Karl was puzzled by Helena's question. "I'm sorry, my Lady. I don't understand what you're talking about."
Helena was upset. "Don't lie to me! I checked your background, and neither your family name nor the village exists!"
His face was filled with worry and fear. Karl appeared sad now that his secret had been exposed. "Please trust me, Lady Helena! I have no choice! I am lying about my identity because I ran away from home!"
His act almost swayed Helena. If Helena did not know better, she could fall for it. His explanation made sense. There was little room for doubt. Yet Helena had good reason to be suspicious of him.
"I've spoken to Sister Mary before. She told you about Adham, but she never mentioned his occupation. Yet this morning, you said he was a merchant!" Helena grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. "Adham only changed his job in the first timeline. In the second and current timelines, he remained a mercenary. You know I went back in time!"
Karl was stunned. He did not expect to make such a huge mistake. "Ah, me and my big mouth. I suppose I no longer need to hide my identity."
Karl finally dropped his kind facade. His gentle smile had turned into a mocking smirk. Helena released her grip and took a step back. What she saw next would be ingrained forever in her mind. Karl transformed into a monster right before her eyes. Two horns grew out of his head, a pair of black wings emerged from his back, and his green pupils turned into cat-like slits.
His appearance was horrifyingly inhuman.
Before their meeting, Helena prepared a dagger under her dress. She lunged at the demon and stabbed him without hesitation. Much to her dismay, the blade broke into pieces while Karl remained unharmed. Helena had never predicted this and was terrified.
"You—you're not human! What are you?"
He laughed at her reaction. "What I am is not important." He showed his bare fangs. "Don't blame me, Doll Face. Blame the cult that brought me into this world."
Helena pushed him away and ran to the door. She clearly did not lock it. Yet, twisting the knob did not open it. Helena slammed her body against it to force the door open, but it did not budge.
Karl was pleased. "I love when my victims struggle instead of begging for mercy."
That man pulled Helena's arms and threw her against the wall as if she were a rag doll. She knocked against the wall quite hard and almost fainted.
"Kuh!"
Helena forced herself to stand up, knowing that she would be doomed if she lost consciousness. Since there was no escape, Helena decided to fight back. She threw any items nearby at him.
"Don't come closer!"
Karl laughed at her feeble attempts. "This is futile. Be good and—AAAAAAA!"
Karl screamed in pain and rolled around on the floor. Helena had just thrown a clear vial from the shelf. Fortunately, the vial shattered on his face. A puff of smoke came up from the spilled liquid.
"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET A HOLY WATER?!"
Helena remembered the gift from Sister Mary. "Oh, so that's the contents of the vial!"
She pulled out a chair and began to beat the damned creature. Helena hit the poor lad while he was still lying on the ground. Karl shouted at her between the blows. "Stop, hey, stop! I'll tell you about your regression!"
Helena halted for a moment. "My what?"
"You went back in time, didn't you? I know what happened to you!"
Helena raised her eyebrows. This creature seemed suspicious, but she was intrigued. "How can I trust you?"
"You don't. It's up to you whether you believe me or not." He stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes. Karl snapped his fingers and returned to his human form. "I've been using too much power, so I am rather weak."
"Yeah… I've never seen a demon rolling on the carpet before. It's a pretty pathetic show."
"Don't push your limits, human."
Helena was still holding her 'weapon'. "Tell me everything you learn."
He smiled at her. "Let's just say I'm the one who sent your soul back in time."
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"I was summoned to this world through enormous sacrifices. Of course, those idiots forgot to prepare a soul for me." Karl rolled his eyes. "So I escaped and wandered around looking for food. When I saw you, all I could think of was what a tasty soul you have! A pure soul, as clear as water. So naïve, kind, and generous. It was a rare soul, one that tasted like sweet cotton candy, found only in pure children. I decided to go undercover as a butler and make you my target, but you dropped dead before I could get you."
"Yeah, my sister killed me."
"I was disappointed when I saw your soul was tainted in your second life. A vengeful soul tastes like muddy coffee. I've eaten so many of them that it's ruined my appetite. You were no longer my target, though, so I enjoyed watching the drama. The current you, however…"
Helena froze with fear. The demon touched her cheek and whispered his feelings into her ear. "Your soul is exceptional, the only one of its kind. A soul goes through redemption, kind yet merciless, prideful yet regretful, filled with determination yet exhausted. Experiencing different timelines grows your soul into something brilliant. It is a feast that no demon has ever tasted before."
She pushed him away. "You disgust me!"
He chuckled and floated away from her. "I'm just stating the truth. Your soul looks delicious!"
"Why are you doing this? Why are you turning back time?"
"Me? Oh no, you've got it wrong. I might have helped you, but only on someone else'sbehalf. A demon can only eat someone's soul if they give it up. You can either create a contract or charm your victim into surrender. I'm only helping because I want to eat your soul. Unfortunately, the Grim Reaper always catches you first."
Helena was shocked upon hearing this new fact. Her brain could not comprehend how to process it. A chill crawled through her spine, and dread crept into her heart.
Someone just gave up their soul to save her.
"I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you one more hint." Karl walked away from her. "Find information about Paradise Star."
"Wait!"
He stepped back, then jumped from the balcony. Karl flew further away from her sight. Helena watched him disappear into the night. Once he was gone, she closed the door and stared at the ceiling. The pale girl staggered over to the bed and slumped down onto it.
Helena grabbed her pillow and screamed into it.
Nobody was going to believe her story.