Chapter 176: Maid’s suspicion (1)

In the kitchen nook, Mira kept one ear cocked toward the study, occasionally peeking with an eyebrow arched in suspicion.

She watched the two men. They were locked in an intense, wordless stare-down across the coffee table.

’Strange,’ Mira muttered under her breath, measuring the dark tea leaves.

Meanwhile, Eren stares at the glass vial in his hand, containing a green fluid. Eren leaned back, rolling the glass between his fingers and inspecting the swirling liquid with a skeptical frown.

Opposite him, Vaelis was practically grinning from ear to ear with the smug.

"Well?" Eren broke the silence, raising the vial toward the light. "Are you going to enlighten me on this supposed masterstroke of yours?"

Before Vaelis could answer, Mira walked over, setting down a silver tray bearing two steaming porcelain cups.

Vaelis’s eyes instantly lit up. "Ah, the fiery blossom returns with ambrosia. You know, my lovely, grace like yours is entirely wasted on a dull brute who spends his holidays staring at—"

"Save the amateur poetry, Vaelis," Eren interrupted flatly, his dark blue eyes slicing straight through the demon commander’s romantic routine.

Turning to the redhead, Eren softened his tone, giving her an apologetic, gentle glance. "Mira, do me a favor and wait in the bedroom for a few minutes. I need to handle a rather delicate consultation before I call pest control to fumigate the living room."

Mira glanced between Eren’s composed face and Vaelis’s dramatic, wounded expression. A flicker of confusion crossed her green eyes, but still she gave a dutiful nod.

"Don’t take too long, Young Master. Unchecked pests tend to soil the carpets," she remarked smoothly, turning and heading into the room.

Once the door clicked shut behind her, Eren set the vial back on the table, crossing his arms. "Let me guess the play. You want me to slip this truth serum down the throat of that smuggling boss I bagged in the warehouse, hoping he’ll cough up the supplier’s name?"

Vaelis picked up his teacup, taking an appreciative sip before flashing a grin. "Precisely. That little concoction dissolves cognitive inhibitions within three minutes."

Eren scoffed, leaning forward. "Our portly Santa Claus already swore that he’s completely blind to the supply chain. He claimed he’s just a middleman and never saw the mastermind."

"And you were naive enough to buy that pathetic story?" Vaelis chuckled, setting his cup down. "Human kind are greedy enough to commit grave sins like us, Eren, but they aren’t idiots. A syndicate boss doesn’t traffic something suspicious into the capital without knowing whose hand is holding the leash. He knows who his handler is. He was simply banking on the assumption that your noble morals would keep you from peeling his mind open."

Eren narrowed his eyes, a suspicion creeping into his voice. "And what if the handler isn’t human? What if it’s another demon disguised, just like you?"

Vaelis shook his head.

"Out of the question. I had a brief... covert exchange regarding the pure compound samples Her Highness analyzed. That formula requires a catalyst of highborn demonic blood. But if a demon actually crossed the border and walked the streets of this capital, Her Majesty’s innate resonance would have pinged them instantly. She sensed nothing. Which means our distributor is undeniably human."

Eren tapped his chin, the puzzle pieces aligning. "Which means we’re dealing with a human traitor. A high-ranking imperial insider with direct, treasonous backchannels into the Demon Realm’s radical remnants... or someone who secured a contract with the demon faction."

Vaelis snapped his fingers, his teeth flashing in a triumphant grin.

"Bingo," Vaelis said, leaning forward over the table. "Now I see why Her Highness has taken such a personal liking to you."

Eren tapped the glass vial with his fingertip, the green fluid swirling lazily inside.

"And what guarantees this isn’t a lethal neurotoxin disguised as an interrogation aid?" Eren asked, his blue eyes fixing Vaelis with cool skepticism. "For all I know, you’re looking to permanently silence our only living middleman."

"Why is trusting an ally so difficult for you?!" Vaelis threw his hands up in theatrical dismay, slumping against the chair with an aggrieved scowl.

"Because you’re an undercover demon commander inside human territory," Eren deadpanned. "Trusting you on blind faith is a rapid-fire ticket to a shallow grave."

Vaelis crossed his arms, huffing like an insulted child. "Fine! Be paranoid! Throw it out the window for all I care! But keep in mind that Her Highness personally refined that extraction herself."

"Oh?" Eren’s expression shifted instantly.

Without missing a beat, he scooped the vial off the table, slipped it smoothly into his pocket, and patted the lapel with pure, shameless satisfaction. "Well, why didn’t you lead with that? Good to go, then."

Vaelis blinked, utterly bewildered by the whiplash. "Wait a damn second. A second ago you were preparing a inquiry, and now you blindly pocket it just because Her Majesty brewed it?! What kind of double-standard logic is that?!"

"It’s called personal discretion, bro," Eren smirked, leaning back and resting his interlaced fingers behind his head. "A gentleman always trusts a lady."

Vaelis stared at him, letting out a dry, defeated sigh before tipping back the rest of his lukewarm tea in one swallow. He set the cup down with a sharp clink, his flamboyant facade shedding away into the cold posture of a commander.

"Whatever private games you’re playing with her, don’t lose sight of our agreement, Eren," Vaelis said, his eyes hardening as he stood up. "I provide the schematics to finalize that mechanical limb project for your little lady, and I assist in severing the supply of The Substance. In exchange... the Queen returns to her throne."

Eren remained seated, his blue gaze on the commander with unblinking calm.

Vaelis adjusted the collar of his tailored overcoat, stepping toward the foyer. "It doesn’t matter how comfortable she has grown in this human playground. It doesn’t matter how many mortal attachments she forms, or how many daughters she adopts to play house. She is the undisputed ruler of our realm. Her destiny belongs to the throne. Perhaps she can drag a few of her favored mortal pets along to keep her entertained... but there will be zero compromise on her return."

With that chilling ultimatum, Vaelis turned the handle, stepped out into the corridor, and pulled the door shut behind him.

Silence returned the room.

Eren leaned his head bac, staring up at the carved ceiling as he let out an exhale through his teeth.

"Return to the throne, huh...?" Eren muttered under his breath. "Who returns where?"

Before he could sink deeper, the light above him was suddenly blocked out.

An adorable, breathtaking face hovered directly upside-down in his field of view.

Loose strands of red hair spilled over Eren’s forehead and cheeks, carrying the sweet scent of vanilla. Mira was leaning over the back of his chair, her green eyes narrowed.

"Did our pest finally vacate the place, Young Master?" Mira asled in a sweet, menacing whisper, her breath tickling his chin.

"Yaa, I personally sent him off," Eren replied smoothly, not moving an inch.

Mira’s pout deepened in suspicion.