Saint Anso City—the Holy Maiden has been “fallen” here for about a month and a half.
Via didn’t impose extra restrictions on Cecilia.
Ever since coming out of that Dark Elf Lord’s garden, Via seemed to trust her more and more.
Originally, the Demon Lord would have restricted Cecilia from wandering freely on the streets, but now, Cecilia was able to move about freely within Saint Anso City.
This city, once a holy city of humans, gave her a strange feeling as she toured it now.
As time passed, the demons in the city had grown accustomed to this Holy Maiden.
Now, seeing Cecilia walk alone on the streets no longer caused any surprise.
Today, the Holy Maiden carried two neatly packaged bags in her hands.
Her golden hair shone brilliantly under the sunlight.
She pushed open the Demon Lord’s mansion gate, walked straight through the hall, and arrived at Via’s office door.
Inside the bags were bread she had just bought, from the famous old John’s bakery originally well-known in the holy city.
Old John had long since stopped baking, and now the bakery’s owner was Young John.
Since the demons had taken over Saint Anso City, Young John, unwilling to abandon his family’s old shop, chose to stay in the city and keep baking.
Cecilia had come here before to taste their bread when she made her annual official visits to the city.
But now, coming as a “traitor” who had defected to the demons, even the bakery’s owner felt a bit awkward.
She raised her hand to knock on the office door but was interrupted by Via’s angry shouting:
“This is an order! The Blood Demons’ assault is an order! How dare you defy my command!?”
“Demon Lord, we cannot stand by and let our people die for nothing…”
“Cowards! Traitors! Good-for-nothings!”
“Lady Via, you’re going too far…”
“These Blood Demon nobles are garbage among the demons, with no sense of honor! You call yourselves nobles only because your bloodline is purer, but all your pure blood has taught you is how to hold a knife and fork! For years, the Blood Demon army has only hindered my operations; you’ve been holding me back. I should have purged all cowards years ago and fed them to the Holy Maiden!”
…What was going on?
This was the first time Cecilia had seen Via act so hysterical.
The sound of a cup shattering rang out—obviously, the Demon Lord had smashed her cup in a fit of rage.
No one inside said a word.
Apparently, none dared to contradict their furious leader.
“…Anyway, that’s the disastrous situation at the front. The Blood Demons caused trouble. Don’t expect me to take the blame for you before the Demon King. This isn’t the first time. If our external wars continue with mutual suspicion and passive compliance, everything will end.”
“Think about it yourselves. Now get out.”
The office door opened, and several Blood Demons dressed in noble attire walked out with pale faces.
Other demons also left one after another.
Everyone’s expressions were sour—it was clear that after being scolded by their superior, no one was in a good mood.
When they saw Cecilia, all their faces turned awkward, and without greeting her, they brushed past.
“Is that Cecilia? Come in.”
Via’s voice had clearly softened, sounding somewhat weary.
“It’s me…”
Cecilia hesitated for a moment, looking at Via half-slumped in her chair.
“But I’m not one to eat just anything. You can’t feed me some random junk.”
The succubus’s cold, distant face revealed a slight smile: “I’m joking. Even if I fed you, you wouldn’t be able to finish it.”
“What do you take me for, a dog that cleans up your leftovers!? And I even brought you lunch.”
Cecilia lifted her golden hair and placed the bread from her bag in front of Via.
“Wow, it smells really good. Freshly baked bread is definitely different.”
At this moment, the succubus tied up her long ash-gray hair, instantly transforming from a petite girl-next-door into a neat and capable “career woman.”
She carefully held a croissant, took a small bite, and showed a satisfied expression.
“So, what exactly happened to make you so angry?”
“The situation at the front—some of the Blood Demons in my army disobeyed my orders, launched attacks not according to my designated directions, and even deliberately delayed. They could have captured that fortress easily if they’d followed the plan, but they were so passive that of course I couldn’t show them any kindness.”
Via said this.
Among the demons, Via was a rather unique figure.
While most demons recognized the authority of this Demon Lord, a few particularly proud demons did not.
The Blood Demons were a typical example—they were naturally arrogant by nature, and with the Demon King now being the Blood Demon Lord, their arrogance knew no bounds.
“This time, not only did they disobey, but their reports to me were evasive, emphasizing how strong the enemy was and how dire their own situation was—ha, as if I didn’t know! I know exactly what kind of defenses they’re up against!”
Via’s anger flared as she spoke, and she abruptly stopped herself.
“But, senior, won’t they complain to the Demon King?”
The Blood Demon Lord was the Demon King himself—in other words, the supreme ruler of the demons.
Via had been excessively harsh and insulting to the Blood Demons, and if that reached the Demon King, it wouldn’t end well.
“Let them complain. If they have the guts, let the Demon King come find me and see who owes whom,” Via said mercilessly.
She hadn’t feared the Demon King before, and still didn’t.
“Besides, I’m waiting for that guy to come find me.”
“Why?”
“The Blood Demons’ arrogance toward me isn’t new. It’s been going on for a long time. It’s about time someone came and settled this problem once and for all.
“Cecilia, sometimes when the temporary subordinates someone else hands you refuse to obey, don’t bother lecturing the rank-and-file. Go straight to their direct superior—do they want to keep getting results? Can they cooperate properly? If yes, then manage your own people.”
She—the demon who least indulged the Demon King among all demons—when had she ever been afraid of that damn Demon King?
The worst result would be death or being turned into some strange communal utility for the demons.
She wasn’t willing to obediently become a dog under the Demon King for that.