"Behavior is a key of manipulation."
---
Hina – Coffee, and Doubt
The kitchen was larger than I expected—polished marble counters, dark walnut cabinets with brass handles, and bundles of herbs dangling from the ceiling, their fragrance filling the air. The rich scent of roasted beans drew me toward the shelf.
Still... my hands trembled.
I held the porcelain cup tightly, trying to calm the storm rising in my chest.
"Master's coffee must be perfect," I whispered, biting my lower lip.
He gave me a name. His name. Hina Valmore. Just thinking of it made my chest flutter—but something else was beginning to stir within me. Doubt.
That girl—Luna—she looked at him like she knew him. Like she understood a version of him I had never seen. And the others... they didn't treat him with reverence. They looked at him like an outsider, a stranger.
Yet Master—he didn't care. Not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.
I poured the coffee gently into a delicate cup, steam rising like whispers of warmth. I placed it on a silver tray, then rested my hand over my chest. My heart pounded beneath my palm.
"I'll make them see him... the way I do," I murmured.
---
Neron – Of Names and Chains
Click.
The door to Room 8 opened.
A modest space—a bed, a small desk, and a large window that looked out toward the woods. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, soothing and faintly nostalgic. I placed my travel bag by the desk, set the scythe in the corner, and shrugged off my coat.
The silence settled around me like a second skin.
Then came the knock.
The door creaked open.
"Master, your coffee." Hina stepped inside, placing the cup on the table. She sat gently at the edge of the bed, fingers fidgeting in her lap.
I took a sip. Smooth. Just as I liked it.
"Is there something you need, Hina?" I asked, glancing toward her.
She blinked. "Ah, I just wanted to remind you… we planned to explore the capital this evening, remember?"
"I remember," I replied, setting the cup down. "Be patient. We still have two hours."
She nodded, silent.
I stood slowly and walked toward her. "Hina… are you tired?"
She looked up, startled. "Tired...? What do you mean, Master?"
"I mean," I said softly, "aren't you tired of this?"
Her eyes widened.
"You've always done everything I asked. Followed every command. You're a Genesis now too. You have the right to live for yourself."
"I-I don't mind," she stammered. "I like how you treat me. I like… how you see me."
But something in my gaze made her voice tremble.
My eyes were colder than usual. Detached.
Good, I thought. Let her feel it. It needs to hurt—just a little.
"I was thinking," I said, turning toward the window, arms crossed, "if I continue treating you as a servant… then I'd be no different from the man who once chained you."
She flinched.
"So, Hina—you're free to leave. To do as you wish. I won't bind you to me anymore."
She stood suddenly, her expression breaking. "W-What...?"
Tears welled in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks before she turned and ran from the room.
I didn't stop her.
This pain is necessary. If she never learns to see the world through her own eyes, she'll always remain in the shadow of her past. Growth requires fracture. Only through pressure can something fragile become unbreakable.
Just like me.
"Because monsters," I whispered to the window, "don't always hide in the dark."
---
Hina – In the Woods Beneath the Stars
I ran through the hall, covering my face with both hands as tears streamed freely.
Someone tried to speak to me. I ignored them.
I didn't stop running until I found myself beyond the estate—into the forest.
There, hidden amidst the trees, was a serene pond, moonlight reflecting off its surface like silver glass. On a stone near the water sat a silhouette.
As I drew closer, I saw her.
"Luna...?"
She didn't turn.
"You look upset," she said softly, her golden eyes fixed on the sky.
I sat beside her, clutching my knees.
"I just… don't understand him," I said. "No matter how hard I try, he's always ahead. Always distant."
Luna glanced at me, then asked, "Why do you call him Master? You're an elf—and not an ordinary one, either."
The question struck deep.
And so, for the first time, I spoke the truth of my past.
"I was abandoned at birth," I began, voice shaking. "Taken in by a man who treated me like livestock. From the moment I could speak, he forced me to clean, cook, serve. He tried selling me to passing merchants—none would take a child with white hair. In my village, white hair is a curse. A sign of evil."
Luna remained silent.
"When they didn't buy me, he beat me. Every day. Whips, rods, hooks. He hanged me from rafters and used me as a punching bag. My screams were his music. He made sure not to damage my face—he needed it intact to sell me."
I took a shaky breath.
"One day, he succeeded. I was sold to a black-market auction. Caged. Starving. Surrounded by screams and rot."
I paused.
"And then... he came. Neron."
Her name felt like light in my mouth.
"I thought he was like the others—just another noble. But he wasn't. He smiled. He offered his hand. He gave me food, clothes, warmth. A home."
I looked up at the stars, tears sliding down again.
"He gave me a name. His name. And I don't know when… but admiration turned into something else. Something deeper."
Luna listened in silence, then nodded.
"A cruel fate," she said quietly. "And yet... he gave you something real."
Then came a voice behind us.
"Hina," Neron called, "aren't we going to the city?"
I turned to answer, but Luna rose.
"There's no need," she said coolly. "I'll be going with her."
He looked at her. Then at me.
His eyes turned colder.
"I see."
He left without another word.
---
Neron – Chess Behind Smiles
So, she chose Luna.
Good.
The more she sees the world, the more she'll learn. Let her struggle. Let her grow.
I returned to the house. As I stepped inside, someone bumped into me—books flying everywhere.
"Ouch—sorry!"
A girl with long black hair and round glasses blinked up at me from the floor. Dozens of books scattered around her.
"You must be Emily," I said with a smile, offering my hand.
She blinked, then accepted it. "Yes… I am."
Why smile?
Because Emily is useful. A prodigy in ancient languages. If I want to decipher the Devil Emperor's Art in the future, I'll need her. No point wasting my own time on something others can do better.
I knelt beside her and helped gather the books.
"You study quite a lot, don't you? I find old languages fascinating too."
Her eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course. I love how languages hide patterns—how the past speaks through structure."
Her excitement bubbled over.
"It's like fishing in an endless ocean," she said. "Some symbols repeat. Some evolve. Ancient civilizations may have been more advanced than we think. Some alchemists even based modern theories on those old texts!"
"Oh?" I smiled. "That's fascinating. Would you like to continue this discussion… in my room?"
Her eyes widened with curiosity, eager.
I thought to myself—
Not a single Genesis member has ever been spoken to kindly by me… until now.
How foolish of them to overlook the power of softness.
Because in the end—
Behavior is the key to manipulation.
---
End of the Chapter 11
Next Preview:
Neron—Is it possible to pinpoint all the locations of the Emperor's Books?