Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord

Chapter 69 - Love is Blue, Which Are You?

[HELLO, AUTHOR HERE! Just a quick note to let you know how much your votes and comments motivate me to keep going! While I may not always be able to reply because of work and other responsibilities, I see every single one, and they really affect my mood and drive to continue writing. So, thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I apologize if there are any errors—I finished this up pretty late!]

Everyone at the guild decided to disperse after Varlog's little history lesson. Varlog, along with Yilla, were staying behind under Marcy's watchful eye, at least until the king made his decision after hearing Nickelson's... 'truthful' account of what had transpired. The odds were favorable for Varlog and Yilla, given the deal they'd struck with Nickelson—promising to keep quiet about Liliac's rampage, which had been witnessed by Van, Cerille, and Liliac. Varlog remained calm, confident that things were under control for now.

Van gave one last glance at Varlog. The look was a cue—Varlog was signaling that now wasn't the best time to catch up or form any plans. Van understood this from their brief exchange. He trusted Varlog enough to know that if anything important came up, Varlog would find a way to reach him.

With that in mind, Van nodded and made his way down to the counter shortly after Lalyn had left. He settled there just as Amoria and her daughter, Lizzy, were preparing to leave.

"Van..?" Amoria called out as she stood at the front of the guild alongside Lizzy, the last two remaining after Lalyn had left. Apart from Marcy, who had to stay behind to guard Varlog and Yilla, everyone else had already gone. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.

Van sighed, glancing over at her while Varlog and Yilla retreated back into their rooms.

'I guess it's time to tell her I'm no longer her guest...' Van thought, a faint unease stirring in his gut.

"...?" Lizzy made a soft, confused sound as she noticed the tension between them. 'Did he not tell Mom he was leaving?' she wondered, seeing her mother's expectant look.

Marcy, after observing the building tension and silence that followed Amoria's question, sighed. "Alright... I've got some things to check in the storage," she muttered, making herself scarce as she disappeared into the guild's storage room behind the counter.

'I thought she already heard me talking outside with Anne along with the others... She even congratulated me with the rest of them for having a simple conversation with a kid... Either way, she must've heard about the house contract,' Van thought, scrutinizing Amoria's calm, expectant expression.

'But despite all that, she's still asking me to come back with her? Come on, Amoria. You can't really be that frustrated about me living somewhere else.' Van sighed to himself.

'Well, it doesn't really matter what you're frustrated about.' Van steeled his resolve, focusing on the image of Alicia in his mind. 'I've made up my mind. I told Alicia, and now I'll tell you. I'm done making decisions and not following through with them!' He recalled the moment he decided to leave the party with Amoria, only to be compelled by Magus to stay.

'I'm done with it!'

'So why does the idea of not going with her bother me so much? Especially now when I'm about to tell her?' Van's thoughts swirled as he remembered Amoria cooing at him before he had gotten into the bath at her house.

"Are you sure you don't want this sweet older lady to help you bathe...?" Her voice echoed in his mind, as did the memory of her affection. She had shown him care—bringing him food, clothes, and a room—without expecting anything in return. Something that not even the demons did.