The Villain Professor's Second Chance-Chapter 383: The Queen’s Contemplation in The Demon World

The air was heavy as Aurelia wandered through the bustling streets of the City of Peace, her footsteps slow and measured. Lyan had refused to answer her questions. Repeatedly, stubbornly, with that infuriating grin of his, he’d dodged every attempt she made to pry the truth from him. She felt the urge to throttle him just thinking about it, but there was no point in wasting energy. Not when there were other things she needed to understand—like why, exactly, she was supposed to protect this city in the first place.

The quest board hovered in front of her, invisible to anyone but her eyes, a constant reminder of her task:

Protect the City of Peace

. She snorted in irritation at the irony.

Peace? In a city filled with demons? It was laughable.

Her fingers itched to dismiss the board, to pretend that it wasn’t there, but she couldn’t ignore it. She couldn’t ignore the duty that lay ahead.

She sighed, her gaze drifting over the streets. The city was filled with laughter, joy, and the kind of busy liveliness that she wasn’t used to seeing among demons. And perhaps—just perhaps—that was why she hadn’t immediately disregarded this quest. Because somewhere, deep down, she knew they deserved peace too. Demons or not, they were still people. They had homes, families, and aspirations—much like humans did.

Aurelia clicked her tongue, shaking off the thought. It wasn’t something she needed to dwell on. She was here, and she had to do the job, whatever her personal feelings. For now, she would just focus on the moment. She continued down the narrow streets, her eyes sweeping over the various stalls lining either side. This part of the city had become familiar over the loops, and the vendors had grown accustomed to her presence. Friendly faces, demon or otherwise, were a welcome change.

"Aurelia! There you are!" One of the merchants, a round-faced demon with a wide smile, waved her over. His horns curved back behind his ears, making him look almost like a human. Aurelia couldn’t help but smile at him—his enthusiasm was contagious. Discover stories at novelbuddy.com

"Hey, Malkar," she greeted, stepping closer to his stall. He sold fried food—skewers of something that smelled spicy and delicious—and as she approached, the scent hit her full force, making her stomach rumble.

"You must try these today," Malkar said, holding out a skewer. "Freshly fried. Just for you, Lady Aurelia."

Aurelia took the offered skewer, her eyes narrowing at him playfully. "Just for me, huh? You say that every time."

Malkar’s grin widened, and he shrugged, the kind of shrug that made her want to laugh. "I have to keep you coming back somehow, don’t I?"

She took a bite, the spice exploding on her tongue. It was hot, but not unbearably so, and the texture was crunchy on the outside with a tender center. She nodded approvingly, her mouth full. "This—" she swallowed, "this is good, Malkar."

"I aim to please." He looked over her shoulder, his eyes glancing around as if searching for someone. "No Lyan today?"

Aurelia rolled her eyes. "He’s around. Lurking somewhere."

Malkar chuckled, a deep rumbling sound. "Always lurking, that one. I think he’s scared of me."

Aurelia barked out a laugh. "If you only knew." She winked and moved on, waving goodbye as she walked to the next stall.

The vendors knew her well by now. There was the old woman selling pastries, her sharp teeth peeking out of her warm smile. The butcher, with his muscular frame, always offered her a bit of meat to take with her. The fruit vendor, whose eyes glowed with an unnatural red, gave her a small basket of exotic fruit without a word. All of them treated her kindly—perhaps too kindly, but she wasn’t about to question it.

She knew it wasn’t just her natural charm. Lyan’s illusions, the ones that made her look like a succubus, played a role in how these demons treated her. She was aware of it, but she also didn’t mind. It made moving through this place easier, smoother. It allowed her to pretend, if only for a moment, that she wasn’t carrying the weight of a queen.

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With her arms full of various foods, Aurelia finally found a quiet spot to sit, a bench made for the larger demon races. It was broad and solid beneath her as she settled down, the stone cold against her legs. She laid the food beside her, her fingers reaching for a piece of fruit as her mind drifted back to the thought that had been nagging her all day—Draven.

Of course, she already know that he is Draven by now. At some point, she realized that in this quest, he started to care less of hiding his identity as Draven and keeping up the persona as Dravis.

Lyan had been reluctant to tell her much, but she’d pieced things together over time. It was clear that Draven and Lyan had been through this more times than they could count. And the more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that it was Draven who had initiated these loops. Lyan might have retained his memories, but the original architect of these desperate attempts had to be Draven. Lyan has the ability to read memories, so perhaps he retrieved his memories from that ability as well.

She took a bite of the fruit, its sweet juice surprising her. A chuckle escaped her lips as she wiped her mouth, thinking about that man. The cheeky professor who always managed to beat her in Go, no matter how hard she tried. He’d always had an irritating knack for knowing more than anyone else, for planning ten steps ahead. But she remembered the day she realized Dravis, the assassin she had seen moving through the shadows of the kingdom, was actually Draven. It had startled her at first, but in hindsight, it made perfect sense. He was always full of surprises, always one step ahead.

She didn’t know how, but when she saw Dravis the adventurer and Draven the Professor standing together inside the castle in front of her throne, she at first doubt her thinking that perhaps Dravis was a different person after all. But then, she became convinced.

This bastard must have used a kind of brilliant trick that he loves to do to be able to present in two bodies at the same time.

Aurelia sighed, leaning back against the bench, staring up at the darkening sky. "Why, though?" she muttered to herself. "Why go through all this trouble for me?"

It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t a queen in this world. She was just another player in a game that Draven seemed to understand far better than she did. If she died, she wouldn’t even remember what had happened—she’d just be reset like everyone else. Draven wouldn’t get any praise for saving her, and he wasn’t the kind of person to brag about his accomplishments to begin with. So why? Why did he put himself on the line for her, time and time again?

She remembered that first time—when she’d arrived in this strange world, and Draven had been there, standing between her and the unknown dangers that loomed ahead. He’d put himself in front of her, his stance defensive, his gaze locked on the potential threat that Lyan had represented at the time. She hadn’t expected that from him. As a queen, she was used to being protected, but this had felt different. It wasn’t duty or obligation; it had felt… personal?

Aurelia shook her head, frustration bubbling up inside her.

"That bastard," she muttered under her breath. "Why is he trying so hard? What’s in it for him?" She knew how nobles worked—they were always calculating, always weighing benefits and costs. So what was Draven’s game? Was he trying to curry her favor, hoping to gain something from her in return?

But that didn’t feel right either. Draven wasn’t like the other nobles she knew. He was cold, calculating, and distant, yes, but he wasn’t selfish. Not in that way. If anything, he was the opposite—always putting himself on the line for others, even when there was nothing to gain.

She let out a sigh, her breath misting in the cool evening air. Maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe she was overthinking it. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more—something that Draven wasn’t telling her. And she was determined to find out what it was.

Aurelia pushed herself up from the bench, brushing crumbs off her lap. She wasn’t going to sit around and wait for answers. If Draven thought he could keep her in the dark, he had another thing coming. She was a queen, damn it. If she wanted answers, she would get them—one way or another.

She began walking again, her footsteps determined as she made her way through the streets. The city was beginning to wind down for the night, the stalls closing up, the vendors packing away their wares. She stopped to ask a few of them if they’d seen a cold, scary-looking incubus around. Most of them shook their heads, but one—a young demon girl with bright green eyes—pointed her in the right direction.

"Thank you," Aurelia said, giving the girl a quick smile before turning and making her way towards the area the girl had indicated.

It wasn’t long before she spotted him. Draven was standing near a small shop, his eyes scanning a list in his hand, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever. He was dressed in his usual attire, the illusion cast over him making him appear as an incubus—his horns curved elegantly, his eyes dark and calculating.

Aurelia marched up to him, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn’t sure if it was anger or something else, but she felt a surge of emotion as she grabbed his collar, forcing him to look at her. His eyes widened slightly, the only indication of his surprise.

"Hey, bastard," she hissed, her voice low but fierce. "I know you’re Draven. Now tell me everything about what you know about this quest and how long you’ve been in it. It’s unfair for you to tell everything to Lyan despite the fact that I’ve known you longer, no?"

Draven stared at her, his sharp eyes narrowing as he studied her face. For a moment, there was silence between them, the world around them fading into the background. And then, slowly, a faint smile tugged at his lips—a smile that was both knowing and infuriating.

"Don’t smile, just tell me, you bastard,"