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

Chapter 80

Having Livra come here already represented the Kingdom's determination to strive for peace.

The unfolding of this diplomatic meeting went as both sides had expected.

However, what Rom couldn't understand was... why didn't the Demon King personally attend?

It concerned his own daughter, the First Demon Princess of the Demon Clan. Could the Demon King and Demon Queen truly feel at ease?

Or were they using this method to tell the Humans that the Demon Clan knew the Humans wouldn't dare act recklessly, and simply didn't take the Humans seriously?

In any case, it wasn't something Rom needed to speculate on right now.

All he needed to do was, as always, strive for the greatest benefit for the Kingdom of Aurus in this diplomatic occasion.

Both parties were already seated. The human soldiers waiting backstage activated the amplification crystals in the meeting room with magic power.

This way, no matter who at the negotiating table started speaking, everyone could hear clearly.

According to custom, the side hosting the meeting should speak first.

That would be the delegation of the Kingdom of Aurus.

Rom cleared his throat, put down all the documents he had brought, and his aged yet sharp gaze locked directly onto Hanks.

"Welcome to the delegation of the Demon Clan for arriving in Aurus, and even more so, welcome to Your Highness the Princess for gracing us with your presence. This is truly a heaven-sent coincidence. On our side, we have also, without prior resolution, temporarily invited Her Highness the Third Princess. With royalty present on both sides, I have reason to believe this negotiation will proceed harmoniously and smoothly."

He originally thought the Second Demon Princess would respond.

But Rom noticed she did not even lift her head.

Not only did she not lift her head, she even kept tilting it, glancing toward the direction of the observers’ seats outside the negotiation table. She seemed careless, yet also rather attentive.

The arrogant Demon Clan... always so rude.

This negotiation was not Belith’s responsibility in the first place.

Hanks nodded and continued.

"What Mr. Rom said is very true. However, before we officially begin negotiations, I wish to express a grievance to your side. If we cannot reach an understanding on this matter, it will be difficult to proceed with the main agenda."

"Oh? Please speak freely, Mr. Hanks."

Matched with a worthy opponent, Rom dared not be careless.

Starting with a challenge right at the beginning of negotiations?

The man before him, in his forties, revealed a distinct air of eloquence as soon as he opened his mouth.

Not easy to deal with...

At the observers’ seats.

Sheffy nodded frequently, approving of this 'battlefield of verbal artistry'.

"Well said, well said. Watching while eating is a fine tradition. Xiarette, do they serve donuts here?"

"They don't. The mouths here are only for speaking, not for eating."

5. Negotiation Breakdown? (5K)

Belith's gaze, direct yet not entirely so, made Shaya's smooth long hair bristle slightly.

Hiss... this feeling... it was like being stared at by a cat smiling at catnip, making her feel flustered inside!

Belith was cooperating very well with her elder sister's wish to conceal her identity~ She only occasionally glanced over here from the corner of her eye and would not look directly to avoid causing trouble for her elder sister.

Fortunately, this was the council chamber.

There would always be voices from the negotiation breaking this strange atmosphere.

The Demon Domain’s representative, Marquis Hanks, following the prepared plan, had already launched the first offensive.

"Regarding the issue of the negotiation site, Mr. Rom, as you can see, we ultimately settled here, which is within the territory of your Kingdom of Aurus."

"However, according to the proposal previously submitted by our Demon Domain, we had hoped to arrange the talks in the neutral zone of Holo Great Forest at the border between the Demon Clan and the Human Clan. But your side repeatedly rejected this, and only after we granted exceptional concessions was the negotiation site decided to be here."

"Although we made concessions for the sake of peace between both sides, may I ask, Mr. Rom, can I interpret your repeated rejections as your side still harboring hostility toward the Demon Domain and being unwilling to conduct these negotiations with a public and equal attitude?"

With every statement Hanks made, the accompanying staff beside Rom swiftly flipped through documents.

They needed to verify that the objections raised by the other side were factual and not mere posturing for bargaining advantage.

In truth, this particular issue did not need verification.

No one understood better than Rom why the negotiation had to be held here.

After all... it was Rom himself who had insisted that the negotiations be held within the Kingdom of Aurus.

Rom propped his elbow on the documents before him, stroked his whitening beard with one hand, and met Hanks' ominous demon pupils, choosing to respond head-on.

"Mr. Hanks, regarding your question, it is indeed a fact that our stance toward the Demon Domain remains unclear. For the sake of caution, we had no choice but to set the negotiation site within our territory to ensure Her Highness the Princess’s safety. I hope you can understand."

"Oh? And why would that be? The Demon Domain’s stance has always been clear: as long as your Kingdom releases our Princess, the Demon Domain is willing to create a period of stability and peace with your Kingdom. Mr. Rom, we are not fond of war either."

"I am certainly willing to believe your sincerity, but Mr. Hanks, you cannot represent the entire Demon Domain..."

As the Kingdom’s diplomatic core, Rom's gaze was sharp, seasoned from years on this battlefield without gunpowder.

Rom paused briefly, then continued.

"I would like to ask you, Mr. Hanks, since you are dissatisfied with our choice of the negotiation site, could you please explain the appearance of Jeffriel, the Six-Winged Demon, during Hero Xiarette's birthday banquet a few days ago? And could you also explain the mysterious Demon who impersonated a contestant at our arena finals yesterday, whose purpose remains unknown? If you can give a clear explanation of these matters, then of course I can relocate our negotiation site to the neutral Holo Great Forest right now."

"This..."

Hmm?

At the current stage of negotiation, the little strand of hair on top of Belith’s head swayed slightly.

Ah... did I unintentionally cause some trouble for the negotiation team again?

Hanks had heard bits and pieces of these matters, but even he did not fully understand the details.

He knew nothing at all about the mysterious Demon at the arena. As for Lord Jeffriel’s sudden assault on the Royal Capital and his return to the Demon Domain without any punishment, it clearly indicated that there had been royal approval behind the scenes. Yet he, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, knew nothing of it.

Sigh... this job was not easy.

Not only did he have to deal with the opposing negotiators, but also guess at the Demon King’s intentions.

Helplessly shaking his head, Hanks could only gloss over the matter.

"Well... regarding these incidents, we will continue to investigate. There may be some unnecessary misunderstandings involved. Let’s not dwell on such unpleasant topics for today’s meeting. The main topic we are to discuss today is a hundred times more important, is it not?"

"Yes, you are quite right."

Rom nodded with a smile, clearly very satisfied that the topic was not pursued further.

Livra was recording negotiation techniques in her small personal notebook. She had so much to learn.

Of course, keeping notes on the negotiation didn’t take very long.

At this moment, Livra was pondering what to write.

With elegant handwriting, she wrote an extra note.

[It seems Miss Shaya not only likes donuts but also enjoys eating fish.]

[Fish refers to big fish.]

Perfect.

Ugh… to become stronger, to better punish evil and promote good, Her Highness the Princess sincerely hoped to become Miss Shaya’s disciple and learn from her.

At such a young age, how had she trained herself to be so courageous? It was truly admirable.

Livra was becoming more and more curious about Shaya, and her admiration for Shaya’s courage continued to grow.

While Livra was recording, the negotiation had already entered the main topic, with intense verbal clashes.

As expected, both sides were locked in a heated dispute over the issue of whether the First Demon Princess should stay or leave.

"Forgive my bluntness, but the stance of our Demon Domain is singular: we must bring back our First Demon Princess."

"I naturally understand the demands of the Demon Clan, but Mr. Hanks, you must be clear. Your Princess was captured by our Hero during the war. Now your side demands her unconditional release, which is unreasonable. You should know that our country also made enormous sacrifices to reach the current result."

"Your sacrifices will be rewarded. Once our Demon Domain welcomes back Her Highness the Princess, we will pledge lasting peace to the Kingdom of Aurus."

"Then may I ask, how will this peace be fulfilled? How can it be guaranteed?"

"This is a formal diplomatic occasion. Since I represent the Demon Clan and have made this statement, it is a promise. Just as in history, we can sign the accord on paper."

To this, Rom could only shake his head repeatedly with a bitter smile.

"Haha... but if I recall correctly, when our current King ascended to the throne, both sides were still at peace. Yet due to minor frictions, your Demon Domain unilaterally tore up the treaty, which led to the current war. Does Your Excellency truly believe that a mere piece of paper can serve any real purpose?"

At this point.

Hanks had already placed both hands on the table and stood up.

Following him, all the other Demons stood up as well, except for Belith.

Hanks adjusted his single-lens glasses and slowly shifted his gaze from the far left to the far right of the Human delegation.

His tone grew colder, tinged with disdain.

"Allow me to make this clear to you, Lord Rom. The one imprisoned in your Royal Capital is not some ordinary Demon soldier, but Her Highness, the Princess of our entire Demon Domain, the biological daughter of His Majesty the Demon King Dielzner Aurus. I hereby once again state our position: release our Princess, and the two sides shall reconcile. Continue her captivity, and war will reignite. I urge Lord Rom to carefully weigh the pros and cons and consider prudently."

"Oh, oh... so that’s how it is... Does what Lord Hanks said here also represent His Majesty the Demon King’s intention?"

"His Majesty did not directly state such, but this meaning requires no royal pronouncement. The bond of blood speaks for itself. There is no need for speculation."

"I see..."

Rom’s bright eyes dimmed slightly, revealing a faint sense of helplessness.

Diplomacy required national strength as its foundation.

The Demon Domain's overall strength was very strong, full of confidence, with no hesitation at all. They were certain that the Kingdom would not dare do anything to Sheffy Harl, and thus kept pressing forward step by step. Therefore, they would not agree to any conditions proposed by the Kingdom, not even bothering to ask what those conditions were.

On the Kingdom's side, the harshest tactic available was to threaten the life of the Demon Clan Princess, inflicting the greatest possible damage on the Demon Clan in a desperate, mutually destructive scenario.

Unless absolutely necessary… this option would never be used.

Would not be used — but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be said.

Just right.

Rom’s dim eyes suddenly flashed once more with a gleam of tenacity, reflecting the image of the Second Demon Princess, who was still sitting calmly and carelessly on the other side.

Heh...

The breakthrough was right here, wasn’t it?

Rom’s fingers lightly tapped the table, producing a steady, rhythmic sound like a countdown.

This tapping accompanied his calm speech.

It all appeared weak and powerless on the surface.

Yet the content of his speech… was like a thunderclap!

"No matter. If the Demon Domain refuses to make any concessions and insists on such a resolute stance, our side will consider executing Princess Sheffy, or, inflicting punishment short of death as retribution against the Demon Clan. The Kingdom of Aurus keeps its word."

As his words fell, Hanks stood frozen, eyes widening slightly.

He could hardly believe his ears! How could this old man dare say such a thing?!

His reaction didn’t matter.

What mattered was...

— Princess Belith also withdrew her previously careless attitude and turned her gradually chilling gaze directly toward the negotiation table.

That’s right.

Hanks, you were correct — the bond of royal blood needs no words.

Perhaps you diplomats would never weigh Sheffy Harl’s life on the same scale as national interests. After all, she was merely a subordinate to you superiors; even if the Princess died, at most you would symbolically mourn and then continue advancing, perhaps even with heightened morale fueled by anger.

But these words carried a very different weight for Princess Belith.

They were sisters.

Even as royals, it was impossible to remain indifferent when a loved one faced possible persecution.

Princess Belith was still young. Even if the Demon King could harden his heart to abandon his daughter, it did not mean Princess Belith could reach such a level of detachment.