“SLAP!!!”
A crisp sound echoed, and all noise in the great hall ceased.
The music stopped.
The chatter died.
Everything was wiped clean by that one slap.
Duke Varian clutched his rapidly swelling cheek.
His head was buzzing, his mind blank.
He had been hit.
He, the dignified Duke of the Demon Capital, in front of hundreds of nobles.
By a little girl who didn’t even reach his knee.
Had been slapped squarely across the face.
The surrounding nobles all stood frozen in shock.
Mouths agape, they forgot to lower their wine glasses.
Lilia was still leaning on the table.
She slowly raised her face, her heterochromatic eyes bright and clear, not a hint of drunkenness in them.
She shook her head, stared at Varian’s fat face now bearing a clear handprint, and suddenly laughed.
“Hahaha… It’s soft! Meow!”
She raised the small hand that had just struck him, excitedly exclaiming:
“The face is soft! So fun! Want to do it again! Meow!”
As she spoke, her small hand rose again.
She aimed to plant another one on Varian’s other cheek.
“—Ah!”
Varian let out a strange cry, scrambling backward violently.
His rear slammed into a food cart, sending silver and gold platters mixed with dishes.
Crash!
They shattered across the floor in a pitiful mess.
“M-My Lord… You… You’re drunk,” he stammered, clutching his face.
“I’m not drunk! Meow!”
Provoked by his words, Lilia let out a “Wah!” and slid off her chair.
Her body swayed unsteadily, nearly falling over, as she extended a finger to point randomly into the air.
“You… You all bully me! Meow!”
Her childish voice carried a sob.
“Gave me poison… and tried to trick me into pressing my fingerprint… You’re all bad people! Meow!”
The moment her words fell, Varian’s face turned deathly pale.
Every noble present held their breath.
She knew?!
Impossible!
Those alchemical poisons could even fool a Fifth-Rank Monarch!
She must be drunk and talking nonsense!
Yes!
It must be nonsense!
Cold sweat poured down Varian’s back as he tried to explain, but Lilia had already lost interest in him.
She stumbled and lunged toward the crowd.
Her first target was the tall, thin noble who had been glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
“You!”
Lilia rushed up to him, her little face scrunched up.
She pointed at the hat on his head adorned with three feathers.
“Hat! Ugly! Take it off for this cat to use as a ball! Meow!”
The noble’s expression changed, and he instinctively moved to protect his hat.
But the moment he raised his arm, he felt a chill run through his entire body.
He looked back and saw the silent Head Maid, Lilith.
The noble shuddered, his raised arm freezing mid-air, not daring to move.
He could only watch helplessly as Lilia jumped up.
She grabbed his hat, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it several times.
After trampling the hat, Lilia charged toward a burly, bearded demon nearby.
“And you!”
She ran up to the demon, stood on her tiptoes.
And reached out to grab the large, braided beard on his chest.
“Beard! Fluffy! Tear it off! For this cat’s tail to use as a brush! Meow!”
“Oww—!”
The bearded demon let out a terrified scream, scrambling away on all fours.
The entire banquet hall descended into complete chaos.
Lilia had fully unleashed herself, frolicking wildly around the room.
One moment she was mussing up a noblewoman’s hairdo into a bird’s nest.
The next, she was prying a gemstone from another noble’s belt to use as a marble.
No one dared to stop her.
No one dared to move.
Everyone understood now—this little ancestor was a madwoman!
And behind her stood a Fifth-Rank Monarch!
Whoever dared to touch her would probably find their entire family hanging from the city walls tomorrow!
As Lilia rampaged.
She swiftly scanned the face of every person present.
Memorizing all their reactions.
Who was afraid, who was watching the show.
Who was still secretly exchanging glances with Varian.
The little notebook in her mind recorded everything clearly.
“Burp~”
Lilia seemed to have tired herself out.
She let out a drunken burp, plopped down onto the carpet.
Her head tilted to the side, and she fell straight backward.
Just as she was about to hit the floor.
Lilith, who had appeared behind her at some unknown moment, caught her steadily.
Lilia nuzzled into her embrace, mumbling incoherently.
“Dried fish… mine… Meow…”
Lilith held her, glanced at the mess on the floor.
And at the nobles with livid faces.
Her voice held not a shred of warmth.
“Miss… is drunk.”
She gave a slight bow.
“Tonight, thank you all for your hospitality.”
With that, she turned and left, carrying the “unconscious” Lilia, not looking back.
The tall hall doors swung open for her, leaving behind a group of nobles standing amidst the wreckage, both furious and terrified.
…
Back at the imperial envoy’s residence.
The door creaked shut.
Lilia, in Lilith’s arms, suddenly opened her eyes.
Her heterochromatic eyes were frighteningly clear, not a trace of drunkenness remained.
“Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!”
She jumped down from Lilith’s arms.
Standing firmly, she spat several times into the air.
“It stinks! The perfume on those old bastards smells worse than corpse rot! Meow!”
She complained while vigorously rubbing her own cheeks.
Lilith watched her lively state without a word.
“Miss, your performance tonight was excellent.”
“Of course!”
Lilia’s little tail lifted proudly, and she placed her hands on her hips.
“Just look at who this cat is! Acting, I’m a professional! Meow!”
The pride on her face soon faded.
Her little face turned serious again.
“Just causing a scene isn’t enough. That old fox Varian isn’t afraid of me making a fuss.”
“The more I act like a brainless pet, the more at ease he feels.”
Lilia clenched her small fist.
“We must kill a chicken to show the monkeys! Meow!”
She looked up at Lilith.
“Sister Lilith, find someone for me!”
Lilith bowed slightly:
“You mean Duke Varian?”
“No.”
Lilia shook her head.
“I want the person at tonight’s banquet who looked at me with the most contempt, whose mouth was twisted the most, and…”
She paused, speaking each word clearly:
“…the one with the biggest problems in the account books! Dig out everything about him, all eighteen generations of his ancestors! Meow!”
She thought Lilith would need time to investigate.
However, Lilith merely listened quietly.
Then, she turned and walked to a corner of the room.
From her personal spatial storage pouch.
She retrieved a thick dossier and respectfully presented it to Lilia.
Lilia was stunned.
She took the dossier, opened it, and her pupils constricted sharply.
On the cover of the dossier was written a name—Viscount Dracul.
It was that bearded, short, and stout demon she had threatened to pluck for a brush!
She remembered his contemptuous expression in the crowd most clearly tonight!
Lilia snapped her head up to look at Lilith.
Lilith’s voice was flat.
“Before you spoke, Her Majesty had already foreseen your choice.”
She pointed at the dossier.
“Viscount Dracul, third-class nobility, primarily engaged in magic crystal smuggling.”
“This is the layout of his estate, the location of his secret vault, and… copies of all his shady account books.”