16 Demon (2)

"... How can a race like you live inside this kingdom?"

I asked with wide eyes.

".. That's a bit rude."

He chuckled lowly.

"... Azrael, are you really a demon?"

I asked as confusion filled over me with a mix of shock.

"Yeah. I'm a demon. How does it feel like talking to a demon?"

He casually asked while gazing at me with his crimson red eyes.

In a short moment, I looked at him with widened eyes as I was absolutely caught off guard.

My heart was beating slightly faster after knowing that Azrael isn't human.

But after a few moments, I slowly regained my composure.

I took a deep breath as I observed him calmly.

'... It's not like he is turning into an irrational mad demon right now. He's still himself except for the red eyes. It's quite normal, I guess?'

I looked at him with my eyes more relaxed and sighed as I answer,

"... It was normal, I guess?"

I answered truthfully with a slightly uncertain feeling.

After listening to my response, his expression changed into a playful and relaxed one.

He raised his hand near his lips as he lightly chuckled.

"I've never met anyone this calm before, after knowing I'm a demon."

"Well... Is it because I don't know how to react? It's a normal response when someone realizes their acquaintance isn't actually human but you already know them."

I explained to him with a reasonable logical excuse.

Azrael just looked at me as he was slightly surprised by my sentences.

After a short stare, he quickly burst into laughter.

"Sorry... Your answer is quite unique."

He exclaimed as he continued to laugh.

I was staring at him as I sighed at his behavior that reminded me of a child.

But that laughter soon turned into a cough.

After realizing it, he covered his mouth with his hands.

Because of that, I let out a light laugh.

I moved closer to him as I held his hand that was covering his mouth and stroke his back to calm himself from the cough.

'You should be careful of laughing too much, Azrael.'

I playfully thought as I continued to stroke him gently on the back.

I was calm until I noticed something abnormal.

My eyes widened at the sight when he removed his hand from his mouth.

In his palm, there is a trail of blood slowly dripping from his hand.

'... Did he just... cough up blood!?'

"Azrael! There's blood!"

I raised my voice as panic rushed through me while looking at him with wide eyes.

He looked at the blood in his hand as he slowly turned his head towards me.

Instead of a worried look, he expresses a wide smile instead.

"... Nah, I'm probably just dying."

He joked in a relaxed tone.

My eyes grew wider at his response before slightly squinting them.

"The fuck Azrael! You made me worried!"

I glared at him as I punched him gently in his hand.

Although I wasn't really angry and was just repaying him half-jokingly.

"Ahhh!"

He yelps in pain dramatically from the damage to my light punch as he falls to the side of the bed.

I looked at him unfazed.

"... Azrael, don't be a dramatic kid."

I exclaimed honestly while pulling out a handkerchief from my dress's pocket.

He immediately gets up from a sitting position and looks at me with a playful grin.

"Geez, give me your hand."

I exclaimed while gesturing my hand at him to show me his hand as he did so without any further complaints.

I wiped off the blood from his palm.

After that, I wiped off the blood that was remaining on his lips.

Unbeknownst by my knowledge, I wasn't aware that Azrael was giving a warm look when I still cared for his blood.

"There. It's all clean."

After cleaning him like a mother taking care of her young child, I fold the handkerchief neatly as I put it back in my pocket.

Azrael looked a bit troubled before he gazed at me and slowly muttered.

"... Demons, humans, or other creatures besides us... They used to live peacefully, side by side inside this Lucretia Kingdom."

I stayed quiet as I was taken aback by how he briefly gave me the information.

I want to ask him what happened before in this kingdom.

"... Azrael, how long have you been here?"

I hesitantly asked him since I thought this would be a sensitive topic for him to explain.

To my expectation, Azrael just stared at me with his usual neutral expression.

He opens his mouth as he answers my question.

"... Long enough. I already lived here before the Directive Order was created."

My eyes were widened.

"... When the Directive Orders didn't appear yet?"

I started shockingly as Azrael nodded.

"Before the Directive Order appears, this Kingdom is the friendliest kingdom you'll ever visit. They would let anyone visit this land as they do not mind the different races."

My eyes went wide at the thought this kingdom used to be more peaceful than I imagined.

Azrael noticed my change of expression as he added.

"I was surprised as well when I came into this kingdom."

From the history he explained, I began to conclude something that Azrael might be aware of.

"If you live here before the Directive Order appears, you must know who created it, right!?"

I raised my voice a bit, trying to keep myself down for all this too much information that is getting out of hand and a bit overwhelming.

Azrael sighed.

"... I don't know anything. The Directive Order just appeared out of nowhere and killed the citizens."

I looked at him in disbelief as I remembered our first meeting and our conversation about Directive Orders.

"... Then... your answer 'Just because' back then was a lie?"

"No, it's not. It's because I was there. I'll explain it again. Exactly 120 years ago, the Directive Order suddenly existed. A group of Directive Knights started to come out of nowhere with their overwhelming number. With their numerous amount, they can control the citizens around. On that day, anyone who immediately disobeys them would get killed on the spot. It is declared as the worst day of the Lucretia Kingdom because that incident took about 15,000 victims. They killed them just because of their 'Unforgivable Sins'. I was able to live on to this day because I'm a demon and I have that kind of power not just to manipulate the past, but also the people around me. I can consider myself fortunate."

Azrael finished his story as I stayed silent and start clenching my palm and gritted my teeth.

I'm now bearing mixed emotion of bitterness and saddened by the downfall of Lucretia Kingdom.

It was painful.

Hearing his story was painful.

I can't imagine that he's stuck inside this kingdom for a whole 120 years.

"... I apologize to hear that."

Azrael shook his head at my response.

"No. You have the right to hear that. You are our future Queen. The rightful ruler of Lucretia."

He exclaimed with a confident smile as I returned it with a gentle smile.

"... No wonder I live so peacefully. Even though I'm the only royal family that soon will have all, no one will try to murder me of envious and cause my demise because of the Directive Order. I guess those rules do have their own good. Thanks to it, I'm still alive to this day, but... It's just too unfair."

I slowly avert my eyes to the floor as I found it more interesting than anything else.

Azrael, on the other hand, smirk.

"I know you would say that."

He said confidently.

My eyes went wide as I looked up to him.

"Is it that obvious?"

I chuckled as he gives me a light smile.

"Maybe."

I looked at him.

When I notice that this might be the right time to ask, I spoke,

"Azrael, do you think witchcraft still exists to this day?"

I curiously asked while looking at the dark ceiling above me.

"What's with the sudden interest?"

His voice sounded confused and curious as well.

I turned my head towards him.

"Just because."

I simply answered with a cheesy smile as he looks at me with wide eyes and burst into light laughter.

"... Well, Yeah. It does still existed."

My eyes sparkled.

"Really!?"

"Of course. Though, they live outside this Kingdom."

My excitement drop.

"No, I mean-- Is there any witches or wizard that still lives inside this kingdom?"

He raised his brow as he put his hand under his chin.

"Well.. I'm not quite sure about that. But if demon like me and a mana user like Cristo exists, I think one or two witches or wizards exist."

"What do you think if we supposedly can find one?"

I asked for his opinion.

"Why bother asking such a question? Of course, we will ask them to join our side just like Cristo."

"... Making them my underling again?"

He paused for a moment.

"Well, Cristo's case is kind of special I would say. But I don't mind whether we ask that witch or wizard to be your underling or just merely allies until this is all over. But, we don't even know if we could find one."

I sighed deeply.

"Well, that's true."

I gazed downwards as a strand of my hair blocked my sight.

I try to put it behind my ear but something confusing catches my eyes.

The number on my wrist was the one that caught my interest.

"...What is--"

I confusedly exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

Azrael asked as he looks at me worriedly.

I showed him my wrist.

"... The number on my wrist-- It's no longer '2', it turns into '3'."

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