The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

97 – The Key to Promises

Meanwhile, in the reception room where the meeting was taking place, Elpisia continued to speak eloquently.

“Although demons and humans are hostile towards each other, it’s only a small-scale conflict that occasionally occurs. The intense war that unfolded is already a thing of the past. Of course, for those of you who have lived long lives, it may be a memory.”

Especially, the elderly high priest’s eyebrows twitched. However, he kept his lips tightly sealed, unable to refute.

“Even if we declare a truce, it won’t make a difference. It’s just a matter of eliminating unnecessary conflicts. Neither side will lose.”

“Will humans follow the empire’s principles?”

The demon king raised a question. Elpisia’s response was calm.

“Yes, they will. The human union’s leader is the empire, and as long as they don’t cross the line, public opinion won’t be swayed. The empire will endure forever.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m reluctant to admit it, but the child who will soon ascend to the throne is wise. Perhaps, in the short history of humans, they are one of the few remarkable ones.”

Elpisia wore a hollow smile. It was ridiculous to acknowledge Yu Rian’s abilities.

There was no other choice. That was Elpisia’s true intention.

Even if she hadn’t been kidnapped by the demon king in the past, she would have acknowledged Yu Rian’s strategy. The grown-up Yu Rian had sharply pierced Elpisia’s pride.

That’s why she had to acknowledge the brat who had surpassed her as the winner of the era.

“I understand that what you’re saying is true. However…”

The demon king still frowned, rejecting Elpisia’s proposal.

“There’s no reason for us to compromise. Neither side will gain or lose. Moreover, your proposal is empty, binding us with a bad relationship.”

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“I’ll definitely agree to it.”

“… What?”

The demon king was taken aback by Elpisia’s prompt consent. However, Elpisia didn’t rush to speak further. She just waited, stacking her hands.

“If there’s no gain or loss… then we should make it so that there’s no loss but a gain.”

A considerable amount of time had passed since the serious conversation began. Elpisia firmly believed that the right time was approaching. And as if responding to her faith, the reception room door suddenly opened without warning.

Bang!

The sudden intrusion was instantaneous.

“Ah… ah…”

“Letisha…!?”

The intruder was Letisha. She had forgotten her dignity and was rushing in like a wild horse, with sweat dripping from her forehead. Her disheveled black hair and trembling black eyes revealed her emotions.

It was done. Elpisia, who had confirmed this, wore a soft smile.

“It seems all the main characters have finally gathered.”

“What’s going on…”

As the demon side was taken aback, Elpisia proposed again.

“Let’s create a mutually beneficial relationship.”

◇

The interior of the reception room, reorganized with an additional person.

Elpisia wore a gentle smile as she opened her mouth.

“Did you have a pleasant reunion with Adnim?”

The dustless, speckless atmosphere surrounding her was so intimidating that even the Demon King seemed to shudder. However, Letitia, who couldn’t read the faces of those around her, responded with pure joy.

“Ah…! The child said ‘Director-nim’ just like that. I wanted to express my gratitude for taking good care of Glen.”

“…”

“…”

Letitia’s innocent words simultaneously struck the hearts of the two beings.

One was Elpisia, who had brutally mistreated Glen, and the other was the Demon King, who knew about Elpisia’s past deeds.

In reality, the Demon King had hidden his pre-regression memories because he didn’t want Letitia to get hurt. So, from Letitia’s perspective, Harute and Elpisia were like saviors.

“There’s no need to thank me. It’s this person who took Glen in…”

Elpisia glanced at Harute, and Letitia, with a hint of excitement, directly offered her hand to Harute.

“Oh, is ‘Director-nim’ you? Glen spoke so proudly about you… Thank you so much for saving our child from danger.”

“No, no need to mention it…”

Harute hesitated but shook hands with Letitia. Harute was not involved in Glen’s past suffering, so the Demon King’s heart didn’t ache.

“I’m truly grateful. You knew my background and still raised me like a noble… I don’t know how to repay this kindness.”

“… Letitia, you don’t need to be so polite. We did it because we knew about it.”

“What do you mean? If you knew, I should be even more grateful! The royal family of Baskhill has seen how humans are treated in the Demon Realm…”

“My point is… Ah, how can I explain this?”

Letitia’s reaction, unaware of the truth, was reasonable. The Demon King, who wanted to exploit Harute’s group, looked like trash.

But he didn’t want to reveal the truth from before the regression and instill a sense of guilt. This was causing him to worry even more.

“So, what’s the reason you came all the way here? I thought you wanted to talk more with the child.”

“I have a request to make.”

“I think it’s a serious matter, considering how urgently you came. If it’s not a secret, please tell me.”

Originally, the two species had been planning a long-term truce, but Letitia had blown it up like a bomb.

“I want to interact with humans.”

“Letitia…?!”

“What’s wrong.”

It was a declaration like a spark in a powder keg, making the Demon King and the High Priest simultaneously gasp.

On the other hand, Elpisia covered her mouth, revealing a momentary delight.

“There’s no problem with that.”

“It’s ridiculous!”

“Stark!”

Letitia almost forced the Demon King to shut up, then began to recite what she had discussed with Glen.

“Our child can’t live in the Demon Realm.”

“What’s…?”

“Now that there are too many precious people in the human world, it’s impossible to give them up, and that’s what they said.”

“That’s a problem…!”

Just as the Demon King was about to say it wasn’t possible, he realized it had become a significant issue.

If he thought about it normally, he could force Glen’s residence to be in the Demon Realm according to his will.

That’s what it meant to be royalty. In exchange for having immense power, one’s freedom was restricted.

Despite everything, there were two reasons why Glen couldn’t be restrained.

Firstly, the man who protected Glen was the last human emperor.

Secondly, he was also the husband and father of a woman.

To avoid making Letitia anxious, he put on a strong facade, but in reality, the demon king was a parent who wanted to rush over and hug Glen as soon as they met.

He wouldn’t want to resent his own flesh and blood, who had just reunited with him. However, reality was always harsh.

“… Letitia. I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about it. Even if we officially declare a truce, it’s impossible for us to interact.”

“Ah…”

As Letitia sighed, Elpisia quickly intervened.

“It’s possible. It’ll just take some time.”

“Really?”

With a skeptical Letitia, Elpisia firmly nodded.

“First, we need to prioritize the truce. After that, if the demon tribe proposes an exchange, it might be possible, albeit limited, if we maintain a certain distance.”

It was a loophole in the Human-Demon Peace Treaty. While it was a violation for humans to take the initiative in proposing an exchange, there was no clause regarding the opposite.

If the demon tribe took the initiative, it would require an agreement between the leaders of each country. Elpisia believed that Yurian would handle the adjustment well.

“How long would the distance be…”

“At least 5 years. You should expect 7 years or more. This is just a rough estimate, and we need to analyze it further.”

“I see.”

“Trust is like sediment, so it takes time. We can’t rush it.”

Of course, from a human perspective, it would take a long time. But from the demon tribe’s perspective, it was just a short period.

In other words, from the demon king’s emotional perspective, it was possible to properly face Glen in a short time, and it wasn’t a big deal.

‘Their political power may fluctuate greatly, but the plan itself is plausible. However…’

The demon king was torn.

Following Elpisia’s plan wouldn’t result in any losses and would bring gains. However, this time, there was no justification, which was the problem.

Any policy required a justification to be implemented, and it was difficult to push for an exchange with humans simply because he wanted to see his flesh and blood.

Moreover, the gain was more like a forced compromise, so it was natural for his inner thoughts to be complex.

“Your Majesty.”

At that moment, Harthe, who had been quietly observing, called out to Letitia.

“Did Glen talk about me a lot?”

Letitia stuttered at the sudden change in topic before speaking.

“… Yes. Half of the conversation was about ‘Director.’ Although our conversation was short, I could sense how much the child respects you.”

“Is that so?”

Harthe turned his gaze to Elpisia, and Elpisia quickly caught the unusual glint in his eye.

Her husband was about to do something impulsive.

By the time she tried to stop him, Harthe’s lips had already curved into a smile.

“High Priest.”

“What is it, kid?”

He would gladly accept the weight of the respect he received from the child. With that resolve, Harthe didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll take the oath of the baptismal name.”