Chapter 181
Citri looked around as she arrived at the silent 50th floor of the Demon King Castle. The absence of Nahun, who had called for her, made the atmosphere awkward.
“Called me over, yet doesn’t even show up….”
Citri had come suddenly because Nahun had summoned her. Yet when she arrived, the very person was nowhere to be seen.
However, Citri didn’t dare to complain about it. She remembered well the events of that day when Nahun had displayed remarkable power.
The surge of magical energy she had witnessed that day—a force so overwhelming it suffocated the entire floor—remained vividly etched in her memory. Even thinking about it now sent chills down her spine.
“It’s a bit uncomfortable….”
“Your Highness Citri.”
At that moment, a servant approached her respectfully and offered a greeting.
“Nahun sent me. I will escort you to the office, Your Highness.”
“…Alright.”
Citri followed the servant with a hint of nervousness as they made their way to Nahun’s office. The servants they passed in the corridor only offered quiet greetings, their previous liveliness nowhere to be found.
‘Is something really going on?’
Just as she began to feel uneasy about the atmosphere, they arrived at Nahun’s office. The servant politely knocked on the door and announced Citri’s arrival before opening it.
“Please, come in.”
“Okay.”
With a slightly tense expression, Citri stepped inside the room. Nahun, who was with a woman, rose to greet her.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
“…You’ve changed quite a bit. You used to come out to greet me in person.”
“Ah, my apologies. I had work to attend to; please forgive me.”
Saying this, Nahun led Citri to the main seat. Citri had intended to lighten the mood by being a bit cheeky, but she felt relieved to see that Nahun hadn’t changed at all.
“Well, I had a lot I wanted to ask as well.”
“It seems we both have much to discuss. Let’s take our time.”
“Sounds good.”
Citri took her seat as Nahun settled onto the nearby sofa. The woman in the office stood silently behind Nahun. Every time Citri saw her, a feeling of déjà vu crept up on her, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
“…Your aide? I thought she was a new advisor since she was by Seere’s side.”
“She was temporary back then. Ersha, introduce yourself.”
“I am Ersha Scarlet, Your Highness Citri.”
“What?”
Citri was taken aback. No wonder she felt a sense of déjà vu the moment she laid eyes on her.
‘An ancestor of the bloodline…?’
Everyone knew the name Ersha Scarlet, the ancestor of the bloodline who had spent time with the original Demon Lords. Her appearance was also quite notorious, which is why Citri had felt that strange sense of familiarity.
“The ancestor of the bloodline is serving as your aide…?”
“It’s truly an honor for this girl to attend to you, Nahun.”
“…….”
Seeing the ancestor of the bloodline demean herself like that caused Citri’s brow to furrow slightly. There was undoubtedly something more behind Nahun’s identity. The power she displayed that day, coupled with the ancestor of the bloodline’s polite demeanor.
Although Citri had never encountered them before, there were names that sprang to mind for such significant beings.
“Can I ask a question first?”
“Feel free.”
“What’s your connection to the Great Demon?”
Indeed, the strength and magic she possessed could only be explained if she were connected to the Great Demon. Yet, Citri wasn’t fully convinced, so she inquired if there was any relationship to the Great Demon.
Nahun answered simply.
“Your Highness is correct in your speculation.”
“…What?”
“However, I will not change my demeanor. Even if everyone knows, I have no intention of publicly declaring it.”
Even if everyone was aware of the fact, whether the person themselves acknowledged it or not made a significant difference. Hearing Nahun’s thoughts, Citri swallowed hard.
“…I see, so that’s how it is.”
Thanks to that, Citri was now convinced. The man before her… was one of the great demons of hell. Citri let out a sigh.
‘How did I get entangled with such a dangerous being…?’
She had no idea. She thought to herself, sighing, but it was already an irreversible relationship. Since she had already become this deeply involved, it would be safer to see it through to the end.
“…Our contract is still valid, right?”
“Of course. That was actually something I wanted to discuss. But before that, I have a question as well.”
“Is it about the aftermath? I can guess what it’s about.”
Nahun nodded his head. Citri began to recount the events.
“To sum it up, the council acknowledged that we managed to win by our own means. However, they couldn’t find a way to proceed either. And….”
Citri looked at Nahun as she spoke.
“The Deva-ta faction has begun to catch the attention of all the Demon Kings. They seem to regard it as a new, powerful threat.”
“…I expected as much. I’m relieved that it doesn’t seem to pose any further problems.”
“Asking whether it will be okay is… a foolish question. So, what do you plan to do? If the council convenes again, you’ll be facing truly powerful Demon Kings from then on….”
Citri recalled Nahun’s power. And she knew that if he unleashed that power to its full extent, even the Demon Kings would not stand a chance.
“Are you planning to handle it with your strength?”
“That won’t be possible.”
“Why not?”
“The last situation was unique, and ordinarily, I can’t exert that kind of power. And….”
Nahun released his magic into the surroundings. Citri tilted her head, confused. It felt entirely different from the pressure she had felt from his magic in the past.
“As you can see, my magic hasn’t recovered.”
“Wait, no… it’s been almost two months since the war ended! You’re still not fully recovered?”
“There are some special circumstances regarding that.”
As a consequence of forcibly releasing the seal, Nahun’s magic restoration had become incredibly sluggish. No matter how impressive Nahun’s physical abilities were, fighting without any magical power was challenging. The Massu might not obey him either.
“For the time being, we must rely on Seere and your strength, as well as Gremony’s, Your Highness.”
“…I see, I understand.”
Citri, who had expected things would be easier, pursed her lips, disappointed. Nahun addressed her while observing her reaction.
“As you mentioned, once the council convenes and the ranks rise, we will begin work on restoring your power in earnest.”
As their ranks rose, they would inevitably face the Demon Kings with the magical seals that had sealed Citri’s powers. Nahun asked Citri.
“Are you confident?”
“Isn’t that a given? I’ve made thorough preparations too.”
Citri appeared quite confident. Nahun nodded, relieved at her assurance. Then, Citri casually broached the subject.
“By the way…”
“Yes?”
“What happened? The atmosphere here seems quite off.”
“…….”
Nahun remained silent. Ersha also seemed to be avoiding the topic. Watching their reactions, Citri narrowed her eyes.
“If there are problems with an ally we must cooperate with, it would be troublesome for me. What’s going on?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean it’s nothing? Something happened, yet the entire floor is showing signs of it.”
Citri crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on Nahun.
“With the atmosphere among allies like this, can you really carry out your duties properly?”
“No problem at all.”
“I’m feeling anxious.”
Citri was firmly determined to find out what had transpired. Nahun displayed clear signs of discomfort regarding her unwavering determination.
“It’s a bit… complicated to explain.”
However, that only backfired. Citri became more intrigued by Nahun’s uncharacteristic reaction. It was rare to see him display such an expression.
“What is it? Seriously, what happened?”
“…It seems you find this amusing.”
“No, not really. It’s just that your expression is one I’ve never seen before, and that piques my interest.”
“Isn’t that the same as finding it amusing?”
As Citri pressed on, eager to dig for information, Nahun stubbornly resisted sharing anything. Ersha, feeling the tension between them, interjected.
“Nahun?”
“What is it?”
“I think it wouldn’t hurt to get advice once in a while. There are times when a third-party opinion can be helpful, right?”
“……”
Nahun sighed.
“This is something that depends on Seere’s thoughts; it isn’t a matter that can be resolved by simply listening to someone’s advice.”
“So what? I can listen and judge.”
“…Do you really need to know?”
“Of course. Are we in a typical ally relationship? I should at least know why there’s such a gloomy atmosphere.”
Citri was adamant. Faced with her persistence, Nahun sighed. Honestly, he felt a desire for advice as well. He was struggling with discomfort and pain that made things unbearable.
“…Please don’t speak of it.”
“Of course not. I can keep a secret.”
#
Nahun decided to reveal everything. Citri’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What? Was it just a love quarrel?”
“How did you come to that conclusion?”
“Isn’t it the truth? This whole situation revolves around love or revenge—Seere’s dilemma.”
While that conclusion seemed somewhat simplistic, it wasn’t entirely wrong. Citri shook her head in frustration.
“If it’s good for her now, what does it matter that her family died long ago?”
“You have a peculiar value system.”
“Am I wrong? Twenty years have passed… isn’t it time to forget and focus on her own life?”
“While she may have moved on, hearing that news would leave her understandably confused.”
As Nahun answered, he suddenly felt a strange sensation. Citri didn’t react much upon hearing that he and Seere were developing a relationship.
“But you’re not surprised at all.”
“Huh? Surprised about what?”
“About my relationship with Seere… It seems we’ve reached that stage. I thought that would be quite shocking.”
“Honestly, I considered it would happen eventually, so I’m not particularly shocked.”
“What?”
Citri looked at Nahun as if he were stating the obvious.
“I said it before; Seere’s gaze toward the women coming close to you was intense. It would be strange if you didn’t catch on to that.”
“…You knew?”
“You being oblivious is what’s odd.”
At Citri’s words, Nahun felt slightly embarrassed. It seemed he hadn’t noticed Seere’s feelings at all.
“When you were away for those eight years, it was obvious how much she missed you. So, what’s surprising about it? I just thought you were taken over.”
“Using the word ‘taken’ sounds odd….”
“I don’t think it’s wrong, but… if it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t use it. Anyway, so Seere’s been holed up thinking about this, huh?”
“Yes. It’s been more than a week now.”
“Have you gone to see her?”
“No.”
Nahun’s denial caused Citri to frown.
“Are you an idiot?”
“Huh?”
“When something like this happens, you should go and comfort her. It’s the only way to ease her mind.”
“…What are you talking about? I said she’s aiming for revenge against me. What use is a comfort coming from her target?”
“You tend to see people too coldly.”
Citri’s expression showed that she found Nahun oddly frustrating. She crossed her arms and continued.
“There are times when a person must act with their heart even if their mind doesn’t comprehend.”
“Your Highness, hearing such words from you is difficult to trust.”
“Come on, believe me!”
As Citri shouted, Nahun was left feeling doubtful. However, like she said, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit her just once.
If he got rejected, he could just return to the current situation. But for some reason, he couldn’t easily say he would go.
“Are you afraid of being rejected?”
“…!”
“Seere must be quite impressive if she can capture the heart of the Great Demon.”
“No, it’s not like that….”
“What do you mean it’s not? Aren’t you thinking about what if Seere pushes you away, and that makes you scared?”
Nahun had no rebuttal. He glanced at Citri with a faint sheen of sweat on his brow.
“…How do you know me so well?”
“Hehe, I was once sought out for romance advice by my subordinates.”
“You really have quite a bit of experience, don’t you?”
“….How old do you think I am? Of course, I do.”
Despite her youthful appearance, Citri had been a Demon King for quite some time. She had once risen to the rank of twelfth, after all.
Accepting Citri’s words made Nahun feel somewhat relieved. After clearing his throat, Citri spoke to him.
“Anyway, you should hurry. Seere is probably waiting. Just face her, and if it doesn’t work out, you can give up then.”
“…That’s smart coming from you.”
Nahun nodded, adding one more thought.
“I didn’t expect to hear that from you, though….”
“Do you want to d*e?”
#
Following Citri’s advice, Nahun left the office and headed toward Seere’s room. He didn’t realize that the servants who crossed his path started to harbor a glimmer of hope upon seeing him.
As he approached Seere’s room, he encountered another person.
“Cecili.”
“Ah, Nahun….”
Cecili had also heard everything from Nahun not long ago. Both Seere and she had come to feel uncomfortable in their relationship with one another.
In the awkward atmosphere that hung heavily, Cecili spoke first.
“…It’s alright; please treat me as usual.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. You just need to consider what position you were in for a moment. So I understand.”
Cecili slightly bowed as she spoke.
“However, I didn’t expect wounds I thought were forgotten to re-emerge. I can’t stop this. Please forgive me if I act a bit… the wrong way for a while.”
“I understand.”
“The Maester is inside. Please proceed with your business.”
With that, Cecili passed by Nahun, her head lowered. From her usually lively tail hanging limply, Nahun could feel a hint of her emotions.
“I still have much to pay back in this place.”
While he could have considered himself unfairly treated when he took over someone else’s body, Nahun didn’t think that way. As long as he was in this body, it was essentially who he was. And he believed he had to bear the past deeds he committed with this body.
Nahun grasped the doorknob. Then, lightly tapping the door with his other hand, he called out, seeking to pay the price for his past errors.
“Seere.”
