Chapter 478: The Mark Vanishes, The Little Girl Hancock
Boa Hancock clutched her robes tightly, her entire body trembling with a nervous energy that bordered on panic. Her brand… they saw it?! Had these two demonic women laid eyes upon the symbol of her deepest shame?
"Relax," Lucifer said, her voice laced with irritation. "You said you didn't want anyone to see it, so no one will. Pandemonica, you…"
"It's already gone."
Hancock's head snapped up. "Impossible! That mark… it can't be removed!"
Ren gestured calmly toward a nearby door. "There's a restroom over there, and it has a mirror. Go and see for yourself."
Hancock shot a wide-eyed glance at Ren before scrambling toward the restroom with a complete lack of her usual regal grace. Once inside, she paid no mind to the opulent, luxurious decor that surrounded her.
She gritted her teeth, her knuckles white as she clutched the fabric of her robes. She didn't have the courage to face the mirror, to see what awaited her on the other side of the reflection. She didn't dare. She was terrified it was all a lie, a cruel trick of the mind, a dream from which she would soon wake.
But she had to know. With a shuddering breath, she slowly, agonizingly, let the robe slip from her shoulders. She still couldn't bring herself to turn and face the mirror, the fear was a cold, constricting weight in her chest. Slowly, her fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms, Hancock turned her head.
Her eyes widened in utter disbelief. There, in the mirror, was her own delicate face, her pale shoulders, and a back completely devoid of any blemish. The smooth, unmarred skin stared back at her. The mark… it was gone.
Hancock stared, transfixed, at her reflection. She tentatively reached a hand back, her fingers shaking as they brushed against her own skin. It was real. After confirming that the brand had truly, miraculously vanished, her legs gave out. She slid to the floor, burying her face in her hands as raw, ungraceful sobs tore from her throat, releasing a decade of buried agony.
Just then, the door opened and Lucifer walked in. She glanced down at the crumpled figure on the floor, then held out a pack of tissues. "Ren told me to come and check on you. Looks like it's settled. Wipe your tears. Honestly, you crying like this… Your world really isn't normal, is it?"
"I… I am perfectly normal!" Hancock choked out between sobs.
Despite her protest, she snatched the tissues, pulled one out, and continued to cry with her face covered.
"Alright, alright," Lucifer said with a long-suffering sigh. "You're going to use up the whole pack."
"I can't control it!"
"Just a friendly reminder," Lucifer said dryly, "there are soul-snatching monsters outside. If you keep crying, they'll come for you."
"Then I won't cry."
Hancock stopped crying instantly, her sobs cutting off with an abruptness that stunned even Lucifer. 'Good heavens,'the Queen of Hell thought,'she's from the same school of thought as Alice, isn't she? You can just… turn it off like that? Seriously?'
Hancock sniffled, her voice small and hesitant. "You are the Queen of Hell… but you seem to listen to Mister Ren a great deal?"
"If I don't listen to my man, who am I supposed to listen to?" Lucifer replied matter-of-factly. "If Ren hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have bothered with this."
Hancock froze, her eyes wide with shock. "You… you are Mister Ren's wife?!"
"And I'm not the only one," Lucifer added casually. "Why are you so worked up? By the way, can we take this conversation outside? What kind of weirdo has a heart-to-heart in a restroom?"
Hancock flushed, feeling a bit awkward. "Not the only one? Could it be…"
"There's no limit on the number here," Lucifer said with a shrug. "Speaking of which, do you pirates still practice monogamy?"
Hancock thought for a moment. "It's mostly monogamy… but some men do have many women…"
"Eh? Unexpectedly outrageous."
"No… I think your situation is far more outrageous…" Hancock mumbled, then asked, "But… are they all at your level?"
"No, they're mostly human. Some are even still in school."
Hancock was completely stunned, unsure of how to even respond.
Lucifer's patience finally snapped. "So, are you really planning to have this entire conversation in the restroom?!"
"Of course not!"
When the two of them emerged, Ren tilted his head. "All settled?"
Hancock nodded, her expression one of deep gratitude. "Mister Ren! After what has been nearly ten years for me, you have saved me once again!"
Ren looked puzzled. "Me? It was Pandemonica who removed your mark."
"But I know!" Hancock insisted. "If you hadn't spoken up, Mister Ren, no one would have paid this matter any mind! So… I truly don't know how to thank you!"
"Why do the pirates from your world seem so righteous and heroic?" Ren mused aloud.
"Uh… Mister Ren! I have another request…"
"The marks on your two younger sisters?" he guessed.
Hancock nodded vigorously. Ren glanced at Pandemonica, who simply snapped her fingers. "When you return," the demon said coolly, "just touch those two marks. They will disappear."
Hancock stared, dumbfounded. "It's… it's that simple?!"
"How difficult were you expecting it to be?" Pandemonica's lips curved into a faint, unsettling smile. "Besides… a brand… hehe… such a quaint little trick…"
"Hehe?" four voices echoed in unison.
Yakumo Ran looked on, a blank expression on her face. "Why do I feel like Miss Pandemonica suddenly became… strange?"
Lucifer sighed heavily. "Pandemonica, the 'Tired Demon' of Hell's customer service… how should I put this? She's currently in her third personality, but it retains certain characteristics from her second."
"What?" came the collective, confused reply.
Ren sighed as well. "A sadist."
Yakumo Yukari's mouth twitched. "I really can't imagine it… But a demon who is also a sadist… the very thought is chilling…"
"That's right," Lucifer confirmed with a nod. "For Pandemonica… your little branding irons and whatnot… she got tired of playing with those countless eons ago."
Hancock swallowed hard, nodding mutely.
"Pandemonica," Ren said, his voice a gentle but firm command, "mind your image."
Instantly, the unsettling aura vanished, and she returned to her usual stoic, professional demeanor. Ren gave her a brief nod before turning back to Hancock. "So, what would you like to eat, little girl?"
"Li… little girl?!"
Hancock's face instantly flushed a deep crimson. When had anyone ever dared to call her that? But coming from her benefactor, the man who had erased the source of her lifelong trauma… she didn't feel an ounce of anger. Instead, her heart began to hammer against her ribs, a strange warmth spreading through her chest.
Ren's voice was gentle. "Although nearly ten years have passed on your side, for me, it's only been about half a year. So, Hancock, in my eyes, you're still a little girl."
"I… I am not a little girl!" she protested, though her voice lacked any real conviction.
"Oh? Really?"
"Mmm-hmm!"
"We'll see."
"We'll… what do you mean, 'we'll see'?!"
"What do you want to eat?" Ren asked, smoothly changing the subject.
"I don't know!" she huffed.
Ren simply nodded and turned to walk toward the kitchen.
Hancock immediately called after him, "Are you really not going to ask again?!"
"Usually, when someone says that, it means the decision is in my hands," he called back over his shoulder. "So just find a seat and wait to be served."
"Eh?! Fine… Oh! I want some peach blossom wine!"
"Got it," Ren's voice drifted back from the kitchen, tinged with amusement. "You really are a little girl…"
"I am not a little girl!"
[Akarin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/AkarinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/AkarinTL
🔗 All My Links: linktr[.]ee/AkarinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]