Erika put the dried seaweed into the pot and heated it until it was boiling hot, asking casually.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, though I’m still a bit dazed… I never thought you could actually lift this curse… It seems the nickname ‘Demoness’ isn’t just for show.”
“I don’t really like that nickname, to be honest.”
“But, that was equivalent to the curse imposed by the Demon King Noel… It’s truly surprising. I never thought that aside from your silver tongue, you had such skills.”
Miona blinked her dark red eyes, seeming both surprised and curious about the girl’s ability to resolve the curse on her.
“How on earth did you do it? If it’s a demon king’s curse technique, you’d need a fairly profound mastery of Ancient Death-whisper to undo it…?”
While being praised did make Erika feel somewhat pleased.
Every time this young lady from the enemy family pressed for the reason, Erika felt she was getting closer and closer to exposing the fact that she was the sole heir of the Noel Family.
So, Erika decisively decided to change the subject: “So, Miss Miona, what do you plan to do now? There’s still homework to do. If you’re not feeling well, do you want to rest a bit more?”
“Homework… it’s for the Ancient Death-whisper class, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“…I have to go. The purpose of assigning this homework might be to summon me.”
“What do you mean? Summon you?”
Miona sat up on the bed, wrapped in the blanket. Her condition was better than before, but she was still somewhat incoherent.
Nevertheless, Miona clumsily put on her school uniform shirt and skirt while slowly adding, as if struggling to overcome a headache.
“Balan—that person is the culprit. She ransacked the Draco Family Cemetery, stole corpses, and indiscriminately revived the dead!”
“Huh?”
Professor Balan is the culprit? Are you guys playing Mission: Impossible?
Though it was hard to believe, Miona Draco continued explaining calmly.
“That person stole my magical power last night. I’m certain of it. I swear on the honor of the Draco Family… You don’t have to believe me. I’ll handle it myself anyway…”
“No, if what you say is true and the professor is the real culprit, wouldn’t it be better to first try to discreetly contact a reliable teacher or professor to handle it? There are already rumors that Miss Draco has gone mad and is causing trouble everywhere.”
“But… there’s no solid evidence yet. And if we make too big a fuss, she might choose to flee directly.” … Miona pulled out her silvery-white hair, which was caught in her coat collar, letting it cascade down. Her eyes were full of gravity. “There’s only one reason why that person, whose identity I’ve uncovered, hasn’t run away yet.”
“What is it?”
“Because she has her eyes on my body. That person wants to use my living flesh, Miona Draco’s living body, directly as a living sacrifice, to drive as a living dead.” Controlling a living person like an undead?
A question involuntarily surfaced in Erika’s mind—is such a thing even possible?
But then again, in this world filled with all sorts of magic and curses, what is impossible? After all, she wasn’t originally from this world, yet she was learning supernatural magic at this otherworldly Hogwarts.
“It’s hard to believe, right? After all, the Draco Family is a family cursed for betrayal and lies. I never expected you to believe me in the first place.”
Miona smiled self-deprecatingly, a trace of bitterness and loneliness on her pale, recently recovered cheeks, like a waning silver moon, incomplete and lacking.
That appearance was so similar to a certain girl who alone guarded the graveyard that night, as if they overlapped… Erika remembered Vivian, who had already become a close friend, and spoke to the silver-haired girl before her in a familiar tone:
“No, you should believe that I believe you.” Erika playfully winked one eye and gave a thumbs-up.
To this, Miona said nothing, but perhaps because the fever hadn’t fully subsided or for some other reason, her pale face flushed red again as if with heat.
Erika had already begun a calm analysis: “Should we try asking Her Majesty Evelyn for help? If I approach her, she should find a way to help. Besides, you are her vassal after all.”
“I don’t want to owe Calista any favors. But if you want to ask for help, suit yourself.”
So that’s tacit permission, huh? You young ladies really like to speak in roundabout ways.
Anyway, living in the same odd-numbered dormitory building, Erika walked to the corridor and gently knocked on Evelyn’s door. With a click, the door opened to reveal Queen Evelyn still lazily lying in bed, dozing.
“Your Majesty, sorry to disturb you. Could you lend me a bit of your strength?”
“No.”
“Just kidding. But, the hairstyle suits you.”
Erika then remembered she hadn’t let down her ponytail. It seemed she had never styled her hair differently in front of Evelyn before.
“What exactly happened? Tell me.”
So, Erika explained everything that had just happened, including Miona’s account, to the not-yet-fully-awake Evelyn.
After listening for a while, Evelyn yawned, turned over, and stretched.
“What’s this? Something like this doesn’t need my help at all, Erika. With your own power, it’s completely sufficient. How could that fallen, wicked professor possibly defeat the second smartest girl of the Noelles?”
Evelyn leaned forward and gently stroked Erika’s head, cheeks, and chin. “Next time, I want you to do my hair. The last time was ages ago, right?”
Such an active, positive Evelyn was clearly not fully awake yet.
“I’m going back to sleep now. You may leave.”
In the end, she didn’t get Evelyn’s help. Being trusted too much isn’t always a good thing.
So, that left only one person. In this Platinum Dormitory, symbolizing strength, aside from Evelyn, there was one other person she could rely on.
Walking along the marble corridor lined with velvet, she went next door and knocked on the door marked with a V.
“Knock knock.”
“Miss Emil—”
“What.”
Before she could finish, the door was abruptly opened. Erika spoke to Emil, who appeared behind the door.
“I hope you can lend me a hand. Miss Draco and I might get into some trouble.”
“No! That Miona is in trouble? Serves her right.”
“But wouldn’t it be a good opportunity to make Miss Miona owe you a favor? You know, such chances are rare.”
The girl directly explained the current situation to the Big Guy while making a suggestion—to simply watch Miona make a fool of herself, or to make her owe a favor for future use.
Emil always had a strategic mind, never lacking in calmness and intelligence, so she should be able to judge which side offered greater benefit.
‘That Miona… I knew it would come to this. Relying solely on necromancy and corpse minions, never training herself. This is the result… Even had her lich stolen? What kind of fool is stupid enough to let her own father’s corpse get stolen?’
“So, will you help?”
“It’s not helping. It’s a transaction. As far as I know, the Draco Family still has some Dragon Bone left. I want a portion. Just tell that girl Miona that.”
“Setting your sights on Dragon Bone, huh?”
Before the Big Guy could finish speaking, Miona Draco had already appeared silently behind Erika.
[You two are standing face to face like this, so why are you talking to her standing in the middle?]
Erika looked back at Miona behind her. She must have heard the entire conversation. Her eyes were tightly closed now, eyelashes trembling slightly as she weighed her thoughts.
Emil continued: “Lionesse’s Golden Legion doesn’t come cheap. Moreover, to borrow the most elite soldiers, paying a corresponding price is only natural, right?”
“Fine, deal. I’ll give you the tailbone tip portion.”
“Shh.” Miona unexpectedly reached out her hand with surprising readiness. The Big Guy couldn’t help but show a surprised expression but soon extended her own palm.
One large and one small pale hand clasped tightly, giving a slight up-and-down nod.
“Don’t try any tricks.”
“I’m not like you.”
Since the Demon King Noel was subjugated, the Dragon Family and the Lion Family, which had been fragmented and hostile towards each other, had finally briefly formed an alliance.
The one who accomplished all this was her, Erika Noel!
Just as the original Demon King had united them, the girl had also succeeded in bringing them together once more.
This completely overturned the original story’s plot. Faced with this astonishing achievement, the girl’s heart was naturally filled with pride.
Erika, a great victory…
Huh… But thinking about it carefully, if the enemies she needs to defeat and conquer join hands and solidify their alliance, that doesn’t seem like a good thing, does it?