Royal Bastard’s Bloodstained Regression
Chapter 118: Tea with the Saintess

The garden behind the temple was quiet and peaceful. The gentle rustle of wind through the trees and the clink of teacups were the only sounds as Daemon and Lilac sat across from each other. Sunlight streamed through the foliage, casting warm light on the marble table between them.

As Daemon sipped from his cup, the scene pulled at old memories. He remembered sitting here as a child, full of arrogance and ambition. She had defeated him easily back then. A moment he never forgot.

He glanced at her. Ninth star. She hadn't advanced. How disappointing.

Still... he wondered. If he drained her life force, could he push through a full rank? Two? His gaze drifted toward her throat. No—her core. His tongue flicked across his lips without thinking.

Lilac caught the movement. She stiffened and cleared her throat. "Ahem, my prince... did I do something wrong?"

Daemon didn't reply.

She clenched her robes in her lap, nails biting into her skin. Her body trembled—not with fear, but rage. The boy who had shattered everything dear to her sat across from her, calm and smiling.

Daemon noticed. He stood, walked around the table, and knelt on one knee beside her.

She flinched when he reached for her arm, yanking it back.

He gave a quiet smile. "Relax. I'm not here to hurt you."

Still wary, she let him take her wrist.

"Invert Divinity," he murmured, placing two fingers over a faint cut.

Warm, golden-red light wrapped her hand. It healed the cuts she hadn't realized she'd made. The tension in her fingers faded as her wounds closed.

She stared. "Your divine energy... it's stronger than before. What did you—how did you—?"

Daemon smiled as he let go. "You ask too many questions, Saintess. Be grateful. It's rude not to thank someone who just helped you."

Then he caught her hand again, slower this time, and brought it to his lips. "And someone as divine as you shouldn't be hurting themselves. That's not befitting a saintess, is it?"

Her expression cracked.

"You have the nerve..." she hissed. "You demon. You killed children. You burned the orphanage. You ruined me!"

He blinked, then gave a dramatic gasp. "Me? I did all that?"

"Don't play dumb!" she shouted, standing now, fists trembling as a pulse of holy energy erupted around her. "Stop pretending you're innocent, you demon bastard!"

Power cracked in the air.

Leaves shivered in the trees. The garden trembled beneath her wrath.

Daemon laughed—genuinely, almost too loudly for the quiet temple garden. Seeing Lilac like this, flustered and enraged, was something he never expected. The once-composed saintess, revered by all, now looking so rattled... it was almost funny.

"Why are you laughing?!" she snapped, divine chains of light snapping into place behind her.

He wiped the corner of his eye, a small grin still lingering. "Sorry. It's just... I didn't think you'd lose it so easily. You always used to be so calm. But seeing you like this?" He leaned forward slightly, his voice dipping. "It's satisfying."

"What are you talking about—"

Before she could finish, Daemon was already behind her. In a blur of movement, he grabbed her by the back of the head and gently but firmly slammed her down.

Thud.

She hit the stone floor, and in a matter of seconds, her body went limp.

He sighed. "Tch. You fainted? Again?" He tilted his head and looked down at her face. "Some things really don't change."

Carefully, he lifted her and placed her back in her chair, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. Then he sat across from her again, crossing one leg over the other, and leaned back.

The garden was quiet again.

"Well... guess I'll wait."

After a few minutes, Lilac stirred and gasped, clutching her head. "It was all a dream..."

"No," Daemon said, sipping calmly from a new teacup. "It wasn't."

She bolted upright and pointed at him. "Where did you get that?!"

Daemon casually nodded to the small tray in front of him. "I asked your maids to bring more. I thought we'd continue our tea properly this time."

Lilac's jaw clenched. He was sitting there like nothing had happened—like he hadn't just knocked her out cold. Her pride stung more than the pain. She glanced at him again. He wasn't the scrawny boy from years ago. Taller. Sharper. Confident in a way that unsettled her.

With a frustrated sigh, she sat back down.

"You finally gave up," Daemon said with a teasing smirk.

"Never," she snapped. "I'll get my revenge, just wait."

Daemon raised an eyebrow. "I'll be looking forward to it, Saintess."

She folded her arms, voice colder. "Where is the Book of the Demon King?."

"You mean the book I already burned?" he replied casually.

"What?!" Her hands clenched into fists on her lap. "Why would you do something so reckless?"

He leaned back in his chair. "Because it's mine. And I can do whatever I want with what belongs to me."

Lilac exhaled sharply, clearly holding back more anger.

"I seriously don't understand what you're doing here in Varyndor," Lilac said, narrowing her eyes. "But I know you didn't just return for no reason. You're probably here to cause another problem."

Daemon raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Two years ago," she said sharply, "four Saints from the Holy Land came looking for you. They said there was a surge of demonic energy in a small kingdom called Aurelia. A city was destroyed, though thankfully the citizens survived. The cause was unclear, but..." She stared hard at him. "That kind of destruction—it reeks of you."

"How disappointing," Daemon replied coolly. "And what makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"Because you're the Demon King!" she snapped, slamming her hand on the table.

Daemon chuckled lightly. "That's a pretty weak accusation. I was in Velmira at the time. I don't even know how that incident happened."

Lilac bit her tongue. As much as she wanted to argue, she didn't have proof—just suspicion. But even if he wasn't directly responsible, his very existence seemed to bring chaos.

"Then at least help fix it," she said, voice rising. "Can't you recreate the Book of the Demon King or something? Because they'll come back. The Holy Land will return, and they'll be expecting answers!"

Daemon already knew what the Book of the Demon King contained—if the Holy Land got their hands on it, they'd discover the truth about the fragments. He couldn't allow that. That's why he destroyed it. Fortunately, he still carried the knowledge of every fragment's location in his memory.

"It's too late," he said, setting his cup down. "I burned it."

Lilac froze. The blood drained from her face. That book had been her last tie to the goddess, the temple, and the legacy of Saintesses who had guarded it for five thousand years. She had already betrayed them once—when she was blackmailed into giving it up. Now, with it gone, she'd have nothing left. Not her honor. Not the children she once protected.

Daemon stood up, brushing off his cloak. "I guess our conversation's over."

Lilac stared blankly into her tea. Her thoughts spiraled. The sleepless nights. The children's faces in her dreams. The guilt. The shame.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh," Daemon said with a faint smirk. "You're crying."

She shot up, her voice cracking. "That's because you ruined my life! Your very existence brings nothing but destruction!"

Daemon's expression shifted. That word again—existence. He clenched his jaw.

"Existence this, existence that..." he muttered, stepping toward her, his voice low and bitter. "Do you even know the hell I went through? You were one of the curses that killed me."

Lilac backed up, her breath caught. His eyes... they changed. Black sclera, glowing red pupils. She trembled.

"What... what do you mean?" she whispered. "Killed you? What are you talking about?"

But Daemon wasn't listening. Not anymore.

"You said the same words, back then..." His voice was cold now. Distant. "You helped destroy me once. Maybe I should return the favor."

Before she could react, his hand gripped her throat. She gasped, clawing at his wrist, her feet leaving the ground. The pressure was too much—he was only an eight-star, but the strength in his grip... it wasn't human.

"Daemon—stop—!" she wheezed.

His eyes flickered. For a second, he hesitated.

Then slowly, he released her.

Lilac collapsed to her knees, coughing, clutching her throat. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to breathe.

Daemon stood over her, unreadable.

"Consider yourself lucky," he said quietly. "Not everyone gets a second life."

"Sparing me is already a punishment," Lilac whispered, her voice shaky. "I can't even take my own life from the shame. I don't deserve a peaceful death—not after what happened. Not because of you."

She looked up at Daemon, eyes fierce through the tears.

"But I promise you this—" her voice hardened, "the more demonic energy you consume, the more it will consume you. One day, you won't be yourself anymore."

Daemon didn't respond immediately.

He knew she wasn't wrong.

Ever since he started using the fragments, there were moments—brief, dangerous lapses—where he'd nearly lost control. Like the day he lashed out at Sir Veyne without realizing. If this continued, it wasn't just enemies that would fear him.

He needed a way to stabilize it. To resist the corruption, before it drowned him completely.

Suddenly, he felt it.

A strong energy—approaching fast.

Without thinking, Daemon stepped forward and pulled Lilac into his arms.

She gasped, frozen. "What are you—?"

"Listen," he whispered, tightening the embrace just enough to keep her still. "Right now, I'm losing control. And unless you help me... I won't be able to hold it back much longer."

Lilac clenched her teeth. "Help you? Why would I help someone like you?"

"Because," Daemon leaned closer, lowering his voice, "when I burned those children... you didn't report it. You said nothing. You let it happen. That means—deep down—you were part of it. We're in this together."

Her eyes widened. No—he was lying. Manipulating her. Again. And yet... her heart raced. Why was he holding her like this?

"Saintess?"

She turned, and her face went pale.

Gabriel, Zaria, and two of the temple maids stood at the edge of the garden path, staring in stunned silence.

Gabriel broke the silence with a teasing grin. "Wow, brother. I didn't know the two of you were... that close."