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CHAPTER 09
I just looked up at the boy with an unimpressed expression.
At my gaze, the boy’s face twisted in frustration.
“What? Why are you just staring at me?”
“……”
“Are you ignoring me?”
“……”
It wasn’t like I was ignoring him.
I had never really played with kids this age—I’d only ever taken care of them.
‘Honestly, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.’
Ares glared at me, clearly irritated.
“I expected something because they called you the next Erebos. But this?”
“……”
“You don’t talk, and you’re no fun!”
“……”
“You—you’re just mute, aren’t you?!”
True, my silence wasn’t exactly polite, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to care right now.
I stared at Ares’ annoyed face blankly.
I had a similar thought the first time I met him.
‘This kid kind of reminds me of Talos.’
Talos used to look at me like this too.
Like it was offensive that someone like me—a commoner—possessed the divine power of the High Priestess.
As if my very existence disgusted him.
And now, Minte looked like she was grinding her teeth after hearing Ares’ words.
“That little brat, how dare he!”
Lette was desperately holding her sister back.
“If you hit him, he’ll die! Use words! Words!”
I let out a deep sigh as I looked at the twin demons.
‘Why do I keep caring so much about a place I’m going to leave anyway?’
I turned away from the demon noble and walked toward the sisters.
‘If I act tired enough, maybe they’ll handle the rest themselves.’
Just then, the boy shouted behind me, huffing and puffing.
“Hey—! Where do you think you’re going?!”
“……”
“You, with the weird name!”
That last part made me stop in my tracks.
It was just a silly insult, but for some reason, my heart pounded.
When I slowly turned around, Ares’ eyes were flashing sharply.
Grinding his teeth, as if determined to assert himself by being nasty.
“That name’s not even a proper royal name—it’s weird!”
Elysion? A weird name?
Suddenly, a beautiful woman from my dream came to mind.
The one who had smiled at me so warmly.
She had called me that name with such love—Elysion.
My heart thudded loudly.
That name…
It felt like he’d insulted a name given to me by my real mother.
Eventually, even Lette lost it and rushed toward him.
Minte beside her looked like she was about to draw her sword.
“Young Master! How could you say something so rude?!”
“Lette, just let me slap him once—”
“Apologize.”
“Princess?!”
The twin sisters shouted in unison, eyes wide.
Lette covered her mouth and whispered breathlessly.
“D-Did Her Highness… just speak…?!”
I coughed lightly and cleared my throat.
It hurt—I hadn’t spoken on purpose for so long.
The boy stared at me with wide eyes.
“You can talk!”
“…Yeah.”
Seeing his flustered face reminded me of that kid I left behind in the Divine Nation, and my heart felt heavy.
This is why I hate kids.
‘Still, if you’re going to be rude, I’ve got no choice but to discipline you.’
I crossed my arms and looked at Ares.
I was still a head shorter than him, but I didn’t back down an inch.
“I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier. But you should apologize too.”
Damn it.
My lisp is slipping out.
But Ares just turned red and fumed even more.
“What? Why should I apologize?!”
“Because you made fun of my name!”
“I don’t deal with people weaker than me!”
“Then I’ll just be stronger than you!”
“What? Ugh!”
I threw today’s lacy glove straight at Ares’ face.
Ahh, I always wanted to do this to one of the temple priests. Can’t believe I’m doing it here.
I shouted from my core:
“Fiiight me, you brat!”
“Wha—augh!”
Before Ares could even react,
I rammed my head straight into his stomach.
In a fight, the loudest voice wins the argument—
“Apoooloogiiiiiize!”
—and the first to throw a punch wins the brawl.
I climbed on top of the fallen Ares and started pummeling him, but honestly?
Even I thought my punches were pathetic.
‘Wow, my fists are so tiny! Does this even hurt?’
But the boy beneath me covered his face desperately.
“Ack! Y-You! Agh!”
Yup, guess it does hurt a little.
Take that, you rude little punk!
If only I could use my divine power! I used to fly circles around enemies, you know!
At some point, the twin sisters grabbed me to pull me off him.
“Your Highness, just one more hit, then we stop!”
“Apo! Lo! Giiize!”
“Minte, what are you saying?! Hurry and carry the princess away—”
“Ares, apologize—!”
That’s when a strange sound of friction came from the air.
A scorching heat filled the area around us.
When I looked up, golden flames exploded in the air.
Minte and Lette let out horrified screams.
As the fire whipped down like a flaming whip, it sent them flying backward from the impact.
Lette quickly tried to use her magic.
“What the—Summon water—!”
“No, Lette! That fire is made of magic!”
“But—!”
“If you touch it wrong, it’ll get worse!”
The flames in the air grew bigger.
This wasn’t something Lette or Minte had ever done before.
And it certainly wasn’t from me.
‘Then is this coming from the boy who was just under me?’
I’d heard demons channel their magic through their horns.
Ares’ horns were glowing now—so it must be his magic.
But his eyes were trembling in fear.
“Wh-What… Why is it like this…?!”
‘Wait… why can’t he control it?’
Suddenly, something the paladins once said came to mind.
They were talking about demon magic going berserk.
“Those dumb demons—once they lose control, they just collapse.”
“Exactly. That’s when we can neutralize them with divine power.”
This had to be a case of magical overload.
I could see Lette and Minte desperately trying to suppress it with their own magic.
But the fire just devoured everything and blazed even stronger.
I grabbed the boy and shouted:
“Ares! Can’t you stop this fire?!”
“I—I’ve never had this happen before—!”
Oh, for heaven’s sake!
‘If I can’t use divine power, I’ll have to use demonic power—but I have no idea how!’
At this rate, we’re both going to choke on smoke and die.
I tried to shield Ares’ mouth with my sleeve.
“Princess!”
Lette and Minte had burn marks all over.
Still, they pushed through the lashing flames, trying to get to me.
I could hear the panicked shouting of servants and knights from other parts of the estate.
‘If magic can’t stop this overload…!’
There was only one thing left to try:
Using my divine power.
‘But that could reveal my identity! Maybe if I just endure—!’
But if I waited too long, everyone could die.
Ares was clutching his chest and writhing in pain.
“Agh…!”
His expression looked like his heart might explode.
At that moment, I heard a tiny silver bell ring inside me.
Oh, crap.
‘My divine power just activated.’
And just like that, it was as if every sound in the world had vanished—
The flames disappeared without a trace.
Ares gasped in pain, then slowly opened his eyes as he came to.
“H-Hah… the fire… how…?”
Minte’s stunned voice echoed.
“How…? It was fire that devoured magic…”
“Princess! Are you all right?!”
I nodded as I coughed.
Lette had burns on her right arm. Minte’s left cheek was blistered and bleeding.
They both sighed in relief when they saw I wasn’t injured.
“Minte, take the Princess inside. She inhaled smoke—we need first aid.”
“Got it!”
“Young Master, are you all right?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Ares was trembling, overwhelmed, a far cry from his earlier sass.
Understandable—he was still just a kid.
Then, we heard frantic male voices calling out.
“Elysion!”
“Princess! Ares!”
“Ah, cough… agh…!”
The Demon King and Drakon were running toward us, pale with fear.
What happened next was purely instinct.
I opened my arms toward the man running at me.
‘Huh?’
And then, “Dad”—I mean, the Demon King—scooped me up in a tight embrace.
