Chapter 299

After dinner, the night grew deep.

Yige stood before the door of the manor's main building to bid farewell to Luo Yan and Mia. Before he could even finish his sentence, he grabbed his suitcase and hurried away with a flushed face, terrified of staying here a second longer.

This guy was still the same as ever, always exceptionally polite; compared to those "orthodox demons" like Vivian, he was simply at the opposite extreme.

"You are welcome to visit often... Also, give my regards to your father." Watching Yige climb into the carriage, Lady Serina waved with a smile.

Hearing Lady Serina's voice, Yige almost missed his step and fell, but fortunately, his suitcase had already been stowed away, so he didn't make a fool of himself.

The smile on Lady Serina's face grew even brighter, a hint of imperceptible pleasure hanging at the corners of her mouth.

Luo Yan glanced sideways, slightly surprised.

You couldn't tell.

This Lady Padrich, who always appeared dignified, virtuous, and elegant in front of outsiders, actually had an unknown, dark side.

Of course—

It might also be that Yige's temperament was just too unique.

If Mia was a "highly aggressive" carnivore, then this guy probably belonged to the "always seducing others into bullying him" labyrinth-type Shi Laimu... although he himself had no awareness of it whatsoever.

Thinking that this guy had actually managed to stay at the front lines for a full year and return safe and sound, Luo Yan couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for him.

"Alright, the nuisance—*cough*, I mean, dear Mr. Aiside Yige has left, let's go back." Lady Serina turned around with a smile, gently placed her hands on the shoulders of Luo Yan and Mia, and led them toward the side porch with irresistible strength. "Come on, little cuties, Mommy will take you back to your rooms."

What the hell is Aiside...

Is Yige his surname?

Come to think of it, Luo Yan and Yige had known each other for quite a while, yet he had never asked for his surname, and Yige had never brought it up himself.

Considering that the other party might be an illegitimate child like himself, making it inconvenient to reveal his surname to outsiders, Luo Yan hadn't pressed for details.

However, in the time it took Luo Yan to be stunned, he discovered that he had already moved from the front hall of the manor's main building to the second floor... and he didn't even have the memory of lifting his legs to walk.

What kind of magic is this?

Could it be a Domain?!

That can't be, right?!

"Lady Padrich, is this... the direction to the reception room?" Watching a demon maid pass by with her head buried, Luo Yan didn't have time to organize his words and spoke in a panic.

Based on his knowledge of the hellish upper-class society, the second or third floor of a manor's main building was usually the master's bedroom, while guests were typically housed in the annex; even those of noble status were usually arranged in the corridors of the second-floor wings.

In short—

This was not a place he should be.

"What 'Lady Padrich', that's too distant! Why don't you call me what Mia calls me—"

"MOM!!! What are you doing?! Stop, stop it right now!"

Before Luo Yan could react, Mia, who was beside him, let out a wail that was almost a scream.

A scorching red heat climbed from her cheeks all the way to her earlobes.

From her trembling lips and eyelashes, Luo Yan could clearly see her surprise and confusion, as well as the panic of not knowing what to do.

In the blink of an eye, the three of them had arrived before an exquisite peach-wood door.

The door was inlaid with pink-gold reliefs, surrounded by two little demons holding tridents. The wicked grins stretching to their ears didn't feel eerie or terrifying in the slightest; instead, they were somewhat wickedly charming.

Mia's name was carved next to the relief—

Without a doubt, this was someone's boudoir.

Luo Yan could be certain that Lady Serina must have used some means related to transcendent power; otherwise, they definitely wouldn't have crossed a distance of over a hundred meters without feeling a single push of momentum.

At this very moment, he finally realized how helpless a mortal was in front of a High-Tier Succubus—there really wasn't a single chance to resist.

And at the same time, he finally understood why Yige had slipped away so quickly.

That was the intuition of a "veteran" who had been tempered at the front lines for a whole year—

I was careless!

"We're here!"

Lady Serina clapped her hands, mission accomplished, and then, ignoring Mia's desperate attempts to stop her, smiled and grasped the doorknob to push the door open.

"I've already tidied up the room for you both, don't be shy—*cough*! I mean, please treat this place as your own home."

This lady had probably misunderstood the meaning of staying the night, or perhaps that was what staying the night meant in the world of succubi...

But regardless, to avoid future awkwardness, Luo Yan felt he should be more mature and take the initiative to clarify things.

However, just as he had finally composed his words and was about to clear his throat to speak, the scene that met his eyes left him frozen on the spot.

It was a wall covered in magical photos.

Among them were group graduation photos from the Demon King Academy, photos in the classroom, and others in the cafeteria or library... but that wasn't the point.

The point was—

"You're finally back, my dear. I've been waiting for you for so long."

In the photo frame, the "paper-cut Luo Yan" wearing the academy uniform wore a heartwarming smile, speaking words that Luo Yan had never said and never would say.

And this wasn't even the cheesiest part—

"Why are you back so late?"

"Oh ho... it seems a punishment is in order."

Watching the "himself" in the photo frame looking at him with an evil, charming expression, Luo Yan fell into a long silence, his shoe soles making a faint creaking sound.

Mia's knees went weak, and like a doll with its soul drained, she collapsed onto the floor with vacant eyes, seemingly accepting the punishment of fate—

"... It's over."

She muttered increasingly incomprehensible words, her eyes fixed on a non-existent crack in the floor. Behind her hollow expression, two soft, "hehe" sounds of giving up on life occasionally drifted out, making the only human present feel a chill down his spine.

Meanwhile, the culprit to the side had no self-awareness, that gentle and dignified face revealing a devilishly innocent smile.

"Ah... I'm sorry, Mia, Mommy forgot to help you put these away. It's truly strange; these photos were perfectly fine during the day."

Lady Serina looked at her daughter apologetically, as if she were truly apologizing, although the cunning hidden in the corner of her mouth betrayed her true inner thoughts.

Luo Yan would never believe that a dignified Diamond or even Amethyst-Tier powerhouse couldn't see the trickery in magical photos?

Who are you kidding—pfft, you're lying to people!

This person is definitely doing it on purpose!

Lady Serina turned to Luo Yan, offering him an apologetic look, like a mother apologizing for a mischievous child.

"I am truly sorry, Mr. Luo Yan... Please believe that my daughter has no ill intentions; she just... just made a mistake that any child of the Padrich family would make."

As Serina said this, she winked at Luo Yan, signaling him to hurry up and comfort her daughter... as if this were a heaven-sent opportunity.

No—

Wouldn't comforting her at this time only make the person being comforted feel awkward?!

Luo Yan could probably understand this feeling.

It was like forgetting to delete your browser history, only for a relative's child to find something they shouldn't have, while the computer happened to be connected to the living room's Bluetooth.

Of course.

Understand as he might, he still found it emotionally difficult to accept these cheesy, bubbling words coming out of "his own" mouth.

That's not how you talk smooth at all!

Just as he was pondering how to end this, a mature and steady voice arrived like a savior, coming from the side of the corridor.

"You're acting up again, Serina."

Luo Yan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged gentleman in dark ink-colored clothing walking slowly toward them.

That was the head of the Padrich family—Mr. Festin Padrich.

Seeing her husband, Lady Serina stuck out her tongue like a little girl caught in the act of doing something wrong, looking to the side with a guilty conscience.

Watching Serina pretend that nothing had happened, Festin sighed with a headache, then looked at his daughter slumped on the floor, and finally, his gaze landed on the wall in the room.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and then he cast an apologetic look at Luo Yan, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Please forgive us, Mr. Luo Yan, this... I will handle it later."

Clearly, even with Mr. Festin's extensive experience, this was his first time encountering such an awkward scene, to the point where he didn't even know from which angle to start his apology.

"It's alright, I... don't mind."

Luo Yan didn't make things difficult for him, taking the initiative to offer everyone a way out, and then looked at Lady Serina, reminding her with a touch of tact.

"However... I still hope you will pay a little more attention to Mia's privacy. I don't actually care what my photos are used for or where they are hung, but... it's better not to let me know about these things, don't you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mia, slumped on the floor, felt her shoulders shake violently, as if the previous injury had just been dealt another critical hit.

Although Luo Yan had no intention of hurting her, he was actually speaking up for her.

"Alright, alright, I know I was wrong... Can you forgive me? My dear, Mommy was just worried about you being played in the palm of a human's hand... Wuwuwu, I'm sorry! I won't dare do it again next time... okay?" Serina seemed to truly realize she was wrong, crouching down to hug Mia's shoulders, coaxing her like a small child.

But it was clear that Mia's soul hadn't returned so quickly, and she just let Lady Serina hold her in her arms, swaying her back and forth.

The photos on the wall were still repeating their cheesy lines...

Festin pressed his brow with a headache, flicking a wisp of black energy from his index finger to freeze the chattering "Luo Yans" in the photos, just like pressing the pause button on a looping short video.

Then, he looked at Luo Yan sincerely and continued.

"I have already had the servants prepare a room for you in the annex... It is quieter there; I will take you there now."

Luo Yan had never seen such an exhausted expression on Mr. Festin's face, nor the plea hidden behind his usual composure.

All along, this Grandmaster-level Shadow Demon had left him with the impression of being very high-class, but now it had all been shattered by his wife.

However, it could be considered a "blessing in disguise"; he felt that his relationship with the Padrich family seemed to have drawn much closer, and for both sides at that.

If this was something Lady Padrich had done intentionally, then this woman was probably even more unfathomable than he had imagined...

It was just that for Mia, the "price" might have been a bit too heavy.

"Then I shall respectfully obey..." Luo Yan nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and continued, "However, before I go to rest, there are some things I would like to discuss with you."

Almost the moment his words fell, a sharp glint flashed in Festin's eyes, which had been filled with exhaustion.

"Is it about the upcoming meeting?"

Luo Yan didn't hide it, nodding frankly.

"Yes."

Festin remained calm and made a gesture of invitation.

"Please follow me."

The two moved to the study.

As the study door opened, the copper candelabra in the corner automatically ignited, casting a soft and heavy glow into the dim room.

Luo Yan noticed that a deep and realistic oil painting hung on the wall of the study—it was of Mr. Festin himself.

Unlike the magical photos in Mia's room, this painting didn't move, and judging by the use of pigments and the composition full of spatial depth, it should have been the work of a master.

Festin closed the door and waved his hand, the curtains automatically falling to isolate this space from the noise of the corridor.

He didn't start the conversation immediately, but stood in front of the liquor cabinet to pour two glasses of deep red wine, then handed one to Luo Yan.

"I guess you need some."

"Thank you."

Luo Yan didn't decline, took a sip after receiving it to suppress the fluctuating emotions caused by the previous little episode, and cut to the chase.

"I would like to talk to you about the issue of the 'Jiana Continent'."

Festin raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this, said nothing, but sat down silently and invited Luo Yan to sit as well.

Luo Yan sat opposite Festin, looking into those scrutinizing pupils, and continued.

"With your connections in the Internal Affairs Force, you must have heard that I have a servant currently on the Jiana Continent... Although he hasn't quite established a firm foothold yet, I have enough confidence in him to sow the seeds of faith-shaking in the Empire's colonies and slowly corrupt the colonists there into loyal servants of His Majesty the Demon God."

"What does your confidence stem from?" Festin asked nonchalantly.

Luo Yan smiled slightly.

"I don't just manage the Demon King Territory in the Demon King Territory... To be honest, the trade routes on the Vast Ocean also have a share from the Great Graveyard."

Festin looked at him in surprise, but perhaps thinking of his identity as a human, he didn't find it strange.

Demons often found it difficult to integrate into the Aus Empire, only able to indirectly control or corrupt the nobles there, but Luo Yan was different... he was a human himself.

It was precisely because of this that he could do things that powerful demons couldn't; this wasn't just Festin's own judgment, but also the recognition from the Minister of Intelligence, Melusine.

"Do you know what I think?" Luo Yan put down his wine glass, interlaced his fingers, and looked calmly into Festin's eyes. "That continent is an excellent opportunity for Hell. If we can brand the hearts of the local colonists with our mark, we not only have the chance to win the lizardmen of the Jiana Continent over to our camp, but we can also use this as a springboard to let the corrosion spread along the Empire's most fragile nerve endings toward their torso!"

Festin listened quietly, gently swirling the red liquid in his glass, his voice low and slow:

"Your idea... is very good."

He paused, then changed the subject:

"But there are no outsiders here, so I'll just say it straight... I don't really recommend you intervene directly in the power struggle between Caesar Kelin and Goligo Solon."

"Especially since you had an unpleasant experience with Goligo not long ago because of the Saerduo Port incident. That old guy didn't say anything, but that doesn't mean he really doesn't have a grudge... In a place like Hell, liches have always been the most troublesome."

Festin hoped Luo Yan would temporarily restrain his edge and not be in such a hurry.

Charcoal that burns too red easily turns to ash.

As for Hell—

That kind of grand narrative is just for fooling the goblins below; talking about the Demon God and Hell when the door is closed is meaningless.

Even Caesar Kelin, known as the "Iron-Blooded Prince," never really planned to push the front line to the Holy City.

Just as the Empire never really felt it could conquer Hell—they didn't care for the underground that never saw the sun, just as the demons of Hell didn't care for the soil under the sun.

Only the liches living in the past and the goblins who couldn't endure the harsh environment were anxious.

Luo Yan didn't rush to defend himself, just nodded calmly.

"That is why I came to ask for your advice."

As soon as these words were out, Festin's eyebrows finally moved, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile gradually appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"You handled the Dragon family issue cleanly and neatly; even now, I haven't seen how many cards you played in total. Why are you asking me now? You know best what to do yourself."

Festin's implication was obvious—

Just follow the Dragon family model; fostering an obedient puppet and controlling it remotely is enough, why ask him?

But that was the problem.

Not just anyone could be a puppet; at the very least, they had to help him share some of the pressure from the Demon Capital—especially from Goligo Solon.

He had his own layout to make, and this person definitely couldn't be controlled by the Minister of Religion in the Demon Capital. Their ability could be secondary, or even non-existent, but they must have a background strong enough to withstand the pressure and not be tempted.

Mia was actually a good candidate.

And this proposal was definitely beneficial to Festin, whether from the perspective of cultivating a successor or considering the family's practical interests... he never kept the glory in his hands to himself.

But Festin seemed uninterested in this, whether due to concerns that the unclear situation might affect the Padrich family's core interests or simply out of doting on his daughter.

Luo Yan couldn't guess his thoughts, but he didn't force it, acting as if he hadn't hinted at anything, and said humbly with the attitude of a junior facing an elder.

"You are overstating it; my foundation in the Demon Capital is still shallow, and winning against Zakro was purely a stroke of luck... Only you can help me with this matter."

If you aren't interested, that's fine.

How about recommending someone to me?

"I have to ask you one thing first," Festin looked at Luo Yan and suddenly spoke. "That Jiana Continent... is it very important to you?"

Those were pupils that saw through everything.

Luo Yan could clearly feel the scrutiny in that gaze.

Not daring to slack off in the slightest, he nodded earnestly and said calmly.

"Rather than saying it's important, it's more like the only opportunity I can grasp at the moment... The land underground has all been carved up, and so has the land above."

Festin looked at him.

"Is a principality not enough to satisfy you?"

Luo Yan was silent for a while, then said.

"I only say this to you: if I were only satisfied with a principality, I probably wouldn't even be able to sit firmly in one labyrinth, so I cannot be satisfied with just one principality... This is probably the biggest difference between me and Miss Mia."

Festin's pupils shrank slightly.

For a moment, he saw something terrifying in the shadow of this young man.

It was a flame different from desire and ambition, yet hotter than the two combined. The former burns one person's soul, while the latter burns everyone.

But that was ultimately just a feeling.

Because he had never seen it, he didn't know how to describe it.

After a long time, a smile of interest suddenly appeared on Festin's face, his leaning body returning to the back of the sofa, his shoulders relaxing.

"An interesting answer... I have rarely looked at a person with admiration twice, and you are the first."

"Thank you for your praise."

Luo Yan smiled faintly and said in a gentle tone.

"To be honest... I was also pushed up; from the day I graduated, I didn't have much choice."

"Is that so?"

Festin looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, making no evaluation.

After a moment, he softened his tone and suddenly said with a hint of implication.

"Yige is a good kid."

Seeing that Festin had indeed recommended a candidate, Luo Yan felt a jolt of energy and sat up straight, but then his brow furrowed again.

"Yige? But he..."

He never pits his friends.

Nor does he want to be pitted by his friends.

If it were Mia, he would have the confidence to "lift her up," but Yige... participating in this kind of thing might end up harming him.

Seeming to see Luo Yan's concerns, Festin smiled and said with implication.

"That child... hmm, he is very much like his father when he was young. Although he occasionally does things that give people a headache, generally speaking, he is very reliable. He is a guy you can entrust your back to... uh, though you can't be entirely at ease."

Halfway through, Festin's expression suddenly became hesitant again, his eyes dodging, making Luo Yan's heart, which had just been lifted, sink back down.

So the evaluation isn't that high after all...

"... In any case, his family hopes he can go out and venture, and he himself expects the same. Is there any candidate more suitable than this? As for ability, I think you actually don't care about that; you can do better yourself anyway."

Perhaps having touched upon memories he didn't want to recall, Festin forcibly skipped the previous topic and continued.

"As for his identity... my wife actually hinted at it to you earlier. If you noticed, just keep it in mind."

Perhaps it was an instinct in the Padrich family bloodline; Serina really thought highly of this young man.

Honestly, he was even a little jealous.

Of course—

This was just a joking way of putting it.

He knew it was just appreciation, just like his own view of Luo Yan.

"It doesn't matter if you didn't notice; it's not important... or rather, it might be better if you don't know."

"His family won't exert too much effort to help him, but they will definitely not let him be bullied by an old guy like Goligo."

(End of chapter)