In a corner of the bedroom stood an exquisite guqin, while rows of bookshelves lining the wall were packed with ancient tomes and magic apparatuses.
Lysandra let her gaze wander toward the corners of the room, reluctant to meet the princess's eyes.
The only thing the princess did that could remotely be considered putting her on the spot was asking her every single day whether any new great demons had arrived in the royal capital.
As for which specific great demons would participate, their identities, status, and other conditions, Caliera the Fall Lord had strictly forbidden her from revealing any of it to the princess.
The fairness of the contest in a few days had to be preserved.
Otherwise, if there were any hint of underhanded dealings, Caliera's image of impartial authority would be questioned by the great demons.
There was another matter Lysandra was unsure whether to tell the princess.
Besides the great demons, a member of the Blood Clan would also be participating this time.
The Tenth Progenitor was hailed as the most exceptional painter of the Blood Clan, and his inherent authority was tied to painting. Upon hearing the princess's appeal, he declared that he wished to present a modest offering of his craft.
Originally, the demons had wanted to negotiate peace with the Blood Clan while using this contest to decline an arranged marriage. Yet, to everyone's surprise, the Tenth Progenitor had agreed to abide by the demons' rules, leaving them with no justifiable reason to refuse him.
"However, this time, the final rules decided upon by Lady Caliera and the great demons might not necessarily satisfy Your Highness," Lysandra could only say in the end.
She had to give the princess some kind of answer.
Although the princess had made the appeal that she favored "the demon with the highest artistic caliber," Caliera's relay of this had provoked widespread dissatisfaction among the great demons.
The demonic nobles still felt the princess's qualification was far too specific. Given that only great demons could participate to begin with, most of them would have virtually no chance to compete—some would face automatic defeat, while others could win without lifting a finger.
Furthermore, under certain rules of the Demon Realm, noble duels permitted knights to act as proxy champions. Why, then, could painting not be delegated to the most talented artisans in their households?
After repeated negotiations, both the great demons and Caliera compromised. The final rule stipulated that a great demon could bring one assistant while painting.
As to whether the great demon would personally paint with the assistant merely lending a hand, or the "assistant" would do the lion's share of the work while the great demon served as the actual support, that remained to be seen.
Yet all of this fell within the boundaries Caliera the Fall Lord found acceptable.
Finding the most capable artisan within a limited time and having the discernment to recognize their talent was itself a reflection of artistic foundation and capability.
From the Fall Lord's perspective, she had no wish to see the great demons resort to violence at such a critical juncture. A contest of wits and culture was naturally the best outcome. As for the form it took, the more great demons who accepted its fairness, the more convincing the result would be.
Another reason was that the great demons had seized upon the Fall Lord's underlying reluctance to let the Blood Clan win, using it to successfully sway her.
Over the past few days, the major noble families of the Demon Realm had expended considerable effort to recruit ancient demonic artisans to assist them.
"Your Highness, what style of painting do you like most?" Lysandra swallowed hard and probed hesitantly.
Several prominent families of the Demon Realm had already approached her, hoping to leverage her position to glean some advance information about the princess.
To ensure fairness, the paintings on the day would be selected blindly by the princess: without knowing the artists, she would pick her favorite, and its creator would be crowned the victor.
If someone could reach the princess beforehand, they could theoretically coordinate a secret code to rig the outcome.
The prerequisite was that the fabrication could not be too outrageous—if the princess bypassed a Divine-grade painting and insisted on choosing a Precious-grade one, it would never convince the crowd.
"There's no particular style that I'm set on..." Hyperion responded hesitantly.
She seemed at a loss for how to answer Lysandra's question.
In truth, she did not know what kind of paintings she liked.
She had seen plenty of extraordinary artwork. Every single piece by Duke Mikhail, for instance, had been praised to the heavens, yet having watched Duke Mikhail paint since childhood, she thought it was just so-so and could hardly discern much difference.
"I asked too abruptly!" Lysandra quickly changed the subject.
Even though the temptations offered by the Demon Realm's nobility were substantial, she still had to tread carefully.
She had no idea whether Caliera the Fall Lord was aware of any of this.
The Fall Lord's thoughts were sometimes difficult to fathom. She might notice and turn a blind eye, but if something ran counter to her desires, she would eradicate it without mercy.
Deep down, Lysandra truly wished for the princess's well-being.
Being able to latch onto the princess's coattails in the future was one factor, but she also had few friends in the capital, and the princess was genuinely kind to her.
What a pity.
Those foolish, powerful nobles.
They approached her to pry for intelligence solely to claim victory, not because they genuinely cared about what the princess liked.
In terms of actual skill, they could not hold a candle to the Tenth Progenitor's mere scraps.
Back in school, she had studied and appreciated the paintings of the Blood Clan's Tenth Progenitor. In her opinion, these great demons were far too overconfident.
Regardless of who won, Lysandra was certain that ever since the princess voiced her preference for art, no happy ending awaited her.
The poor princess. In a political landscape like this, was she not herself an artwork to be traded away by the demons?
Not a single great demon truly loved her.
"Then... could you tell me about some interesting things happening outside the castle?" Hyperion's voice carried over, breaking Lysandra's train of thought.
"...I haven't paid much attention, but as you know, I live across the bay. Though the daily commute to the palace is a bit far, my place is situated right where I can see the royal palace across the water," Lysandra murmured after a moment's thought.
"And then?" Hyperion nodded, watching Lysandra.
"Recently, a lavish new neighbor moved in next door to me, though I don't really know what kind of demon he is," Lysandra said, puzzled.
Next to her small cottage, in truth, stood a grand, imposing edifice.
A week ago, a wealthy demon had casually purchased this palace-restaurant on Lis Island—or perhaps merely leased it to put on airs.
Nobody knew where this nouveau riche had come from, and countless rumors about him had recently begun circulating across Lis Island.
Yet many of the rumors quickly collapsed under scrutiny, for the restaurant's owner had completely renovated the place, transforming it into a brand-new work of art and multiplying its value several times over. How could someone have merely leased it?
No one knew where this tycoon had hailed from, no one knew what he did, and no one knew why he had purchased a luxurious estate situated right across the bay, looking directly toward the royal palace.
Some said he was a spy; others claimed he was an assassin.
Yet all of it was nothing more than superficial speculation.
Chapter 564