Why was I so hopeless? I had dared to run away from my father without a second thought but was now unable to face Damien.

What was weighing on my mind? I didn’t know. Actually… I did, but it was all a huge mess. How was I supposed to explain something that I hadn’t properly grasped yet?

“It’s okay. Why don’t we talk about something else?”

The way Valerie whispered her words soothed me. I nodded lightly in response.

“Then, what’s your favorite food? Mine is pasta sauced in tomato and basil.”

I knew that tasted delicious. Father added that dish to the castle’s main menu after I wiped the plate clean. We ate that at least once every fortnight.

The dish at the top of my mind was, “Direwolf chop.”

“My, such lavish taste.”

Was it that big of a deal? I remembered getting sick of it after Father had it served for five days straight. Also, I just ate it yesterday.

“Is it really lavish?”

She stared at me briefly, dumbfounded, before speaking with a sprinkle of excitement.

“Of course! Direwolves can only be found beyond the fiftieth floor. Defeating one is difficult enough, but they typically travel in packs of at least four. They’re awfully expensive, and no part of them should ever be wasted.”

Oh. Well, I couldn’t fully agree with her there. An image of a translucent cube of fat invaded my mind. I immediately shook these thoughts away.

“Maybe not every part…”

“Hee-hee. There’s always someone who enjoys the parts you despise. Anyway, I’m sure Damien has been treating you well, yes?”

“Ah…”

The moment Valerie raised his name, a cold wave brushed my back. My hands started trembling.

She gently cradled one of my hands with both of hers. “Only the two of us are here right now. If he did something to you, I will puncture him, okay? I promise—unless you wish otherwise.”

Wh-what? I’d heard many graphic descriptions from Father, but I’d never heard of this one before. Although she was smiling, her face was frightening.

“Wait…! He, um…”

“Yes?” she said while tightening her grasp on my hand.

I had no idea how to explain. Skirting the truth was not something I was particularly skilled at, especially when everything was happening faster than I could follow.

Should I tell her the truth? That I was a demon who ran away from home to become an adventurer but ended up in Damien’s manor because I wanted him to help me but now, I thought he had ties with my father, the demon lord?

No no no. I had to keep this a secret no matter what. I didn’t have the mettle to imagine how the humans would feel if a hero candidate of theirs turned out to be a demon in the past. That would surely leave them devastated.

But now I was back at square one. Gah! Why was this so hard? Staring at a wall no longer seemed so bad.

I turned to face Valerie—she was gazing straight at me. Feeling pressured to end her waiting, I blurted, “H-he knows too much about me.”

“Oh? Might you be shy to receive attention from him?”

It went beyond attention. He knew things about me that only my father and the maids should’ve known. His ken on my preferences were accurate to the point of being unreasonable. Feeling like I wasn’t getting through to her, I replied with a dire tone.

“He knows what I like even though I never told him.”

“My~. It is a father’s duty to spoil his daughter. If you need to tell him every little thing, then he’d be a failure.”

“…”

This was now the second time I had been mistaken as Damien’s daughter. First it was the maids who were preparing me for dinner, where I learned that the entire manor thought I was his long-lost daughter, and now it was Valerie, whom I’d just met. Supposedly, it was because we both shared silver hair and that Damien was ‘fond’ of me.

“I am not his daughter.”

Valerie gawked at me briefly before shouting “What?!” and springing close to my face, making me retreat by shifting away. That was when the door prised open and Damien and Abel barged inside.

“Hey! It isn’t time y—”

Before Valerie could finish, Damien halted her and said coldly, “Escort her out.”

“Understood.”

My heart started beating faster and I impulsively grabbed Valerie’s hand with my free hand, my other still within her grasp. She glanced at me, nodded once, and turned to face Abel, who was approaching us at a rapid pace.

Valerie, while holding one of my hands, raised her other hand up to her mouth as if she were about to snap her fingers, and said, “Take one more step and we flee.”

Abel instantly rooted himself and made the same gesture as Valerie. “One that is caged has no escape,” he said.

The atmosphere felt relentless despite everything being at a standstill. Valerie and Abel were concentrated on each other, ready to react. However, Damien had yet to move.

“Valerie.”

When he said her name, I felt her hand twitch.

“Yes?”

Damien tilted his head before speaking with narrowed eyes, “Withdraw.” His voice was grim and full of contempt.

Valerie gulped. “I have no intention of harming her. I merely wish to talk.”

“Rescind your macro.”

Slowly, Valerie spread her fingers and moved her hand away from her mouth.

“Abel.”

“Understood.” Abel did the same and returned to a butler’s pose.

“Camay, come here.” Damien’s voice was surprisingly tender.

No way I was falling for that one. I knew Damien was skilled at manipulating his mien, so I had a hard time believing that Valerie’s submission had pacified him. Also, I had a bad feeling about leaving her side. Everything that happened was probably based on a huge misunderstanding, and I didn’t want Valerie to be misjudged.

I sat up on my bed and cried out, “I-I like Valerie!”

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, Damien spoke. “Abel, prepare dinner for three. Clear the previous dishes.”

“Understood. Dame Valerie Sylph, Little Miss Camay, I will return when dinner is ready.”

We both nodded quietly, amazed at how swiftly the two of them switched gears. It was as if nothing had happened just minutes prior. After Damien and Abel left the room, we looked at each other and sighed in relief. It seemed that Damien allowed us to continue conversing until it was time for dinner.

Suddenly, Valerie grabbed both of my hands and pressed them against her lips.

“I like you, too.”

I could feel my face heating up. With my hands held captive, all I could do was face downward.

Valerie continued, “I now understand your worries. Let me clear up everything for you.”