Queen of the Holy Waldstein Kingdom

Thirty days later.

"He really is cute." The Maid whispered. "It's hard to believe that he's a Demon sometimes..."

She was currently holding the baby basket with a hand, which the baby had reached for.

"Ha!" Another Maid chuckled. Unlike the first Maid's thin body and youthful appearance, since one was older by at least two dozen years. She was burly and sturdy-looking."Don't you know, my dear Rika? Demons are just like boys. They're cute and adorable at first, but then they hit puberty and become perverted monsters that only think with their peckers. Demons are much the same. They might look Human, but…"

"I agree." The Servant nodded as he entered the room.

"Shut up, both of you." The Maid whispered before snatching the bouquet from the Servant's hands. "I need to get him to Lord Kain."

"Huh? Not even a hello? It's thanks to me that you got a raise, you know? A substantial one as well."

"Just keep getting me my bouquets in silence." Rika smiled as she walked away and towards the stairs.

Flights of stairs were climbed.

She arrived in front of Lord Kain's door and stopped for a moment

"My heartbeat. I get tired faster and faster these days…" Rika sighed. "Have I been neglecting my training?" She murmured to herself.

[Your Strength Point increases by 2 Stat Points!]

'Status Window.'

[Name: Nero

Health Points: 350/350

Stamina: 780/780

Mana Points: 910/910

Stats:

-Strength: 1 (+28)

-Agility: 1 (+31)

-Perception: 100

-Constitution: 35 (+43)

-Endurance: 78

-Mana: 91

-Magic Affinity: 66

Skills: 

-Drain[A-Rank]

-Eye Of Truth[A-Rank]

-Protective Barrier[D-Rank]

]

'I've been using the Drain Skill left and right for the past month, but my body is unable to grow stronger.'

While most of Nero's Stats did increase, the Strength and Agility Stats remained the same. 

'That Demon Queen said that the Stats are recorded within the Skill, and will be added to my body once I grow older. My body, still that of a baby, can't handle it.'

In a way, it was fortunate. 

A baby with the strength and agility of a grown man would have raised so many red flags, as it was hardly possible to hide one's strength at all times.

"Would you look at that…" Kain whispered as the Maid entered his room and lay the baby basket on the same table she had laid it on every day for the past 30 days. "Your Aura and Mana increase day by day."

Rika bowed and left the room quickly. 

Once the door was closed, Kain walked closer, scratching his chin. 

"The Demon blood accelerates your growth. It took the King's children about three years to hold as much Mana as you do."

***

'Ha…' Nero sighed. 'I'm glad that the King left me in Kain's hands.'

In the past 30 days, Nero had been in the King's presence three times, and Kain had to give excuses every time for the reason why the experimenting hadn't begun yet. 

According to what that Nero had heard, the experimenting would involve ingesting things, being cut, shocked, poisoned… And much more.

Needless to say that he was glad to hear Kain utter the words "It's still too early," every time.

'Alright!'

With the meeting with Kain out of the way, and a meeting with the King not mentioned, only the pleasant parts of Nero's daily routine were left.

He had grown accustomed to the time spent with Naira, the woman who had given birth to him. Most of the time spent with her was spent in her arms, held tenderly. Being kissed and cuddled for hours on end still hadn't grown irritating, and Nero was starting to doubt that it ever would. Other than kissing and holding him, Naira would talk a lot, about all kinds of things, with the outside world being her favorite subject. She would tell him about the sun, the moon, the stars that shone through the darkness of the night, the forests, the lakes, and the mighty mountains… 

Naira seemed to have moved around a lot. Which wasn't surprising at all, since Demons were hunted and hated by all. No matter how long they managed to blend in, the moment that their true nature was revealed through the crimson eyes, they needed to go. To go far away, and right away.

She kept the talks positive and hopeful, which Nero found endearing. The reality was different, but he thought that maybe it was a mother's job to make the world look like a beautiful and peaceful place for her child.

His time with Naira had slowly become his favorite part of the daily routine.

"What ya reading?"

Currently, Nero was seated in front of one of the many books that filled the Royal Library.

"This one?" Rika chuckled. She opened the book and set its back against the reading stand. "Wonder if it's because they're filled with pictures and illustrations that you like them…"

"What ya reading, I asked?"

"Well, nothing wrong with a baby looking at it." Rika shrugged as she took a seat.

Taking care of Nero had become a large part of her duties, which also included taking him in and out of the Dungeons. 

"WHAT YA READING, I SAID!!"

'Can you not? I already told you not to talk when someone else is!'

Rika scratched her forehead with a nervous chuckle. 'Did he just click his tongue…?'

"For a brat, you're definitely getting on my nerves!"

'Serves you right with this telepathy shit! Come here and talk like a normal person, stop messing with my head!'

"I already told you that I can't do that, stupid! Your King and his brother would sense me right away, and have my head!"

'I really do not care.' Nero answered telepathically, his eyes focused on the book in front of him.

"I'm the one who told you that learning Spells and Magic Circles would be useful, so you could at least share which you're working on! I could help, you know?!"

The baby slowly scratched his head.

Yes, he was talking to a Demon.

Yes, she was a Demon Queen, which placed her at the peak of the fearsome Race. 

'I don't trust you. Now, fuck off.'

"Urgh!! That's a complicated Spell in the first place. There's no way you'll be able to learn it. And even if you were able to activate it, you need more than activation for it to work."

'I can read, thank you.'

Indeed, the illustrations that Nero was looking at were Magic Circles which aided greatly in the use of Spells.

He peeked at the Maid, Rika. She seemed absolutely bored with the situation, and didn't even bother to pick a book among the thousands that filled the Royal Library.

Nero's right eye glowed slightly.

[Your Skill "Eye Of Truth[A-Rank]" is activating!]

[Name: Rika Vervelt

Title(s): Daughter of a Minor Noble

Health Points: 1400/1400

Stamina: 600/1090

Mana Points: 2040/2040

Stats:

-Strength: 106 (108)

-Agility: 121 (123)

-Perception: 60

-Constitution: 140 (141)

-Endurance: 109 (110)

-Mana: 204 (205)

-Magic Affinity: 50

Skill(s): {Unknown}

]

'Her Stats are almost back to where they were before I started using my Drain Skill. While it increases my Stats permanently, it only decreases theirs temporarily. Good rest will have her back at full strength. I've been using my Drain Skill on her every day, multiple times a day, which is why she still isn't back to full strength.'

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want the strength to get out of here without using me." The Demon Queen mused. 

'I'm not quite ready to leave Naira yet.'

"Naira, huh? You really refuse to refer to her as your mother."

Just before Nero could retort, a commotion could be heard emanating from the Royal Library's entrance.

"Oh, no!" 

It had happened about six times. 

Rika took hold of Nero, placed him in the baby basket, and started running.

Six times she had succeeded in escaping. 

"Binding Thorns!"

Not this time.

'Wow.' Nero's eyes opened wide as thorns moved through the Royal Library with incredible speed before wrapping themselves around Rika's ankles.

She clicked her tongue and started falling forward. 

Thankfully, she managed to hold the baby basket off the ground at all times, even when her face slammed against the ground.

"Ow, that hurts…" She groaned.

'Nice landing.'

The loud knocking of heels against the ground resonated.

"Move again, and I will see that you live the rest of your life in the dungeons."

A shiver ran down the Maid's spine as she slowly pushed herself off the ground, turned around to face the woman standing, and bowed. Rika's gaze was stuck to the ground. 

Nero stared at the woman standing so proudly.

Due to her arrogant air, her blonde hair, the blue dress she adorned, and the scarf of fur that covered her shoulders, he could guess who the woman was.

He didn't need to use his "Eye of Truth" Skill.

"You dare run away from your Queen?"

"I-I'm sorry, your Majesty. I am simply following Lord K-"

Rika's words were interrupted by a slap to the face.

"Do not utter that name in my presence."

The Queen's cold gaze slowly moved towards the baby basket, still on the ground. 

"So that's the Demon child? To use my husband's blood to create such an atrocity... How absolutely repugnant and despicable. Yet you still dare utter that name in my presence."

[Name: Elena Waldstein (Formerly, Lady Elena Ashford)

Title(s): Queen of the Holy Waldstein Kingdom.

Health Points: 1000/1000

Stamina: 810/810

Mana Points: 1000/1100

Stats:

-Strength: 91

-Agility: 110

-Perception: 40

-Constitution: 100

-Endurance: 81 

-Mana: 110

-Magic Affinity: 90

Skill(s):

-Binding Thorns[C-Rank]

 {Unknown}

]

'...?'

"What a hideous and despicable thing."

'I expected her to be much stronger…?'

The Queen stared at the baby with a facial expression filled with anger, hatred, and sadness.

For the past month, she had tried to lay eyes on that baby which Kain was doing such a good job hiding from her. Leaving it to a Maid was completely unexpected after all.

For the past year, she had been struggling and hurting because of this "Plan" or "Experiment" concocted by her husband's brother. 

For the past three months, she had been debating what to do, how to act. 

Seeing that baby with her eyes made everything gain sudden clarity.

'I will have them both killed.' The Queen thought to herself as all emotion disappeared from her face. 'I cannot let such a disgrace…' She turned around and walked away gracefully. 

Meanwhile, Nero seemed almost stuck in a trance.

'Did I just… Hear her thoughts somehow?'

Through the Demon Queen's Blessing, he had obtained the "Drain" Skill.

Through the King's blood which flowed in his veins, the "Eye Of Truth" Skill had awakened.

And through the Demon blood in his veins, he would…