Don't Be Foolish Enough to Contract with a Demon! (2)
Demons. Beings that tempt humans and lead them to ruin. Even Rina, a slave, had heard countless stories about them. The demon race's mother, Leviathan. The worst of demons, Satan. The demon king, Baal. But she'd never heard of a demon named Purpur.
Rina stared hard at Purpur. Glossy purple hair and captivating black eyes. An elegant dress made of luxurious fabric. She looked every bit the noble lady. It was nothing like the demons from the stories she'd heard.
Demon? What nonsense is this girl spouting?
Purpur's faintly arrogant expression grated on Rina's nerves. She wanted to flick her on the forehead, but the girl's refined appearance screamed nobility, so she held back.
Then Purpur spoke again.
"I've introduced myself first, so isn't it only polite for you to do the same, kitty?"
"…"
Rina decided to play along for now. She lightly gathered the hem of her skirt and bowed her head in greeting.
"I'm Rina, a gano of the Orpen Viscount's house, Lady Purpur…?"
"Rina, huh. Suits a kitty like you perfectly. But why the long face?"
Purpur approached with her hands clasped behind her back. Up close, her face was just as stunning as Rina's—maybe even more so.
"Could it be that a cute little kitty like you needs help from a demon like me?"
What's with this 'kitty' nonsense? Ugh… She's like some noble miss playing pretend.
As far as Rina knew, no nobles had been invited to the estate right now. But nobles could be eccentric pranksters, so it wasn't impossible.
Argh! This is annoying. Why am I even wasting brainpower on this?
Tired of it all, Rina decided to ruin Purpur's little game. But cautiously, since she was a bit scared—just indirectly.
"I appreciate your words, Lady Purpur, but a demon? An ignorant slave like me can't just take that at face value."
"Oh?"
"If it's not too rude, could you prove to this lowly slave that you're a demon?"
Purpur giggled at Rina's words.
"Hehe, feisty one. Fine, then. Put your hand on mine."
Purpur extended her small, delicate hand. It looked utterly ordinary—no hint of demon about it. Rina hesitantly placed her own hand atop it.
But it sliced right through, like cutting empty air.
"Huh?"
She tried again, lifting her hand from below this time. Same result—Purpur's hand passed right through.
"It—it went through?!"
"Pretty neat, right?"
"Whoa!"
Rina marveled, waving her hand up and down repeatedly.
"How long are you gonna keep at it?"
"Ah…!"
Rina flushed with embarrassment.
"So, kitty? Convinced I'm a demon now?"
But Rina didn't want to admit it just yet. It felt like losing somehow. She was surely being tricked by some trick.
Then she remembered the wizards from the Golden Tower who'd come to repair the estate's mado-gu. They'd shown off minor magic tricks to win her favor.
"Wait—magic! You could just be using magic for this trick, Lady Purpur."
"Such a suspicious kitty."
Purpur frowned slightly.
"But comparing me to some puny wizard hurts my pride."
"S-sorry if I offended you…"
"Hehe, you're cute, so I'll let it slide this time. So, how should I prove I'm a demon? Ah! Want a taste of my power?"
"Your power?"
"Normally, I only show this to witches I've contracted with, so be grateful. Kitty, aren't you curious who your father is?"
The unexpected question startled Rina.
Father…!
A being laced with resentment and longing.
"Y-you know who my father is?"
"Curious?"
"Of course! Tell me! Who is he? Who's my father?!"
Excited, Rina lunged to grab Purpur. But her hands met only air.
Purpur had vanished.
"Huh?!"
Then a voice came from behind her.
"Your reactions are even better than I expected. That face just now was adorable."
Rina whipped around to see Purpur beaming ecstatically. But her eyes were strange.
"Lady Purpur, your eyes…?"
"Hm? Oh, my disguise must've slipped. But aren't these eyes pretty too?"
Reverse eyes. The whites and blacks had swapped places.
"Whatever, that's not important. Let's go meet your father, kitty!"
Ting! Purpur snapped her fingers, and a cheerful sound rang out. The space around them rippled and warped like disturbed water.
"Wait! What are you doing?!"
A thrilling harmony that twisted the world's very foundation. The distorted scenery shattered and began reassembling piece by piece.
When Rina came to her senses, she stood in the middle of an unfamiliar garden.
"What…?! Where are we?"
Rina trembled as she looked at Purpur. Her eyes had returned to normal. Purpur pointed somewhere.
"Shh, be quiet and look over there!"
A middle-aged man in fine noble attire stood there. Fiery red hair. An aquiline nose just like Rina's. Instinctively, she knew who he was.
"I-is that my father?"
Purpur nodded.
"That's your father, kitty—Leonhart de Flam, Count of Flam in the Valtera Kingdom."
Rina gasped in shock. She'd suspected her striking looks meant noble blood, but a high-ranking count? And Valtera was the southern powerhouse empire she'd heard of.
My father's a kingdom's count?
"It's the father you've always wanted to see. Gonna just stare from afar? Go closer."
"Huh? Oh… right!"
Mesmerized, Rina approached the count and called out.
"Um… Father?"
She was right in front of him, but no response.
Didn't he hear?
She called again—no reaction. It wasn't that he hadn't heard; he didn't even seem to perceive her.
Rina reached out to him. Her hand passed straight through his body.
"Wh-what?!"
Just like with Purpur's hand earlier. As Rina panicked, Purpur reappeared behind her.
"It's because this is a world of another fate."
"Another fate's world?"
"Yeah. We're here as observers. Like ghosts, basically?"
Purpur stroked a nearby bush with her hand—it passed right through.
"See? People in other fates' worlds can't affect each other. Thanks to my power, we can at least observe. Hehe."
Purpur giggled merrily again.
"Look, something fun's coming."
Rina turned. A noble lady was rushing toward the count, trailed by gano attendants.
"Wow! Father, when did you get back?! I missed you so much!"
The lady threw herself into the count's arms.
"Hahaha, Erina. Did you miss your old man that much?"
Rina was transfixed by the lady's appearance. Vivid fiery red hair and sea-blue eyes like gemstones. Eerily familiar.
"That's… me?"
It was Rina—but not in gano rags, in an elegant green outing dress.
"H-how is this possible, Lady Purpur?"
"Told you. This is another fate's world. So there's another fate's kitty too, right? That's her."
Purpur whispered in Rina's ear with a sly grin.
"More precisely, that kitty's not Rina—she's Erina de Flam. Cute name, huh?"
"Erina de Flam? De? De?!"
The "de" between name and surname meant one thing.
"Wait. You're saying I'm nobility?"
"Hehe. Bingo."
"But my mother's a changno—how could I be a noble bastard, let alone legitimate?!"
"Jeez, so impatient. Just watch a bit longer. The world will explain itself."
Chided, Rina turned back to Erina. She chatted happily with her father about the banquet, fun with vassals, lessons from her tutor. Rina watched blankly.
I'm so jealous. I want…
A new voice came from behind the garden.
"Erina, you're an adult now. Is it proper to act so childish and cling to your father like that?"
The speaker was an elegant silver-haired noblewoman. A beauty with sea-blue eyes like Rina's and Erina's. But not in Rina's memories.
"Who…?"
Before Rina could finish, Erina answered.
"Mother!"
Rina's eyes widened.
"Mother! But Father's only home after nearly a month—and so suddenly! How could a girl like me hold back?"
"Hahaha, dear, what's the harm? She hasn't had her coming-of-age ceremony yet, so let's overlook it."
The harmonious family scene Rina had dreamed of. But the happy sight faded from her eyes.
That's my mother? But that's not my mom! What's going on?!
Even in another fate, could her mother change? The Countess of Flam, Erina's mother, looked nothing like Rina's memories. Her mother had red hair and green eyes.
But… something feels familiar. Especially those eyes.
Sea-gem blue eyes. Always part of the compliments Rina got on her looks.
Meanwhile, the countess sighed at her immature daughter and turned.
"Still, it's a relief you're back safe. Rebecca, is the grand feast for the welcome party coming along well?"
A woman who looked more vassal than gano stood there.
"Yes, ma'am. Everything's on track."
Red hair, green eyes. Rina stared with trembling eyes.
"Mom…?"
The atmosphere was different, but Rina could never forget that face and voice. Her mother—the changno strangled by a noble—was right there.