Diary of Guarding Monster Girls-Chapter 517 - 315 Can I Refuse? (4.2K, First Update)_2

"Then what are you here to do?"

Finally getting to the real matter at hand, the Knight stopped in his tracks, turned to look at her, and said softly, "I am here to ask you a question, or rather, to give you an opportunity."

Teresa sensed the seriousness in him, unconsciously setting aside the distractions in her mind, tensing up as she watched him nervously.

"...Opportunity? What do you mean?"

She had a feeling she was about to hear a question beyond her imagination.

Sure enough, what Teresa heard next from him left her whole being shaken to the core.

"If you were given a chance to re-choose your life, what would you do?"

Teresa: !!?

What was he talking about?

"If you were given another chance, how would you choose?"

"Would you choose to live as an ordinary human? Continue to be that carefree and naive village girl?"

As the Knight’s words fell, Teresa felt a change in her body.

"My... my body!"

She looked down at her hands—not claws, but her rough little hands full of scars from labor.

No longer a hideous monster, she had become her once innocent and carefree self again.

After experiencing a nightmare-like ordeal, looking at these hands, Teresa felt a taut string in her mind finally loosen, a strong sense of relief.

But, alongside this relief, another sensation crept into her body.

"Ha, ha... my body? Why is it so heavy?" The girl exclaimed, struggling to breathe.

A strong sense of weakness merged with her body and mind, her legs feeling limp, and breathing becoming quite labored.

Then, Teresa heard the Knight’s second sentence.

"Or would you choose to abandon the frail mortal form, accept this bloodline others see as tainted, and relish in this power?"

In a daze, Teresa felt the change again.

Her vision gradually rose, her legs turning into a thick snake tail, her hair coming alive, emitting a creepy hiss.

She felt the strong, powerful heartbeat within her.

Unlike the weak human body before, she now possessed a startling power able to easily tear apart beasts!

"Am I now... hm?" As she spoke, the girl noticed something else.

In her current state, she seemed even more powerful than during her first transformation!

"Do you feel it? This strong power belonging to a non-human entity."

In the Knight’s soft laughter, before the girl could savor it further, the power faded, and she returned to her original form.

"..."

Teresa fell silent, finally understanding what the Knight’s "opportunity" meant—becoming human, or becoming a Demon.

What an absurd thing this was.

If someone else had told this to Teresa, she surely wouldn’t have believed, dismissing them as a fraud.

But the boy before her left no room for doubt in her heart.

A chance to start over?

This was a dream many yearned for.

In countless legends, only the power of the Divine could create such miracles.

She couldn’t help asking: "Sir, are you a deity?"

The boy paused at her words, then chuckled gently, shaking his head: "I am not a deity, but I can indeed offer you a chance to choose again."

Even facing his gentle gaze, Teresa was still a bit hesitant, anxiously asking: "Sir, can I choose? Do I really deserve such an opportunity?"

Teresa lacked confidence in herself, not believing she was special or worthy of such a chance.

She thought of herself as just an ordinary village girl, thinking do I truly deserve such a valuable opportunity?

But the Knight still smiled, reassuring her:

"Of course you can accept it."

"Not only you, everyone has the right to choose their own life path."

"No matter what others expect from you, what tasks they impose, what emotions they invest in you, none of this matters."

"Ultimately, your life is your own, and the path to walk is only yours to choose."

Teresa nodded, partially understanding.

"All right, don’t think too much about it."

The Knight stepped closer, facing Teresa, gently holding her other hand, saying warmly: "Make your choice."

"If you wish to fully become human, to leave all these troubles behind and live quietly, then squeeze your left hand."

"And if you want to fully become a demon, to dive into this chaotic, dangerous world, then squeeze your right hand."

"Rest assured, the power to choose is in your hands, no matter your choice, no one will blame you."

"But remember, you only have this one chance."

Teresa felt the warmth of the Knight’s palm, letting her heart sink into a daze.

"Give up, just seize this chance to give it all up." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

She felt worn out.

Being a slave, being abducted here, being hunted, killing... all of it left her extremely exhausted.

"Why not break free from this nightmare entirely, and peacefully be a village girl with no twists or turns awaiting."

Once the right to choose appeared, the fatigue buried in her heart surged like a tide.

It was like numerous hands pulling her consciousness down.

Yet, just as she was about to sink, Teresa abruptly opened her eyes.

"...No!"

This was impossible.

Just now, Teresa recalled much.

In truth, she didn’t leave the village of her own accord, but rather... fled after killing the villagers.

Though she was unconscious at the time, her body taken over by an unknown presence, and those people weren’t exactly on good terms with her... but they did die by her hand.

Necks twisted by these hands.

Bodies pierced by this tail.

Forms distorted, shaped into that dreadful effigy.

Why had she forgotten it all?

Her hands were already stained with others’ blood.

On her, the weight of others’ lives was already borne.

And...

"Mother."

This despised bloodline was her only connection to her mother.

Was she truly going to sever it?

Teresa had never seen her mother from a young age, not knowing how she looked.

Only during fleeting moments when speaking with her father did she realize she probably resembled her mother.

But Teresa felt her mother must have loved her.

In the wardrobe, there were dozens of outfits her mother had sewn by hand, from childhood to adulthood.

It was as if knowing she would be unable to watch her child grow, her mother had prepared these in advance, to accompany the child’s growth after her departure.

Her mother realized fate, and she tried to fight till the end.

Although she ultimately failed, she did resist.

Teresa fell silent for a long while, took a deep breath, and whispered in her heart: "Mother, please, grant me strength once more..."

She opened her eyes, looking at Herbert, gathering the courage to say: "Sir, I have made my decision."

"I can’t choose, I... don’t want to give up either side!"

She gritted her teeth, as if encouraging herself, loudly declared: "I am not purely a human, nor purely a demon."

"I am not a monster, I am just myself."

"A village girl dreaming innocent dreams, a hybrid caught between two bloodlines."

"Without either, I wouldn’t be the me I am now!"

After voicing her inner thoughts, Teresa felt the weight across her body lift, her whole being relaxing.

Yes, that was what she truly thought.

But soon, the bold Teresa realized her recklessness, timidly retreating, cautiously asking:

"Sir, uh, I meant... can I refuse?"

Was I refusing his goodwill? The Knight shouldn’t be mad, right?

Just when Teresa thought she had messed everything up, she heard laughter.

"...Haha."

Looking up, she saw the Knight boy watching her fondly, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Of course you can!"

"Moreover, it’s not ’unable to choose’... this is your choice."

"To accept yourself, whether it’s the weak human bloodline or the cursed divine bloodline, accept them all calmly."

"This is the path you’ve chosen."

"Teresa, walk it firmly."