Chapter 253

R‍e​a​d‍ ‌o‍n​ ‍K‍a​t‌R‌​e‌a‍​d‌​i​n‌g‍Ca​f‍e

Astaroth had “requested” something of her.

Embracing her from behind, she whispered tenderly into her ear.

Though her voice was gentle, Regina felt goosebumps rise all over her body.

“Keep an eye on Lucia.

A devil god resides within her body.

We don’t know how the shattered soul of Belial will react.

So, watch her closely, and if anything unusual happens, let me know immediately.”

That was what Astaroth had “requested”.

But that wasn’t the entirety of her “request”.

Astaroth then made a second “request”.

“Eugene.

The Chosen One.

The blade of the four seasons that will cut down the devil gods.

Perhaps even more than Lucia, he is someone we must keep a close eye on.

Though he hasn’t fully awakened yet, his combat prowess rivals that of a captain.

The moment he fully awakens, his strength will surpass even that of a devil god.”

Naturally, Astaroth had always been watching Eugene. Her interest bordered on obsession. Due to circumstances, she couldn’t approach Eugene directly.

So, Astaroth had been indirectly monitoring Eugene through the “Masked Slaves” she had placed everywhere.

She made the same “request” to Regina.

It was a “request” rather than an order, only because they were “friends”.

But to Regina, it made little difference.

She was given a choice, but it was a choice she couldn’t refuse.

“Damn it…”

Regina scratched her head irritably.

Her hair was stiff and unkempt from not being washed properly.

She had been putting off the “request”, but she had reached her limit.

If she were to meet Astaroth soon, she would need something to report.

Staring at the red fox mask on her desk, Regina let out a sigh like a lament.

She looked down at her clothes, stained with saliva, tears, and stomach acid, and gnawed on her lip.

‘…Alright, fine. Just for a little while. Just a quick check on their movements. After all, even a brief surveillance would count as fulfilling the “request”.’

Even if she didn’t gain any useful information, the fact that she tried would be enough. That way, she wouldn’t be lying to Astaroth.

Regina staggered to her feet. The lingering scent of perfume and the nauseating stench made her frown. She couldn’t go out like this. Even the oblivious Seri would immediately notice that something was wrong.

She leaned over the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Dark circles under her eyes and a pale complexion.

Her sunken cheeks made her look like a sickly patient.

She let out a hollow laugh.

She pulled her lips with her fingers, forcing a smile.

Her expression improved slightly.

If she washed up and applied some makeup, she could at least disguise herself.

“…”

Her nose tingled.

The scent of blood stimulated her senses.

A tough piece of meat seemed to be in her mouth.

Of course, it was all an illusion, a hallucination.

Regina walked over to her desk and unwrapped a package.

She took out a bottle of herbal perfume and began spraying it on herself.

If she washed, the perfume would be washed away.

But for now, she just wanted to escape the unbearable stench of blood.

◈

The fresh air outside was incredibly refreshing after days of being cooped up.

Compared to the perfume-filled room, it felt like a breath of fresh air.

By the time Regina left the dormitory, it was already late.

Few students were visible on their way to class.

The few who were there were running, trying not to be late.

Regina had no intention of running, even though she should.

She only planned to check on Eugene and Lucia’s movements and then return.

She had no intention of attending class, nor did she have the energy.

The academy’s classes were notoriously strict.

Even though Supernaturals were resilient, they were still human and had their limits.

Having not eaten or slept properly for days, Regina was physically exhausted.

“Just a quick look…”

Regina muttered, trying to soothe her aching stomach.

Astaroth hadn’t given her specific instructions.

This gave her room to exploit loopholes.

She could just observe from a distance and then leave.

After all, she would have fulfilled Astaroth’s “request” by doing so.

Both Eugene and Lucia were in Class 1-A.

She could peek through the door and then run away.

As she approached her destination, Regina’s steps grew heavier.

The closer she got to the academy’s main building, the darker her dark circles seemed to become.

Pausing in the first-floor hallway, Regina looked at the fork in the path.

To the left was Class A.

To the right was Class D.

Class D was somewhat isolated from the other classes.

It was a class for troublemakers who wouldn’t normally be admitted to the academy.

They were talented, so they were given special privileges to enroll.

The academy discouraged contact between troublemakers and regular students.

Regular students were easily influenced, after all.

The academy’s students were all teenagers.

Physically, emotionally, and mentally, they were in a very unstable period.

Moreover, Supernaturals tended to be more sensitive.

There was a risk that even well-behaved students could be influenced by the troublemakers.

There had been similar cases in the past.

A troublemaker admitted on special privileges had once caused incidents by influencing other students.

Though that troublemaker had since reformed and was now the captain of the 6th Division of the Celestial Corps, back then, they had been the worst kind of troublemaker.

So much so that the God of War himself had come to discipline them.

That incident had proven that even the most hopeless troublemakers could be reformed through education, while also showing the worst-case scenario if troublemakers weren’t strictly controlled.

Since then, the academy had worked to reduce contact between troublemakers and other students.

The physical separation of classrooms was part of that effort.

If she went right, she would reach Class D, where Seri would be.

Regina bit her lip.

She wanted to turn right.

With a sigh, Regina moved her feet again.

To the left.

Toward Class A.

By now, morning assembly would be over, so she planned to peek through the hallway window into the classroom.

But Regina’s crude plan was met with a major disruption before it even began.

“?!”

Regina quickly hid herself.

She slid around the corner of the hallway.

It was surprising that her fatigued and hungry body could move so quickly.

She cautiously peeked around the corner.

She couldn’t have been mistaken.

The girl who had just left Class A.

Golden hair like spun honey.

Eyes resembling cherry blossoms.

It was Lucia.

Lucia looked around, as if searching for something.

Regina carefully observed Lucia’s movements, making sure not to be seen.

Lucia looked no different from the last time Regina had seen her.

Regina’s expression involuntarily twisted.

It wasn’t that she disliked Lucia’s healthy appearance.

It was the lingering traces of the past that seemed to flicker before her eyes.

The scent of blood, which had somewhat subsided, began to vibrate again.

Regina reflexively pinched her nose.

It was an illusion, so there was no way to block the smell.

Her stomach churned again.

The smell of burning flesh and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

Regina took out the perfume from her pocket, then frowned and put it back.

If she used all the perfume, she could escape the stench for a while.

But moving secretly, the strong scent of perfume would likely give her away.

Reluctantly, Regina shoved her index and middle fingers into her mouth.

She activated her Supernatural Ability.

She inhaled the white smoke flowing from her fingers.

It was a drug.

A concentration that would kill an ordinary human dozens of times over.

But for Regina, it had little effect.

It only slightly eased her nausea.

“Haa…”

A sigh overlapped with hers.

Regina’s body twitched.

Lucia sighed and twirled her hair around her finger.

She muttered to herself with a troubled expression.

“Alice, where are you?”

Regina narrowed her purple eyes.

Alice.

A familiar name.

The small, sticky rice cake that always clung to Lucia.

She looked like a soft, squishy child, but when her eyes turned, she was a beast.

The memory of Alice strangling Seri, her eyes bleeding red, was still vivid.

Even with the power of the mask, Regina had felt an instinctive sense of danger.

That’s why she hadn’t approached Lucia since.

How could she approach when Alice was always on guard, her eyes wide and alert?

“Break time is almost over… Should I go look for her?”

From Lucia’s muttering, Regina roughly understood the situation.

They were always stuck together like gum, but for some reason, they were apart now.

If it were the old Regina, she would have seen this as a good opportunity.

She would have approached Lucia to fulfill Astaroth’s “request”.

As she had done in the past.

“…”

But Regina’s feet were glued to the floor, unmoving.

The perfect opportunity had come with Alice’s absence, but she had no intention of taking advantage of it.

She had only come to pretend to fulfill the “request”.

Regina activated her Supernatural Ability more strongly.

Swallowing the white smoke, her senses dulled slightly.

The smell and taste of blood faded.

With a clearer mind, Regina organized her thoughts.

That’s enough. She hadn’t monitored Eugene, but she had observed Lucia, so the “request” was fulfilled.

Of course, she would need to monitor them periodically in the future, but for today, this was enough.

Regina quickly turned around.

She would return to the dormitory.

She didn’t want to get involved with Lucia anymore.

She didn’t want to be near her.

There would come a time when she would have to face her, but not now.

Not yet.

She didn’t have the courage to face Lucia yet.

“Regina?”

But perhaps it was the drug dulling her senses that was the problem.

Or maybe it was the fear narrowing her vision.

Regina swallowed a hollow breath at the sound of her name being called.

“Hehe, long time no see? What are you doing here~?”

She hadn’t heard the footsteps approaching.

No, that wasn’t the important part.

Regina forced her trembling lips shut and slowly turned her head.

She could almost hear the creaking of rusted bones in her neck.

“Lu… cia…”

She prayed she had misheard, but her hopes were shattered in an instant.

Lucia was right in front of her.

Waving her hand as if happy to see her.

With a bright smile.

“…”

For a fleeting moment.

Lucia’s smiling face overlapped with a bloodstained face.

A face she could never forget.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Isn’t Regina the most tragic character?

She is having a hard time because she got caught by Astaroth early.

Her affection is insanity.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Sadists love Regina’s pain.

Me personally? I want to die. Living is hard, smh.