A shiver assailed Sibylla. “Your Highness, just… who are you?” she whispered. And the sound of her voice echoed in the emptiness like a silent wind of change.

“What can I believe?” Sibylla bit her lips. “... Can I trust you? Can I believe that you are indeed, different from what I had heard... that you will treasure me? Protect me for all who I am?”

“… …”

“… If you really do, all my heart, my soul, my body, all shall be given to you, as what my fate dictates. I wouldn’t fight it nor doubt it—from your words, I might just be a little naive girl, believing in some fantasy full of fairytales. However, I want to believe what I had seen at this night, feel with my heart and hear with my own ears—if this is a lie, please continue lying to me. I beg of you,” Sibylla bowed her head at Cian, biting her lips in and trembling.

“… That is my only wish,”

Cian turned silent, fixing his gaze right at her, while she did all the same. She raised her head and they look at each other’s eyes as if wanting to see or find some falsehood hiding within those pair of beautiful gems—or probably, they just want to find some proof, evidence that what they grasp this night was real and genuine.

“We’ll see about that, Sybilla…” Cian turned around, smiled warmly and enchanting. He then curtsied, bowing down as his pair of eyes became brilliant rubies.

“Since the formal talk has ended, shall we dance?"

Sibylla was startled by the sudden change of topic but then, she suddenly realized the location they stopped at.

A wide space, both standing in a circle of beautiful colorful flowers, surrounded by beautiful small light bulb-like things floating in the air—with the music of the orchestra playing, along with the light coming through the wide open balcony of the Dancing Hall—it was beautiful and romantic, to say the least.

Was this his plan, all along?

To bring her in this kind of place?

… To conquer her heart?

Indeed, this place would be ordinary-looking in bright daylight but deep in the dark, with light imps playing and orchestra ringing out—it transformed into one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the entire Demon Palace.

“… …” Sybilla eyed the offered hand with a doubtful look, before finally taking it.

Cian smiled with a mischievous taste as he almost pulled her over, towards his embrace as the orchestra struck up with an opening flourishes with great timing. Breathlessly she found herself being whirled on to the beautiful garden camp, like fairies fluttering under the moonlight sky.

“That was rude,” She said severely. She then dropped his hand and put both her arms around his neck.

“Now you sound regal and severe,” Cian said mockingly. “Have you finally decided to ignore the things about me talked from outside and judge me with your own eyes to made such a transformation?”

Sibylla stared at Cian in shock for a moment, realizing her polite and formal tone was gone—then, shook her head and laughed gaily, feeling a little lightheaded with the sweet nostalgic melodies.

“No, not really. I’m not good at judging people—especially people like you, your highness. Tonight, I lost confidence and discovered I was still a naïve and yet to pretending to be a matured girl,”

“And what’s so different about people like me—as you put it?”

“Oh, enigmatic, I suppose! Not easy to get to know,”

“That was a harsh evaluation… and for your information, that is the second time I had heard such word describing me… in a day, at that.” Cian muttered, in awe as he recalled his talk with his mother and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Well then, will you marry me, Sibylla?”

Sibylla looked at Cian, shock and dumbstruck. It was too sudden of a proposal and somehow she couldn’t find words to reply.

Truthfully, they had just somehow corrected their misunderstanding and misconception between themselves and there are still many problems and issues they needed to resolve to form deeper understanding among themselves… thus, Sibylla momentarily lost for words.

There was a silence after this and it was clear that Sibylla was having a tussle with herself. “… you know, your highness, I’ve had a very poor opinion of you,” She said at last, “But tonight, I realized I might be wrong and was then forced to revise my ideas. I’ve been pig-headed and obstinate to see through the thick misty veil surrounding you… I admit that. But isn’t this too fast?”

“Fast? I don’t think so?” Cian grinned as he twirled Sibylla around in a dance and then once again embraced her back. “Publicly and privately, we are already crowned as a couple. I was only waiting for your answer~”

Finally, it was her turn to be stupefied. Cian shrugged and further calmly explained: “I have thought about it. If years later, you are destined to be my wife, I might as well exercise my rights earlier. Am I right?”

“… …”

“Thus, it wasn’t too fast or too slow…” He grinned evilly.

“Your act a while ago, is false sincerity isn’t it?” Sibylla didn’t respond directly and instead narrowed her eyes, staring straight at Cian eye to eye.

“Oh? Why do you say so?” Cian appeared indifferent as if speaking about a matter unrelated to him.

“… Things are indeed playing out too fast. You needed me, or at least, you needed my influence, power, whatsoever… something along those lines?” She did not even look at her when she said those words.

“Aha ha ha ha,” Cian couldn’t help but laugh.

"…Sounds about right," Sibylla answered with a disinteresting expression, resting her head on his shoulder.

Cian rested his head on her shoulder in return. The music turned solemn, quiet, slow beat…

“Truthfully, I indeed had such motive. Since you had realized it already, I won’t hide it anymore. However, I had just a change of heart… be mine.”

“… …” In that instant, Sibylla suddenly noticed Cian’s immediate change.

“I won’t promise honey and cherries… the road I will take seemed to be quite a mountainous area and being with me, I might put you in such dangerous situations and circumstances. However, all I can promise is that I won’t ever leave and abandon you alone or treat you as cruel as other imagines I would do… That we would always be together, for better or for worse, till death do us part…”

This voice. Sibylla’s mind trembled as a sudden realization dawned on her.

She immediately rummaged through her memory for a connection.

Why was this voice so familiar? So disturbing?

The fog lifted little by little. The palace…? The school…no…

Ke ke ke, a little girl wandering alone within a forest. Might you looking for a companion?

Then it came to her. How could I have forgotten?

Six years ago when it happened—

"Haa, haa, haa—"

Due to some accidents she had in school, she found herself running through a forest in the Demon Empire, full of many twisted trees lined up in rows.

Her shoes had long since slipped off, and the soles of her bare feet were covered with injuries. Since her long emerald hair had been done up at both sides of her long-sleeved, extravagant, yet courteous attire, she did not run smoothly.

From behind her, the violent sounds of many trees being mowed down were approaching.

Being caught up was just a matter of time.

Why did such a thing—

Because of some errors in the teleportation circle in the Demon School, she was sent in the middle of a forest like this, all alone.

Without knowing how dreadful this place; the forest of the Demon Empire, could be.

Approaching her from behind, a berserk Fanged Scaled Bear let out a dreadful roar.

Naturally, the Fanged Scaled Bear had the temperament of a docile spirit. Perhaps, it might be angry because she had somehow entered its territory without any permission.

It's no good if this keeps up—

She could not get away— realizing that, she prepared herself.

She stopped at that place, turned around and firmly glared at the monster rushing at her.

"Y...You, fo, forest spirit, your hu, humble servant beset you—"

Shouting with a shaky voice, she began to recite her spell. Her body emitted a faint radiance—

Poof!

However, that was all it did.

She had failed to cast her magic.

...! I thought so, it's already hopeless, I—

Despair surfaced on the girl's face. She has yet to awaken her bloodline and her magic capabilities have yet to manifest truly.

The monster let out a roar and swung its log-like arm—

At that moment, a blinding light flashed.

"Eh?"

Sibylla opened her eyes reflexively.

That monster’s log-like arm had clearly vanished from her sight.

It was as if time had stopped.

From the cross-section of the severed limb, something like a black fog was emitting out.

And then *Don* there was a sound of someone landing on the ground.

Before her eyes, a single boy was standing.

He had pale ashy colored hair and wore a black vest with a pair of navy blue trousers. “Eh? Ke ke ke, a little girl wandering alone within the forest. Might you look for a companion?”

That was the first time he had met him—though, a while later, probably due to the teleportation being fixed, she was recalled—vanishing in that location. The last words she heard before being swallowed by light was, “The hell, and here I was acting cool. Now I feel embarrassed for posing so dramatically…"

"I haven’t even yet introduced my name… cheapskate~”

… Was a curse.

Due to that, probably due to fear she had just felt, she came down with a fever and blurred the memories she had that day.

Explosion. Like flood bursting from a broken dam, forgotten memories appeared within her mind. Right, how did she forget it?

A tone of a person with particular characteristics…

As someone from the lineage with the nature aspects—she was always been sensitive with her ears and emotions.

Insanity…!

That boy… and now the guy before her… it has never changed, yes… he never changed!

This man is one sick, crazy person! Even without her ability, you can easily tell it by listening to him. It’s that rage, that crazy groundless rage that comes through in his voice—demons have it, especially those who had long gone over the edge.

The voice of lunacy…!

But why? Why does he turn into this?

From whom does this rage directed to…?

*** ***