The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 54

Elias radiating chaos and madness right before my eyes.

Seeing her looking as if she could commit murder at any moment, Rebecca began to strategize the best response she could muster after much mental effort.

“Um… So, let’s calm down a bit, Melissa. Of course, the Commander did make a sort of confession just now, but we really don’t know the full situation. We have no idea who that person is or if they even accepted the confession afterward.”

“!…. Th-That’s true, but…”

Rebecca spoke with a trembling voice, trying to present her point rationally despite the chaos.

At this, Eliza started to regain control over her heightened emotions, and seeing this, Rebecca continued to speak in hopes of soothing her.

“Um… It could be a simple misunderstanding, and even if it’s not, wouldn’t it be wise to identify who the other party is before taking action? It seems unwise to jump in without a clear strategic goal.”

“Mm…”

Listening to Rebecca, who was young yet spoke decisively, Eliza began to realize just how overly excited she had been.

As she had said, Eliza had been lacking information about the recent event, so it was necessary to clarify the details as clearly as possible.

‘As Rebecca said, I need to find out exactly what happened. Did the Hero really confess? Did the other person accept it? And… if they did, who the heck are they…’

There were a few names that popped into Eliza’s mind immediately.

Given the circumstances, it was likely that the woman in question had captivated the Hero’s heart while Eliza had momentarily been away as part of the Demon King’s Elite Guard, or perhaps during the aftermath of the war when they participated in a small commemorative event together.

Among those who had come into contact with the Hero during such occasions were certainly many beautiful Female Demon Race individuals.

From lowly soldiers to high-ranking demons, the spectrum was quite broad, including commanders of equal authority and other members of the Elite Guard.

‘At a glance, she seemed a bit taller, but honestly, everything was such a blur that I couldn’t get a good look.’

If only she had known the specifics of that person’s appearance, identifying who she was wouldn’t have been necessary; she could have recognized her in an instant.

However, despite her thoughts on the matter, Eliza found nothing particularly special that stood out in her mind, and ultimately, she failed at digging up something useful while struggling internally.

‘Damn… I should’ve confirmed who the other person was before getting all worked up. I unintentionally lost sight of such an important point while I was losing my mind…’

In a moment of desperation, she contemplated going back just to find out who the other person was, but it seemed highly likely that they had already left the scene.

Now, feeling regret for having acted hastily amidst her emotional turmoil, Eliza began to curse herself for missing out on crucial information.

Of course, if the Hero started openly dating someone in the near future, it would be easy to find out who they were, but that likelihood didn’t seem particularly high.

In the Demon Kingdom, it was quite common for a couple to secretly nurture their affection for one another.

In the worst-case scenario, the first news she’d hear about a romance might just be on the day of their wedding, so Eliza instinctively sensed that figuring out the Hero’s confession partner would require considerable effort.

However,

Regardless of who they were,

Or how impressive the girl’s background might be in capturing the Hero’s heart.

Eliza was absolutely determined not to concede this matter even a bit.

Being a member of one of the renowned noble families in the Demon Kingdom, Eliza knew full well she was in no position to be overshadowed by anyone else.

Her mother, Elias, held the position of commander, and with Eliza also carrying the weight of being in the Elite Guard, she understood that she wasn’t someone who would easily be outdone by another.

And, bolstered by this self-confidence, Eliza began to focus the molten anger swirling within her heart toward that unidentified thief of affection.

‘Whoever that daring girl is, I absolutely won’t let the Hero slip from my grasp, so get ready. I’ll definitely track you down and make you pay dearly.’

In the Empire or the Magic Kingdom, there might be different customs, but in the Demon Kingdom, it’s strictly forbidden to take concubines.

The historical prevalence of female monarchs had something to do with it, and power holders also traditionally adhered to a standard of purity in this regard.

It was a principle that one person could only have one wife by their side.

Anything beyond that would be considered adultery and looked down upon, meaning concepts of shared love couldn’t exist.

Winners take all.

In other words, the victor gets to hold onto everything, and that’s how romance works in the Demon Kingdom.

In light of this, Eliza began to realize she was entering a war from which she couldn’t withdraw.

A battle to claim this ‘love’ she had just experienced for the first time.

Meanwhile,

Having halted the impulsive rampage for the moment, Rebecca could clearly see through Eliza’s demeanor that the danger still simmered beneath, letting out a sigh filled with deep concern and relief.

‘Well… Judging by the atmosphere, it seems like various issues will arise from here on out, but I suppose I don’t need to worry about that. At least, for now, there shouldn’t be any major problems…’

To begin with, they hadn’t had much overlap, and today’s events had simply occurred due to an accidental encounter.

With that in mind, Rebecca decided it was best to limit her involvement in this love rivalry concerning the Hero and started shifting away.

“Um… Well then, I’ll take my leave now. I sincerely wish for your love to come true, Eliza.”

With that, she cautiously turned to leave.

At that moment.

“Wait a moment.”

“Y-Yes?”

Eliza abruptly called out to her.

With a voice that seemed to carry a chilling aura, Rebecca felt a shiver run down her spine, rooted in place.

Then, facing Rebecca,

Eliza said in a voice that felt suffused with an icy chill.

“You know… You understand you shouldn’t speak of what happened today, right?”

“Ah… Y-Yes. Of course…”

Feeling a sensation like her face would twitch at any moment, Rebecca forced a smile and answered.

And… seeing her like this, Eliza spoke with a disturbingly cold expression.

“Good, please make sure of that. If this fact gets out, I can’t guarantee what I might do to you.”

“Of… Of course! I… I promise to take this secret to my grave!”

Eliza smiled brightly at Rebecca’s words.

Feeling terror mixed into that coldness, Rebecca began to wish for nothing more than to escape this place as quickly as possible.

However.

“Ah… And.”

“?”

“I’m sorry, but if it’s alright, could we exchange words occasionally from now on? Since you’re the Hero’s aide, it should be easy for you to gather news about him.”

“!!?!”

“Please, I’d appreciate it. That’s acceptable, right?”

With a smiling face, Eliza made a ‘request’ of Rebecca.

However, fully aware of the ‘threat’ contained within that smile, Rebecca realized she had no choice in the matter.

“Y-Yes. Of course! How could I ever refuse Lady Eliza’s request?”

“Fufu… Really, thank you. If things go well later, I’ll be sure to repay you in various ways. I’ll reach out to you later.”

With that, Eliza vanished into the darkness, leaving Rebecca behind.

As the source of the terrifying pressure that had long gripped her heart disappeared, Rebecca sank to the ground, feeling like a knife was hovering just beneath her throat.

“Ah… Damn it…”

A curse slipped from her lips instinctively.

Then, with her face buried in her hands, she began lamenting her plight.

“Why the hell am I getting dragged into all this crazy crap lately? I just wanted to snag some decent connections and climb the ranks, yet why is my life turning out like this…?”

At that moment, a thought suddenly started to form in her mind.

Realizing that perhaps her current situation wasn’t entirely hopeless, Rebecca began to reassess her despair.

‘Wait… Even though it’s a love rivalry, isn’t this still a connection with someone I normally couldn’t even look at?… Plus, she did say she would repay me if I did well here…’

From a certain perspective, this situation could be seen as generating the ‘connections’ she had always desired as a society member.

Of course, this was submerged under the backdrop of a sticky love rivalry, but compared to the treacherous political arena or battlefield, it felt somewhat more pleasant.

‘Yeah… Let’s think positively. This could be a pathway to success. If I play my cards right, I might actually get what I want from this, right?’

Given that she had already drawn the attention of the formidable Eliza, escaping with her integrity intact was likely impossible.

With a touch of ambition stirring within her, Rebecca resolved to diligently serve Eliza in various tasks.

However, apart from this fact, deep down in her heart, the lingering feeling of intense fear towards Eliza persisted, as the primary motivation behind her actions remained that sense of dread.