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Chapter 25
The demon sword, the former Demon King Demos, thought and thought again.
“What on earth am I doing here?”
He had been defeated by his arch-enemy Bael in the throne struggle and humiliatingly sealed inside a sword.
Yet, his situation wasn’t as bad as he had feared.
He only had to remain dormant inside the sword until a suitable owner appeared, and then he could make them his master.
Ordinary people wouldn’t even know how to destroy him, so choosing a foolish one he could use was the perfect scenario.
He had intended to live a quiet life, occasionally grumbling about Bael, who had sealed him, when suddenly…
“Hey, sword. Aren’t you going any faster? I’d walk faster than this.”
He had to meet such a devilish human who treated him like a transportation tool.
Demos, flying diligently while carrying Tien, lamented his situation. It was even more humiliating than being pulled down from the Demon King’s throne and sealed in a sword.
Once a high-ranking being who had sat on the Demon King’s throne, he tried to convince himself he could easily shake off this human—but no matter what he tried, it was useless.
“That Bael guy’s contractor… is really my master?”
Impossible.
He had no memory of choosing this human as his master, and there was no way he would have done so. Yet his cursed body acted as if it were the human’s servant.
“Change your appearance a bit. Do you want to spread rumors that you’re the Demon Sword’s master and kill people?”
On top of that, even though Demos had taken care to craft a form to his liking, the human demanded he change into an absurdly large sword—just because it was easier to carry.
Demos deliberately made himself harder to carry, increasing the size and weight, but that devilish human effortlessly lifted him and even swung him around with ease.
“Is that even human?”
And the most irritating part…
“The contractor, I think that guy is slacking off.”
“You think so too? Seems completely useless.”
“Then I recommend erasing him.”
That damned Bael was annoyingly chiming in from the side.
The contractor-servant relationship—Demos knew who had the advantage—but this felt underhanded and unfair.
Shivering with humiliation, Demos gritted his teeth and shouted:
[It’s just that my body isn’t warmed up yet!]
“Ugh, shut up. Isn’t your voice a bit loud?”
“That’s right, contractor. You talk too much for a sword. Let’s erase him.”
[…It’s just that my body isn’t warmed up yet, so wait a little.]
Demos’s voice gradually shrank as he struggled to contain his emotions.
He sneaked a glance at Tien, sitting atop him.
“Should I just flip him over?”
A brief impulse surged, but he followed Tien’s will and quietly increased speed.
Even though Tien’s eyes weren’t literally on him, meeting those amethyst-like eyes sent an unsettling pressure through him.
This wasn’t a threat to make Demos obey—it was a real intent to erase him.
If he caused a scene, he might actually be destroyed entirely.
“Even if he says that, Bael’s probably bound by an unfair contract too.”
Demos, quick to assess the situation, concluded swiftly:
“…Don’t resist.”
Crack—!
A sharp sound, as if cutting deep into flesh, echoed through the room.
The sound of air splitting followed, and another piercing crack exploded.
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped from the tightly pressed lips.
When the Empress raised her hand, the maid ceasing the beating immediately stopped.
“Why are you shedding tears over something so trivial?”
“…I’m sorry, Mother.”
“I’ve told you many times. Don’t give yourself a reason to be punished.”
The white calves of Princess Lisia, pressed against the floor, were marked with long, red welts.
The center was darkened, as if seared by a hot iron.
Empress Radana looked at the princess’s injuries with no trace of pity or sympathy.
Lowering herself to meet Lisia’s gaze, she grabbed the princess’s cheeks roughly with one hand and spoke in a deceptively gentle tone.
“Haven’t I told you to always act perfectly? Does my daughter find her mother’s words amusing?”
“N-No, Mother…! It was a mistake…”
“A mistake? Hahaha! I see, it was a mistake.”
The empress let out a bitter, sneering laugh.
“Lisia, there will be no second chance.”
“….”
“If I ever see you speaking to another man again, I’ll cut out your tongue.”
The fragile Lisia shivered, her voice barely audible, but she managed to reply.
“Yes, y-yes, Mother…”
“Hold yourself properly. You must be presentable if you want to help your brother’s chance of ascending to Crown Prince.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she roughly released Lisia’s face.
The strength of her grip had left red handprints on the princess’s pale cheeks.
“If you cut the tongue, it would reduce her value, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah, yes?”
“Then cut the other person’s tongue instead. That would be easier for handling Lisia.”
Euclid guided the Empress to a sofa.
He casually glanced at Lisia’s calf and added:
“If you leave the flesh in that state, she could become handicapped.”
“That’s not enough to cripple her, Euclid.”
“Is that so? Yet the scar may leave a bad impression. It would be troublesome if such a minor thing ruined the plan.”
The Empress, drinking her tea gracefully, scanned Lisia from head to toe.
“True. All she has to offer is her body.”
Her gaze on the princess hardened into a cold steel.
“Why does she resemble that wretched bastard even when she came from my body?”
“Better keep that thought to yourself. Mentioning she resembles that illegitimate child would lower her market value.”
“Yes, you’re right, Euclid.”
The Empress smiled in satisfaction and looked kindly at Euclid.
He returned her smile from beside her.
“Leave as soon as Mother looks kindly on you, Lisia.”
Lisia rose unsteadily on her weary legs and bowed to Radana and Euclid.
Once out of their sight, her swollen, tear-stained eyes dried from exhaustion.
Terdeo entered Cier’s office and hesitated in front of him.
Cier frowned, irritated by his unease.
“Why do you keep lingering in front of me, Teo?”
Terdeo had come after hearing about Lisia but didn’t know whether to report it.
Cier’s piercing gaze told him to speak quickly, and he closed his eyes tightly.
“It seems Princess Lisia has been summoned again to the Empress’s quarters…”
“She appears to have been punished… and she has been limping ever since she returned…”
Cier said nothing, but the documents in his hands began to twist.
He knew Lisia was the only person in the palace whom his lord genuinely cared for.
With her, he could finally breathe a little.
“Then go see Princess Lisia, my lord.”
There was a long silence as if Cier hadn’t heard him.
Finally, Cier abruptly stood, his steps heavy with suppressed rage.
“Where are you going? To see the princess?”
“…No. Not now. There are too many eyes on her. If they see me, Lisia will suffer worse.”
Terdeo hastily blocked him, sensing Cier might act rashly.
“Then where are you going? Are you planning to confront her?”
Cier ground his teeth in disdain.
He seemed determined to rush to the Empress.
Terdeo, having witnessed how much Cier had been humiliated, wanted to speak but had to restrain himself.
“…Control yourself, my lord.”
“….”
Cier eventually withdrew his hand from the door handle and instead returned to his chair, pouring over the documents again and again.
