Every minute Aiden spent in this world made his life more and more complicated.

  Aiden thought that no matter where he went, as long as he stayed in this castle, the only things he would get were fights and more senseless problems.

  Now Circe lay seriously injured in front of him.

  And those responsible were just a few meters away. But Aiden understood his current situation well.

  Even if he was angry, he had to control himself. In no way would he carelessly attack the Demon Queen.

  The guards around her also seemed extremely strong.

  So his best option, at least for now.

  Was to face Ash in a duel. A one-on-one combat without interruptions.

  And a good opportunity to return those intense 'attentions' they had given him until now.

  'I was so focused and angry that I didn't see the system warnings.'

  Aiden turned his face to the left and there was the window floating.

  [Warning]

  [Hostility confirmed]

  [Threat Level: Demon King]

  [Primary Elemental Affinity: Fire]

  [Secondary Elemental Affinity: Darkness]

  Then, he returned his gaze to the Demon Queen who awaited his response.

  "...For me, fighting in this match has no benefit."

  He sighed.

  "Even if I win, you aren't offering me anything."

  "So what you want is a reward?" The Empress looked at him, crossing her arms under her chest.

  "That's right... if I win, I want you to stop accusing me of stealing the relic."

  "Wretch," Ash interrupted.

  "Your best option for fighting me is to use the relic or any possible help."

  'Don't talk stupidities, I don't even know the power of that stupid relic.'

  "And the second condition?" The Demon Queen asked.

  "Furthermore, I want you to leave us alone, Circe and me."

  Leonor took a step forward.

  "Wretch, do you really think you can beat my lord..."

  "I accept your conditions."

  Leonor's words were interrupted by the dry voice of the Demon Queen.

  "But the confrontation will be tomorrow. When the sun is over the castle peak."

  'That would be at noon... wouldn't it?' Aiden nodded.

  The agreement was finalized. The duel between Ash and Aiden would take place by order of the Demon Queen.

  Since her business was finished. She simply turned around and left, followed by her two guards.

  A sigh of relief resonated.

  "Th-that was intense... I thought I’d end up in a bad way too." Katherine murmured.

  Katherine and Leonor had trembling legs and fell to their knees.

  "My-my lady is so scary, but she’s so cool, strong, and beautiful." Leonor commented.

  "Don't you dare run away tomorrow, Aiden, ha ha ha," Ash laughed confidently, as if he only had to show up and win with a single blow in a matter of seconds.

  And yes, Aiden thought that would be normal. Of course, with the old Aiden. Even he would have overlooked it. He would think fighting isn't necessary, he’d just want a moment of peace.

  He would let himself be defeated without further ado and continue as if nothing happened.

  'But today I won't give them that pleasure; now I'm really angry.'

  "Escape, you little mommy’s boy?" He looked at him with a cynical smile.

  "Bastard, I recognize you have guts to provoke me, but it will be completely useless."

  "Leonor, Katherine, we're leaving."

  He turned around and left.

  'Phew... now that the adrenaline is gone, my legs are shaking. The Empress really is terrifying... oh, shit, Circe.'

  He ran to her and knelt by her side.

  "Circe, are you okay? How do you feel?"

  "Young Aiden, forgive me. Because of my incompetence, I ended up involving you in a senseless fight."

  "Dummy," Aiden flicked her nose with his finger. "It's not your fault, and it made me happy that you took my side, but... don't do that again. I don't need you to defend me, do you understand?"

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  "But, Young Aiden..." Aiden flicked her again.

  "Do you understand?"

  "Yes..."

  Then he smiled at her.

  "That's more like it," but inside he felt truly guilty.

  She returned the smile, though very faintly. She looked terrible; Aiden didn't mention it to her because he assumed she would feel worse if he did.

  "All right, now I'll take you to rest and look for someone to heal your wounds."

  Aiden took her in his arms and walked a few steps.

  "W... wait, Young Aiden," Circe said in a very faint voice.

  "Circe, don't talk. First I’ll take you to your room," Aiden said seriously.

  He left the garden. And walked with Circe through the hallways.

  The castle demons saw them and began to mutter.

  Aiden ignored them. And with Circe in his arms, he went straight to her room.

  Upon arriving, he laid her on her bed. She groaned.

  "Sorry, I was too rough."

  "No. I already feel better, but there is something I must tell you," She tried to sit up in bed with difficulty.

  Aiden took her by the shoulders and pushed her back onto the bed.

  "Don't overexert yourself." He ordered.

  "...But Young Aiden... About the hero’s relic." She said with difficulty.

  "We'll talk about that later, for now, rest."

  "It was me who stole it..."

  "What?!"

  Aiden furrowed his brow.

  "What do you mean you stole it?"

  "Igniel has been hounding me about it for a week, even the Demon Ki... my father."

  "I'm sorry, it's just that when you said you didn't want a sentinel. I...", she looked down.

  "No one was going to accept me after that. Even if the Demon King forced you to accept me, I wouldn't be happy serving someone that way. And I would be forced to return to my village."

  She coughed several times.

  "Helen told me about your situation in the castle, I did it imagining they would blame you, but then you accepted me as a sentinel... I'm a dummy."

  "..."

  Aiden inhaled, trying to stay calm.

  'I'm the dummy. Even knowing Aiden's situation, I blindly trusted her...'

  "Circe, tell me something. Did you want to get revenge on me or did my brothers ask you to frame me?"

  Aiden's gaze, as well as his tone, was serious.

  "No, no, Young Aiden. I stole it on my own. And I really am very sorry..."

  "You know that one of the conditions I gave for the duel is that they stop blaming me?"

  Aiden clicked his tongue.

  "Now if they discover it was you, there will be no doubt for them to blame me because you're my sentinel and I'm the one responsible."

  "I'm very sorry Young Aiden... I know I deserve nothing more than death."

  "But, that doesn't matter now. But how did you know about that relic, you said you come from a far away place?"

  Aiden looked at her with even more distrust.

  Circe tried to respond immediately but the pain she felt stopped her. She coughed.

  "I heard Lord Ash, he was having a conversation with his sentinels, it seems Lord Solaris recommended using that relic on you, if he wanted to make you disappear from the castle."

  "Solaris... eh."

  'Ash is one thing but if I'm also in Solaris's sights, all this gets more complicated.'

  Aiden sighed, trying to stay calm.

  "For now. Hand it over to me and I’ll apologize to my father. I’ll say I did it because I thought they would use it on me."

  'In fact, if Circe hadn't stolen it. Maybe they would have used it on me. In a way, she saved me...'

  Aiden reflected for a moment.

  'But it doesn't negate the fact that she betrayed me... Although she wasn't my sentinel yet, I couldn't call it betrayal.'

  Technically, Circe had only been working as Aiden's sentinel for a week, but he had barely been in this world for a week.

  Was it possible she had grown fond of Aiden in that time to feel regret and that's why she confessed?

  Or was she just trying to manipulate him again?

  The idea that Circe could have other hidden motives crossed Aiden's mind.

  Aiden didn't feel exactly betrayed.

  He was annoyed.

  But, this situation reminded him more of common cases from his world, where out of personal revenge someone who is bullied ends up defending themselves.

  And it was ironic because precisely in this world Aiden was like that new student in a school. Considered an easy target.

  And somehow, that role was inverted between him and Circe.

  "Don't worry, Young Aiden. I will take responsibility, I will present myself before the Demon King," Circe took his hands, looking at him with a calm smile.

  'It's hard to know if she's really sorry or trying to trick me...'

  'It's also not the time to think about it so much.'

  In that week, Circe had treated Aiden very well.

  Their bonds had strengthened to the point that he accepted a duel motivated by the anger of seeing his sentinel badly injured.

  Aiden noticed the change in her expression.

  "No, by no means. Right now I will hand it over myself, just give it to me."

  "But Young Aiden..."

  "There’s no point in worrying anymore, tomorrow many things will be resolved and I will return the relic..."

  Aiden stared at Circe.

  "By the way, tell me about the power of that relic."

  'It's unfair that they give me so much trouble when I don't even know what that silly relic looks like or what it does.'

  "Yes, I will tell you what I know."

  Tok Tok Tok

  The room door sounded.

  Aiden turned his face.

  'Will it be Ash's sentinel? Do they want more trouble, perhaps?'

  "Excuse me... can I come in?, Young Aiden," a girl spoke from outside the room.

  "That voice... Helen!, what are you doing here?" Circe asked excitedly.

  "I came to see you, I heard what happened."

  Aiden stood up and opened the door, allowing her to enter.

  "Please excuse the intrusion Young Aiden and please, forgive my friend's imprudence," she said, bowing her head.

  Aiden blinked.

  "Eh... what do you mean?"

  'Is she talking about the relic? Did she hear us?'

  "Because of my friend's imprudences, you had to accept a duel."

  Helen paused.

  "That's the only thing the girls are talking about all over the castle. Please, I beg you to forgive that airhead; I'm sure she didn't do it with bad intentions."

  "Bu... but Helen...", Circe was very flushed. Aiden noticed the immediate change.

  'So she didn't hear us, what a relief.'

  "Heh heh heh... Helen is your name, right?"

  "Yes, sir!", she stood at attention.

  "Calm down, you see, I didn't consider getting upset with Circe for a single moment."

  'In fact I was upset with her, but not for that...'

  "I am even the one who feels responsible for her getting hurt," Aiden stated firmly.

  "But, Young Aiden, that's not true, it's my fault. Everything..."

  She looked at him with sad eyes.

  "I'm very sorry for causing you so much trouble."

  "Don't worry, don't worry about it anymore."

  Aiden smiled at her and then looked at Helen.

  "For you too, I'm glad you're such good friends."

  "...Now I’ll go find someone to attend to Circe, even if they don't want to, I’ll force them," he said determinedly as he approached the door.

  "Wait, Lord Aiden. I also came to take care of that. Look, look,"

  Helen approached, showing a box with potions.

  "So don't worry, I’ll take care of this airhead, hehehe."

  "All right, but I have something to do. I leave Circe in your hands."

  Aiden smiled and left the room.

  Once outside, he heard the muffled voices.

  "Helen... what am I going to do? I got Young Aiden in trouble for not keeping my mouth shut."

  "I see you get along very well, I'm happy for you, friend, hihi. Could it be that you...?"

  "Don't talk nonsense. Young Aiden is always very kind to me; I only feel gratitude."

  Aiden, moving away from the room. He headed to the garden.

  He could no longer hear Helen and Circe's voices.

  Entering the garden again, he observed the boots Igniel left.

  They were still lying by the door.

  'All because of trying to return these stupid boots... I’ll keep them for him.'

  Aiden took the boots, and looked at the table where Igniel had left them before leaving.

  He was going to head back but stopped noticing something on the table.

  'What's that? a paper?'

  He approached and took a white paper with a tag.

  "Gift for my dear little brother."

  Aiden furrowed his brow upon reading the note, irritated.

  "THAT IDIOT!"

  "All this trouble started because of trying to return these boots and it turns out to be a gift."

  Tsk.

  "When I see him again I’ll give him a good blow."

  Aiden squeezed the note between his fingers. The irony of the situation burned him more than Aedan's fire.

  Almost immediately, his hand ignited in blue fire, and he released his intense orange fire in his fingers, burning the note completely, turning it to ashes.

  "That doesn't matter now... tomorrow I’ll take it out on Ash in that stupid duel."