Chapter 20 The Secret Promise
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
–I have a strange friend named Reina Alcott.
I first learned of her through the whispers that floated around the academy halls. Her reputation was abysmal: rumors claimed she sold herself to dangerous seniors, put someone in the hospital, cheated despite her perfect marks, or disgraced herself before the Grand Duke’s son. Nothing good was ever said about her.
So when she spoke to me for the first time, I was on guard. Just moments earlier, I’d been beaten by some delinquents, so having a notorious girl approach me out of nowhere could only mean trouble—unless she was drawn to me because of my half-demon heritage.
But my suspicion was betrayed. She said she didn’t know why she’d helped me, only that she wanted to. That faintly awkward expression—caught between sincerity and confusion—stuck with me. One moment she was a flawless doll subduing my attackers without mercy; the next, she was trembling, gasping for breath, terrified of something unseen. There had to be a secret behind that.
Even so, she kept protecting me quietly. Whenever I got cornered by the same crowd, she’d appear—as if she already knew—and drive them off. When they returned with reinforcements, she defeated them again, effortlessly. Each time we met, I could swear she’d grown stronger.
After spending more time with her, I began to see it—the truth beneath her cold exterior. Reina was just a frightened, lonely girl.
My eyes are special. They can read traces of truth in people, though imperfectly. So while I watched her, trying to uncover her purpose—or the intentions of whoever might be behind her—I began to understand.
Every rumor about her was treated as fact. Students would recoil or glare as she passed. And every time those glares hit her, she would flinch, unable to fully hide the pain behind her mask.
Her reaction to one particular boy, Cliff Griffith, was especially telling. He was different—he knew her reputation yet still spoke kindly, awkwardly but earnestly. Reina always responded coldly, pushing him away, but I could see it in her eyes: relief. He was still talking to her. And I think Cliff saw it too—that faint light of hope that she hadn’t truly rejected him.
Their conversations always ended the same way: Reina, shaken by something unseen, would snap and drive him off in anger. And Cliff, no matter how abruptly she turned on him, would swallow his words and retreat. Every time he turned to leave, she’d half-raise her hand toward his back—then let it fall, slow and heavy.
Watching her like that, I became convinced she wasn’t dangerous at all. Just a girl afraid to let anyone in, maybe even forced to reject them by someone’s threat.
Still, I couldn’t understand. Why was Cliff no good, but I was allowed close? Why did she push him away so fiercely? I had so many questions. But asking her directly might only hurt her more—and if she realized I was probing into her secret, I might not live long enough to regret it. Anyone capable of threatening a girl that strong… was far beyond me.
So I decided, in my own clumsy way, to try and make her smile again. Her face grew sadder every time we met, and I couldn’t stand it. But when I tried to cheer her up, my awkwardness only made things worse.
’…You’re shorter than me, and still so full of yourself.’
Her voice was muffled against her knees, trembling with tears.
I panicked. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. ‘Hey, I only wanted to help since you looked down!’
It came out sharp—petty frustration spilling into my voice. The instant I heard myself, I regretted it. She was fragile, kinder than she let on, and I’d just kicked her when she was already down.
’…Thank you.’
Those two quiet words shattered me. She turned slightly toward me, and smiled.
Tears clung to her lashes; her eyes shimmered beneath the fading light. The trace of crying still marked her red-rimmed eyes and flushed nose—but the softness of that smile held me captive. A few seconds later, I realized—it was genuine. The first true smile from her heart.
And that’s when I fell in love. It’s absurd, I know. But since that day, I can’t get her face out of my mind. I can’t help thinking that if she’d grown up normally—without pain, without fear—she would have always smiled like that.
I’m overwhelmed by this feeling. So much that I’ve started to resent Cliff—simply because he, too, wants to protect her. The demon blood in me whispers to claim her, to make her mine alone.
I can’t let that happen. I can’t lose control.
Reina is kind, timid, and lonely—but she must never become like my mother, a half-demon who lost control.
And even aside from that, whoever stands behind her must have a reason for keeping me close. Maybe they plan to use me. Maybe they plan to use her. Either way, anyone cruel enough to drive a girl like Reina into this corner—there’s no chance their intentions are good.
Before that happens, I want to uncover her enemy. I want to save her. But things never go easily… because I’m weak.
Even so, I have to act. If I let myself be destroyed, she’ll break again.
So I bow my head to someone I hate.
’If the worst happens—kill me.’
I said it with every shred of human reason left in me, suppressing the demon’s hunger. Cliff looked disgusted, but I forced the words out anyway. If I lose control and hurt Reina—or if she’s forced to act before I uncover the truth—then only you, who she trusts most, can stop me. I bit down hard and begged him. He hesitated, then finally nodded.
’…Then tell me this. What are you to Reina?’
He narrowed his eyes, searching me. And I, driven by something as ugly as jealousy, gave him the only answer I could.
’Wouldn’t you like to know.’
He nearly knocked me out with the killing intent that flared after—but I don’t regret it. Still, I made a quiet note to myself: Cliff can be surprisingly immature.
Notes:
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• Cliff – Son of First-Class Knight Lilia. Practices Flame God Style. Obsessed with defeating strong opponents, especially Reina Alcott after a humiliating loss.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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