Judge, you seem amused by all this.

I am, my dear Nina. You exposed a conspiracy and restored the prestige of this court. How can I not be happy?

Fufufu! You could have done this on your own. Why didn’t you?

The same reason it took so long for you to take action, Doctor… It’s more entertaining this way. Hohohoho!

Enough, you two. My daughter looks like she wants to crawl into a hole from embarrassment. As for you, Carter… You and I are going to have a long conversation after this is all done.

Well… Heh heh heh… I must apologize, Duke… Both for what I said in this court… and for what you’re about to see in Ella’s—Lady Amelia’s memory.

Knight Carter laughs dryly before walking down to the stage. He tears past the protective barrier like it’s made of paper, to the horror of the security guards. Then he takes a seat next to the depressed devil and strokes her back.

It’s over, Terri… All my plans are smashed to smithereens… I’m doomed… and this realm is… Fuck! I should never have come to trial. I could’ve killed myself at the height of my infamy and this mess could’ve been avoided!

There, there, Ella. It’ll be okay. I, for one, am happy you’re still alive. As for the… bigger picture… We’ll figure something out. We always do. Isn’t that right, Dan?

Indeed. If worst comes to worst… we can always escape. I am getting better at controlling my powers.

Professor Declan creates a cup of coffee and gives it to Carter.

The audience on the stand curiously listens in on their conversation. One of them narrows his eyes at Declan’s power.

Hey, isn’t the way he creates things from thin air the same ability as Professor’s oak classroom?

Now that you mention it… Didn’t he teleport himself and Lady Tate into the barrier? Weren’t these powers supposed to be lost after the destruction of Umber Tower? How did Declan come to process it? What exactly happened ten years ago?

I don’t know, man. Let’s watch the memories and find out.

Narrator! Do your thing!

Alright, everybody simmer down. The devil opens her eyes and finds herself in the villa’s bedroom. She moves her eyes around and sees that she is in the red demon form. Two people are nearby. Young Carter is sleeping on the couch and Princess Grace is peeling apple skin… poorly. The princess notices that the devil has woken up.

“Good morning, Adrian. Or should I say good evening? You’ve been out for quite a while.”

“Princess…? Cough! Cough! Cough!”

“And there you go again… Spilling blood on my good sheet. You know, we changed your blanket twice already—your mother, Carter, and I. Didn’t want the maids seeing you like this.”

Grace uses a handkerchief to wipe the devil’s lips. Carter is waking up from the noise.

“...Thank you, princess… But I’m still not Adrian.”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Ha! And how do you explain your appearance, hmm, cousin Eleanor?”

“I… was burned in a fire?”

Princess Grace laughs loudly as Carter gets up from the couch and stretches his arms.

“Yawns! Oh, hey, Eleanor. Are you okay? How are you feeling? You gave me quite a fright melting right before my eyes. Almost had to scoop you into a bottle.”

The devil scratches her cheeks before transforming back to Eleanor. That’s when the door opens and Duchess Gilda walks in. The duchess gives Eleanor an earful for putting her life at risk again.

“—And why did you sneak out at night?! What were you thinking?”

“I… I… Er… I wanted to take a breath of fresh air and the sickness overcame me, so I went to Carter for help, and that’s all that happened. Honest.”

Eleanor keeps her run-in with the Antediluvian a secret. Carter keeps his mouth shut as Eleanor apologies to her mother. The duchess is unconvinced, but she eventually leaves the room with Carter and Grace, allowing Eleanor to rest.

Eleanor spends a week resting in the villa before she’s healthy enough to resume class. Many things weigh on her mind—from the crack, to the judge, to a hidden Herald who is waiting in the dark to assassinate her.

“I can’t fix the crack until I gain enough energy… It’s too dangerous to return to that building to search for the Herald and the Tongue… I can’t even get back at that annoying old man since mommy won’t let me out of her sight… Shit! Why is there so much annoying bullshit going on all at once!?”

Eleanor groans in frustration before catching sight of Xanxus having lunch with Donna Day. The boy is so sleepy, he looks like he’s about to fall asleep while eating.

“Oh, right. Forgot about him.”

Eleanor decides to relieve her stress by approaching the foreign prince with the sole intention of bullying him.

Does she know that Xander is a prince? I’m pretty sure he’s keeping the fact that he’s Xerxes’s kid a secret from everybody.

Uhh… I don’t think Eleanor even knew who Xerxes was, back then. She probably remembered him as the giant Herald who stomped her into the ground before she and the duke worked together to defeat him.

Oh yeah… Guess this is one of those cases where the audience knows more about the backstory than the people living through it.

Guess so. But I doubt the devil would have cared either way.

Eleanor approaches Xander and slaps his spoon out of his hand. The metallic clank draws the eyes of everyone in the cafeteria and the ire of Xander. Eleanor grins evilly as she tastes his hatred leaking out.

“What are you doing, mutt? Shouldn’t a dog like you be eating on the floor where you belong?”

“Miss Eleanor! What do you think you’re doing?” Donna gets up and slams the table.

“Me? I’m exercising my right to chase a dirty animal from the dining table. The stench of this… this nasty thing is ruining my appetite.”

“What is wrong with you? If you believe this type of behavior is acceptable then you are gravely mistaken, Miss. Apologize to Mister Xander immediately!”

Eleanor and Donna get into an argument, while Xander who is at the center of it all goes back to quietly eating his meal. After that incident Eleanor doubles down her effort to get a rise out of the sleepy boy and regularly gets into a fight with Donna. Their rivalry soon becomes known by the entire class… but not in the way that Eleanor expected.

One day, Lady Jones and the other girls pull Eleanor to the side… after she grabs Xander’s sleeping head and slams it on the table.

“Hey, Elle, I understand that you like that blonde nerd and all, but this isn’t the way you should show off your affection. I mean, aren’t you a bit too old to be pulling the hair of the boy you like? Acting like an unreasonable brat will only push him to that red head.”

“W-what do you mean? L-like…?”

“That’s right, your holiness! To capture a man’s heart you must show him your best qualities. You may have ruined your first impression but there’s nothing a makeover can’t fix!”

“Yeah! Maybe we can stage you saving some poor sod’s life with your miraculous holy magic! Give him a glimpse of the Silver Angel of Ivory City!”

“W-wait, this is a misunderstanding! I don’t like that blonde mutt!”

“Oh, please, Elle, everyone can see it clear as day. You literally only act mean around him, and sweet as candy towards everybody else. That’s textbook ‘I’m too stubborn to admit I love him’ 101.”

“You may be a priestess but you’re still a teenage girl after all, your holiness!”

“All right, girls, let’s do everything in our power to help Lady Eleanor capture that nerd’s heart!”

“Hoora!”

“Let’s go!”

“It’s makeover time!”

“Wait, all of you are misunderstanding! I don’t love that son of a bitch! Where are you taking me?! No, you dare point that lipstick on me, woman! Stop it! Don’t touch my hair! No! No! Noooooo!”