Chapter 19
Maybe it’s just because he’s the male lead, but his powers of observation were frighteningly sharp.
I answered a bit sheepishly.
“…Yeah. I’m still okay. For now.”
“That’s impossible. Unless you have divine power, there’s no way you’d be unaffected.”
At those words, the Countess of Heyrot’s eyes widened.
Then—thud. A few noblewomen and their children fainted behind us.
This wasn’t the time to be standing around wasting time.
Meteo seemed to know that too, because he urgently spoke.
“Anyway, it’s a relief you’re not affected by the miasma yet. Right now, we need to find the door and save my mother!”
“We don’t have time. Let’s split up and search!”
I shouted right after Meteo finished speaking—I had a good idea in mind.
“I’ll check that way!”
“What? Hey—!”
I quickly rushed toward the stairs. I could hear Meteo calling me from behind, but I pretended not to hear him.
The miasma had already risen above my height. The air was murky with its dark presence, making it hard to see ahead.
No doubt the others had already passed out.
And now, we’re supposed to solve a puzzle and find the door? How like a demon.
Meteo would take care of finding the door. My priority was saving Learwin.
As I ran up the stairs, I called out in my mind.
‘Saints! You can use the teleportation ticket in the demon realm too, right?’
I had 19 teleportation tickets from a system reward. I used to have 20, but I’d spent one traveling from my house in Neverland to the orphanage.
If I remembered correctly, the ticket couldn’t send you from the human realm to the demon realm—but you could teleport within the demon realm just fine.
<‘Yuri Druid Gabriella’ says it’s possible. But only one person can use it at a time.>
I knew it!
It was a shame I could only take myself, but now wasn’t the time to be picky.
I quickly used one of the teleportation tickets.
‘Take me to where Learwin is!’
Wait… Would teleporting to a person’s location even work?
The thought barely crossed my mind before everything went dark.
<“Teleportation Ticket” – 1 ticket consumed!>
<Remaining Tickets – 18>
Light returned to my eyes.
I looked around. It appeared to be a study.
The decor—black and violet—suggested I was still in the Aldred Mansion.
‘So you can teleport to a person after all.’
I cautiously stepped further into the room and spotted a sofa draped in violet fabric.
There, sprawled out with her long silver hair hanging loose, was Learwin.
She’s not dead… right?
They said she was being offered as a toy for the Demon King’s one-night amusement, so they likely wouldn’t have killed her yet. As furious as I was at the humiliation of the Marchioness, I still felt a wave of relief.
At a desk further in the room sat Aldred. She was gazing into a hand mirror, giggling.
“Hehe. The miasma’s already swallowed everything. There’s no way they’ll find the door. If they did, I’d be an angel, not a demon. Huh? Where’s that little blonde girl?”
She peered closely into the mirror, scanning every corner.
To save her the effort, I announced myself.
“I’m right here.”
“!”
Aldred flinched. Then she slowly turned around, her eyes widening in shock.
“Wh-what?! How did you—!”
I shrugged casually.
“You won’t believe it, but it was pretty easy.”
“That’s impossible! No one but me should be able to enter this room! It’s untraceable—especially by a worthless little human like you—!”
“You didn’t already kill the Marchioness, did you?”
“Please. I’m not a stupid demon. Why would I waste the most beautiful offering? You should follow her example and just pass out quietly.”
Aldred sneered. Miasma began swirling thickly around me. Almost at the same time, both Aldred and Learwin vanished.
She ran.
I immediately used another teleportation ticket.
‘Take me to where Lady Aldred is!’
In an instant, the space around me shifted.
This time, I found myself in a bedroom. Through the window, fireworks were still exploding brightly in the night sky.
As soon as I laid eyes on Aldred, she saw me too.
“H-How did you get here?!”
She looked completely rattled. Her dazed expression made me smirk.
Learwin was clearly unconscious, so I didn’t bother to filter my words.
“There’s no place in the demon realm I can’t reach. No matter where you run, I’ll chase you to the ends of this realm.”
“Ridiculous! There’s no way someone like you could—!”
“Why not? I’m here again, aren’t I? Go on. Try running one more time.”
“Tch. Fine. Let’s see you follow me this time.”
With a scoff, Aldred disappeared once again.
I used a third teleportation ticket.
This time, I landed in pitch-black surroundings. I almost fell off a cliff, but just barely managed to steady myself. Across from me stood Aldred, holding Learwin with her head tilted over the cliff’s edge.
She looked ready to toss her off at any moment.
When I appeared, the demon’s eyes popped wide open.
“…You really came?”
“You said it was impossible, but it looks like you were expecting me. Even ready to threaten me with the Marchioness’s life.”
“What the hell is going on?! Who are you?!”
“Me?”
I smiled faintly.
Then, using another ticket, I appeared right in front of her.
“I’m the daughter of the Demon King you so worship.”
“!”
Aldred’s face twisted in pure shock.
It made sense—first I moved just like her, teleporting instantly, then I dropped that bombshell about being the Demon King’s daughter.
For a kid who looked like an ordinary human to possess such power? Of course she was stunned.
Aldred flung Learwin aside and stumbled back.
I quickly caught Learwin, though all I could manage was supporting her head and shoulders with my small arms.
Thankfully, I could feel her steady pulse.
“W-What kind of bullshit…! The Demon King has no children!”
“How would you know that? He’s been gone from the demon realm for five hundred years.”
I gently laid Learwin down and stepped toward Aldred. She instinctively backed away.
“Maybe this will help you believe me?”
I pulled a framed picture from my inventory—a portrait of me and Dad.
I held it out so Aldred could see clearly.
Honestly, I had no desire to reveal the truth to a demon like her.
But if I wanted to get all these noblewomen and children back home safely, there was no better option.
I couldn’t rely solely on young Meteo.
Aldred’s eyes flicked to the portrait. The father and daughter—both blonde—looked undeniably alike.
Even though Dad was now the Demon King, his appearance hadn’t changed from when he was human.
“…If you don’t want to get tangled in the Demon King’s messy family affairs, I suggest you return all the humans with me. If he finds out you’re the one who tried to kill his daughter… well, that’s not going to end well for you. He’s quite fond of me.”
“Lies…”
“Oh, and one more thing—if you value your life, keep what I just said a secret. The Demon King doesn’t like people knowing he has a human daughter.”
I added the crucial warning. If word of my identity spread, it’d be a major problem. But demons feared the Demon King, so she wouldn’t act carelessly.
“D-Damn it…”
Aldred swore under her breath.
Would she believe me?
Even if she didn’t, the tiny possibility that I might be telling the truth would keep her from risking it.
Just then, Aldred stiffened as if she sensed something.
“…Gasp. The door opened?”
“!”
Wait, what?
The door… opened?
Could it be? Did Meteo already find it? But how?
“H-How did he find it? That’s impossible! Aaargh!”
Clutching her head, Aldred spiraled into panic.
At the same time, the space around us began to tremble violently.
