Chapter 493: Jillia Bolgrith

Much later that day, at the Castle of the Demon Queen...

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Morgana?!" Alter Bella yelled at the top of her voice.

"What?" Morgana replied, gesturing with both hands, completely unremorseful. "I had to know if they were ready, Mistress."

But Bella didn’t seem like she was having it. "I don’t care! You could have killed any one of them!"

Morgana shook her head and released an exasperated sigh.

The argument had been going on for several minutes now.

The Mistress had been furious from the moment she returned from the Endless Dark and learned what Morgana had done in her absence.

An impromptu battle.

That was what the Demon Queen had subjected her husband and friends to, pitting them against opponents powerful enough to genuinely kill them, all because she wanted to determine whether they were prepared to face dragons.

Their voices continued echoing through that section of the castle as the argument went back and forth.

Meanwhile, practically everyone else was deeply asleep.

The exhaustion from the battles had caught up with them almost as soon as they returned.

Some had made it back to their chambers before collapsing onto their beds, while others had simply fallen asleep wherever they found somewhere comfortable enough to rest.

Their injuries had already been healed, but healing the physical damage did not erase the strain the battles had placed on their bodies.

They were exhausted.

And for now, almost nothing could have disturbed their sleep.

——

Meanwhile, in another section of the castle...

This particular part of the castle was separated from the chambers occupied by the others.

It was much larger, possessing its own courtyard and a long covered veranda that ran along the exterior, overlooking a large portion of the Demon Continent’s capital.

These were the quarters Morgana had assigned to Nathan.

Despite how the last few days had played out, Nathan had once been a provincial ruler, and the accommodations seemed to acknowledge the prestige his former position carried.

Miss Bernadette walked through that section of the castle until she eventually reached the entrance to Nathan’s chambers.

She raised one hand, preparing to knock.

"My lord does not wish to meet with anyone."

Bernadette stopped at the sound of the voice that had come from somewhere to her side.

She turned and saw Jilia standing along the covered veranda.

The demoness had her back partially turned toward Bernadette, her gaze directed beyond the railing and toward the vast capital stretching beneath the castle.

Bernadette slowly lowered her hand from Nathan’s door and turned toward Jillia. "Is there a reason why?"

Jillia turned slightly toward her before shaking her head. "I have no idea. My lord has been like this ever since the battle ended."

Unlike the others, Jillia did not participate in Morgana’s earlier demonstration.

Her body was still recuperating from the horrific injuries she had suffered at the Great Serpent’s, where Eorlagar’s right hand had sliced her in two.

Although she had regenerated and survived, her body was in no condition to participate in another battle, especially one as dangerous as the Queen’s demonstration.

Bernadette sighed.

She walked over to Jillia and stopped beside her along the veranda, resting her hands against the railing as she stared out in the same direction.

For some time, they both said nothing.

Bernadette’s attention wandered through the view of the Demon Continent’s capital.

Then she finally asked, "How did you come into Nathan’s service?"

Bernadette understood that Jillia knew Nathan was Nathan.

She knew he was the one who had been manipulating the Krygon family while assuming Lord Krygon’s identity, which meant she had never been subjected to the same memory alterations as the others.

So it made Bernadette wonder how she fit into all of it

Jillia stared at Miss Bernadette for a few seconds before turning her attention back toward the view of capital. "Is there a cause to your question?"

Miss Bernadette shook her head. "Only my curiosity."

Jillia stayed silent for a few seconds before answering. "The previous Lord Krygon took control of the province from my family, the Bolgriths."

She paused briefly. "My father was Lord Bolgrith, ruler of the Bolgrith Province at the times—but after the Krygon family seized control, I was captured."

Jillia’s expression remained calm as she continued. "I was placed in Lord Krygon’s service as a means of keeping my family under control. As long as they had me, the Bolgriths were less likely to attempt anything rash or try to seize back control of the province."

Bernadette listened quietly.

"When my lord eventually decided to make his move against the Krygon family, he needed someone on the inside. Someone who understood the family, knew their movements, and could provide him with the information he needed."

Jillia glanced toward her. "So he sought me out."

"I already had cause against the Krygon family, which made me the perfect person for what he intended to do. My lord offered me my freedom if I helped him achieve his goals against them."

She turned her gaze back toward the capital.

"And so I did. With my help, he was able to insert himself into the Krygon family and use his magic to alter their minds."

Bernadette slowly nodded in understanding, but still asked. "If he offered you your freedom, why do you still serve him?"

She turned toward Jillia. "Even now, when he is no longer Lord Krygon?"

"At first..." Jillia began. "It was the shame of returning to a broken house."

Her expression turned distant.

"I was the daughter and heir of the Bolgrith family. I couldn’t bring myself to return and look into the eyes of what remained of my family."

She paused.

"But eventually, it became acceptance."

"Acceptance that the Bolgriths would never rule the province again. And acceptance of the futility of any attempt we might make against that man..."

"A man who had successfully brought an entire province under his control all because he is seeking to free his wife from dragons."