The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

The finest wine from the Land of Demons, in a bottle with a capacity of one and a half liters, added a final layer of decoration to this desolate tombstone.

The girl poured out all the wine, leaving not a single drop. Only then did she put the bottle down.

"How was it? Was it good?... Hmph, no need to answer me now. When I'm in hell, I'll probably run into you. Then you can tell me about your wine tasting experience, and I'll tell you about the children growing up... Until then, take care of yourselves, 'in-law'..."

The moment she finished speaking, the girl vanished completely from the cemetery, as if no one had ever been there at all.

Only the intoxicating smell of alcohol and an unlabeled glass bottle remained there until they were discovered by the cemetery caretaker the next morning. As for who was the only one to offer "goodwill" to Martis amidst the widespread condemnation?

In the end, no one solved the mystery...

Interlude: The Responsibilities of a Mother (Part 1)

"Wh...what...."

That happened shortly after my daughter was rescued.

Mayra finally awoke from her coma after several days of unconsciousness. She was overjoyed to have escaped her mother's clutches and be able to spend her life with her loved ones.

But when they left the room the next day, they were startled by the figure waiting in the hallway.

"Mother..."

"....."

The mother, who had previously threatened to take her back, is still by Mayera's side, standing right outside Mayera's room.

Even though she already knew her true identity, and even though she was deliberately pretending to be a good person, deceiving everyone, and hiding the truth to blend in with them, she was still a well-known figure.

Why would someone like this still have the nerve to show up in front of me now?

Naka, seeing her bewildered daughter, didn't say much, but simply lowered her head and remained silent.

In her original plan, she should have disappeared from their lives forever after that rescue operation.

However, her proposal was met with strong opposition from her daughter's lover, Mayajie. She declared that she would definitely help Maya and Naka let go of their past ties and allow them to live happily together as a normal mother and daughter.

That speech was so powerful and resounding that even the Demon King couldn't refute it and had no choice but to obediently submit to his stubborn son-in-law.

Despite saying that, Naka still hadn't figured out what to say when she saw her daughter, even after they met again.

On one side was a panicked, terrified daughter. On the other side was a mother, her guilt and remorse overflowing. The scene seemed to have reached a stalemate...

"It's okay~ Xiao Ai~ I know about Miss Angel~"

At that moment, Mayajie, the person trying to mend their relationship, came out of the room with a smile. She hugged Maya tightly from behind, and at the same time, reached out and took Naka's hand.

"The angel didn't actually mean to kidnap you, Xiao Ai. She just wanted you to be happy and live a peaceful life, so she pretended to be a villain to guide us to rescue you! It's true!"

"Xiaoya...you're a good person. Although it might be inappropriate for me, as her daughter, to say this, my mother...maybe...is not the kind of good person you imagine...maybe she..."

"....Feel sorry."

Mayera remained distrustful of Naka, watching her every move warily.

However, in front of Mayella and Maya, Naka bowed to Mayella and apologized.

Having set aside her identities as a demon king and a princess, she was simply a negligent mother bowing to her daughter, whose life she had wasted thirteen years of her own.

"I completely understand that you don't believe me... I was a failing mother before, and I made many mistakes... I'm not begging for your forgiveness, I just hope you can give me a chance... a chance to make up for my mistakes... All I want now is to give you back everything that belongs to you..."

"....."

Faced with her mother's sudden bow and apology, Mayera fell silent.

She slowly looked up at the window. Sunlight shone brightly on the earth, and beams of light shone through the gaps in the curtains onto the wooden floor, casting patches of light.

This is the human kingdom, the room where Tatsia and the others are. There's no mistake. Her mother didn't put her back into that perpetually dark room. Instead, she kept her in the human world.

Is it really as her mother said...? Mayera couldn't give herself a quick answer either.

If her mother intended to take her away, she could easily have forcibly taken her away. There was no need for such a complicated process.

And would a Demon King be someone who would willingly bow down to others?

She was so high and mighty, she possessed the power to subdue anyone. Right and wrong were clearly manipulated in her hands. Her power could even change the laws of the world... yet now, she was bowing her head to someone countless times weaker than herself, confessing her mistakes. She was openly displaying her vulnerability to her own daughter.

Why...?

Mayera didn't understand.

"Look, Miss Angel is still wearing the clothes you picked out for her... This is one of the proofs that Miss Angel loves you and values ​​you now."

At this moment, Ma Yajie walked to Naka's side and gently lifted Naka's dress.

She is still wearing the dress that Mayella bought for her that day, the one she had repeatedly said was "not suitable for her".

Despite saying that, she still didn't change it. A long time has passed since that day, but the dress remains as good as new, without a single wrinkle or stain.

The joy and happiness of that day didn't seem to be entirely a false lie...?

Such a thought had also flashed through Mayra's mind.

But soon, she thought of another possibility.

"Ha ha..."

I almost fell for her trick again...

This woman is the Demon Queen. She is the demon who slaughtered all of Tatsia's kin.

Even now, she still wants to pretend to be a good person...? She's the furthest thing from the concept of a "good person".

"You did this because you were afraid I'd tell Tatia about your identity, right...?"

Mayera laughed sarcastically. Because she knew that Naka was the Demon King, if she wasn't eliminated, she would eventually tell Tatia about it.

Whatever her motives for approaching Tatsia, once she reveals the truth, her entire plan will fall apart...

So she wanted to curry favor with me, and therefore silenced me so I couldn't tell Tatia the truth... that's how Mayera concluded.

"...I can't deny it..."

"I knew it! I knew you weren't up to any good..."

"But that's a different matter."

"....What?"

Naka slowly raised her head, her expression showing no trace of pretense or confusion.

"I don't want Tatia to know about me because I want her to be happy... I have no intention of running away, and I will tell her the truth sooner or later. But before that, I hope to use the time I have left to make the people I care about as happy as possible... That includes you, Mayera."

"..."

"Yes, yes, Xiao Ai~ I've already had a good talk with the angel. The angel values ​​you, and she also values ​​Miss Tatia, Miss Lushius, Miss Pais, Miss Jasmine, and even Miss Ruri, whom she's only met a few times... We've come together here because of a wonderful fate. Now, the angel only hopes to use her power to give, rather than to take away as she did before."

"So, Xiao Ai..."

"No need to say anything more..."

Naka stopped Malya from chiming in and didn't approach them either. She simply gave them a reassuring smile.

"If Mayera refuses to accept me no matter what, I'll just disappear quietly. Although I'm sorry to Tatsia, I'll find a way to explain the situation to her and leave your side. Maya is a very good girl; she can withstand your love and reciprocate your feelings. I have only one wish... I hope you can also value her more and naturally complete the journey called 'life' together... You can forget everything about me, but I hope you'll remember this one sentence."

From the beginning, Naka hadn't expected Mayera to resolve all past conflicts and understand her current feelings with just a few words. Leaving was perhaps the best option. In the end, she simply looked at Mayajie, said, "I'm leaving her in your care," and then turned away...

"Wait!"

But just as she was about to disappear, Mayera called out to her.

"I...I still can't believe you...but..."

But if that day the mother and daughter experienced in the capital was real, and if it could continue... it might not be such a bad thing...

Neither Naka nor Mayera could forget that happiest day for the mother and daughter. They both secretly longed for the small boat on the lake that they hadn't been able to board that night...

"...I...have only one request..."

If her mother truly changes her mind, if her mother truly changes... then Mayella also has other needs.

"...Mother..."

That's a child's most basic need.

"Could you... 'breastfeed' me?"

Perhaps for Maya's age, this requirement is already far too much.

But Mayella knew very well that her mother had never breastfed her even once since she was born.

"If you truly want to be a good mother and fulfill the responsibilities of a mother... I suppose you wouldn't refuse this request...?"

If she refuses to fulfill even the most basic obligations of a mother, then Mayera can regard everything she just said as a lie to continue deceiving herself.

This request made Naka's back tremble slightly. It seemed to be completely unexpected.

But after a brief silence, she nodded.

"...OK"

Although it was thirteen years late, Naka resolutely chose to accept the most basic responsibilities of a mother.

If I truly want the right to be a mother and live with Mayla...

This is the test she cannot escape and must accept.

Author's Note: The next chapter is exclusive to this group. Readers who want to read it, please see the pinned comment.

Interlude: The Responsibility of a Mother (Part 2)

Breastfeeding one's own child, receiving breast milk from one's mother...

This is the most basic obligation of a mother, and also the most basic right of a living being.

Children cannot choose their parents, their birth, or their own destiny. Parents who bring children into this world must take care of them and be responsible for them.

Breastfeeding one's own child is the primary obligation. Even if it's not one's own milk, one should still provide the baby with sufficient dairy products when hungry. Failing to do even this makes one the most unqualified parent and the best negative example. Such a person has no right to discuss feelings, life, or the future with their children.

Naka was, in the past, a failing parent. Not to mention, Mayra didn't even have a father. In other words, Naka herself was simultaneously Mayra's father and mother. A father has his responsibilities, and a mother has hers. Naka bore both responsibilities. Her inaction was tantamount to simultaneously depriving Mayra of the paternal and maternal love she deserved.

Without a doubt, that was an heinous crime.

Since birth, Naka has never seen her parents. She doesn't know why she was born as a monster in human form. She has cursed her biological parents who never provided her with any affection. But how did she, who once hated her biological parents so much, become the very thing she despises? She abandoned her responsibilities.

But responsibility is ultimately unavoidable. Although it may be many years too late, the obligations that parents failed to fulfill will eventually fall on their shoulders. Children have the right to demand what their parents should have given them but did not.

On the day her daughter was about to turn fourteen, Naka did not refuse her daughter's perfectly reasonable request.

Because that's the necessary step to embark on a life together with my daughter...

"Are you...ready?"

"Ah, um..."

That night, Naka went to Malya's room again. This time, Tatiya wasn't there, and Malya tactfully gave the two of them some space and time. The room was empty except for the mother and daughter.

Upon entering the room, she saw Mayra already sitting on the edge of the bed, looking as if she had been waiting for a long time. But when she saw Naka enter, she couldn't help but swallow nervously.

Although she made the request, she felt somewhat hesitant when it came to actually doing it.

Naka had never done anything like that before. Although she had promised her daughter, she wasn't entirely sure what to do. Both of them were extremely uneasy, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat tense.

But for Naka, there was no choice, no turning back. If her daughter wanted her to do this, then she would prove it to her.

This proves that the person standing here now is no longer a demon trying to control everything, but a sad, negligent mother seeking space and possibility to live with her daughter.

Naka herself was an orphan who had never met her parents, so she had never drunk her mother's milk. She had absolutely no personal experience with how to breastfeed.

Right now, she just stiffly raised her hands, unbuttoned her clothes, took off her upper body, and removed her bra...

Author's Note: The following section contains content intended for group use. Please see the pinned comment for details.

# Volume 5: The Five Generals of the Demon Kingdom

Chapter One Month Later: The Mother and Daughter

"Come, Your Highness, please open your lips, I'm going to apply lipstick to you~ This color is perfect for you~"

"Yes! Her Majesty the Princess will definitely like it!"

Mayera sat in front of a mirror, surrounded by two maid monsters.

She was now dressed in a pure white wedding dress with a slightly transparent feel, with her maid monsters standing on either side of her, dressing her up and applying makeup.

That's right, this isn't the home of Tatia and the others in the royal capital. Meera has been brought back to the Demon King's castle once again, back to her dimly lit little house.

Now, she's getting married.