"Ehh..."
Mielle hesitated for a moment.
Then, she leaned against the shoe cabinet and gently patted Alice's back as she said, "Alice, I'll go to your dormitory with you."
Before opening the door, Mielle had hidden Dekan's shoes.
She couldn't let Alice discover Dekan's shoes in the shoe cabinet.Although there was nothing between her and Dekan, if Alice saw them, it would be hard to explain.
"I haven't tidied up my place for days..."
Alice mumbled.
"It's okay, I'll help you tidy up," Mielle reassured her.
"How could I let you do that? I came to disturb you in the middle of the night and woke you up..." Alice's voice grew smaller.
"It's okay, I was actually staying up late for an experiment," Mielle replied gently, leading Alice out of the dormitory.
However, Alice continued to tightly cling to Mielle, her body trembling as if she resisted going out into the dark hallway."Mielle, just stay with me for a while..."
Alice's tone was like a plea.
"Phew..."
Mielle sighed helplessly.
She slowly turned away from Alice's gaze and retrieved a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet for Alice.
Then, she led Alice into the living room.
Mielle settled Alice on the sofa, handed her a thin blanket, and poured her a glass of hot water.
Although Mielle moved around the living room, Alice's gaze never left her.
Alice, who had just had a nightmare, was in a fragile state, apparently deeply scared.
Mielle sat down next to Alice, gently stroked her hair, and softly said, "Alice, don't worry, there are no demons in the academy."
"But I'm still scared. I dreamt that I fell into a demon academy, and I was so weak, and there was a terrifying demon chasing me, he was holding a purification card and saying that he would vaporize my blood..."
"..."
Mielle finally understood.
Alice's nightmare drew from the imagery of the Demon Academy and the indelible impression that Dekan had left on her when they met at the Card Maker Association.
He had caused quite a bit of trouble.
Mielle asked, "The demon you dreamt of, did he look similar to Dekan?"
"Yes," Alice replied.
"Then there's nothing to be afraid of. It's obviously just a dream. No matter how you look at it, Dekan is a person… is a human."
Mielle thought for a moment and felt that using the term "human" to describe Dekan was more precise. After all, he didn't act with much personhood.
"Yeah, you're right," Alice nodded, quietly contemplating.
Hearing Mielle's reasoning, she gradually felt that the nightmare she had just experienced wasn't so real anymore.
Now she felt safe and secure, with Mielle by her side. Upon careful reflection, that terrifying dream couldn't possibly happen; it was all fake.
Just like how Dekan couldn't suddenly appear in Mielle's dormitory.
In the real world, Dekan couldn't transform into a demon.
Seeing that Alice had finally calmed down, Mielle said, "Alice, you're still too concerned with what happened at the Card Maker Association that day. You don't need to overthink it. You didn't have any ill intentions; it was Dekan being mischievous."
"It's so embarrassing... Every time I think about what I said to him that day, I don't know how to face him. But he really is so mean!" Alice covered her head, her expression becoming a mix of embarrassment and anger.
"He pretended to be so humble. But now I know he was looking at me like I'm a fool. And then he sincerely praised me... ruwahh..." Alice became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her speech becoming somewhat unclear.
She was clearly getting more animated.
Mielle smiled and listened to Alice's incessant complaints from the side. As long as Alice regained her composure, she could soon send her back.
...
In the laboratory, Dekan, who was watching the clock, felt increasingly drowsy. His eyelids began to fight against gravity.
When Mielle left the laboratory, she had cast a Sound Isolation spell on the room. So Dekan didn't have to worry about making slight noises that might lead to discovery.
But the downside was that he had no idea what was happening outside.
He couldn't leave until Mielle came back; it was really troublesome.
The laboratory wasn't a good place to sleep, at least a sofa would be nice.
But there was no choice; he was too tired. He couldn't go on. Dekan laid his head on the table and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after, Dekan, who was resting his head on the table, shivered slightly, then slowly raised his head. He looked around, seeming somewhat confused.
"Did this guy not return to the dorm today?" he muttered to himself.
He glanced at the books and notes on the table, then picked up a vial and examined it.
In the reflection on the vial, Dekan's face and his cold expression were visible. Although his appearance hadn't changed, his pupils had taken on a deep golden hue, and a horn had grown on the upper right side of his forehead.
It was completely different from his incubus form back at the Demon Academy.
Despite being a demon, he seemed to exude a supreme and sacred aura.
"So he fell asleep while conducting research in the lab? Well, that's good; at least he’s not obsessed with those shady pretty girl cards all day."
Although there was no smile on his lips, his tone seemed somewhat lighter.
Then, he gently placed the vial back down, stood up from the chair, and walked to the door of the laboratory.
The warm and gentle light outside seemed to make his eyes uncomfortable for a moment.
He hadn't expected to find a living room filled with signs of life outside, let alone other people.
His golden pupils immediately locked onto Mielle and Alice, who were sitting on the sofa.
"Huh?"
Both Mielle and Alice were the first to notice the "Demon Dekan" emerging from the laboratory through the door.
Mielle was initially puzzled, but then she instantly emanated a terrifying killing intent, shielding Alice and summoning a deep purple, crystal-glinting dagger into her hand.
Mielle's gentle and casual demeanor had completely disappeared and was replaced by a sharp gaze.
"Demon Dekan" looked at the two women. Although he had no hostile intentions, the sense of danger emanating from him, like the arrival of a demon king, made the air suddenly chill.
Just as "Demon Dekan" and Mielle faced off, Alice's nearly overloaded brain seemed to finally start functioning again.
Was this a dream?
Or reality?
She felt an endless wave of fear engulfing her, nearly suffocating her.
"Ah... Ah..."
Alice's expression gradually became terrified, her eye sockets turning redder.
She seemed to want to speak but couldn't control her vocal cords.
Her legs felt weak, and her body trembled violently.
Then her eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious.
