The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 103

Hm. Now I remember.

That was a conversation from about five hundred years ago. If my memory serves right, it was just after the Demon God was sealed.

At the time, I had returned briefly to the Demon Realm to consult with the other lords about how to divide the Demon God’s legacy.

Zachary stayed in the Middle Realm to manage the affairs of the kingdom.

All the demon lords, including myself, had gathered—and it was there that Gabriel suddenly appeared and said those words to me.

“Hey, Gabriel. What do you think you’re saying to our youngest? She’s still so delicate—”

Amon scolded him in my stead for that rude remark.

And I—

“Has this old man lost it? If someone here shouldn’t exist, shouldn’t it be you, who’s already lived long enough, rather than me, with my whole future ahead of me?”

“Hm. So she’s not that delicate after all?” Amon muttered.

Back then, I was younger and more reckless than I am now.

So I provoked Gabriel without fear.

“That’s why your lover—”

“Wait, Bella! That’s really something you shouldn’t say!”

“—left you.”

Despite Amon’s warning, I ended up saying something to Gabriel that should never have been said.

If he’d gotten angry then, I would’ve thought less of him.

But Gabriel said nothing. He just stared at me in silence. Remembering those green eyes of his—

Yeah. Honestly, that was kind of scary.

Anyway, after that, I was certain: if Gabriel ever got the chance, he’d try to eliminate me.

Which meant I had to recover my magic and return to the Demon Realm before he found me.

To do that…

I recalled something Jessie once said to me.

That necklace handed down through my maternal line… The one the Duke kept safe, which Isabella stole—

“It’s a necklace that has been passed down through your maternal family…”

Apparently, Isabella stole her mother’s keepsake, and by the time the Duke retrieved it, it was already damaged.

That keepsake is now kept in the Duke’s office.

That incident became the turning point in the Duke and Isabella’s falling out.

But what if there’s more to the story?

Could I make the Duke regret everything?

Of course, even if there’s no hidden truth, I could always fabricate one.

I made up my mind.

First, I’d need more information about the necklace.

I asked Nigel, just in case.

Nigel searched his memory for a moment before replying.

“Ah, that necklace?”

“You know it?”

“Of course. It originally belonged to Daphne. A gift from Ethan—has that kind of history.”

“Hmm.”

“It was Daphne’s most treasured item. She never took it off, not even on the day she died.”

“……”

Even as a demon who usually doesn’t care about others’ feelings, this conversation felt a little awkward.

Hearing Nigel’s voice sink that low, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

If it had been someone else, they probably would’ve offered kind words… but unfortunately, I’m a demon.

After some thought, I managed to come up with something that sounded comforting.

“Still, you were Daphne’s closest friend.”

Even if he wasn’t her lover, that much should be enough—enough to be satisfied…

Was it really?

I added one more line, “Friendship is more beautiful than love?”

“Thaaaanks.”

Judging by the sarcasm in Nigel’s voice, he didn’t find that comforting at all.

He went on, “Anyway, that pendant attached to the necklace—it wasn’t just decorative. It could be opened. I saw Daphne open it and look inside a few times.”

“What’s in it?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Necklaces like that usually hold a photo of a lover.”

From that answer, I could infer one thing.

“So you’ve never seen what’s inside yourself.”

“Why would I want to see that?”

Nigel’s sharp reply made me feel awkward again.

Right.

Considering Nigel’s unrequited feelings for Daphne, it’s no wonder he wouldn’t want to confirm whether she carried another man’s photo around.

Trying to cheer him up, I clenched my fist and said, “You’re a fine man. If you want, I could introduce you to one of the Demon Realm’s lords.”

How about Annette, the Lord of Dreams? She’s a great beauty and always asleep—so no arguments at all.

At my suggestion, Nigel grimaced. “You’re the only lord I’ve ever met… and thanks to that, I’ve developed a bias.”

How rude. I tried to comfort him, and this is what I get.

I swung the fist I had raised in encouragement right at Nigel’s face.

Not that it landed—he dodged it easily since I hadn’t meant it seriously.

Anyway.

My resolve to steal that necklace only grew stronger.

Once I see it with my own eyes, I might learn more.

Fortunately, thanks to Amon, I had learned all sorts of useful skills for stealing necklaces—sneaking in, pickpocketing, lockpicking, and so on.

First, I needed to sneak into the duke’s office while he was away—

I shared my conclusion with Nigel.

“I want to know more about that necklace. So I’m going to steal it.”

“Wait, you want to know more about it, so you’re going to steal it? What kind of logic is that?”

“It’s demon logic. Obviously.”

“Haa. That’s not what I meant—ugh, fine. Just steal it.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Nigel changed his mind.

“Hold on. I’ll just steal it for you.”

“You will?”

“Yeah. You’re trying to improve your relationship with the duke, make him regret things, right? If you get caught stealing the necklace now, all the trust you’ve built will go up in flames.”

“That’s… a good point.”

The duke still cherished his late wife deeply. Stealing her keepsake—it was best left to someone else.

But could I really entrust the necklace to Nigel?

Well, not that Nigel would do such a thing, but—if, on the off chance, he got swept up in the moment—

I glanced sideways at him.

“What’s with that look? I don’t know why, but it’s seriously annoying.”

“Hm. It’s nothing.”

Sharp as ever. I brushed it off.

***

First, I’d get the necklace, uncover whatever story it held, make the duke regret everything… and then return to the Demon Realm…

As I mentally organized my plans, Nigel, who had been silent until now, asked, “Once you return to your original body, what happens then?”

“Hm? First, I’m going to find the demon who trapped me in this body.”

I frowned slightly after saying that.

I’d only been in this body for a few months.

That might seem long to humans, but for a demon, it was a blink. So it wasn’t strange that the other lords hadn’t noticed my absence.

But the fact that even Lilith didn’t know yet…

And then there was what Belial said to me recently:

“You’re here on Lilith’s errand, aren’t you?”

‘The demon who made a contract with Isabella is probably Lilith.’

And the reason Lilith acted that way…

One by one, the unknown pieces began to surface, forming a clearer picture.

I hid my confusion and spoke again.

“…Anyway, I’ll find Isabella’s soul and return it to this body.”

“…And? That’s not all, is it?”

As Nigel said, that wasn’t the end of it.

“I’m going to face Gabriel. There’s a lot I want to ask him.”

As soon as I finished, Nigel tried to stop me.

“Bella… Even if you’re the Lord of Contracts, you’re no match for Gabriel. That man has lived tens of thousands of years more than you. With the Demon God and the Celestial God gone, Gabriel is the oldest being across all realms.”

“…Do you think I don’t know that?”

I know the value of my own life.

But even so…

“There are things more important than life.”

“There are?”

“Revenge.”

I ground my teeth.

If someone messed with my life like this, I couldn’t just let it go.

And if they touched my contractor on top of that—

Gabriel’s hatred toward me, I could tolerate. I could endure it.

But if he hurt someone else to get to me—someone I cared about—I would never forgive him.

Not that I’m the forgiving type anyway.

Besides, the seal on the Demon God is weakening. A hundred years at most.

When he returns… Even if he’s known for being generous to his subordinates, I doubt he’d let someone who betrayed him live.

Well… Compared to the other lords, I’ve lived just a fleeting moment. It’s a shame, but it is what it is.

My time is almost up. I’ll make sure to rip off one of Gabriel’s arms before I go.

That was the resolve I made to myself.

I thought I was hiding my true feelings well, but apparently not.

Nigel, voice trembling, asked me, “You… what’s with that look on your face?”

“What look?”

“You… don’t think I know you? When you make that face… it creeps me out.”

“……”

“…You think I’m going to let you die? I’m… I’m your friend. Your first friend.”

His words were touching, but I bristled at the phrase ‘first friend.’

Of course, Nigel was the first person I could truly call a friend, so it wasn’t wrong, but—

‘Where does that confidence come from?’

I met Nigel when I was around a hundred. I could have made at least one friend before then, right?

…Well, I didn’t. But still.