I’m going to see the whole world. No matter what.

“Well, well~ In my own country, and I’m not even first to arrive—how rude of me.” A young elf in a trailing gown ghosted into the center of the chamber, smile bright as moonlight on water.

Her gold hair fell smooth as silk behind her. A pale-blue dress, thin as gauze, skimmed her like mist. Like that shrine maiden earlier, her first look landed on Qingsheng Tangxue—on me—with a predator’s calm, a hawk’s gaze that made me flinch away.

It feels like I walked into a den of wolves, all teeth behind fans.

My chest tightened first, then the thought hit: so this is why Xuewei put a chain on me. I want to bolt. Right now.

“Oh, not at all. My sister and I just arrived, too—right? Xuewei?” Bai Zhi turned with a spring-breeze smile.

Xuewei froze mid-bite on an apple, then swallowed. “Mm.”

Bai Zhi’s smile twitched like a blade catching light.

“So, the wild air outside made your manners slip again?”

“Seems I am a bit late after all…” the elf lady said, awkward as rain after thunder.

Normally, no one munches snacks the moment they step into a council hall. Normally.

“Ah, ah—Royal Sister, stop nagging! Look, the Demon envoy’s here. Say ‘welcome’!”

“…”

“No need to welcome me, Miss Xuewei. His Majesty the Demon King hasn’t fully recovered, so I’m here in his stead. I’m one of his personal guards—Kaleia of the Demon Dragons. Please take care of me~”

“Oh, it’s you, Kaleia? Then we’re all good~ And you look stunning in formalwear, by the way. Absolutely on point.”

Kaleia once served as one of Jiuqi’s earliest maids. Demon Dragon blood runs proud in her, yet years ago she signed a pact with Jiuqi’s mother: she’d spend her life protecting him.

Her hair was black with a violet sheen, like thunderheads touched by dusk. They say that’s her affinity for lightning and shadow. The cool face and that aura fit like ink on rice paper—queen or maid, she wore either like a second skin. Curves drew the eye, bold as calligraphy. If she didn’t say it herself, no one would guess this dominant presence hid a secretly soft, lovestruck heart.

“Not at all~ You, Miss Xuewei, are the center of the room no matter what you wear.”

“Hee-hee~”

Kaleia swallowed a comeback and let the topic drift like a leaf on a stream.

Yes—everyone was swallowing one. Because that was simply too… prominent. Hard not to notice. How many layers of padding is that?

They all pretended not to see Xuewei’s “change.” No one wanted to die first. Or rather, we were all waiting for a fool.

“Right, Miss Xuewei, I do have something important. I’d like to invite…” Kaleia glanced at me, eyes bright with mischief, then continued, “My lord is very interested in Miss Qingsheng Tangxue. He invites Miss Xuewei and Miss Qingsheng Tangxue to visit the Demon Domain for a while~”

“Done. This time for sure!”

“At least ask what I think, Teacher Xuewei!” Sure, I knew Kaleia, and so did Xuewei, but being steamrolled like this put splinters in my mood.

“Hm? You object?”

“No…” I forced a smile that felt worse than tears, paper-thin under rain.

Why do I feel like I’m the main course at this meeting? Every guest looks like they want a bite. No wonder Xuewei keeps me on a chain. If I could run, I’d be a streak of blue down the stairs.

I hate being stared at. I always did. I still do.

“Settled, then. Miss Xuewei, once this meeting’s done, let’s return to the Demon Domain together~ My lord misses you.”

“Mm, mm, I haven’t seen little Jiuqi in ages~”

While we chatted, an oily voice drifted from the door like smoke that stung the eyes.

“Heh… A grand multinational council in such a shabby place. I saw a branch of the World Tree outside and thought the hall would be glorious. Turns out it’s worse than Duskmoon’s parliament…” Edgar Warren swept a scornful look around. Two Blood Clan dukes trailed him, and one was among the Duskmoon Empire’s three false gods.

“He feels like a country bumpkin seeing his first city,” I whispered to Kaleia, a shade of mischief cooling my nerves.

“Mm. I think so too, Miss Qingsheng Tangxue.”

“Right? He sees something new, and all he can do is stack it against his own backyard… and then announce it out loud.”

“…” Every word we traded pricked Edgar Warren’s ears. His face twisted, stormclouds folding into a snarl. He wanted to storm over, grab the blue-haired brat by the hair, beat her, and strip her mask in public.

“You foul—”

“Who are you? You think you can just walk in here?” Xuewei’s voice cut him clean, cold as a blade fresh from snow.

Under Xuewei’s gaze, Edgar plunged into an ice cellar. His throat seized; no words came out.

“Ahem. Miss Xuewei, do restrain yourself.” One of the Blood Clan dukes stepped in, breaking the pressure like a hand parting fog.

Air rushed back into Edgar. He gulped it like a man spared by the river at the last step. He knew it—if that woman wanted, he’d be half-dead already.

Not dead, because he trusted his escape tricks. Barely.

“I only hope certain feeble minds keep their mouths leashed,” Xuewei said, eyes flicking to Edgar as he panted. “If you can’t tell what to say and where, vanishing someday would hardly be surprising.”

“You…!” Edgar glared, poison pooling in his eyes.

He’d liked her face at first—his type—and the figure didn’t hurt. Now he wanted her flayed. Anyone who insulted him paid for it.

“Ah, I remember. You’re that little tramp’s teacher, aren’t you?” he sneered. “No wonder you looked familiar. With your chest padded that big, I didn’t even recognize you as that flat—”

Bang!!!

His words shattered mid-syllable. Ice climbed him in a blink, and the man became a frozen statue rocketed out the window. He fell from the eighteenth floor, a glittering comet of frost.

“Pff!” Someone snorted, then the whole room broke into laughter. Even the two Blood Clan dukes cracked.

Someone really went and poked Kerlinveil Xuewei. Must have extra lives to burn.

Still, that idiot had earned our ire—especially the Elf Clan’s. This hall was the most aura-rich place in the Elven Dominion, second only to the World Tree’s branch outside. A few breaths here could add decades to a mortal’s span. And he dared call it shabby. How could the elf maidens not bristle?

Too bad the Duskmoon Empire is one of two hegemons on the continent. The Elf Clan can’t afford that fight. Otherwise, the Blood Clan—him included—would’ve been tossed out the door the moment he opened his mouth.