CHAPTER 157: RIN’S MOTHER... ELYRIA!

Lirien’s fingers slipped into her short hair as she exhaled deeply and tried to stand. She stepped over the broken ceramics as she made her way towards Rin.

She leaned forward in front of him and grabbed his shoulders gently.

"Rin... If you’re playing a prank on me, it’s the right time to tell me the truth. How... How the hell did you make a pact with Asmodeus?"

Rin bit his lower lip and started explaining everything. He told her about the fog, how it didn’t affect him, how Asmodeus threatened everyone close to him... At the brothel and even Lucien. He didn’t want anyone to die, so he had to agree to the pact. Every word that Lirien heard made her tremble. She exhaled deeply, as if it was all over.

"Is there anything wrong with making a pact?" Rin asked. She shook her head.

"There’s nothing wrong with making a pact but... I’m sure it would be Asmodeus’s first pact..."

"Yes, Asmodeus also said the same thing," Rin interrupted, and Lirien looked at him with a confused expression.

"Huh? He said so to you? Why?" She asked. The confused expression transferred to Rin’s face. He tilted his head like a child and asked...

"What do you mean by ’why?’"

She adjusted herself, taking her hand off his shoulder and leaned on the desk opposite him.

"Just in case you have no idea... Asmodeus is the most devilish devil in the whole of the underworld. Maybe he’s the second, and your grandfather is the first. That’s why your mother sealed him. If there’s someone that he should hate the most, it should be you since you’re related to Elyria. I thought he would come to attack the capital to get rid of you,"

Rin suddenly burst into laughter as he placed a hand on Lirien’s knees.

"I see... You were confused, Aunt. The thing is that... Asmodeus doesn’t hate me. If he’s coming to the capital, it’s to claim me for himself, not my life,"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Rin’s cheek flushed red as he remembered.

"Asmodeus and I made a temporary pact when we were at the academy. It was an accident because he kept kissing me whenever I was asleep..."

"What the... Kissing you? Asmodeus would never dare... He only had eyes for Elyria,"

Lirien’s eyes widened in shock. She could still remember in the past, about a century ago, or maybe less than a century... Asmodeus would always follow Elyria around. That period where humans and demons lived together as one. Asmodeus never looked at the other ladies, whether human or demons.

Rumours had it that he was doing so just because he wanted to become the next demon king and it was the truth. Lirien smirked again as she tried to imagine the same Asmodeus doing all those things to Elyria’s son, after knowing that he had failed to get Elyria.

"Maybe he was bored but he also helped me with my heat,"

"Ah, of course... Wait! What?! Rin! Why the hell are you telling me all these things now?!" Lirien yelled. Rin placed both his palms over his ears. He rolled his eyes. He never wanted to say anything about it.

"Because you never asked..." He said and stood up from the chair.

"Rin, this is a serious problem. What if Asmodeus is trying to get you so he can become the demon king,"

"That has been his plan since the beginning but it’s nothing to worry about because he won’t succeed. My grandfather isn’t weak," Rin grinned, rubbing his chin. He then remembered the reason he came here. "So, Aunt, tell me what you know about pacts. Everything,"

"Uhm... Okay?" She replied and started. She told Rin everything, and it was almost the same thing he had heard from Asmodeus.

Why do you ask? Are you trying to break the pact? You said Lucien’s life was in danger if it was broken," she reminded him and he nodded.

"Well, where I’m from... If the signature in a contract between both companies isn’t from either party or it’s a wrong signature, the contract will be considered invalid..."

"Where you’re from?" Lirien asked and Rin immediately changed the topic, smiling.

"I mean, if the name on the pact isn’t the name both parties know, shouldn’t it be considered invalid?"

"What do you mean, Rin?" Lirien asked and Rin made it clear to her as he created an example.

"If we sign a pact and you sign your name as Lirien, but I sign my name as... Myung. Will it be considered valid?" He asked and she shook her head.

"Why?" He asked, feeling like a professor.

"Because I don’t know you as... Mu...yun?" She replied and he grinned.

"I guess I’ve scammed Asmodeus,"

"Scammed?" Lirien sat there, still confused. Rin grinned as he suddenly burst into laughter.

He has no idea how Asmodeus knew his name as Myung but he was sure it was when he met his sister at the academy. She called him by his real name. Asmodeus was sealed under the academy, so he knew everything that was happening.

He just used that name to scare Rin and also, force him into forming the pact. But, when they formed the pact earlier... Asmodeus wrote his name and Rin wrote *** Myung.

The *** was written in his original language and that’s something Asmodeus would never know because he doesn’t know about it. That means the pact is... Invalid.

"With this, that bastard has no control over Lucien’s life but I can’t let him know yet. Because he’ll try to harm Lucien again or maybe someone else," Rin mumbled to himself.

"Rin, I have no idea what’s happening but I beg of you... Be careful. I wouldn’t want Elyria to come one day and I’ll have to give her bad news concerning her only son," she said.

"I’ll be fine, Lirien. I can’t die yet when the story hasn’t ended. After all, I’m the female lead,"

Lirien’s face went pale as she wore a ’what the fuck’ expression on her face. Rin just waved at her and walked towards the door. Ever since Rin entered her office, she had had a mixture of different emotions that she couldn’t explain. She sighed deeply for the last time.

"Forget everything that happened at the palace and just have some rest,"

"Of course. Good night, Aunt," he said and left. As soon as he closed the door, he heaved a breath of relief. He was happy to know that the pact was invalid, which means Lucien’s life was no longer in danger.

.

Rin rushed to his room and took off the outfit he was wearing. He dumped them on the couch and slipped something comfortable on. He walked towards the mirror and stared at his hair. He tried not to grab the scissors to cut it. He missed his old hairstyle.

"Maybe I should cut it later..." He said to himself and walked back to the bed. He fell on the bed and tried to remember what his aunt said about Asmodeus and his mother. He hasn’t seen her before and has no idea how to see her as his mother. He groaned in frustration as his palm covered his eyes.

"I hope she’s safe wherever she is," he mumbled under his breath.

.

.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the kingdom. In a small village very distant from the capital, a blind boy with a walking stick sat close to his dog. He had white hair and his eyes were ash grey as he rubbed his hand on the dog’s fur.

"Winter... Aren’t you going to come in?" A woman’s voice rang out from inside. She walked out, wearing an apron and a rag to clean her hands.

"I already made dinner," she said, leaning forward to hold her son. She hugged him tight and kissed him repeatedly.

"Mother, stop hugging and kissing me like that,"

"You’re my child, why won’t I hug you? You should come and eat the pie I baked before it gets cold," she said.

"Of course, mother..." He stood up and the dog barked as he escorted him into the house. She turned to follow her son but she heard voices behind. Their wooden gate was kicked open as the men from the village poured into her compound. They didn’t mind as they stepped over a small garden.

"Mother... Is anything going on?" She heard her son’s voice and turned to him immediately. "Go in immediately. Lock the door behind you, Winter. Don’t open it,"

"What? Mother..."

"Please... Do as I say, baby. Mother is fine, okay?" She said and he nodded. He entered the house and locked the door behind him.

She turned to the men and gritted her teeth at them.

"I told you not to come until my son has gone to bed," she frowned.

"Do we look like we care? Our wives went to bed early so... We thought you would be chanced," one of them grinned.

"Don’t do this... Please," she lowered her head.

"Is this your way of showing your gratitude? Your husband was killed by demons and we have been taking care of you ever since... Shouldn’t you be thankful?" One of them asked.

"I have nothing to show my thanks..."

"If you have nothing... You have your body. Pay with your body, Elyria,"