"Haaa."

I rubbed my face.

They had only been with Theresa for two days. Just how much did they spoil her in those two days? For her to blankly stare at the ceiling for the entire morning until now... I was both shocked and impressed.

'Well, at least, she now has a goal to work on.'

Thinking back about her face which seemed to have finally seen hope again, I shook my head.

They really were... a bad influence on her.

"Now then..."

I once again shifted my attention to the long pile of books and notes in front of me. Seeing just how much I had to catch up, my stomach churned.

There were at least over a dozen different papers that I had to complete and several books that I needed to read.

It would take me at least a couple of days of full focus for me to completely catch up.

Still, I had no choice but to learn it all.

If I didn't want my grades to slip then this was my only option. Furthermore, this was all important stuff.

'Plus, my progress in the physical and Domain aspects is also going well. I can spare some time studying.'

In fact, I much preferred things to be this way.

It served as a nice breather for once.

Or so I thought...

Drr!

A sudden vibration brought me out of my focused state. Shifting my attention down to my

pants and taking out a communication device, I paused when I saw the message written on it.

Eventually, with a long sigh, I stood up from my seat and left.

'Is it really that hard for me to have some time to study?'

***

Bang!

"I'm quitting!"

Papers scattered in the air while someone shouted.

"I can't take it anymore. The amount of work that I'm doing is simply inhuman. You previously told me you had another assistant. Where is he? Why isn't he here? I can't do this anymore. I hardly get more than three hours of sleep every day."

On the receiving end of the shouts was Delilah who signed another paper.

This had been the third? The fourth breakdown that her assistant has had so far? It was the norm.

She would throw curses at her before picking up the papers and going back to work.

This was how it usually went.

However...

"I'm done! Goodbye!"

Clank-

This no longer looked like a regular breakdown of hers. She really did quit on the spot. That is a bit troublesome... Delilah thought while staring at the piles of papers stacked on her desk.

She calculated in her head how long it would take for her to complete everything and her expression changed.

Too long.

Thankfully, she was prepared.

To Tok-

When one assistant left, another one came.

"I'm here."

Julien entered the room.

But just as he did, his expression changed subtly. Then, shifting his attention towards her, his eyes shook.

"You, don't tell me..."

"Yes."

Delilah pressed the papers forward.

"I need help."

"...Ah."

Julien's knees trembled. It looked like they were about to give up on him. Delilah's face relaxed upon seeing such a sight.

'It's him.'

The foreign feeling she had once felt from him was no longer present.

Her expression didn't change, but it became more relaxed.

And so, after putting up a struggle, Julien eventually sat on the opposite end of her desk and started helping out with her paperwork. He didn't necessarily have to fill up any of the papers but by now he had pretty much memorized her signature and was just signing the stuff that Delilah was supposed to.

Scribble Scribble~

In the otherwise silent room, the only sound was the soft scratching of their pens gliding over

the many sheets of paper spread before them.

The atmosphere appeared harmonious at first, but...

Growl-

It all shattered by a subtle yet piercing growl.

Delilah's body froze while Julien's head remained fixed on the papers in front of him. It was as

if he didn't hear the sound at all.

Flick!

Instinctively, her head flicked to the side.

But...

Growl-

Her stomach betrayed her once more.

11

Neither of them spoke for a while until Delilah heard the faint crinkle of a wrapper being opened. When she turned her head she saw Julien hand her a familiar-looking chocolate bar.

The entire time, his attention was focused on the paper in front of him.

It was as if he had moved instinctively.

Scribble~

With one hand holding out a chocolate bar toward her, he used his other to fill out the papers

in front of him.

His attention was entirely on the papers.

"?"

Delilah blinked her large eyes before looking towards her right and left. And then, brushing her silky long black hair behind her right ear, she leaned her body forward and took a bite of

the chocolate.

So good-

Delilah's eyes squirmed with delight.

The taste. She couldn't do without it.

More.

Clank!

Leaning forward again, she took another bite.

And then another, and then...

'Hm?'

Finally snapping out of focus, Julien raised his head.

"!"

Immediately, his entire body froze at the sight that greeted him. Staring at the soft coral lips

that dug into the chocolate in his hand, his eyes shook.

He suddenly felt his mouth grow dry.

What in the...

Unknowingly, he licked his lips.

Her face was just a few inches away from his, and while he was already used to her appearance, now that her face was so close to his, his eyes couldn't help but be glued to her

face.

He started to notice things he hadn't before.

From the length of her lashes to the flawless smoothness of her skin, the depth in her dark

eyes, and the soft color of her lips.

As if noticing his gaze, Delilah looked up.

Taking a bite of the chocolate, she blinked her large eyes while the tip of her tongue licked her

lips.

That was when something within Julien kicked in and he leaned forward as well.

Tissue in hand, he dabbed the side of her lips.

"You've got something here."

Delilah's face didn't change.

She just accepted it. "Over here as well."

And he just kept going until he realized what he was doing. It was just something engrained

into him since young.

"...Ah."

By the time he did, Delilah's attention was focused entirely on him. Her deep black eyes looked deeply at him while he struggled to find the right words to say.

Eventually, just as he was about to explain himself, Delilah opened her mouth, her face

unusually serious.

"Did you develop another Concept?"

The atmosphere froze over.

***

"What's this...?"

Kiera glanced at the piece of paper Lyla had handed her. Theresa's permission slip? Just what

sort of thing was this? She thought but quickly dismissed it with her hand.

"I don't have time. Go bother someone else with your non-"

"Freedom."

"...What?"

Kiera looked back at Theresa.

Theresa was staring at her with an expression of utmost seriousness. Pushing herself into

Kiera's room, she headed for the nearest table.

"Hey, what!?"

Her actions left Kiera utterly baffled.

Not that Theresa minded as she smacked the paper on her desk and pointed at it.

"This. Freedom."

Her aggressive tone reminded Kiera of those delegates from the other noble houses who used

to come to her house in order to do business.

They were really serious and aggressive.

"Watching your show is freedom?"

Nod. Nod.

"Human right."

Kiera rubbed her brows, feeling a headache coming.

But then, she thought of something and a smile graced her lips.

"...And all humans deserve freedom?"

"Yes."

"But what if the human did something bad? Like killed everyone you knew?"

"...!"

"...And what if that criminal broke your device?"

"Do you still think they deserve freedom?"

Theresa's expression gradually crumbled.

Breaking her device?

"Such Evildoer needs to be vanquished at all cos...!"

Theresa caught herself before it was too late. Her eyes opened wide at the realization.

Ah!

She had almost slipped.

Theresa squinted her eyes and glared at her opponent.

What terrifying deception.

"What in the fucking..."

Kiera was so taken aback by Theresa's expressions that she hadn't even noticed that she had

sworn. Not that she cared since she tended to swear as often as she breathed.

Theresa looked into her eyes and pushed the paper.

"Now. Sign."

"I... Didn't you hear what I said-who's idea was this?"

"Fake Daddy."

"That fucker...? Oh, right. I mean, that guy?"

This time. Kiera noticed it, but it was a little too late for her to correct herself. She still did try

to correct herself, but Theresa had already heard her words.

'Fucker?'

"Never mind that. If it's that guy, then everything makes sense. Only he would come up with

something like this. And I thought we all agreed... Wait a second."

Kiera snatched the paper, and her face crumbled.

"Evelyn signed it...?"

"Um."

"What in the... Haa..."

Kiera looked at Theresa.

"Don't tell me you pretended to cry in front of her to get her to sign this?"

"...!"

What an astounding perception!

"So you really did do that..."

Theresa looked away and kicked the ground.

"The answer is no."

"!"

"Go back. I still have things to do."

"Sniff...?"

"That won't work on me. You know full well I take joy in watching children cry."

"Whoops."

Perhaps realizing her slip of the tongue, Kiera covered her mouth.

"That came out wrong..."

Or did it?

Fortunately for her, Theresa's mind was too preoccupied with other things to pay attention to

her words.

Since the skill 'gain sympathy through tears' had failed, she had to change her approach.

Thankfully, she had come prepared. She hadn't spent the last couple of days idly.

Theresa clenched her fists.

In all honesty. She was hesitant. She had been saving this weapon for a while, now. All for the

right occasion. But when she thought about it, she realized. There was no better occasion than

now.

And so.

"Come."

She nudged Kiera with her little arms.

"What...? Are you still not giving up?"

"Come."

Theresa nudged again. "Alright, fine. What is it."

In the end, Kiera gave up and moved closer to Theresa. Walking closer to Kiera, Theresa

whispered something in her ear, and soon after, Kiera broke into a smile.

"Are you serious? Will you really do it? Will you really slap that bit-her?"

"...Yes."

"You should've said so before."

Snatching the paper from Theresa, she swiftly signed it.

"Kakakaka."

And she laughed like a witch.

Theresa snatched the paper from Kiera's hands.

Her lips curled into a hazy smile as she gazed at the second signature on her paper. She soon

broke into her own fit of laughter. "Kakaka."

And so.

In the quiet space of Kiera's room.

An adult and a child erupted in laughter, their voices echoing like that of a deranged witch.

"Kakakakakaka."

"Kukukukuk."

The second Demon King had been conquered.