THE DEMON KING'S EMPRESS
The Return of the Demon Queen 7 (Many Doll)

The man she met two hundred years ago. The man who was ever close to her. Who once made his heart numb. The man she never wanted to see after the bloody incident. The man he always wanted to kill with his own hands. But he couldn't do it. Seeing that face, evoked memories of Lili's past with the man. Their meeting took place in the autumn, under thousands of fallen red maple trees falling in the wind. The memories made Lili's chest ache. Unknowingly, his lips trembled and nearly mentioned someone's name .

"Fe..."

Not yet able to continue his words, his lips felt heavy. Lili turned her body and flew away from the place.

"Wait on! Stop that!" yelled the man.

Seeing Lili run away when she saw him, the man immediately flew after her. The pursuit he was doing. Lili disappeared like swallowed by the earth. The man was still hovering above the air while skirting every corner below him. He saw no sign of his presence. Suddenly from behind appeared two other men who turned out they were the subordinates of the man.

"Your Majesty."

"Pursue him!"

"Good."

The two men disappeared like shadows.

"Damn!" shouted the man in an annoyed tone.

With overflowing anger, the man smashed the entire tree standing upright beneath him using his strength, until it collapsed and shattered into pieces. The man then disappeared like a black shadow. The atmosphere became quiet. Elsewhere, Chrysanthemum is anxiously awaiting Lili's return. He paced back and forth many times while occasionally looking up at the sky. Suddenly from the other direction, there was the sound of someone's rapid footsteps. The chrysanthemums and the thousands of elves became wary. The thicket that had been calm, suddenly swayed And from behind the big tree, came Lili who was panting. He limped while looking for a handle from one tree trunk to another to help support his exhausted body. Seeing that, Chrysanthemum directly swept him to where he rested with the Elves. Lili occupies a sitting made of old and recently cut down tree trunks. Coughing, he tried to catch his breath. Chrysanthemum took a bottle of water from his storage room and gave it to Lili. Lilies received it and drank some of the water that was in the Chrysanthemum bottle.

"Why little? Drink as much as you want."

"If I spend it, what will you drink?!"

"You just calm down. If the water in this bottle runs out, I'll refill it. Anyway, here.the water is very clear and fresh."

"Aren't you afraid someone will poison her?!"

"No. Because these elves will tell me that, water is poisonous isn't it."

"When did you trust them?! Don't you think they're evil beings?!"

"I thought so at first. But, after being with them, I found out. That what looks from the outside looks bad, not always bad."

"So you understand?!"

"Little bit. But, there's one thing I don't understand."

"What's that?!"

"That's you, Lili."

"I? What's wrong with me?!"

"You're very different from the old you. You've changed a lot."

"What part of me has changed?"

"Everything. Lili, answer honestly. Who are you really?!"

"Who am I, it doesn't matter to you. What matters now is, you better get away from me!"

"Why?"

"If you're by my side all the time, it'll only endanger your life."

"Whatchu mean? Do you have any enemies?!"

"What if I say yes, and what if I say no? What are you gonna do?!"

"Lili, I beg you..."

"Enough young man!"

"A... young man?!"

"Yes. You are still young. Can't I call you that?!"

"It's not okay, but why did you call me that? Don't you know my name? Aren't we friends?!"

"Friends? Is that a friend? How's it feel?!"

"Lili, enough. Stop your bullshit!"

"Liliy? What is that thing?!"

"You. ahh, I don't know what really happened to you in the past. Please, stop joking Lili."

Hearing Chrysanthemum say that, Lili got up from her seat and looked at Chrysanthemum with a cold, heart-piercing look.

"You said you were my friend. Listen carefully, as long as I live, I've never had a friend, let alone a friend like you!"

"Are you sure you don't have one friend?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Lili, I'm sure you have a friend. Even if it's just one person. At least, I'm sure he's the one who cares about you. Even better than me."

...~Memory Lili~...

"I'm sure you'll come here every night."

"How can you be sure of that?!"

"simple. You must be lonely, right? I guess you don't have any friends, do you?!"

"Humph, what if your guess is wrong? Are you ready to take my punishment?!"

"Well, who are you?!"

"Prince."

"So since you're a prince, you can just as easily punish people?!"

"Yes. Because I was destined to be king."

"What?!"

"So, you get ready, if I want you at any time, you won't be able to escape me!"

"You cruel king!"

"I'll just be cruel to others. But not with my future empress." seduced prince Sirzechs while pulling and kissing some strands of Lili's hair that was in his right hand.

Lili's face turned red due to Prince Sirzechs' extremely humiliating mannerisms. He pulled his hair from the hand of the prince of Sirzechs.

"Basic Playboy!"

"I'm not a playboy."

"Crocodile."

"No."

"Poor."

"No."

"Then?"

"I'm your life partner."

Hearing prince Sirzechs say that, made Lili's heart beat even more. His face was flushed like a red tomato.

"You're good at seducing. Learn where you're from? "

"Hahaha, I'm not good at seducing and I don't learn where I seduce. Only, what you said is true. I don't have a friend. In fact, my own mother doesn't care about me anymore."

"Where are parents who don't care about their children. Especially a mother."

"Truths like that. Lili, aren't we in the same boat? Neither has a friend. Why don't we make a promise. Be a friend of life, forever."

"I can't."

"Why?!"

"If only as a friend, I could. But, if as friends live forever, sorry I can't. Because we never know what our destiny will be. I'm afraid to break my promise."

"alright. I-i understand. We're friends."

Prince Sirzechs reached out his hand to shake hands with Lili. Lili saw him and accepted him. Unexpectedly, Prince Sirzechs kissed the back of Lili's hand. It made Lili more embarrassed and more reddened. He pulled his hand without looking at the prince. This shameful thing made him not dare to look at Prince Sirzechs.

"Lilk... Lilies!" chrysanthemum shouted as she waved her hand right on the face of the dreamy Lili.

The cry of the Chrysanthemum disperse the daydream of Lilies to the memories of her past.

"You're right. I do have friends. And that's you."

"What?! Me??! Just me?!"

"As far as you are. From now on, we'll be separated. We're not friends anymore. And we start living each other's lives."

"I don't want to! Tell me why, why did you break off our friendship?!"

"Isn't it obvious, it would be dangerous if you stayed with me."

"Why?! Are we not always together to face anything? Then why do you have to do this to me?!"

"Because you and I are so different."

Chrysanthemum was shocked to see the change in Lili's appearance before him. He knows very well the legendary figure that he really likes. A woman who is cold, yet warm inside. With a tremendous power, which everyone feared.

"No. it's impossible! You're..."

"really. Its me. The one you see and meet everyday, the one you spend all this time with, he's my mana doll. What do you think of my doll? Do you like it"