Chapter 20: Explain Well

With doubts dispelled, the heroes ate heartily.

About a third of the food remained on the plates.

Charis stood by the table like a dutiful maid, eyeing the leftovers, her mind racing with plans to feast on them.

“Charis, clear the plates and come back.”
Aisha spoke bluntly, treating Charis like an actual maid.

“Okay…”

Charis quickly gathered the plates, darted to the kitchen, and, ignoring everything else, sneaked a few bites to tide her over before returning.

“Uh, I’m back. Anything else?”

Charis glanced at the heroes, who lounged comfortably, wiping their faces with napkins, their side-eyes fixed on her.

“Charis, your cooking’s so good—who taught you?”
Aisha cut straight to the point.
Charis, caught off guard, fidgeted with her hands behind her back, scrambling for an excuse.

“It’s just natural talent, Big Sister Aisha.”
Charis used her usual trick, softening her voice to play meek.

“Don’t think sweet talk will dodge this.
Luline’s greediness was unexpected, but I should’ve asked you earlier.”

Aisha, seeing through the tactic, pulled out a potion bottle and placed it on the table.

Thud.

The moment the potion appeared, Charis froze, her pupils trembling slightly.

“I didn’t do anything wrong—why do I have to drink that!”
Charis’s tail drooped, her voice laced with disbelief.

“I didn’t say you have to drink it.
Just answer a few questions honestly.”
Aisha’s voice was cold, her hands clasped under her chin in a negotiating stance.

“A few questions… Big Sister Aisha, don’t make this hard for me.”

Charis sensed trouble, urgently rousing Demon King Talos for help.

“How is this hard? Just a bit of truth.
Your cooking could be raw talent, and I’d buy your language skills, but your curse?
We all saw it.”

Aisha raised her right index finger, blowing lightly to summon a flame, its glow reflected in Charis’s eyes.

‘Crap! I got too comfortable using Starfire!’

Charis thought being seen was fine, but didn’t expect the heroes to settle scores after eating!

“The curse… uh… it just came naturally.”

Charis tried to stay calm, but her unease showed in her tail, faintly sweeping the floor—a sign of guilt.

“Charis.”
Ophelia suddenly stood, circling behind Charis, stepping over her tail and pinning it with her legs.
“What’s making you so nervous?”

Ophelia’s red eyes lowered.
Charis looked up, stammering, unable to form words.

“Charis, you can’t brush this off with simple excuses.
Even the pioneers of curses didn’t invent them from thin air—it takes complex control, technique, and human blood.”

Aisha laid out the details, dismantling Charis’s budding “talent” excuse.

“I… the reason is…”

Charis slowed her speech, her mind in a panic.
She couldn’t come up with a solid excuse, and knowing little about this world’s norms, any lie would be riddled with holes!

If her excuse was too flimsy and Aisha decided to probe her body with a curse, they might detect Talos’s soul within her!

Given the enmity between demons and heroes, Charis knew she’d be done for!

As Charis floundered, Talos spoke up.

“Charis, say this…”

The outside world couldn’t hear her inner voice.
Aisha and Luline, seeing Charis’s hesitation, stood and closed in to observe.

Charis, pinned by Ophelia, blinked her blue eyes rapidly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Charis, who taught you these things? Tell us.”
Aisha leaned close to Charis’s face, Luline following suit.

Ophelia behind, Aisha and Luline in front—the dragon was cornered by heroes with no escape.

“…Say it like this, Charis.”
Talos finished instructing.
Charis, with a sliver of confidence, spoke slowly, terrified of misspeaking.

“Actually, before you… I met another human, a girl who saved my life.”

“What?!”

Aisha and Luline’s eyes widened, and even Ophelia, stunned, released Charis’s shoulders.

“My curse… I learned it from a human girl.
She was kind, helping me when I was at my lowest.
I followed her and learned simple curses…”

Charis was about to follow Talos’s script further, but Aisha reached out, pressing her hand to Charis’s forehead.

A white light spread from the contact, enveloping Charis—a truth-detection curse.

“Keep talking.”

“Uh…”

Charis clammed up, but Talos encouraged her.

“Go on, it’s fine, no problem.”

Charis had no choice but to trust the Demon King.

“Starfire was taught by that human girl.
She explained the books I found, word by word.
Though our time was short, I’m so grateful to have met someone so kind.
I hope to meet her again someday… so I don’t want to harm humans.”

Charis finished, looking up at Ophelia, Aisha, and Luline with wide, innocent eyes, playing up her vulnerability.

“She… isn’t lying.”
Aisha withdrew her hand, stunned.
The magical essence tied to lies showed no fluctuation.

“So, before us, you met a kind human.”
Ophelia loomed over Charis, who nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, I didn’t mention her earlier because I was afraid you’d get jealous.”
Charis tossed out her made-up excuse, and Ophelia frowned.

“Jealous of what?”

“You’re not my first owner—you’re secondhand.”

Charis’s tone gained confidence, but Ophelia didn’t like it, pinching her cheek.

“You little dragon, does first or secondhand matter?
Your mouth’s still as sharp as ever.”

“Ow, let go, you’re hurting me!”

Charis shook free, looking pitifully at Luline and Aisha, hoping for some compensation.

“Alright, Ophelia, let her go.”
Luline stepped in, pulling Charis close and gently holding her.

‘The saintess is so kind—such a hero!’

Charis, relieved to have dodged scrutiny, quickly consulted Talos.

“Demon King, how’d you help me fool Aisha’s detection?
Some powerful curse?”

“Simple, Charis.”
Talos’s tone was light and casual.

“Really? Teach me the curse!
I could use excuses all the time without fear.”

“No curse involved.
You forgot? I can’t cast curses without a body.”

“Huh? Then what was that?”

“I shielded your soul.
Her curse questioned me, but I answered through your mouth.”

Talos spoke matter-of-factly, leaving Charis dumbfounded.

That meant everything she said was Talos’s real experience—the Demon King had tangled with humans in the past!