“Such an impertinence. Isn’t this the Saintess of humanity herself?”
The Succubus’s furrowed brows instantly smoothed out, her slender eyes shimmering with a coquettish expression.
“You’re truly adorable, just like a beautiful doll.”
So she really is a Succubus.
Looking at the young woman before her, naturally exuding that aura, Furnicia felt even more certain of her previous guess.
She remained silent, choosing not to respond to the Succubus’s seemingly teasing words.
After offering a faint, polite smile to the Succubus, Furnicia intended to carry her tray back to her room.
But before she could return, the Succubus’s sweet and syrupy voice, as if luring her, reached her ears again.
“Saintess, would you like to do something fun with me?” The Succubus licked her lower lip with her tongue, the smile between her brows growing even more intense.
She raised her right hand, her five long, delicate fingers lightly and orderly flicking back and forth.
“My nails were just done yesterday.”
“Sorry.”
Furnicia offered a brief and perfunctory apology to brush off the Succubus and then entered her room, gently closing the door behind her.
Nails?
Furnicia’s eyes revealed a hint of confusion at the latter part of the Succubus’s words.
After pondering for a moment without grasping the hidden meaning, she boredly abandoned the thought.
Inside the room was a small table and chair set meant for resting. Furnicia placed the tray there and sat down, preparing to eat breakfast.
However……
Putting aside that Succubus, she seemed to remember that the adjacent room belonged to Demon Lord Dalinan.
Why then had the Succubus come out from Dalinan’s room, and with such a strange expression at that?
After a moment of dull contemplation, Furnicia dismissed these thoughts from her mind.
Her gaze lowered to the bowl of soup on the tray.
Staring into the clear broth, Furnicia’s delicate face showed a dry, helpless smile.
She picked up the spoon and took a small sip of the soup.
“As expected, it’s bland……”
“Is this borscht?”
From this watery broth, she could vaguely taste the faintly sour flavor of tomato.
After two sips, Furnicia reached for the black bread from another bowl.
A dry, hard texture transferred from her fingertips, filling her with a sense of foreboding.
She bit the bread lightly with her canine teeth, then rubbed her aching cheek with her right hand, all the while staring at the piece of black bread that was as hard as a stone in her palm.
With a helpless sigh escaping her lips, a faint melancholy surfaced in Furnicia’s eyes.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that the Demon Race’s attitude towards her was growing increasingly harsh….
***
Outside, the chirping of birds drifted in.
Through the slightly open balcony door, Furnicia quietly watched the large tree outside.
The crimson dawn sunlight filtered through the branches, as if celebrating the arrival of summer, and the lush leaves swayed gently in the breeze.
A few unidentified birds chased each other on the glossy branches.
After watching for a while without realizing it, Furnicia snapped back to reality as the clock’s hands inside the room slowly pointed to seven o’clock.
She tidied up the suitcase beside the bed and carried it as she opened the door.
The Military Escort would depart promptly at eight, so she usually sat quietly inside the carriage at seven to avoid causing trouble for the Demons.
Walking along the corridor shining as if bathed in cold water, she proceeded to the staircase.
As Furnicia carefully stepped down the stairs, a rather familiar middle-aged male voice suddenly reached her ears.
The deep, slightly hoarse tone made Furnicia’s beautifully shaped brows knit slightly.
“Where is Lady Dalinan?”
The man’s voice was quite loud, echoing throughout the Governor’s Mansion of the Theocracy, and carried a clear sense of urgency.
Following the voice to its source, she saw a man standing in the center of the spacious hall—the notorious Mas Beardsley.
This man, the so-called “benefactor” who introduced the Demon Race, was naturally beyond punishment.
With Demon Lord Dalinan’s assistance, the Theocracy’s ruling system had been thoroughly purged.
The Pro-Old Faction, those opposing the Demon proposal, had been mostly removed from important positions, while the Factions Supporting the Demons were promoted.
The Pope’s power was also significantly diminished.
The actual holder of power in the Theocracy of Saint Margaret was this very man before her.
However……
Even so, Minister Mas’s governance must be difficult.
Because of what he had done, many nobles within the Theocracy were deeply dissatisfied with him.
Though Furnicia paid little attention to politics, she knew enough to understand that the nobility was increasingly challenging him.
Once the Demon Lord Army fully withdrew from the Theocracy’s territory, this dispute would be forced into the open.
“Ugh……”
Watching Minister Mas anxiously shouting in the hall, Furnicia quietly took a step back.
She really did not want to meet this man and planned to retreat back to her room.
Come to think of it, shouldn’t this man be in Saint Capital Fafniya right now? Why had he suddenly appeared in Alani, a border military town?
“Oh my! Isn’t this Lady Furnicia?”
Damn it…
Just as she turned to leave, Minister Mas’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
He strode hurriedly toward her, the flesh on his face jiggling with his brisk steps.
Seeing the man blocking her way, Furnicia’s expression turned awkward, and her right hand unconsciously tugged at her left as anxiety welled inside her.
She lowered her head in silence.
Minister Mas’s gaze was brazen, revealing his ugly desire with no attempt to hide it.
“My Lady Furnicia grows more radiant by the day.”
Saying this, Minister Mas bent down and reached out his hand toward her.
Noticing that he wanted to take her hand for a hand-kiss, Furnicia instinctively hid both hands behind her back out of strong discomfort.
However, she immediately realized that such a rash act would only displease Mas.
If this had been before, she wouldn’t care about his displeasure. But now Mas was the actual power holder in the Theocracy.
Offending him outright would bring no benefit to herself.
With this in mind, Furnicia lifted the hems of her skirt and returned a proper courtesy to Minister Mas.
“Good morning, Lord Beardsley.”
“My Lady Furnicia, I will surely have you.”
The madness still burned fiercely in Mas’s eyes.
This man had not given up yet……….
Seeing this, a deep sense of helplessness welled in Furnicia’s heart.
It seemed that Mas Beardsley had once bargained his ownership with Demon Lord Dalinan.
However……
Demon Lord Dalinan had clearly gone back on the deal.
She hadn’t fulfilled the agreement after the war ended, which naturally angered Mas, who had demanded multiple times for her to honor the bargain.
But anger meant nothing to Demon Lord Dalinan.