Twisted Love
She just stared at her. She silently caressed an apple.
“How have you been?”
In the silence where I didn't know what to say first, she broke it.
It was a noble woman.
Her snow-white hair like fresh snow and her eyes that sparkled like the most precious gems made it impossible to believe she was a living being.
She looked like a painted masterpiece. She had always been like that.
But now, I had no choice but to feel sorry for that appearance.
Because when I was playing the game from the protagonist's perspective, most of the human mages who died in the latter half were all connected to her.
Even then, I didn't know this woman was Jekiel's fiancée. Since Jekiel treated her like a slave, I thought she was a slave.
“Not really.”
“That's fortunate.”
Without introductions, we knew each other.
Christine Kiss & Glory.
Jekiel's fiancée and her actual secretary. A person who later firmly established her position as a vampire queen.
…Well, being engaged doesn't necessarily mean a good relationship.
Ever since I was reincarnated into this world, Jekiel had already been receiving immense hatred from Christine.
I didn't know the reason. They had been engaged for over a thousand years, and even during that time, Christine had been imprisoned in the Demon Realm prison.
Only when the main scenario of this world began did she finally get released from the prison.
In other words, this was the first time I had actually seen her.
She was still staring at the apple. Thanks to that, I was fortunate that our eyes didn't meet.
“You killed two of my subordinates.”
To be precise, it was one. The other was killed by the gun. But the longer you talk, the uglier it becomes, so I shortened my words.
“It was unavoidable.”
It wasn't a lie. However, I saw Christine's lips twitch once.
“Do you remember Belua?”
“I remember.”
“Do you remember Bregina?”
“She remembers too.”
Christine's calls continued for a long time. It was just a light response. Because I actually remembered their names.
She finally quietly placed the apple on the windowsill.
Our eyes finally met. Above all, her transparent eyes were now quite cloudy. The enmity that couldn't be expressed by just the word "anger" looked at me.
“All of them died because of you.”
It wasn't a lie.
The names that had just crossed Christine's lips were all vampires who had sacrificed themselves during the process of me quitting as a Demon Realm minister.
“Is that all you have to say?”
If that's all, I wanted to send Christine back first.
When I get the true ending, this world will become incredibly happy anyway. She will be able to see all the demons she imagines in her head.
“You have nothing more to say, do you?”
“None.”
Christine, who was sitting by the window, walked towards me. No sound came from her footsteps.
“Traitor.”
Finally, the distance became close enough for our breaths to reach.
“You betrayed everyone. I'll ask you two more questions.”
She asked me while looking straight at me.
“Do you remember the promise you made when you got engaged to me five hundred years ago?”
A gaze as sharp as the tip of a blade pierced me.
I didn't know about the promise they shared. It was five hundred years ago, and since I had only seen Christine today for the first time.
Feigning partial knowledge wouldn't work. The best I could do was honesty.
“I don't remember.”
Crack—
The apple on the windowsill shattered. The one that burst was the apple, but I was quite tense too.
If black magic was coming and going in the infirmary, it wouldn't be good for me, who had to maintain the professor's status. With an awkward feeling, I continued talking.
“It's an extremely old matter.”
“Yes.”
Christine eventually smiled faintly and nodded. It was an expression that came out when feeling overwhelming anger. It was a resignation that even anger couldn't win.
“I knew you'd answer like that.”
She placed one ring on the table beside her. It was a ring I had never seen before.
“Now, I'm going to discard it too.”
However, I could immediately understand that it was the engagement ring. Since the moment I was reincarnated, Jekiel had had nothing in his hands.
Her eyes became even more cloudy. With eyes full of complicated emotions, she asked one more thing.
“This is the last thing left.”
“Yes.”
She snapped her fingers and opened a small gap leading to the Demon Realm.
“How is it? Does it suit me and the Sin of Pride?”
A desperate tone directed at the person who was just the fiancée.
A face as if everything had been resigned. Or anger and hatred.
“Perfect.”
I just answered that.
“Hah…”
Christine just smiled faintly once more and disappeared into the gap.
I let out a long sigh of relief and carefully examined the ring Christine had left behind.
Grade: Mythic
Nullifies all flaws of the vampire race.
Must be worn on the left ring finger to receive the effect.
“Um?”
Instinctively, my eyes widened.
The flaws of the vampire race. It was said that exposure to sunlight for a long time is dangerous, or weak to garlic, weak to something made of silver... This is half right and half wrong.
It's true that we have flaws in it, but high-level beings like Lords and Queens have immunity due to the 'blessing' given by the Queen.
So, it's half right and half wrong.
'I was already in danger just by quitting the Lord.'
Since I had quit being a minister, I had all those weaknesses. I had been enduring them by consuming life force without anyone noticing until now.
'But if this is here...'
It means the life force consumption decreases exponentially.
Should I wear this? No, it's not a question of whether I can wear it. What am I hesitating for.
I immediately put the ring on my left ring finger.
The subordinates lined up on both sides. At the front, two secretaries were welcoming Christine.
They were the twin secretaries Artel and Pertel with twin braids. Except for the pink and purple colors, their appearances were very similar.
After inspecting Christine's left hand, Artel smiled brightly.
“You're here.”
But Christine passed them by without a word. Something burning inside her seemed about to burn her brain.
Christine wanted to confirm only one thing today. Whether Jekiel really remembered that promise. Just that one thing.
But the result was so tragic. I had expected it, but even if it was the expected ending, it stirred up resentment and anger.
-Marry me.
-Ah...
On that day, Christine had clearly said.
-I want the Demon Realm and the Human Realm to coexist harmoniously.
If you don't stake your life on the title of war hero, and choose harmony over destruction, she would gladly remain just one wife forever.
This is not a simple contract, and since it's Christine's own mission, if you don't intend to help with it, she had clearly said she would never get engaged.
-I won't.
And that was his answer.
He would have said it with a confident smile, more than anyone else. And he would have given everything to Christine.
-You have no charm as a woman. Do you realize that?
-Sorry. I'm trying.
It didn't take even six years for that happiness to break.
Jekiel, whether because he was tired of nagging Christine or because he had already been engaged so his interest had waned.
Whichever it was, he started ignoring Christine thoroughly.
He also didn't keep the promise.
He killed humans and killed them again, and ruthlessly slaughtered other demon races. He was a person who enjoyed debauchery and luxury more than anything.
His followers praised this as the vampire Lord's dignity, but it was something Christine couldn't understand.
-Your heart is quite usable. How about giving it to me?
-I won't.
-Yeah, it has to help somehow.
Amid repeated slaughter and debauchery, he stole Christine's heart.
-With this accident, the Demon King was quite angry, but he said to send her to the prison instead.
-Yes...?
-After all, you don't leave the house much, so please for about three hundred years.
-...I won't.
It was a big incident where all people related to Christine were imprisoned in the Demon Realm prison, but other demons praised it highly, saying they couldn't see anything better.
It was an impossible contract to break with the power of others since everyone praised it.
Jekiel had to do it, or Christine had to.
But Christine wanted to correct him because she was his fiancée. She thought she could correct him.
However, that misconception had been for fifteen hundred years.
Christine was nothing to him. She was just seen as a trophy from the war era... just a decoration.
'Even the bloodline of the vampire queen is just one female keeping watch beside Jekiel-sama.'
He had displayed Christine for fifteen hundred years just to give off that nuance. Even while lying.
Deceiving Christine with sweet lies...
“Christine?”
Artel's voice hit my ear. Christine finally realized that she had been standing blankly.
Starting to walk again, she was lost in thought again.
-The Sin of Pride is an unavoidable position. I have no choice but to take someone's life.
-Therefore, I think that position is truly insignificant.
I still think that sincerely.
What nobility is there in creating happiness from someone's misfortune and acting arrogantly with that happiness...
…But, Jekiel made her miserable once again.
-That Jekiel quit being a minister. I need a demon to fill the position of sin right now.
-Yes?
-Christine, you have to do it.
It was a sudden release and a sudden succession.
I wanted to ask the reason for quitting, but I couldn't. Except for the vampires who had been imprisoned with Christine, they had all died.
-Do you not know the reason?
-Really, he cleanly turned his back, you know. He killed all his subordinates.
The Wrathful Sin Lycan guessed that. Jekiel had toyed with Christine in that way until the end.
-Does it suit me and the Sin of Pride?
-Perfect.
Christine, who hated the throne of sin more than anyone, was placed in the Sin of Pride as if it were a kind of game.
He tied Christine to the throne and himself cleanly washed and escaped.
It was clearly like that.
Clearly it was, but...
'She was writing a letter.'
You were writing a letter? To a human? Unintentionally, I read the content too.
It felt like my head would explode. How much should I have seen, how much should I not have seen.
“Ah…”
It was dizzy. Christine staggered.
“Christine.”
“Christine! Are you okay?!”
Artel and Pertel rushed over immediately. But Christine pushed them away.
“Do your own work.”
With that said, she disappeared gracefully.
The reason Jekiel infiltrated Rahal Academy was obvious. He was going to start another war...
I had no way to relieve my throbbing head.
But suddenly, the purple-haired secretary. Pertel stopped abruptly and spoke.
“Christine.”
The Christine who had been walking ahead stopped.
“Why did you send Alfred, Clyde? Both are Jekiel, I don't know. Why didn't you give me information about Jekiel?”
“What are you talking about!”
Artel immediately grabbed Pertel. But Pertel continued to ask.
“Pertel had clearly advised me. Blood crystal, don't take it. But I took it. In the end, Jekiel ate it. Now, assassination, a bit more difficult...”
Crack—
Finally, Artel drove a long nail vertically into Pertel's shoulder. And looked at the nailed Pertel on the ground as if to kill her.
“...I'll take you with me, so you stay here and wait.”
Artel took Christine inside the castle. Passing by the nailed Pertel, many subordinates followed.
“If you hesitate, it's no good. If you hesitate, it's no good.”
Pertel muttered quietly while nailed.
Jekiel had to die for Christine to be happy. The secretary understood that too well.
So...
“Jekiel has to die.”
If Christine wouldn't do it, I had no choice but to do it myself.