I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

51 – With You and Ramen 5

Lorkine.

As a demon king, she always had a smile on her lips.

As if everything was enjoyable.

She maintained a relaxed demeanor in everything she did.

However,

Even Lorkine couldn’t keep a smile on her face in this moment.

Witch Rosetta, honestly, was not much of a problem either.

As much as she knew herself, she also knew that woman well.

A person who is level-headed, calm in every matter, and calculative in assessing the situation.

Although their expression may differ, fundamentally speaking, Rosetta was a being who could be considered a peer to her.

Above all, it was true that there was some degree of fondness, but her relationship with her could be described as fundamentally competitive.

In a certain sense, even if their true identities were revealed, they could maintain a relationship that was not much different from before, exchanging cold smiles.

However,

Unlike this Rosetta…

When it came to Edmund,

No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t help but feel genuine unease.

The first man who stirred the emotion of excitement in her heart.

A presence that made her feel an indescribable happiness by just looking at him.

At the same time, the only person who evoked a sense of guilt within her heart, free from any remorse about their actions.

Being with him, she had always thought,

That she didn’t want to become his enemy.

That she would rather… continue like this… want to stay together just as they are now.

Even if this were to be considered a false relationship.

That she didn’t want to wake up from this dream-like situation, even for a moment.

However,

Irrespective of her desires, that dream has now been shattered.

She could no longer wear the mask of the name Bernier.

She had to return to her original self…

She had to come back as the Demon Lord Rockynero, whom that man intended to defeat with full force.

And in this situation…

There was only one thing she could do for this man.

To convey her sincere feelings.

To tell him that she liked him.

That she had always… held him in her heart.

Words alone were insufficient.

So she showed it through her actions.

Although she wasn’t exactly sure, it was a gesture known to be performed between two people in love.

The entwining of lips and lips.

It was an action driven by simple knowledge and desperate emotions.

Surprisingly, it…

was extraordinary.

It was a mere act to convey sincerity to him…

But from the moment she executed it,

instead, the one whose heart trembled even more was her.

Her heart raced, her breath quickened.

She was happy.

She was delighted.

Even forgetting the initial purpose,

just the fact that she had done this with this person filled her with immense happiness.

However, they say that a kiss like this is merely the second barrier for lovers to cross.

If the second barrier is so intense…

how much more happiness lies beyond?

Feeling deep curiosity about this fact,

and at the same time blushing,

she spoke earnestly.

“Well… if you want… I can do something even more… to prove my sincerity… anything…”

An indirect request for something beyond this.

Regarding that, Edmund maintained a bashful expression and remained silent for a moment.

A long silence that felt like decades in just one second.

While waiting for it to end, Lorquina held her pounding heart and harbored expectations of what he would do for her.

And moments later…

“Um… it’s… okay. Not to that extent…”

“…Um…”

Edmund spoke with a much softer voice.

He meant that he had achieved his initial intention, but nonetheless, Lorquina felt a slight disappointment about it.

“Is it still too early for the next step?… I heard men usually handle this well…”

At that moment,

“Well… then… please have a good conversation with the master about the rest. I’ll be going now…”

“Ah… Just a moment…”

With those words, Edmund quickly escaped as if running away.

Ignoring Rorquina’s words, the man disappeared without a trace.

It seemed that there was still not enough favorability,

With a sense of disappointment, she lightly licked her lips, thinking that for now, she had to be content with this.

“Honestly… If that man had been a little weaker, I would have dragged him to the Demon King’s Castle…”

She had secretly entertained such thoughts when planning to conquer Matop.

Although she became a witch’s familiar, he was also a demon.

She thought that as the Demon Queen, she could handle him well, but unfortunately, his power was much stronger than expected to forcibly drag him along like that.

Confirmed to be almost equal to or slightly lower than herself.

With this level, capturing him would not be easy unless she went out with Torcan, but she didn’t think her ignorant younger brother would control his power well, so it was almost impossible from the start.

Ultimately, coercive means were impossible.

As a result, now that her identity had been revealed, even getting along with him became difficult.

No longer could she treat Verneira as a comfortable colleague, but rather a potential enemy.

“Isn’t there any good way?… A way to get close to him again…!”

At that moment, one possibility suddenly came to her mind.

Regarding this, a deep smile appeared on Rorquina’s lips.

“Yes… If we do that…”

*

After the time for sorting things out with Edmund ended, Demon King Rorquina and Rosetta faced each other in one place.

Behind Rosetta, Valkyrie members stood with their eyes fixed on Edmund,

Behind Rorquina, a woman with cold expression and horns on her forehead stood.

The person present in this position…

“Brunhilde…”

“Tsk… You really… Would you appear like this? How could you betray us? Betraying us, who are like sisters to you!”

“Please be quiet. There is no need for hurtful words. I have participated in Your Majesty’s service up until now, and I have no intention of engaging in petty fights with you based on our troubled past.”

Brunhilde spoke with an icy voice that couldn’t be colder.

She was not originally of a good temperament, but the Valkyrie members couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease different from before, as if their insides were being turned upside down.

“Master! Shouldn’t we just get rid of that guy right now? If he dies, half of the enemy’s forces will be gone anyway. Why not…”

“That’s right! If we kill him here, it’s a blow to the enemy’s power. So why not…”

“And at least half of us will die. Furthermore, through the decisive battle, more than half of the continent’s free races will also perish at the hands of the invading demons.”

“!”

“Ugh…”

Rosetta spoke calmly about reality.

Eventually, the Valkyrie members could only hold their tongues as they tried to soothe their distressed hearts.

“Do not be agitated. This place is primarily for negotiation. Since many lives from across the continent are at stake, it is strictly forbidden to act emotionally, not just for you but for all the races.”

With these words, Rosetta fixed her gaze on the demon king once more.

Seeing this, the demon king spoke with a profound smile,

“Don’t be so rigid. After all is said and done, in some cases, depending on the circumstances, we may even return this child to you. Of course, there must be mutual understanding.”

“…”

Despite the demon king’s attitude, the women began to emit an intense and relentless atmosphere.

In such a situation, it was Rosetta who broke the silence.

“Well, enough chit-chat. Why don’t you start by stating your terms? Having received full authority from Her Majesty Queen Mirella in advance, how far are you willing to go with your demands?”

“They’re nothing special. First and foremost, acknowledge the territories we’ve held so far and refrain from interference. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t deal with uncontrollable lower demons. I hope you can stop the actions of the demons without reason.”

“If you refrain from launching any preemptive attacks, we’d gladly do so.”

“Hmm… very well, let’s do it. But keep in mind that, just like how we’ve touched upon you, you have frequently been the first to provoke us.”

Negotiations began in earnest.

Of course, this was just a draft, and more detailed discussions would need to occur after public deliberation and adjustments.

Given the considerable time required even for individual transactions, negotiating sovereignty between nations was a complex and unavoidably lengthy process.

Finally, when the overall discussions were coming to an end, the sun had already begun to set.

“Shall we… put a stop here for today?”

“Understood.”

Feeling a bit fatigued, the two individuals decided to conclude their conversation.

At that moment…

“Oh, and this is a personal matter rather than a national one, you see.”

“…What is it?”

The demon king spoke ominously.

Then, she gestured towards the person standing behind her, Brunhilde.

“About what we discussed earlier. I want to have one final conversation regarding her liberation. Would that be alright?”

“!”