Seeing that, Lilo sprang to her feet, a willow bending in wind. She moved to go greet Aphelia, but her father barred her like a shut gate, leaving her baffled.
“Father… what are you doing?”
“Since she is the Valkyrie’s disciple, letting only you greet her would strip the ceremony bare.”
With that, Lilo’s father rose and stepped down from the high dais like a slow tide. He walked toward Aphelia, and Lilo and Bert followed in his wake, not daring to lag.
Lilo’s thoughts were a tangle of vines; she hadn’t planned to pull Aphelia into this knot of a banquet, yet her father pressed his order like iron.
She just hoped it wouldn’t make Aphelia bristle; after all, Aphelia carried the power of a True God. That suffocating, absolute pressure felt like deep ocean weight; even Lilo, who had gained the power to become a True God, felt a chill linger.
As the three stepped down and drifted toward Aphelia, the whole banquet’s eyes swung like compass needles to her.
Her heart gave a thud, a drum in a quiet hall. Was she about to get dragged into another absurd mess? If so, Lilo was being way too unreliable.
By habit she steadied herself. Such banquets were chessboards for nobles trading power. Even enemies kept their masks on. She reminded herself she stood here as a guest.
“First meeting. I’m Maxwell, current patriarch of the Crimson Dragon Clan. I’ve heard you are the Valkyrie’s disciple. My thanks to your master for helping my daughter.”
Though he spoke thanks, his pride didn’t shift; his slit pupils skimmed her like a blade, assessing.
Aphelia smiled and nodded. She recalled mortal etiquette and dipped a small bow, a leaf gliding on water.
“I am indeed the Valkyrie’s disciple. I hope we can keep good ties with the Crimson Dragon Clan.”
Facing Maxwell’s deliberate arrogance, Aphelia stayed cool water, not rising to the bait. Lilo behind him quietly let out a long breath.
Lilo moved forward to stand by Aphelia, wearing a soft smile. “Miss Aphelia isn’t fully familiar here; allow me to handle the introductions…”
Maxwell cut her off, taking a goblet from a nearby servant. He raised his voice like a bell. “Everyone, a toast to the Valkyrie’s return!”
His eyes held a feverish glow; that earlier pride now looked cunning under lamplight. He downed the amber wine in one sweep, and the hall lifted their cups, waves answering his call.
Given that, Aphelia had to accept a cup and finish it in one breath.
What stunned her more was the crowd’s reaction; at the name Valkyrie, the room stirred like a flock taking wing, excitement tipping toward zeal.
Even knowing the Valkyrie’s title echoed through all realms, she hadn’t expected nobles of the Demon World to flare this bright. Did the Valkyrie have deeds here no one spoke of?
She glanced at Lilo beside her and found the same bafflement, which only deepened her doubts.
Looking closely, most guests matched Maxwell’s apparent age or leaned older. With the Crimson Dragon Clan’s long lives, a middle-aged face could hide centuries. The others were likely old pines wearing new leaves.
Thinking of that, Aphelia sighed in the quiet of her chest; the Valkyrie must have foreseen this weave. This trip wasn’t just about the True God’s path.
Maxwell patted Bert’s shoulder, turning light as spring after frost. He smiled. “This is my son, Bert. I hope Miss Aphelia can guide him. I have matters to attend. May your endeavor succeed.”
The young man stepped up and took Aphelia’s right hand, brushing a kiss to the back like a formal seal. Then he saw the pitch-black serpent ring on her ring finger and froze, his fingers holding her soft hand and forgetting to let go.
At Maxwell’s sudden change of tone, Aphelia was already a touch at sea; Bert’s move almost drew a punch from her, lightning from a clear sky.
Basic etiquette, she could swallow; but kissing and refusing to release—what kind of noble threw face to the wind?
Because this was another’s hall, she kept her temper caged and smiled. “Mr. Bert…”
Her voice barely fell when Bert realized his lapse; he hurriedly let go of her hand. Seeing her features up close, he stumbled into apologies, wholly at a loss.
Beside them, Lilo laughed silently, a spring ripple in the shade. In her view, her brother had been struck dumb by Aphelia’s looks, which made him clumsy. And truth be told, that True God body forged by blood was perfect past measure.
It wasn’t that each feature was the sharpest jewel; it was that every part sang in harmony—no extra note, no missing beat. The killing aura that used to leak through her when she lived on the edge of death had vanished like fog.
Uroboros had tweaked Aphelia’s face in small strokes, but it stayed close to what it was, now with a touch more allure.
Shi and Fen, who served behind Aphelia, lifted their chins with quiet pride.
Born beautiful, Aphelia had become the evening’s lantern under their light grooming, a natural focus for any gaze.
After that little stir, many eyes drifted over; some lingered on Aphelia, some traded smirks over Bert.
“Let’s get some air, Aphelia,” Lilo said.
She hooked her arm through Aphelia’s. The soft press made Aphelia’s body tense like a drawn bow, then ease as she let Lilo lead her out.
Behind them, Shi and Fen gave Bert a courteous bow, then hurried after, leaving him still dazed.
Not long after the group left, Bert sighed, then shook his head with a wry smile. He lifted his drink and walked toward a knot of nearby guests.
“Sorry, Aphelia. I didn’t expect Father to pull that…”
Lilo led Aphelia through the crowd to a terrace like a flower house, glass misted with warm light. Her voice carried apology, and Aphelia had no wish to blame her.
Once they stepped out, Shi and Fen quietly drew the terrace doors closed and took post outside, a discreet ward against interruption.
“It’s all right,” Aphelia said, “but one thing’s gnawing at me.”
She sat lightly and looked up. The night above lay like a dark silk canopy; her long breath unwound, and her heart stilled.
She didn’t care about that scene. Compared to what she wanted to ask, it was a small ripple.
Hearing that, Lilo understood. She let out a helpless sigh and sat beside her, voice soft as rain. “I’m not very clear about all this.”
“After I gained the power to become a True God and came home, I learned there’s a hidden inheritance.”
As she spoke, two crimson sparks rose at her side, circling them like a warded ring. Only then did she continue.
“That inheritance seems tied to the history of our demon race.”
Aphelia started, a thought striking like a bell. She remembered the erased chapter she glimpsed when she earned her title. Could Lilo’s inheritance connect to that?
Seeing Aphelia’s keen interest, Lilo didn’t overthink it. If she accepted the inheritance, she would be the Valkyrie’s subordinate god; Aphelia could learn anything about her through the Valkyrie. Telling her felt no risk.
“I don’t know the specifics. I’ve told Father I’ll take the inheritance after I help you meet that one. I just hope my brother won’t grow distant because of it.”
At that, Lilo sighed again. Her eyes fell to the two red sparks by her hand, doubt rippling through her. Had gaining the power to become a True God been the right step?
Aphelia said nothing, choosing silence like a calm lake. She could guess the reason. Lilo’s face showed how much this had weighed on her since returning to the imperial capital. Aphelia would rather be a quiet listener and let Lilo pour out her heart.
“The one meant to receive the inheritance was Bert,” Lilo said. “I’m a concubine-born. By our rules, only the heir can receive it. Because I gained that power, Father changed his mind.”
Loneliness filled Lilo’s eyes, a winter light. The two sparks, sensing her mood, flared like a rising flame and shaped themselves into a small crimson dragon, resting in Lilo’s palm.
