The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 625 Bullets Shot from Beyond Time

The butterfly woven from ether flapped its illusory wings, crossed the boundary between reality and illusion, and silently landed in the mirror.

That was something that couldn't possibly exist on this backward planet, and it was a "change" that Novell had never anticipated.

After all, his departure occurred before the Solipsian civilization reunited with its father.

Faced with the stunned "Ophia", Luo Yan gently closed his eyes, letting his consciousness follow the butterfly and sink into the endless abyss.

When he opened his eyes again, the world around him had completely changed.

The elegantly decorated carriage and the twilight outside the window completely disappeared, replaced by a thick white mist that seemed so thick you could scoop it up with your hands.

Beneath his feet lay slippery tiles, each step producing a sticky, wet sound. On the walls on either side grew black mold, like the accumulated lesions of an ancient castle over the long years.

Brass faucets, like the hands of the dead, stretched crookedly out from the wall. Some were dripping, some were gushing, and some were simply rusted shut.

Above each faucet hung a mirror, but the mirror surface was gray and couldn't reflect any living person's image.

There are no windows or doors here, only a corridor that stretches as far as the eye can see, leading to the devil's throat, and the white mist is its tongue.

bring it on--

Luo Yan heard the blustering yet cowardly call.

Actually, he wouldn't stop here even if you called out to him.

Luo Yan walked forward, stopped in front of a mirror, and wiped the mirror with his hand.

A crack was parted in the white mist, but what was reflected was not his own face, but a chaotic void, as if it were about to pull him in at any moment.

A smile crept onto Luo Yan's lips, while Youyou, floating beside him, trembled and whispered softly.

"Demon King, where is this place?"

"The virtual world that Norvel wove for Ophelia."

"Weaving a virtual realm?! Is this even possible?"

Youyou was very surprised and stared at Luo Yan in disbelief. In its understanding, the Void Realm was equivalent to another parallel world.

Is this even possible to manufacture?
Faced with Youyou's confusion, Luo Yan simply gave a casual answer.

"Of course, this is not difficult for it."

In terms of the level of civilization of the Solipsians, they have almost reached the limit that a civilization can achieve. They can not only sculpt their own universe at will, but also sow the seeds of civilization in the void beyond the universe.

The "ether" power they used to sculpt the universe is already infinitely close to the origin of the universe.

If it possesses that kind of power, creating a space similar to a parallel world wouldn't be too difficult.

This is probably why most of the pieces targeted by Norville find it difficult to escape the all-consuming fog on their own.

In this matter, the Claw of Eternal Hunger was far too hasty; Urgos's servants would often swarm in and then scatter, making it difficult to find a truly loyal one.

Everyone else entered the chaotic city willingly, but its servants, while verbally protesting, obediently went inside.

Stepping through the icy puddles, Luo Yan walked forward at a leisurely pace.

Norville was not idle along the way, making noise from the white mist from time to time. Sometimes it was Alakdo drooling, sometimes it was an adult version of Tauf, trying to scare him and force him to retreat.

It even transformed into Miss Lilith.

Luo Yan simply smiled faintly at this and walked past as if he hadn't seen it.

Nothing that can frighten the Demon King has yet been born in this world.

In particular, he had seen through the essence of emptiness; the so-called whispers in the dark were actually just inner demons.

He doesn't have that kind of thing.

Finally, Luo Yan stopped in a secluded corner.

There, a white porcelain washbasin, constantly overflowing with water, stood alone, with an open brass faucet continuously pouring water into it, as if it wanted to drown it with murky sewage.

Below the washbasin, a girl in a deep blue dress was curled up, hugging her knees.

Her beautiful face was etched with weariness, her arms buried deep in her chest, her expression heartbreaking. Her once bright, azure eyes were now empty and lifeless, like a rag doll abandoned in a downpour.

tick-

Water droplets kept falling from the sink to the floor, making a wet, pattering sound on the tiles.

Luo Yan stepped forward, reached out and tightened the brass valve, which gradually stopped the annoying dripping sound.

Noticing the movement above her, Ophia, who was crouching in the shadows, slowly raised her head.

The moment she saw the person's face clearly, a look of surprise gradually spread across her blank expression.

However, that surprise lasted only half a second before being replaced by deep fear and panic.

She curled up her legs and tried to flee backward, attempting to hide herself in deeper shadows.

Seeing the disheveled Miss Ophia, Luo Yan neither mocked nor blamed her. He simply knelt down gently in front of her so that she could see her face without having to look up.

Perhaps realizing that the man before her did not belong to this mist, Ophia finally stopped avoiding him and nervously turned her gaze to him.

Those thin lips moved slightly, and a sound was gently uttered.

"Your Highness..."

Luo Yan smiled gently and spoke in a mild tone.

"Don't you even recognize your dear mentor, Ophia?"

Hearing that voice she had longed for, tears welled up in her azure eyes.

Ophia could no longer suppress her sobs; tears, clinging to her eyelashes, rolled down one after another, landing on the waterlogged tiles.

"Feel sorry……"

Not wanting her mentor to see her embarrassing side, she raised her wet sleeve to wipe away her tears, but Luo Yan gently supported her arm as she raised it.

Looking at her tear-streaked face, Luo Yan gentlemanly offered her a handkerchief.

"Use this."

Although it wasn't Ophia's real body standing there, but merely a mirror image created by Novell to house her soul, he still didn't want to see his dear student's face smeared.

Ophia mumbled a soft "thank you," blushed, took the handkerchief, wiped away her tears, blew her nose hard, and quietly hid the handkerchief behind her back, too embarrassed to return it.

Luo Yan didn't ask her for it; he simply squatted quietly in front of her, waiting for her to calm down.

Anyway, he has plenty of time.

A silent atmosphere hung between the two, and the dark, damp space became somewhat alluring with Luo Yan's arrival.

Sure enough, being handsome has this advantage.

It can instantly transform a horror movie set into an idol drama.

After taking a few deep breaths, Ophia finally calmed down and carefully examined the face so close to hers.

Although that gentle demeanor was so familiar, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unreality and whispered in a dreamlike tone.

"Are you... really His Highness Colin?"

Looking into those dreamy eyes, Luo Yan couldn't resist teasing her.

"No."

"...!"

Ophia was indeed startled, her knees straightened instinctively, and her forehead almost hit the washbasin above her head.

Fortunately, Luo Yan reached out and pressed his hand on her wet blonde hair, preventing her from hitting something hard.

"My name is Luo Yan, don't you already know that?" Luo Yan touched his wet head, gave Ophia an apologetic look, and continued with a smile.

"As for Roxie Collin, it's a name I borrowed from my father; only the surname is practically mine."

Realizing she had been tricked again, Ophia puffed out her cheeks and glared fiercely at Luo Yan with her azure eyes.

But that look wasn't really dangerous; someone who didn't know better might have thought she was just being coquettish.

However, due to Luo Yan's interruption, the tearful atmosphere under the washbasin was gone, and the other "faucet" was also turned off.

Yu-Yu, who was observing from the side, exclaimed that he was an expert and was full of admiration for the Demon King's skills in coaxing girls.

Once Ophia calmed down, she suddenly remembered something else and asked a question.

"Then...who is Nanfu?"

Having guessed that she would ask this question, Luo Yan answered honestly.

"He is my half-brother."

Ophia stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape, momentarily forgetting to sob.

"And... what about the one buried in St. Clement's Cathedral?"

"Just ordinary ashes."

Her azure eyes widened as Ophia stared at Luo Yan in disbelief, muttering to herself.

"You have deceived the Holy See..."

And right under the nose of the statue of Saint Sis in St. Clement's Cathedral!
Has this guy gone mad?!
certainly--

What drove her even crazier was that none of the popes or bishops had noticed anything.

They all acquiesced to the titles Colin claimed and the establishment of the Knights Templar.

Looking at the incredulous Ophia, Luo Yan pondered for a moment and spoke in a gentle tone.

“I don’t think it’s deception. I just told them what they wanted to hear and hid what they didn’t want to hear. Actually, it’s not just me; the priests do the same. They also hold back and only tell their believers nice but useless nonsense. It’s all the same.”

Ophia nodded, seemingly understanding.

Although she still didn't understand why Luo Yan did this, she could vaguely sense that he wasn't a bad person.

Whether for himself, for the Castellion family, or for the many children of the Holy Light.

Even in that land where the Holy Light did not reach, it was he who, on behalf of Saint Sith, fulfilled the obligations that should have been performed by the nobles of the Holy Light.

Thinking about her suspicion and resentment towards Luo Yan along the way, Ophia's face gradually showed an expression of guilt and shame.

After a long period of brewing emotion, she finally opened her small mouth again and whispered the words she almost never had the chance to say.

"Sorry……"

With her azure eyes slightly lowered, Ophia bit her lip, her voice choked with apology.

“If I hadn’t been so clever, things might not have turned out this way… I messed everything up and made you worry about me.”

Looking at her face, which was about to cry again, Luo Yan smiled gently and reached out to touch her wet head once more.

“I have to correct you on one point: even without your self-righteous investigation, things would have gone in this direction.”

If anything, he should apologize for stepping on the gas of that speeding car, causing the seed that might not have sprouted for a year or two to grow prematurely.

Novell's excitement likely stemmed from his surprise at how smoothly things were progressing.

Ophelia heard its voice so quickly, and then confidently walked into the trap it had woven.

In fact, it was in the Demon King's trap from the very beginning.

"But--"

Seeing that Ophia had raised her head as if to say something, Luo Yan interrupted her and quietly revealed the answer.

“You weren’t targeted by the eerie fog in Roland City. You were already exposed to Norville’s contamination at the train station in Gravit Town… or even earlier in Thunder City.”

Sure enough, Ophia's beautiful eyes widened.

"Back in Thunder City?"

Luo Yan nodded slightly.

“A corruption incident by Novell once occurred in Thunder City, and its mark may still remain there. It’s not surprising that it has targeted you. After all, you have the blood of the Castellion family flowing through your veins, and your every move can affect the future of the entire continent of Os.”

He paused, then looked at Ophia, who was speechless with surprise, and continued.

“The first time I saw you at the train station in Gravitt that night, I smelled that familiar scent on you… Although I was only suspicious at first, what happened later proved that my suspicion was not wrong, you did indeed hear Novell’s voice.”

Perhaps she had heard it even earlier.

At that time, he and Youyou both thought it was the aura of Avano, the Crown of Pride.

But now it seems that it was probably a smokescreen deliberately released by Norville.

The true madman cannot smell it, at least during the incubation phase. Neither he nor Youyou could sense the slightest abnormality.

Ophia stared at him blankly, her mouth agape involuntarily, and it took her a while to come to her senses.

"But... how did you find out?"

Luo Yan smiled gently.

“This is not difficult for me because I know you very well, and the person standing in front of me at that time was not you.”

Although Luo Yan did not mean to tease Ophia, Ophia's cheeks flushed red the moment she heard those words, and her ears seemed to be burning hot.

Her azure eyes looked to the side, and she lowered her head, stammering as she spoke.

"What strange things are you saying... I, we haven't seen each other for more than two years."

"But haven't we been corresponding all along?"

"But, but those are letters after all. Haven't I changed at all in the past two years?"

Thinking of this, Ophia felt both sweetness and a slight annoyance.

She never expected that she held such a high position in Prince Colin's heart. This was beyond her expectations, and what troubled her was that she was still a child in his eyes.

Doesn't that mean there's been absolutely no progress?

Looking at the flustered Ophia, Luo Yan smiled gently.

"How could that be? You have changed a lot, of course, but not so much that I wouldn't recognize you. But back then, you gave me a feeling of unfamiliarity, as if someone had locked up my dear student."

"What does this mean..."

“It means exactly what it says,” Luo Yan continued patiently, gazing into those azure eyes. “I believe people change over time, but they don’t completely transform into someone else overnight. Unless something happened that night that I don’t know about.”

Ophia's face grew increasingly hot, and her slightly parted lips prevented her from uttering a single complete sentence.

So this is what it feels like to be watched?

Unexpectedly, he not only read his letter carefully, but also kept in mind all the little thoughts hidden between the lines, as well as his rambling thoughts about growth and troubles.

Only in this way could he see the changes in himself in an instant.

A warm feeling welled up in her heart, followed by an unprecedented sense of security, which made Ophia lower her head shyly once again.

She thought about it with deep reverence in her heart.

Your Excellency Duke André Castellion, my beloved father…

Your daughter has finally understood what love is.

Just as you said, I will naturally understand when that day comes...

Luo Yan smiled slightly, refraining from further teasing the flustered Ophia, and instead extended his right hand to her.

Give me your hand.

Ophia instinctively reached out her hand.

She only snapped out of her daze when those cool fingertips touched her palm, blushing as she asked softly.

What are you planning to do?

"Of course, I'm taking you away from this godforsaken place."

As he said this, Luo Yan grasped her fingertips and gently blinked.

The instant he finished speaking, everything in the corridor—the gray mirrors, the leaking tiles, the twisted brass faucets—collapsed like faded sand, turning into swirling fragments that vanished into the bottomless white fog.

Ophia felt as if she had stepped into thin air, and her body suddenly sank downwards.

The next second, the feel of velvet cushions replaced the damp floor. She looked up in surprise and saw an elegantly decorated carriage all around her, while outside the window, the city of Roland was gradually sinking into the twilight.

The clatter of horses' hooves echoed in my ears, along with the soft sound of wheels rolling over the stone pavement.

Although the two communicated for a long time in the virtual realm, less than a second actually passed outside.

Ophia subconsciously looked down at herself. Her white lace gloves were still neat and clean, and her pristine white ruffled collar was spotless.

Her deep blue dress draped like satin across the red cashmere carpet inside the carriage, and her golden hair was braided and draped diagonally over her shoulder.

Looking at the body that was once again under her control, Ophia's eyes welled up with tears of excitement.

However, before she could even feel happy for two seconds, a massive flood of memories rushed into her mind without warning.

That was what happened after Novell closed the bathroom door, mainly during his "date" with Luo Yan.

From sitting side by side in the theater, to deliberately falling in the carriage, to exchanging breaths so close together, and that shameless "confession"... it all seemed as if she had done it all herself.

With a deafening roar, it felt as if a muffled thunderclap had exploded in Ophelia's heart, her cheeks instantly turning a deep crimson as if they were about to bleed. Saint Sith above!
Was that human speech?!

What does it mean to become your obedient slave, and to use this body as you please...?

With her eyes fixed on the carpet, Ophia bit her lip so hard it was almost bleeding, as if she wanted to draw blood from it.

At this moment, all she wanted was to find a crack in the carpet and bury herself completely inside it.

Luo Yan picked up his teacup and took a sip, gentlemanly avoiding eye contact with Ophia to prevent her from feeling embarrassed.

To his surprise, his dear classmate Ophia braced herself and raised her head, casting her wet eyes at him.

"that……"

"Ok?"

"I didn't do those things, and I didn't say those words either!"

"I know."

"And also, I...I would never do anything so shameless as to jump into your arms or anything like that..."

is it?

Luo Yan smiled and offered a word of comfort.

"Alright, you don't need to explain anymore. I know that Novell did those things, and it has nothing to do with you."

With her knees pressed tightly together, Ophia nodded quickly, but her softened eyes soon clouded over with disappointment again.

"that……"

"Anything else?"

She hesitated for a long time before speaking softly in a tone that was difficult to utter.

"Even such generous terms couldn't sway you? I mean... weren't you even slightly tempted?"

Seemingly realizing that her question was somewhat inappropriate, she quickly waved her hands and corrected herself.

"Ah, that's not what I meant, I—"

I know what you want to ask.

Luo Yan placed the teacup back on the ceramic tray, looked at Ophia who was twisting her fingers with her head down like a child caught doing something wrong, pondered for a moment, and then continued.

"To be honest, it's impossible not to be tempted at all, after all, the conditions they offered were quite attractive."

“…!” Ophia blushed and looked up, then quickly buried her head back down.

Her expression was ambiguous, whether it was happiness or something else entirely. At that moment, her feelings, like her tangled fingers, were a complex tapestry of emotions.

Luo Yan paused for a moment, then continued in a joking tone.

"But it's not you after all, so I didn't take its promises seriously at all."

Ophia nodded slightly.

Perhaps they were satisfied with the answer, or perhaps they didn't want to dwell on the topic for too long.

Just when Luo Yan thought the topic was over, she spoke up again in a low voice.

"If... I mean, if I were the one saying those words, would you... be moved?"

The carriage fell silent.

All that could be heard were the sounds of wheels and horses' hooves, and the increasingly loud noise from the streets.

Luo Yan pondered for a while.

"This is a difficult question to answer. Why don't you rephrase the question again?"

"The question, the question stem?"

"It's the words you remember yourself saying."

Ophia took a deep breath and mustered her courage to speak, but she failed after trying for a long time.

She buried her face, which looked like it was about to boil, back into her arms.

Seeing Ophia hiding like an ostrich, Luo Yan smiled gently and stopped teasing her. Instead, he took out a pocket watch from his pocket.

He flipped the watch cover up.

On the once pristine flip-screen, a dark shadow was seen floating, twisting and struggling.

The reflection in the table is of another carriage; outside the window is darkness, and inside the carriage is an impenetrable fog.

The replaced soul was imprisoned in his pocket watch.

Ophia noticed the pocket watch in Luo Yan's hand out of the corner of her eye, and quietly raised her head slightly, asking in a low voice.

"This is……"

"It is Novell, the voice that lingers in your heart, the embodiment of all conspiracies. Of course, to be more precise... it is a projection left in the mortal world by the void itself."

"When people doubt for the sake of doubt, change for the sake of change, search for non-existent answers at all costs, and fall into new labyrinths because of their obsession... they will stumble upon its ghost at an unexpected corner. But as long as you understand what it is, you will not be afraid of it, much less curious about it."

Ophia's cheeks paled slightly, and she instinctively shrank back, her body tensing up involuntarily.

Apparently—

That voice that silently usurped her reason left her with a huge psychological scar.

This is unavoidable.

After all, the other party was using her most prized courage and knowledge to lure her step by step into a carefully woven trap.

"Don't be nervous, it can't hurt you anymore." Luo Yan smiled and looked at the black mist in the mirror. "Am I right, Ms. Novell?"

In fact, the beings behind the void have no gender, but they did, after all, date for a whole day.

Since Luo Yan has no problem recognizing his own gender, he can only ask the other person to play the role of a lady.

Besides, it is playing the role of a lady.

The black mist writhed on the mirror surface, piecing together a face that was constantly changing.

A charming smile graced his face, as if he were enjoying a wonderful stage play.

"As expected of you, my dear father, you always bring unexpected changes to me... But what I didn't expect was that I was actually hit by a bullet that flew from outside of time."

Luo Yan wore a humble smile, the kind of humility that comes with being a victor.

"You flatter me, your scheme is not bad either."

The eerie black mist changed shape again, this time bearing a resemblance to Ophelia.

However, it is clearly not.

That's more like something else entirely, like Miss Ivy in "The Butterfly and the Dream".

"Hehe, thank you for the compliment, but our game isn't over yet. The grand ceremony to please me has only just begun."

The laughter turned shrill, and a sinister aura emanated from the distorted black mist.

Outside the carriage reflected in the mirror, flames soared into the sky in the darkness, and screams and cries of agony echoed through the heavens.

"...Did you hear that scream? That's the future of Roland City. This city is full of my pawns! Unless you can find them all, no one can save this city."

“I never said I was going to save this city, nor does it need me to save it,” Luo Yan interrupted the eerie whisper, speaking in a gentle voice what he had decided from the beginning. “The people here will save themselves. I came here only to save my dear students… nothing more.”

Dealing with the corruption of Norviel is different from dealing with the corruption of other chaotic evil spirits.

For an individual, only external help can pull the madmen out of the bottomless fog. For civilization as a whole, the only way to deal with a group of madmen is to rely on their own immunity.

Fortunately, the land has a strong immune system, and that force is the very conservative force that the radicals today regard as their enemies.

When everyone is caught up in the frenzy of fanaticism, someone will pour cold water on their heads.

He will reign supreme over Roland as God's chosen one, sweeping away all hysterical voices like a hurricane and bringing this nation, mired in fanaticism, back on track.

In fact, that person has already appeared, but is not in this city yet.

Perhaps on the front lines, perhaps in the countryside, or perhaps in some unassuming monastery.

If Prince Colin or Edward intervened at this time, the Chosen One would not appear again.

Not only that, the history of the Ryan people will also remain stagnant, and the number of people who die in the end will not be less, but rather two more zeros.

And this is exactly the scene that Norville is most pleased to see—

A group of passionate people struggled painfully to change the course of history, and after paying a heavy price of bloodshed, they returned to where they started.

Upon hearing that calm reply, the black mist distorted in the mirror paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting its beloved father to be so heartless.

And it finally realized that the carriage had not returned to the Summer Palace, but was heading away from the city.

"Why... but why? You weren't like this when Avano came?"

Its voice carried a hint of unacceptable jealousy, even bordering on hysteria.

Luo Yan smiled gently.

"For no reason other than that you need different tools to deal with you, that's all."

Looking at Luo Yan talking to Novell, a look of confusion flashed across Ophia's face, her gaze shifting back and forth between Luo Yan and the pocket watch.

"……Father?"

Luo Yan did not answer her question, but simply pressed the cover of the pocket watch with his thumb, trapping the murmuring black mist inside the mirror.

The venomous voice abruptly stopped.

The eerie whispers also abruptly ceased.

In order to imprison Ophia's soul, Novell meticulously crafted that misty, illusory realm, and within that realm, he created a mirror image of her body as a vessel to hold her soul.

However, things didn't go as planned, and the cage that was originally used to imprison Miss Castellion eventually became Novell's own prison.

Although only a slice of it in the mortal world was imprisoned, the only person in the entire continent of Aust who could imprison the projection of chaos was probably the esteemed Demon King.

"You don't need to listen to the 'mad talkers' nonsense. The best way to overcome it is to stay true to yourself and be yourself."

Luo Yan put the pocket watch into his storage ring and sealed the slice of Novell forever in the crevice of the subspace.

“I see…” Ophia’s face showed a hint of realization, and she muttered to herself, “No wonder you ignored me before.”

That's not it.

The deliberate neglect was actually a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole, allowing the bomb to explode in a safe place.

However, Luo Yan was too embarrassed to admit that he had used her as bait, so he didn't continue the discussion on that topic.

Fortunately, Ophia did not dwell on this matter and quickly focused her attention on the current arrangements.

"What's next? Where do we go?"

Luo Yan turned his gaze to the street outside the window and said in a casual tone.

"Roland City is already in chaos. Staying here will only complicate the situation further. Let's head straight back to Twilight Province."

As expected, news of Langway's defeat likely reached them, adding fuel to the already chaotic situation.

He left a letter in the summer palace, instructing the servants there to deliver it to the mission of the Duchy of Campbell, reminding them to evacuate in time.

Including messengers from Twilight City.

Ophia nodded, but a worried look immediately appeared on her brow.

"But my luggage is still at the Summer Palace..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Miss Sarah's voice came from the front.

“Your Highness, you need not worry. Miss Elfit has already packed everything for you. We told her about today’s arrangements in advance, and she will meet us outside the city. She is probably already there waiting for us.”

Upon hearing the sudden sound, Ophia's cheeks flushed red. She looked at Luo Yan in alarm, then turned to look behind her.

“Miss Sarah? When did you…”

“Of course she’s always been there,” Luo Yan smiled, answering for Sarah. “Otherwise, how could our carriage move on its own?”

Ophia stammered.

"I...I mean, I thought there was some kind of soundproof barrier...And Miss Elliefit, she's here too? When?"

Saint Sis above!
Doesn't that mean... a third person heard what she said?!
Ophia closed her eyes in agony; the urge to die had never been so strong.

Sarah, sitting in front of the carriage, curved the corners of her mouth into a slight smile, a faint smile playing on her usually calm face.

Although it was a pity that I couldn't see Miss Ophia's expression, the experience was inexplicably interesting.

Looking at the blushing Ophia, Luo Yan smiled and said in a joking tone.

"She found Spruce Manor around the first day you and I eloped. I left her a letter, telling her about the plans for the next few days."

"So she..."

“She’s been around us these past few days, and I’ve seen her several times. She’s obviously worried about us too.”

"By Saint Sith..."

Ophia's face was contorted with pain, and she clasped her hands together in prayer. "How am I supposed to face her? I've caused her so much trouble."

Luo Yan offered her a word of comfort.

"Actually, it's alright. With me by her side, she feels at ease. She hasn't told your father about this yet."

He paused, then adopted a persuasive tone.

"If you can appease her, perhaps she can act as if nothing happened and you are still in Thunder City."

Ophia was indeed intrigued. She opened her tightly closed eyes and asked in a slightly anxious tone.

"Please, please teach me, how can I convince her? I'll do anything for you!"

Luo Yan immediately said.

"It's very simple. Swear to Miss Elfit that you will never do anything as outrageous as running away from home again."

"That's it?" Ophia was taken aback, seemingly finding the promise too simple.

She wasn't the type to run away from home; the reason she did this was purely because of Novell's corruption!

Seeing the stunned Ophia, Luo Yan smiled and nodded.

“That’s it. Of course, to make your oath more convincing, I can act as a witness to it… I believe Miss Elliefelt will be completely at ease.”

Ophia looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you... I've already caused you so much trouble, and I really don't know how to thank you enough for this."

"You're welcome," Luo Yan said, a slight smile playing on his lips as he looked at the sincere gratitude of Ophia. "After all, you are my student."

Watching the Demon King's scheme succeed once again, Youyou, floating beside him, muttered a complaint in a low voice.

"Demon Lord, you just want to keep Ophia in a visible place, don't you?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly and answered calmly.

"That's not the case."

"Not at all?" Ophia tilted her head, not understanding the meaning of this unexpected remark.

Does "not just students" mean that it's not just about students?

That seems to be the only explanation.

Thinking of this, Ophia's cheeks gradually flushed again, and memories that did not belong to her but had actually happened flashed through her mind.

Seeing that Ophia had clearly misunderstood something, Luo Yan quickly coughed and explained.

"It's nothing... I mean, don't be so polite."

That damn Yoyo—

This time, he accidentally blurted out his true feelings.

Seeing Prince Colin's "hasty explanation," Ophia gave a shy smile.

Then, she blinked gently, giving him a knowing look.

"Alright, Your Highness, you don't need to explain. Actually... I can sense your feelings for me to some extent."

At this point, her serene and beautiful face became shy again.

She raised her index finger, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, and her azure eyes darted furtively towards the window.

"That... arcane magic, actually... is also because of my name, right? I actually know that."

Luo Yan: "...?"

This misunderstanding seems to be quite serious.

(End of this chapter)