SSS Demon King System: The Rise of a Dying Extra-Chapter 39: An Adorable Puppet.

Lloyd stepped into his room, completely drained.

The day had been intense. Apparently, the rest of the beastmen had taken the news that he was supposedly "the chosen one" way too well.

Way too well.

He’d been harassed in his previous life, sure, but he’d forgotten just how exhausting it was to be the center of attention.

Of course, none of the beastmen approached him with bad intentions.

Even the few who challenged him to duels did it out of admiration and respect.

Still, Lloyd wasn’t exactly a social butterfly.

He’d spent three years holed up with Sebastian and Lucía.

Apart from a handful of specific moments, he hadn’t really had to interact with anyone.

Not even in his past life had he ever been this much in demand.

Talking didn’t bother him; he could hold a conversation just fine... as long as he had a reason to bother.

If there was nothing in it for him, pointless small talk just grated on his nerves.

It was also true that he’d become more closed-off since arriving in this world.

Understandable.

The only person he’d naturally clicked with upon arrival was Lucía... who turned out to be an assassin.

The Lucía he’d met didn’t even exist anymore.

After catching her red-handed, Sebastian had used his incubus power to reshape her mind through dreams.

He wasn’t exactly an expert at it, though.

He managed to make her loyal and obedient, but he couldn’t completely erase that quirky personality of hers.

"Should I try socializing more? Maybe Sebastian’s right and I actually need friends..." Lloyd muttered.

He couldn’t help but let out a short, dry laugh at the thought.

Making friends wasn’t part of the plan. He knew that perfectly well.

He didn’t have good memories of that kind of bond from his previous life.

"Alright, enough. Time to sleep," the boy said.

His body wasn’t as sickly as before, but he still had the needs of a twelve-year-old.

In other words, getting at least eight hours of sleep was non-negotiable for his health.

Lloyd sighed as he unbuttoned his shirt.

He was about to change into pajamas and collapse into bed when a strange feeling crept over him... like someone was watching.

Was that crazy Lucía spying on him again?

Annoyed, he turned around only to meet the blank, expressionless stare of... who the hell was this?

"Who are you?" he asked, genuinely confused, though something about her felt oddly familiar. "Hello? Anyone home?"

He waved a hand in front of the girl’s eyes to see if she’d react.

She didn’t move. Not a word.

Lloyd sighed. Guess he’d have to use Envy’s Eye to figure this out...

"Oh, right. You’re that... filthy half-breed—no, that doesn’t fit anymore. You’ve gotta have a name, right?" he said, studying her with renewed interest.

It was the slave girl.

He hadn’t recognized her at first, but now that she was clean, she looked different—less skeletal.

"You’re not much of a talker, huh? Honestly, that’s perfect for me," he commented while sizing her up.

At a glance, it was hard to tell if she was even human.

Pale gray hair, matching gray eyes, and an expression so blank she could pass for an eerily lifelike doll.

But she was alive. Lloyd could see the faint rise and fall of her breathing, the occasional slow blink.

"It’s fine if you’re quiet, but if you don’t understand what I’m saying, that’s gonna be a problem... Do you understand me?"

No response.

He tried something else. "Nod for yes, shake your head for no." He demonstrated. "Got it?"

Finally, she nodded.

Lloyd let out a relieved breath, though he still wasn’t fully convinced.

"Let’s test it. Raise your left arm."

She glanced down at both arms, unsure which was left.

"Okay, never mind, just raise whichever one you want."

She did.

"Nice."

He kept testing her with simple gestures and movements.

"Haha, okay,now spin around while hopping on one foot," he said, grinning.

[+15 V.P.]

Lloyd’s smile froze.

Maybe he’d gone too far.

He couldn’t help it, though. It was genuinely funny.

"Gimme paw," he said, holding out his hand like he would for a dog.

She placed her hand in his.

"Good girl. Who’s a good girl? You are. Yes, you are!"

Right then she really did look like an especially obedient little puppy.

He reached toward her head, but she gave the tiniest flinch, just a reflex born from fear that she immediately tried to suppress.

Seeing that, Lloyd felt a small pang of guilt for how he’d been acting.

He knew her story. And still, he’d humiliated her.

His hand settled gently on her hair, stroking it softly.

The girl tilted her head ever so slightly, a movement so subtle it was almost invisible.

But Lloyd noticed.

Every reaction she gave was tiny, as though her body had learned that showing anything at all was dangerous.

He looked into those gray eyes.

Had they ever shown real emotion?

Maybe she hadn’t always been like this. Maybe she’d been forced not to feel.

She’d become a puppet.

"Wait..."

Lloyd’s eyes slowly widened as the realization hit.

Could it be...

That cold, distant heroine.

A marionette whose strings had been cut, leaving her without purpose.

Used by Baltazar Kaitos to slaughter her own family and attack the academy.

The most powerful heroine: Alice.

Lloyd’s smile stretched wider.

If this really was Alice, he’d just hit the jackpot.

He could hardly believe it.

It was almost too good to be true.

"I see..." His smile softened, and so did his gaze. "Alice. That’ll be your name. Sound good?"

A faint nod.

Lloyd felt genuinely happy, very happy.

Today had delivered far too many wins.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around Alice, stroking her hair slowly.

"Alright, Alice. From now on, you belong to me... but only if you want to."

He pulled back just enough to look into those completely emotionless eyes.

"If that’s what you want, you can walk away free right now. But if you accept being my puppet, I’ll take care of you. I won’t abandon you. Ever. Understood?"

Alice’s eyes opened just a fraction wider. She looked... surprised.

It was still a tiny reaction, but more than usual.

Lloyd knew then, there was a reason for her submission.

She was terrified of being alone.

Her mother had probably abused her since she was little.

When famine hit her village, the others joined in.

So Alice learned to bury every emotion until she became a puppet who forgot what she ever wanted.

In the novel, Alice only appeared sporadically to help the protagonists; she was basically a "plot tool."

That’s why Lloyd had assumed her behavior was just a convenient excuse to avoid stealing the spotlight, since she was way too strong.

But now he remembered something: when Alice saw Baltazar’s corpse, she spoke for the first time.

The word she said was "liar."

That tiny, seemingly unimportant detail suddenly became the key piece.

If this girl really was Alice, he would use the exact same tactic her father was meant to use: exploit her fear of abandonment, the delicate threads that still tied the puppet.

"So... what do you say? Will you accept?"

Already stepped back, he waited.

She looked straight into his eyes. After a few seconds, she nodded.

Lloyd couldn’t hold back his smile.

Another piece added to the board.

"Good girl," he said softly.

[Notice: «???» laughs with satisfaction at your cunning.]

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