Chapter 64: Me, the Demon King?

“Is it not to your liking?”

Iserin raised her hand, paused, and then picked up a handkerchief nearby to wipe the corners of Mowan’s eyes.

Mowan shook her head.

She did not know why, even though the current Iserin was nothing like the one from before—her facade of kindness was merely wrapped in lies.

Yet she still held a glimmer of hope that Iserin would change in the end.

She still harbored an unrealistic fantasy, imagining Iserin would suddenly wake up and truly become the Sister Selin of her ideals.

Iserin stayed by Mowan’s side, watching her finish breakfast before slowly standing up.

“I’m heading out to work now and will be back later. I won’t restrict you; you can go shopping nearby. If you see anything you want, write it down and tell me, and I’ll buy it for you. But you must stay home and be good, all right?”

“Mm.”

Mowan nodded.

Noticing Mowan’s flat reaction, Iserin thought for a moment before adding further instructions.

“Also, you can think about many things—you’re free to let your mind wander. If there are things you find too difficult to say out loud, write them down. When I return, show them to me. I’ll read every word carefully and try my best to fulfill your requests, okay?”

“Mm.”

She nodded again.

“I’m leaving.”

“Mm.”

Iserin looked at Mowan and started to walk away, but she hesitated at the door, still feeling uneasy.

She turned back to look at Mowan.

Mowan was being very well-behaved; her emotions were no longer as volatile as when she had first woken up.

Only then did Iserin turn toward the door.

Her gaze swept over the eight pots of lilies on either side of the steps. Iserin suddenly recalled the cute eyes Mowan had when she first arrived—eyes full of curiosity, caution, and an irrepressible anticipation for new things.

That somewhat thin face was as vibrant as a resilient blade of grass.

‘Wasn’t all of this beautiful?’ Iserin couldn’t help but think.

She loved these memories and cherished them deeply.

As long as Mowan stayed by her side, the autumn wind blowing against her cheeks felt sweet.

If she wasn’t gentle for Mowan’s sake, who else could she be gentle for?

***

Mowan sat in the dining room for the entire morning.

She didn’t know how to speak so that Iserin would truly understand her heart.

Perhaps writing down her thoughts would be better.

Mowan took out some paper and thought in silence.

Then, she wrote down what was on her mind:

‘The one Sister Selin treats with gentleness is just the empty shell of the Demon Princess. Anyone could inhabit this body. This soul could be Mowan, or it could be anyone picked up from the side of the road. If it were possible, Sister Selin would probably do exactly that—replace Mowan’s soul within the Demon Princess’s body with… a faithful believer who would obey Sister Selin’s every command. Sister Selin would be much happier that way, wouldn’t she?’

Having finished, Mowan tucked the letter in the usual spot: under the vase Iserin had given her.

With nothing to do, Mowan lay in her room.

She had no desire to go shopping.

Now that the Princess was under house arrest in the Royal Palace, Mowan had lost the person she worked for.

During the midday break, Iserin returned home with a bouquet of flowers.

She went straight to Mowan’s bedroom and pushed the door open to find Mowan curled up tightly in her blankets, looking like a ball as if she were throwing a tantrum.

Iserin placed the flowers in the empty vase on the table and noticed a letter tucked underneath.

She gently pulled out the paper, unfolded it, and scanned the handwriting word by word.

Then, she turned toward the bed and spoke softly.

“How could that be? Mowan, I don’t want anyone but you.”

Mowan didn’t believe her.

The lump under the covers remained motionless.

Iserin sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to touch the rounded bundle of blankets.

“This morning, the King had a heated argument with his two princes over the Monster Army. I imagine it will take some time for the three of them to reach an agreement. Some of those in charge of this secret operation demanded that Croll be held accountable, but I talked them down. The King also loves Croll dearly. Although her actions turned much of his hair white with anger, he couldn’t bring himself to throw her in prison.”

“I spoke with Croll. Even though she knew she might face torture, she insisted her actions were right. She believes the country can increase its military investment, but only if it doesn’t harm common citizens. I asked her, if the Demon Race ever went extinct, what did she think would happen to the Humans? Would they become happier? She said it depends on the leader. If the leaders are still those ambitious warmongers, Humans will amplify their greedy nature. Eventually, they will become just like the Demon Race, warring everywhere in pursuit of greater spoils, and finally destroying themselves through greed—just like the current Demon Race.”

“But I believe that as long as I am here, Humans will know when to stop. What do you think, Mowan?”

Iserin tried to pull back Mowan’s blanket, but Mowan gripped the edge tightly.

Clearly, that last sentence made Mowan want to face Iserin even less.

“Mowan, let me see you, all right? I want to see your lovely face.”

Iserin forced the blanket open anyway.

She moved to the other side of the bed and crouched down to gaze at Mowan.

“You are special. You aren’t someone who can be replaced. Because you are the only one who has allowed me to dream again. I know you’re sad. I know you want to contribute to our relationship, but the risks of doing so are simply too high.”

“Which is to say, it isn’t impossible, right?”

Mowan finally responded, staring directly at Iserin.

‘Such a stubborn girl,’ Iserin thought as she gave a faint smile.

“Of course. But even if it were successful, with your lifespan, you wouldn’t live to see that day. Eliminating racial prejudice and dissolving hatred takes decades, hundreds of years, to fade. The ice built up by history cannot be melted by a few words from you.”

“But it’s still a possibility, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but only a possibility. Just as you said, it would be a miracle. Now, I must return to work.”

Mowan scrambled out of bed immediately, looking at Iserin’s back as she walked toward the door.

“You still don’t believe in miracles, do you?”

“I’m trying to believe. I also need time to change.”

‘Isn’t she just humoring me?’

A sense of frustration swelled in Mowan’s chest, but Iserin’s figure vanished through the door in the blink of an eye.

***

In the afternoon, Mowan spent her time thinking about how to move Iserin’s heart, but no matter how much she tossed and turned on the bed, she couldn’t come up with a result.

She felt it was a dead end.

Because of her weakness and insignificance—because she had no past achievements—she could not prove to Iserin that she was right.

So, she was confined by Iserin, and because she was confined, she would never have the chance to increase the probability of her wish coming true.

‘This can’t go on.’

She clenched her fists in frustration.

‘How is this any different from before? I’m still trapped by Iserin’s side, at her mercy. But if I flee the Holy City again, she will surely capture me once more.’

Mowan’s gaze fell upon the Ring on her middle finger.

‘It must be this. The reason Iserin can accurately know my location must be because of it.’

She gritted her teeth and pulled hard.

She exhausted all her Magic, yet she could not remove the Ring, nor could she even damage it.

Not until the skin of her finger was rubbed raw and bleeding did the Ring remain completely unmoved.

Mowan was completely infuriated.

She turned and walked into the kitchen, picked up a kitchen knife, and aimed the blade at her middle finger.

She took a deep breath.

*Clang!*

The knife fell onto the table.

A mysterious power surged from the top of Mowan’s head and through her body.

At that moment, she felt as if a deep mark had been etched into her soul.

It felt as if her soul were being sublimated, and the Magic Power within her body surged and rose.

Her purple eyes emitted an eerie, enchanting glow.

An itching sensation came from her back; she felt something growing wildly out from her shoulder blades until… a pair of Black Wings tore through her clothes, blooming wildly behind her.

“I… I am…”

Mowan looked at her hands in disbelief.

She gently stroked the Ring on her middle finger.

This time, she removed it without any effort at all.

In that instant, the throne of the Demon Race changed hands.

A heavy mission transformed into an invisible crown, pressing down upon her head.

She turned her head and looked toward Iserin, who appeared at the door at that very same moment.