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Thanks to the help of Maria, Mio Naruse, Rias, Akeno, and the others, what would've taken Zest two to three hours to prepare alone sohow got done in under an hour.
To be honest, by the end of it, the kitchen was getting a little... overcrowded.
Once Rias joined the cooking squad, it wasn't long before Koneko and Asia jumped in too.
And not to be outdone, Irina and Xenovia—spouting sothing about "a true warrior doesn't just wait to be fed"—rolled up their sleeves and joined as well.
As a result, the only ones left outside in the grand hall were Bokue, Kuroka, and the two mature beauties—Sheila and Venelana.
Oh, and of course, the poor maid still out cold thanks to Sheila's magic.
❁❁❁❁
Soon enough, lunchti arrived.
The dining area was on the second floor of the castle.
And while this may have been in the frigid, remote north—the boonies of the demon realm—even so, this had once been the capital of the Old Demon Lord faction. The scale of the place rivaled even the Gremory estate.
The second floor alone had two dining areas: an indoor hall and a terrace for moonlit dinners under the stars.
But since the demon realm was still roasting under a 37°C heat wave—even in the shade—they decided against the al fresco option.
❁❁❁❁
Scene shift—second-floor dining hall.
The long banquet table was fully laid out, every dish ready to serve. Everyone had gathered and was about to take their seats. Bokue had even pulled out his chair and gotten halfway into it.
But then— Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel⸺fire
"Zest, didn't I ask you earlier to grab two extra plates?" Sheila asked from the far end of the table.
"Uh—right! I've got them right here."
As if suddenly rembering, Zest turned toward the wall-side cart, lifted the white linen draped over it, and pulled out two clean porcelain plates from a lower drawer.
"Here you go, Lady Sheila."
"Thank you." Sheila accepted them with a nod, then turned to the others with a gentle smile.
"Lucia's still asleep upstairs. She'll probably wake up soon, so I thought I'd bring her so food now. That way, it'll be ready as soon as she gets up."
Ah, that made sense.
No one had any objections. Once Sheila filled both plates, she quietly excused herself and headed toward the third-floor bedroom.
❁❁❁❁
Click—
Half a minute later, the soft creak of a doorknob echoed through the quiet room. The bedroom door on the third floor eased open.
Sheila stepped inside, two plates balanced gracefully in her hands, but paused when she saw the scene before her.
Lucia was awake.
The girl who'd been unconscious just monts ago, was now sitting up in bed, blanket covering her lower half, eyes dazed as she stared blankly out the window.
But this was normal.
Demon's hypnosis was like anesthesia—fast to kick in, slow to wear off. It was common for people to act confused or dazed as the effects faded, like mumbling after general anesthesia.
"Lucia."
Sheila called her na softly as she approached, placing the plates on the bedside table. She then pulled a chair over and sat down.
"How's your body feeling?"
"Nn..."
The dazed girl's body flinched slightly at the sound of her mother's voice. Slowly, she turned her head, unfocused violet eyes locking onto that familiar face.
"Mom..."
"Hold on. Let release the hypnosis."
Sheila raised a glowing fingertip and tapped her daughter gently on the forehead.
Release.
Gulp—!
It was like chugging an ice-cold sports drink after waking up groggy—Lucia's mind cleared in an instant. Her violet eyes sharpened as the fog lifted.
"N-No! Why am I here?? Where's Lord Ramusas??"
Her mories returned like a crashing tide. Panicked, she threw off the blanket and tried to get up.
But Sheila reached out just in ti and stopped her.
"Lucia. Calm down. Sit and listen to ."
"Mother!"
Lucia scowled, her voice laced with confusion and frustration.
"Why are you stopping ??"
"Why? Lucia, haven't you figured it out yet?"
Sheila shook her head and spoke gently.
"Bokue already explained everything earlier, didn't he? Ramusas wasn't the noble man you imagined. Sacrificing Mio to save the Old Demon Lord faction—it was always about his own ambition. And Bokue... he's nothing like the monster you've made up in your head. In fact, he hates killing."
"Have I ever been wrong about soone before?"
"Isn't that just because you and he—!"
Lucia's brow furrowed even deeper. She couldn't get the image out of her mind—the scene she had stumbled into last night in the bathroom...
Her mother... used like a toy in that man's arms... and Maria unconscious beside them...
"I figured that was what gave you such a bad impression of Bokue."
Sheila smiled and gently ruffled her daughter's hair—no magic this ti, just a mother's touch.
"Even if you never co to like him, at least hear out. Okay?"
"...Okay."
Lucia finally nodded. Sheila stood up, quietly closed the bedroom door, then returned to her chair.
It was ti for a heart-to-heart.
❁❁❁❁
A short while later, downstairs in the dining hall.
"Alright, I'm full."
Bokue set down his knife and fork and stood up from the table.
"I'll head out now."
"Wait, already?" Rias and Kuroka, seated on either side of him, both turned toward him in surprise.
"The sooner I go, the sooner I get back," he shrugged. "It'll be quick. Probably just a few words and I'll be done. I might be back before you guys even finish eating."
"Hmm, okay then."
"Be careful out there, Bokue~"
"Got it."
And with that, Bokue waved casually—and vanished in a flash.
❁❁❁❁
At the sa ti, inside the throne room of the Current Demon Lord's capital, his figure suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"Looks like I got the spot right..."
He looked around, recognizing the familiar space from his visit two weeks ago. Nothing had really changed.
Except—
When his gaze drifted toward the throne, what he saw wasn't the expected brooding figure of a certain dark-haired Demon Lord...
But a buxom young woman with flawless features, flowing blonde hair, and a pristine white formal dress—casually lounging on the throne like she owned the place.
"The hell?? It's only been two weeks and they already changed managent?"
Bokue twitched a brow.
But before he could finish the thought, the girl on the throne—who had been boredly fiddling with her fingers—suddenly noticed him.
Raising an eyebrow, she tilted her head and let out a curious hum.
Then, without hesitation, she hopped down the steps and skipped over to Bokue.
"Ara? You actually got past all the guards and ca straight here? Not bad~ Were you looking for Leo-chan? Sorry, he's out at the mont."
She grinned.
"For now, it's just —your big sister Liala~ So go ahead and tell Big Sis what you need, okay~?"
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