The entire room seed to hold its breath.
The hourglass on the obsidian table reset itself with a sharp clang, but no one moved. The Shadow Queen's promise hung heavy in the air—one question. Any question. And she would answer it truthfully.
I swallowed, my throat dry as a desert.
My mind spun through a thousand possibilities. I could ask sothing stupid, sothing safe... What's your favorite bubble tea flavor? or How do I get out of this maid contract without dying?
But no.
Deep down, I knew exactly what I wanted to ask.
And that terrified more than any demon lord sitting in this room.
I took a slow, shaky breath.
"Your Majesty..." I began, my voice barely above a whisper.
She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile curving her lips.
"Careful, Caretaker. Once spoken, the truth cannot be undone."
Her crimson eyes locked onto mine, as if daring to take the leap.
And against every ounce of self-preservation I had left, I asked:
"Why... did you really co to this world? Why ?"
The mont the words left my mouth, the air shifted.
The demon lords went deathly silent. Even the tiny chibi demon stopped scribbling in its notebook and stared at the Queen with wide, fearful eyes.
The playful glimr in her eyes vanished.
For the first ti, I saw her expression go... blank.
Cold.
Dangerous.
She rose slowly from her seat, the shadows coiling around her feet like living serpents.
"You ask a dangerous question, Liam Zhang."
My legs threatened to give out, but I stood my ground.
"I—I want the truth," I stamred, already regretting my life choices.
Her voice, when it ca, was soft but carried the weight of a thousand storms.
"In the Shadow Realm, my reign... is ending."
My eyes widened. "Ending? But... you're the Shadow Queen."
She turned her back to , gazing into the swirling void that had replaced my apartnt walls.
"The ancient laws decree that when a Queen's power begins to fade, she must seek a successor. A partner. Soone capable of... anchoring her soul. Soone who can survive her presence, endure her chaos, and—"
She glanced over her shoulder at , her crimson eyes burning with an emotion I couldn't quite place.
"—perhaps... ta her."
My mind blanked out.
"Wait. WAIT. Are you saying... this whole ti... this 'Caretaker' contract..."
She turned fully to face , her golden hair glowing faintly against the darkened room.
"You were never just a servant, Liam."
My heart nearly exploded out of my chest.
"I'm—what?!"
"You, my dear Caretaker... are a candidate for the Shadow Consort."
The room spun.
The demon lords all turned their heads to with new, intense scrutiny.
Veylor let out a low whistle.
Lady Eira's frosty glare turned downright glacial.
The chibi demon just started giggling like it had witnessed the juiciest scandal of the century.
And ?
I was about two seconds away from passing out.
The Shadow Queen took a step closer, her expression unreadable.
"Now you know the truth, Liam. You can run... or you can stay and fight for the throne beside ."
I opened my mouth. Nothing ca out.
Consort? As in... husband material? ?
Suddenly, the maid outfit felt a thousand tis more humiliating.
To be continued...
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