Betrayed, I Knocked Demon Lord's Door - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

It was November now. Riding a scooter without thick clothes meant there was a definite chill in the air.
Caitlyn rested her cheek lightly against Leon's back, arms loosely around his waist. Her eyes drifted toward the blur of passing scenery, becoming more and more unfocused...
The warmth on her cheeks was gradually swept away by the wind, but Leon—sitting in front—was like a human heater. Shielded from the wind, she wasn't cold at all.
As the neon chaos of Ekavine City flew past and the breeze nipped at her face, Caitlyn exhaled softly. Her thoughts wandered, replaying the subtle ways her life had changed since Leon barged into it.
This city... didn't feel quite so cold anymore. Or lonely.
Her lips pressed into a line, and she unconsciously tightened her grip around Leon's waist, lowering her gaze, eyes glinting with uncertainty.
Was their relationship... still that "pure"?
When had she first met him again?
It must've been... ten years ago.
The memory came back—crisp and vivid. A ball. A rare, formal gathering between humans and demons where, for once, both sides tried to speak rather than fight.
After that night, tensions between the races escalated rapidly. But among those who had attended that particular ball, the atmosphere hadn't been nearly as explosive.
Leon, then a rising star of the Human Alliance, had already made headlines before turning eighteen—becoming a B-Rank hero while still a teenager.
And he did it in mere months, smashing every record the Alliance had.
From there, it was a meteoric rise. Fastest A-Rank. Youngest S-Rank.
Even the word "genius" felt too small for him.
But the Leon who had been dragged along to the ball—just a name on the "young elite" list—had been a clueless idiot.
The first time Caitlyn, then a Demon Lord candidate, laid eyes on him...
He was sitting at a banquet table, blissfully ignoring the shocked, disdainful, or bewildered stares from around the room as he tore into an entire roast suckling pig.
"Freak." That had been her first impression.
But... not in a bad way.
He was the only human genius close to her age at the event, and Caitlyn couldn't help being a little curious.
At the very least, his unapologetic behavior was more tolerable than the crowd of sycophants around her, all wearing the same phony smiles.
His eating habits left something to be desired.
'How long had this guy gone without food?'
Caitlyn watched him devour an entire roast pig, then move on to a whole rotisserie chicken. Her eyebrows twitched.
"He's kinda cute, huh? First time I've seen you stare at someone this long," came Kathleen's voice from beside her.
She was another Demon Lord candidate.
Caitlyn's expression remained cool. She gave Kathleen a glance and said lightly, "I'm just curious."
"Ohhh, curious," Kathleen teased, spinning playfully before stepping in front of Caitlyn. The two, standing together, were undoubtedly the brightest stars at the ball.
Caitlyn frowned slightly. She didn't know what Kathleen was grinning about.
Although, to be fair... Leon's attention-grabbing aura wasn't lagging behind theirs either.
Eventually, someone from the human side couldn't take it anymore and stepped over to intervene.
"Leon, knock it off already. You're making it look like we've been starving you. If the demons see this, they'll think we abuse our geniuses."
"Huh?" Leon turned around, face slick with grease. "You said there'd be a feast and I could eat whatever I want. Now you wanna take that back?"
The older man's eye twitched. He muttered, "I'm not saying stop, but... maybe show a little decorum? You're representing the Human Alliance here. Look over there—those two demon girls, graceful and composed."
Leon followed his gaze—and locked eyes with Caitlyn.
They both froze for a split second, then looked away.
"She's kinda pretty..." Leon mumbled.
The man gave a knowing smile and clapped Leon on the shoulder. "Listen, for girls, personal image really boosts your chances. We've got a task for you tonight."
"What task? No one said anything earlier. I'm not doing it," Leon grumbled, biting into a drumstick.
"You'll do it. Trust me," the man said dryly, staring at the grease now smeared on Leon's cuff. "When the ball starts, go ask one of those demon girls for a dance. It's a goodwill gesture. Heck, ask both if you think you can handle it."
And with that, the man turned and walked off.
Leon scrunched his nose and glanced over again...
Only to meet Caitlyn's gaze for the second time.
She calmly took a sip from her glass—juice, not wine—then turned her attention elsewhere.
'Why does she keep peeking at me?' he wondered.
As elegant music filled the room, the ball began.
Leon was dragged off for an emergency grooming session. When he re-emerged in formal wear, the human delegation exhaled in collective relief.
But that relief was short-lived.
"Hey, pretty lady," Leon called out, loud and clear. "The old fogeys over there told me to invite you for a dance. Whaddya say? Give me a break here?"
Caitlyn froze.
She'd been to countless events like this, but no one had ever been this... direct. So blunt. So absolutely transparent in his intentions.
Kathleen nearly choked with laughter, face red, shoulders trembling from holding back her giggles.
"You're brave, kid. Caitlyn's never accepted an invitation. You asking like that? Hilarious. But hey, if she says no, dance with me instead?"
"Who says I'm saying no?" Caitlyn replied suddenly, recovering from her shock. She cast Kathleen a mild glance.
Then she reached out and gently took Leon's hand.
Kathleen's smile froze. She stared in disbelief. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Why not?" Caitlyn said coolly.
Leon raised a brow and looked at Kathleen. "Do I look that bad? Why're you so sure she'd say no?"
"Don't mind her. She's always like this," Caitlyn said calmly.
Leon nodded. "Maybe she's just jealous she didn't get asked. I am pretty handsome."
Caitlyn's lip twitched. She nearly laughed, but held it in. Kathleen, meanwhile, looked ready to explode, her eyes narrowing as her cheeks flushed.
"Want me to punch you?" she growled.
But Leon had already led Caitlyn to the center of the ballroom, not even glancing back.
Caitlyn turned once, just in time to see Kathleen standing frozen, fuming in place. A faint smile tugged at her lips—it was her first real smile of the night.
Leon said, "See? That smile looks great on you. No need to keep that poker face."
"What did you say?" Caitlyn asked, suspicious.
"Nothing," Leon replied smoothly—then suddenly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Let's begin, beautiful stranger."
Caitlyn's cheeks turned pink. She trembled slightly and stared at him. "I didn't say you could touch my waist."
"Everyone does it this way. Don't be shy."
"Why are you glaring at me again?" Leon asked, reaching out a hand as Caitlyn sat stiffly in the car.
She grabbed it and used it to steady herself as she stepped down gracefully.
"Hmph. Just remembered a certain idiot who invited me to dance, only to step on my foot eighty-seven times."
"That was years ago! How do you still remember the exact number?" Leon scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed.
Caitlyn gave him a look, released his hand, and started walking home. "It's a debt. And I remember all of them. I'll collect one day."
"Petty."
"Say that again?"
"Caitlyn is beautiful, kind, and the absolute best in the world."