Returning to the manor, Lilith issued a command to the coachman, then gently tightened the horse’s reins. The carriage, under the envious gazes of passersby, slowly advanced towards Viscount Joiy’s estate.
Lena sat gracefully within the carriage, her long, pristine white dress covering her calves, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing her lips. Lilith, turning her head to look at her, found herself entranced, only snapping back to reality when Lena waved a hand before her.
“How should I address you?”
Averting her gaze, Lilith asked for Lena’s name.
She wasn’t sure why she had suddenly become so captivated, but the feeling was truly peculiar, even stirring memories of her own childhood.
“Just call me Lena.”
“I am Lilith, and this is my maid, Aelin.”
Though Lena already knew Aelin’s name, Lilith still introduced her. Aelin, seemingly still caught in Lena’s gentle aura, grew even more shy after the introduction.
Lena nodded in acknowledgment, then brought up the matter that concerned her most.
“Miss Lilith, could you tell me about the traitors?”
She had assumed Lilith, having been involved in the arrests in Saint Seraph, would know more than her. However, the response was quite disappointing.
“Regarding those traitors, we only know they are hiding in Saint Seraph. We don’t have much other information.”
Lilith’s pretty face flushed slightly with embarrassment. She quickly cleared her throat, then continued, “For today, you can return with us to Viscount Joiy’s residence. His efforts in Saint Seraph have been quite effective, and he can provide you with a convenient identity for your operations.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks. Our goal is the same—to apprehend the traitors. So, if you need anything, simply tell Viscount Joiy, and he will assist you.”
As a demon hidden among humans, Viscount Joiy would naturally offer his aid in such circumstances. Yet, after saying this, Lilith furrowed her brows slightly, offering a word of caution: “However, it would be best not to appear too eager recently.”
“Why?” Lena asked, puzzled.
“Because the Hero Guild has, for some unknown reason, started to suspect Joiy recently. They are currently trying to find evidence. If we make too many overt moves, they might actually discover something.”
Lilith was quite distressed. In human territory, demons were one of the greatest taboos. Once a connection to demons was discovered, even the largest power would crumble instantly.
The Hero Guild was currently only suspicious. If they found concrete evidence, Joiy would be ruined. At that point, not only would capturing traitors be impossible, but they would likely be forced to flee Saint Seraph altogether.
Therefore, recent actions had to be subtle; at the very least, they could not expose their demonic identities.
“The Hero Guild?” Lena murmured.
Each city typically had its own Hero Guild, and Saint Seraph was no exception. Before coming, she had considered approaching the Guild as a hero to seek their help, but later realized they wouldn’t be of much assistance in capturing demon traitors.
If they couldn’t even detect the demons hidden within their own city, how could they possibly know the whereabouts of demon traitors?
“Speaking of which, for Miss Lena to gain Meli’s approval, you must possess some extraordinary abilities, wouldn’t you agree?”
After a brief silence in the carriage, Lilith found another topic of conversation. ‘Extraordinary abilities?’
Noting that both Lilith and Aelin possessed only sixth-tier demonic power, Lena offered a slight smile and asked, “Does strength count?”
“Of course.”
“Then I should be a bit stronger than sixth-tier.”
“Seventh-tier?”
“Something like that.”
‘Something like that?’ Lilith found Lena’s words somewhat perplexing.
“Normally, yes, it should be seventh-tier.”
“That’s wonderful! As long as we find those traitors, they should have a very hard time escaping.”
Lilith’s eyes brightened. Although she still didn’t quite grasp what Lena meant by ‘normally,’ seventh-tier strength in Saint Seraph was undoubtedly among the strongest.
Capturing the traitors would become much easier.
****
The carriage finally halted before a large, black iron gate. The coachman opened the door, and Lena, lifting her skirt, carefully stepped down.
Before her lay a grand estate.
A long stone path connected to the villa within the grounds, with a shimmering fountain at its center. The surrounding flowerbeds were meticulously trimmed, and one could spot numerous gardeners and servants in the distance.
The large iron gate was opened from within. Lilith turned to glance at Lena, motioning for her to follow, then walked directly inside.
Upon seeing Lilith, the servants along the path all bowed and greeted her with exceptional reverence, as if she were not merely a viscount’s relative, but a true young lady of the house.
This continued until they encountered a white-haired man.
His attire was distinctly different from the other servants, suggesting he was a manager, of a higher rank. He intercepted them, but before he could speak, Lilith inquired, “Where is Joiy?”
“The master is currently attending to matters in his study. It would be best for you to wait until he has finished, Miss, otherwise, he might become displeased.”
Having lived there for a long time, he was well aware of Joiy’s temperament. The viscount was prone to anger if disturbed while working. Several servants had been dismissed for this very reason, and he himself had been reprimanded.
Recalling these past incidents, the white-haired man sighed helplessly. He then frowned, looking at Lena behind Lilith, and stated, “Master Joiy has always strictly forbidden outsiders from being brought into the manor, even for you, Miss…”
Joiy particularly disliked anyone bringing unpermitted outsiders into the estate. This was a rule they had known since becoming servants. Anyone who violated it, regardless of their status, would be immediately dismissed. Even other close noble acquaintances who had brought outsiders in before had not received a warm reception from Joiy.
As one of the servant managers, he was responsible for preventing such occurrences. Miss Lilith, being Viscount Joiy’s relative, might only receive a scolding for breaking this rule. However, if he failed to intervene, he would most likely be dismissed himself.
He certainly did not want to lose his job.
“Don’t worry, she’s not an outsider. Joiy won’t scold you for this.”
“Eh? Miss!”
Taking Lena’s hand, Lilith bypassed him and headed directly towards the study. The servant gasped, hurriedly taking a few steps forward, intending to stop her again, but Aelin blocked his path.
“Don’t worry, if anything truly happens, Miss Lilith will take responsibility.”
Aelin’s reassurance had no effect. He stared blankly as Lilith disappeared from sight, feeling both helpless and increasingly uneasy.
Ever since Miss Lilith arrived at this estate, many of her actions, in his view, seemed to challenge the viscount’s boundaries. Although the master had not yet shown anger, his patience was likely wearing thin.
Now, she had unilaterally brought an outsider in, touching an unforgivable boundary. The anger that the master had suppressed for so long was bound to erupt.
The mere thought of Joiy’s wrath sent shivers down his spine.
Lilith left the white-haired man, and they entered the villa. The villa’s main hall was spacious, featuring a man-height vase in the center, and a large portrait hanging on the wall ahead. Corridors leading to the second floor flanked either side.
Recalling their earlier conversation, Lena remarked, “Viscount Joiy doesn’t seem to like being disturbed while working.”
“Hmm, perhaps.”
“Then going to him now would easily annoy him, wouldn’t it?”
Her words made Lilith pause. She turned to face Lena, smiling, “Miss Lena, you are even more considerate than I imagined.”
“What do you mean?”
“Miss Lena, you haven’t had much contact with demons in human territory, have you?”
Lilith’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if she had already seen through Lena’s background.
“…Yes, I suppose so.”
At this moment, Lilith gave Lena the same feeling as facing Aurora. From just a few small details, she could deduce so much. Over the years, Lena could count the number of demons she had encountered on one hand.
“These are merely Joiy’s fabricated personas, designed to deceive humans. And didn’t Meli tell you? We, who are here to resolve the traitor incident, are the true masters of this estate. Joiy is currently nothing more than our subordinate.”
“I see.”
After Lilith’s explanation, Lena finally understood her meaning. Joiy, one of Saint Seraph’s dignitaries, was essentially a demon mole planted among humans. When the higher-ranking demons, tasked with the actual mission, arrived in Saint Seraph, he became their subordinate, using his cultivated influence to assist them in their task.
Joiy was like this, and Orl was the same. Orl was one of the three great nobles of the Fiona Rossi Empire, and he would step in when needed. However, Orl’s rank was very high; his superior would likely be of a similar standing. Thus, even if Joiy truly disliked being disturbed while working, he wouldn’t dare voice any complaints when facing his superiors.
This reminded her of her past, when she was a flower shop owner. Sometimes, the shop assistants clearly disagreed with her decisions but dared not speak up, only pouting with puffed cheeks. Thinking of this, Lena couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lilith glanced at her, surprised, unsure what she was laughing about. However, she didn’t ask further, instead leading her to the study door. After two knocks, she pushed the door open, and Lena followed her inside.
The first thing that caught their eyes was the golden chandelier on the study ceiling. Its floral decorations exuded a luxurious aristocratic ambiance. Beneath it was a writing desk, and the floor was so immaculately clean that it reflected their figures.
Behind the desk sat a blonde man, wearing a blue earring on his left ear. He possessed an elegant and noble demeanor. Upon hearing the door open, he reluctantly put down what he was holding, but his expression softened when he saw who had entered.
“Lilith, remember to get permission next time before coming in.”
He spoke the young woman’s name, his tone carrying a hint of a senior’s authority. Then, he looked at Lena, dressed in her white gown, and asked with interest, “And who might this be…?”
His demeanor was that of a true noble, giving the immediate impression of propriety and elegance. A young person unaccustomed to nobility might feel a certain pressure in his presence.
Lilith leaned against the door, arms crossed, and stated, “There’s no one else here. This is Miss Lena, Meli’s helper. I need you to arrange a suitable identity for her.”
At this, Joiy, who had previously acted like a senior, immediately rose from behind his desk. His head slightly bowed, his attitude became extremely respectful and humble. He was like a completely different person from moments ago, a transformation so profound that it surprised even Lena.
“Meli? The Vice-Commander?”
Joiy looked at Lena, appearing quite shocked upon hearing Meli’s name. Lena merely gave a faint hum, confirming it.
“…Alright, I will arrange the matter of her identity.”
Forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, he agreed. For him, arranging an identity for Lena was as simple as drinking water.
However, he soon remembered something, and bowed apologetically, saying, “My apologies, honored one. The Hero Guild has recently begun to suspect my connection to demons. Therefore, I ask that when you investigate the traitors, your actions be as subtle as possible.”
“Understood. But it seems you are somewhat powerless against the Hero Guild?”
Lilith had mentioned this before, so Lena naturally understood. However, she noticed that Viscount Joiy seemed to have no effective strategy against the Hero Guild, which was why he had to choose to hide his actions to avoid suspicion.
“It’s shameful to admit, but the Hero Guild also has sixth-tier heroes within its ranks, and more than one. They are relying on this strength advantage to try and extract evidence of my connection to demons.”
“Even if I restrict the sale of some weapons and potions, it’s useless against them. In fact, it only provokes them to intensify their efforts, so…”
Joiy was helpless. His own strength was also only at the sixth-tier, leaving him with no means to counter those heroes. No matter how great his power, it was useless in the face of absolute strength.
He couldn’t apprehend those heroes. If he sought retaliation, he dared not prohibit the sale of all weapons and potions, or it would truly escalate into a complete break with the Hero Guild. After all, he was indeed a demon.
Lena also understood this. Joiy was, after all, not Orl; his influence was not great enough to simply replace the Hero Guild’s leader with a single word. Therefore, forbearance was unavoidable. However, this would increase the difficulty of searching for traitors and made her feel somewhat constrained.
After a few more brief exchanges, Joiy set aside his work and instructed the butler to gather all the servants in the manor in the afternoon. Once they had assembled in the main hall, Joiy brought Lena before them.
He also arranged a room for Lena and personally guided her to familiarize herself with the layout.
“Is all this truly necessary?”
From behind, observing the servants’ puzzled expressions, Lena quietly murmured. Joiy turned slightly, and in a place where the servants could not hear, he respectfully replied, “Of course it is necessary. You will be one of the new masters of this estate from now on. If anyone were to offend you due to ignorance of your identity, that would be quite regrettable.”