episode_0047

A restaurant with a noisy and bustling atmosphere.

The smell of delicious food and the laughter of people coming from all directions combined to create a lively atmosphere.

This is one of the most loved restaurants in Karman.

Athena and I were having dinner together here right now.

Although the food wasn’t as fancy as the food served in the mansion, it was food that looked delicious to anyone who saw it.

Juicy meat, steaming hot potatoes, and fragrant soup.

Although they may not be good for your health, they are all foods that enhance people’s happiness.

“Hera, eat slowly. You’ll get sick.”

Athena speaks while handing me a tissue.

“Ugh..thank you.”

I took her tissue and wiped around my mouth.

Maybe it was because I was eating in a new place. It felt refreshing.

Unlike the stuffy mansion, this place seemed to give me a feeling of freedom.

“Tomorrow, I’ll go a little deeper. There must have been traces of the demons, so I’ll be able to find them soon.”

Athena told them about tomorrow’s schedule while they were eating.

“Yeah.. but you don’t look like you’re in a good mood today.. is something wrong?”

She was depressed all day. It made me feel depressed too.

At my words, Athena looked at me with a cold face.

“Hera, have you ever heard that you have no tact?”

“Huh?”

Athena’s sudden question. I thought about her words for a moment.

Notice… Notice…

Well… I don’t think I’m the oblivious type. Rather, having lived in many places before becoming a resident, I think I’m the oblivious type.

“No? I’m quick-witted?”

“….”

But Athena looked dumbfounded at my words.

Come to think of it.

Lily had once told me that I was insensitive before.

“Sister! I like it because you’re oblivious.”

“Uh..huh? Why..?”

“No matter what I do, you don’t know at all..Ah..No, no, no hehe.”

It was a very bland conversation.

Except for Lily, though. I don’t think anyone ever said I was oblivious.

…I wonder how Lily and her sister are doing.

As I was eating in this noisy atmosphere, I naturally thought of them.

Because those were the times when I was truly happy, having a meal with them filled with laughter.

Perhaps the two of them are living more affluent lives in the Empire by now, since the facilities there are incomparable to those of Drax.

And Lily and Dania were so close to each other that they might have forgotten about someone like me.

Or perhaps he could have made many friends in the empire to fill my void.

‘…I hope you still remember.’

If they forget me, I will be the only one who cherishes the warm memories I have with them.

I thought it would be a very bitter feeling if that happened.

Actually, at some point, I lost the desire to go see them.

I didn’t want to show them.

Me, broken like this. Me, useless, unable to do anything on my own.

I wanted to be remembered for the rest of my life as a trustworthy younger sister to Dania and a dependable older sister to Lily.

What if they saw themselves in such a miserable state?

They may not show it because they are kind-hearted, but it will surely show on the outside someday. Their attitude of caring for me more and more, their eyes looking at me with pity. They will change one by one. Because everyone else was like that.

I really felt like I wouldn’t be able to bear it.

They… for them only…

I wanted to remain useful, at least to Lily and Dania.

Their absence gave me so much loneliness.

They say time heals all wounds. As time passed little by little, it seemed like things were getting better.

I raised my head and looked at her in front of me.

She has golden eyes, brilliantly shining platinum hair, and a proud aura.

“?”

She raised an eyebrow, perhaps wondering at my gaze.

She is the one who endlessly cherishes and loves me, even though I am so pitiful.

She is always by his side so he doesn’t feel lonely.

She was so attentive to me that I didn’t know if I deserved such one-sided favor.

….I don’t hate you anymore.

The resentment she felt for what she did to me in the past. That resentment has since disappeared.

I think it was probably the day she began to enjoy my cooking.

I’m so happy. I’m so grateful to her. Now, my feelings of liking her have grown much stronger than my feelings of disliking her.

‘……family.’

She was now as precious to me as Lily and Dania. She was my family.

I watched her eat.

I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw her neatly slicing and eating the meat at the restaurant.

“….what is it?”

She looks at me with the same eyes as if she were looking at a strange person.

I wanted to tell her how I felt. How I felt about her.

I wanted to tell you that I consider you as much a part of my family as Lily and Dania.

So I gave her a smile and said,

“Athena.”

“Yeah.”

.

.

.

“I love you.”

“Phew!”

Athena spits out the food she was eating from her mouth.

The food she spit out spread across the table.

An action that was completely unimaginable for her, who only gave off a noble aura.

But she just looked at me with an anxious expression, as if she didn’t care about such things at all.

“What…what did you just say?”

She looked quite flustered, which was unusual for her.

“I love you. I don’t hate you anymore. As much as you care for me. I cherish you too.”

Athena said, holding my hand with wavering eyes.

“….Then..we are now..”

I’ve never seen her voice tremble like this before. Was she that moved?

I felt strangely warm at her reaction. It was so touching. It meant that she thought of me as precious.

“Yeah!”

I took Athena’s hand and smiled brightly at her.

“From today, lovers-”

“Now we are family.”

“….”

“….”

A brief silence enveloped us both.

By the way, I think Athena said something just now. I couldn’t hear it properly because it was buried in what I was saying.

“Athena, what did you just say?”

“……Family..you say?”

Her voice seemed somewhat weak.

“Yeah. My precious family.”

“…..”

Athena stared blankly at me for a while, then sighed and started eating again.

“…Okay, I’m satisfied with this for now..”

Athena eats food while muttering softly so that no one can hear.

After I told him how I felt, I felt relieved.

If my resentment towards Athena and my gratitude towards her had been fighting each other until now, I was finally able to make up my mind about my attitude towards her.

I too will cherish Athena as a family member from now on.

‘I’m not sure about slaves…’

To begin with, the word slave felt very unfamiliar to me, as the deep-rooted history of the Republic of Korea was embedded in my mind.

But since I don’t feel as much repulsion as I did at first, maybe there will come a day when I truly become her slave, even in my heart.

Of course, that won’t happen for a while.

I laughed and put the meat in my mouth.

* * *

“…What are you talking about like that!”

This woman is watching the two from across the restaurant.

One of the four commanders of the Great Demon Legion. Succubus Queen Sephir.

Using one of her few talents, shapeshifting magic, she transformed into a human woman.

Well, actually. The transformation magic was only enough to hide her horns, wings, tail, and special mana unique to the Demon Race, but her pink hair and eyes still remained the same.

However, since it is a transformation magic of the level of a general, even Athena herself will not be able to notice it easily.

Sephir was just waiting for the two to separate.

But far from falling, the two of them were looking at each other with deep emotions, as if they were talking about something.

“..Are the two of you like that or something?”

I haven’t heard any rumors about Athena enjoying women.

But what. So what if she’s a woman? The important thing is that she has a weakness. And this is a huge opportunity for the Demon King’s army.

Hatching had long since disappeared from my mind.

All he could see was the black-haired woman in front of him.

‘If only we had a chance to be alone together for a moment… I could charm you!’

But the opportunity did not come easily. Athena did not leave the woman alone, and the woman also clung to Athena.

“..Now that I think about it.”

That kid is really pretty.

Even though the distance was considerable, her beauty was clearly visible.

Dark black hair that resembles the night sky, contrasting with her pure white skin. Red eyes that give off a faint blood-red aura between them.

Did Athena fall in love with her because of her looks?

I was a little jealous of her, who never gave her affection to anyone else, for having such a captivating appearance.

‘Hmm…well. It’s pretty, but! It’s nothing compared to this body.’

He has such a beautiful appearance that he is called the devil of beauty. If that woman were to stand next to him, his beauty would lose its luster.

So I encouraged myself and started to become passionate about them again.

Athena raises her hand and calls the employees.

Are you going to do the math and leave?

But she gave off the vibe that she was going to order more food, not just calculate it.

The employee who received the order returns to the kitchen.

What he brought back to them was this.

“….alcohol?”

There were two large glasses of beer.