“I’m not sure if I should accept something like this…”

As the cool sensation touched her arm, Rael belatedly began to worry.

“It’s nothing special.”

“But…”

“Such things might seem impressive to humans, but here they’re as common as dirt.”

Sezl waved her hand dismissively, telling Rael not to feel burdened, then resumed walking with her hands behind her back. Rael glanced briefly at her arm before matching pace with her companion.

The bracelet, which had initially felt awkwardly heavy, became so comfortable once it absorbed Rael’s body heat that she barely noticed its presence.

“The castle interior may be safe, but who knows what dangers lurk outside?”

Rael knew from personal experience that Sezl’s words were true. Even during brief outings like this garden walk, Esh and Yuswen watched her vigilantly from the entrance, proof of the dangers beyond.

Yet Esh and Yuswen weren’t merely monitoring her; they were concerned about her physical condition. Of course, with Sezl present, they couldn’t approach her as they normally would.

When she stroked the bracelet with her other hand, it clinked as her fingers caught on it. Strangely, having this safety measure made her feel considerably better. Perhaps she had been pretending to be calm while actually feeling more anxious than she realized.

“Kali!”

The wolf-creature Kali came running from the distance, having been released into the garden at some point.

“That ill-mannered dog again.”

Sezl clicked her tongue at the sight of Kali approaching with a wagging tail.

“Be careful around both dogs and demons here. That creature is no ordinary beast.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Rael couldn’t forget how Kali had transformed to protect her from Sezl. Though relatively cute compared to other grotesque monsters, she had clearly learned that Kali was definitely not the “adorable pet dog” she had initially heard about.

“Grrrr!”

“Ugh, she only dislikes me.”

Sezl made no attempt to hide her displeasure at Kali baring her teeth toward her.

Kali continued running toward Rael and, too excited, jumped toward her arms. But Rael couldn’t catch her, suddenly worried about the impact on the child in her womb. As she quickly tried to dodge, she lost her balance and staggered.

“Ah…!”

Seeing this, Sezl swiftly moved to support Rael, her arms wrapping around her protectively.

“Ah, thank you.”

While Rael sighed with relief, Sezl remained frozen in that position.

“…Lady Sezl?”

When the arms encircling her showed no sign of releasing, Rael called out to Sezl in confusion.

‘What’s this?’

Sezl was sensing energy transmitted through Rael’s body where they touched. Her gaze shifted from Rael’s wrist to her stomach.

In the moment their skin made contact and energy transferred through the pulse, Sezl noticed something.

“…Ah.”

As Sezl’s grip loosened, the freed Rael crouched in front of Kali and sternly warned her not to behave that way. Sezl stared thoughtfully at the back of Rael’s head.

“Now I understand.”

The corners of Sezl’s mouth rose, pushing up her cheeks.

Now she finally understood why Rubellan was so protective of this human.

“Rael, I truly like you.”

“Pardon?”

You entertain me beyond measure.

Sezl smiled ecstatically. Rael had no idea why her mood had suddenly improved.

“Is the seed in that womb Rubellan’s child?”

“…!”

Rael, who had been stroking Kali’s fur, sharply turned her head at Sezl’s words. Her expression revealed her confusion about how Sezl knew of her pregnancy.

“It’s very faint, but I can sense my brother’s energy from your womb.”

“…”

“Am I right?”

Though Sezl was almost certain, she wanted confirmation from Rael’s own lips. Rael recognized this fact.

“Yes.”

Since she’d been discovered, there was no point in hiding it.

“Goodness! Hahaha. See? Demons always make the same mistake.”

“Mistake?”

“Love is poison to demons. Throughout history, no demon who fell in love has ever found happiness.”

“He doesn’t love me.”

“Rubellan doesn’t love you?”

When Sezl defined his emotions as love, Rael immediately denied it.

“This is absolutely not love.”

He wasn’t loving her but using her out of necessity. That’s what Rael believed.

“…Hmm. There seems to be a story here.”

Sezl had a feeling this might be even more interesting than she had initially thought.

“Neither of us loves the other.”

“Truly not even a hint of feeling?”

“…”

Rael couldn’t answer promptly. A hint of feeling…

“Sympathy, perhaps.”

She decided to bundle all these complicated feelings under the simple label of “sympathy.”

“Oh… what a pitiful human.”

Undisguised pity showed on Sezl’s face.

“So, what do you plan to do with the child?”

“I’ll give birth to it.”

“Admirable courage. Did Rubellan permit this?”

Sezl was also curious whether Rubellan would really allow her to give birth to his child. She knew well why their father had died and why immortal demons had been perishing.

“It’s what he wants.”

“…That’s unexpected.”

Why would Rubellan, who had only recently achieved a complete immortal body after being a half-demon, want this?

“You trust him enough to bear his child? Do you trust Rubellan?”

The child in that small womb might be destined to die at its father’s hands immediately after birth. This assumption, almost a certainty, was evident in her tone, causing Rael’s face to subtly harden.

“I don’t trust him.”

“You know something.”

Sezl easily realized that Rael understood the relationship between immortality and offspring for demons.

“However, he doesn’t want to get rid of the child.”

“Then, will you let your child kill its father?”

“…Must one of them die?”

“Not immediately. But eventually, one will die at the other’s hands. Your son will likely be at a severe disadvantage.”

Sezl pointed at Rael’s stomach as she continued.

“Being born from a human womb puts him at a tremendous disadvantage.”

A child born from a human body would likely not have an immortal body and might not even possess proper demonic powers.

“My child will grow up as a human.”

Sezl was somewhat surprised by Rael’s words. Her wish could never be fulfilled while remaining with Rubellan.

“You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?”

Faced with this subtle question, Rael briefly wondered if she could trust Sezl. But based on her observations over the past few days, she had a strange feeling that Sezl wouldn’t take Rubellan’s side.

“Can you help me?”

For Rael, this was a small gamble. If Sezl reported to Rubellan, she would fail, but if successful, she could gain a powerful ally.

Yet she had no choice but to take the risk. Her conversation with Sezl had sparked anxiety. The flame of distrust, the vague thought that Rubellan might harm the child, had ignited fiercely.

“Why do you think I would? Even I fear Rubellan.”

Sezl responded playfully to Rael’s confident voice.

“Because you seem to prioritize enjoyment over such fears.”

Was there any need to deceive? Rael spoke honestly. Among all the demons she had met, Sezl seemed the least afraid of Rubellan and didn’t appear to be completely on his side. Rather, she seemed to enjoy seeing Rubellan in distress.

“I can see why Rubellan likes you.”

In truth, Sezl already had plenty to entertain her. Soon Juletan would be rampaging as he pleased, and Rubellan would wander the path of love and destruction, struggling with internal conflict before eventually crumbling. The situation was already quite satisfying.

But… yes, there was always a “but” that complicated matters.

But surely, if this human disappeared with the child, an even more entertaining scenario would unfold.

With that thought, saving the child, who might otherwise be destroyed by Rubellan, became important to Sezl. Without that seed, the entertainment value would be diminished.

“What a dilemma. I don’t want Rubellan to hate me.”

This was sincere. She knew from experience that incurring Rubellan’s hatred would bring consequences more severe than with any other sibling.

Yet while she verbally expressed reluctance, her heart was already leaning in one direction.

“But I want something in return.”

“What is it?”

Rael responded with feigned nonchalance, trying to hide her racing heart.

“When the child is born, let me see it.”

“…The child?”

The idea that Sezl, a demon, wanted to see her child was quite concerning from Rael’s perspective.

“I have no intention of harming it. I’m simply curious about a child born between a demon and a human. Especially with Rubellan’s blood.”

“But…”

She had wanted to live quietly, uninvolved with demons, but showing her child to Sezl carried significant risk.

“What’s the point if you can’t leave this place? Don’t you agree?”

The demon’s whispers were relentless.

True. If she couldn’t leave the castle, she would have to worry about her child’s fate at Rubellan’s hands. Her plan was to escape at the first opportunity, but honestly, that would be difficult alone. Without help, there might be no chance even after giving birth.

“I don’t have much choice, do I?”

This wasn’t the time to leisurely reconsider or negotiate terms. At this point, she could only hope Sezl wouldn’t report this conversation to Rubellan.

“You’ve made a good choice.”

Though she couldn’t agree with those words, Rael couldn’t deny this was the best option available to her right now.

“Until I set a date, this remains our secret.”

“…Understood.”

The situation was truly absurd, having to reach out to one demon to escape another.

“Let’s do our best, friend.”

Sezl extended her hand, and after hesitating, Rael took it. As their clasped hands shook lightly, she felt strangely dizzy.

Was she really making the right decision?

Despite her anxiety, events were already unfolding like interlocking gears. She was too deeply entangled to back out now.