Chapter 21 - First Turning Point (Patreon)

Little things crept into my mind while I slept.

Yelling. Screaming. Pushing. Shoving.

None of it made any sense, but I didn’t mind. Feelings and sounds meant I was alive. I’d accept them, as unpleasant as they were.

When I finally woke up, I was lying in a soft bed, staring at the very familiar ceiling of Dr. Bink’s clinic.

I peeked cautiously around the room. My whole body felt raw, but I had energy, and nothing was broken. Either Dr. Bink was the best doctor in the world, or my body had healed significantly on its own while Christopher ran me to saftey.

Three people were in the room—myself, Gabby, and Christopher.

Gabby appeared to be all right, considering the circumstances. She was bandaged around her stomach and shoulder and looked to be on heavy amounts of pain meds. She was human and had lower mana reserves than I did, which meant her recovery would take longer. Nevertheless, she looked significantly better than the last time I saw her. No black veins protruded from her body, her breathing was steadier, and her face was free from signs of pain.

Kardin—or rather Christopher—sat alone near the only door leading in and out of the room, which was locked shut. His eyes were half-closed as if he were about to nod off. At the same time, his entire body remained tense, giving the impression that he was ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

Outside, I could hear muffled yelling. A flood of light streamed in through the back window. Bangs echoed from outside.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “What’s happening?”

Christopher immediately shot out of his seat and moved toward me. “You’re awake.”

“No, I’m still sleeping.”

Christopher tapped my forehead lightly. My body felt too weak to resist, so I fell back onto my pillow with little resistance on my part.

“Then go back to bed,” he chided.

“Can’t,” I mumbled, sitting back up. “What happened?”

Christopher hesitated, but it said a lot. “Nothing happened.”

“Bullshit. Tell me.”

The expression on Christopher’s face was grim. “People saw me carrying you through town. Not many, but enough.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Someone saw your horns.”

The world blurred. The edges of my vision warped, as if the entire room were closing in.

No. No, no, no.

“You didn’t cover my face or something!” I shouted, leaning forward, spit flying past my lips. “What were you thinking?!”

“I was thinking about saving your fucking life!” he screamed back. “And Gabby’s life! You were both dying, and my best friend got his head cut off right in fucking front of me! Your horns were the last thing on my mind!”

I flinched.

Christopher’s voice steadied, sounding more apologetic and nervous. “I—I was in a panic, and I wasn’t thinking, and—” His voice strained.

No.

My hands twitched. Then clenched.

“Some even got inside—Dr. Bink barely—”

They saw.

“Your parents and Tannin—”

They know.

“There’s a mob outside.”

A sharp ringing tore through my skull.

My fingers shot to my head. My nails dug into my skin as I grabbed the base of my horns, gripping so tightly my knuckles turned white. I could feel the grooves, the smooth curve of them, proof that I was not human, would never be human. That I would always be different.

“Yen, stop.” Christopher moved closer, voice tight. “You’re shaking.”

I barely heard him.

I gripped and pulled.

Agony lanced through my skull. A sickening, twisting pressure, like tearing muscle and breaking bone. But I kept pulling.

“Yen—STOP!”

A scream built in my throat, raw and feral. My hands clenched around the base of my horns, nails digging into my scalp. “I can’t—I can’t have these! I can’t be this!” My vision blurred. “I just want to live! I just want to be normal!”

I pulled again. The pain shot through my skull, sharp and nauseating.

“What are you doing?!” Christopher lunged forward, grabbing my wrists.

“Pulling them out!” I shrieked, thrashing against him, desperate. “I never asked for this! I never—” My voice cracked. Tears threatened to blind me. “I am a good person! I have never hurt anyone who hasn’t deserved it! All I want is to live in peace, help people, and find someone to love me! But no! I’m cursed to be hated all my life because my ears are fucking pointy, and I got fucking antlers growing out of my head!” I grabbed Christopher by the collar and pulled him toward me. “I didn’t ask for this!”

“I-I know. I know.” Christopher’s voice became surprisingly gentle. “I understand better than anyone.”

“How could you?!”

“Some people are born to suffer. It does not matter whether you’re a devil or a human. Life is cruel,” his voice rang out coldly. “We can only cull the pain and hope for happiness someday.”

The hopelessness of Christopher’s words calmed and shocked me.

The room was silent for a while. I felt awkward. The adrenaline left me, and I suddenly felt calm as I slowly accepted the situation. I didn’t have a choice otherwise.

I looked over to Gabby. “How’s she doing?” My voice sounded raspy and pained.

“She’s doing better. The doctor said she’d be dead if you hadn’t done what you did,” said Christopher. “You were mostly fine when you came back, just unconscious. The poison was almost out of your system, and your wounds were healing. He gave you another antidote and a painkilling decoction.”

“Okay.” I fell back into the bed and looked at the ceiling. My horns scraped the wall. “That’s good.”

My life was over. I knew that in my soul.

“All because I decided to take an easy job helping out some newbies,” I joked.

Christopher flinched. “I can’t apologize enough.”

“True. You can bow on the floor and plead for my forgiveness. It would please me greatly.”

He hesitated. “O-Okay.” He went to do as I ordered.

“I’m kidding. Stop it.”

“How can you make jokes right now when you were screaming mere moments ago?”

“No idea,” I admitted. “I’m not normal.”

In my head, I silently said goodbye to my home. There was no way I could stay. Archdevils were evil incarnate to humans. My parents raised me from a baby, and I was still worried they’d reject me when I told them about my horns. I’d been lucky up until today. Tannin and Bruno knew me and were still terrified when I showed them who I truly was. And they were well-educated, considerate, and had a larger worldview to draw upon. The same could not be said about the average person.

“Guess I should just be grateful I wasn’t killed in my sleep,” I said. “Thanks for that. You must have been exhausted, but you still guarded me.”

“Please don’t thank me,” said Christopher. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to his back foot. “Me being in your life has only made it worse.”

“You said it.”

He flinched.

“Kidding, kidding.” I paused. “No, it’s a little true I guess. But you also ran all the at here to save my life. What you did wasn’t malicious. Sure, you lied to me about who you were, but I did that too, so I have no right to blame you.” I paused again. “This life I built was never going to last.”

“Still…”

“No point in regrets.” I shifted my gaze to Christopher. “That’s enough about me. I’m sure I’ll deal with that shortly. Tell me about yourself, prince. Get my mind off things.”

He hesitated.

“Oh, never mind. Sorry I asked,” I said as soon as he hesitated. I rolled my eyes and turned away. “I risked my life to save you, healed your lover, stopped the strong ass assassin that nearly killed me, and lost my secret that was keeping me from getting chased out of my home and hunted across the continent. But sure! Keep your secrets.”

“Right…sorry.” Christopher cleared his throat and sat at the edge of my bed. I readjusted until I was sitting upward with my pillow supporting the small of my back. “My full name is Prince Christopher Zalevet.” He paused. “And Gabby is not my lover. She’s my friend.”

“Nice to hear it all straight from your mouth, Prince Christopher.”

“I prefer Kardin,” the Prince admitted.

“And I prefer being called a forest devil,” I shot back with a sly smile.

Christopher looked away for a moment. He genuinely looked apologetic, so I decided to stop taking my shit out on him. It wouldn’t help anyway.

“I’ll tell you everything,” he said.

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•

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Christopher’s birth was the start of his misfortune. I related to him on some level, but his life was admittedly much, much worse.

His mother worked as a maid in the King’s palace and was renowned for her beauty. Many nobles sought to court her as a mistress, causing their wives to feel jealous. She faced bullying from the wealthy, and other maids refused to defend her out of fear they’d suffer the same mistreatment. The King was among these nobles she tried to stay away from.

But it was only a matter of time before the meager power she possessed was tarnished.

One night, while drunk, the King found Christopher’s mother cleaning his quarters and decided to take her against her will. Disgusted as she was, she couldn’t have said no either way.

That one act resulted in Christopher’s birth. He was her “reward” for all the indignation she suffered as a maid.

Christopher’s mother was taken in as a concubine, and Christopher was given a noble status as the King’s bastard. The nobles in Camden treated him with indifference while most of his siblings treated him with disgust.

The only blood relative, besides his mother, who loved him or even talked to him, was his half-sister, Zara. She was the only child of the second Queen and, being a daughter, had her own hardships, which made her relate strongly to Christopher.

Gabby’s father was brought in to teach Christopher’s mother etiquette. It’s where they met. Lars’s father was the guard assigned to his mother, and that’s where Christopher met him.

Being an official concubine meant Christopher’s mother would have to continue sleeping with the King while contending with the current Queen, who was already a second wife filled with jealousy and other nobles who resented someone of “lesser birth” being above them politically because she sired a bastard.

Even so, their lives were fine. They had a place in the palace, food whenever they wanted it, tutors, guards, and wealth. Christopher admitted his mother would struggle to mention these positives given how they came about, but she loved Christopher and wanted him to be happy even if it meant her own happiness suffered.

When Christopher turned eleven, he awoke to green eyes. More importantly, the Crest of Kings was burned onto the tops of his hands.

Christopher showed it to me. It resembled a crown with a jewel missing from its peak. The crown symbolized those recognized by the Gods as having the right to become a King. A jewel appeared in the crown when that person earned the right and became King. This mark glowed just like his eyes and the bands on his fingers and wrists did when he used mana, signifying its authenticity.

Christopher had many brothers and sisters, but only three sons from the King’s first wife manifested the crest—the first son, Kian, the second son, Caspian, and the third son, Larew. Until Christopher came along.

His life changed overnight. The King, who had only spoken to Christopher four times before that moment, held weekly meetings with him and invited him to family events in the palace usually reserved for children of “correct” birth. This disgusted Christopher, but he took advantage of the opportunity. As much as he resented his father, he had once been a great warrior boasting orange eyes and a sharp political mind. He took every chance to extract information from the man.

The three brothers who were set to be Christopher’s competition didn’t pay him any mind.

Larew, the youngest, was a free-spirited man who cared little for politics or warfare. He admired the arts and women. Whoever was going to be the next King didn’t matter to him in the slightest.

Kian was a warrior at heart, who, to the excitement of the nation, awoke with striking orange eyes, a rare occurrence. Even the current King had only earned his later in life through relentless battles. Kian was born with a gift. Many saw it as a sign that he would be the next King.

Then there was Caspian. Christopher said he mostly ignored him, so they didn’t have a relationship. From what he heard from his other family members, Caspian was a genius. Most notably, at age eight, for fun, he went through the castle’s finances and was able to balance them, cut unnecessary areas, and uncover someone embezzling money. This earned him quite a reputation in the noble community, particularly among merchants.

Christopher started being trained in the sword and how to use his mana, but all three of his brothers were so far ahead of him in all areas, not to mention their circumstances of birth, that Christopher didn’t bother worrying about the competition for succession.

It didn’t mean others didn’t see him as a threat, though.

Nobles from his brothers’ factions began hiring assassins to kill Christopher. He had been injured several times, and on one occasion, Lars’s father died protecting him from a poisonous arrow meant for him.

It was the first time Christopher had seen someone die and for him.

The second was his mother.

She died from a runic trap set for Christopher in his room in the palace. It was his birthday and she was planning to leave a gift on his bed. Christopher’s room erupted, and she was lost.

The King spent less than two days searching for the killer before retracting his resources. Christopher was surprised he dedicated even that much time, especially since he had added seventeen new concubines since his mother was forcibly dragged into his harem.

Christopher left the palace shortly after that, accompanied by Gabby and Lars. Each of them held their own motivations for leaving. For Lars, his father was his sole remaining family, prompting his departure from Camden. Similarly, Gabby felt compelled to leave because her father harbored resentment towards her for awakening to brown eyes. He viewed this as a disgrace and neglected her, blaming her for her mother’s death during childbirth on Gabby and deeming her a “disappointment.”

They decided to travel west and catch a ship out of Port Prosper into the Broken Bits to hide until a new King was finally chosen and the crests on Christopher’s hands disappeared.

However, assassins confronted them in every major city, during missions when they attempted to earn coins, and on the road. Lars and Gabby continued to get hurt protecting Christopher, and he was becoming accustomed to staining his hands with the blood of strangers.

When they reached Port Prosper, they barely escaped an ambush and ran west toward the Forest of Beginners. Assassins pursued them all the way, and they continued to survive until they finally arrived at Sandy Branch.

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•

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“Then we met you,” finished Christopher. “The rest you know.”

“I’m sorry about your mother,” I said as soon as his story ended. “I couldn’t even imagine.”

“I hope the Gods are blessing her with everything she deserves in the afterlife,” he scoffed. “If they even exist.”

I looked down awkwardly. “We’re kind of similar. I guess you can relate.”

“There’s no comfort in that.”

“No, there is,” I rebutted. “Makes everything seem…warmer.”

We sat in silence for a moment.

“You’re welcome to leave with me and Gabby,” suddenly said Christopher. “I don’t know your plans, but I imagine you won’t be able to stay. We’ll welcome you with open arms.”

“Oh, wow, that’s perfect!” I scoffed. “I can leave my family and home behind to serve as your bodyguard until we’re inevitably killed in our sleep by some assassin. I like that plan. Let’s do it!”

“I have nothing else to offer you,” admitted Christopher. His face revealed the depth of his defeat. “But I’m responsible, so I’ll do what I can. Besides, I owe you my life. If there’s anything I can do for you, I’ll do it.”

“Do you mean that?”

Christopher replied immediately, “Yes.”

I stared at him for a long, long time. The wheels in my head began to turn. “How good are you at acting?”

“Decent.”

“And humble,” I noted. “The crest on your hand will confirm your lineage. No one would doubt that since it’s impossible to get it to glow otherwise.” I cocked my head to the side and covered my chin and mouth with my hand. Hair slipped and collected in between my horns. “Let me think some more.”

I took ten minutes to myself going over multiple plans until I finally groaned loud enough to cause Christopher to flinch.

“What?” he said.

I inhaled sharply. The words tasted like ash in my mouth. “Have you ever made a Mark of Enslavement?”

Christopher stiffened and his expression darkened. “No.”

I exhaled slowly, fingers tracing my belly as I remembered the one imprinted on me years ago. “Good for you,” I muttered, voice hollow. “I want you to put one on me.”

“Yen—”

“I know what I’m doing.” The lie tasted bitter. “It’s not like it’ll change much. People already see me as something to be killed or controlled.”

A heavy silence stretched between us.

I then told Christopher the rest of my plan.

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•

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Christopher and I walked out of the patient wing into the main area of Dr. Bink’s clinic. The good doctor himself was anxiously waiting by the front door while peeking out the window on its side.

“Dammit, they’re gonna burn this whole place down,” Dr. Bink muttered as he watched with worry as the mob grew outside his door.

“We’ll take care of it,” said Christopher, alerting the doctor to our presence.

“O-Oh,” the doctor recoiled at our voices. His eyes only briefly glanced at Christopher before gliding over to me.

Fear.

Pure, unbridled fear.

Even though he helped me, even though he knew me, something deep within his gaze was telling him to run away, or he’d die. I could see it.

It hurt, and it was a response I fully expected.  

“Thanks for saving me,” I said softly as I dipped my gaze to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

Dr. Bink said nothing, and I didn’t bother looking at his face.

“You ready?” Christoper asked as he placed his hand on the door.

“Are you?”

“Not yet,” the prince admitted. He looked around and spotted a basin of water near the front door. He cupped it in his hands and washed it through his hair. The water turned black as the dark color in his hair slowly seeped away, revealing a mass of magnificent blonde curls. He slicked his hair back until it showed his forehead and cascaded down the back of his neck and around his ears. “Just follow my lead no matter what happens.”

I nodded.

Christopher opened the clinic door and stepped outside, pulling me roughly behind him by my arm.

The entire town was gathered in front, brandishing torches and weapons. People were channeling their mana out of fear, creating a sea of glowing brown and green eyes amid the flames. Adventurers of various sizes mingled among the townsfolk. People I had known my whole life were shouting and panicking in the streets.

All because a few people saw me.

My parents were standing in front of the clinic, shielding the door. Tannin and Bruno were beside them, flanking the entrance. Tannin’s arms were crossed, jaw clenched tight. Bruno had an axe slung over his shoulder, as casual as if he were chopping firewood—but his stance was solid.

They weren’t just blocking the entrance. They were standing guard.

“Step aside!” someone from the mob yelled. “It’s in there, isn’t it? Your monster! Bring her out here now!”

“Oh, piss off,” Tannin snapped. “She’s been living here for years. She’s helped this town more than half of you combined.”

“That doesn’t change what she is!” another voice shouted.

“What she is?” Amalia’s voice rang clear, cutting through the noise like a blade. “She is my daughter.”

“You all know us,” Quintin’s voice rumbled. He rarely raised his voice, so when he did, people listened. “We’re your neighbors. This town has been our home for decades. Are you telling me you believe we would raise a child—love a child—who was a threat to you?”

A few heads lowered. Some muttered excuses under their breath. But the fear was still there.

“You don’t get it,” someone called out. “She’s an archdevil! You can’t trust them! They’re all evil! Doesn’t matter who raised them! She’ll kill us sooner or later!”

“I trust her,” Tannin said immediately. “I’d bet my life on it.”

Bruno adjusted his axe. His gaze raked over the crowd. “She’s the same girl she was yesterday. You all know it. But suddenly, now you want blood?” He spat into the dirt. “Cowards.”

I felt something in my chest tighten.

I put a hand on my parent’s shoulders as Christopher passed all of us to address the crowd. “Mom. Dad.”

Both of them turned toward me, their eyes widening. Tannin and Bruno did as well. None of them even glanced at my horns; instead, they scrutinized my body for any injuries before wrapping me in a collective hug.

“I-I’m sorry,” I muttered.

“We’re just happy you’re okay,” said Amalia without hesitation.

“It couldn’t have stayed like this forever,” said Quintin. “We knew that. Whatever happens, we’ll support you.”

I felt tears threatening to spill from my eyes. Thankfully, Christopher’s voice pierced through everything, jolting me back to focus on him.

“Good people, I know you’re afraid.” Christopher’s voice rang out, steady, clear. Not shouting—just commanding.

The crowd stirred. There were a few murmurs and confused glances. They were wondering who this stranger was who dared address them during such turbulent times.

“I would be too,” the prince continued. “You’ve lived in peace for years, and now you’re told the impossible—that an archdevil lived among you. That you never knew.” His eyes swept over them, firm but unreadable. “But let me ask you this,” he raised a hand, palm open, “has she harmed you?”

Silence.

“Has she taken your children? Burned your homes? Poisoned your food? Slaughtered you in the night?”

A shift. Uneasy muttering. Someone in the crowd stammered, “No, but—”

Christopher dropped the act of patience like a blade hitting stone. His voice thundered through the streets. “Then why do you stand here with torches, as if she’s suddenly changed?”

That silence was deafening.

“Who even are you?!”

“You need to leave?!”

“Are you the one that brought that monster into our town?!”

“Get him! Make him talk!”

“Say something!”

“SILENCE!!!” commanded Christopher.

Everyone listened. Even I felt compelled to hear him out, and I knew what he would say.

Slowly, Christopher raised his hand to display his Crest of Kings. He channeled his mana, and it started to glow. The crowd instantly understood what that symbol represented. There wasn’t a single person in the world who didn’t.

Everyone in town knelt.

“My name is Prince Christopher Zalevet! I am sorry for the confusion I have caused you all, and I will make amends by telling you the truth this day! On behalf of the Kingdom of Zalevet, I apologize to all of you for the disruption our government’s actions have caused you.” He paused to let those words settle. “For more than a decade, this village has served as a key testing ground for a weapon powerful enough to turn the tides of any major war, be it an incursion from those devils residing in Paradise or our neighbors to the north seeking land.”

The terms “testing ground” and “weapon” stirred whispers among the townspeople. Christopher allowed them to murmur and worry before choosing to speak again.

Before I knew it, Christopher grabbed my arm and hauled me forward like he was showing off a new toy to his friends. My horns were on full display, as were my white eyes.

People started to scream.

Seeing dozens of people stare at me with complete disgust and horror was one of the worst feelings I’d ever experienced in my life.

“This!” bellowed Christopher over everyone, “is Zalevet’s future!”

The shock that ran through the crowd as they heard those words and saw Christopher manhandling me caused tempers to fall.

“Y-You have to kill it before it kills us!” a man from the crowd screeched over the rest of the people.

Just like that, tempers flared again. It looked like people were ready to charge forward out of pure fear until Christopher pulled me in front of him, draped his hand over my shoulder, and lifted up my shirt. The moment he did, the glow of the Mark of Enslavement branded on my belly bathed my skin in cold light.

The crowd gasped.

This is what they needed to see.

That was the plan—my plan. I forced myself to stand still, to let them look at it.

And yet…something inside me ached.

The whispers began.

“It’s been captured…it’s bound…proof’s right there…”

“It’s safe, isn’t it?”

“She belongs to the prince…?”

She belongs.

The words left a rancid taste in my mouth. I wasn’t supposed to care. It was entirely my plan, but hearing them say it, seeing them start to relax because of it…

I had been part of this town my whole life. And now, the only thing that made them accept me was proof that I wasn’t free.

Christopher’s grip on me tightened. “It’s okay. Relax. Breathe. You’re doing good,” he said, voice low enough that only I could hear. He must have sensed my anxiety. “I trust you, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

Christopher dropped my shirt and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “Years ago, a child was taken from Paradise. The goal was to determine whether the devils from Paradise were inherently evil or if their cultural values shaped their behavior. Our great King and his advisors believed that the Kingdom of Zalevet, with its superior people and ideas, could influence anyone who hadn’t been tainted by Paradise’s poisonous beliefs. Lo and behold, our King was correct, praise be to him!”

There was no more talking or protesting. People became captivated by Christopher’s words. It must have been a surreal experience. One morning, they woke up thinking it would be a typical day. That night, an archdevil was revealed to have lived in the village for just over a decade, and now their prince was before them, telling them them was all a government scheme.

The prince turned to Amalia and Quintin, placing his hand on his chest and gazing at them with great respect. “We needed a family that lived far from the reaches of civilization in case things went wrong but had a deep respect for this land, this country, and our King.” He gestured at my parents. “Who better than a former knight and his wife?” He bowed slightly. “We appreciate your sacrifice for us up until now. Our country honors your service and sacrifice.”

My parents held in their surprise, but I could see from their eyes they wanted to say, “What the fuck are you talking about?” pretty loudly. Thankfully, they read the room.

“The honor is ours,” said Quintin as he dipped his head forward.

“Yen has grown into a wonderful child,” added Amalia. “She’s been a gift. Your thanks are not necessary.”

“Be that as it may, you have them,” acknowledged Christopher. He turned back to the crowd. “A Mark of Enslavement was placed on her as a baby to ensure she would not harm humans as a precautionary measure. The royal family has control over it, but the mark has never been used. Thanks to the efforts of her adoptive parents, Yen has grown into a valuable, powerful citizen of Zalevet who would do anything to protect our people! You have my word.”

The crowd remained silent.

Thus, my plan was mostly underway. With that act, Christopher officially signaled to all the nobles of Zalevet, especially those in Camden, that he was making a bid for King.

I couldn’t just chop off my horns. They’d leave behind nubs. I could have run, but it would have been an admission of guilt, and I didn’t want my parents to get hurt. Standing my ground was the only option. Admittedly, that option was fueled by stubbornness, but it was likely accurate nonetheless.

Christopher had proof that he was a prince via the crest on his hand. That alone gave validity to any lie he might tell. Add on top of that the Mark of Enslavement on my belly I asked him to make, and there was enough visual evidence to make our lie appear true.

The only problem was that the lie would be extremely obvious to the King, the nobles of Camden, and his brothers.

That only played to our benefit.

When news spread that Prince Christopher had an archdevil with white eyes trapped by a Mark of Enslavement under his control, someone would be dispatched to confirm those facts. Rook was probably still alive, and he would be able to confirm my existence and power as well to whoever hired him, too. Once verified, the King and the nobles would have a choice to make. They could either refute the lie that an archdevil had lived in Zalevet unchallenged for a decade, or they could take credit for creating a weapon for Zalevet’s use.

The answer was obvious to me.

Hence, I would act as a deterrent and a threat against future assassinations.

This plan would keep Christopher safe with me by his side while he kept me safe with him at my side, creating a reason for me to remain in the country without threats of retaliation. We were using each other and keeping each other in check, so to speak. It was a relationship founded on mutual trust that greatly benefited both parties.

Christopher could use the opportunity to build power and safety for himself. I could use him and his authority to remain in my home and bring in resources only the presence of a prince could provide.

There were obvious issues with the plan that’d need to be handled in time, but for something thought of in under a half-an-hour, it was a damn good plan.

“Who’d believe that horse shit?” someone shouted out suddenly. “She’s just acting! Soon as she gets a chance, she’ll kill us all!”

Dammit, it was going so well. Shut up, you bastard!

“Evil is not born. It is taught,” refuted Christopher adamantly with a cold expression directed right into the crowd. “There are already devils in this country that work and coexist with us humans. They accept us and our culture even when we treat them like trash. Not all devils are evil, and not all humans are good.”

The crowd began to mutter. It was divided evenly. Some agreed with what the prince said while the rest were still chattering about me killing them as soon as I got the chance.

“How about a demonstration then?” bellowed Christopher.

What are you planning?

“Yen.” He turned me toward him and then kneeled down. I was confused, and the crowd gasped. The next second, he pulled a sword out of his codex and offered it to me. “If you so desire it, you may kill me and free yourself of your mark.”

I stared at Christopher with wide eyes.

The crowd held its breath.

I reached for the sword.

I could feel everyone waiting to scream and run.

In a simple motion, I pushed it away and knelt until I was even lower than he was. “No, my lord,” I said in a soft, subservient voice. “I would not dare harm a hair on your head.”

The crowd was baffled. The Mark of Enslavement was a powerful brand that utilized its owners’ mana to cause them harm if they disobeyed their master's orders or attempted to harm them. There were loopholes, and I’d exploited one years ago when fighting Turk. Christopher’s words were enough for me to do as he said—kill him and earn my freedom. If I were truly evil as some of the people thought, I’d have taken that chance to rid myself of the human controlling me and then slaughter the rest of the town.

But I didn’t.

It spoke volumes. More than any speech or lecture. It was pure proof of Christopher’s lie—the kingdom had turned an archdevil into a tool that loved the country.

Some in the crowd expressed hope and relief. Although their faces were still very disillusioned, they weren’t nearly as foreboding as earlier.

Christopher stood, took his sword, and placed it back in his codex. “I never doubted you, Yen. You had my absolute trust and faith.” He leaned forward until his lips were near my ear. “And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. You’ve brought hope back into my life. I will be forever grateful.” He pulled back and smiled at me. It was warm and full of life.

I felt my face burn red. My heart started to thump again, just as it had earlier, and a feeling I thought I had only for one person began to swell inside my chest.

Christopher pulled away and addressed the crowd. His language and words were flowery, but I didn’t hear them. My heart was beating loudly in my chest. It felt like a betrayal.

What is wrong with me?

I pinched my neck and shook my head. It wasn’t important right now.

My identity had been revealed, and I had willingly entered the battle for the crown of Zalevet. It wasn’t what I had envisioned for my life, but it was better than the alternatives. Honestly, it excited me. Even if Christopher didn’t want the crown, I intended to use him and his authority to make my life better.

That was a turning point.

It was the night everything changed.

And in the blink of an eye, five years passed