So tired… so tired…
Consciousness slowly surfaced from a hazy darkness, and with it came an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and emptiness.
Why did I even wake up…
Anya frowned, choosing not to open her eyes.
She felt herself lying on something soft, covered by a blanket. Aside from the faintly sweet, gentle fragrance filling her nose, her entire body felt heavy—like something was pressing down on her, draining her strength.
But… nothing about this was strange.
Yesterday, she had forced herself to complete several days’ worth of work in one go, completely exhausting her magic. Then she stayed up all night escaping Heaven. Today, she kept the invisibility cloak active all day—and even used magic to confront a demon…
Fainting wasn’t unreasonable.
…Right. The demon.
Her thoughts snapped into place.
That’s right—she had been in the middle of “exorcising a demon”… and then she fainted?
How could I collapse at a time like that…
Just then—
A faint sound.
The clinking of metal.
So it really was an act…
That demon must’ve pretended to be harmless, tricked me into lowering my guard, drained my magic—and now she’s about to…
Anya clenched her teeth and opened her eyes.
Pink filled half her vision.
Frowning, she slowly raised her hand and pulled the blanket down from her face.
…The ceiling.
She shifted her gaze—and saw Lirina at the kitchen counter, placing a ladle into a pot before carrying a bowl toward her.
…Poison.
It must be poison.
I can’t even resist right now… it’s definitely something meant to cause immense suffering…
Panic crept in.
Anya tightened her brows as she watched Lirina approach with a clearly reluctant expression.
That face…
Even she finds it disgusting? Just how terrible is that poison…?
No… I can’t just give up like this!
I’m Anya·Harts! I won’t go down so easily!
She took a breath and shouted weakly:
“Don’t come any closer… demon…”
Her voice was so faint she barely believed it came from her.
Lirina didn’t seem to hear her and kept walking.
I’m going to die—! I’m going to die—!
Anya desperately tried to sit up—but her body wouldn’t respond. She only managed to shift slightly under the blanket.
Lirina reached the table—and stopped.
Anya stared at her.
But Lirina’s expression only grew more reluctant.
…Why?
If anything, tormenting a defeated enemy should be satisfying for a demon… so why does she look like she doesn’t even want to be here?
“You…” Anya opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say.
Then—
Lirina puffed her cheeks slightly, like a sulking child—
—and placed the bowl on the table.
…Huh?
Anya stared.
It was a bowl of soft, steaming rice porridge.
No matter how she looked at it… it didn’t resemble poison at all.
Then why…?
Why give this to me?
“Why…?” she asked weakly.
Lirina frowned even more—
—but said nothing, turning and leaving the room.
“…What?”
Anya looked at the bowl.
This… is for me?
That was the only explanation.
But—
I don’t understand…
According to everything she had learned, demons were cruel. They tortured captives, making them suffer to the end.
But this—
After everything she had done to her—
This demon had carried her onto a soft sofa, covered her with a blanket…
…and even cooked porridge for her.
…So she’s not a demon?
No—that couldn’t be.
She had checked earlier. The horns, the tail…
Those were unmistakably the signs of a succubus.
…Speaking of tails…
Suddenly, Anya remembered what she had seen earlier—
The curve beneath Lirina’s skirt, outlined by white fabric.
Her face flushed instantly.
She pinched herself.
What am I thinking?!
How could I imagine a demon’s body—and even feel… that way?!
But it really was… so…
She gritted her teeth and tried to recite the Angel Code to steady herself—
—and felt even worse.
I’ve already left Heaven. I don’t need that anymore.
Focus.
If she’s definitely a demon… then what does this mean?
Were the teachings wrong?
No—
Demons are cunning and evil…
…Wait.
Anya, what are you thinking?!
Has she hurt you? No.
She’s done nothing—but take care of you!
You broke into her home, treated her like that—just because she’s a demon?
Even if she is… does she look like the kind of demon you imagined?
A heavy wave of guilt washed over her.
…If anything… I look more like the demon here.
She curled into the blanket, her body cold from magic depletion—and from guilt.
That soft, sweet scent filled her nose again.
She breathed in deeply.
…This smell… it’s from the blanket.
Which means… it’s her scent…
The demon’s scent…?
It smells… so nice…
Just breathing it in felt comforting.
Her cheeks warmed slightly.
Just then, the door opened.
Lirina returned—and quietly sat on a chair nearby.
Anya looked at Lirina.
Lirina stared at the floor.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Lirina spoke:
“…Why aren’t you eating?”
Anya blinked.
She wasn’t blaming her—
She was asking about the porridge.
…Thinking about what she is won’t get me anywhere.
I should just answer.
“I don’t have any magic left… I’m too tired. I can’t even sit up.”
“…Oh.”
Lirina lowered her head again, silent.
Time passed.
And passed.
And passed.
“…Why am I here?” Anya asked.
Lirina frowned slightly. “This is my house… you’re on the sofa. You fainted, so I… carried you here.”
“How long was I out?”
“…About an hour.”
“…Why are you doing this for me?”
“I don’t know. You looked weak… I couldn’t just leave you outside.”
Anya wanted to ask more—
—but realized she was pushing too much.
So she stopped.
And with that, silence fell again.
The atmosphere became unbearably awkward.
“…Why did you come… to defeat me?”
Lirina finally looked up, her face slightly red.
“…Because you are—”
Because you’re an evil demon—
The words stopped in her throat.
There wasn’t a trace of evil in the girl before her.
From the purity she had sensed earlier…
To everything she had seen so far—
She felt like nothing more than a normal, cute girl.
“…Because I wanted to take an exorcist angel’s job,” Anya said, turning her face slightly away. “And you were the only demon nearby. So… on a whim, I came.”
Lirina didn’t understand. There was too much to process.
Anya sighed. “…Anyway… I’m really sorry about today.”
Suddenly—
Lirina got angry.
“Y-You better be! I didn’t do anything bad, and you know that now! So once you recover, just leave!”
She stood up and walked away.
Footsteps.
A door closing.
Leave…
…But where would I even go?
…She hates me.
Well… that’s normal.
I wasn’t liked much in Heaven either.
Anya tried to push herself up—
—but her exhausted body refused to cooperate.
Inside Lirina’s room—
“Kasa, please tell me what to do… I don’t know what to do…” Lirina bowed repeatedly to the crow perched on her desk.
“I told you to ask the angel for information, and instead you let her interrogate you?!” Kasa snapped. “Forget it—I’ll report to Lady Naliena and have her send guards to capture that angel!”
“What?! No, don’t!” Lirina grabbed the crow.
“Let go—I can’t breathe—!”
In the living room, Anya heard the frantic cawing and frowned slightly.
Back inside—
“You’re going to strangle me!” Kasa flapped wildly. “Fine, I won’t report it—but what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know… that’s why I’m asking you…” Lirina said tearfully.
Kasa sighed. “You won’t follow my advice, and you don’t have a plan. Then what do you expect me to say?”
Lirina fell silent.
“You already told her to leave after she recovers. That’s fine,” Kasa continued. “Though she might attack you once she regains strength. If that happens, I’ll call Lady Naliena immediately.”
“No… I…”
“What now?! Then figure it out yourself!”
“…Kasa… listen.”
Lirina hesitated.
“I feel like… that angel…”
“…smells unhappy.”
“…What?”
“I mean… it feels like she’s always been unhappy. It makes me… feel sorry for her.”
Kasa turned, feathers ruffling.
“…Not bad. Your sensitivity to emotions is decent for a succubus,” she muttered. “But feeling sympathy for an angel’s unhappiness… honestly, the more I hear, the more ridiculous this sounds!”
Her feathers puffed up as she turned back sharply.
The air shifted.