Draku stared at the little girl who was beckoning him with her finger, his legs going weak.
He wanted to run, but his legs felt like lead, immovable.
His trusted aides had long since shrunk back into the corner, wishing they could squeeze themselves into the cracks in the wall.
“I… I…”
Draku’s lips trembled, unable to form a complete word.
Lilia had no patience to wait.
She raised her hand and made a grabbing motion in Draku’s direction through the air.
A tremendous force pulled at him, and Draku’s body was lifted off the ground.
He was dragged by an invisible leash, “flying” all the way from the hall full of groaning men to land at her feet.
Thud.
He crashed onto the floor beside Lilia’s feet.
“Now we can have a proper talk, meow.”
Lilia looked down at him, her small figure casting a huge shadow.
Draku lay sprawled on the ground, his bones feeling like they were about to fall apart.
He lifted his head and met those heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one blue.
Fear completely overwhelmed him.
“My lord… Lady Lilia… spare me! Have mercy!”
He forgot all about his dignity as a viscount, kowtowing on the floor, his forehead hitting the ground with loud thumps.
“I was wrong! I was truly wrong! I shouldn’t have colluded with Duke Varian! I shouldn’t have coveted the magic plant garden!”
He confessed everything, only begging to be spared.
Lilia crouched down, reached out a finger, and poked his plump back.
“If only you had been this obedient from the start, meow.”
She stood up, no longer paying attention to this waste of space.
She turned to look at the mountain-like figure.
“Commander Gromm.”
“Your servant is here!”
Gromm took a step forward, going down on one knee, his voice booming.
The look in his eyes when he gazed at Lilia had shifted from doubt to complete reverence.
This lady might look young, but her methods… were terrifying.
“Turn this place upside down.”
Lilia waved her small hand, pointing at the luxurious main building behind Draku.
“Don’t leave a single valuable item behind! Understood? Meow?”
“As you command!”
Gromm stood up, hefted his warhammer, turned, and roared.
“First Assault Team! With me! Confiscate everything!”
“Roar!”
The city guard soldiers behind him let out a unified roar, charging into the main building like wolves and tigers.
Soon, sounds of smashing, looting, and plundering came from the main building, mixed with the screams of women and the wails of servants.
Draku lay on the ground, listening to the sounds coming from his own home, his heart turning to ash.
It’s over.
All over.
Lilia walked up to him and nudged his face with the tip of her shoe.
“Stop playing dead. Where’s your secret vault? Meow?”
Draku’s body trembled, and he jerked his head up, his face full of terror.
She… how could she know about the vault?!
That was his biggest secret!
“I… I don’t know… I don’t have any vault…”
He was still making a last-ditch struggle.
Lilia pouted, took out that dossier from her bosom, and waved it in front of him.
“One hundred meters underground. Obsidian Gate. Three alchemical combination locks. Also requires your bloodline verification.”
With each line she recited, Draku’s face grew paler.
“Should I read the combinations out loud for you? Meow?”
Draku was utterly despondent.
He lay collapsed on the ground, motionless.
Lilia ignored him, turning to Lilith.
“Sister Lilith, lead the way, meow.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Lilith gave a slight bow and led Lilia around the hall toward the study.
On the innermost wall of the study hung a huge oil painting depicting one of Draku’s ancestors.
Lilith walked up to the painting, reached out, and pressed the ancestor’s nose three times.
Rumble—
The wall split open from the middle, revealing a dark, downward-leading staircase.
Lilia’s eyes lit up, and she was the first to rush in.
At the end of the staircase was a heavy Obsidian Gate.
“Miss, please step back.”
Lilith walked up to the door, extended her hand, and a complex purple rune glowed in her palm.
She placed her hand on the door.
The rune brightened, spreading along the door’s seams.
Click, click.
Sounds of mechanisms turning came from within the door.
The three alchemical locks opened in response.
“The final one requires his bloodline.”
Lilith looked at Draku on the floor.
By now, Gromm had already dragged Draku over like a dead dog.
“My lady, the man is here.”
Lilith drew a small silver knife from her waist.
She walked up to Draku, grabbed his hand, and made a light cut on his fingertip.
A drop of blood welled up.
Lilith caught the drop of blood on the tip of the knife, walked back to the door, and let it drip into a small indentation.
Hum—
The entire Obsidian Gate lit up with a blood-red glow, then slowly slid open to both sides.
Behind the door, a blinding golden light made Lilia instinctively squint.
When her eyes adjusted and she could see the scene inside clearly, her mouth slowly formed an ‘O’ shape.
Gold coins were piled into a little mountain.
Magestones and various jewels were scattered atop the coin piles, reflecting dazzling, multicolored light.
The walls were hung with magic scrolls and precious works of art.
In the corner were piled several crates of obviously valuable magical materials.
Gromm stood at the entrance, swallowing hard.
A mere viscount had embezzled this much!
“All confiscated for the crown, meow.”
Lilia’s voice was very calm.
She walked into the vault, bent down, scooped up a handful of gold coins, looked at them, and casually tossed them back.
Then she turned to look at Gromm.
“Commander Gromm.”
“Your servant is here!”
“Empty this place out. Don’t leave even a single scrap of paper behind, meow.”
“As you command!”
Gromm roared, leading his men in starting the bustling “relocation” work.
Crates, sacks, every container that could hold things was used to pack this ill-gotten wealth.
Lilia walked back and forth in the vault, her hands clasped behind her back.
She picked up a gemstone necklace, hefting it in her hand.
“This one’s not bad. I’ll keep it, meow.”
She then picked up a diamond-encrusted staff, using it as a walking stick to play with.
“Hmm… this one is also passable. It barely matches this one’s temperament, meow.”
She picked and chose, stuffing all the most valuable and beautiful items into the spatial storage bag Lilith had prepared earlier.
An hour later.
The entire vault was cleaned out, completely empty.
Lilia looked at the empty room with satisfaction, clapping her little hands together.
She walked over to Draku, who now looked ashen-faced.
She took a gold coin from her bosom and flicked it onto his face.
“Viscount Draku, thank you for your generosity, meow.”
She imitated the tone of those nobles.
“This lord shall temporarily hold onto these assets of yours on His Majesty’s behalf.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she paid no more attention to this broken man.
She turned and led the large contingent out of Viscount Draku’s estate in a grand procession.
All that remained was a thoroughly plundered manor and a mess of feathers.
—
Lilia sat in the magic-powered carriage returning to the Imperial Envoy’s residence.
Holding a food box filled with specially made dried fish in her arms, she ate while making plans.
The chicken, Draku, had been slaughtered.
Next, it was time for those monkeys.
Especially the biggest monkey of them all—Duke Varian.
She licked the fish oil from the corner of her mouth, her heterochromatic eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Sister Lilith.”
She turned her head to look at the Head Maid beside her.
“What do you think we should do next? Meow?”