The grand hall was bathed in warm light.
Stained glass windows cast dappled, multicolored spots of light, dazzling like colorful glass beads floating in clear water.
The jewels adorning the noblewomen reflected a luxurious warmth, and the red wine in their glasses gently swirled, radiating an intoxicating and enchanting glow.
Yet, within the swirling red wine, what was reflected was not the decadent, debauched smiles of the nobles, but a series of terrified faces—expressions as if they had seen countless demons.
The banquet’s long table was laden with various delicacies, some so rare even these pampered noblewomen had never seen them before.
Among the rows of exquisite dishes, one stood out shockingly at the center of the table—a severed head.
More precisely, it was a boiled head, its cheeks roasted and decayed like overcooked meat.
If not for the pair of bright red horns on its forehead, charred from boiling, this large, swollen face, still sizzling with hot oil, would have been mistaken for an accidentally roasted pig’s head.
The moment this dish was revealed, time seemed to freeze in eerie silence.
Pupils constricted to pinpoints.
An unknown noblewoman’s scream suddenly shattered the deathly quiet.
Whether human or demon, when even one person in a crowd cried out in hysterics, fear spread like a plague.
More screams followed, echoing continuously, shaking the red wine in the glasses until it sloshed violently.
Screams, retching, and murmurs filled the air—those who had just been stroking their beards and chatting with wine in hand were now reduced to this pitiful state.
Seeing this scene, Landis could only laugh bitterly.
These nobles, who had schemed and provoked wars for profit, now screamed like little girls merely at the sight of a familiar head.
The jewels they wore, the food they ate—all had been pulled from corpses like this one with their eyes closed.
Now that they had opened their eyes to see it, they turned into such a ridiculous sight.
The irony was unbearable.
Moegi tightly covered her ears.
She wasn’t afraid of the dish itself—the ingredient was personally delivered by her—but the endless screams terrified her.
As a cat demon, her senses were superior to ordinary beings, especially her hearing.
Don’t forget, after transformation, cat demons had four ears.
The screams pierced her ears like silver needles, slowly tearing her eardrums apart.
Her mind seemed to tremble and ache from the pain.
Landis, on the other hand, reveled in the scene—fear in the eyes of these arrogant nobles, the shrieks of these delicate ladies—this was their true nature: timid, ugly, and laughable.
She couldn’t help but let out a manic laugh, eyes closed as if savoring it all, her snake-like scales trembling with delight.
“Ugh…”
Amid the noisy chaos, a familiar voice suddenly reached her ear—so faint, like a buzzing fly, yet she caught it precisely.
She snapped her eyes open and looked toward Moegi, noticing the pain etched on her face.
The smile vanished instantly.
Frowning, she glanced again at the ridiculous nobles.
Snap.
A crisp snap echoed through the hall.
The instant the sound fell, the surrounding clamor instantly died down.
Silence returned to the hall.
Their mouths seemed sewn shut by invisible threads, unable to open, even their tongues frozen without the slightest movement.
Any attempt to make a sound caused unbearable pain in their throats, as if thousands of needles were piercing through.
Even the noblewomen held back their voices, suppressing every sound.
“Have you had enough screaming? My ears are almost calloused,” Landis said.
Despite the words, she was the one enjoying this the most.
Only when the noise at her ear finally stopped did Moegi release her hands from her ears.
She lifted her eyes to see the figure standing before her.
Sensing her gaze, Landis turned her head, her snake-like eyes glowing dangerously as they locked onto Moegi’s deep green eyes.
She stepped slowly toward Moegi, picked her up again into her arms, gently soothing those fluffy black ears.
“My dear subjects, before the hour hand strikes nine, I hope to see your loyalty.”
Her voice, laden with overwhelming pressure, reverberated through the hall like a mountain avalanche of falling stones—dangerous and unsettling—sending goosebumps down Moegi’s spine.
She rarely heard the Demon Lord speak like this.
At least, never had she spoken to her this way before.
Landis had always toyed with her, but more often showed patience and kindness.
Everyone’s eyes turned to the clock—it was already 8:45.
Panic returned.
Though they couldn’t speak, their frantic movements were painfully obvious and laughable.
Suddenly, warm breath covered Moegi’s ear, the soft exhalation caressing her eardrum.
“Little kitten, you only have fifteen minutes left. Observe carefully—the answer lies within their envelopes.”
“This is your last chance. Open your eyes wide and watch closely.”
With that, Landis turned her gaze forward again.
“Their… envelopes…”
Moegi’s cat-like pupils sharpened, noticing the nobles seemingly all taking out their invitation letters at once, eyes scanning something.
She recalled the hidden phrase in her own letter—Eat his right cheek to show your loyalty.
Could it be that phrase was also on their letters?
She tried to lean closer for a better look, but was held tighter by the one behind her.
“Oh dear, I wouldn’t want my beloved to get too close to those filthy fools. Their gaze would soil you.”
Moegi knew she had no time to argue.
So she sat wide-eyed in Landis’s arms, watching intently.
Fortunately, the vision of a cat demon was superior to normal humans; even ants dozens of meters away were clear as day to her.
Sure enough, the envelopes bore a similar golden embossing, with what looked like bird claws stamped upon them.
Could these be letters delivered by birds?
She sniffed the air—indeed, there was a faint scent of avian creatures.
“My loyalty to the Demon Lord is witnessed by the gods. Allow me to go first!”
Suddenly, a loud, confident voice rang out in the noisy hall.
A young man in a fitted tailcoat—perhaps sensing his intention, Landis had just dispelled the magic sealing his mouth.
Landis merely stared coldly, saying nothing.
Without hesitation, the young man dashed forward, reached out, and tore a piece from the left cheek of the head on the platter, popping it into his mouth.
The eyeball on the left side plopped onto the plate with a squelch.
He even tried to show off by grabbing the eyeball and swallowing it whole.
Gulp.
Suppressing a gag, he swallowed, a smile creeping to the corner of his mouth as he looked around at the other nobles with a victorious gleam.
Moegi noticed something odd—he had eaten the left cheek, but her letter had said the right cheek.
That meant their envelopes might differ from hers.
More and more nobles stepped forward—some ate the left cheek, others the right—until only a bare white skull remained.
Meanwhile, only five minutes remained until nine o’clock.
Her time was running out…