"I'm leaving..."
The next morning, Samael's sudden, grief-stricken announcement caught the Kotomine couple, who were busy preparing ingredients by the stove, completely off guard.
"Why?"
Claudia pulled off her gas mask and poked her head out of the kitchen, looking puzzled and slightly uneasy.
"Have we been poor hosts?"
"Of course not!"
Samael glanced at the bubbling red oil in the pot, swallowed, let his gaze wander, and repeatedly denied it before lowering his voice with a trace of sadness.
"Kirei has found new pleasures, and his repressed emotions are gradually being released. Your health is steadily recovering, little Kallen has grown up too, and now that your lives are getting back on track, after staying in Italy for so long, it's time for me to leave."
As he spoke, the man's eyes reddened slightly, and they gradually grew moist.
After spending so much time together, their relationship had become something between friendship and family.
The sentimental Claudia looked at the Lord of Hell before her, the one who had pulled their family back from the edge of the abyss. Seeing such an emotional side of him, she felt reluctant about this farewell—expected, yet somehow still unexpected.
My Lord...
At that moment, the Demon King's eyes reddened even further. He sniffed, raised a hand to wipe away the glistening liquid at the corner of his eyes, and muttered inwardly.
Damn, it's too spicy...
When Samael came back to his senses and saw his devotee approaching, apparently intending to give him a reluctant embrace—
the Ancient Serpent's body stiffened slightly. His expression turned stern by reflex, and he decisively shifted the topic to the matter Claudia cared about.
"By the way, while basic medication and psychological counseling have stabilized Kirei's condition to some extent, to further his recovery, I suggest you