Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 32 - Home

"Alright, here we are!" Amoria announced cheerfully as she opened the door to her home, ushering Van inside.

"Nice place," Van commented, stepping in after her. He inhaled the scent of an enclosed space, his gaze wandering curiously around the spacious living room.

'I somehow expected a mansion, with all of Magus' harem living side by side... But Amoria having a spacious apartment on a quiet street fits her personality more than anything else,' he mused, managing a weak smile.

"Sorry about the smell... My airheaded daughter forgot to open the windows when she left," Amoria explained with a sigh.

"I specifically told her to air out the house before she went out..."

"A daughter?" Van inquired, his interest piqued as Amoria headed towards the kitchen.

"Yes, I'll introduce you when she gets back. She's helping out at the guild with Marcy, so she'll be home later. Meanwhile, you must be starving. Just sit at the dining table there, and I'll whip something up for you." She casually said, pointing at the table near the kitchen; positioned a few steps after the entrance door, as she entered the kitchen.

'Of course she has a kid. It'd be stranger if she didn't, honestly. Doesn't matter much if the kid's Magus's or someone else's,' Van concluded internally as he walked to the wooden dining table, pulled out a chair, and settled in.

"Marcy lives in the city too?" Van raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, she and her daughter," Amoria responded cheerily as she bustled around the kitchen.

"I'm sure she'd be thrilled to introduce you."

Van's mind drifted to the girl he had seen the previous night, bearing a striking resemblance to a young Lalyn—a resemblance Lalyn had later confirmed.

"What about Lalyn's daughter?" Van asked.

"Oh, yes! Her name is Melanie. She's a sweetheart, just like her mom. Lalyn is working as an instructor at the Royal Academy now. We had a bit of a disagreement recently, and we haven't seen each other since, unfortunately," Amoria replied, her voice bright but tinged with regret.

"Speaking of which, she thanked you for helping her daughter. What happened yesterday?" She questioned as she focused on her task at the kitchen, her eyebrow raised upwards in curiosity.

"Last night, after the dragon attack, I saw a girl who looked a lot like a younger Lalyn just wandering around the city," Van explained.

"Wandering at night? That's unusual. I always thought Lalyn was very strict with her," Amoria said, her expression turning to one of slight concern.

"It seemed like she might have been on a date... with a boy named... Braile... Bon... Brendan?" Van struggled with the memory, attempting to recall the correct name as he tapped his fingers on the table lightly.

"...Bernard...?" Amoria asked.

"Yeah, I think that was the name," He said as he then pointed his finger upwards.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"...That's Duke Brayle's son—quite popular among the kids in the academy, and generally has a lot of influence and friends in high places," Amoria remarked, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "Lalyn's daughter dating him... wow, she has really grown up," she said, her voice filled with a mixture of pride and surprise.

Van nodded slowly, his expression casual.

"Yeah, but Lalyn might need to have a word with her about watching the company she keeps," he suggested with a sigh.