"Agatha?" Everyone stared in shock at the girl who now looked completely different.
"Mom, Dad... thank you!" Agatha gazed gratefully at her parents sitting by the bed, her heart overflowing with happiness. Meeting Sophie and Serei in the human world and becoming their child was perhaps the luckiest thing that had ever happened to her. Without them, she might have died in that conspiracy, never knowing who she truly was.
"Uh... Agatha?" Sophie's scalp tingled as she looked at the stunning young woman on the bed. This had to be Agatha—there was no way someone could've swapped her out in front of everyone. But her little girl had suddenly transformed into a woman no younger than herself, calling her "Mom." It was hard to process.
Gently releasing Sophie's hand, Agatha sat up, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her clothes had changed too—now a flowing lavender gown.
"Mom, thank you." Agatha lifted Sophie's wrist, where a faint scar remained. With a light brush of her fingers, a soft purple glow erased it, leaving only flawless skin.
"Agatha, you..." Everyone except Sophie was speechless. The shocks just kept coming.
"Mom, I'll explain everything slowly." Agatha turned to Serei. "Dad, could you take care of that Qiu tribesman in the dungeon? He's just an ordinary demon, he won't know much. I'll tell you all about the demons later."
"Uh... Agatha, I've already ordered a healer to treat his wounds. He won't be interrogated for now. Besides, we can't understand a word he says." Serei scratched his head, still adjusting to this new version of his daughter.
"Thank you, Dad. The Qiu tribe can only communicate with their own kind, except for their witches. That's why they're often used as scouts—even if captured, they can't reveal secrets. Probably only their witches and I can understand them." She glanced out the window. So the human world's sky was the same as the demons'.
"Agatha, are you... a demon witch?" Sophie asked carefully.
"No." Agatha leaned back against the headboard, exhaustion weighing on her.
"Actually... I'm the current Queen of the Demon Realm."
Silence.
Everyone, even the old Dragon King Hall, blinked rapidly, their minds short-circuiting. The adorable little girl was now a grown woman claiming to be the Demon Queen. After a few more stunned blinks, they collectively decided nothing could shock them anymore. If a whole demon army marched in now, they'd just shrug.
"Then... the demons attacking our kingdom—is it because they're looking for you?" Milta stammered, struggling to reconcile her childhood friend with this regal figure.
"No. Aside from *her*, the entire Demon Realm probably doesn't even know I'm gone. Their attack must be for another reason." Agatha's voice dropped, her heart aching. After all she'd done for *her*, this was her repayment.
"Agatha, you don't have to talk if it's too painful. No matter what, I'll protect you." Sophie pulled her into a hug, sensing her sorrow.
"Thank you, Mom." Agatha closed her eyes, savoring the warmth. *Is this what a mother feels like?* She'd lost hers young, and though her father doted on her, she'd never known maternal love. That was why she'd tolerated her sister's tantrums for so long—only to be betrayed in return.
"I have a twin sister. Aside from me and three elite guards, no one in the Demon Realm knows she exists. According to our ancient texts, the royal family only produces one heir—the future ruler who'll lead our people to glory. Twins are the sole exception. If born, the younger must be... eliminated. Otherwise, chaos will consume the demons." Her voice was hollow, as if recountingsomeone else's tragedy.
"When our mother gave birth to me, she sensed my sister's presence. After presenting me to Father, she dismissed the maids and secretly delivered her, hiding and raising her alone.
At age four, I sneaked out of the palace. While my frantic parents searched for me, they were ambushed by demonic beasts. Mother shielded Father and was mortally wounded. By the time guards brought me back, she was fading. With her last breath, she revealed the secret she'd kept for four years—and begged us to spare my sister." Agatha's tears fell freely, the memory of her dying mother still raw.
The room was silent. What could anyone say?
"We found the girl in Mother's wardrobe—a mirror image of me, trembling with fear. She even bit Father when he tried to hold her. To keep her hidden, he knocked her unconscious (she was only four) and stashed her in the Temple of the Demon God, a place only we visited annually. He assigned three elite guards—shadows loyal solely to the throne—to watch over her. No one else knew.
Father named her Jennifer. As we grew, even he struggled to tell us apart. The only difference? A few minutes of birth time, dictating our fates.
Sometimes, she'd beg me to let her out, just to see the world. At night, I'd visit, and we'd swap clothes. She'd roam freely while I waited in the temple for days until Father dragged her back. I never resented her—*I* was the one who'd always known freedom.
Father knew but never scolded us. He pitied her too. Until... she poisoned my drink. That was when Father beat and locked her away. We learned then: A demon king cannot die heirless, or the realm falls. *I* was the chosen heir. Even an identical twin couldn't replace me.
That was also when I realized—she hated me. Despite her sweet *"Big Sister"* calls.
After Father's death and my coronation, she saw the sky again. He'd visited her often in confinement. We were both his daughters.
Even knowing the ancient texts' warnings, neither of us could bring ourselves to kill her. But now, awake at last, I understand—while I never wished her harm, she always plotted my end.
If not for all of you, I'd have died at Bulanda's hands—or lived in ignorance forever."
"Agatha, don't cry. It's over now. You're safe, with a family who loves you. Call it fate's mercy." Sophie patted her back, then frowned. "But how did you end up in the human world? And why as a child? How old *are* you?"
"I'm twenty. I don't know how I became a child. My last memory is our birthday—after the celebrations, I brought gifts to Jennifer in the temple. We drank together... then I passed out. Next thing I knew, I was a child discovered by Bulanda, then met Charles. Only now has my memory returned—but I still can't recall how I got here."
That shadow from her dreams—was it real? Who *was* he?
**Will the truth of her past finally come to light?**