The Demon Princess Was Defeated and Captured? Sorry, That’s the Role I’m Playing

Chapter 79

The golden chandeliers hanging down emphasized a symmetrical aesthetic, while the crystal floor, spotless and reflective, mirrored the figures above. In the center stood a massive solid wood long table, with numerous chairs lined up on either side. Each chair was trimmed with gold, polished to a gleaming shine, and the spaces between them were particularly wide, utilizing every inch of the entire conference hall.

Since the council chamber was the place where the kingdom voiced itself to other races, its arrangement was destined not to be shabby.

The actual decor of this place was not important...

What mattered was that when Sheffy turned her head to look at the seats designated for the Demon Domain...

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat!

It was already known that the diplomat, the Four Wings Demon Hanks, had come with his diplomatic team.

But the one sitting in the very center...

Why was she here?!

At the very center of the Demon Domain’s seating area sat an important figure who had come temporarily.

It was none other than the Second Demon Princess, Belith Harl.

Like a silver-white butterfly, the elegant young girl half-covered her face with her palm and yawned lightly. The surrounding demon diplomats were all trembling with fear, constantly serving her tea or bringing her snacks from the kitchen. Even though Belith smiled faintly and said there was no need for such trouble, how could they dare to neglect her?

Hanks, who was in his forties, wore the formal diplomatic attire exclusive to the Demon Domain — a simple black tailcoat.

He was sweating as he adjusted his reflective single-lens glasses, his lips twitching slightly without pause, repeatedly reminding the demon personnel who came with him not to slack off in attending to the princess.

Hiss... His Majesty the Demon King never mentioned this! That the Second Princess would also come to the diplomatic venue... At the very least, they should have given advance notice.

Originally, Hanks intended for his team to maintain a cold and imposing demeanor to exert pressure on the humans from the very beginning.

But with the sudden arrival of the Second Princess, they could only transform into waiters, serving tea and refreshments!

Forget about imposing airs or not; the priority now was to attend to the Second Princess.

Yet, one had to admit that Belith, as royalty, naturally exuded a distinguished royal presence in such settings.

Holding the teacup lightly between her fingers, she narrowed her eyes, savoring the humans’ tea. Then, gazing at the ripples in the tea, she chuckled softly.

“Hanks, I apologize for coming here so suddenly and troubling your diplomatic team.”

“Your words are too much, Second Princess!” Hanks immediately stood up and lowered his head according to Demon Domain etiquette. “Your presence to oversee us is an affirmation of our diplomatic mission. The lack of prior notice is... no, this is actually a test for us!”

“Hehehe, no need for that. The human representatives should be arriving soon. Don’t mess things up just because I’m here. I came partly because Mother summoned me to take a look, and partly because... hmm?”

“Princess?”

Hanks asked again, but Belith no longer had the mood to pay him any attention.

Because within the rippling reflection of the tea, Belith unintentionally caught sight of a small figure so familiar that it couldn’t be more familiar.

If moments ago Belith was the image of a cold, powerful, flawless, and elegant princess, then when she raised her head in surprise and saw that equally surprised little face, even if it was only for an instant—

Sheffy also noticed Belith’s gaze directed at her, that suddenly excited expression that turned as docile as a puppy!

However, Belith was skilled at suppressing her emotions deep inside.

This change of expression was nearly impossible to catch with the naked eye; she still appeared as the aloof and wise Second Demon Princess and the Commander of the Fifth Legion.

Sheffy’s brows were twitching madly… completely out of control.

“Hiss... Xiarette, I want to go home. This place is boring, very boring!”

“Don’t say that. Didn’t you just say last night that you hoped to find a chance for you and your sister to reconcile?”

“I... I only said that on a whim, following the mood! I’m really not good at dealing with her! Just look at her sitting there like she owns the place!”

“This is exactly how a princess should carry herself when abroad. In this regard, Sheffy, you should learn from her.”

“Ugh, learn from her? If she learns to fish, then I’ll consider learning from her. I scoff at that.”

“......”

Well, Sheffy’s fear of her sister was acting up again.

Of course, Xiarette was willing to respect her choice. If Sheffy insisted on leaving, Xiarette would accompany her back home the same way they came.

However...

Even though Sheffy’s steps were stiff and her face full of reluctance, she still sat down with a cold expression at the very front of the observers' seats.

It seemed Sheffy was still willing to make some efforts for the sake of family harmony~

Xiarette also chose to sit beside her in the observers' seats.

In fact, as the Hero, there was absolutely no problem for Xiarette to sit at the human negotiating table, but she definitely preferred staying by Sheffy’s side~

And just as Xiarette sat beside Sheffy, whispering and chatting with her softly—

The Demon Clan’s diplomatic team suddenly noticed something unusual.

Earlier, when they served tea and refreshments to the Second Princess, Her Highness had at least humbly said “No need” and “Don’t be so formal.”

But now, the Second Princess suddenly fell completely silent.

As if she was deep in thought, or perhaps simmering with anger!

Did they do something poorly that upset her...?!

Hanks quickly signaled for the two-winged and three-winged diplomats under him to return to their seats at once, to avoid adding fuel to the fire!

He speculated that Her Highness might be angry because they lacked the dignity that the Demon Clan should display abroad.

As for what the truth actually was—only Belith herself probably knew.

The Demon Clan diplomats each took their seats.

At the same time, the human diplomatic delegation began entering the hall from the passage on the opposite side.

Leading the way was an elderly man moving hurriedly. He was not tall, with slightly dry and disheveled white hair, but his eyes were sharp and spirited. Judging from his nimble steps despite his old age, he was clearly a highly capable man.

Xiarette leaned in close to Sheffy’s ear and whispered.

“That’s Rom Lanley, the Kingdom of Aurus’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Over the past decades, he’s secured many benefits for the kingdom in diplomatic affairs. The king greatly values him. Normally, Rom can’t stand Firex’s petty behavior, and has repeatedly advised His Majesty to drive Firex back to the Theocracy.”

“It’s rare for a country to have such a loyal minister. Sigh... I would only advise him not to be too aggressive. Everything should proceed step by step. Otherwise, I fear that dog Firex might bite him.”

Rom walked with swift determination.

He placed the thick stack of prepared documents onto the desk with a heavy thud that echoed throughout the hall.

That hefty stack was likely the content of today’s negotiations.

As the core of national diplomacy, he had to be thoroughly prepared for everything.

By contrast... Hanks on the Demon Clan’s side had brought nothing, seemingly completely unprepared.

But with his entire diplomatic team sitting with their wings fully spread, symbolizing their power—

It felt as if he had brought everything, fully prepared.

Once Rom’s entire team was seated, another figure appeared at the end of the passage: a breathtaking black-haired young woman in a luxurious ceremonial gown.

It was Princess Livra Aurus.

The Third Princess in a formal occasion—every graceful gesture, every elegant step exuded a naturally stunning presence.

Once again, the entire human side stood up to show their respect. In any nation, royalty was always greeted with unconditional reverence and praise.

After all, the royal family was the backbone and symbol of honor for a country.

Livra smiled and lightly pressed her hand down, signaling everyone to sit and continue their preparations for the upcoming talks.

Though by her status she would soon sit at the center of the human delegation, for now she was merely an observer and learner.

In truth, Livra was somewhat nervous…

But as she passed by the observers' seats, she noticed that the two people she trusted and admired most were also present. Much of her nervousness instantly melted away!

Uu... you two... Miss Shaya, did you come specifically to give me strength and support? Thank you so much!

Shaya: Thank you, but no.

Livra was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears as she gently patted Miss Shaya’s shoulder with her delicate, fair hand to express her gratitude.

But just as this action ended—

From the center of the Demon Clan’s seating area—

There came a crisp sound of a teacup falling to the ground.

Hearing this commotion, the knights stationed around the council chamber immediately went on alert, drawing their longswords.

At the same time, the demons all spread their wings defensively, magic gathering at their fingertips.

The tense atmosphere seemed ready to explode into conflict at any moment.

However, the worrying scene did not escalate further.

Belith calmly picked up the shattered pieces of the teacup and placed them on the table edge.

The Second Princess remained composed, shaking her head as she slowly glanced around, offering a faint apologetic smile.

“Haah… my apologies. The tea from the Human Domain is indeed different from what we have in the Demon Domain. Its rich aroma made me wish to savor it carefully, but I accidentally tipped over the teacup… Hmm? Seeing how tense you all look, could it be that this teacup is quite expensive? No matter, no matter. Just add it to the diplomatic account later as compensation. Hanks, note it down. The Demon Domain owes the Kingdom of Aurus one carved teacup.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Mm-hmm, and I also hope both the Demon Clan and Human representatives can relax their conduct. At the very least, don’t be so jumpy, alright? In today’s negotiations, we bear no ill will. But should you cross the line first... well, that would be another matter, wouldn’t it?”

Every word landed heavily, echoing through the hall.

At Rom’s signal, the soldiers lowered their spears and swords, returning to standby.

Yet unbeknownst to others, beads of cold sweat were already forming on Rom’s forehead.

This Second Demon Princess… was no simple character.

She had used a teacup to probe the humans’ reactions. If the human soldiers hadn’t been so well-trained and someone had acted rashly, the demons would have seized upon it as proof that “the humans aren’t sincere” or that “they resorted to force even before negotiations began,” putting the humans in an extremely passive position.

That was dangerously close… dangerously close.

Moreover, by using this incident to subtly mock the humans as petty and narrow-minded, she was shaking the humans’ morale while boosting her own side’s confidence.

Could it be that the Demon diplomat Hanks was just a puppet to confuse them, and that this unexpectedly visiting Second Demon Princess was actually the core of this diplomatic mission?

In truth... Belith didn’t intend any of that when she dropped the teacup just now.

She was really just reminding a certain someone — not to be so jumpy, to restrain herself.

Because of the earlier commotion, Livra was slightly distracted.

She glanced left and right, not realizing that her hand was still resting on Miss Shaya’s shoulder.

Xiarette furrowed her brows at the little hand on Shaya’s shoulder, then quickly straightened her head and spoke up as a reminder.

“Princess, it’s time. You should go take your seat.”

“...Ah? Alright!”

Livra retracted her hand like she had been shocked by electricity, and at the same time, heard Miss Shaya let out a light sigh and make a rather ambiguous comment.

“Hey, Livra, good thing you moved quickly. I’m telling you, otherwise it would have turned into a big problem.”

“?”

Didn’t you see? In those few seconds when your hand was still resting on my shoulder…

That Belith fellow, even while “smiling,” was already preparing to smash a second teacup!

How many teacups do you humans have for her to smash?!

Livra then took quick, tiny steps to the center seat of the human diplomatic delegation.

No more teacups were smashed, and Xiarette’s brows no longer furrowed.

The naïve Princess Livra still had no idea that her small action nearly caused a diplomatic incident.

All members from both sides were now in position.

This meeting was of the highest level. Under normal circumstances, the king himself should have personally attended.

However, discussions between nations had to be equal. Since the Demon King and Demon Queen had already announced they would not attend,

King Celt Aurus could not be present either.

Otherwise, would the ruler of an entire kingdom personally negotiate with foreign diplomats? That would be completely unequal.