Chapter 1080: Price

Perhaps because she had not returned to the demon race's royal city for many years, after leaving the palace, Demon Lord Redsleeve did not leave immediately. Instead, she wandered around the royal city, ate some things, and finally, for the first time ever, walked into a tavern.

The demon race had not drunk alcohol in the early years. Later, after alcohol from the human race was introduced, some demons took a liking to drinking. But because the alcohol transported from the south was simply too expensive, some demons eventually began brewing their own.

The process was naturally very long, but the final result was fairly good.

The demon race managed to brew alcohol. It was just that both in variety and taste, it was inferior to that of the human race.

But in reality, the cost had still not come down. Alcohol among the demon race remained very expensive, which was understandable, because... among the demon race, no one grew things like sorghum or wheat.

Thus, alcohol was never able to become widespread among the demon race. Only a small number of demons were willing to drink it occasionally.

There was only one tavern in the royal city. Before the Demon Lord Redsleeve and Autumn entered, there had not been a single customer here. After the two of them walked in, the tavern finally welcomed its only two customers of the past few days.

Demon Lord Redsleeve came to the counter, reached out and tapped it, then said with a smile, “A jar of Ice River.”

This was alcohol brewed by the demon race themselves. Even the name sounded much more rough and imposing than the names of the alcohol on the human side.

Hearing Demon Lord Redsleeve speak, a head appeared from behind the counter. Without even looking at Demon Lord Redsleeve, the person simply said to himself, “This wine hasn’t been brewed for thirty years. No one drinks it. The Eldest Princess used to like it, but the Eldest Princess has already...”

Halfway through, that person realized something, raised his head, and looked somewhat astonished at the person before him. After a long while, he swallowed and stammered, “E-Eldest Princess?!”

Before Demon Lord Redsleeve could speak, that person then saw Autumn behind her and became even more astonished. “Princess... Your Highness?”

Demon Lord Redsleeve tapped the table with her hand and asked, “There’s none left?”

That person came back to his senses and smiled. “Your Highness the Eldest Princess, we haven’t brewed this wine for many years, but there is still one jar. Over these thirty years, I always wondered whether Eldest Princess might return to the royal city one day. I never imagined that Eldest Princess really would come back.”

Demon Lord Redsleeve smiled, then sighed with emotion. “Yes, I haven’t come back to take a look for many years.”

That person did not respond. He knew many things as well. Not coming back and not wanting to come back had always been two different things.

But this was not something he could say much about.

He quickly brought over the jar of wine brewed thirty years ago and poured a bowl for each of Demon Lord Redsleeve and Autumn.

The two princesses sat facing each other here.

Looking at the wine in the bowl, its chill seeming to rise from it, Demon Lord Redsleeve said softly with a smile, “Back when I was even younger than you are now, my Royal Father often took me out of the palace to drink here. At that time, your great-grandfather, whom you never had the chance to meet, often told me that a woman like me could actually become the demon emperor without any problem. It was really just a casual joke, but I took it seriously. Later, I spent many years thinking about that throne.”

Autumn looked at Demon Lord Redsleeve and said, “There has never been a female demon emperor among the demon race.”

Demon Lord Redsleeve looked at Autumn and said, “Perhaps you will be the next one.”

The words sounded very ordinary, but only the two of them knew the danger hidden within them.

The Demon Emperor had now attained profound cultivation, and no one knew how many more years he would live. As long as he did not die, the throne could not be relinquished.

If she wanted the throne, then she could only kill him.

If someone else killed him, it would be regicide.

If Autumn killed him, it would be patricide.

Those were different things.

Demon Lord Redsleeve raised her bowl and took a sip, then said something that made it impossible for Autumn to remain calm. “Your mother was killed by him.”

Autumn raised her head. Her eyes turned snow-white in an instant, only to return to normal just as quickly.

“You’re investigating the cause of her death. He knows that too.”

Demon Lord Redsleeve drank her wine and said calmly, “Putting everything else aside, in the royal city, there is nothing he doesn’t know. Killing your elder brother was his warning to you. Some things don’t need to be investigated any further. Know when to stop.”

Autumn said nothing, but there was some confusion in her eyes.

Demon Lord Redsleeve said, “You still don’t quite understand. Over on the human side, within the imperial family, familial affection is the least important thing. Haven’t things like sons killing fathers and fathers killing sons been happening all along? As for the Demon Domain, it’s actually even worse. But the person who caused your mother’s death was none other than you yourself.”

This statement was actually somewhat incomprehensible, but Autumn could understand it.

If she had merely been an ordinary princess, if everything had not been so conspicuous, then perhaps her whole life, along with her mother’s whole life, would have been spent in that Parasol Palace.

But she was not.

With a genius like her, to eliminate every possible hidden danger, it was obvious that in the eyes of the Demon Emperor, her mother was also a hidden danger.

So she died.

It was a very simple matter. Perhaps the Demon Emperor had not even acted personally. He might only have said something about it, and that woman had made her own choice.

Autumn said, “It wasn’t me.”

When she said this, she was neither avoiding anything nor blaming herself for anything. She merely looked firmly at Demon Lord Redsleeve and said, “It wasn’t me.”

She repeated herself in a rare occurrence.

“It can also be put that way.”

Demon Lord Redsleeve took a sip of wine and did not refute her, merely looking at Autumn with interest.

Although she knew very well that this little girl before her was no ordinary person when it came to her state of mind, she had not expected her to be this resolute.

Although she knew very well that this little girl before her was no ordinary person when it came to her state of mind, she had not expected her to be this resolute.

When Demon Lord Redsleeve said this, she herself was actually quite moved, because this was yet another muddled matter that could not be explained clearly. If it were truly sorted out, it would inevitably become a major affair.

Autumn had just been about to speak.

But Demon Lord Redsleeve shook her head and said with a smile, “I told you just now, nothing that happens here can escape his eyes. If he wants to know, he certainly can.”

Autumn frowned. “You’ve already said quite a lot.”

Demon Lord Redsleeve did not care in the slightest. She said, “I no longer care, but you may still need to be a little more cautious.”

She did not spell it out, but Autumn understood.

She shook her head somewhat unhappily.

Demon Lord Redsleeve looked at her, fell silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, I also really want to know the answer, so...”

Before she could finish speaking, the person who had just brought the wine over in the tavern died.

He suddenly fell over, and then his head kept rolling until it rolled to Demon Lord Redsleeve’s feet, where it finally stopped.

Several sounds of heavy objects hitting the ground came from the distance as well.

They were probably all heads falling to the ground.

It seemed that many people around them had died.

Only after a long while did Demon Lord Redsleeve look at Autumn and say, “Many things come at a price.”