Chapter 180

The real reason Sheffy feared the dark lay entirely within Herilet’s account.

Xiarette unconsciously clenched her fists so tightly that her skin ached. Her teeth bit down hard on her lower lip, as if punishing herself.

My thoughts before...

They were truly arrogant.

She had always believed that just because she was the only one who knew of Sheffy’s past life, she must understand everything about her.

But even the reason Sheffy feared the dark now—she had instinctively made the wrong judgment about it, hadn’t she...?

Sheffy was no longer just the Sheffy of her previous life. What Xiarette knew of her might only be half the truth—or perhaps not even that.

The years spent together in the past totaled twenty.

The years spent apart had also reached twenty.

Only now did Xiarette suddenly realize... had she perhaps relied too much on Sheffy’s tolerance?

She was always joking around, saying things didn’t matter, bringing laughter and joy to every ordinary day.

And Xiarette had only assumed she understood her, going along with her laughter, occasionally teasing her for being silly.

But she had never once asked—Now that it’s dark, does Sheffy need a hug?

Looking at Xiarette, Herilet wore a complicated expression, but more than anything, there was a sense of comfort in her gaze.

“So you’ve realized it too, Miss Xiarette. Becoming someone important to Sheffy Harl isn’t such an easy thing.”

“I understand... I’m sorry, I was too presumptuous... If I have the chance, I hope to hear more stories from you about Sheffy. I... want to understand her better, to be able to help her, and also... protect her.”

“......”

This time, it was Herilet who appeared somewhat surprised.

Protect her...?

To protect, huh...

A soft chuckle escaped, making Xiarette’s heart waver with unease.

She worried whether her words had sounded too childish and left a terrible impression on the queen.

But when Herilet finally spoke, it seemed that wasn’t the case after all.

“Hahaha... you said ‘protect’... amusing, very amusing. Knowing full well that Sheffy is an eight-winged one, possessing a power that’s absurd and beyond what we can comprehend—yet you still say you have the confidence to ‘protect’ her? You’ve witnessed just how outrageous her magic can be, haven’t you?”

“Yes.” Xiarette’s response clearly defied all logic and reason, yet it came so naturally, so irrefutably. “To protect... just as you said, Sheffy’s strength is something I know I can never reach. But that fragile side of her... I’ll find a way—keep finding ways—to make sure she never feels afraid or uneasy... I’ll do everything I can...”

Her sapphire-blue eyes finally lifted.

As clear as the sky, as deep as the ocean.

“To become her ‘strength,’ to become the torch Sheffy needs to get through the dark.”

Even if it meant standing in a land of ice and snow.

Even if it meant facing a starless, pitch-black night.

I’ll go there too.

To that night she’s afraid to face alone, I’ll go and stay with her, hold her in my arms.

And wait with her until the sun rises.

Wait until... she no longer needs to pretend with jokes, but laughs loudly and recklessly from the bottom of her heart, without a care in the world.

That would be enough.

A glimmer of light flickered in Herilet’s eyes—brief and fleeting—even the Queen herself remained dazed for quite a while.

She had expected Xiarette to retreat at this point, to back down in the face of hardship. But who would have thought—Xiarette held her ground and charged ahead like a torrent!

But the Queen was still the Queen.

Surprise, to her, was nothing more than another step toward understanding the person before her.

“Pfft... to be honest, this really took me by surprise. Miss Xiarette, I actually find it quite strange—why do you think Sheffy relies on you so much? She only told Dielzner and me about her eight wings. Belith seems to know now too...? Sheffy didn’t tell Belith before because she was worried Belith would be burdened by it. But you, Miss Xiarette—you’re the exception.”

Queen Herilet’s gaze suddenly sharpened.

As if she were curious—intent on seeing through the mystery hidden behind Xiarette’s eyes.

“You’ve only known each other for such a short time, and yet Sheffy has already opened her heart to you. Since she told you about her eight wings, that means she doesn’t fear troubling you. In other words, deep down, she already believes you can accept her existence. That child having such a side to her... truly baffles me.”

It baffles me—but also fills me with unspeakable joy.

Herilet was indeed the Queen of the Demon Clan.

But more than that, she was Sheffy’s mother.

And as a mother—seeing her daughter, who had always endured everything alone, finally find someone she could rely on—wasn’t that a blessing beyond measure?

It was just that... how had such deep trust formed so quickly? And why was that person the Hero of the Kingdom? This, Herilet simply couldn’t understand.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Xiarette’s forehead. She nervously swallowed.

This... this is bad. How am I supposed to explain this?

Xiarette had already resolved to keep the truth of their past lives buried deep in her heart.

That was a secret...

...belonging solely to her and Sheffy—a secret she had always cherished with pride.

So she absolutely would not speak of it.

But avoiding the truth! Even she couldn’t think of a way to explain how Sheffy had fallen in love with her after only a few months of captivity!

Xiarette’s eyes darted back and forth in a panic, rapidly glancing toward Sheffy sitting in the distance—as if hoping to draw some inspiration from her. But every panicked little glance was caught in Herilet’s gaze.

At first, Herilet stepped in closer and closer, as though she wouldn’t give up without an answer.

However—

There was one thing Xiarette didn’t know.

Herilet was not someone who needed a “definite answer” to everything.

She didn’t need it.

“『True Mirror, Still Water』.”

"Eh?"

"I mean, that’s my Unique Magic."

Only then did Xiarette realize that in Herilet’s dark violet eyes—there seemed to flicker a glow similar to when Sheffy activated her 【Visual Magic】, though there was something subtly different about it.

At that moment, Herilet straightened her posture, clasped her hands before her, tilted her head with a smile, and closed her eyes. The magical particles before her eyes dispersed along with the motion.

"Sheffy’s Unique Magic is the only 【Visual Magic】 in existence. It can see through lies and perceive illusions. I always thought that peculiar ability of hers must’ve been inherited from me~ Mm... but unlike hers, my Unique Magic isn’t visual-based. Mine is the ability to see through all good and evil—【True Mirror, Still Water】."

"To see through... good and evil?"

"Yes. Kindness and malice are laid bare to my eyes. That’s why, in the Demon Domain, not a single one of our officials hides ill intentions. Pfft... because those who do are executed before they even get the chance to stir up trouble. Malice simply cannot escape the mirror’s gaze~"

"......"

As expected of the mother of Sheffy and Belith...

That smile of hers carried a terrifying aura no less intense than that of little sister Belith!

After saying all that, Xiarette suddenly realized—wasn’t she supposed to still be thinking of a reasonable excuse for earlier!?

But—

Herilet waved her left hand, cutting off Xiarette’s now meaningless train of thought.

"Enough, enough~ Miss Xiarette, since you don’t wish to speak, let it be. Because the answer is no longer important. I can already see that, in this matter, you hold no malice. When you think of Sheffy, what I saw... was that your soul is as pure and spotless as a snow-covered mountain range—completely and utterly ‘good.’ Hah... honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever seen such pure goodwill. No... I should say love, shouldn’t I?"

"!"

Xiarette’s shame reflex kicked in all at once.

She clenched her fists to her chest, and her head began shaking side to side like a frantic rattle-drum!

But...

After a short while of frantic shaking, her face flushed red, and her movements gradually softened—her head now moving into a gentle, shy nod.

That wild shaking could no longer deny anything.

And that soft, slow nod... was the most resolute confirmation of all.

Watching her reaction, Herilet finally smiled even more naturally.

She was in excellent spirits.

"Mhm! As I thought... love knows no gender, it is utterly free! Ahhh... if you ask me, love at first sight really does exist in this world. Maybe you two just don’t remember it. Perhaps, in your past lives, you already shared life and death together—perhaps you were destined to be a pair of mandarin ducks swimming side by side!"

"!"

Ahh, what an easy child to understand.

Herilet gave a wry smile and shook her head, feeling that there were many things in this world that simply couldn’t be clearly explained.

Mysteries beyond reach were everywhere. And once good and evil had been discerned—why get hung up on complicated, irrelevant reasons?

With a sweep of her ankle-length sapphire-blue gown, countless flowers and grasses swayed in her wake.

Herilet now faced Xiarette directly, her expression suddenly taking on a more serious tone.

“By the way, after chatting for so long—Miss Xiarette, I wonder if you could answer a question for me?”

“I’ll tell you anything! N–no... as long as it’s not a matter of national security, I can talk about anything else!”

“Hahaha, I wouldn’t ask such boring things! So listen carefully to my question.”

Xiarette straightened her posture, her expression turning uncharacteristically earnest.

She had a feeling—whether or not Queen Herilet would accept her relationship with Sheffy depended entirely on how she answered this question. If Herilet was satisfied...

Come on, brain—don’t fail me now.

Hang in there, emotional intelligence!

A soft breeze brushed through the flowers and grass. As the wind settled and all things grew quiet—

Herilet’s question came, still wearing a gentle smile, slowly spoken.

“You say you and Sheffy Harl are in a relationship beyond friendship, yes?”

“Y–yes.”

“Then, you and Sheffy... have you done it?”

“Pfft!”

---

11. The Promise (4K)

From childhood to adulthood, we’re always told that the most important thing when dealing with others is honesty.

And that’s not wrong.

What’s been done is done. What hasn’t been done simply hasn’t. A dead thing can’t be talked into living; black can’t be spun as white.

So basically... basically...

Tell the truth.

But say it quietly!

“Um... yes... Sheffy and I have... crossed that line already. And not just once...”

“Eek!”

“?!”

Could you not scream at a time like this?!

Herilet suddenly let out a sharp yelp and clapped her hands together with a loud smack, startling Xiarette into a full-body jolt.

A complete reversal from her earlier elegant and composed demeanor—she now looked absolutely thrilled!

“Really? Really?! Aaaah... I didn’t expect Sheffy to leave home a girl and come back a woman! By the way, can I ask? You’re both girls—how exactly did you do it? Can you share a few details?!”