Reincarnated as a Princess's Pet: With Trash Stats, but SSS-Rank Skill

Max and Moonlight walked through one of the castle corridors.

Moon hopped from tile to tile as they moved forward.

"Dad, where are we going now?"

Max shrugged.

"We’re going to find—"

He stopped.

A little further down the hallway, near one of the windows, there were two figures.

Elanor.

And Sophie.

Sophie had her head lowered.

Her shoulders were trembling.

Elanor had one hand resting gently on her back.

Moon lowered her voice.

"...Is she crying?"

Max sighed.

"Looks like it."

They walked closer.

Elanor looked up when she saw them.

"Max."

Sophie quickly wiped her eyes.

But it was too late.

Moon tilted her head.

"What happened to make you like this?"

Sophie clenched her fists.

Her voice came out shaky.

"I... knew..."

She took a deep breath.

"I knew Abby’s story."

Max frowned slightly.

Sophie continued, almost crying again.

"She told me a long time ago..."

She brought a hand to her face.

"And she asked me not to tell anyone."

Moon blinked.

"Not tell what?"

Sophie lowered her gaze.

"That she was a princess. Her real name."

Max crossed his arms.

"Abigail Morningstar?"

Sophie slowly nodded.

"Yes..."

Her voice cracked again.

"I knew her father would send her brother to find her someday. But I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone."

Her hands trembled.

"I’m such an idiot... If I had said something earlier, maybe..."

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Moon tilted her head.

"But..."

She looked at Max.

Then back at Sophie.

"Why didn’t Abby want people to know she was a princess?"

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"It must be super fun to be a princess!"

Sophie looked up.

She slowly shook her head.

"Abby didn’t want to be a princess. Especially not the princess of the Devil Kingdom."

Moon blinked.

"Huh?"

Sophie took a deep breath.

"Her father wanted to force her into marriage."

Elanor frowned.

"A political marriage?"

Sophie shook her head.

"Not exactly..."

She looked at Max and Moon.

"The devil they wanted her to marry usually has seven wives."

Moon tilted her head.

"...Seven?"

Sophie nodded.

"They call them ’the Seven Hells.’"

Her voice turned bitter.

"One woman for each day of the week."

Moon’s eyes widened.

"Seriously?"

Sophie clenched her fists.

"He treats them like servants. He beats them. Forces them to obey."

She paused.

"Except for the one day of the week when it’s their turn to rest."

Sophie lowered her gaze.

Her hands trembled slightly.

"And... recently..."

Her voice cracked again.

"Abby told me something else."

Elanor frowned.

"What?"

Sophie clenched her fists tighter.

"One of his wives died."

Moon tilted her head.

"...Died?"

Sophie slowly shook her head.

"No."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"That devil killed her."

Silence fell over the corridor.

Moon’s eyes widened.

"He killed her?"

Sophie nodded.

"That’s what Abby heard. She died from the torture he put her through."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"After that... he started looking for a new wife."

Her eyes filled with tears again.

"And when King Lucifero found out..."

She gritted her teeth.

"...he promised Abby to him."

Moon frowned.

"As a replacement?"

Sophie slowly nodded.

"Yes."

Tears rolled down her cheeks again.

"I don’t want Abby to go through what that poor woman went through..."

She covered her face.

"I don’t want her to end up the same way."

Elanor covered her mouth with both hands.

Max sighed.

"...Yeah."

Everyone looked at him.

"That guy."

He ran a hand through his hair.

"If it’s the one I’m thinking of..."

He frowned.

"His name is Dante."

Moon looked at him.

"You know him?"

Max nodded.

"He appears in a quest in the game. A noble from the Devil Kingdom."

He paused.

"Very dangerous. And very rich. Owns a lot of land."

Moon wrinkled her nose.

"He sounds awful."

Then she asked,

"But why would a king force his daughter to marry someone like that?"

Max answered without thinking too much.

"King Lucifero doesn’t care about his descendants."

He shrugged.

"He only cares about power. And money."

He paused.

"At least that’s how the game describes him."

Elanor lowered her gaze.

"No wonder Abby stayed away from her people..."

Sophie brought a hand to her face.

And finally broke down crying.

Tears began falling uncontrollably.

"She... showed me..."

Her voice trembled.

"The marks..."

Max frowned.

"What marks?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Sophie gritted her teeth.

"The scars."

Her voice came out broken.

"From when her father was teaching her to ’be a good wife.’"

The words seemed heavy on her tongue.

"He said she had to learn to fulfill her duty as a devil princess."

Silence fell over the corridor again.

Moon lowered her gaze.

After a few seconds, Max spoke.

"Then there’s something I don’t understand."

Sophie looked up.

"How did Azael find out Abby was living here?"

Sophie wiped her tears.

"I’m not completely sure..."

She looked down.

"But I think someone saw her."

Max tilted his head.

"Saw her?"

Sophie nodded.

"Some suitor. Or one of his companions."

She paused.

"In some parts of the city there are posters."

Max frowned.

"Posters?"

Sophie nodded.

"Wanted."

She took a deep breath.

"Princess of the Devil Kingdom."

Then she murmured,

"Abigail Morningstar."

Max sighed.

"Then someone must have recognized her, since they have her description."

Sophie nodded.

"They probably contacted her father."

She looked down again.

"That’s why Abby almost never went into the city."

Max stepped forward.

"Sophie."

She looked up.

Max spoke calmly.

"I hope you’re getting ready."

Sophie blinked.

"Getting ready?"

Max nodded.

"We’re counting on you to come with us to rescue her."

Moon raised a hand.

"Yeah!"

She smiled.

"We’re counting on you!"

Elanor sighed softly.

"I have to stay in the kingdom."

Then she added,

"But whatever you need, I’ll help."

She looked at Max.

"Besides... my father ordered Neros to accompany you."

Sophie smiled.

"Then there’s no way this can go wrong!"

The cat girl wiped her tears with her sleeve.

She took a deep breath.

And nodded firmly.

"Of course I’m going."

Her eyes were still red.

But now they shone with determination.

"I’m bringing my best friend back."