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Chapter 565: The Remarkable Lanchi
Chapter 565: The Remarkable Lanchi
In a corner of the bedroom sat an exquisite ancient zither, and the shelves along the wall were filled with ancient books and magical artifacts.
Lisandra's gaze wandered around the room, avoiding the princess. The only thing that could be considered a challenge for the princess was her daily inquiry about the arrival of new Greater Demons in the royal capital.
Princess Kalliera, the Fallen, had forbidden her from disclosing any information about the participating Greater Demons, their identities, statuses, and other qualifications. Ensuring fairness in the upcoming contest in a few days was paramount.
Any hint of impropriety would cast doubt on Kalliera's impartial image, especially now that she held the reins of power.
There was one more thing Lisandra wasn't sure she should tell the princess.
Aside from the Greater Demons, a vampire would also be participating this time.
The Tenth Progenitor, renowned as the most unique painter among the vampires, had a power related to art. Upon hearing of the princess's request, he expressed his desire to participate.
Originally, the demons had wanted to negotiate with the vampires and use this opportunity to decline their proposal of a political marriage. However, they hadn't expected the Tenth Progenitor to agree to follow the demons' rules, and they couldn't very well refuse him.
"However, the rules finally decided upon by Cardinal Kalliera and the Greater Demons may not necessarily satisfy Your Highness." Lisandra could only say this much.
She felt she had to give the princess some sort of response.
Even though the princess had proposed selecting the most artistically talented demon, this condition, after being conveyed by Kalliera, had caused dissatisfaction among many Greater Demons.
The demon aristocrats still believed that the princess's condition was too directed, as only Greater Demons could participate. This meant that most of the Greater Demons had little to no competition, with some destined to lose and others guaranteed a victory.
Additionally, in some rules of duels between prominent demon clans, knights could act as messengers for their masters. So, why couldn't a family's most talented craftsman take on the task of painting?
After much negotiation, Kalliera and the Greater Demons compromised, and the final rule was established: Greater Demons could bring an assistant to help them with their paintings.
Whether the Greater Demon would do most of the painting with the assistant's help or let the "assistant" take the lead while the demon provided true auxiliary support was uncertain.
However, all of this fell within the acceptable range for the Fallen Cardinal.
Finding the most talented painter within a limited time and discerning their artwork was also a testament to one's artistic acumen and strength.
From the Fallen's perspective, she didn't want the Greater Demons to come to blows at this juncture. A peaceful competition was ideal, and the more the fairness of the competition was recognized by the Greater Demons, the more convincing it would be.
Another reason was that the Greater Demons had seized upon the Fallen's initial intention to not let the vampires win, and they successfully persuaded her with this argument.
In recent days, the great demon families had expended much effort to enlist the aid of ancient artisans from the demon world.
"Your Highness, what style of painting do you like the most?" Lisandra asked tentatively, swallowing her saliva.
Many great demon families had approached her, hoping to leverage her connection with the princess to gain some advance intelligence.
To ensure fairness, the princess would blindly select the paintings on the day of the contest, choosing the one she liked the most without knowing the artist. The painter of the selected artwork would then be declared the winner.
If it were possible to contact the princess in advance, it might even be theoretically feasible to establish a secret code and engage in underhanded dealings.
"Of course, we can't fake it too obviously, like having the princess blatantly choose a Rare-grade painting over a Sacred-grade one. That would be too suspicious."
"There aren't any restrictions on style, though," Hurberrian replied hesitantly, as if unsure how to answer Lisandra's question.
The truth was, she didn't know what kind of paintings she liked herself.
She had seen many impressive works, like those of Duke Migaya, which everyone raved about, but having watched the duke paint since she was little, she couldn't see what all the fuss was about and failed to appreciate the subtle distinctions.
"I'm sorry, that was a sudden question!" Lisandra quickly changed the subject, even though the temptation of the demon nobles was great, she had to be cautious.
She wasn't sure if Princess Kalliera, the Fallen, was aware of their scheming. The Fallen's thoughts were often inscrutable; she might turn a blind eye to certain things, but if they went against her wishes, she could be merciless in her retribution.
Lisandra genuinely wanted the princess to fare well. Aside from the potential benefits of being in her good graces, the princess had been genuinely kind to her, and she didn't have many friends in the royal capital.
What a pity about those arrogant, powerful nobles. They only tried to get close to her to gain information, not because they truly cared about the princess's preferences.
In reality, none of them could hold a candle to the Tenth Progenitor in terms of strength.
Lisandra had once appraised the paintings of the Tenth Progenitor while in school, and she personally believed that these powerful demons were overly confident in their artistic abilities.
Regardless of who won, Lisandra was certain that ever since the princess had expressed her desire for artistic talent, there would be no happy ending for her.
Poor princess, in this political climate, she herself was nothing more than a commodity to be traded by the demons.
None of the great demons truly loved her.
"Then, can you tell me about anything interesting that's happened outside the castle?" Hurberrian's voice interrupted Lisandra's train of thought.
"Well, I haven't been paying too much attention, but as you know, I live across the bay. Even though my commute to the palace is a bit far, my house is positioned so that I can see the palace across the bay." Lisandra replied after a moment's thought.
"And?" Hurberrian nodded, encouraging Lisandra to continue.
"Recently, a lavish neighbor moved in next to my humble abode, but I don't know much about them either." Lisandra said, perplexed.
Her little cottage happened to be next to a grand structure.
Just a week ago, a demon billionaire had effortlessly purchased this palace-like restaurant on Lis Island, or perhaps he had merely rented it to boost his image.
No one knew where this nouveau riche had come from, and rumors about him were spreading across the island.
However, many of these rumors were quickly dispelled as the new owner renovated the restaurant, transforming it into a new artistic masterpiece that quadrupled its value. It was clear that he hadn't just rented the place.
No one knew who this wealthy demon was, what he did, or why he had chosen to buy a mansion across the bay, directly facing the royal palace.
Some speculated he was a spy, others a killer, but these were all shallow guesses.
(End of Chapter)
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