Upon hearing this, Lilith, Garan, and Terran's faces imdiately darkened, and they nodded in unison.
"We've placed Arch-demon Heidel's body in a special coffin, Your Majesty the Demon Emperor. It's in the outer palace now," Garan replied with a quiet sigh.
Though several days had passed since Heidel's death, it still felt like a dream. Heidel had been the strongest Arch-demon among the eight in the Demon Empire, his power only slightly weaker than Her Majesty Liliana's. Yet, he had fallen unceremoniously to the heroes—a reality that was difficult to accept.
Liliana understood their sorrow and offered a faint, wry smile. Heidel's death had been his own decision, one she couldn't refuse.
Moreover, Heidel's body was already severely weakened, and the curses from using the demon race's forbidden techniques throughout his life had drained his remaining ti. At least, she thought, she could fulfill his wish to die at the hands of the heroes.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Liliana's face regained its calm, and she gave a slow nod.
"In that case, I'll have you three bring Heidel's body to the inner palace. We'll hold his funeral in the Land of Eternity," Liliana said calmly. Then, with a firm tone, she added, "Also, summon the six Arch-demons, five Demon generals, and all the Demon race higher-ups from the outer palace. In one hour, I want everyone gathered in the Land of Eternity. No one is to be late. Understood?"
"Understood, Your Majesty!" They responded in unison, though their shock was evident despite their efforts to hide it.
The Land of Eternity was where all previous Demon Emperors were buried.
It was called the "Land of Eternity" because the Demon race believed that the souls of their past emperors lived on forever. As such, the place held imnse sacredness and was deeply revered by all demons.
What stunned them was Liliana's decision to lay Arch-demon Heidel's body there. The place was reserved for demon emperors, and no other demon had ever been buried there. Yet, knowing it was Liliana's decision, they dared not question it and obeyed in silence.
"Garan and Terran, you may leave for now, while Lilith stays. There are a few things I'd like to ask and discuss with you," Liliana ordered nonchalantly.
"As you wish, Your Majesty," the three responded respectfully.
Experience tales at empire
Without another word, Garan and Terran bowed once more to Liliana before stepping away from her workspace.
Once they had left, Liliana's cold expression softened as she turned her gaze to Lilith.
"Don't just stand there, Lilith. Sit on the sofa. We have much to talk about," Liliana said with a playful smile.
Lilith offered a small smile and nodded quietly. She walked over to the sofa in the center of the room and sat down. anwhile, Liliana quickly got up to prepare two cups of coffee.
As she watched Liliana move about, Lilith's expression tightened slightly. She started to get up, but Liliana raised her right hand, and an invisible pressure held her in place.
"Didn't I tell you to relax on the sofa? Don't worry, it's nothing to ," Liliana remarked, rolling her eyes.
"But you're the Demon Emperor, Sister. I shouldn't have let you go through the trouble of making coffee," Lilith replied regretfully.
Liliana rely smiled, dismissing the protest. Lilith had always been stubborn since they were children, and Liliana was used to it.
A mont later, Liliana sat down on the sofa across from Lilith, placing two cups of coffee on the table.
"Drink this to clear your mind," Liliana said casually, taking a sip of her own coffee.
Lilith didn't reply but took a sip of her coffee. As the bitter taste, blended with sweetness and freshness, touched her tongue, her tired eyes suddenly brightened.
"What is this coffee? Why does it taste so refreshing?" Lilith asked in surprise.
During their journey back to the Demon Empire, Lilith had barely slept. She had been too busy keeping watch over their camp to ensure everything was safe through the night.
After all, the Desert of Chaos was a dangerous place, filled with powerful monsters that road the night. As a result, her body felt sore and weary.
However, she hadn't expected that just one sip of coffee would make her feel so refreshed, the fatigue vanishing in an instant. It was the first ti she had ever experienced such a remarkable effect.
Liliana chuckled softly, leaning back against the sofa as she crossed her long, graceful legs.
"The coffee beans were bought by Lyra. A few days ago, a rchant from the eastern region ca to the capital, and Lyra ntioned he had high-quality coffee beans. Out of curiosity, I had her buy a lot, and the flavor turned out just as she said," Liliana explained casually.
Lilith was slightly surprised by this but nodded in acknowledgnt. She took another sip of her coffee, enjoying the refreshing taste, though it wasn't as strong as before.
"By the way, Lilith," Liliana said, setting her coffee cup on a saucer, then continued, "How was the situation before Leon—ah, I an, General Leon—arrived? Did you suffer heavy losses at the hands of the heroes?"
Lilith's expression slowly shifted as she heard the question. She set her coffee cup down and sighed heavily.
"Yes, Sister. We suffered heavy losses before General Leon's arrival. The Army of Humanity, led by the heroes, overwheld us with their unexpected strategy. It even led to Arch-demon Heidel's death," Lilith replied, her voice filled with distress.
Liliana fell silent for a mont before asking, "Can you tell everything?"
Lilith nodded softly and began recounting the entire event to Liliana, leaving nothing out. However, there was one part of the story she deliberately altered—the mont when she had forced herself to cast ancient-level magic to counter the powerful magic Rain had unleashed on the battlefield.
She knew that if her sister found out, severe punishnt would follow.
After more than fifteen minutes, Lilith finished her account, and Liliana finally grasped the full scope of what had happened on the battlefield.
"So, that's how it happened," Liliana muttered softly, narrowing her eyes. "I didn't expect sothing of this scale. It's completely unexpected."
When she first received news of the demon army being suppressed, she had been confused. Previously, the demon army had the upper hand, yet the situation had changed so rapidly. Now, she understood that everything stemd from the appearance of one terrifying figure from the Holy Empire of Elysium—Jim Terra.
Jim was the mastermind behind the Holy Empire's strategy and the driving force behind the Demon army's successive defeats at Leon's hands in the past. If there was anyone she considered more dangerous than Leon, it was Jim.
"However, the most surprising part was the appearance of the Sword Hero, Guren. I wonder how he managed to beco a Sword Hero and earn the recognition of the Holy Sword of Zenith while Leon was still alive," Liliana murmured, her gaze lowering slightly.
There were always only three heroes in each era, and never had a fourth appeared—until Guren. Naturally, this piqued her curiosity.
"By the way, Big Sister, there's sothing I want to ask," Lilith suddenly called out, snapping Liliana out of her thoughts.
"What do you want to ask?" Liliana replied, lifting her coffee cup and sipping it slowly.
"How did you get to know General Leon? And... do you have a special relationship with him?" Lilith asked, her gaze playful.
*Cough!*
Liliana imdiately choked on her coffee at the question, staring at Lilith with surprise.
"A special relationship? What do you an?" Liliana inquired, trying to keep her voice steady, though a trace of nervousness slipped through.
Seeing her sister's reaction, Lilith couldn't help but laugh.
"I an, of course, a relationship between a man and a woman," Lilith answered bluntly.
Liliana fell silent for a mont, as if debating whether to reveal the truth about her relationship with Leon. Although Lilith was her cousin, she didn't know about Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona.
It wasn't that Liliana didn't trust Lilith, but at the ti, she had considered bearing Leon's child a disgrace, sothing that had to be kept hidden.
After the birth of the three little girls, however, a deep sense of motherly love and affection blossod within her, gradually shifting her perspective on everything. Now, she felt uncertain about how to begin explaining it all to Lilith.
After so thought, she decided to keep the matter to herself for the ti being. She would explain everything to Lilith once Leon returned.
Liliana shook her head, smiled casually, and replied lightly, "General Leon and I have no such relationship. We're just friends."
"Hm? Friends? Aren't you lying, Sister?" Lilith asked suspiciously.
Liliana rolled her eyes and retorted firmly, "I'm not lying, stinky girl."
Lilith paused for a mont before letting out a sigh of relief, then patted her rather big chest.
"Since you don't have a special relationship with General Leon, then that's good," she said, offering a rare, happy smile.
Liliana was taken aback by her words and looked at her in confusion.
"What do you an, Lilith?" Liliana asked, her tone uncertain.
Lilith lowered her gaze, and her usually indifferent, cold expression softened into an adorable blush.
"Big sister, there's sothing I need to tell you, but please don't tell anyone, okay?" Lilith said nervously.
Liliana's mind raced with questions, but she remained silent, simply nodding stiffly.
"Sister, actually..." Lilith bit her lower lip, then continued shyly, "I have this strange feeling whenever I see General Leon. My heart skips a beat, and I've co to realize that... I kind of like him."
Liliana: "(⊙_⊙)"
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