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The heavy silence that filled the room was no different than when a gathering among close friends, all single and taking their turns to share their tales of misery, ended with the last person producing a wedding invitation with a golden seal.

Aren’t friends supposed to stick together?

Lilith lazily sipped her black tea, relishing the taste of the rare and precious tea leaves. If it were not for their exquisite taste, Lilith would not have gone through the effort of obtaining them through her “connections” with the tea plantation owners.

“Ahem.” Gurr finally broke the heavy silence and stood up. The frosty expression etched on his weathered face that the passage of time had left for him, commanded the utmost respect from everyone in the room.

“So, Lady Lilith… After all this effort, what exactly do you want us to do?”

The naive little girl, still believing in the power of justice, urged, “Oh? You’re giving in so easily? We must fight, comrade! Otherwise, the forces of evil will only grow more arrogant!”

“We aren’t even capable of fighting back. We’re no match for her. I don’t understand why Lilith is willing to pay such a high price for us,” Gurr replied, shaking his head with a bitter laugh.

“What do you mean?”

Gurr solemnly looked at the young girl who looked perplexed. “The tea Lilith provided is an incredibly precious royal tribute. A single tea leaf can be exchanged for the same volume of gold as the tea itself.”

For the same volume… instead of weight…?

The little girl’s face paled as soon as she realized the true value of the tea she had been drinking.

Her face contorted in shock as she stared at the empty teacup in front of her. She had unknowingly consumed tea that was worth a piece of gold equivalent to the size of half her stomach!

“But…but…” she stammered. There was only a taste of bitterness left in her mouth. “The tea didn’t even taste that good.”

“No matter how good the tea may be, the overpowering taste of excessive meat would spoil it.” Lilith swirled the cup in her hand, then sipped her tea elegantly in front of the young girl. “Don’t you know that tea should be enjoyed this way?”

“I heard that even the Emperor made sure to clean his palate by rinsing his mouth out with spring water before tasting this tea.” Gurr’s face ashened, realizing the weight of his own praises for the food earlier. As a tea connoisseur, wasting such a precious cup of tea pained him deeply.

“Such expensive tea… I…” An idea suddenly struck the young girl. She grabbed the empty teacup and attempted to shove it into her mouth.

“What are you doing?!” Gurr quickly stopped her, but the little girl struggled.

“Let me go! Let me go! The teacup must have been flavored! It must have been flavored by gold liquid! It’s a waste if I don’t eat it!” she shouted.

“Oh my, children nowadays are too delicate. They crack under the slightest pressure. What can they possibly achieve when they grow up?”

Lilith gently shook her head, absently toying with the teacup in her hand. “While tea is enjoyable, consuming excessive amounts of it is simply not worth it. It dull the taste.”

“So, you’re the one who dug up the tea plantation, Lilith! Are you not worried that we’ll expose you? The Emperor holds that tea plantation in high regard. Do you think you can get away with doing such?” someone in the room questioned angrily.

“Be my guest then,” Lilith replied calmly, looking directly at the person. She dropped her teacup, causing it to shatter and the tea to splash everywhere. A maid quickly bent down to clean the spill.

An enchanting smile appeared on Lilith’s face instead.

“The fact that I dare to dig up the Emperor’s favorite tea plantation only proves that I fear no one. What can that old man possibly do to me?”

As long as she gave the order, the Aurora Dragon, who had guarded the Holy Dragon Empire for countless years, would immediately deliver a resounding slap to that old man’s head, causing him to spin like he was doing a pirouette. Even so, abusing her power like that would make things too boring.

“Alright, alright, stop looking at me like I’m going to murder your entire family,” Lilith clapped her hands, standing up and walking around the room. “I’m not a devil. Did I not treat you all to good food and drinks? I even let you drink tea that is worth as much as gold to your heart’s content. Have you ever met a boss as generous as me?”

“So, what exactly do you want from us, Lady Lilith?” Gurr asked, after successfully preventing the young girl’s strange attempt in swallowing a teacup.

“It’s nothing complicated. Before the Martial God Tournament of the Great Celestial Rite begins, I’ll buy a few more restaurants and distribute flyers for free meals to all the participants. Your role is to help me publicize this event. No matter who asks, no matter which power investigates you, you must firmly state that this is the instruction of… the eighth prince, Yeager. Understand?”

The room fell into shocked silence as they stared at Lilith. “What did Prince Yeager do? Did he steal your wife?” someone asked.

Lilith gave him a strange look. “No. You think someone like him can steal my wife?”

Is that what really matters to her?

“Well, with Yeager being away for a few days, I’d feel sorry for the dog that’s locked up with him if I don’t put his fame to good use. The poor creature must be having a bad time to be stuck with someone like him.”

The crowd shivered at her statement. They could not help but wonder if Prince Yeager’s playboy streak knew no bounds.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you work for nothing,” Lilith assured them. The waiters filed into the hall and quickly tidied up the messy table.

Lilith emptied a bag of gold coins onto the table. The round coins made a loud crashing sound as they hit the surface, with some rolling toward the people nearby.

The sound of gulping could be heard throughout the room.

“These are your funds for the event. If you need more, you can get them from me. I must remind you though,” Lilith said, looking at everyone with a smirk. “As mature individuals, character and loyalty are very important. If you face torture or coercion, you must stand strong and show no fear. You can’t be as weak as you were today.”

Lilith paused for a moment before continuing, “And remember, there’s no need to be afraid. You are now under the protection of the eighth prince. What do you have to fear?”

“Hehe…”

The realization hit them all at once. While they were now Prince Yeager’s people, Yeager himself was unaware of their involvement.

“May I know what is the purpose of all this?” Gurr, who had been deep in thought, suddenly turned to Lilith.

“Purpose? There isn’t really a purpose,” Lilith said, pushing open the window.

People bustled about on the street, some looking suspicious, while others exuded a powerful aura. The competition was about to begin, and many were already making their moves. Rumor had it that an aspiring contestant had been assassinated, heightening the tension in the air.

Yet Lilith couldn’t care less about these petty schemes.