The Contract Was Perfect—Except for One Fatal Loophole

“Iris, you came to discuss serious matters, right?”

After playing with Lilie’s hair for a while, the grey-haired girl finally spoke up.

“Of course. But your attitude towards a good friend is so cold, it truly breaks my heart~~~”

If Furenna were here to see this scene, she would doubt her own sanity. Demon King Iris was actually putting on a pitiful, injured look, on the verge of tears before Lilie.

“Enough. You’re the Demon King now; act like it,” Lilie sighed. “Tell me, has there been a problem with the plan? Is the Hero resisting fiercely?”

To outsiders, it seemed Demon King Iris had overruled all opposition to promote a rare member of the Puppeteer clan as a Heavenly King.

Some believed Iris was extending goodwill to the Puppeteer clan, seeking their secrets. After all, Puppeteers were one of the few pure-blooded races surviving from ancient times, and their current settlements never welcomed outsiders.

Others thought Iris was deliberately cultivating loyalists, inserting a personally promoted subordinate into the Heavenly King position to divide power with the old Heavenly Kings and create checks and balances.

But only Iris and Lilie themselves knew that Lilie becoming a Heavenly King was a natural outcome. Their relationship was closer than anyone could imagine.

In other words, without Lilie’s continuous help over the years, Iris could never have become the Demon King.

The two had been friends since childhood and later became the closest of confidantes. It’s safe to say that without Lilie’s immense assistance, a vampire would undoubtedly be sitting on the Demon King’s throne today.

“The plan itself is fine. You know, with that contract you prepared, the Hero can’t cause any trouble. No matter how unwilling she is in her heart, she must obey my commands.”

Iris put away her joking expression, a trace of worry appearing between her brows. The plan was progressing quite smoothly, but what she worried about was the plan itself—whether it could truly succeed.

“But is the plan really without problems? You know what we’re trying to do can be called ‘stealing the heavens and swapping the sun,’ right?”

In response to the Demon King’s sigh, Lilie maintained her icy expression, calmly picking up a pastry and taking a bite.

“We’ve discussed this before, Iris. I cannot make promises.”

Lilie chewed the date-flavored pastry expressionlessly, but her heart wasn’t as calm as her surface. Their audacious plan was a gamble in itself, and it might ultimately come to nothing.

After all, the ones they were trying to deceive weren’t just the Hero Furenna, but also the one far away in the Starry Temple, that lofty… Creator Goddess.

Iris fell silent, the hand playing with Lilie’s grey hair stilling. The Demon King’s mood grew heavy.

If the plan failed, then the demon race might truly have no future left. They would have to continue obeying the divine will, like marionettes on a stage being manipulated at will.

“But…”

Lilie stood up from Iris’s embrace and turned to face her somewhat bewildered friend.

“If we don’t do this, the demon race has no future either.”

“So there’s no need to feel lost. Let that Hero waver for you. Only when she truly opens her heart, when she becomes emotionally unsettled for your sake, will I have the opportunity to slip in.”

What Iris and Lilie intended to do was not far from Furenna’s guesses, but the subsequent steps were vastly different.

The existence of the soul contract led Furenna to believe that even if she truly fell, she couldn’t be used by Iris, because the contract bound the Demon King and the Hero and could not be dissolved.

Even if Furenna fell into darkness, the soul contract would still exist and operate rigorously, preventing Iris from using her against humanity.

But if Furenna understood this, Iris and Lilie certainly couldn’t be unaware. Therefore, they had long ago embedded a bug within the contract, waiting for the arrogant, ignorant Hero to walk right into the trap.

After all, the party who signed the contract was “the Hero Furenna,” not simply “Furenna.” The soul contract would absolutely and strictly adhere to the signed content, down to every sentence, every word, without the slightest error.

“Alright. Everything proceeds according to plan,” Iris lay back on the sofa, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the ceiling. “If only there were a more forceful method… Putting on an act with the Hero is really difficult…”

“Then it all depends on your acting skills. Relax. After the soul contract was established, the Hero’s mind will be continuously influenced by your soul. Your words and actions can stir her emotions. In such a short time, she’s already changed from a complete block of stone to someone who gets angry and flustered because of you, hasn’t she?”

Lilie comforted her. They had also considered more forceful methods, like a “mental infusion” on the Hero, but the cost was too great. For a plan whose success was already uncertain, the risk was too large to assess.

“Right. That’s why they needed a succubus like me to be the Demon King and the contract’s signatory.”

Iris’s crimson pupils gradually focused. The revived Demon King regained her superior’s demeanor and confidence.

“Thank you, Lilie. Resting here with you is one of my few moments of relaxation.”

The Demon King stood up, gave the Puppeteer a final pat on the head, and prepared to leave.

“Iris, aren’t you taking some pastries with you?”

Lilie made no move to see Iris off, sitting on the sofa and watching her friend’s back.

“No. I still have official duties. Best to keep a clear head.”

Iris waved her hand, declining Lilie’s kindness. It wasn’t time to eat yet; a mountain of work awaited her. Not to mention…

“There’s one more thing. You should upgrade Dole’s culinary skills.”

Iris couldn’t resist criticizing the pastries Dole made. Their shape and smell were truly dreadful.

“I think they’re quite tasty.”

Iris recalled the Puppeteer clan’s peculiar tastes. It was no surprise Lilie liked them.

“Ha, whatever. Anyway, I’m the only one who comes to this place. No one else can be poisoned by these weird pastries.”

The Demon King rolled her eyes and waved without looking back, following Dole’s guidance out of the Puppeteer’s remote palace.

“I wish you every success, Your Majesty the Demon King.”

At the palace gate, Dole suddenly said something completely unexpected to Iris.

Iris abruptly stopped and looked Dole over, then nodded before flying up into the sky.

However, an unknowingly pleased curve had appeared at the corner of the Demon King’s lips.

As a puppet maid, Dole didn’t have a “send blessings” function. That sudden, well-wishing remark could only have been spoken under Lilie’s direct control. What an indirect friend.

Dole, on Lilie’s behalf, watched Iris fly back towards the center of the Demon King’s Castle until the Demon King’s figure completely disappeared. The maid then closed the heavy gate once more, and the Puppeteer’s detached palace returned to its usual tranquility.