"I know your secret…"
I didn't react.
What was the point?
I covered my tracks perfectly. No one could figure out who I really was unless they were the demon king himself. Either that or I did something stupid to give myself away, and from my recollection, I hadn't.
And even if she did figure out I was a demon, her first choice would be to inform the school; not to confront me herself.
Mia stepped closer to meet my gaze when I turned around.
"What do you mean…"
"Don't play dumb!" She quickly cut me off, taking another step closer. The moment she stepped in close, a strong lavender smell wafted into my nostrils.
Was that her hair?
"Seymour, I know all about your family," she said.
Ah, so that's what this is about. My family's reputation, one of the only things I couldn't hide from while here at the academy.
"It was all over the news a few years ago. Jonathan Seymour, the head of the Seymour conglomerate, arrested. Because of your father's shady business habits, a lot of people lost their lives," she continued.
She was right; my father committed acts which were considered morally questionable. My father had a huge oil rig which he used to compete against guilds who mostly relied on beast cores and mana crystals.
But oil wasn't my father's only endeavor. Using the money and influence our family had accumulated over the years, he started another project. He tried to artificially produce beast cores and mana crystals. This project ultimately ended in failure, but they faced a problem. They had accumulated a lot of toxic waste during the project.
These wastes would be harmful to the environment, so my father decided to dump it on a small planet. This planet was mostly barren, with a harsh atmosphere and there was no record of any settlement being created there, so he decided to offload the waste from the project there.
Unbeknownst to him, a small group of humans had managed to make life on that planet despite its harsh conditions. Because of the waste my father left there, half of the people who settled there died.
They were plagued by diseases and mutations that altered their cells, turning them into abominations more hideous than orcs and most demons. Out of fear that the mutations would spread, the government and the top guilds decided to euthanize the entire settlement and closed all portal travel to that planet.
My father was also arrested for his crime, but he managed to get off scot-free after striking some deal with the government. No one cared about the lives that were lost. They were seen as barbarians, and their lives were of no consequence.
"Doesn't it make you feel ashamed?" She asked.
Mia was a few inches shorter than me. She had a tiny body and a well-proportioned face. Looking at her trying to size me up, I couldn't help but think she looked cute.
It wasn't exactly attraction I felt towards her. It was more like seeing a cute dog or a puppy.
She would make a good pet.
Too bad she already has an owner.
There was zero chance of me ever claiming Mia. No one could replace Levi in her heart. Not even me with all my demonic charm. She belonged solely to him, so it wasn't even worth trying.
But it was fine. He could keep her. I already had Sophia.
Looking at her, I couldn't shake the urge to pat her on the head like a good dog, and before I knew it, my hand was resting on the top of her head.
Her hair was silky soft. It felt as if I had placed my hand on a pile of feathers.
"How dare you!"
Being pulled from my thoughts, I glanced down to see Mia red with anger. Her entire body shook in rage.
"How dare you!" she repeated once again, her tone laced with pure hatred.
Suddenly, white smoke began to seep from her hand as she summoned her soul weapon, the mist blade Azura. When the smoke cleared, what remained was a katana with a white hilt. Mia glared at me, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
"How dare you!"
Ting!
Just then, the elevator door opened, giving way to the reception area. There were students in the lobby, getting ready to leave for school, but the moment they heard Mia's shouting voice, they all turned in our direction.
We were quite the sight.
What they saw was me resting my hand on the head of one of the cutest girls in the first year, while the girl in question had a reddened face and looked as if she was about to lop my head off with her katana.
Still, this was probably the best outcome. With everyone watching, Mia could do nothing but sheath her blade as she held her head down and ran out of the lobby in embarrassment.
Before she ran off, she mumbled something.
"You will pay."
Maybe I hadn't learned my lesson, because I suddenly had the urge to pet her again.
She was just too cute.
Maybe one day I'll find a pet of my own.
A pet human...
The thought felt more enticing the more I thought about it.
Clearing my throat, I straightened my glasses and tidied my uniform before stepping out of the elevator while ignoring the stares and whispers around me.
No doubt a few rumors will start to spread because of this, but I didn't care as long as the rumors weren't about me being a demon.
I instead hurriedly went to class since I didn't want to be late for my second day of school.