Translatorâs Note: Sorry I wasnât able to post during the weekend since I wasnât feeling well. Two chapters today hehe The bonus chapter and the usual Monday update! Thank you, Danika and Rivkael, for reaching the goal!
Raw Provider: Jessica
TL: Ms MTLer
He pondered for a moment and then continued with an odd question.
Erez: âHow much do you trust me?â
Keira: âJust as you said, the enemy of the enemy is your friend.â
It was an ambiguous answer. But that was enough.
Erez: âThatâs enough. Then why donât you meet someone who believes in me?â
After a momentâs hesitation, Keira answered.
Keira: âWho?â
Erez: âThere is someone you should meet for Plan B. They will definitely help you.â
Whatâs the point in meeting them if they couldnât help anyway. Keira was about to agree immediately but stopped.
Someone who would be able to help her in this situation and one who believed him.
If they could really help, thereâs no reason to say that, was there?
In addition, the fact that he was not a human was also very unsettling.
Keira: âAre they human? The one who can help?â
ââŠâ
At Erezâs silence, Keira found her answer.
Keira: âSo, it doesnât seem like it.â
Erez went on to make excuses.
Erez: âNo, but think about it. Ragibach is one of the thirteen strongest demons. What ordinary human can help in this situation? At least itâs worth discussing with a demon of the same class.â
A demon of the same class.
That meant⊠Noticing his hidden meaning, Keira murmured.
Keira: âIt would be impossible for a demon like that to come this way because of the barrier.â
Thatâs probably why he said it was someone who believed him. If one couldnât come from there, they had to go from this side. Beatriceâs barrier served to filter out demons, but it didnât block the entry and exit of humans.
âIt means you must trust only interest and go to an enemy camp.â*
Of course, she wouldnât. Going to the Demon realm? She was bound to be against it.
Erez knew it, too, so he must have carefully chosen his words.
Keira: âTell me exactly about the demon youâre talking about. In great detail.â
Erez thought for a moment, stroking his chin, before answering.
Erez: âWell⊠Should I say he plays the role of the mediator? He doesnât like messing up the existing order, just like the mediator usually feels. His name is Ajai. His name may remain in the records here.â
Keira: âIs he someone of great influence?â
Erez: âYou can think of it as playing the role of the Demon King. Of course, such a title doesnât exist the way you think it does.â
That was very surprising to Keira.
Keira: âIt doesnât exist?â
The scholars of the Empire speculated that the demons also formed a social structure in which they obeyed one monarch.
They based it on the fact that since the race valued power, their order to obey the strong would be taken for granted.
But in reality, itâs a structure with thirteen bosses. Keira thought that maybe the demon society might be much more chaotic than that of humans.
âOne side is trying to break the barrier while the other is trying to block itâŠâ
As Erez said, seeing all demons as a single community may have been a fatal human error.
Erez: âOf course, there is a way I can deliver the news, but wouldnât it be better to meet in person and discuss it?â
If he had intended to deceive and harm her, he wouldnât have resorted to such a cumbersome method.
What should I do? Keira thought about it for a while and then answered.
Keira: ââŠOkay. But right now, itâs impossible. You canât go there in a day, right?â
People would question her absence if she was away for a long time.
Itâs clear that Cosette would be up to something if she noticed her absence, so there was no way she could stay away for a long time without any preparation.
Erez: âThen call me when youâre ready. I would like it to be dealt with as soon as possible.â
Saying that, he got up. Thereâs nothing good about prolonging a secret meeting.
Keira looked at Erezâs back as he left, suddenly realizing that she didnât know his name.
Just as Cosetteâs real name was âRagibach,â Erez might have another name. As Erez was about to leave, Keira called out to him.
Keira: âBy the way, I donât think you know your name yet.â
Erez: âHmm?â
Keira: âYouâre my partner. I should know your real name.â
Erez:â Aah.â
After a moment of bewilderment, he soon realized that what Keira was asking for was his ârealâ name. Thereâs no reason he couldnât tell.
Erez: âYurr.â
Keira: âYurr?â
âRagibach,â âAzai,â then âYurr.â Because they were demons, they had a very special language.
Keira spoke frankly about how she felt.
Keira: âItâs a strange name.â
Erez: âFrom my point of view, your name is more unique. Keira, itâs not a spice, so whatâs that?â
ââŠâ
Spice⊠It seemed that demons had a spice that sounded similar to Keiraâs name.
Having revealed his original name, he waved his hand and left. Keira paused for a moment before getting up, ensuring no one saw her going with him together.
When she went outside, her maids waited for her. Fortunately, none of them asked why she secretly met with Erez. Instead, they kept their lips shut and only opened the carriage door.
âI donât know about Rose, but itâs strange that Emily hasnât said anything.â
Perhaps Keira failed to control her expression. Sure enough, when she looked at her reflection in the window, she saw herself frowning.
Was it the right decision to accept Erezâs offer? Her frown deepened.
A week later, Keira continued to visit the Imperial Library for a while with no results.
No, one thing was proven trueâthe myth that demons like to bet. Itâs really useless.
In the end, Keira had no choice but to leave the library that day without much success.
Meanwhile, she ran into the Imperial siblings.
Keira: âYour Highnesses.â
Michael: âOh, what brings you here?â
Princess Arabella answered.
Bella: âShe must have come to use the library. You gave the permit yourself a while ago, brother.â
Michael: âAh, yes. I did.â
After a momentâs hesitation, he suddenly suggested.
Michael: âSince we met like this, would you like to have dinner together?â
Keira: âYes?â
Keira looked up at the sky to see the sun setting. It was dinner time.
âWhy are you suddenly offering to eat togetherâŠâ
Although it was strange, she couldnât exactly reject the Crown Princeâs invitation without just cause.
Keira: âIt would be an honor.â
Thus, she was forced to visit the Crown Princeâs palace.
Even though Keira grew up in privilege and luxury, she thought that Crown Princeâs Palace garden was so majestic.
âIs that sculpture really made of gold? Or is it just gilded?â
When she was distracted by such frivolous thoughts, Prince Michael suddenly spoke.
Michael: âItâs been a long time since I saw Lady Keiraâs father.â
Keira: âAh.â
Keira then realized the purpose of this invitation.
âThis man is curious about Fatherâs intentions.â
Edinburgh or Weinbergâwhich side would they support?
Well, it was a natural thing to be curious about. After all, Cosette was recently expelled from the Grand Dukeâs residence because of âthat troublesome incident.â What would happen next, he could only wonder.
Keira put down the tableware and answered.
Keira: âBecause a lot of things happened⊠His Grace must have been very distracted. When I get back, Iâll tell him to greet Your Highness.â
Keira knew he didnât want this answer, but she had no choice but to give it anyway.
What was Ludwig thinking? He kicked her out for undermining their familyâs prestige, but who knew when heâd reverse his decision.
Michael: âYou must have been very busy.â
It was time for Michael to try his luck again.
âYour Highness! Your Highness!â
A middle-aged man jumped out from the left side of the garden, cutting off their conversation.
Michael frowned and turned to the side.
Michael: âWhatâs going on?â
âNews from the gate guards! One who claims to be the secret lover of the deceased Grand Duchess⊠Ack!â
The man jumped when he saw Keira, but it was too late. All the important information had already flowed out of his mouth.
âMy motherâs secret lover?â
Keira calmly picked up her tableware again and traced back her memories.
Was there ever a man who claimed to be her motherâs lover? Never. If there were, she would never have forgotten.
A person who did not exist in the past suddenly appeared?
That was the proof that the very existence of the man was a lie.