Chapter 22: It’s a lie that I regret.

“Viola! It’s really good to see you alive. It’s been a while!”

Viola stared back with cold eyes at the swordsman, Reid, who looked up at her with an exaggerated smile. He had been informed of Viola’s survival, whom he thought was dead. He thought she would be a little more surprised.

Probably Reid truly had no interest in Viola as a person.

As they reached the city gate where the former party members had arrived, an enormous crowd had gathered on the city walls. They probably wanted to catch a glimpse of Viola’s former companions, but Viola didn’t want to acknowledge them as comrades.

After all, at that time, everything revolved around Lala. If Lala was tired, there would be a break. If Lala wasn’t in the mood, reconnaissance for the day would end. If someone got injured, Viola would have to take over the job only if Lala didn’t feel like doing it. Cooking was the only thing Viola did every time, but that was silently accepted as a matter of course.

The gaze she cast upon them now carried a hint of resentment, and she wanted to assert that it was inevitable.

“Viola-chan! Since that time, it’s been so tough for us… I really couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t eat, and I got really thin. Viola-chan, I couldn’t forget you!”

With a smile considered cute, Lala, her hands clasped in front of her large chest, spoke to Viola. At that time, Viola didn’t even notice her.

This was probably because Viola had become favored by Nox, living in the Demon King’s castle. All the members agreed to falsify the story to make Viola an important comrade. It was a convenient story.

“Long time, no see.”

Viola reluctantly replied, deciding to let everything they would say go in one ear and out the other. Viola had no intention of leaving the Demon King’s castle or distancing herself from Nox, and her goal this time was to extract information about the human army and, consequently, the hero from them.

“It was really tough for us after Viola-chan disappeared.”

“Yeah.”

“In exchange, Lala here cooked for us.”

“Come on! Reid-kun, I thought you’d stay quiet in front of Viola-chan. I’m really bad at it, so don’t compare me to Viola-chan.”

“That’s not true.”

Seeing Reid insist with an elongated nose, Viola shook her head.

Viola was better at cooking. In this case, it was not modesty but a fact. Normally, humans going to defeat the Demon King wouldn’t bother with cooking; they’d rely on portable food. Lala’s skills were also horrendous. Viola had tasted a dish made by Lala only once, and it was undoubtedly terrible.

“Lala-chan’s cooking is the best.”

Viola sighed at what she was being shown. Furthermore, at this point, there has been no apology whatsoever for being a decoy. It was becoming too much of a hassle, and just as she opened her mouth to get straight to the point, a deep voice interrupted their conversation.

“Lala, you said? I see. If it’s cooking better than Viola’s, I’d like to try it once.”

“Nox!”

“Demon King!?”

The limp expression until now vanished as Reid, catching sight of Nox descending from the sky to the city walls, tried to escape in an instant. However, his body stopped as if struck by a paralysis spell, and Reid twisted his face in fear.

“W-What is this!”

It was probably magic that rendered one unable to move. Viola had experienced it only once. She had no idea what kind of magic it was. She could guess it was some kind of movement restriction magic, but thinking about ways to release it would be futile. For now, once it happened, he wouldn’t be able to move until Nox lifted the magic.

Rala, noticing Raid’s condition, wore an expression that seemed on the verge of tears. She, too, had become aware of the fact that her body’s control was already in the hands of Nox.

The other members who stood behind Raid seemed to realize their situation a moment later. Amidst the strained screams, the person responsible for this situation landed gracefully next to Viola and laughed leisurely.

“Viola, I explicitly told you not to go where my eyes couldn’t reach. Have you already forgotten?”

“But Nox always comes like this, right? It’s not that I won’t leave Nox; it’s just that he has to chase after me.”

“Really, is that something you should say to me?”

“I learned this arrogant attitude from someone, you know.”

“It seems you’re adapting well to my style. That’s splendid.”

“Watch your words!”

Just as Viola felt the heat gathering in her face, a voice cut through the air and reached them.

“Let go!”

“Why?”

Nox, narrowing his eyes, directed his gaze at the man who shouted with all his might. Clearly angry, Reid, who met Nox’s crimson eyes, let out a muffled scream from the depths of his throat.

“You invaded my castle, the Demon King’s castle, without permission. Shouldn’t you naturally receive the consequences? Or is it your custom to enter someone else’s house with weapons and dirty shoes?”

“W-We’re Viola’s party members.”

“Don’t misunderstand. Former party members.”

“We’re Viola’s comrades! If you lay a hand on us, Demon King, think about how Viola, whom you love, will feel!”

“Can you hear what I’m saying? I don’t care at all about what happens to you.”

“Demons may not know, but humans have hearts! If you truly love Viola, Demon King, you better think about how you treat us!”

“I guess you’re not hearing me after all.”

Reid had always been like this. When emotions ran high, he completely tuned out Viola’s words.

His figure, proudly sticking out his chest as if he had delivered the best speech, was honestly ridiculous and pathetic.

“I see. Is that all you want to say?”

While Viola was hesitantly shifting her gaze from Nox to the voice she heard next to her, she realized something.

The voice was cold. It was not just icy; it was so cold that even Viola, who was not being directed anger, felt her spine go cold. Looking at that face, refreshingly devoid of any emotion, it was, in a way, very Demon King-like and incredibly frightening.

“I am kind, so before I effortlessly turn you all into ashes, let me tell you a few facts.”

As Nox uttered the first one, a sharp wind blew through. Like a blade, it grazed Raid’s face, creating a very shallow cut on his cheek.

“Regardless of what I do to you, Viola won’t care. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

“W-What about you, Viola-chan?! Are you abandoning me?! We were comrades, right?”

“It’s often said that those who step on others quickly forget, while those who are stepped on remember forever. …Maybe you were comrades for Lala-san and the others, but I’ve never once considered you as comrades. Besides, I won’t easily forget you using me as bait.”

“…S-Sorry for that! I’ve been regretting it, wanting to apologize, but it’s been so tough.”

“You’re saying that now, but you never cared until this moment.”

With a sigh, Viola found the conversation tiresome and decided to cut it short. There was absolutely no substance in the conversation. It was a waste of time to engage with them. If there was time, Viola would rather be preparing dinner.

“Do you understand? I can do whatever I want with you, according to my heart’s desires. Don’t cling to the prestige of others; it’s pathetic.”

As Nox spoke the second point, the wind rushed through once again. This time, blood oozed from Reid’s jaw. Clearly closing the distance towards his neck, Reid tightly closed his eyes in fear.

“Like humans, demons also have hearts… And so do I. Can you comprehend what I’m saying? Well, perhaps it’s impossible with that brain of yours.”

“Hii…”

Seeing Reid too frightened to respond, Nox shrugged and turned his gaze towards Viola.