Chapter 454: Chapter 454

“How dare those Republic bastards interrogate us like savages……!”

Luke stormed down the hallway, seething with anger. We had only just been released from the clutches of the Republic’s intelligence agency. Clearly, the ordeal had left him deeply offended by their methods. I spoke in an even, steady voice to calm him.

“At least they didn’t resort to physical violence. By their standards, that was almost gentlemanly.”

“But they used truth magic and drugs! That’s not how you treat asylum seekers. They were treating us like enemy spies!”

Luke slammed his fist into the wall with a resounding thud. The solid stonework dented under the blow, sending dust and chips of stone cascading to the floor. His eyes glimmered with fury.

“Fine, treat me however they like—but you, Daisy! You’re the only daughter of the Duke of Custos. Once godfather is adopted as a Sebastokrator, you’ll be in line for the Imperial throne! The very least they could do is show proper respect, but instead they dare—!”

I could understand Luke’s feelings. During the interrogation, the intelligence agents had focused all their attention solely on me. Ever since arriving here, I had made a point of treating Luke like a mere attendant, and because of that, the agents had ranked his importance far lower than mine. It was a fair assessment, really.

That half-day, no doubt, had been the time it took them to verify my testimony. The fact that we’d been released meant only one thing: the Republic had already confirmed the existence of the secret passage into the Demon Lord Castle. As expected of them, their response was swift. Or perhaps, in this case, the credit belonged to that woman they called the Consul…….

Elizabeth von Habsburg.

Though she had renounced her surname and wished to be known simply as Elizabeth, this woman of immense power had gotten under my skin from the very first meeting. When Luke and I seized the city’s guard captain and staged our hostage incident, she had appeared before us in nothing but a cloak thrown over her nightclothes.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, so much so that it could steal one’s breath away. Her silver hair was proof of the Habsburg imperial bloodline, and she carried herself with impeccable poise, her back straight, her chin raised. Elizabeth’s eyes met mine, calm and unflinching.

‘You say you’re a servant of Dantalian?’

Her voice was like the dead of winter. Cold, yet utterly captivating. I had planned to meet her with humility, to act the picture of politeness. But seeing her in person changed my mind. She had referred to Father simply as “Dantalian”, daring to omit any honorifics.

Was she implying that my father was her peer? The thought left a sour taste in my mouth. I kept my expression neutral as I replied.

‘I am Daisy von Custos, daughter of the esteemed Duke Custos.’

‘Custos? Don’t tell me that’s what Dantalian is called within his own inner court?’

‘I was not aware the Consul took such interest in the Duke’s private affairs. I am glad, though, as it means I have plenty of stories to share with you.’

Elizabeth gave a soft, derisive snort.

‘Hmph. It does not matter. I shall address you however you wish, Lady Custos. Now, tell me—what business brings you sneaking into the capital of our Republic in the dead of night and causing such a commotion?’

Her tone made it plain that she hadn’t taken a liking to me either.

We had exchanged only a few glances and a handful of words, yet already, I could sense the iron tenacity buried deep within this woman.

That woman never once referred to me as “Dantalian’s daughter” or “Dantalian’s child”. Even though her intelligence agency had no doubt confirmed that I was the very image of Daisy von Custos, she refused to acknowledge my closeness to Father. Whether it be consciously or unconsciously.

That was proof enough that this fallen princess harbored feelings for him.

Father was already far too fixated on this woman before me; it wouldn’t be surprising if the Consul were equally obsessed with him in return. The problem lay in her perception. She seemed to regard Father as her equal. A laughable misjudgment, and a sign of her own lack of sense.

It was time to bring her down a notch.

Without a word, I released the city guard captain. The moment my blade left his throat, he bolted, scrambling away from us as fast as his legs could carry him. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at the sight.

‘Oh? You would let your hostage go of your own accord?’

‘He was only taken to secure an audience with Your Excellency. My primary objective is already achieved. Keeping him any longer would serve no purpose.’

‘‘No purpose,’ you say.’

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest.

‘Lady Custos. At this very moment, seven Swordmasters have you surrounded. Now that your hostage has been released, we have no reason to hold back our attack. Do you not think you are being a bit too arrogant?’

The atmosphere shifted sharply, the tension in the air turning dangerous.

The warriors guarding the Consul moved half a step forward, forming a wall of steel around her. Of the seven Swordmasters already visible, two more had remained perfectly concealed—but I had seen through them all. They now knew, beyond any doubt, that I was at least their equal, someone of Swordmaster caliber.

The moment was ripe to press the advantage.

Sliding my greatsword back into its scabbard, I spoke with measured composure.

‘As the heir to the House of Custos, I have slain Baal, the mightiest of all Demon Lords, captured Agares alive, and dealt an honorable death in single combat to Marshal Gaspar de Tavannes, Regent-General of the Frankish Empire. And now, I request asylum within your Republic.’

In other words: treat me as a political defector worthy of proper respect.

The soldiers’ faces faltered with visible unease. The weight of the achievements I had just recited was simply too overwhelming.

Looking back on it now, Father’s orders for me to personally slay Demon Lords had been a carefully laid preparation for the future. He intended to put me forward as the next Emperor of the Habsburg Empire, depending on the situation.

Naturally, the moment a Demon Lord’s adopted daughter ascended the throne, outrage would erupt—not only from the surrounding nations but from the people themselves. How could they possibly accept the daughter of a Demon Lord as Emperor? Never. Absolutely not.

That was when my feats would shine. A human who had slain Baal, the highest-ranking Demon Lord, and captured Agares, the second. If we flaunted these accomplishments, opposition would wither. Perhaps it would even paint me as a ruler equally feared and respected by both demons and humans, a monarch of true balance…….

Father often likened himself to a spider, and truly, no metaphor could be more precise.

By weaving countless threads in every direction, he ensured absolute preparedness, laying plans for every conceivable future. Whatever course the world might take, he was ready to respond; every soul beyond himself was nothing but prey, writhing helplessly as they became ensnared and slowly consumed by his web.

You are no exception, Elizabeth von Habsburg. Show Father the reverence he deserves. I lifted my chin and met the Consul’s gaze head-on.

Moments later, the Consul parted her lips to speak.

‘The Republic welcomes all people, regardless of origin. If you truly seek asylum, then know that our nation will gladly receive you. However, I trust you understand that certain procedures must first be carried out.’

‘Men. We have been graced with an extraordinary guest. See that she is received with all due courtesy.’

With that command from Elizabeth, the ordeal began—an interrogation that seemed to have no end.

Surrounded by intelligence agents, I was bombarded with hundreds of questions. Each interrogator was a consummate professional, sharp-eyed and unrelenting. The rumors that the Habsburg Republic maintained the most formidable intelligence network on the continent were clearly no idle boasts. Then again, it was only natural; in any nation where dictatorship reigned in full, institutions thrived.

Perhaps their goal was to overwhelm me with their barrage, to unravel my composure with the sheer weight of their inquiries. If so, they were in for disappointment. Father had once, under the guise of training, subjected me to unceasing torture for half a month without a single reprieve. Even then, I had kept my mind intact.

‘Did you truly betray Dantalian?’

‘To clarify, this refers to Dantalian, the Rank 71 Demon Lord. Did you, in fact, turn against him?’

They tried to corner me, building their own line of reasoning with careful precision. Compared to Father’s terrifying “lessons”, however, this was little more than a child’s game.

Boredom had set in quickly, so I decided to turn their endless questioning to my own advantage. By the end of it, Barbatos was no longer under surveillance by the Bureau but placed squarely under my personal jurisdiction. No doubt Elizabeth’s hounds were congratulating themselves right now, convinced they had achieved the “best possible outcome”.

Elizabeth had indeed “received me with courtesy”, as she promised. In return, I’d given her subordinates the treatment they deserved—thorough, meticulous, and entirely on my terms. I’d done nothing wrong.

Even if the Consul continues to suspect me regardless of the outcome, passing their intelligence department’s examination was victory enough. My goals, at least in part, had been met. Unlike Luke, who couldn’t stop grumbling, I felt little reason to complain.

“I dare them to try and lock us up in some damp little hole after all that. I’ll raise hell.”

Luke muttered darkly as he strode to the heavy door at the end of the corridor and pushed it open. The room was buried deep in the intelligence department’s underground wing, and we were not to leave without explicit permission.

Inside, the chamber was unexpectedly spacious. In the very center, Barbatos hung suspended, bound from head to toe in anti-magic chains, unconscious from what must have been a heavy dose of a powerful sedative. Apart from that grim sight, however, the room was almost regal in its splendor—luxurious furnishings, rich decor, everything one might expect of a royal guest suite.

“……Well. I suppose it’s not terrible.”

Luke’s face twisted into a scowl, his tone one of reluctant approval.

Even after betraying Father and finding himself practically imprisoned by a foreign intelligence agency, Luke remained utterly unruffled. I couldn’t determine whether it was courage or sheer thoughtlessness. Even as his younger sister, no matter how kindly I tried to view him, he leaned far closer to the latter.

I moved toward the bed. Behind me, Luke’s voice rang out.

“Huh? You’re going to sleep already?”

“The Consul will probably summon us again in a few hours. Better get some rest while we can.”

I slipped beneath the covers, curling up like a hedgehog. Those two days spent under the intelligence department’s relentless watch had quietly wrung every ounce of strength from my body. I had to seize any chance I could get to loosen the fatigue coiled deep within me.

Sleep came easily. I could fall asleep anywhere, anytime. That too was Father’s doing. His lessons often included challenges like “Go two weeks without sleep,” or “Ten-minute naps are all you’ll get,” each task designed to push me to my absolute limits and force me to endure.

Those brutal drills have forged the person I am today.

Father might not be here beside me now, but his presence was etched into every fiber of my being.

That alone was enough.

A scene flickered to life in my mind. The day Father’s lips had touched mine. I remembered it all with painful clarity: the number of his eyelashes, the warmth and softness of his kiss. My fingers drifted to my lips, brushing them lightly.

This was troublesome.

Just picturing Father’s kiss was enough to send a faint heat coursing through my body.

But I had no choice but to endure it. Luke was here, after all, and the room was littered with memoria artifacts. The moment I gave in to temptation, my every movement would be reported straight to Consul Elizabeth. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel·fire.net

……No. Let’s hold back.

I forced myself to think of anything but Father, yet the habit was deeply ingrained. For years, I had lulled myself to sleep with the thought of him, using those fantasies to soothe and comfort myself. Now I had to wrestle against my own mind, fighting tooth and nail not to surrender to that routine.

Sleep finally claimed me three hours later. By then, Luke had already drifted off on the bed across from mine, snoring blissfully without a care in the world.

……Next time, I’ll have to request a private room from Consul Elizabeth. One without memoria artifacts, if possible.

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter.

Work really fucked me over these past two weeks. I’ve come to terms that Nexon might be the worst client we’ve worked with yet. But also, the people above me in the company I’m in are also at fault. I’ve had such a packed schedule that I had to rush a project that would normally take 2 days into 1 day, so there would inevitably be problems. And instead of saying “woops, we shouldn’t have forced so much work on you that you had to sacrifice the quality of your work,” the team leader just blamed me for not making sure my results were absolutely perfect, and then told the client that we wouldn’t take the pay for that work because of it. The second batch I did for Nexon was actually decent and almost all their feedback was either subjective style issues or them being flat out incorrect, but that didn’t matter cause they just kept complaining about the first batch and then told us they’ll just redo the translation themselves. I’ve honestly been so stressed cause of this. Nexon EN team acting like they’re some beacon of English, when they obviously have issues as well. To be fair, I feel was overblown because of my team leader who kept trying to grovel at the knees of Nexon since they’re such a big company, but if Nexon is going to behave , then it’s not worth the hassle for us. All the other EN translators don’t want to deal with this either.

All things considered, it’s hilarious that we hired another EN translator to help lessen everyone’s workload, but they instead decided to get EVEN MORE work so we now have less time on our hands than before we got the new EN translator. Absolutely retarded upper management.

I’ll stop ranting here.

I’ll see you guys in the .