Fema heard the crying from the hallway.
She was originally just passing by. After all, the task had already been assigned to the Succubus twins.
So she had planned to steer clear of the place for the next few days to avoid seeing that face again—the one that clearly wanted to curse someone out but forced a smile anyway.
But as she passed the office door, she heard Ellie's and Sera's voices, along with Rafina's.
Fema stood at the door for a moment. When she heard Rafina say, “I've truly lost her,” she kicked the door open.
The heavy oak door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, startling Ellie, who was wiping her tears, and making her jump.
Fema strode across the threshold, her fiery red hair fluttering slightly from her heightened emotions.
“Rafina, you're being pathetic!”
Her voice was so loud that the entire room seemed to shake with it.
Ellie opened her mouth to say something, but Sera grabbed her and pulled her to the side.
Fema didn't even look at them. She simply walked up to Rafina, step by step.
“Rafina, let me ask you: do you like her?”
Rafina's eyes were still pooled with tears, and she failed to react for a moment.
But Fema didn't give her time to think.
“Don't give me any of that ‘friend’ nonsense, and don't bring up that ten-year crap either. I'm asking you, do you like Lonia, or do you not? I mean that kind of liking. The kind where you want to be with her forever, the kind where seeing her in someone else's arms would drive you insane. Is that how you feel?”
“I... I...”
“The kind where you want to marry her!”
Rafina's lips trembled several times. Then, she lowered her head and buried her face in her hands.
“...I like her.”
“Then what do you plan to do about it? Is crying here going to help? Will she come back just because you're weeping?”
Rafina didn't say a word, only burying her face deeper.
Fema exhaled, then poked Rafina's forehead with her finger. It wasn't hard, but it was precise, landing right between her eyebrows.
“Since you like her, then just tie her up and bring her back!”
Rafina lifted her face from her hands and looked at Fema.
She was utterly lost.
“Lock her in a room, stay with her every single day, feed her delicious food, dress her in beautiful clothes, read to her, talk to her, and do everything you used to do with her all over again.
If a day isn't enough, take a month. If a month isn't enough, take a year. If a year isn't enough, take ten years. If she hates you, then force her to forgive you. If she dislikes you, then stay by her side until she likes you again! Isn't that simple?!”
“...How could... such a thing be possible...”
“Why wouldn't it be? You're the Demon King, a Rank Nine! If you tie her up, can she even resist? If you put a magic shackle on her, can she break free?
Lock her in Gloom Castle and forbid anyone else from seeing her. Spend time with her at scheduled hours every day, reason with her, apologize to her, until she smiles at you again. Is that really so hard?”
Rafina's mouth opened and closed.
“But Nia doesn't... she wouldn't...”
She wanted to say that Nia didn't like being forced, and that Nia hated being manipulated the most.
She thought of what Eliza had done to Nia, and how Nia had never once thought of going back to see Eliza, not even for a single glance.
“Are you about to say that doing this is wrong?!”
Fema voiced the words Rafina had swallowed.
Rafina nodded.
She wanted to say that if she acted like Eliza, Nia would only hate her even more.
“Rafina, what she hates most is your selfishness and self-righteousness.”
Every drop of color drained from Rafina's face in an instant.
But Fema didn't stop.
“She hates that you only care about your own feelings. She hates that you didn't believe her at the most critical moment. She hates that after a whole year, the first thing you said to her when you met was ‘I missed you’ instead of ‘I'm sorry.’
These are indeed your faults. You are selfish, you are self-righteous, and you really did only think of yourself.”
Fema poked her even harder.
“But can you change? No, you can't. You're just that kind of person! You've been like this since you were a child! You look more insecure than anyone else, but in reality, you're more arrogant and conceited than anyone!
‘Only I can shoulder the heavy burden of the Demon King. I will lift the curse passed down through countless generations. Lonia will only ever love me.’ That's what you've always thought, isn't it?! It was because of this arrogance that you chose to become the Demon King! And it was because of this very arrogance that you lost Lonia!
So, have you ever tried to change?! Do you even want to change?! Can you even change?!”
Rafina didn't speak. She only stared straight at Fema with her crimson eyes.
Her tears were still flowing, but something deep within her pupils was beginning to slowly turn.
Fema looked into those eyes and suddenly smiled.
“If you can't change, then just force her to accept it.”
She stood up straight, hands on her hips, her voice booming like a commander ordering a charge on a battlefield.
“Snatch the person you love back! Don't be the ruler of demons and end up unable to keep even the one you love!”
Rafina looked at Fema as if she were seeing her for the very first time.
“Ah... Snatch her back... Snatch her back...?”
Drive that blue-haired Saintess away from her, drag her back, lock her in a windowless room she had never seen before, and then go see her every day, spend time with her every day.
It doesn't matter if she hates me, it doesn't matter if she hits me, it doesn't matter if she curses at me. As long as she is there, as long as I can see her every day, she will smile at me again one day.
Because that was how she used to smile at me. She will definitely smile at me like that again.
“...Ellie... Sera... Fema... Please leave... for now...”
Ellie was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly dragged Sera and Fema out of the room.
Rafina remained in her seat, her mind consumed by endless thoughts.
“It hurts so much. I feel like my sanity is slipping away. Doing something like that is wrong, isn't it? How could I do that to Nia? If I actually did it, it would definitely mean I've gone mad, wouldn't it? It would mean I've completely lost my mind...
No, no, no, no. If I don't do this, how am I supposed to win Nia's heart back? If the price of keeping my sanity is losing Nia, then what use is this so-called sanity to me? Wasn't my dream born because of Nia? Wasn't my dream to live happily ever after with Nia in Utopia?
Flaws that cannot be fixed... force her to accept them, force her to accept them. Fema was right. I am just this kind of person, and I can never change. Since I can't change, then I don't need to. Yes, that's it. Snatch Nia back, make her mine, forever mine. As long as she is by my side, that is enough.”
As she closed the door, Ellie glanced back.
She saw Rafina's expression.
She was smiling.
It was a sweet smile.
A genuine smile that spread sweetness from the corners of her mouth all the way to the depths of her eyes.
Her crimson pupils were still slowly rotating, and tears were still pooling in her eyes, but her smile had transformed them into something else entirely.
Rate on N.U.
