“Why are you so certain, Your Majesty?”

Alisha, standing nearby, couldn’t help asking. She still hadn’t let her guard down around Mu Nanyan.

“Her? With those skinny arms and legs, I could tell at a glance that she was a pawn.”

The Demon Emperor’s words left Alisha a little baffled. But if Her Majesty had said so, then she must have had her reasons, right?

But the Demon Emperor didn’t tell Alisha that she’d discovered the real reason Mu Nanyan was so weak and passive on their wedding night.

They’d only made it to the first step before the Demon Emperor grew dizzy and passed out. Even so, she knew all too well that Mu Nanyan was delicate, soft-bodied, and easy to push over.

That was why she’d stopped her subordinates from hurting Mu Nanyan.

After all, if Mu Nanyan died, finding the real culprit would be much harder.

Dead men tell no tales. And even if they did find the culprit, what then? Whoever was pulling the strings from behind the scenes was undoubtedly a cunning old fox.

“Make sure she’s protected. If a pawn fails, they’ll eliminate her. She’s a crucial witness.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. There’s one more matter I need to report…”

Alisha looked troubled. The imperial physician glanced at her and immediately realized they were about to discuss state affairs.

He tactfully withdrew with his apprentice. Even if Alisha hadn’t sent him away, he’d been eager to leave.

He couldn’t wait to study the prescription Mu Nanyan had given him. If he could mass-produce it, it would raise the Demon Clan to an entirely new level.

“Your condition…”

“I’m fine. Go ahead. I’ve only been poisoned a little.”

“It’s like this, Your Majesty. While you were unconscious, three cities in the north of the Demon Clan were ambushed by the Human Race’s knight order. We’ve lost contact with all of them.”

Alisha watched the Demon Emperor nervously.

“What? Did someone with a loose tongue let it slip that I’d fallen?”

The Demon Emperor sprang to her feet, then broke into a violent coughing fit. She was clearly furious.

“No. I ordered a strict news blackout. Apart from the Demon Clan’s Imperial Guard and the maids we trust, no one knows.”

Alisha was certain that everyone who knew Her Majesty had collapsed was utterly loyal. There was no chance of a spy among them.

Besides… even if there were a spy, Her Majesty had been unconscious for less than a day.

The Human Race’s knight order had already set out by the time Her Majesty fell. They were still advancing, hoping to seize a few more cities.

Even if a spy had passed on the news, how could it have reached them so quickly? The Human Race couldn’t have found out the moment Her Majesty collapsed. Their message network simply wasn’t that fast.

“…”

The Demon Emperor said nothing. She only pressed her red lips together, as if deep in thought.

“Is the Human Race’s knight order still advancing?”

“Yes.”

“Find a way to stop them for now. Send out the Demon Knight Order’s finest to meet them, and wipe out those fools who don’t know their place.”

“As for the cities we’ve lost, recover as many as we can. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll…”

The Demon Emperor hadn’t finished speaking when Alisha handed her a document.

It had come from the Human Race.

“The Human Race’s Pope says… he wants to meet with you and discuss things. They’re willing to return the cities, but there’s a condition. They claim everyone in the cities is a Human Race captive, and we’ll have to pay them in gold to get them back.”

“What?”

The Demon Emperor could hardly believe it.

Where had the Human Race found the nerve to do this? They’d started a war without even making a declaration, and now they dared to threaten her.

“Please, Your Majesty, stay calm. Judging by this document, they seem certain you can’t attend the meeting in person. That’s why the Human Race’s Pope invited me instead.”

“Your Majesty, it’s obvious they’ve planned this in advance. How should we respond?”