“……Sir Diego.”

In distinction to her tear-stained face, Arinel’s voice was dry as she spoke the Duke of Marsen’s identify.

Arinel’s hand dropped down, and the Duke of Marsen’s eyes naturally fell on Liel, who was clutching his head.

Immediately, his sharp eyes narrowed.

“I’ve been …… ready for you, Sir Diego.”

Arinel greeted him in a husky voice. It was troublesome to consider this was the identical Arinel who had been on the run from him since earlier than Liel was born.

“He’s your baby.”

Arinel stated.

“My baby?”

The questioning gaze of Duke Marsen was fastened on Liel, who nonetheless had black hair.

“Take a look at him. He seems to be identical to you, doesn’t he?”

Arinel compelled Liel to his toes and dragged him towards the Duke of Marsen. For a short second, her careless power triggered Liel to stumble just a few instances and practically fall.

“Simply after I thought you’d ……given up on operating away, you give you this nonsense—.”

He trailed off.

Gold eyes on black hair.

She was proper, Liel’s hair coloration and eyes have been the identical as his.

The Duke and the person who had deserted Arinel within the first place had the identical eye coloration, so it was inconceivable to inform them aside.

However the hair coloration—.

The Duke of Marsen shook his head in denial.

Given the timing, Liel may by no means be his baby. Arinel will need to have performed one thing to him.

Even the Duke of Marsen was not so silly as to be fooled by her phrases.

Nonetheless, he’d be mendacity if he stated his eyes weren’t drawn to Liel, who had Arinel’s seems to be and his hair coloration.

Clenching his eyes tightly to maintain his composure, Diego’s gaze slowly drifted to Arinel.

Arinel glared on the Duke of Marsen, her face chilly.

“He’s your baby! Your baby!”

The Duke of Marsen’s denial was brutal, so Arinel let go of Liel’s wrist roughly, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and yelled.

Liel’s physique slumped to the chilly flooring. Duke Marsen, alternatively, didn’t transfer.

His eyes slid all the way down to the slender wrists of Arinel, who was nonetheless clutching his throat. Naturally, his forehead furrowed.

“Hey, what the hell are you…….”

Arinel appeared the type of lady who may die at any second. Duke Marsen gripped her shoulder painfully and tried to nudge her backwards.

Sensing his intentions, Arinel stamped her foot and refused to again down.

“So take accountability. He’s your baby, be a mother or father!”

That is loopy.

The Duke of Marsen made a fast evaluation of Arinel in his thoughts. Nonetheless, he didn’t despise her, not even by the way in which she checked out him.

If she was loopy, he would preserve her round. It was sufficient to lock her away, out of attain, in order that she may not escape to different locations.

When he had completed his calculations, the Duke of Marsen requested.

“If I acknowledge this baby as mine, will you even be mine?”

Arinel staggered like a department swaying within the wind.

“Haha, hahahaha!”

Arinel abruptly laughed out loud. Duke Marsen stood nonetheless, ready for her to cease laughing.

“In order for you my corpse, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

The Duke of Marsen’s expressionless face crumpled.

“If there’s anything you want, simply ask. I’ll hear earlier than I die.”

Arinel appeared already sure of her loss of life.

He thought she appeared to be dying, however he by no means realized it was really true.

The Duke of Marsen’s grip on her shoulders tightened. Regardless of his robust grip, she didn’t make a single sound of ache.

As an alternative, she merely held Liel, who was sitting on the ground, trying up at her and the Duke of Marsen, in a soothing voice.

“Liel, the ground is tough. Come on, rise up.”

Unfazed by Arinel’s change of temper, Liel did as his mom stated and stood up.

“You’re loopy.”

The Duke of Marsen lastly stated impatiently.

“Perhaps I’m, and isn’t that the identical for you?”

“I’m not desiring to waste my time arguing with you right here ……. Include me, and I’ll take you to the place you’re going to reside.”

The Duke of Marsen threw his cloak over Arinel’s shoulders. Liel glared at him.

“Include me, baby.”

Arinel held out her hand to Liel. Liel nodded his head and took her hand.

Quickly the three of them have been within the Duke of Marsen’s carriage.

“You’re very persistent, my Lord.”

Because the carriage pulled away, Arinel spoke in a low voice. She had returned to her senses.

“If solely you hadn’t run away.”

He replied with a shameless smirk, which triggered her forehead to crinkle right into a grim line.

“That is the results of selecting that bastard. It’s past disastrous.”

“Disastrous? He wouldn’t have deserted me if you happen to hadn’t been such a bastard, no, huh……. Sure, you’re proper, I didn’t notice, as I stated, that this baby is yours.”

A shadow of loss of life handed over Arinel’s face as she stated it.

“…….”

For a second, there was stark silence between them. Liel held his breath and watched the Duke of Marsen in silence.

After an extended second, the Duke spoke once more.

“Earlier, you informed me to let you already know if I wanted anything.”

“…….”

“Inform me you’re keen on me.”

A twisted want flared within the Duke’s eyes.

“Inform me that I would be the just one you’re keen on till the day you die, nay, even after you die, after which I swear to the Goddess Ophelia that I’ll grant you your request.”

The second the identify of the one true God flowed from the Duke of Marsen’s lips, Arinel’s face turned icy chilly.

Till the day she dies, he won’t ever know what she has performed.

At this second, Arinel questioned if she was nonetheless sane, nevertheless it wasn’t troublesome to lie.

“I really like you.”

She would do something for her baby.

“You’re the one particular person I’ve ever cherished, not him.”

Arinel’s voice matched her expression. A flat, dry voice. The tone of Arinel’s voice was icy chilly, in contrast to somebody who speaks of heated feelings.

“So defend my baby.”

If she offered her soul to the satan, wouldn’t it be so troublesome to promote her love?

“…….”

Duke Marsen crossed his legs. He seemed fairly happy with himself.

However his vanity didn’t final lengthy. Arinel died in his arms earlier than she may attain the manor.

The Duke of Marsen put his arm round Arinel’s skinny shoulders. It was the second his nobleness crumbled.

He doesn’t know precisely what was operating via the Duke’s thoughts on the time of Arinel’s loss of life.

What is for certain is that two misfortunes befell Liel presently.

He had misplaced his beloved mom, and he had realized the fallacious approach to love from the Duke of Marsen, not from his mom.

***

Liel cherished his lifeless mom. Even after studying the definition of madness, he had little question that she had cherished him.

However why—

“When an assault imbued with divine energy touches demons and fiends, it will probably blacken them, maximizing the injury.”

Not lengthy after getting into the academy, Liel had gotten one step nearer to the reality, whether or not he needed to or not.

Liel’s coronary heart beat quick.

“However holy energy doesn’t work on people, solely on demons and demon beasts, which is why we additionally name it the reward of the gods.”

As he listened to the trainer accountable for the afternoon’s coaching, Liel recalled the sunshine that had flowed from Arinel’s hand. And the way it had turned his white hair black.

The Duke of Marsen’s phrases flashed via his thoughts.

“When you exit, keep out of the way in which of the clergymen.”

Quickly an unthinkable assumption was shaped in his thoughts. Feeling helpless, Liel informed himself time and again that it was inconceivable.

However on the occasion the place he adopted Hemil, he was compelled to face the reality.

It was right here that he encountered two sorts of demons.

Those who attacked him, and people who didn’t.

And solely as soon as, after the battle, did he converse to the one which had crumbled to ash and disappeared.

It occurred the evening earlier than they reached the Empire.

[King, are you safe…….?]

The beast’s eyes targeted on Liel.

“Why do you ask me that?”

He wished he may converse.

“Forgive us our sins. Forgive my foolishness.”

He hoped his mom hadn’t made him a monster.

[You are of the king, like us……. No, you are different. You are not like us. You are just like the king.]

However as if to mock him, the demon confirmed the reality he had suspected all alongside.

In his recollections, his mom acted as if she was being hunted, not him. Was it actually the Duke of Marsen she feared?

No, she wouldn’t have left him in his palms.

Liel seemed up on the sky in despair. Simply then, the wind picked up. The branches swayed within the robust wind.

Leaves fell at Liel’s toes.

[Resurrection of the King…….]

Earlier than he may utter his final phrases, the demon was decreased to ash. The hole winds quickly swept away his stays.

Liel’s gaze shifted to the leaves at his toes, his cloudy eyes catching the freshness of them.

He stepped ahead and crushed the leaf.

Not like us. Similar to the king.

The snake at his ankle moved.

As if it knew what he was considering, the snake flaunted its presence and wrapped itself round Liel’s ankle.

***.

Rustle—

The feeling of warmth subsequent to him snapped him out of his reverie.

The very first thing he noticed was the charred stays of the firewood. The colour of the blackened firewood resembled that of the dying demon.

Simply then, Lucy’s tiny again blocked Liel’s view.

“Aah!”

Sparks flew in entrance of Lucy as she tossed a log into the fireside. Startled, Lucy jerked again, whimpering.

Then she glanced again and caught Liel’s eye. Positive sufficient, Lucy’s line of sight caught Liel her.

“Ha, ha, ha.”

Lucy laughed and backpedaled to take a seat subsequent to him. Liel stared at her with out saying a phrase.

“Have you ever solved your drawback, or do you need to wait a bit longer? I can wait!”

Lucy exaggeratedly snorted with dedication. Immediately, the stony expression on Liel’s face softened.

However just for a second, as he buried his face in his knees to cover the hardening of his options.

Earlier than she died, Arinel assured him that nobody else would get up for him.

Perhaps that’s the reason.

‘That’s why it’s a secret.’

Intentionally going in opposition to his mom’s phrases, risking freely giving his personal secret—

‘That I heal sooner than everybody else.’

He turned to look at her response.

He hoped that no less than Lucy can be on his aspect.

However at this time, together with his id so clearly outlined, he has a secret he can’t inform her.

Closing his eyes tightly, Liel may see his mom twirling a lock of his youthful self’s hair.

‘Even God won’t forgive us for our sins.’

That’s as a result of she made him a demon.

(T/N: I’m crying for Liel, my poor bb boi ಥ_ಥ)