https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-593-Loren-Lost-His-Voice-at-Home/12584916/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-595-How-Cardinal-Lanchi-Fell-into-the-Pleasure-Quarters/12584918/
Chapter 594: Hubertian and Sigil's First Encounter
Chapter 594: Hubertian and Sigil's First Encounter
The next day.
In the Demon Capital of Nakalis.
As the first rays of morning sunlight slanted through the glass walls of the grand foyer, a man and a cat slowly descended the staircase.
"This is your twenty-ninth day in this shadow world, isn't it?"
Lanci had already learned to anticipate and answer.
"Meow."
The little black cat's report was cut short as Lanci interrupted it.
In the dining hall of the Maccassi Palace, a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows was laid with fine white linen and neatly arranged cutlery, awaiting the arrival of its occupants.
However, on one of the sofas, a figure was already seated.
Hubertian turned towards Lanci and offered him a smile.
Today, she had opted for a more casual dress instead of the formal attire befitting a princess of the demon world.
"You're up early."
Lanci took a seat on the sofa opposite Hubertian and glanced out the window. Without needing to check the time, he could roughly estimate the hour from the light in the sky, as the deep purple veil of night gradually lifted, and the sea shed its dull hue, awakening all of Nakalis, the Demon King's city.
"After all, I spent the whole day dreaming yesterday."
Hubertian, who lived on the top floor, had been cautious as she passed by the third floor, where Lanci and the cat boss were located, not wanting to disturb them.
However, she suspected that there might be another occupant on the fourth floor.
There were signs of life there.
In the brief moment while they waited for breakfast, the two idly chatted to pass the time.
"Good morning."
Before the servants could begin serving breakfast, a light, nimble footfall caught their attention.
A small figure appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way down.
Hubertian looked at the distant little wolf demon, then turned to Lanci.
"She's my guide, Sigil, who led me through the Land of Eternal Night to the Demon World. Now she's our companion."
Lanci introduced her to Hubertian.
He had spent the entire previous day with Hubertian and hadn't had the opportunity to introduce Sigil to her after dinner when they parted ways.
"I see."
Hubertian immediately understood. This little girl had used transformation magic to disguise herself as a demon.
In reality, she was most likely also from the Pekrant Empire.
Hubertian instantly felt less intimidated by the little girl, as it was rare to encounter another human in the Demon World.
Sigil scampered over to Lanci's side without any intention of slowing down and jumped onto the sofa.
"What a cute child."
Hubertian remarked, observing Sigil's expressive yet lively demeanor.
Despite her attire leaning more towards a boyish style, her face was that of a budding beauty, and her light-colored long hair was braided like satin ribbons.
"Rochi braided my hair for me."
Sigil explained.
She used to simply tie her hair back or tuck it into her hat, but Rochi had taken on the role of a mother, braiding her hair neatly each morning.
After changing her attire upon arriving in the Demon World, Sigil, who hadn't looked in a mirror in a long time, was surprised to discover her transformed appearance.
"Can you do this as well?"
Hubertian turned to Lanci.
She knew that he could paint, sculpt, and do many other things, but she didn't expect him to be like Duke Migaya, skilled even at braiding a girl's hair.
"Shall I help you tomorrow?"
Lanci asked with a slight smile.
"No, no."
Hubertian waved her hand, indicating that she was no longer a little girl who needed an adult's help with her hair.
Although it wasn't entirely out of the question, she didn't need it at the moment.
"Are you a princess?"
Sigil looked at Hubertian with curiosity in her eyes as she asked.
She had heard the butler and the servants in the dining room mention that Rochi had brought back a demon princess yesterday, and if her guess was correct, this young lady was the one they were talking about.
Sigil had never seen such a dazzling young noblewoman before.
"Well, I don't really want to be a princess..."
Hubertian averted her gaze, feeling embarrassed.
She didn't want to deny her current responsibilities, nor did she want to lie to a child, but she was concerned about frightening the little girl.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
Sigil exclaimed, her eyes widening in admiration.
Hubertian was left bewildered for a moment.
"She's been learning letters and etiquette lately, and I've been teaching her. I apologize if she's been a source of amusement for you."
Lanci smiled helplessly, feeling somewhat responsible.
However, he didn't blame Sigil; instead, he blamed himself.
Compared to how Sigil spoke initially, she had improved significantly.
When Lanci first heard Sigil speak, his reaction had been quite similar to Hubertian's.
It would likely take quite some time to mold Sigil into a noble lady befitting the Prime Minister's household, but Lanci didn't think it was necessary for her to change completely. She possessed an innate wildness that shouldn't be tamed, and if anything, she was born to be an emperor, disdaining the constraints of any rules or boundaries.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Hubertian asked.
Despite Lanci being Sigil's teacher, she always felt that he resembled a single father raising a child.
It was just like how Duke Migaya had taken care of her when she was younger.
Hubertian felt a sense of compassion and wanted to lend a helping hand to Lanci while also caring for Sigil, a little girl who shared similarities with her.
"That would be a great help," Lanci exhaled in relief and smiled.
For a child of Sigil's age, she needed more than just one person's company.
"When I'm not around, you can have Hubertian teach you. She's a genuine noble young lady, and when it comes to things like writing letters, she might even be better than me." Lanci introduced Hubertian to Sigil.
"Okay," Sigil nodded.
However, she fell silent afterward.
It seemed that she was still a bit reserved around the newly introduced Hubertian and preferred to stick by Lanci's side.
"You know, Hubertian also hates the Blood Clan," Lanci whispered to Sigil.
"How much?" Sigil's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why don't you ask her?" Lanci patted Sigil's head.
Sigil thought for a moment and then scampered over to sit beside Hubertian.
"Hubertian, do you hate the Blood Clan?" Sigil asked, looking up at her.
"Of course, I do. If it weren't for the Blood Clan, my father wouldn't have..." Hubertian's eyes flashed with hatred, and her voice gradually softened until she couldn't continue.
Sigil looked at Hubertian, silent for a moment.
She hugged Hubertian's slender waist as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"Sigil, did something happen to your father because of the Blood Clan as well?" Hubertian asked, surprised, as she looked at Sigil. After a moment's thought, she finally understood the reason for Sigil's reaction.
"Mhm," Sigil buried her head in Hubertian's body and whispered in response.
It was as if she was both comforting Hubertian and seeking comfort from her.
"Don't worry, Sigil. The Blood Clan will be defeated. The Demon World has already decided to officially declare war on them," Hubertian reassured Sigil as she gently stroked her long hair.
Hubertian understood that Sigil's closeness was due to Lanci's words that had initiated the topic.
She wondered how Lanci could be so normal when interacting with children.
Hubertian was perplexed.
This was one of the rare occasions when Lanci appeared and acted like a normal person.
"Really?" Sigil looked up at Hubertian, her voice filled with disbelief and excitement.
She used to read the newspaper every day, even if she didn't understand everything, she still tried her best to keep up.
She had been hoping for a decisive defeat of the Blood Clan and the Honing Empire, and now, finally, there seemed to be a thrilling change.
"Would a Demon Princess ever lie?" Hubertian asked with a smile.
"Come, Sigil, let me tell you all about it." Hubertian motioned for Sigil to sit beside her and asked a servant to bring her a copy of the Nakalis Morning Post. She proceeded to explain the current situation in the Demon World to Sigil.
Hubertian found Sigil absolutely adorable, just like a miniature version of herself from the past.
She was now certain that the four nodes of Blood Moon Calamity in the shadow worlds were interconnected, and each shadow world was consecutive. Establishing dominance in one shadow world could influence the next.
The reason she and Lanci were able to meet in the Demon World was due to the outcome of the second shadow world, which had caused a shift in the narrative.
However, the first two shadow worlds had significant limitations in terms of map size and time, resulting in limited interference with subsequent worlds.
But the current shadow world, the Eclipsed Demon Realm of Utmost Darkness, was a completely open map with a lengthy duration, allowing for a wide range of possibilities that could lead to a significant deviation in the story arc of the final Blood Moon Calamity shadow world.
The next shadow world might be set several years after this one.
By the time she and Lanci returned to the shadow world from the real world, Sigil would have grown up.
Then, Sigil would become a dependable teammate.
Hubertian couldn't help but look forward to seeing what a grown-up Sigil would be like.
She wished she could bring Sigil back to the real world as her sister, but she knew it was an impossible wish.
(End of Chapter)
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