Forced to Sell Myself to the Female Lead After Killing the Male Lead

What was Lei Jie afraid of?

Without question,

Abyss Demons. Demon King-class Abyss Demons.

Although he himself was an Eighth-Tier existence, Lei Jie knew very well that he still wasn't capable of challenging a Demon King-class being. The trauma of being bullied by Infernal Prison all those years ago remained vivid in his mind.

Of course,

Aside from Demon King-class Abyss Demons, there was another existence he feared even more.

The Hall of Ten Thousand Demons.

Or rather...

Lady Yumo.

Although Lady Yumo usually appeared to have a gentle temper, even if Lei Jie had a hundred times more courage, he still wouldn't dare provoke her.

After all, once he offended Lady Yumo, even if she herself wasn't angry...

Those Demon King-class monsters absolutely would be.

Being targeted by one Demon King might still leave him a chance to survive.

But if all six Demon Kings had their eyes on him...

He might as well start writing his will in advance...

Originally,

Lei Jie had believed that after leaving the Great Winter Forest, at worst he would encounter Demon King-class beings.

As for Lady Yumo...

He figured he'd probably never see her again in this lifetime.

After all, the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons couldn't exactly wander around on its own, could it?!

However,

Today, Lei Jie realized just how terribly wrong he had been...

At this moment,

Looking at the seemingly harmless pink-haired little girl before him...

Looking at the Blood Butterfly hidden beneath her collar...

Lei Jie's pupils contracted violently!

An unprecedented chill surged through his heart!

Cold sweat instantly poured down his body.

The familiar crimson butterfly immediately awakened the nightmare buried deep within his memories.

And...

Among everyone Lei Jie knew...

There was only one person capable of controlling Blood Butterflies.

Furthermore,

As he sensed the faint power rippling from the girl's fingertips, his heart nearly stopped beating.

His entire beastly face froze into the expression of a certain famous painting.

As the young chief of the Thunder Beast Clan,

Whenever the Great Winter Forest celebrated the New Year in the past, he had accompanied the clan chief to visit Lady Yumo at the Hall of Ten Thousand Demons more than once.

He had also come into contact with Lady Yumo's energy hands several times.

Their aura had left an unforgettable impression upon him.

Although the power radiating from the pink-haired girl's fingertips wasn't particularly strong...

Lei Jie still recognized it immediately.

It was exactly the same aura as Lady Yumo's!

The only reason it lacked power...

Was because the little girl was deliberately suppressing it!

To keep everyone else from noticing!

Which meant...

The seemingly insignificant little girl standing before him...

Was...

Lady Yumo herself!!

'You've got to be kidding me!!!! Lady, don't do this to me!!'

Lei Jie couldn't help letting out a hysterical scream in his heart.

He knew perfectly well that if he actually attacked...

Even if Lady Yumo didn't personally tear him into pieces...

Those Demon King-class Abyss Demons would skin him alive and swallow him whole!

If things went badly...

Next year's anniversary today would probably become the anniversary of his death!

He had worked so hard to climb to his current position!

He couldn't just die like this!!

However,

Considering that he had already launched his attack...

Lei Jie suddenly felt like crying without tears.

His brain began spinning at top speed, desperately searching for a way out of this certain death.

'Wh-What the hell am I supposed to do?!'

?!!

Huh?!

I-I've got it!!

In an instant,

A flash of inspiration struck Lei Jie.

—

Meanwhile,

Facing the rapidly approaching Lei Jie, Xiumu's heart had already sunk into complete despair.

Could it be...

That this child really wasn't Xia'er?

H-How could this happen...

No.

Even if she isn't...

I can't let Guardian Beast Lord kill her like this!

Seriously, what's going on?!

Guardian Beast Lord is usually so gentle!

Why has he suddenly gone berserk?!

Filled with confusion,

Xiumu immediately mobilized every ounce of Battle Aura within his body, preparing to rescue the innocent girl from beneath Lei Jie's claws.

At this moment,

The pink-haired girl at the center of everything—

Our Miss Yumo—

Although she likewise wore an expression of absolute terror...

Inside...

She remained completely calm.

In fact...

She was even a little unhappy.

Enmm...

Wouldn't it have been enough to realize I wasn't "Xia'er" and simply drive me away?

Was there really any need to attack me?

This makes things very difficult for me!

The slave girl she was playing still needed to leave Wind Facing City alive and accompany Mengxi back to the Asumos Church.

How could she possibly be killed by a guardian beast here?

Yumo puffed out her lips in displeasure.

Thus,

In order to slow Lei Jie's movements and give Xiumu enough time to "save" her...

Miss Yumo slowly raised a hand.

A tiny, utterly insignificant trace of Shadow of Silence Power quietly gathered at her fingertips.

Her azure-blue eyes narrowed slightly as they locked onto Lei Jie's four limbs.

However...

Just as nearly everyone except Mengxi revealed expressions of terror...

Just as Miss Yumo was about to make her move...

Something completely beyond everyone's expectations suddenly happened.

The next instant,

Under the stunned gaze of the crowd...

Lei Jie lunged toward Yumo—

Uh...

No.

More accurately...

He lunged toward the space behind Yumo and violently swung his claws!

In an instant,

His thunder-wreathed claws unleashed a world-shaking burst of lightning!

The very next moment,

Heaven and earth ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) trembled.

A certain creature resembling a cockroach that just happened to be leisurely flying behind Yumo...

Along with several nearby stone statues...

Was instantly obliterated into ashes beneath Lei Jie's claws.

???

Eh?!

What is going on?!

Wasn't he trying to attack Miss?!

The sudden turn of events completely dumbfounded everyone.

Not far away,

Avnora, who had just rushed forward several steps, froze in place, staring at her family's guardian beast in utter disbelief.

Under everyone's confused gaze,

The overwhelmingly imposing Lei Jie continued swinging his claws over and over,

Sending one "cockroach" after another straight to the afterlife.

Watching the lightning raging across the sky,

Everyone felt as though they had been struck by thunder themselves, their minds completely shutting down.

Even Marquis Xiumu, who had been desperately trying to save Yumo, stood frozen in place.

?!

Lei Jie...

He's...

He's killing bugs??

Using that kind of earth-shattering display...

Just to exterminate insects?!

Seeing this,

Avnora couldn't help rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

'Lei Jie...

Does he... hate bugs that much??'

Then,

An even more unbelievable scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.

After swatting several of the bugs to death,

Lei Jie, who had just been radiating murderous intent moments ago, suddenly withdrew all of his killing aura, along with the violently surging thunder surrounding him.

His enormous body rapidly shrank before everyone's eyes.

In the blink of an eye,

He transformed into...

A tiny black kitten with two tails?!

Then,

Under everyone's utterly bewildered gaze,

The little black cat happily trotted over while wagging its tails, stopping beside the pink-haired little girl.

It affectionately rubbed its tiny face against the girl's foot.

At this moment,

Not even the slightest trace of the majestic guardian beast remained.

It had completely transformed into...

A...

Pet cat...

...

Looking at the little black cat beside the girl,

Xiumu fell into a daze.

However, as a battle-hardened veteran, he quickly snapped out of his shock.

The next moment,

Uncontainable joy filled his eyes!

Although Xiumu had no idea why Lei Jie was behaving so inexplicably...

Judging from the guardian beast's intimate attitude toward the pink-haired girl...

There could only be one conclusion.

This girl...

Had to be his granddaughter!

She really was Xia'er!

Realizing this,

The ecstatic Marquis Xiumu immediately lifted Miss Yumo high into the air.

His excited laughter echoed throughout the area.

"Hahahaha! I knew I couldn't have mistaken you! You really are Xia'er! Hahahaha!"

Upon witnessing this scene,

Nearly everyone from the Duke Family broke into cheers.

After spending so long in anxious uncertainty,

Avnora finally let out a long sigh of relief before smiling as she walked toward her husband and granddaughter.

Meanwhile,

While almost everyone was celebrating...

Certain individuals found themselves feeling rather conflicted.

Foremost among them...

Was naturally our Miss Yumo.

Lowering her head to glance at the little black cat that continued clinging to her leg while desperately acting cute...

Countless black lines appeared across Yumo's forehead.

...

...

Wh-What the hell is going on?!

This isn't how the plan was supposed to go!!

—

Likewise,

The other person left standing there in complete shock was Benjamin-Duke, the very one who had proposed letting Yumo meet the guardian beast.

He clenched his fists so tightly they nearly bled, glaring viciously at the pink-haired girl now surrounded by everyone.

Th-...

Th-This...

How is this possible?!

He had secretly ordered someone to smear an undetectable layer of Black Sandalwood fragrance onto that girl's clothes!

That was Lei Jie's most hated smell!

Wh-Why?!

Why doesn't that beast feel even the slightest disgust?!

It even rushed over and hugged the girl's leg?!

Do you have any dignity as a guardian beast at all?!

Benjamin found it impossible to accept.

He let out an almost hysterical roar inside his heart.

No.

This can't continue.

If things go on like this...

The inheritance rights he had worked so hard to obtain...

Would be taken away!

N-No!

Thinking of this,

Benjamin decided to risk everything.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention,

He quietly left the cemetery grounds.

Then he took a communication magic stone from his spatial ring.

After taking a deep breath,

Benjamin respectfully spoke,

"Lord Leader... I have something to report..."