Their romance storyline only begins on the second playthrough

Maybe so. Maybe after she does what she wants, they'll all be so disgusted with themselves that they won't be able to accept it.

She ultimately said the same thing—

Only she, a twelve-bodied being, could accomplish both eliminating Lilith and bearing the burden of eradicating the demonic seed, allowing everyone to live together in a safe environment.

Only she could single-handedly protect Rhodes and make all those ugly things die.

She sacrificed the entire Linlank Empire to gain the support of all the witches, and then used this support as a potion for her ascension to godhood...

Isn't this the most wonderful thing?

What's wrong with the bad guys dying and the good guys gaining power?

It can even... eliminate future threats, prevent the emergence of man-eating monsters, and make oneself the most powerful god.

Isn't that how it is?

That's why she said... it wasn't that she had gone down the wrong path, but rather that Rhodes's way of thinking was too mild.

She did nothing wrong.

And there is absolutely no mistake.

Whether you hate it or despise it, it doesn't matter.

Even if only a fragmented soul remains in the end, she will still do it.

There will never be any danger, nor will it affect her being with Rhodes.

Rhodes remained silent.

After much thought, he finally spoke softly:

"To be frank, you still don't believe I can protect you, do you?"

"Yes and no."

"Mainly because I prefer to take the initiative, right, darling?"

Cecilia smiled and nodded.

Yes or no.

This is true.

In his previous life, even though Rhodes killed the Dragon God, he still used countless methods, didn't he?

To put it bluntly, they still haven't reached the pinnacle of the world...

Of course, the more crucial reason is that she doesn't like to rely on others.

"..."

Rhodes could only sigh softly.

Ultimately, she would never allow herself to die, that much is true.

Because as a fallen demon, the root of her corruption lies within herself.

In other words, once she dies, she will become a monster devoid of faith.

After much thought… Rhodes simply raised his purple eyes and looked at Cecilia:

"How about we make a bet?"

"What are you gambling?"

"If you can't snatch that fragment of the Demon God's position from the Linlank Empire, then you'd better come back obediently."

Cecilia was still smiling:

"It seems like we don't need to gamble, right? After all, this is our only chance as witches."

“The twelve fragments are each guarded by a god. If you take the only fragment that is not suppressed by a god, then I will naturally be left with no way out.”

“But…” Cecilia’s expression turned mocking, “Do you think I’ll lose?”

"I don't know, get some rest." Rhodes withdrew his outstretched hand and pointed to the room next to him.

"You'll be staying here tonight. No fighting, no arguing."

The topic has come to an end.

But it is a seed buried in the ground, and as long as it is not dealt with, it will still sprout.

Rhodes turned around and shook his hand.

Being looked down upon by one's own maid... there's nothing more humiliating than that.

The key point is that Rhodes also understands that saying or doing anything now is meaningless.

Use that contract to make Cecilia kneel down and apologize?

He's not that kind of fool.

To get things done, you must win people's hearts and minds.

Or rather, he didn't really think he couldn't ruin Cecilia's plans.

As Rhodes felt the dark crown within his heart, his goal became increasingly clear.

Seizing the fragments of the twelve demon gods... that's the only thing I need to do.

Cecilia simply watched Rhodes return to his apartment, remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Lilith:

"Let's go in and rest, Your Majesty?"

……

...

This is a lie.

Rest is out of the question for Cecilia.

Cecilia's harsh words were spoken in a rational state of mind, but it's important to know that she is anything but rational right now.

After being affected by the strange power emanating from Rhodes, she was unable to control her thoughts and would inexplicably have bizarre thoughts that caused her to have a mental breakdown.

and so……

Even though she had just had a bad day, she still wanted to take this rare opportunity to be a little spoiled with Rod and relax.

Therefore, after Lilith and Cecilia went into the house together, she said something about not wanting to stay with Lilith and then went out for some fresh air, before catching up with Rhodes.

Cecilia's scheming is far superior to Lilith's.

that's it.

The two of them stayed in a relatively quiet place in the academy, in front of the lake reflected in the moonlight.

It still feels the same as it did years ago.

Whether I was living in the capital or after coming here and becoming a student here.

Cecilia still liked to cling to Rhodes from behind—

Her fingertips lightly traced her neck, her voice soft and gentle: "Stay quiet for a while."

“Whatever.” Rhodes paused. “But it’s a bit strange that you’ve just said those things and then started clinging to me again.”

"One thing at a time. You can treat the current me as a temporary me, and as a different being from the me who will fight you in the capital later."

"Is this something that can be cut open? You say you can't do it, but you still greedily enjoy it."

“I want to have you, forever and ever.” Cecilia’s hands tightened around her.

At this moment, the strange fragrance emanating from Rhodes completely made her lose control.

Things that can't be suppressed will eventually be released.

Only after being released can one rationally... do what one needs to do.

So she turned to the side and pushed Rod against the base of the tree, making him lean against it with his eyes sparkling.

Chapter 142

"I think I probably can't wait much longer. Let's do the birthday shopping trip together tomorrow first."

After sensing Cecilia's increasingly strange breathing, Rhodes tried to remain calm and changed the subject.

“Okay, it’s alright.” Cecilia didn’t do anything wrong to Rhodes with her other hand; instead, she gently stroked her cheek.

"Are they afraid we'll seize the opportunity and take the Demon God Fragments and Star God Bow ahead of time? Is that why they're going back early?"

"It is."

"Don't worry about that... We'll only do these things after a great despair descends."

Cecilia responded with a smile, but her hands were becoming increasingly restless.

but,

Even though I'm doing something depressing.

But what she said was actually true.

After all, the witch needs to wait for the fear that arises after the [Divine Sacrifice] erupts before she can act.

Firstly, after the divine sacrifice, the fact that the god had truly died would be seen by those favored by the god. Even if they did not become demons, their faith would be greatly diminished and their strength would be damaged.

Secondly, by then, panic will spread throughout the entire imperial capital. They can use this power to give one of the twelve newly born divine fragments the strongest energy, thus ensuring that once she obtains a divine position, her strength will surpass that of the Eternal Sage.

That's just how it is...

Just like Charlotte, even if she only has a clone with one-twentieth of her soul, her combat power is enough to surpass most humans and is comparable to a powerhouse who has been promoted nine times.

Even the reason why the twelve demon fragments are not as strong as Charlotte is because Cecilia's own soul strength is insufficient.

Otherwise, a being like a demon god, which requires the combined suppression of all twelve gods, would only be more terrifying.

"Grand despair?"

Rhodes narrowed his eyes, as if he had grasped the crux of the matter.

"That's a secret. I can tell you after our date tomorrow."