Love is something the Demon King has never truly understood.
Because it is too contradictory.
Lisidorwei loves Doro, so she betrayed herself in the past. Therefore, love is selfish, love can make one abandon their mission, forsake the grace they once received—the life she created is not grateful to her but rather betrays her for the sake of love. Abandoning her creature named "Loyalty."
Thus, Mohe thinks love is extremely selfish.
Yet, at this moment, Lisidorwei kneels before her, begging her to help Doro, while she plans to take Frodonick's body and go far away, and then self-destruct...
It's a ridiculous sacrifice.
Her intent is simply "not to make him choose."
So selfless? So self-sacrificing? It is exactly what she hoped this life could achieve when she created it.
Yet she hasn't truly pledged loyalty to her, instead, she has pledged loyalty to the Hero. Is there something wrong she did during the creation process? She can't help but think about whether there were special issues with the technique used to construct Lisidorwei's lifeform that led to this situation.
Is love both selfish and selfless? Mohe doesn't believe it.
She considers what truly constitutes love—selfishness or selflessness, and whether extracting and studying this emotion could create a more perfect being than Lisidorwei. A being wholly devoted to her, thus no need to fear betrayal.
This topic is rather troublesome; she needs to retrieve her right hand, eyes, heart, and horns to conduct in-depth research.
Her silence startled Lisidorwei.
She dared not raise her head, just kneeling there.
"Helping the Hero regain some strength could actually assist me in retrieving other parts. It's not a deal I can't accept; rather, if you weren't here, I'd intended to use this drop of blood on him anyway."
Mohe crossed her legs: "You may do as you will."
"Thank you so much, Demon King!"
Lisidorwei walked out of the room.
Mohe sat there for a while, then finally said: "Look, she's already made such a decision, Hero A·Gedora, how do you feel now?"
Doro appeared in the room, walking toward Mohe.
Mohe smiled playfully: "Oh dear, this expression is scary~ My dear Hero, do you intend to do something excessive to her~"
She folded her arms, feigning a scared expression, yet still crossed her legs, clearly not afraid at all.
"Why agree to her?"
Mohe stopped her pretense, amused: "What else? What do you want me to say? My former subordinate betrayed me, sacrificed all her glory, knelt before me, even knowing she'd be insulted, mocked, even kicked and beaten, yet she still kneeled and pleaded for me to do this. Do you think I'm heartless? I can be moved. Would you have me refuse her?"
No, how could the Demon King possibly have such emotions...
Doro was about to question her, but he suddenly realized that the one sitting opposite with crossed legs wasn't the Demon King, but a girl named Mohe, even though she may one day become the Demon King again. If asked whether this girl is more inclined toward humans or toward the Demon Race—undoubtedly, her nature is closer to humans.
So, does she truly have such emotions?
"Rather than asking me, why not ask yourself, my dear Hero, seeing all this yet not stopping it? Is it because you can't bear to stop it? Or rather..."
Her lips curved into a teasing smile: "Are you secretly enjoying the situation?"
Secretly enjoying the situation? Who are you talking about? Me?
Doro froze; he never expected such adjectives to apply to him... yet...
"Once strength is restored, you can do many things. Further dealings with the Demon King make almost anything possible... You've thought about that, haven't you, Hero A·Gedora?"
Mohe stood, slowly approaching Doro, tiptoeing to brush her hand over his stubbled chin: "You know full well that if we join forces, the world is under our control, so why hesitate?"
Despite Mohe being a young girl, considerably shorter, now looking up at Doro, he profoundly feels—he is being looked down upon, being overseen by the Demon King.
She looks down on him, bestowing kindness as if granting favor.
"Think carefully, Hero, even at my last moment, when abandoned by all, I never felt as sorrowful as you. You should have long abandoned your trifling kindness and justice. When you truly stand with me at the pinnacle of the world, that's when you'll understand your true weight."
Her words hold no coercion, only immense gentleness: "You say the Saintess should be renamed 'Witch,' then the Witch will appear in this world; you say the former King of the central Human Empire is a foolish fellow, he'll immediately be dethroned, and someone you know better would be elevated—
Hero A·Gedora, you have great power but are insignificant to humans, and so you have fallen to this state, how tragic! Clearly, if you simply demonstrate your power and indeed let humans know you can destroy this world, Minstrels would write your legend."
Speaking here, Mohe's smile grew: "You know when you united to form an alliance to exterminate the Demon Race, swearing to kill me, how many races secretly pledged allegiance to me? Elves, Dwarves, Ocean Race, Sky Race, and even humans... someone handed me documents stating if I'd accept their allegiance, they would immediately betray your alliance."
"What..."
"But I refused them all." Mohe turned her body back. "I thought I could face everyone, yet did not expect to encounter someone like you; you truly defeated me. Destroyed my existence; it's quite interesting, Hero. Your alliance isn't as righteous as you think; you're united because of my refusal. You're already thirty-four, don't you see? So many have taught you the way."
"I..."
"You know." Mohe grasped Doro's hand. "So listen to me... Let us together take this world into our grasp."