NOVPUBAs dusk deepened, the world outside the window started being devoured by nightfall. Stars began to twinkle in the Ichrite night sky, with the full moon hanging high above, casting a gentle glow. Street lights slowly lit up, illuminating the night in the Royal Capital.
Not until the light spots on the bedroom window glass gradually disappeared did it seem like the entire world had fallen into slumber.
Seeing Lanci asleep due to mana depletion, Talia knew that he wouldn’t wake up even if she tried to call him for a while, so she simply left him by the table and didn’t bother him anymore.
Having fulfilled her promise to Lanci, she finally took out that [Shadow Realm Recording Program].
She had been wanting to watch it at the earliest opportunity.
She even considered this more important than having dinner.
Aside from the contents recorded from the Shadow Realm, what Talia was more concerned about was the silver-haired amber-eyed half-demon girl who participated in the challenge alongside Lanci.
She took a magic projector she had modified herself from the bottom drawer of the bedside table, inserted the [Shadow Realm Recording Program] into it, turned the volume down so it wouldn’t wake Lanci, then turned off the lights in the room.
Immediately after that, the dim wall directly across from the head of the bed started projecting images.
The room was completely conquered by darkness, the sole source of light being the quietly operating magic projector.
Talia, just like watching a movie late at night, hugged her knees and sat on the bed, quietly watching.
The dim light and shadow reflecting on her face, alternating between brightness and darkness, the voices of Lanci and Hyperion resonating in the room from the Shadow Realm footage.
Talia gradually immersed herself in the story, as if isolated from the world, staring at the girl’s figure on the screen, as though reminiscing about the closest member of the Demon Race.
"Isatia, is she your daughter…"
After an unknown amount of time, Talia muttered to herself with a barely audible voice.
Although they did not strikingly resemble each other, their hair and eye colors were too similar.
It was only after viewing the latter half of the Shadow World and witnessing the heretics shout that Miss Duchess was a half-demon, did Talia deeply start suspecting that this Miss Duchess could indeed be her sister’s daughter.
If she could see Hyperion in person, Talia might be able to sense if there is indeed a blood relation between them.
However, it was not ideal for Talia to contact this Miss Duchess, who was at the storm center, in public.
Talia felt the more she watched, the more they resembled each other.
In the future, she might have to ask Lanci to arrange a private meeting between her and Miss Duchess.
With that thought, Talia also saw Lanci’s brutal treatment of the Demon Race in the Demon Examination Field during the footage.
This gradually furrowed her brows.
Despite getting familiar with Lanci over time due to their prolonged interactions,
it was only at this moment that she sobered up, feeling the strong hate and discrimination between humans and the Demon Race.
Humans can never coexist peacefully with demons.
The reason Lanci could get along and trade with her was because he didn’t know she was from the Great Demon Clan.
The day he learns the truth, he will surely fill his eyes with malice towards her.
In the projected scene,
Lanci and Hyperion had just left the Demon Examination Field and were walking down the corridor with the Demon Students.
After running and seeming to hesitate for a while, Hyperion finally lowered her voice and tentatively asked Lanci:
"Lanci, what do you think of demons?"
Lanci looked a bit stupefied upon hearing this, then answered:
"They live long, several hundreds of years old, yet they still look like young girls."
"...!"
Talia in the room instantly glanced at the sleeping Lanci beside the table.
She didn’t know whether Lanci meant it or it was unintentional.
Either way, she thought it was despicable for Lanci to have such thoughts.
Moreover, with such an answer from Lanci,
he was no different from humans, filled with prejudice against the Demon Race, treating them as monsters.
The image and sound on the screen continued to play—
"Then, if you encounter a demon in reality, would you act the same way as before?"
Hyperion still looking a bit uneasy, asked Lanci another question.
Lanci looked at her in silence, seeming to be at a loss for words for some time.
Finally, he asked back:
"Do you think I want to commit suicide by provoking them?"
Talia observed Lanci’s reaction on the screen.
She felt more and more repulsed towards him.
Soon, Lanci gravely advised Hyperion:
"Before discussing the danger of provoking the Demon Race, there might be good individuals among them, Hyperion, you should not discriminate against the Demon Race."
Upon hearing this, Talia was stunned in place.
It was after some time,
that she once again looked at the human boy sleeping next to her.
Just watching him like that, no one would know what she was thinking in the depth of her golden pupils.
"..."
A cool breeze blew in from the half-opened window, gently caressing Lanci.
Seemingly feeling a gaze, Lanci felt a slight chill on his body, he inadvertently opened his eyes.
What caught his attention wasn’t the cozy wooden furniture in the dim room, but the pair of golden eyes in the distance, and the beautiful face.
With a certain confusion, emotion, and uncertainty in her cool and regal eyes.
It was as if she wanted to keep people at a distance, yet also wanted to investigate a little further.
Lanci raised his hand and touched his own face.
He thought he had something on his face while he slept, which is why Talia was staring at him so intently.
"Uh... Tata? Sorry, I fell asleep. What time is it now?"
Lanci asked tentatively, unsure if his sleepiness would upset Talia.
"Just past twelve."
Talia glanced at the clock and answered him.
Lanci let out a small sigh of relief - it seemed that Talia wasn’t angry.
If she were, she would have snapped at him instead of answering his question.
"Ah, you’ve started watching the Shadow World content already."
He quickly noticed the only source of light in the bedroom.
"...."
Talia again turned her gaze towards the screen, silent until after a moment when she spoke up again,
"The Duchess lady you’re challenging the Shadow World with, what do you think of her?"
"She’s pretty nice."
Lanci answered decisively, knowing Talia wanted to probe for information about her own kind.
Lanci had planned to introduce Hyperion to Talia after setting up the company.
The mature demon Talia, much more powerful than Hyperion, should be able to recognize Hyperion’s half-demon identity at a glance, while Hyperion would hardly be able to see through Talia’s subtle disguise.
As Lanci was thinking,
"Don’t bully her. The Demon Race can be very vengeful. If you anger her, I might not be able to protect you in time."
Talia just said calmly.
Her words seemed to come from a place of responsibility to protect Lanci, without any hint that she intended to defend Hyperion.
"What do you take me for? I’m not a bully, I’m a model student!"
Lanci incredulously complained, clutching his head.
He wouldn’t bully someone like Hyperion, who was so straightforward.
Besides, Hyperion was so gentle in nature and nothing like Talia - grumpy and quick to kill!
"... I’m sorry."
Talia believed Lanci was telling the truth.
When she was watching in the open-air giant screen square of Ichrite Academy, she could clearly feel the students’ disdain for the Duchess lady with demon blood.
But for the entirety of the Shadow World, Lanci sincerely treated Hyperion as a trustworthy companion.
Even upon learning about Hyperion’s identity, this sincerity did not waver.
"Eh, Tata, what did you just say?"
Lanci suddenly widened his eyes, putting his hand near his ear and turning his head as if doubting his hearing.
"I didn’t say anything."
Talia felt that he was starting to get a little annoying again.
And he seemed to be mentally active just then!
"Don’t worry, Tata. I won’t allow any discrimination against kind classmates in the academy!"
Lanci grinned and said to Talia.
During her silence, Lanci happily flashed a peace sign:
"My motto is to love all beings equally!"
"...."
Talia didn’t respond.
She knew how "terrifying" his "love" could be, especially for those who annoyed him.
But correspondingly, he would also sincerely treat friendly beings, even if they were of the Demon Race.
After decades of wandering through the Human Kingdom, Talia had already assured herself that there would be no humans who could treat the Demon Race without prejudice.
—Until she saw the attitude Lanci held towards Hyperion.
She saw the first one.
Right before her eyes.
No one said a word in the dim room for a while.
Only the sound of a soft breeze brushing against the curtain in the silent night of the Royal Capital could be heard.
"Are you hungry?"
Talia asked.
"So hungry."
Lanci rubbed his belly. After he woke up, the sleepiness faded and a sense of hunger surged forth.
"Let’s go for dinner. I’m buying today."
There was no emotional tone in Talia’s voice as she stepped off the bed and started walking on the soft carpet.
Human teachers are said to reward students when they perform well, so to better imitate humans, rewarding him shouldn’t be an issue.
This was also to get him to be more loyal to her.
"Huh? Tata, are you treating me to a meal?"
Lanci, pointing at himself, looked surprisingly incredulous.
"Ask again and the offer’s off."
Talia glanced at him and walked out of the room without turning back.
