance, which had already grown too distant, and disappeared into thin air.

Our bad relationship has been through so many things.

To an absurd degree.

It ended up being a futile thing.

“…….Please be happy.”

I love you Hera.

.

.

.

What a fine carriage it was. Even though the road seemed rough, the carriage ran comfortably without a single jolt.

“Miss..Your expression is not good.”

“Hey…are you okay..? Did something happen..?”

Alina and Sephir, sitting across from me, were looking at me with worried expressions.

Marie, sitting quietly next to me, still had a frown on her face and seemed to be deeply contemplating something.

Now we were on our way to the empire.

Originally, Marie and I were going to go together.

Sephir, who had stepped down from his position as commander, followed me, saying he had nowhere else to go.

Alina also asked me to follow her.

To be honest, I just wanted to be alone.

I accepted them because I knew how much they had cared for me so far.

“Hera..?”

Perhaps anxious because I didn’t respond, Sephir called out to me once more.

“…Sorry.”

I gave the apple to Sephir.

It wasn’t that I didn’t answer on purpose.

No thoughts came to mind.

No. To be exact, it was only her thoughts.

It seemed as if she had changed so suddenly.

Earlier, I was so upset that I hurled harsh words at her and turned around to leave.

As I sat in the carriage and thought about it calmly, I realized how strange her actions were.

He quietly stroked my lower abdomen.

It felt strange not to feel anything.

Surely it would be a good thing to be free from slavery.

My body felt so empty without her mana.

“….Mom.”

For a while, I just stared blankly at the floor.

Marie came up to me from the side and clung tightly to my waist.

Then, I immediately noticed her worried expression.

“Yeah… It’s okay, Marie.”

I patted her head and smiled reassuringly.

“…..”

But Marie didn’t seem at all at ease. She kept fidgeting and her mouth was still agape.

A feeling of guilt stabbed my chest at the thought of worrying Marie again.

I don’t think I can go on like this. I shook my head vigorously and cleared my mind of thoughts filled with Athena.

okay.

Let’s forget about it now.

My relationship with her is already over.

There’s no point in thinking about her any more.

In fact, I didn’t have the confidence to erase her from my memory.

Because she meant that much to me.

But I try not to think about it too much.

As time goes by.

Wouldn’t he be able to forget her indifferently someday?

I quietly leaned my head against the carriage window and closed my eyes.

When I open my eyes again.

A completely different world will unfold.

I need to find a new house, not this stuffy mansion that was like hell.

Should we save the empire?

It didn’t seem like a bad idea to live in a forest where there were no people at all.

Whatever it is, it’ll be better than that mansion.

I opened my eyes again and looked up at the gloomy sky.

It seemed as if the sky was gloomy and dark with rain clouds, almost reflecting my mood.

* * *

“….Hey, you. Did you come here to die?”

Her massive wings spread out across the castle, showing off her majestic form.

Then, the surrounding demons began to cheer and praise her one by one.

This place is full of blood and screams.

The very center of the Demon World. The Demon King’s Castle.

Here now. A large number of demons were gathered together, looking at just one human.

If it were a normal person, it would have been a terrifying situation that would have made them faint right away.

Surprisingly, it was the demons who were trembling in instinctive fear.

She stood here proudly, with a rather peaceful expression. She extended her hand to the red-haired woman sitting on the throne and wiggled her fingers.

“Well, aren’t you the one who’s going to die?”

“Hahaha. This is ridiculous.”

A red-haired woman with a pair of giant wings began to laugh humorlessly.

“Even if it’s you. Do you think you can be my opponent in this land of the demon world without even a single penny of the goddess’ power?”

As she stepped down from her throne and set foot on the ground, all the demons in the castle knelt on the floor and paid their respects to her.

The name of this red-haired woman who calls herself Bonnyeo is Arbes.

He was a being commonly referred to as the Demon King.

“The power of a goddess? Why would I need that to kill you?”

The Demon King frowned at the woman’s provocation, but soon she began to laugh heartily.

“Hahaha! Alright. You want to die so badly. There’s no reason to refuse.”

A dark and dense, yet destructive and murderous black mana began to swirl around.

“I hope you can please this girl.”

The demon king’s crimson eyes, as he spoke like that, were emitting a menacing light as if he were about to devour the woman in front of him.

But the woman, not at all afraid, put her hand into the air and muttered.

“Shine brightly. Lucette.”

As soon as the woman finished speaking, a light so strong it burned her eyes emitted from her hand.

A mass of light shaped like a sword settled into her hand.

As soon as the woman swung her sword once, all the surrounding demons were torn apart with the sound of a violent storm, and not even their corpses were visible.

“It’s been a while, Black.”

A woman speaking to the Demon King while holding out a sword.

Her eyes are like that.

Like a bright sun, it was burning brightly with a golden color.