Chapter 131: I really love you

“Demon.”

It was the moment the demon, holding a precious flower in its arms, was about to turn away.

[Why?]

“I only heard rumors, but apparently, Lord Rachel Biton has been wandering around this world recently.”

A name that could never be ignored brushed past the demon’s ears.

[So, what?]

“I’m just letting you know. She’s notorious for her ferocity, isn’t she? And according to the rumors, this time, she’s quite enraged.”

Leaving the incubus’s words behind, the demon’s body slowly began to dissolve into thick black smoke.

As the smoke scattered, the demon’s presence completely vanished into the wavering air.

By the time the dense fog had lifted, a different sight unfolded before the demon when it opened its eyes once more.

The demon made an oath to itself, over and over again.

Tina belonged to it.

Even if Tina were to be hurt, it would never hand her over to anyone.

Especially not to that damned woman.

[Well, in any case.]

The demon glanced down at the precious flower in its grasp.

It already knew how to use it. With this, it could finally corrupt Tina into its mate.

But it couldn’t trust it so easily.

Stepping once more into the world where Tina resided, the demon returned straight to Luella’s body.

Regaining full control over the human form, she carefully tucked the flower deep into her hair.

Crack—

Her skull split open. Black blood splattered in all directions, and the flower slowly burrowed into the girl’s head.

Despite the excruciating pain, she didn’t even blink.

With her fingertips, she adjusted the flower, ensuring it was firmly in place.

She couldn’t be certain of the exact effects, but the tingling sensation in her mind suggested it was acting as a form of brainwashing.

[Nothing seems suspicious.]

Dream Demon are nothing if not deceitful. Trusting their words blindly is not just foolish but outright idiotic.

She couldn’t recklessly use something they provided on Tina. But after testing it herself, it seemed to pose no harm to Tina.

As the Dream Demon had said, it would simply make her a little… dumber.

[Heh, heh heh…]

Whether it was brainwashing or something more, it didn’t matter.

As long as Tina obediently listened to her, she wouldn’t hesitate.

She eagerly awaited the day when they could spend eternity together in their own private hell.

A wide grin spread across the demon’s lips.

***

“Good work.”

With Miranda Grandma’s brief words, the day’s work came to an end.

Walking for about thirty minutes while watching the crimson sunset, our house would soon come into view.

“Unnie! You’re home!”

As I approached the door, a girl greeted me with a bright smile, running out to welcome me.

Luella, the newest member of Miranda Grandma’s household.

Her expression had grown much brighter than when we first met, which was a comforting sight.

Still, there was something that had been on my mind. Maybe it was just suspicion.

For the past few days, Luella had asked about my physical condition every morning.

It could have simply been concern, but her tone sounded as if she was checking whether something had changed in my body.

A thought crossed my mind—was she doing something while I was asleep?

So tonight, I planned to pretend to sleep and find out for myself.

Of course, even if such a kind and adorable girl was up to something strange, how bad could it possibly be?

Curiosity was the bigger driving force.

“Maybe she just wants to hold my hand while I sleep?”

Considering her age, that wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Besides, having become an orphan, she must be desperately craving affection.

If that were the case, perhaps I needed to be more mindful of her.

I knew all too well how painful loneliness could be, and I didn’t want this child to suffer from it as well.

With that small resolution in my heart, I stepped inside the house.

After changing into something more comfortable, washing Miranda Grandma’s and my uniforms, and preparing dinner for the surely hungry Luella, I finally headed to my room.

On my not-so-small desk lay a long blue ribbon and three neatly wrapped gift boxes.

These were from the people who still cherished someone as clumsy as me.

I was deeply grateful to them.

I had prepared gifts in return for each of them.

Half of my saved wages had vanished in an instant, but I had no regrets.

For Lillian, who had little interest in fashion, I chose a small bottle of perfume.

For Viviana, who often worked up a sweat, I prepared a carefully embroidered handkerchief.

For my mother, I prepared a high-quality powdered tea bag that was good for health.

If judged only by its value, it might seem humble, but I wrapped the gift with the hope that they would like it.

“Unnie, I’m here!”

After finishing her meal, I carefully washed Luella, changed her into pajamas, and laid her on the bed.

“Luella, I think I need to go out tomorrow.”

“Huh? Where are you going?”

A look of confusion spread across Luella’s face.

“I have something to take care of in the Empire. I think I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”

“Can’t you take me with you?”

“Sorry. I need to go alone tomorrow.”

Luella looked like she had a lot to say, but in the end, she accepted my words without protest. I gently stroked her head, feeling proud of her, and smiled.

“…I’m sleepy, Unnie. Let’s sleep now.”

“Yeah, shall we?”

As soon as I responded, Luella quickly turned off the light in the room. Judging by her actions, she really wanted to sleep right away.

“Good night, Luella.”

“Good night, Unnie!”

After exchanging our last goodnight, I closed my eyes in the deep silence of the night.

Normally, I would have fallen asleep right away, but tonight, I kept my mind alert even with my eyes closed.

After that, only a quiet stillness filled the room.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes.

In the darkened room, only faint breathing could be heard. Aside from the occasional slight shifting, there was no particular movement from Luella’s side either.

It seemed like she had fallen asleep. Just as I started to think that I was worrying over nothing—

Rustle.

I heard the sound of the blanket shifting from the side.

“Unnie… are you asleep?”

It was Luella’s voice. Still keeping my eyes closed, I continued to breathe evenly, pretending to be asleep.

“…Are you really asleep?”

She called out to me again, checking. Her actions were clearly suspicious. A sense of doubt resurfaced in my mind.

Was she really planning something while I was asleep?

“Hehe…”

A faint giggle escaped Luella’s lips. But strangely, it didn’t sound like a typical girlish laugh—it carried a sly undertone.

“Tonight… at last, I will make you mine…”

She muttered in a small voice, her words unclear. But seeing her whispering to herself like this was anything but ordinary.

I thought she had recovered, but it seemed like her mind was still deeply wounded.

I felt sympathy for her, yet at the same time, my curiosity grew.

What exactly was she planning to do at this late hour?

“This should be… just right…”

I debated whether I should open my eyes, but I decided to wait a little longer.

Just then, I felt something being placed on my head. A thin and soft sensation began to tickle my face.

At first, I thought it was Luella’s fingers. But upon closer sensation, it was much thinner and lighter.

That unknown object slowly crawled up my arm. Every time it brushed against my skin, it gave off a ticklish sensation.

I immediately sensed that something was not right. I opened my eyes and sat up.

“Huh?”

Luella’s eyes widened in surprise. Her expression was as if she were thinking, Why are you awake?

But I, too, couldn’t help but stare at her in shock.

What unfolded before my newly awakened eyes was something beyond my wildest expectations.

The girl standing before me was definitely Luella.

But surrounding her was a thick, black mist, darkening the space around her.

That black mist felt eerily familiar. A vague memory surfaced—I was sure I had encountered it before.

“You… weren’t sleeping?”

“Luella. What are you doing right now?”

“I-I… you weren’t supposed to wake up yet…”

Luella couldn’t hide her flustered expression, looking suspicious.

And the strange ticklish feeling on my body—this bizarre sensation was anything but normal.

I quickly sat up to check my condition. Something was clearly wrong.

Thin, slick tendrils, as if grown from a plant, were writhing over my body, creeping upward.

In a panic, I turned to look in the mirror.

My gaze locked onto one bizarre object that stood out.

A strange, eerie flower had attached itself to the right side of my head.

“N-No!”

Luella suddenly lunged toward me.

In an instant, she pushed me back onto the bed, climbed on top of me, and tightly held down my arms.

“Luella, what the hell are you doing…?”

“Unnie, um… can you just stay like this for a little while?”

“You…”

At this point, calling this ‘strange’ was an understatement. This had far surpassed the limits of mere suspicion.

Now, I was certain.

Luella was not just an ordinary war orphan.

But before worrying about her, I had a more urgent problem to deal with.

First, I needed to get rid of this strange flower on my head.

The stems that slowly stretched out from my head kept tickling my ears. Every time the stems lightly tapped inside my ears, an ominous feeling spread, as if they were exploring.

“Back off, Luella.”

I forcefully pushed her arm away. Then, grabbing her waist, I began to push her away from my body.

“Ugh… eek…!”

Luella desperately resisted, trying to keep herself in place, but no matter how weak I was, I wasn’t so feeble that a young girl could overpower me.

In the end, I succeeded in completely prying her off and, without hesitation, reached out to remove the flower attached to my head.

That was the moment it happened. A familiar yet ominous energy surged violently from Luella.

[Stop, Tina.]

A strange voice echoed. It was too eerie and alien to be considered human. At the same time, the stems that had been brushing against my ears suddenly extended sharply.

Their target was none other than my ear canal.

Crunch—!

A deafening roar exploded right next to my ear, shaking my head as if a bomb had gone off. The pressure of the stems burrowing deep into my ear made my thoughts come to a complete halt.

Crunch—!

“Eh? – Eh?”

My vision wavered and began to flip upside down. My body trembled, and my lower half instinctively jerked. An alarm blared inside my mind.

It was telling me—

I couldn’t stay still like this.

Was it a survival instinct, or just my body’s natural response? My hands instinctively moved to rip away the stems clinging to my head.

[Tina, it’s me.]

But someone gently grasped my hands, whispering in a sweet, seductive voice.

That voice was all too familiar.

There was no way I could mistake it. It was the voice of a friend who had always stayed by my side, from my past life to this moment.

“You… How…?”

[I love you, Tina.]

“…What?”

[I love you, Tina. I really missed you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.]

Whoosh—!

“Ah?!”

My vision violently spun. An unknown sensation tightened around my lower abdomen, and an inexplicable stream of liquid sprayed into the air.

A feeling too intense to describe overwhelmed me. In that instant, my head tilted backward involuntarily, and even my toes curled and trembled.

“Uh, eh…?”

I gasped heavily, blinking with dazed eyes.

A sensation I had never experienced before engulfed my body, and fear slowly crept in, wrapping around me.

“Eh, wait… This is dangerous…”

[I love you, Tina. I really love you. Just stay still. I can’t live without you. I love you, Tina.]

“W-wait….”

No, this isn’t right.

If—if they say they love me now…

Crunch—!

No, this can’t be.

If—if they say they love me even more now…

[I love you, Tina. In my past life, now, and forever. For all eternity, you are the only one.]

But as those honey-sweet words melted my brain—

My waist, pathetically, arched on its own.

“N-no… Ah?!”

Whoosh—!