The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 90

Coming out here today made it clear.

There are truly a lot of people who hate Isabella.

Back in the Demon Realm, the solution to dealing with demons who disliked me was simple.

Just bury them waist-deep in the ground. Face down, of course. Then come back a week later and suddenly they’re ready to sing my praises.

Since humans are so fragile, I can’t use Demon Realm methods here. I can’t have Isabella carrying the title of both troublemaker and murderer.

So the moment I sensed the malice of these noble ladies, I decided to solve everything through conversation.

It seems my plan has been working well so far.

No matter how much influence the temple holds in the Empire, to nobles, the head of a powerful noble house feels much more relevant than the temple.

Judging by the look on that redhead’s face.

I glanced at the redhead, whose complexion was growing paler by the second, then turned my attention back to the desserts.

As expected, imperial desserts were delicious.

‘I guess now that I’ve cut ties with the Crown Prince, I won’t get to eat these desserts as easily.’

It was a bit of a shame.

So I should eat as much as I can while I have the chance.

I picked up a teaspoon and began attacking the pudding next. The way it melted softly in my mouth almost made me lose control of my expression.

‘How long could a human survive in the Demon Realm? Should I just take one with me?’

If I brought the chef who made this dessert to the Demon Realm…

My thoughts were interrupted by the redhead. Her complexion now restored, she asked me, “Are you saying you reconciled with the Duke?”

“Yes. Seems there was some misunderstanding between us.”

I briefly wondered if “misunderstanding” was the right word.

Even if the Duke truly did see Isabella as family, it was still true that he had been cold and made her feel alone.

To call it just a misunderstanding felt…

But then again, maybe this thought occurred to me:

Whether demon or human, is failing to express oneself truly a sin?

I had said some pretty heartless things to Zachary too.

Hmm. Maybe that’s not quite right either?

After some short but serious thought, I reached a conclusion.

The Duke is a trash father who was indifferent to his daughter. Still, if he sincerely regrets it, maybe there’s room for leniency.

As for me… I’ve done nothing wrong!

What do people expect from a demon anyway? We’re beings steeped in evil from the moment we’re born.

Even if I thought that internally, calling the Duke trash in this setting would do Isabella no favors.

Back in the Demon Realm, I caused all sorts of havoc under Lilith’s powerful protection and never faced any consequences.

So of course, I know how important it is to have backing.

Right now, Isabella is known to have two sources of backing.

The Celestial God, thanks to her status as a Saintess, and Duke Dunkeld, due to her family name.

The Saintess part is a lie I made up, and as for the Celestial God… let’s just say He’s in a deep sleep. Either way, He’s definitely not her backing.

Which means I need to focus on Isabella’s remaining support.

If the world believes that Isabella and the Duke share a close father-daughter bond, at the very least, trash like these wouldn’t pick fights with her so easily.

With a serene smile, I said, “As a child, I believe that even if a parent is that terrible, you should try to understand them at least once.”

Someone nearby muttered, “Isn’t it usually the other way around?”

I continued, “Anyway, the Duke is deeply remorseful. We’ve agreed to become a loving father and daughter.”

Well, whether he regrets it or not, there’s no chance we’ll become a loving father-daughter pair.

I’m not his daughter, after all.

But when Isabella returns, who knows? If I lay the groundwork well, they might reconcile and become a real family.

To think I’d go this far for a human I’ve never even met.

Daphne, Ethan… I’m doing all this for your descendant.

Someday—well, there’s no afterlife, so we’ll never meet again. But still. Just know I went this far!

You know my temper, right? And here I am, actually trying to resolve things through conversation!

“Huh? Bella, I don’t like talking. Let’s just solve it with violence! I’ll throw the first punch.”

“Bella. Using violence to solve problems as an adult is nothing to be proud of. You need to practice holding back your temper more.”

For a moment, it felt like I was hearing both of them whisper in my ears.

Anyway.

I spoke to the redhead, “Everything you said to me today—I’ll be sure to tell the Duke. He takes a great interest in my affairs.”

“…Trying to solve personal problems with your family’s power. Have you no pride, Lady?”

The redhead snapped back.

Hmm.

Pride seems to be a very important issue for humans.

But demons are a bit different. Of course, it’s not that we don’t have pride at all… but if it means crushing the other party, we can put our pride aside for a bit.

I recalled the past for a moment. Amon used to tease me about my height before I became a full-fledged demon.

As a minor, there was no way I could stand against Amon, who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

So I took another route.

“Lilith! Amon teased me again!”

“Oh dear, our youngest must be upset. What should I do? Should I rip off one of Amon’s horns and bring it to you?”

“Yeah! You’re the best, Lilith! Make sure it really hurts, okay?”

“Whose example did you follow to turn out so devilish…?”

“I learned from you!”

I smiled at the thought of Amon’s horn still hanging on the wall of my study.

Demon horns grow back, but it takes a very, very long time.

That’s why Amon’s horns are still mismatched to this day.

In any case, pride isn’t that crucial for demons.

I asked the redhead, “Have you never thought that it’s foolish to ignore an easy solution just to take the long way around?”

“……”

“I see. To not even consider that… speaks volumes about your intelligence.”

Seeing the redhead fall silent, she seemed to have lost the will to fight.

There, see?

Even I, a demon, can solve problems through conversation.

Suppressing a sense of pride inside, I glanced at the table.

All the good desserts were long gone into my stomach. There was no longer any reason for me to remain here.

As I began preparing to leave, I said, “In any case, I’ve learned enough about your kind. Tonight, when I pray to the Celestial God, I’ll be sure to mention your names.”

“…Are you threatening us right now?” Someone whose name I didn’t know asked.

I gave her a sweet smile and answered, “Yes. Don’t go out for a while. A bolt of lightning might strike from the heavens.”

Of course, that wouldn’t actually happen, but lies and intimidation are among a demon’s greatest virtues.

Just as I was rising from my seat—

“Lady?”

At the sound of a familiar voice, I turned my head. There stood Nadia, who had just arrived.

Holding bundles in both hands, Nadia asked, “Are you leaving already?”

“I was just about to.”

“…Oh.”

Nadia looked dejected. With her eyebrows drooping, she said to me, “I was late, wasn’t I? I asked the Young Duke and heard that you liked desserts, so I went to get these from our family’s chef…”

She extended a basket toward me.

Hmm.

The basket smelled amazing… I hesitated for a moment.

Then I studied Nadia’s face closely. With her soft peach fuzz, she looked just like a baby chick.

“How old are you?”

“Huh? Oh, I just turned twenty a month ago.”

Turned twenty just a month ago? Hmm… With a demon’s generous heart, I could still treat that as underage.

And since her face looked especially chick-like, I mentally subtracted five more years.

Then, for Isabella’s sake—because she needed a friend—I subtracted another three.

‘At that age, she’s still in the child category.’

Being kind to children is a demon’s instinct. It’s definitely not because I’m curious about what’s in the basket.

Sitting back down, I pointed to the seat across from me with a nod.

“Sit.”

“Ah, yes!”

Nadia beamed and sat down across from me.

Seeing this, the other young ladies and noblewomen who had been hesitating nearby also slowly took their seats again.

Only then did Nadia seem to notice the awkward atmosphere and glanced around.

I ignored it all and focused on the basket in front of me.

When I opened it, it was full of beautiful-looking treats.

I picked up the sandwich that looked the most delicious and took a bite.

My eyes widened.

Nadia’s family chef was quite the expert.

Looking at Nadia, I thought to myself:

You… are definitely qualified to be Isabella’s friend.