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Chapter 93: Talia's Changing Perception of Lanchi
Chapter 93: Talia's Changing Perception of Lanchi
As dusk fell, the world outside the window began to succumb to the encroaching night, stars twinkled in the sky over Ikelite, and the full moon rose high, casting a soft glow. The street lamps gradually illuminated, lighting up the royal capital for the evening.
It wasn't until the light faded from the bedroom window that it seemed as though the whole world had fallen asleep.
Seeing Lanchi asleep from magical exhaustion, Talia knew that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so she left him be and turned her attention to the tasks she had promised him.
After fulfilling her duties, she finally took out the Shadow World Recording Program.
She had been eager to view its contents as soon as possible.
In fact, she considered it even more important than eating dinner.
Aside from the recorded contents of the Shadow World, Talia was more concerned about the silver-haired, amber-eyed half-demon girl who had accompanied Lanchi in the challenge.
She retrieved a magically modified projector from the lowest drawer of her nightstand, inserted the Shadow World Recording Program into it, and adjusted the volume to a minimum so as not to disturb Lanchi's slumber. Then, she turned off the lights in the room.
Soon, the dull wall directly opposite her bed illuminated with projected images.
The room was enveloped in darkness, with the softly humming projector serving as the sole source of light.
Talia sat on the bed, her knees drawn to her chest, watching quietly as if she were enjoying a late-night movie.
Her face was illuminated by the flickering images, her expression shifting from light to shadow as the recording played, and the voices of Lanchi and Shubelian resonating within the room.
Talia became immersed in the story, as if isolated from the world, her eyes fixed on the figure of the young girl in the projection, reminiscent of her closest kin—the demons.
"Iphatia, is she your daughter...?" Talia murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
Although their features were not similar, their hair and eye colors were strikingly alike.
After witnessing the latter half of the Shadow World live stream and hearing the cultists reveal the young lady's mixed demon heritage, Talia began to suspect that this duchess might indeed be her niece.
If Talia could meet Shubelian in person, she might be able to sense whether there was a familial bond between them.
However, Talia didn't feel it was appropriate to approach the duchess, who was currently at the center of so much attention.
The more Talia watched, the more convinced she became of the resemblance.
Perhaps she would have to find a way to ask Lanchi to arrange a private meeting with the duchess.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Talia also witnessed Lanchi's inhumane and brutal treatment of the demons in the Devil's Exam.
Her brows furrowed in disapproval.
Although she had grown accustomed to Lanchi due to their prolonged interaction, it was in moments like these that she was starkly reminded of the deep-rooted hatred and prejudice between humans and demons.
Humans and demons could never coexist peacefully.
The only reason Lanchi was getting along with her so well and continuing to do business with her was that he didn't know she was a powerful demon herself.
When he eventually discovered the truth, he would undoubtedly turn his malevolent gaze upon her as well.
In the projection, Lanchi and Shubelian had just left the Devil's Exam and were walking in the corridor with the other devil students.
Shubelian, as if she had been deliberating for a long time, finally lowered her voice and tentatively asked Lanchi, "Lanchi, what are your thoughts on devils?"
Lanchi was taken aback by the question but replied, "They live a long time. Even after a few hundred years, they still look like young girls."
"...!"
Talia, watching from her bedroom, glanced at the sleeping Lanchi by the table.
She didn't know if his response was intentional or not, but she felt that regardless, he deserved to die for thinking that way.
Moreover, Lanchi's answer revealed his prejudice towards demons, seeing them as monsters just like the other humans.
The audio continued—
"Then, if you encountered a devil in the mortal world, would you still act the same way?" Shubelian asked, her voice still tinged with anxiety.
Lanchi remained silent as he looked at her, seemingly at a loss for words for a while.
Finally, he asked in return, "Do you think I'm an old geezer who wants to shorten my lifespan?"
Talia observed Lanchi's reaction in the projection, her disdain for him growing.
"Aside from whether provoking demons is dangerous or not, devils might also have their good points. Shubelian, you shouldn't discriminate against them."
Hearing this, Talia froze, her eyes fixed on the projection.
A long moment passed before she once again looked at the sleeping human boy.
She continued to gaze at him, and no one knew what thoughts lurked behind her golden irises.
"... "
A gentle breeze blew through the half-open window, caressing Lanchi's body.
Sensing a pair of eyes on him, Lanchi felt a slight chill run down his spine, and his eyes opened involuntarily.
What caught his attention wasn't the cozy wooden furniture in the dimly lit room but a pair of golden irises and a beautiful face not far from him.
Within those cold and noble pupils, a mix of confusion, emotion, and bewilderment could be seen, as if she wanted to keep him at a distance while also wanting to know more.
Lanchi raised his hand to touch his face, thinking that he must have had something on it while he slept, which was why Talia was staring at him like that.
"Umm...Talia? Sorry, I fell asleep. What time is it now?"
Lanchi asked tentatively, unsure if his long slumber would anger Talia.
"Just past midnight," Talia replied, glancing at the clock.
Lanchi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Talia wasn't angry with him. If she were, she would have snapped at him instead of answering his question.
"Ah, so you're already watching the Shadow World recording?"
He soon noticed the only source of light in the bedroom.
"..."
Talia shifted her gaze back to the projection, remaining silent. After a while, she spoke again, "What do you think of the duchess who accompanied you in the Shadow World challenge?"
"She's a good person," Lanchi replied decisively, knowing that Talia was trying to gather information about her kin.
Lanchi had intended to introduce Shubelian to Talia after the company was established. With Talia's superior strength as an ancient demon, she would easily see through Shubelian's half-demon identity, while Shubelian would likely be unable to see through Talia's intricate disguise.
As Lanchi thought about this, Talia said, "Don't bully her. Demons have a strong killer instinct. If you anger her, I might not be able to protect you in time."
Talia's tone was calm, as if she were simply carrying out her duty to protect Lanchi, without revealing any intention to shield Shubelian.
"What do you take me for?! I'm not a bully; I'm a model student with excellent conduct and academics!"
Lanchi complained, holding his head in disbelief.
Shubelian was such a meek person; he would never bully her.
Moreover, Shubelian had a gentle personality, completely unlike Talia, who had a temperamental disposition and a strong killer instinct!
"......I'm sorry."
Talia was sure that Lanchi was telling the truth.
When they had watched the live stream at the open-air giant screen plaza of the Ikelite Academy, she could clearly sense that the students didn't treat the duchess with partial demon heritage very well.
However, throughout the Shadow World challenge, Lanchi had treated Shubelian sincerely as a trustworthy companion, and this sincerity remained unwavering even after learning of her identity.
"Huh? What did you just say, Talia?"
Lanchi widened his eyes, cupped his ear, and turned his head, as if suspecting that his ears were playing tricks on him.
"I didn't say anything," Talia replied, feeling that this guy was becoming a bit annoying.
And it seemed like his mind was quite active at the moment!
"Don't worry, Talia. I won't allow any discrimination against kind classmates like her to happen in the academy!" Lanchi said with a grin.
As Talia remained silent, Lanchi happily made a scissors hand gesture and said, "My motto is to love all beings equally!"
"..."
Talia didn't respond.
She was certain that this guy's "love" was a bit scary, especially for those who provoked him.
However, he would genuinely treat all kind beings, even demons, with sincerity.
After decades of traveling through the human realm, Talia had believed that there would be no humans capable of treating demons without prejudice.
Until she witnessed Lanchi's attitude towards Shubelian.
She had found the first one.
Right before her eyes.
In the dimly lit room, neither of them spoke for a while. The only sounds were the gentle breeze rustling the curtains and the quiet night of the royal capital.
"Are you hungry?" Talia asked.
"Very," Lanchi replied, rubbing his stomach. The drowsiness that had lingered after waking up was now replaced by a surging hunger.
"Let's go for dinner. I'll treat you tonight," Talia said, her tone unreadable as she stepped off the bed and walked on the soft carpet.
It was said that human teachers would reward students when they performed well, so rewarding him like this to better imitate humans shouldn't be a problem.
It would also help to increase his loyalty towards her.
"Huh? Talia, are you treating me to dinner?" Lanchi asked, pointing at himself in surprise.
"Ask again, and the offer is off," Talia said, glancing at him and walking out of the room without looking back.
(End of Chapter)
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