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Rene’s voice, strained with emotion, cut through the air.

Diana’s hand, which had been gently caressing my cheek, retreated as if burned.

Only then did the tension ease, and I could finally calm my racing heart.

If Rene hadn’t intervened, if she hadn’t broken Diana’s hold on me…

The thought sent shivers down my spine.

I might have revealed everything: my lineage as a descendant of Arsene, even the preposterous truth of my past life as the Creator.

A surge of gratitude washed over me.

I owed Rene a debt I could never repay.

Diana’s ability… her Authority… was terrifying in its scope.

She could interfere with and control any living being.

All life was subservient to her will.

It was a power bought at a steep price – her own life force.

In exchange, she could manipulate the very essence of living beings, not just draining their life force but also controlling those she had wounded.

It was a double-edged sword, a power that chipped away at her own existence with each use.

Hence, the circlet of thorns, a necessary measure to keep her devastating power in check.

But Diana’s Authority had a critical weakness.

If certain conditions were met, if her control was challenged in just the right way, she would become as vulnerable as an insect.

Unfortunately, I was in no position to exploit that weakness.

There was one method I could use, a desperate gamble with potentially devastating consequences: the Mark of the Demon God, a power I had been hesitant to unleash.

‘If Rene hadn’t stopped her, I would have been forced to use it.’

The three strokes bestowed upon me by the God of Pride… their full price remained a mystery, a risk I had avoided until now.

But facing Diana’s unrestrained power, I would have had no choice.

Thankfully, the crisis had been averted.

“…I must say, I’m rather disappointed.”

My words pierced the silence, drawing Diana’s attention.

Her gaze, cold and calculating, shifted to me.

Subtly, I dabbed at my eyes, feigning distress.

“I never would have imagined Lady Rene, your friend, would be so… aggressive.”

“I’d watch your tongue if I were you, Escort.”

“Could it be that she approached you out of suspicion of me? You seemed so happy to have made a new friend, Your Highness.”

My words were laced with exaggerated sorrow, a carefully crafted performance.

I was playing the part, embodying the role of the loyal attendant, deeply concerned for his master.

“…….”

Diana remained silent, her gaze flickering between Rene and me.

She seemed to be gauging Rene’s reaction, confirming her suspicions.

It seemed, at the very least, that she genuinely considered Rene a friend.

That would explain why she hadn’t resorted to brute force, why she hadn’t used her Authority to discard Rene like a broken toy.

For reasons unknown, Diana seemed to value Rene’s presence.

But I needed to defuse this situation, to steer us away from the precipice.

I was about to double down on my act when Rene spoke, her voice laced with displeasure.

“…That never happened.”

I chose to ignore her, straightening up and meeting Diana’s gaze with feigned innocence.

“…….”

Diana remained frozen, caught between her suspicions and her apparent regard for Rene.

One wrong move, and they might come to blows.

Finally, she spoke, her voice heavy with resignation.

“Rene, you know we need to uncover his true nature.”

“…….”

Rene remained silent, refusing to acknowledge Diana’s words.

But they hung in the air, sharp and pointed.

“…I’ll back down for now. But be careful, Rene. Escort is hiding more than you realize.”

With those parting words, Diana retreated, her gaze lingering on me for a moment longer.

I couldn’t respond. I couldn’t agree.

Diana was right.

I was deceiving Rene, and the potential consequences of my actions were still unknown.

Diana turned back to me, a bright smile on her face.

“My apologies, Escort.”

“…….”

With a swish of her white hair, she disappeared down the hallway.

I stared after her, my mind racing.

…If she truly felt remorse, she wouldn’t show her face here again.

At least for a while, I wouldn’t have to worry about her using her Authority on me.

It would take time for her to recover, to replenish the life force she had expended.

As expected, Rene would likely be participating in the final exams.

But…

Such trivial matters seemed insignificant in light of the current situation.

I turned to Rene, who stood there, her expression unreadable.

She seemed lost in thought, her lips moving silently as if trying to find the right words.

And then, she spoke.

“…Adel.”

Her voice, barely a whisper, sent a shiver down my spine.

Something had shifted in that brief exchange, a subtle change in her demeanor.

“Yes, Lady Rene?”

“Do you… remember this?”

She held up her left hand, her index finger extended, drawing attention to the ring she wore.

I nodded slowly.

Of course, I remembered.

The artifact we had obtained in the territory of the Undying, the ‘Full Moon Spirit.’

I had entrusted it to her, a fair exchange for the Fang of Darkness I now possessed.

But…

She wasn’t asking about the ring’s nature, was she?

“…I’m afraid I don’t understand, Lady Rene.”

I feigned ignorance, choosing my words carefully.

She wasn’t asking about the Full Moon Spirit itself.

She was asking… why? Why had I placed the ring on *that* finger?

At the time, it had seemed insignificant, a trivial act of convenience.

But it was clear that Rene had given it a great deal of thought.

What did it mean to her?

I had learned a thing or two about the customs of the Demon Realm, including the significance of rings worn on specific fingers.

It wasn’t a symbol of romantic love, as it was for humans.

That much I remembered.

But the specifics remained elusive, lost in the endless sea of information I had absorbed since coming to this world.

It hadn’t seemed relevant at the time.

“…I see.”

My non-answer seemed to amuse her.

A small smile touched her lips.

But…

Why did I sense a tinge of sadness in her voice?

She was smiling, wasn’t she?

I had to address this, to clear up any misunderstanding.

“Lady Rene, if I have done something to offend you, I apologize.”

“No, it’s not that.”

She shook her head, dismissing my apology.

Guilt gnawed at my conscience. I stammered, unsure what to say.

Should I downplay the significance of the ring?

Should I reveal my true nature, show her the Mark of the Demon God and confirm her suspicions that I was no ordinary human?

Neither option seemed appealing.

I still didn’t understand her intentions, her sudden shift in demeanor.

“…….”

I remained silent, studying her face.

The confrontation with Diana had taken its toll.

Her usually impeccable hair was tousled, a stray strand falling across her face, partially obscuring her eyes.

Without thinking, I reached out and gently tucked the stray strand behind her ear.

She spoke, her voice soft.

“It doesn’t matter… even if you don’t know.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Just… put it back on.”

She slid the ring off her finger and held it out to me.

Her hand, small and delicate yet calloused from countless hours of training, trembled slightly.

I took the ring from her outstretched palm.

It felt cold against my skin.

Her finger, still outstretched, seemed to beckon.

Slowly, deliberately, I slid the ring back onto her index finger.

“Adel.”

Her gaze met mine, her expression unreadable.

A bittersweet smile played on her lips.

“It doesn’t matter who you are. Just… stay by my side.”

“…….”

She turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing softly down the hallway.

As she disappeared from sight, a wave of dizziness washed over me.

I gripped my temples, trying to massage away the sudden headache.

What had just happened?

* * *

The next day, after our first class, Luna approached me, her brow furrowed with concern.

“Adel, is everything alright? Did something happen yesterday?”

I couldn’t focus on her words.

My mind was consumed by the events of the previous day, replaying the conversation with Rene over and over in my head.

[Did you eat something bad?]

Even Samuel, ever attuned to my emotional state, seemed worried.

But I couldn’t shake the image of Rene’s face, the solemnity in her voice as she spoke of the ring.

After our encounter, I scoured my memories, desperately searching for the significance of placing a ring on the index finger in Demon Realm culture.

And I had found it.

‘…An eternal vow, wasn’t it?’

It was a solemn promise, a lifelong commitment that transcended the boundaries of romantic love.

But why had it provoked such a strong reaction from Rene?

The answer, when it finally dawned on me, was both heartbreaking and confusing.

‘Rene… lost her mother.’

The eternal vow symbolized by the ring… was she seeking to replace her mother’s absence with a lifelong commitment from me?

But…

‘…That’s impossible.’

Nothing could ever fill the void left by a parent.

Besides, I had no idea what kind of vow she expected from me.

And there was something else…

Rene, while seemingly unaware of my true identity, seemed certain of one thing: I was no ordinary human.

“…….”

What was I supposed to do?

How could I possibly navigate this situation, alleviate Diana’s suspicions, and decipher Rene’s cryptic behavior?

No matter how much I wracked my brain, the answers remained elusive.

Adding to my confusion was Fron’s increasingly erratic behavior.

“Praise be to this magnificent body…!!”

Her outbursts, once a rare occurrence, had become a regular disruption in our classroom.

What in the world had gotten into her lately?

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