"Huh... Why does your gaze feel so weird..."

After giving a slight tug at her clothes, Lily seemed to give up struggling and stopped fidgeting. But the moment she caught me sizing up her and Hawthorn, she shot me a glare and spoke up.

"Where?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I’m a perfectly proper Dark Lord!"

"You weren’t proper at all before..." Lily muttered. "But even when I first saw you, I knew you weren’t normal..."

"Overlords aren’t exactly normal," I grinned. "Especially old fossils like me—how could I be?"

"... "

Lily fell silent, saying nothing.

"Everyone changed?"

Cecilia’s voice came from the doorway. My ever-elegant Head Maid appeared, surveying the girls before her. She’d left earlier after handing Ona a Maid Outfit, busy with tasks I’d assigned.

"All done~!" Ona chirped, raising her hand energetically despite the obvious.

"Hmm, neatly dressed," Cecilia nodded in approval.

"Wuluwu should’ve explained the Dark Lord’s rules—they’re simple. But I have additional rules for maids. No rush though; you three aren’t ordinary maids. We’ll discuss later."

Cecilia clapped her hands, addressing Lily, Hawthorn, and Ona. Wuluwu stood aside, unmoved—she knew our rules well, having been with me long enough.

I didn’t create the Head Maid role as a joke. With so many lovely girls under my command—not just these few—I had no time to manage my harem or mediate their squabbles. Cecilia and the senior maids handled it all.

"Cecilia, how’s the task I gave you?" I turned to her.

"All settled, Dark Lord," she bowed. "Evacuating Demon Race residents near the border has begun. They’ll all retreat to safe zones within two days. Compensation’s agreed upon—you’re free to have your fun now."

"Ha, excellent. With you around, I can relax." I nodded, satisfied. Lily, however, looked utterly lost.

"W-wait? What... what are you talking about?" she stammered.

"Clearing the border of Demon Race residents," I said, turning to her with a sly smile. "Isn’t it obvious?"

"You’re going to war?" Lily frowned. "With whom? Do you need my strength?"

"...No. I don’t need your strength," I replied. "And I doubt you could bring yourself to fight them..."

"Bring myself? Wait—don’t tell me..."

"Exactly. This time, my enemy is humanity."

"...Humanity? But why... Humans and the Demon Race... no, specifically you, the First Overlord, have had peace for three hundred years..."

"Because I killed the king of Castillia Kingdom. And a bunch of nobles." I cut her off bluntly.

"Right now, a group of Champions and a 300,000-strong human army are marching toward my border—"

"You killed Castillia’s king?" Lily gaped. "Why?"

"For a deal." I kept smiling, my gaze shifting to Hawthorn.

"I told you—I made a deal with Hawthorn. One term was executing anyone who harmed her... including the mastermind." I paused. "The planner."

"...The planner... the king?"

Lily’s face twisted in disbelief.

"No, that’s impossible... You’re lying!"

"...Master speaks the truth," Hawthorn said softly. "I joined him in dealing with the perpetrators. I heard it myself—the king of Castillia orchestrated your death, Master."

"...But... why..." Lily froze, her fluffy ears drooping, eyes losing focus.

"I... I was Castillia’s Valkyrie. Why would they betray me..."

"I... don’t know either," Hawthorn murmured, unable to meet Lily’s gaze.

"To control Hawthorn’s power," I chimed in, savoring Lily’s shattered expression. A twinge of pity? Maybe. But once she lost all faith in Castillia, she’d be mine completely.

"Cecilia, tell her who the previous Champion wielding Hawthorn really was."

I spoke up—I didn’t want to say the rest myself.