On the third day, the banquet finally began.
Not a single Noble of the Demon Tribe was absent. None dared to skip it when the Demon Lord Landis herself summoned them.
The venue was set in the Demon Lord’s dining hall.
It was said that the previous Demon Lord disliked anything too flashy and ostentatious like the Diamond Crystal, so the decorations in the hall were not overly luxurious.
The floor was made of white stone bricks finely polished from Stone Demons, the walls were of redwood with lace patterns, and the chandeliers were crafted from the branches of Tree Spirits and fluorescent powder extracted from Flower Elves.
These were all common decorations among Nobles, nothing extravagant.
A huge long table was placed at the center of the hall, almost spanning from the front to the back of the room.
Various exquisite dishes and fine wines were laid out on the table.
The red wine shimmered through crystal goblets, and the warm light from the chandeliers added a decadent glow to the feast.
Upon arrival, the Nobles’ first action was to bow toward Landis, who sat at one end of the table.
After reciting their prepared blessings in one breath, they hastily distanced themselves from her and hurried toward the opposite end.
At that moment, a rather awkward scene unfolded.
The half of the long table where Landis sat was nearly empty, with only Landis herself idly playing with a crystal cup in her hand.
Meanwhile, the other half was a lively paradise where Nobles drank and laughed.
Merchants raised their glasses to celebrate successful deals, while noble ladies chatted amiably, sharing amusing stories from their lives.
“Bang—”
The hall’s door was cautiously opened a crack.
A pair of cat ears first peeked inside, followed by a pair of emerald-green eyes.
Those beautiful eyes scanned the room and, seeing no one paying attention, she carefully stepped inside.
Strangely, she wore a simple white robe and light makeup.
Compared to the Nobles around her, who wore gold, silver, and heavy makeup, she seemed somewhat out of place.
Some even had jewels and crystals embedded in the horns on their foreheads.
Moeji tiptoed in small steps, glancing around to ensure no one noticed her before finally exhaling in relief.
But all these movements had already been spotted by Landis the moment she entered. A mischievous smile curled on Landis’s lips.
“Clap clap”
Two crisp claps echoed through the hall, silencing the lively Nobles instantly.
Their eyes all turned toward Landis.
Landis rose from her seat, her eyes sparkling with amusement, and addressed the crowd: “Everyone, my beloved consort has arrived. Are you not going to greet her?”
The Nobles exchanged glances, searching for the figure with cat ears.
They had been present at the Demon Lord’s grand wedding; they should recognize her.
Moeji’s face immediately darkened, fury burning inside her.
Damn the Demon Lord, to think she would mock me even on such an occasion!
She kept her head lowered, hiding her expression, but the ears atop her head betrayed her identity.
Someone took the lead, shouting toward Moeji, “Lady Moeji, as beautiful as ever.”
That seemed to ignite a spark; more and more Nobles began offering blessings to Moeji.
She only nodded repeatedly and murmured thanks, too shy to look up at them.
“My beloved consort, why wear such rags? Such a pity to cover up that pretty dress. Don’t you agree?”
Landis said this while flicking her index finger toward Moeji.
The white robe seemed to be pulled away, revealing beneath it a deep green dress matching Moeji’s eye color perfectly.
The dress was as exquisite as carved jade, reflecting opulent radiance with every sway.
Under the warm lights, it was almost dazzling.
Worn by Moeji, its contrast with her fair skin made her look like a delicate porcelain doll—adorable and enchanting.
Whispers of admiration rose from the crowd; noble ladies stared intently.
That brat!!
Moeji clenched her teeth and fists tightly.
Why was she so timid?
Because of the dress she gave herself!
Wearing such a flashy dress was already embarrassing enough, yet she had to parade it at the banquet for all to see!
Those who knew her thought she was a clan leader, but those who didn’t might mistake her for some Noble’s young lady—a huge humiliation!
Her white high heels were so tight that her toes dug deep grooves into them.
She gripped the skirt, blushing fiercely, refusing to look up.
“My beloved consort is truly adorable, why so shy?”
Landis chuckled softly, then beckoned Moeji over with a finger.
“Come here to me.”
Moeji took a deep breath and silently approached the empty space near Landis in small steps.
She had never worn shoes like these before.
When she first saw the shoes, she even thought they were dual weapons and played with them in her hands—they were surprisingly easy to handle.
But when the oldest woman in her clan saw them, she immediately frowned: “Clan Leader, why are you waving shoes around like that?”
“…Shoes?”
Even now, Moeji still couldn’t believe that this thing, capable of carving a hole through a tree trunk, was meant to be worn on feet.
If not for her soft feet, they would have been deformed by now.
Finally arriving before Landis, Moeji caught the mischievous gleam in her eyes and sensed trouble.
She took another step forward but suddenly tripped over something.
Stumbling, she fell straight into Landis’s arms.
Landis’s attire was rather revealing tonight, a deep purple dress outlining her slender curves.
As a snake demon, her waist was so slim it could cause one’s nose to bleed at a glance.
The cleavage on display was almost indecently large.
The moment Moeji fell onto her, Landis made no move to catch her with her hands but instead proudly thrust her chest forward, delivering a full-face “facial cleanser.”
“Oh my, so eager? How about we take this to the bed right now?”
“You!!”
Moeji hurriedly pulled her face away from that ample softness.
She wanted to scold her, but with so many people watching, she could only swallow her anger.
Landis laughed and wrapped her arms around Moeji’s waist, lifting her onto her lap.
She glanced at the crowd again, and all the enthusiastic gazes immediately withdrew.
The hall buzzed with chatter once more.
Turning her gaze back to Moeji, she spoke in a teasing tone, “My beloved consort, why are you always the last to arrive? I was waiting so lonely~”
“Not because of you and this dress…”
“This was custom-made just for you. See? It’s the exact same color as your eyes.”
“…So does that mean I should thank you?”
“As long as you like it, hmph.”
“Like it, my foot!”
Once again teased by Landis’s words and finger gestures, Moeji blushed furiously but finally seized the chance to change the subject.
“We still have to catch the traitor tonight, no time to fool around!”
“Oh dear, almost forgot the important business, hehe.”
Landis glanced at the pendulum clock hanging on the wall—it was exactly eight o’clock in the evening.
“My beloved consort, I’ll give you a quarter of an hour. When the clock strikes nine, I will announce the answer.”
“No hints?”
“Oh dear, that’s for you to figure out yourself.”