The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 53

After a short while, the main course was served.

Unlike the Duke and Gabby, who each received a single serving, my plate was piled high with a mountain of steak—likely due to someone giving special instructions to the chef.

Munch.

Without bothering to cut the steak, I speared it with my fork and bit into it whole. The Duke, in contrast, elegantly sliced his steak into neat pieces, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and addressed me.

“I heard from the temple that Prince Kayden has been assigned as your escort knight. It seems His Highness followed you all the way to the ducal estate.”

The Duke continued, “I’ve arranged a room for the prince for now. Also… keep your distance from him.”

“Mmm. (I was planning to do that anyway.)”

My mouth was so full of food that my response came out muffled.

The Duke frowned, perhaps not fully understanding my words, and pressed on.

“There’s nothing to gain from getting involved with the imperial family. Especially Prince Kayden.”

“Because he has two fathers,” Gabby interjected, cutting off the Duke.

“Gabriel, mind your tongue,” the Duke snapped at him.

“Mmm? (What’s wrong with having two fathers?)”

This time, the Duke seemed to understand me and explained.

“The claim that he has two fathers is a rumor spread by the crown prince’s faction to disparage Prince Kayden. Since a very young age, Prince Kayden has lived in the temple and hasn’t developed a deep bond with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Under those circumstances, the prince became notorious for blindly following the High Priest. Not to mention, his devotion to faith is unparalleled,” Gabby added.

In the past, the temple had played a significant role in defending the empire against demon invasions, giving it considerable influence.

However, with centuries of peace and the occasional need to handle monsters in the frontier, the temple’s power had diminished.

Even that was becoming less necessary, as anyone moderately skilled with a sword could now defeat monsters.

The imperial family sought to consolidate their authority by reducing the temple’s influence.

“The imperial family will never allow that prince to ascend to the throne. Meanwhile, the temple will do everything in its power to make him emperor.”

Listening to Gabby, I swallowed the steak I was chewing.

“Our family remains neutral. Supporting any one candidate won’t bring us significant benefits. We already have enough power, and expanding further might only provoke the imperial family’s ire.”

This was one of the few points where my opinion differed from the Duke’s.

Gabby mumbled quietly to himself before continuing, “On the other hand, if the candidate we back loses the power struggle, the repercussions would be disastrous. Do you understand?”

In truth, I didn’t fully understand. I had no interest in human political games and let his words drift past one ear.

But admitting that I didn’t understand would make me seem foolish.

So I decided to lie.

“I understand.”

I said it confidently.

Humans do make life unnecessarily complicated.

In the demon realm….

‘How did Lilith ascend to the throne of Demon King?’

At the time, I hadn’t been born yet, but the previous bearer of power had still been alive.

I sifted through my vast repository of memories.

Then a memory surfaced of Uriel, the previous bearer, conversing with someone.

“Gabriel, did you hear? Lilith killed the Demon King and took the throne! Can you believe it? Lilith, the Demon King.”

“Uriel, you’re far too interested in demon affairs.”

Ugh. Of all people, why does it have to be you?

I frowned at the sight of the Archangel Gabriel’s face in my memory.

Having a previous bearer who was an angel came with its downsides. Sifting through inherited memories often meant seeing angels—especially Gabriel—too frequently.

This is why I usually avoided delving into past memories. Not only did it feel like experiencing someone else’s life, but it also revealed things I had no desire to know.

For example, Uriel and Gabriel were passionately in love with each other…

I grimaced and bit into another steak.

It had been so long since the Demon King’s throne changed hands that I’d almost forgotten. The succession in the demon realm was remarkably straightforward: anyone who desired the throne could challenge the Demon King.

Why couldn’t humans choose their emperor the same way? Let them fight with their fists, and the winner becomes emperor.

How simple and clear that would be.

I was about to share my thoughts when the Duke spoke first.

“Getting involved could jeopardize our family’s political standing. The temple must know this, which is why they sent the prince to you. That’s why you cannot keep him as your escort knight.”

Gabby chimed in, “Leave it to me, Father. I’ll take responsibility and separate that brat from our troublemaker.”

“Gabriel. This matter needs to be resolved quietly. You…”

“Me what?”

“Sigh, never mind. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Oh, come on! What were you about to say? What’s wrong with me?”

Gabby’s face turned red with frustration.

As the two began arguing, I missed my chance to speak.

Fine. It wasn’t anything important anyway.

When Gabby kept pestering the Duke, he hurriedly changed the subject.

“By the way, I heard that after the last service, the ladies who saw Prince Kayden have been begging their fathers for an engagement.”

“Huh? Are they all out of their minds? What’s so appealing about that prince?”

Gabby’s reaction was rather intense. It was clear he truly disliked Kayden.

“Why ask the obvious? His looks. He’s the most handsome human I’ve ever seen,” I said absentmindedly.

Demons and angels shared similar standards of beauty with humans.

Moreover, demons and angels were inherently attractive, setting an even higher bar for beauty.

Even by those standards, Kayden’s appearance was exceptional. It was obvious how others would perceive him.

Following my remark, an awkward silence filled the dining room.

I looked up from my steak to see both the Duke and Gabby staring at me with indescribable expressions.

What?

Perplexed by their gazes, I soon dismissed it and returned my attention to my meal. This time, I’d dip the steak in salt instead of sauce.

Gabby, watching me chew diligently, broke the silence.

“Hey, you’re not the type to judge men solely by their looks, right?”

“Mmm. (I’ve never really thought about it since I’m not looking for a man.)”

“Well, you shouldn’t. Mother decided to marry Father because of his handsome face, and look how that turned out…”

I glanced at the Duke. His features had undoubtedly contributed to Isabella and Gabby’s outstanding looks.

“Hard to imagine now, but they say he was decent-looking in his youth,” Gabby added, unwilling to miss a chance to disparage his father.

Yet, even now, he was still quite handsome.

“Anyway, looks aren’t everything in a man. They’re practically useless. Got it?”

I frowned at Gabby’s words. Not only did the sudden change in topic confuse me, but hearing that from Gabby—who had little else besides his looks to boast about—was baffling.

“Then what’s important when judging a man?”

“Character, obviously!”

Gabby’s answer left me even more bewildered.

Not that a demon should judge, but Gabby wasn’t exactly known for his stellar character.

His only redeeming qualities were his looks and status, so why suddenly bring up character?

Was he criticizing himself?

Then I remembered a conversation I’d had with Jessie a few days ago.

“Miss, did you know the Young Duke’s engagements have been broken off more than three times?”

“Interesting. Tell me more.”

“Well, at first, noble families were eager to arrange engagements because of his status and looks, but once they got engaged, they couldn’t stand his temper and sent annulment letters.”

I see.

Gabby was indirectly seeking advice, venting his frustration over being rejected due to his personality. And he’d concluded that his flawed character was the issue.

Impressive self-awareness.

In this situation, Gabby’s desired response was obvious.

“There are those who value a pretty exterior above all else.”

I offered Gabby a piece of advice, essentially suggesting he find a partner who prioritized looks when searching for his next fiancée.

Feeling proud of my ability to decipher the subtext in Gabby’s words, I reminded myself that I wasn’t inherently oblivious—just usually unmotivated to think deeply. When I put in the effort, I quickly found the answers.

Gabby, you’re someone who deserves to be loved.

I silently cheered for him.

Gabby froze in place, seemingly moved by my words.

After waiting for a reaction, I shifted my focus back to my meal. The mountain of steak on my plate was nearly gone by the time Gabby spoke to the Duke.

“Father, you’re not seriously planning to handle this quietly after what she just said, are you? At this rate, our troublemaker might actually… Ugh.”

“…There are times when you’re right. I’ll retract what I just said. We need to separate the two as quickly as possible.”

“Right? So, from now on, I’ll do whatever it takes to drive that prince out.”

“I’ll clean up the mess.”

Munch, munch.

Chewing on another piece of veal steak, I half-listened to their conversation.

Once again, the food of the middle realm was delicious.