"Hehe, I never knew torturing the infamous Philippe-sama could be so fun~. I should've done this a long time ago~" A familiar voice of a man said in satisfaction.

"Stop. Jijue." I mustered up.

"Heh, why should I listen to a dirty hybrid like you? You're just a helpless little girl who only watched her parents die in front of her~"

"..."

"You know it too right? It's all your fault. If you haven't been born, none of this would've happened to them."

"..."

"What a pathetic girl. You f*cker, you think you could get away with just anything just because you're young, then guess what? You have to face the reality in front of you. You're a pathetic little bitch who only knows how to be mute, tsk."

"... op..."

"Your whole existence is the reason why your parents are dead now. You're a monster. A monster born as their daughter."

"Captain's right! You're a little f*cker who deserves to die for killing her parents." The voice of Mikkun from eight years ago said.

"No, that's not..!" I stammered.

"Monster... monster... monster..." They kept repeating those words that my mind was in shambles. They didn't stop until the inner voice in my head went along with them.

Tears streamed down my cheeks that fueled more into their satisfaction. I cried and cried, blaming myself for all the tragedies that happened to me.

"Yes, you're right... you're all right..! I am a monster... I don't deserve to live in this beautiful place... ojisama will be hurt too because of me... Makkun will leave me when he finds out the truth about my parents' death... why did Centifolia-sama even brought me here? I should've disappeared..."

"Yes, yes, that's it! Succumb to the darkness! Dye your heart with black, fill it with negativities..."

"I'm a monster... a murky monster who only kills people..."

"That's right!"

"... a monster... I am a monster who deserves to be alienated... Walpurgis doesn't need an amalgam like me, they deserve better..."

"Yes, yes!!"

"... I deserve to die slowly... I deserve to be beheaded in the guillotine... I deserve to be hated and abused..."

The dark place I once was began to be filled with a soothing light. A beautiful woman in her early 20s with platinum blonde hair that reaches to the floor and sparkling sapphire eyes, wearing a blue and white kimono and a plum hairpin, appeared before me.

"Acchan..."

"... who are you?" She just warmly gazed at me. "Why is an angelic person like you in front of a demonic person like me? Are you implying that I'm too dirty, is that it? That I'm too dark compared to you?"

"Acchan..."

"I know, alright!! I'm the worst person in the whole universe!! That's why people kept leaving me!! Ojisama, Makkun, Imogen and others will also leave me when they find out about the truth... that I killed jijue and hahaue..!"

"Acchan, please calm down! You are not a monster..."

*hiccup

"... no, I am a monster. I'm already admitting it, then why are you denying it?! I am a monster, okay? I know that!! Just why..!" My tears continued to flow down. "I... I just want everyone to be happy... to do that, I must disappear..!"

"Acchan, nothing's your fault. Serena-chan and Philippe-kun are alive..." I made eye contact with her.

"Wait what..? Are you trying to deceive me? I see... you wanna plant some hope in me so that it'll be crushed when the time comes?"

"That's it Acchan, you have to leave this space. It's slowly disrupting your mind, it won't be long before it dirties your heart too... Sleep my dear Acchan..."

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a familiar canopy and a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes. Those orbs stared at me in worry, but relief soon washed the former expression.

"Good morning Sese-chan!!" He greeted me. It was after a few minutes that I realized a strange thing.

Why is he here?! Him being here is the weirdest thing that could happen to me!! Isn't a man forbidden to enter a woman's quarters?

"... morning." I replied, trying to stay calm.

"You know Sese-chan?" I glanced at him so I could at least discern what expression he was wearing. "You were sleeping so peacefully that I forgot to wake you up. It's almost one o'clock in the afternoon. Fix yourself up, I'll be waiting outside." He winked at me and went out.

What the heck was that?! Ugh, I'm so embarrassed right now!! Even my face is burning up!! Mou, how could he attack me with a face like that? Mou!!

I unconsciously caressed my cheeks.

I bet I look like a ripened tomato right now!! Hmph, how dare he make my heart flutter like this!

Imogen-san fixed me up and escorted me directly to the mess hall. There I saw ojisama and Makkun on opposite seats.

*bzzt bzzt

I could hear some lightning sparks between their gazes without knowing the reason why.

"Good morning my dear fiancée~"

"Good morning Sese-chan~"

I just nodded and chose my seat a little farther than theirs. The maidservants and butlers brought various foods and as hungry as I am, I dug in without any regard about the two.

"Yum~~" I squealed in delight.

"I'm glad you like it, I asked the palace chef specifically to cook these since these are your favorites!" Makkun calmly smiled at ojisama's words and nodded his head.

"I'll take note of that, thank you Nehemiah-ou~"

"Y-You brat..! Sese-chan, please don't be deceived by this brat, he's a demon..!" I tilted my head in confusion.

(A/N: Even I agree, along with everyone else!!

Caiaphas (?): I don't though, my nephew Max is super adorable, especially how he tries so hard to tease his beloved!

Scylla: Wtf?! No, he's not! He's a demon along with you, Your Highness!!

Caiaphas: What did you say? *a dark aura appears around him*

Charybdis: *trembles* My wife was just joking, right Scylla-san?

Scylla: *nods her head vigorously*)

"What. Mean. You?"

*haa

A sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Never mind that, just continue eating."

"Hn!"

For the whole duration of lunch, they threw disgusted glances at each other like soldiers from two warring countries. I was about to stand up when Makkun finally blew off ojisama's fuse.

"Sese-chan, let's have a date!" He suddenly said that my jaw dropped while ojisama broke the floor into two.

"Etto... ojisama..?"

"Stand back Sese-chan, get away from the brat. He's a two-faced emotionless brat who only wants to mess with you!" I shook my head in denial.

No, he's lying! Makkun is an innocent boy who only got angry with Caedmon-sama because of me. He's not the type to scheme and think of others as pawns in a chessboard.

"Don't listen to Nehemiah-ou, Sese-chan..!" He stammered that I nodded my head immediately. "Thank the heavens!"

"Ojisama, stop. Makkun. Go. Us." I grabbed his hand and went directly back to my room without even looking back to know ojisama's facial expression.

Hooh, that was tiresome. Why is ojisama so hung-up with me being engaged with Makkun? Didn't he say that I need to get engaged as the sole heir to the throne of Daemonorops?

Jijue, hahaue... even obasama, what do I do? How could I persuade ojisama to calm his nerves?