Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Nothing Changes
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Still in the interrogation room.
He had promised to erase the contract engraved on Camilla's heart, but when it came time to actually do it, he had no idea how.
He considered putting the interrogation on hold and going to find Yeriel, but Camilla stopped him and urged Han U-sol on.
Han U-sol had no choice but to sit down and try various methods as Camilla directed.
"How's it going?"
"………Hmm."
Han U-sol let out an awkward hum in response to Camilla's question.
...Damn. I can't focus.
About an hour had passed.
He was starting to tire out. But the reason Han U-sol couldn't concentrate properly wasn't just that.
As various attempts yielded no clues, his approach had grown increasingly simplistic.
The contract is engraved near her heart, so let's focus there and feel it out. A truly primal and straightforward method.
Yes. Right now, Han U-sol had his hand placed on Camilla's chest.
The soft sensation transmitted through his fingertips.
The faint, subtly tickling scent that teased his nose.
It was too much stimulation for Han U-sol, who had never even dated a woman in his life.
"What are you doing? Focus. Don't you feel anything?"
As Han U-sol hesitated, Camilla leaned in closer out of frustration. The scent grew stronger, and the plush sensation under his fingertips intensified.
He flinched for a moment, his lost gaze wandering into empty space.
F-Focus, Han U-sol! Th-this is all for Anis...
Han U-sol shook his head.
This was entirely for Anis's sake.
He wasn't getting distracted or veering off course.
Yes, he was touching her chest, but this was purely business.
It was just a means to locate and解除 the contract, to hear information about Anis. There was no personal desire involved whatsoever.
Right. The one he truly loved was Anis from the start.
It was ridiculous to be so shaken by the chest of a traitor like this.
If it were Anis's chest, maybe, but this woman's...!
Han U-sol steadied his wandering gaze and began to focus on the sensation in his hand.
Hidden beneath the restraint suit, Camilla's felt much larger than it appeared.
Perhaps... no, definitely bigger than Anis's... Anis's weren't exactly large, from what he'd glimpsed...
"...Gasp!"
What am I thinking right now?
Han U-sol jerked his head at the rude thought that flashed through his mind. Then he muttered to himself inwardly.
Even if they're small, I'll love only Anis...!
-Crack.
In the end, Ronel, who had been watching Han U-sol, grabbed a fistful of his hair from behind.
"I thought this was an interrogation room, and our goal was to解除 the contract to get information... Why are you suddenly turning this into a rom-com? Is this your first time touching boobs? It's gross."
Ronel's eyes were cold as icicles. Han U-sol shrank back at the faint contempt in them.
"S-Sorry."
"Focus."
"...Yeah."
Han U-sol concentrated and sent his magic power flowing into Camilla.
Thin threads of manifested magic power traced through her veins one by one, flowing toward her heart.
...Is this it?
Upon reaching her heart, he sensed a foreign energy.
Han U-sol spread out the threads of magic power and enveloped the energy.
Carefully, slowly, so as not to make any mistakes, he covered the energy.
Little by little, as he overlaid his magic power, the energy eventually vanished.
Confirming it was completely gone, he severed the threads, and as Camilla had said, a slight sense of exhaustion washed over him.
"...Is that it?"
"Good. You did it right. See? I told you it wasn't that hard."
Camilla nodded in satisfaction.
He had gone purely on instinct without any certainty, but fortunately, it was correct.
"...Phew. Alright."
Han U-sol let out a deep sigh and removed his hand from Camilla's chest.
"Now, tell me everything."
It was time to hear proper answers from her.
###
"She didn't do anything."
"What?"
"I said she didn't do anything."
That was Camilla's first words.
"Weren't you worried if Anis might have killed anyone during that time? That's your answer. That girl didn't kill a single person in three years."
"...Really?"
Han U-sol breathed a quiet sigh of relief inwardly.
Even if she was on the demon side now, Anis wouldn't have killed innocent people.
For a moment, he felt a glimmer of hope that Anis could return.
"She didn't kill, but she didn't save anyone either. Even when I or Han killed people right in front of her, she just stood there. That's why I said she didn't do anything."
"........."
In other words, Anis neither sided with the traitors nor resisted them.
Why was that?
Even if she returned to the human side, maybe she had no assurance she'd be safe.
And fully turning to the demons might have been a painful choice for her too.
As a result, she escaped reality, neither staying nor leaving, floating in limbo for three years.
Imagining the suffering she'd endured made his chest ache.
Han U-sol pictured Anis's face.
The face she'd made when they reunited, hesitating.
Anis had definitely hesitated. Whether to return to the humans or fully commit to the demons.
If she had come back, he would have used everything at his disposal to protect her.
Was it because he hadn't given her that level of trust and certainty?
Or was there another reason?
In the end, the path she chose while hesitating was to turn and vanish as she was.
"........."
As he sank into thought, Camilla spoke up refreshingly.
"Whew. I was on edge not knowing when my heart might burst because of the contract, but that was a relief. Honestly, even the conversation we were having before解除 it was a bit dicey. But it didn't burst. Maybe because the demon who made the contract is asleep?"
"Asleep? The demon?"
"Yeah. It used up a ton of power解除ing Yeriel's authority on Anis."
Camilla straightforwardly explained why Kahatiel had fallen into slumber. But she didn't go into detail.
Han U-sol already knew that Yeriel had implanted her authority in Anis's soul to turn her into a puppet. He'd heard it directly from Yeriel.
But the finer obsessions beyond that.
The compulsions to save people or to stay close to Han U-sol—he was unaware of those.
Noticing Han U-sol's ignorance, Camilla intentionally omitted them.
Because it would be far more entertaining that way.
"Anyway, the demon side has no leeway right now. We don't even know when the demon will wake up. Probably not anytime soon."
"I see."
Ronel nodded and jotted down Camilla's words.
"...Tell me more about that contract."
As the question-and-answer between the two paused, Han U-sol asked Camilla.
"It's just a contract, like the name says."
A mutual promise of obligations and rights between both parties.
The contractor receives what they desire from the demon—money, power, whatever.
And the demon receives something in return from the contractor. Thus, they bind each other with authority.
If either breaks the promise, their heart explodes. No exceptions for demons or contractors.
"...What did the demon promise you?"
"A bit of magic power, an environment where I could kill freely, and freedom unless something special came up."
"And what did the demon get from you?"
"To work for it when needed, and not to betray it."
If either violated that, their heart would explode.
"But thanks to you, I betrayed it and my heart's fine. Thanks."
Camilla grinned as she said it.
Han U-sol pondered her words deeply.
In that case, perhaps.
Anis too.
If Anis was bound by some contract like Camilla's.
"...Did Anis make a contract with a demon too?"
"Hmm... Who knows? Maybe?"
"Tell me for sure."
"Probably? But I don't know for absolute sure~"
Camilla shrugged.
Demons were cunning and evil beings. It wasn't uncommon in the past for people to unknowingly make contracts after falling for their words.
"Why would Anis be any different? She's kind of dumb, you know."
Camilla laughed lightly.
How could anyone know if a contract had been slipped in under the guise of a promise or deal without Anis realizing? Camilla chuckled aloud.
"........."
Han U-sol fell silent. It was plausible.
If it was because of a contract, it made sense why she hesitated so much even when he reached out.
But it wasn't a big problem.
If she couldn't return because of a contract with the demon.
He just had to解除 it. If the demon died and the contract's source vanished, the contract would break.
Kill the demon.
Save Anis.
Nothing changes.