NOVPUBWatching the astonished faces of the guests, a thin, mocking smile flickered at the corner of Lord Perlman’s eyes.
"Poseen’s shadow has already enveloped us overhead, and I’m afraid this ball must now come to an end," he said.
The guests below were panic-stricken, their faces ashen, as the previously lively and joyful ball became solemn and oppressive.
But they were at a loss as to what to do.
When they looked again towards Lord Perlman, their faces were filled with pleading, hoping he would provide a solution.
However, he simply looked around, still appearing composed, his handsome face revealing a murky and indistinct expression under the illumination of the Magic Fluorescent Screen.
"This is the crime of The Senate, and today I have gathered everyone here to let you all see the truth! We of the Demon Race need not shelter under these humans any longer," he declared.
Lord Perlman’s cadence seemed to incite emotions, as the demons’ eyes blazed with angry flames,
"Today, I want to introduce to everyone a true King of our Demon Race," he announced.
He waved his wand, pointing at the screen in the banquet hall.
You could only see…
The cloaked figure holding the book removed their hood, silver strands of hair cascading down as she turned slightly, allowing people to glimpse those deep blue eyes.
A wicked smile played on her lips.
And this visage once again provoked gasps in the banquet hall.
Because…
This demon was very famous in the Poseen Kingdom.
In Platinum Sen Palace, there was a painting, modeled after her—
"Sleeping Beauty"!
"She is the legitimate heir of the Demon World, a royal of the Great Demon Clan, Isatia! She will lead us to restore our kingdom in Poseen! We are the witnesses of humanity’s sins, they are the traitors, we are the betrayed, unforgivable, implacable, only revenge, solely revenge!!"
Lord Perlman raised his hands high, his voice resolute and stirring, like steel forged in the demons’ hearts, guiding their mighty fury towards victory.
Even Talia, in Lanci’s mental world, was growing restless.
For the face of the demon holding the Cursed Magic Guide on the screen was that of the Duchess from the Hyperion family portraits, her most beloved younger sister in memory!
"No, that is not my sister, it’s the Curse Spreader disguised as her!"
Talia cried out anxiously in the heart of Lanci.
"Calm down, Talia, if you appear now, you can only fight for three minutes at most,"
Lanci spoke steadily to Talia in the mental world.
The situation had to be observed before acting rashly, as the chances of success in forcibly subduing the opposition were very low.
If they had to act tonight, they still needed to consider how to accomplish the most within the limited duration of the fight, to achieve a decisive task.
Upon hearing Lanci’s words, Talia took a moment to ponder, then gradually calmed down.
Now, in rethinking the cause, they had also clarified one thing.
Lord Perlman and the Curse Spreader were conspiring together.
Their goal was to overthrow The Senate and orchestrate a coup to take control of the Poseen Kingdom.
Such an action would usually face the greatest resistance from the Kingdom Joint Council and the alliances of kingdoms in the eastern region.
Even if Perlman and the Curse Spreader did succeed, the allied nations of Poseen Kingdom would likely aid The Senate in a campaign to retake power, and simply put, their Demon World in Poseen stood no chance against the colossus that is the Kingdom Joint Council.
But the timing of the current situation was delicate.
As if a prophet had calculated when war would break out in the South Continent.
Once the Cerryti Empire to the south initiated war, the Kingdom Association would be too preoccupied to provide aid, certainly lacking the spare resources to assist the original rulers of Poseen!
Compared with the timing of the South Continent war Lanci had anticipated, it was slightly premature.
If not for the interference from other prophets and unforeseen variables, perhaps Perlman and the Curse Spreader’s actions would have started even later.
But now the damage was negligible.
An unprecedented turmoil in the Poseen Kingdom would begin tonight.
Lord Perlman surveyed the hall, an arrogant look on his face, as if enjoying the expressions on the demons’ faces.
"Perlman, don’t go too far!"
At that moment, a cool female voice shattered the silence.
The demons turned towards the sound and saw a woman in a pure white gown who had, unbeknownst to them, taken a stand at the other end of the hall.
Her waist-long silver-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her pale ice-blue eyes flickered with anger, resembling crystals.
The one who had spoken up was none other than Aitio, the Lord of the 9th District of the Demon World, who had remained silent for so long.
"She is not Isatia at all!"
Aitio pointed at the figure on the screen and accused.
It must be some powerful member of the Demon Tribe using transformation magic to disguise as Isatia, conspiring with Perlman and leveraging Isatia’s name to lead the Demon Race.
This sin, even if Isatia herself truly returned, could not be undone or lead to a normal life anymore; she would carry the burden of infamy forever!
Then, all her efforts of the past decade, her dream of growing old with Duke Migaya, would have been for naught.
"Oh?"
Perlman’s gaze seemed to question, what right do you have to assert she is not Isatia?
In the banquet hall, the demons, witnessing the clash between two Eighth-order Demon Lords, looked to each other uncertain whom to believe.
It was well-known that Lord Aitio was the demon who understood Duchess Isatia of the Migaya family the best in the entire Poseen Demon World.
Her words carried credibility.
But with the situation already escalated to this point today…
In some ways, whether the demon controlling Parlony’s Record of Resentment is the true Isatia had become irrelevant.
Many demons began to retreat, seeking to leave the banquet hall.
