Following the first great war between the Blood Clan and the demon race, the two sides signed the North-South Treaty. In the period that followed, the demons experienced unprecedented economic prosperity; magic industries expanded rapidly, spurring engineering construction and a surge in consumerism.
In this era, many demons amassed colossal fortunes and exalted standing through investment and trade. Becoming an overnight parvenu or soaring to the heavens in a single leap was far from impossible.
Thus, the sudden emergence of Rocky McCarthy was not particularly baffling to the demons. One could only call it normal; perhaps by next year, yet another Rocky McCarthy would appear.
Of course, what had allowed this restaurant to shoot to fame so swiftly was not just McCarthy's remarkably profound demonic network in Naicalis—seemingly on cordial terms with quite a few ministers—but also a unique, limited menu item called Count's blood curd.
It was a bright crimson pudding, said to possess a magical quality that made demons addicted to it.
In the Demon Realm, a chef capable of crafting food with magical effects held a status no lesser than that of a magic artificer.
Furthermore, after consuming a certain amount of Count's blood curd for the first time, it would even permanently increase one's stamina attribute.
Thus, it gradually became a delicacy at this restaurant that money could scarcely buy.
Many demons sought to replicate McCarthy's path to success, only to find themselves utterly without a clue.
"A demon told me that he once slaughtered quite a few of our kin."
A snippet of conversation pulled Lysandra back to reality.
A chill instantly seized Lysandra, for she knew these demons were discussing none other than the master of this palace-restaurant, Rocky McCarthy.
She had followed her old classmate, the blonde noble lady Tia, over to a group of demon men and women, and under Lady Tia's introduction, she was soon introduced to the demonic figures around them.
This was the genuine aristocratic circle of the royal capital, Naicalis. Someone like Lysandra could only stammer that she was a descendant of the ancient great demon Duke Puckley, concealing the fact that she had simply "sneaked in" by virtue of living next door, rather than being an authentic, distinguished member of the establishment.
Unlike the timid Lysandra, the Demon Realm nobles beside her leaned forward eagerly, desperate to hear every detail about the restaurant's master.
"I don't think that's it," Lady Tia said with a trace of hesitation. "It's far more likely he was a wartime spy."
As the cousin of the Demon Realm general, the Thunder Lord, she could tell that many of the restaurant's employees possessed military discipline. If anyone claimed McCarthy had no connection to the Demon Realm military, she would never believe it.
Earlier, she had prowled through the restaurant for several rounds, questioning every demon she recognized, yet had failed to glean the slightest clue regarding McCarthy.
This phantom-like presence merely reminded her of the elite, professionally trained spies her cousin often spoke of.
A demon gentleman nodded in agreement, drew in a breath, and lowered his voice slightly. "I've heard demons talk about that too. There are demons who know a little about him—apparently he just returned from the frontier, bearing the crest of an orc city-state clan. Even after the war ended, he seemed to have remained undercover in the human and Blood Clan realms, engaging in trade all the way and striking out on an unconventional path to amass a fortune."
He swore high and low that his insider scoop was dead-on.
"Oh, that's not true at all," a girl's counter-voice drew Lysandra's attention to the other side. "How could he have been a wartime spy? During the war, he was studying at Purgatory Corridor Academy! I've heard from many demons that Rocky McCarthy attended that cruel, prestigious academy."
Seeing the young nobles begin to lean toward her version, she added excitedly, "Still, I do believe one thing—sometimes you can tell just from the inadvertent expressions of the restaurant's staff. I bet he really has slaughtered many demons."
She narrowed her eyes, shivering at her own gossip.
Lysandra couldn't help but shudder as well.
As the conversation drifted, every demon around them couldn't resist letting their eyes wander during pauses, attempting to search the resplendent hall for the rumored owner, Rocky McCarthy.
Yet their searching yielded not a single clue.
He might be downstairs; he might be upstairs; he might be any demon they laid eyes on.
No one knew what devil race he belonged to, whether he was young or old, handsome or ordinary.
Even those demons who were normally boisterous and unrestrained lowered their voices to hushed whispers whenever McCarthy was mentioned in the restaurant, further convincing one another of just how deeply shrouded in mystery this demon was.
"Regardless, at the royal ceremony a week from now, we should be able to see McCarthy's true face in the royal palace," a noble finally remarked with a touch of regret.
Given McCarthy's current connections in the royal capital of Naicalis, there was a high probability he would receive an invitation.
Many of the social elites gathered here were eligible to attend; it was unlikely that McCarthy, who was entertaining them, would be left out.
Perhaps that would be Rocky McCarthy's first public appearance.
Until then, he might well be right here in this palace, having just brushed past your shoulder without you ever noticing.
"That's assuming Mr. McCarthy is even willing to attend. Perhaps to him, a mere princess isn't worth looking at," the blonde noble lady Tia remarked, spreading her hands. "Lysandra, how are the princess's looks? Could she enchant McCarthy?" she asked, turning her gaze toward her little follower.
"Er, she is very beautiful..." Lysandra replied.
She understood what Tia meant. After all, the princess possessed neither rank nor power; as a caged bird akin to a decorative art piece, her appearance was likely the only thing that held any appeal for men.
"Still, a demon like McCarthy must have seen every kind of female demon there is. He wouldn't make a special trip just to catch a glimpse of the princess's fair face, would he? She can't possibly be that stunning," a demon nearby countered as Lysandra fell silent.
The only ones who could claim the princess were great demons.
And McCarthy was clearly not a great demon.
The rest of the demons were merely attending as witnesses to a rare spectacle, hoping at most to see what the princess looked like nowadays.
"Indeed..." Lysandra considered it and could only nod.
If McCarthy truly were a lecher who lusted after the princess's beauty, it would utterly shatter the illusions of all the demons curious about him.
After standing and conversing on the restaurant's second floor for a dozen minutes or so, the first dinner seating drew to a close.
Naturally, there would be a second round after midnight.
Tia invited Lysandra to join her at a table in the second-floor open-air garden, accompanied by those same young demons.
The moon had climbed higher, casting a dusting of silver grains across the boundless night sky over the bay. The lilting, melodious chime of a harp seemed to flow alongside the midsummer breeze.
This terrace was much more spacious, offering a clear view of just how vast McCarthy's estate truly was. The sofas lining the dining table were also far more comfortable, and without the heavy stench of alcohol from indoors, Lysandra felt she could suddenly breathe much easier.
Even outside, one could hear the sounds of operatic music being performed like a stage show from within the restaurant. Champagne bubbled in slender flutes, presented to each guest by attendants, accompanied by the crisp clinking of glasses.
The adjacent table was far less lively; it held only a single demon whose horns and body markings were entirely pure white.
Further away, laughter continued unabated.
"Tomorrow happens to be the day the royal family receives the Blood Clan's special envoy, Count Sergio. Don't stay up too late tonight and miss it," a voice echoed across the broad second-floor terrace.
Most of the demons who could come to this restaurant knew what those distant tables were discussing.
The Blood Clan diplomatic mission that had arrived early in the Demon Realm was apparently investigating the disappearance of a Blood Clan Count near the Demon Realm several days ago.
The Blood Clan strongly suspected that a demon had violated the North-South Treaty and attacked this count.
And demons with the strength to subdue a Blood Clan Count were currently nearly all gathered in the Demon King's Castle, Naicalis.
Now, the Blood Clan investigating envoy, Count Sergio, intended to cast a spell in the royal capital of Naicalis to thoroughly uncover clues regarding the culprit.
No matter where the missing count was hidden or how many layers of seals bound him, any demon who had recently come into contact with Blood Clan blood would be sensed by the Blood Clan detective, Count Sergio.
"If the one who harmed the Blood Clan Count is a great demon of exalted rank and power, being accused could trigger a grave diplomatic crisis," a demon at Lysandra's table sighed.
Hearing this, Lysandra silently nodded like an insignificant wallflower.
In an affair of this magnitude, Count Sergio, the Blood Clan's special envoy, was ostensibly visiting the ruler of the Demon Realm—the princess. The Fall Lord was merely acting as a minister to protect the princess's safety.
The Fall Lord had also cleverly shifted this headache onto the princess, using her as a shield.
For if the true wielder of power, the Fall Lord, were to handle it, the situation would become far thornier.
The nobles at the table maintained relatively dignified postures, ardently discussing major Demon Realm affairs. Mindful of representing their families, they were reasonably cordial toward Lysandra, who was likewise able to be present.
By now, Lysandra was beginning to feel light-headed.
Having downed two large glasses of wine, the scene before her eyes grew hazy.
Yet she also worried that if she overslept tomorrow, being late would be disastrous.
Perhaps it was precisely because tonight's festivities would keep the restaurant open late that McCarthy, as her neighbor, had invited her along as a form of compensation.
"If the princess can handle the Blood Clan's interrogation well tomorrow, her prestige might soar. But if she bungles it, she will only succeed in proving that she's a useless vase," the blonde noble lady Tia brought up the princess once more. "Honestly, anyone with half a brain knows that most demons have zero expectations for her tomorrow. If she were truly worthy of her station, the Fall Lord wouldn't have driven a duck to a perch like this, shoving her to the front line to take the brunt of the Blood Clan envoy's pressure."
The other demons nodded in agreement.
Lysandra tightened her grip on her glass.
This was already the third time.
Although Tia was speaking the truth, Lysandra couldn't help feeling that Lady Tia harbored intense hostility toward the princess.
When it came to noble bloodlines, Tia couldn't hold a candle to the princess.
"I think the princess is a wonderful demon," Lysandra mumbled, her head drooping as she enunciated each word. "Your cousin, the Thunder Lord, still has to be chosen by the princess before he can win, you know. Even if you say she isn't worthy, she's the one who gets to choose! The princess happens to have the right to pick, while you don't even have the right to pick your cousin."
Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, she blurted out the unvarnished truth. This time, she didn't want to fake a polite smile alongside Tia anymore.
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
The sofas around the table fell deathly silent.
They all stared at Lysandra and Tia in astonishment.
Yet Lady Tia said nothing more.
She strove to uphold the dignity and composure expected of nobility.
However, with the subtle effects of the alcohol, the emotions buried deep within her heart could no longer be masked. A misty veil coated her eyes.
Slowly clutching the hem of her skirt with one hand, she began to shed tears.
This reaction left Lysandra completely bewildered.
The other demons around them understood.
Tia simply wanted the Thunder Lord to lose; she didn't want her cousin stolen away by a woman he had never even met.
And Lysandra's words had struck Tia with devastating force.
"What... what can I do?"
Tears rolled down Tia's flawless cheeks drop by drop. Her hands trembled faintly, causing the wine in her glass to ripple.
At this moment, though she was still beautiful, her fragility and grievance appeared exceptionally brittle in the quiet night.
She knew her clan needed the princess, and she knew she desperately did not want her cousin to win, yet she could never tell him—otherwise, it would only make her look unreasonable, dragging down her clan and her cousin.
"I—I didn't mean that! I didn't know you actually..."
Lysandra was suddenly thrown into utter disarray.
She hadn't seen her old classmate Tia in years and had no idea that Tia's jealousy toward the princess stemmed from her love for her cousin, the Thunder Lord.
Lysandra knew how to interact with demons like the princess, who appeared gentle on the surface but were resolute within; but when suddenly confronted with a woman like Tia, who acted fierce on the outside while harboring a fragile heart, anything she said felt dreadfully out of place.
Just as Lysandra was in a panic, a calm, gentle voice sounded from behind them.
"Excuse me, miss, do you need any assistance?"
At the neighboring table sat that same male demon, his horns like an exoskeleton of white jade, gleaming with a faint, soft luminescence.
In the Demon Realm, demons with the light attribute were exceedingly rare—or rather, demons as gorgeous as him were virtually nonexistent, especially with those emerald-green eyes.
Looking closely, one would notice a petite girl sitting beside him, fast asleep against his arm.
That was why he had remained completely motionless until now.
Now that the little girl was sound asleep, he finally laid her gently onto the sofa, letting her rest peacefully on her stomach.
Chapter 567