After a hearty meal, I wasn't afraid of others knowing—or rather, I wanted them to know.

Lott, as the Hero, wasn't truly dumb; he just lacked common sense and emotional intelligence. At least he was useful sometimes. For instance, his whispering to the Archbishop was a scheme: pretend to befriend me with food, then fish for secrets.

That explained the extra set of utensils.

But his real goal was only the first part. I'm not ungrateful. Watching the catgirl maid tidy the food cart, a plan slowly formed in my mind.

The dining table transformed back into a small cart. I marveled—this world had magic, and the cart seemed magical, yet it was purely mechanical. Except for a heat-preserving array, its folding relied entirely on gears. Many in this other world excelled at such crafts.

Probably the work of idle alchemists.

Just as the cat-eared maid was about to leave, I called, "Wait."

She froze mid-step, not daring to move. If not for the panic on her face, I'd have thought my words held magic.

"Am I that scary?" I sighed. "Because I'm the Dark Lord?"

She nodded vigorously, her cat-like eyes wide with fear, tail stiff as a rod.

"You actually nodded? Fine, relax. I won't eat you. The 'Dark Lord eats people' myth is pure lies—stop shaking your head! It's lies!" I felt 100,000 points of damage from that catgirl.

"Hem, I couldn't stand by. Your Hero Lord has feelings for you—he's just bad at showing them." I gloated, watching the glaring Hero beside me. "Trust me. The Dark Lord senses desire best. Deliver meals often, tidy his room, and conquering him will be easy!"

Stars sparkled in the catgirl's eyes. Hope!

"Don't listen to her—"

"Um... doesn't the Hero Lord dislike beastkin?" the maid whispered.

New intel: beastkin faced discrimination here. Racial cracks to exploit.

"Huh? Dislike them? Beast ears are adorable!"

"Sigh!" She let out a cute sound, slightly shifting her gaze downward, blushing.

Lott, using harem king tactics on otherworldly girls without flinching—was that really okay?

"Th-then this servant takes her leave." She fled the room.

Lott looked flustered but less cowardly now. Comfort first, praise next—deep scheming. That catgirl's affection must be skyrocketing.

"He Yu!" He took a deep breath, snapping out of it, and glared.

"What's wrong, my Hero Lord?" I narrowed my eyes with a sly smile. Finally embarrassed him. The grudge from him touching my horn felt avenged.

Haha. Truly the Dark Lord.

Stay calm. I adopted a solemn pose. "Otaku adore beast-eared girls, right? Catgirls, foxgirls, bunnies~ Beast ears highlight cuteness and make great flirting tools~" I cupped my hands over my horns, mimicking cat ears.

"My love for beast ears is pure!"

"So you prefer locking lolis in cages for 'abandonment play'?" I gave a knowing smirk.

"You—" He spun away abruptly.

"Oh my, so pure."

"Don't you know what 'abandonment play' means?"

"Isn't it just leaving things aside?"

"What's lewd about that!"

"Could it be... whoa!" I dove under the covers. That day, I learned: don't tease lightly—maybe you're just too pure.

Next morning, I was drowsily chewing bread Lott shoved at me when cold wind jolted me awake.

"Mew~ Why open the window?" I mumbled, bread in mouth, rubbing my eyes.

"To air it out." His hand swept the sill, instantly coating it with a shimmering film—a Battle Aura barrier to block my escape, like yesterday's.

But the noisy shouts outside caught my ear. Sounded like a construction site.

I clutched the bread, tearing a chunk like it was the Hero's flesh. Leaning to the window, I peered toward the commotion.

I'd never viewed the Crown Palace like this. This window faced its main gate. Beyond layered royal gardens lay a vast plaza, eight octagonal pillars at its center. Workers hauled giant stones; robed figures carved symbols on the ground.

"Where's that?" I pointed.

"There," Lott mused. "Where I was summoned. Hero Plaza. It calls Heroes—and on certain days, Royal Capital residents worship the Hero there, praying for peace."

"Like a god, huh?" I mocked.

"No! That's heresy." He shook his head. "Though... apt."

"Too boring to retort." I stretched. The real issue was solved. To most, it was a patterned plaza. To me—a Dark Lord—it was a grand altar etched with a complex summoning array.

All such arrays looked similar; only the inscriptions differed. In my view, this one pierced the world barrier with eight points, dragging some unlucky soul to be Hero.

But Mom hinted Heroes were pre-chosen: no major sins, great merit. So this guy beside me was actually virtuous?

I glanced at him, then the array. Wanted to see how something summoning a fool could be powerful. But the longer I looked, the more wrong it felt.

"Lott? Is today worship day? What are they doing?"