The Judgment of Scarl

Io, who had been indulging in happy fantasies, belatedly sensed something strange in Scarl’s words.

‘When has Scarl ever mentioned marrying me…?’

No. Scarl had never, at any moment, wanted to marry her.

Even when he was acting frivolous in front of her father, or during the serious conversation they had this morning, he had only said that he would definitely save her.

Rather, he would have vehemently refused.

‘You bad jerk.’

Then the guy in front of her must be a fake transformed by a demon.

Why does that fact make her feel so disappointed and filled with loss?

Just realizing that the Scarl in front of her is a fake makes her mind surprisingly calm.

Io bit her lip at the inexplicable resentment she felt towards Scarl.

The fake Scarl approaches her and continues with sweet words.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Io subtly brushes off his affectionate touch, replies that she’s fine now, and distances herself from him.

‘Why would I care about a guy like that! Hmph!’

Unlike just a moment ago when she was hesitating, Io finds it easier to treat him this way.

“No. Let’s do that. Definitely.”

Right. Could it be that the demon who transformed into her didn’t have the ability to transform into Scarl’s appearance?

The more she thinks about it, the more ashamed she is of herself for being deceived by the fake just because he had Scarl’s face.

‘Total embarrassment. But surviving is the priority right now.’

But I’ve never been second to anyone in terms of looks…!

Back in the academy, I was famous for my beauty.

The noble sons who admired me could line up and circle the training grounds. How could I, a mere Baron, be swayed so easily?

Io Haimon. You’re all washed up! All washed up!

However, it was she herself who failed to keep the order to stay quietly in the room.

As that thought occurs to her, her wildly excited heart calms down.

‘…I have to buy time, at least.’

To survive from that fake Scarl’s hands.

Until the real Scarl comes to save her.

“Hahaha. Shall we take a break? I’m a little tired.”

The fake Scarl, noticing Io’s awkward behavior, mocks her, sensing Scarl’s rapidly approaching presence.

“Ha. So, you noticed? Not bad, Io Haimon?”

The mockery, befitting Scarl’s appearance, comes naturally to his lips.

“Good body. Good balance. Not as good as the Demon King, though…”

Io, seeing Samigina moving his body like Scarl, even more so than Scarl himself, steps back, widening the distance even further.

“Wh-What are you talking about, Scarl?”

“Oh. Do you still see me as Scarl?”

Samigina, judging that there’s no longer any need to maintain Scarl’s appearance, slowly transforms into Io’s appearance.

Io, seeing Scarl’s appearance change into her own before her eyes, vents her anger at Samigina.

“Scarl was right about everything! You killed Lavna, didn’t you?!”

The fake Io spreads her arms wide, readily admitting it.

“Yes. I killed the coachman, the nanny, and the maids. But what can you do about it, Io? Huh?”

Samigina, who had been trying to escape by imitating Scarl to Io until just now, thought that now that she had noticed, she had to end it here.

And the approaching mana mass of enormous size.

The only person in Haimon Castle with that much power, she had learned through seven lifetimes of bitter experience, was that guy.

Damn Scarl! Arriving so early!

Samigina gave up on escaping, sensing the energy approaching directly towards her.

Even a cornered rat bites a cat.

She couldn’t even resist Scarl and had repeatedly given up her life, but wouldn’t it be fitting for a demon to take at least one woman he was trying to protect as a companion in his final moments?

“Ah! Demon King! This Samigina! I’ll go first, but I’ll dig into his weakness before I go!”

The Demon King will take care of her Revenge anyway.

The real Io can’t close her mouth at the mad fake Io’s words and actions.

The fake Io’s face, as if feeling an orgasm at the sight, trembles, a feverish moan flowing from her lips, and she twists her body.

“Look forward to it. The feeling of dying at the hands of that guy you trust will be both thrilling and miserable.”

“What…? That’s absurd―”

While the real Io is flustered, the fake Io shouts as loudly as she can as soon as she sees Scarl.

The voice, tone, intonation, and expression, copying Io’s facial muscles as if measured with a ruler, were so similar to her own that even the real Io was surprised.

“Scarl―!! I’m scared!”

“W-Wait a minute―”

“Save me! Scarl!”

Only then does the real Io notice Scarl coming and turns around.

The sound of an angry roar rushes in with tremendous force.

“Samigina―!”

An enraged Scarl descends.

Two Io’s are confronting each other in the middle of the forest.

Scarl judged that having two Io’s in front of him was the worst possible situation he could face when dealing with Samigina.

‘…Which one is the real one?’

Even in games, the only answer in this case is to guess 50/50.

In the worst case, you could save/load to save the NPC, but right now…

“Io!”

Samigina can act exactly like the real one if she wants to.

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The people answer in unison, exactly the same.

Appearance, atmosphere, sweat flowing on the skin, posture, and expression are all perfectly identical.

‘Damn it!’

No matter how much mana he uses to examine the two, there is no trace of the demon’s black mana.

The two people, standing as if facing a mirror, glare at each other and begin the same actions.

“Get lost!”

“Get lost!”

Who is the real one?

Scarl, seeing the Io on the left trying to approach him, has no choice but to point his sword at her.

“Stay there. Io.”

Shocked expression on the left.

“S-Scarl…”

A smug expression on the right.

“You’re the fake. Don’t approach Scarl.”

“You’re the fake! Please believe me! I’m the real one!”

“No. Please believe me!”

Scarl, having sent the one on the left back to her place, ponders and asks the two a question.

“…I’ll ask you a question.”

“Okay.”

“Ask away.”

“Why did I come here?”

The real Io would know.

“”Grandfather asked you to save me from the demons― Why are you saying the same thing as me! You fake!””

The two utter the same words without missing a single syllable.

Scarl’s head spins at the sight of the Io’s answering and glaring at each other, even pointing fingers at each other.

‘Why did the 8th Samigina have to be released!’

It would be easy to kill them both, but this involves people’s lives, so he can’t do that.

He has no choice but to follow the standard Samigina strategy.

“Both of you, come with me.”

The one on the left looks as if her pride is hurt at Scarl’s words, and the one on the right looks dumbfounded.

“What?”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“…I’m sorry, Io. I can’t tell who’s who on my own.”

The Io’s click their tongues at the same moment as if they are dumbfounded, then glare at each other and close their mouths.

He has no choice but to lock them both up and use family members and servants who were close to them to ask questions.

The real Io was quite disappointed in Scarl’s irresponsible remarks.

‘I’m the real one. Can’t you tell just by looking?!’

That girl is imitating me exactly, but it’s obvious to my eyes that she’s a fake, and it’s frustrating. Scarl Bernatore, you’re the Hero who came to save me, and you can’t even tell this apart!

‘He’s disqualified as a husband!’

The real Io was writing a novel by herself, even though the person who would give her rice cake wasn’t even thinking about it.

Leaving aside the realm of emotions, Scarl’s claim made quite a bit of sense.

He captured the demon Samigina and saved the real Io, which is herself.

She wants to praise him for doing a good job, since she distinguished the fake Scarl through conversation. But when she thinks about Scarl pointing his sword at her earlier…

‘Bad guy! I’ve been so good to him!’

She did everything he told her to do.

She went where he wanted her to go, and she did what he told her to do. Of course, she slipped up at the end, and that’s how she ended up in this state.

Scarl, who had met Count Krintos and informed him of the situation, takes the Io’s with the wronged faces to his room.

“You’ll live here together until a decision is made. Count Krintos has also approved it.”

Both Io’s frown at Scarl’s confident words.

“”What? What about the place I was staying?!””

“The detached house is dangerous.”

“”You’re more dangerous!””

Scarl cut off the Io’s rebuttals with one word.

“Count Krintos, who has come to his senses, has approved.”

The Io’s, who had been hesitating for a moment at those words, become agitated.

“N-No! Still, this is a bit…”

“Rather! Prison! Send me to prison! I don’t want to!”

Scarl directs his words towards the demon among the two.

“You could easily escape from prison, Samigina.”

“…”

“…”

Scarl’s following words were strange.

“I don’t want this situation either. A man, a woman, and a demon are stuck together. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I won’t sleep or eat, and I’ll only watch the two of you.”

“There must be a reason why we have to be here!”

“Why are you stalling for time like this?”

Scarl looks at the two with a blank expression.

“My companions are coming to find a way to identify Samigina. Please bear with it for just one day, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

He had contacted the academy, asking Krintos to send Luna and Flare for a while.

The message should have been sent by now, so the two should arrive by tomorrow morning.

…or so Scarl bluffed.

It’s true that he called Luna and Flare, but the two don’t have a way to distinguish Samigina.

Even demons have a fear of death.

Samigina, who has one day left, will be more anxious than Io, who has three days left.

He takes the two to the drawing room, sits them on chairs on either side, and begins investigating by calling in the servants he has known since childhood one by one.

The first was Bella, the head maid who had been with the Haimon family the longest.

“Um… Miss. Do you remember talking about marriage with me three years ago?”

“”Of course. Bella. I like a reliable man― The question is too… Hey! Why are you! Copying me again?!”

“I can’t distinguish the real Miss at all, Baron.”

Next is Old Man Pine, the stable keeper.

“When you were young, Miss, you were riding a horse I was managing and got hurt. It still makes me dizzy to think about it…”

The Io’s ask him questions in return, rather than him explaining the situation.

“”Old Man Pine. Is Bruner safe? No. How would you know that! K-Knee! You―!”

“I’m sorry, Baron. I don’t know.”

Count Krintos enters as the last one.

“To think I really have two daughters. Haa… What was your prenatal name?”

“”Urziela Lavbona. Heeuk?! How did you know that again!””

It was a unique prenatal name, but they answered at the same time.

The Count, with a bewildered expression, looks back at Scarl as if he’s really horrified and doesn’t know what to do.

“…Baron. I really don’t know. I can’t tell who my real daughter is!”

Count Krintos, with a bruised face, vents his frustration.

“My companions who are coming tomorrow will be able to distinguish the two of you, Count.”

“Please. Please! Please save my daughter as soon as possible!”

And so, the hilt of the sword was passed back to Scarl.