Chapter 164 - Chapter 161: Episode 159 - The Lord's Loyalty
First, I have to find the Succubus Lord and break the Curse of Unrecognizability she placed on Yu-rin's mother.
After hearing that from Yu-rin, Yena learned the full truth of the incident through her contract with Sophia.
If Yu-rin was right, the Succubus Lord was currently staying on Earth.
Since there was no telling when she might head back to the Demon World, I had to move fast.
That was why I tracked the magical traces from the amusement park where Yu-rin had spotted them yesterday and set out.
The trail led from the park to the hospital, then to the front of the house where Father currently lives with Min-ah's mother, before one of the signatures branched off elsewhere.
The magical residue leading into the house was pure and refined—a sensation I knew well.
It was undoubtedly Father's.
However, the trace that had moved away from the house was different.
That energy, thick with impurities, had to be the Succubus Lord's.
"Yu-rin omma... one of them split off here. I think it's the Succubus Lord."
Yena stopped and spoke to Yu-rin.
But Yu-rin, who had frozen in front of the house, was staring intently at the residence.
Her expression was complex, as if she had a lot on her mind.
'This is... the house where Seon-ah lives...'
To Yu-rin, who was used to a house with a garden as large as her mother's and a private annex, this place seemed modest.
"U-um, Yena-ya, is this where Seon-ah is staying?"
Realizing this was where Seon-ah lived, Yu-rin couldn't help but show interest.
"Yes, that's right. But the situation is urgent, so we need to keep moving. We don't know how long the Succubus Lord will stay on Earth."
"I understand. Yena-ya."
Even as she followed me, Yu-rin's gaze remained fixed on the house.
By the time we were dozens of meters away, she finally forced herself to look away and focus on me.
'She must be worried about Father... Yu-rin omma...'
Yena thought for a moment, watching her.
Finally, the destination of the trail came into view: a two-story detached house.
"The traces lead inside... I think the Succubus Lord went in here."
This place was only about 200 meters from where my father lived.
The magical presence radiating from within confirmed a demon lived there.
Yena pressed the doorbell and waited until the Succubus Lord, clearly the owner, spoke through the intercom.
After a moment, the chime stopped, and the owner picked up.
"Come in."
The response was sharper and more concise than expected. She hung up immediately.
The front door clicked open.
Yu-rin and Yena pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Inside the living room stood the Succubus Lord, her horns fully exposed.
"Are you, by any chance, the Demon King?... But your appearance..."
Feeling the pure, immense magical power radiating from Yena, the Lord guessed her identity.
She assumed the Demon King had come to Earth to follow her consort.
Still, the Succubus Lord seemed taken aback.
It was unexpected that the most noble being in the Demon World would use mimicry to take the form of a child.
Yena intended to play the part of the Demon King to secure the Lord's cooperation and break the curse on Yu-rin.
Since it made the task easier, she saw no reason to correct her.
Besides, it wasn't a lie—her mother, the Demon King, was right there inside her.
"That is correct. I am the one who rules the Demon World. Succubus Lord."
"This lowly one is Grace Arandel, of the canyon territory in the southeast. It is an honor for my family to have an audience with the Demon King."
Grace bowed low to Yena.
'Come to think of it... since Yena is the Demon King's daughter... she must be good at pretending to be her, right?...'
Yu-rin watched the scene, fascinated to see this different side of a child who was like a daughter to her.
"I have a request for you."
To be honest, Yena didn't really know how her mother spoke. She was just imitating a monarch from historical dramas.
"Please, leave it to me."
It must have been convincing enough, as Grace responded immediately.
"Do you know this person named Yu-rin?"
"I do, Your Majesty. That person is a sinner who insulted your consort, Prince Consort Lee Seon-ah. I punished her with my own hands, so I remember her well."
Grace's eyes glinted for a moment.
She had known exactly who Yu-rin was the whole time, playing the part of an experienced noble while hiding her true thoughts.
"Break the curse placed on her. Grace, Yu-rin has repented to me and volunteered to become my follower. Therefore, no further punishment is needed."
Grace thought for a moment, then countered with a question.
"Does the Prince Consort also know that her curse is being broken?"
There were thorns in her words, sharp with conviction.
"O... Of course. My husband, Lee Seon-ah, knows this as well, so hurry..."
Sensing the situation spiraling, Yena began to stutter, urging her on.
"Hoo... That's a lie..."
Grace cut her off, sighing as she called her bluff.
"The Demon King does not use such stiff language. Furthermore, she might kill someone with her own hands for insulting her husband, but I never expected her to ask to remove a punishment. Who on earth are you?"
The Demon King's faction heard plenty of stories about their ruler.
Grace knew enough to separate the propaganda from the truth, and she could tell Yena's behavior was completely at odds with the rumors.
Yena was the Demon King, but Sophia had been watching from inside, keeping her mouth shut.
It felt like she was eating popcorn, waiting for Yena to trip up.
"I am indeed the Demon King, Sophia. I will let it slide just this once, so..."
"If you were the Demon King, you would have already subdued me and threatened to cut off my head if I didn't comply immediately. I don't see that ferocity in you. You are definitely a fake."
The Lord stated her piece.
The magical power in that body was real, but the spirit inside was just nervous, lacking the dignity of a true ruler.
'If I were to fight that person, I'd probably lose...'
The power was undeniable; making an enemy of her would be a death sentence.
She knew the law of the jungle applied here, but if she broke the curse on Yu-rin, she couldn't face Lee Seon-ah, who had sacrificed his body for her.
Even if the real Demon King ordered it, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She had to survive.
To repay the kindness she still owed Seon-ah, she had to stay alive.
Grace made a quick decision, looking at the fake Demon King.
"You insolent thing, impersonating the King... Die!"
She gathered magic in her palm and unleashed a spell that struck Yena head-on.
Yena wrapped her hand in magic and easily deflected it.
The spell exploded against the wall, shattering the concrete and filling the room with thick dust.
Grace sprinted through the debris, unfurling her wings to take flight.
Yena stood frozen, watching the Succubus Lord flee.
Without the Lord's cooperation, breaking the curse seemed impossible, and Grace was clearly too stubborn to help.
Sophia smiled broadly from inside Yena.
The 'cooperation' she had intended to provide was over.
It had been a profitable deal; she'd gotten to use Yena's body for half a day just by revealing the nature of the restriction the Lord had placed on Yu-rin—something Yena had been dying to know.
With Grace now running away, the situation was a total win for her.
Sophia laughed at Yena and Yu-rin, savoring the joy of finally having a body she could move.