(Liliths POV)
The mont Eleanore’s sharp voice cut through the silence of the room, my breath caught in my throat. Her tone wasn’t just demanding—it carried the weight of soone who had been holding back a storm for far too long.
"And you mind explaining how you ended up unconscious?" she asked sternly, her arms folded, gaze locked onto .
Zero shifted slightly beside , his expression unreadable, though I could sense the weight of her words pressing down on him too. But this ti, it wasn’t his question to answer—it was mine.
I stood still for a mont, the flickering light in the room throwing long shadows behind . I could feel my heartbeat slowly beginning to settle, my breaths even and asured. This ti, I didn’t hesitate. The fog that once clouded my mind had lifted, and the words—my voice—no longer trembled.
"I’ll explain everything," I said quietly but clearly, eting her eyes.
I could see the surprise flash across her face—not just because I spoke, but because I spoke fluently. There was no stamr. No gaps. No breaks in mory. The expression on Zero’s face shifted subtly, a mixture of quiet pride and relief.
Taking a deep breath, I began.
"After regaining my awareness, the fragnts of mory that once drifted aimlessly in my mind ca together. I rembered why I ca to the human domain in the first place. My purpose. My father’s mission."
Eleanore didn’t say anything, but her expression grew sharper. I continued.
"I am the daughter of the forr Devil King," I said, my voice even, unwavering. "My mother... I never t her. I was told she died when I was still a child. But my father raised with care. He was not like the devils you imagine. He admired the strength and compassion of humans. He believed that peace between devils and humans wasn’t just a fantasy—it was possible. That’s why he sent to the human domain."
I paused, letting those words settle into the silence of the room.
"It wasn’t a coincidence that I t Zero and the others during our childhood. My father planned it carefully, hoping that by building relationships from the ground up, peace could eventually bloom between our races. But he also knew that there would be danger. That not everyone would accept the idea of harmony."
I lowered my gaze for a mont.
"Xalvar was assigned as my protector. A powerful devil, trusted by many, and loyal—or so we thought. But he was a traitor. He was working with the rebel faction—the ones who believed that my father’s ideals were a weakness. They were the ones who orchestrated the cave incident."
I could still see it clearly when I closed my eyes. The twisted darkness of that cave. The screams. The blood. The loss.
"We were led into that cave under the pretense of a ga... a harmless exploration with friends. Xalvar had taken the form of one of our companions. But once inside, he revealed his true identity. One by one, our friends were slaughtered. Zero... he broke down. I rember his screams. The look in his eyes when he stood covered in blood... I couldn’t take it. Sothing inside shattered. The trauma, the guilt—it buried my awareness. And from that day on, I beca nothing more than a puppet."
Eleanore’s expression finally softened, the sharp edge dulling just slightly. I t her gaze again.
"After that, I was captured by the rebel faction. My identity was a valuable tool to them. I was turned into a human doll—stripped of my will, my soul locked away. I was used to threaten my father, to control him. He gave up the throne to save . But instead of killing him outright, they imprisoned him—because no devil could match his power. Even chained, even weakened, they feared him."
I paused to collect my breath, but the words still ca steadily.
"Ti passed. I remained locked in that state... until Zero found again. And when he collapsed at the entrance of the cave, bloodied and unconscious, sothing broke within . That mont mirrored the day of the cave massacre so vividly that it forced everything back. The grief. The fear. The rage. The mory. My will returned... and so did my voice."
I turned toward Eleanore again.
"After recovering, I moved in secret. I had to. I needed to learn what had happened during all these years I’d been lost. That’s when I found out that there were still those loyal to my father. Scattered remnants of the old guard. Quietly, they had ford a secret organization, plotting to free the forr Devil King from captivity."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn’t interrupt.
"We moved cautiously. No one could know I was alive—not until we were ready. But then ca the announcent."
I clenched my fists.
"They declared my father’s execution. It was a lie. A calculated move to force our hand. To push into revealing myself, and it worked. We rushed our plans, and on the way to the prison—before I could even see my father—we were ambushed."
"There was a traitor among the loyalists," Zero said softly from the side.
I nodded. "Yes. Soone who had fed our movents to Aamon—the one who overthrew my father. He calls himself king, but he has no royal blood. He seized the throne through betrayal, not legacy."
(He recruited Cardinal Hildred, and together they attempted to execute the Saintess. That plan failed, which forced them to delay their assault on the human domain. But their ambition never faded)
I exhaled, the next part heavier.
"We managed to fight our way out, but I was badly wounded. A group of my father’s followers stayed behind to cover our retreat. They knew they wouldn’t survive... so they made one final act of loyalty."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"They split off and led the enemy away. They made sure they left false trails. But I was to leave no trace—move alone and disappear. It was the only way to ensure that the rebellion lived on. And so I did. I ran. I kept running until my body gave out... until I collapsed near the forest of oga outpost."
(The devil group who was chasing them felt that Lilith was hiding in the delta outpost as the trails led to it hence they assaulted, Delta outpost and captured it)
For a long mont, the room was silent.
Then I added, "That’s when you found . And I am forever grateful for it."
Eleanore stared at , her arms now loosely at her sides, her expression unreadable. Then, she turned to Zero, her voice softer, though still stern.
She sighed, clearly torn between frustration and understanding.
"And now?" she asked, looking at .
I t her gaze firmly. "Now... I intended to get help from Zero. I need to find a way to free my father."
Zero glanced at , then nodded. "We’ve co too far to turn back."
Eleanore gave a long, tired breath, rubbing her temples.
"Then I expect full honesty from now on," she said. "No more secrets. If we’re going to fight what’s coming, we do it together."
A faint smile tugged at my lips. For the first ti in years, I felt like myself again. My voice was no longer chained. My will was my own. And with Zero by my side... we would reclaim everything that had been stolen from us.
One step at a ti.
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