Chapter 224: Falling Family
"Rui-sama, there is a message from Lord Muzan," the demon messenger said, bowing as he approached Rui. His voice trembled, partly from the awe he felt toward Rui but mostly from the fear that lingered whenever he carried a message from the Demon King.
Rui, sitting on his webs high in the branches, gazed down at the demon, his red eyes narrowing. "Is it about my mother?" he asked.
Though his tone was calm, there was an edge to it. He, too, had felt it—a faint severing, like a thread snapping. His connection to his "mother" had disappeared, and it was unsettling, though he refused to admit it.
"Yes," the messenger replied, careful to keep his eyes down. "Lord Muzan has ordered you to investigate. He is... displeased."
Rui frowned, the words lingering in his mind. If Muzan was displeased, it wasn't a minor issue. Lord Muzan only felt annoyance when his creations failed him, but this was different. The words "displeased" and "investigate" told Rui everything he needed to know—Muzan's anger was serious.
Rui's gaze shifted to the depths of the forest, where he'd last sensed his mother. Her disappearance wasn't normal. She wasn't strong, but her fear of him kept her loyal. She never strayed, never dared defy him. If she was gone, it was because someone had interfered.
"Who could have severed my connection?" Rui muttered, clenching his fist. His strings—his carefully woven network of control—were everything to him. His mother was just another pawn, but she was essential to his dominance over his spider family. Losing her was a threat to his control, an insult to his authority.
"Rui-sama..." the messenger's voice broke through his thoughts, hesitant. "Lord Muzan expects an immediate report once you uncover the source."
Rui smirked, his confidence unshaken despite the disturbance. "I understand. Tell Lord Muzan that I will handle this. He doesn't need to concern himself with such minor issues." His voice was laced with arrogance, yet even he couldn't ignore the slight flicker of uncertainty in his mind. Whoever had the power to interfere with his web could be a threat.