Chapter 17 : Praise
Chapter 17: Praise
Lilia carried the tray as she walked through the deep and silent corridor.
At lunchtime, where would Hera usually be?
Her bedchamber? Or…
Her 【Absolute Senses】 caught a faint sound from afar.
It was coming from the direction of the council hall.
Without hesitation, Lilia immediately adjusted her direction.
The closer she got, the heavier the pressure became—a suffocating mix of powerful demon auras. If she had not already begun adapting to the atmosphere of the Demon King’s Castle, she likely wouldn’t even be able to stand steady.
Two massive stone doors, engraved with ferocious demon god reliefs, were slightly ajar.
The voices were coming from within.
Lilia stopped in front of the doors.
As a maid, she understood the rules. In such a setting, she had no right to push the door open herself.
She gently bent her knees, raised the tray to her chest, and spoke in a soft yet clear voice:
“Master, your lunch is ready.”
Her voice carried into the council hall.
In an instant, dozens of powerful, cold, scrutinizing gazes—like tangible blades—pierced through the gap and landed on Lilia.
Her body stiffened suddenly.
She felt like a helpless rabbit being stared down by a pack of prehistoric beasts, her blood nearly freezing.
“Let her in.”
Hera’s cold and familiar voice broke the suffocating silence.
With a heavy “creak,” the massive stone doors slowly slid open.
Lilia took a deep breath, suppressing her nervousness. With her head lowered and small, careful steps, she carried the tray inside.
The council hall was vast, with a towering dome overhead. Ghostly blue demonic flames burned along the surrounding walls.
A massive black table stood at the center.
Upon the throne, Hera rested her chin on one hand, her golden eyes fixed coldly on Lilia.
On both sides of the table sat over a dozen demons of various forms, each radiating terrifying auras.
Minotaur, goat-headed demons, gorgons… and seated closest to Hera, that voluptuous, smiling Succubus Duke—Camilla.
Lilia did not dare let her gaze wander even slightly. She walked straight ahead, eyes forward, stopping beneath the throne as she raised the tray high.
However, just as she was about to present the bowl of noodles—
A voice, soft and alluring yet dripping with mockery, rang out.
“Oh my, how impressive.”
Camilla rested her cheek on her hand, looking at Lilia with amused interest.
“A newly arrived little toy, and already allowed into the council hall to deliver food.”
“Hera, aren’t your rules a bit too lenient toward certain ‘special’ individuals?”
Her words drew low chuckles from several demon generals nearby.
Lilia’s body trembled slightly.
She could clearly feel the undisguised hostility and contempt in Camilla’s tone.
Toy.
That word stabbed into her like a needle.
But she could not argue.
She could only lower her head further, pretending she hadn’t heard.
Hera ignored Camilla’s provocation entirely. Her gaze fell upon the large bowl on Lilia’s tray.
“What is this?”
“Replying to Master,” Lilia answered softly, “this is… ‘Abyss Blazing Minced Noodles.’”
Thinking quickly, she gave the dish a name that sounded fitting for the Demon Realm.
The name itself did not seem to interest Hera.
But the domineering, unusual aroma drifting from the bowl had already spread throughout the hall.
The demon generals present were all powerful beings of the Abyss, far more sensitive to magical energy than ordinary beings.
They instantly detected something extraordinary within that aroma.
It was… incredibly pure, high-density abyssal magic!
Moreover, this magic was fused perfectly with the fragrance of the food in a way they had never experienced before.
“Gulp.”
A burly werewolf demon general seated at the far end swallowed audibly, his throat bobbing uncontrollably.
The sound was especially abrupt in the silent hall.
His face immediately flushed deep red, as if he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Even Camilla’s smile stiffened slightly.
She had naturally smelled it as well.
As a succubus, her sensitivity to energy surpassed most present. She could clearly feel that the energy contained within the bowl even stirred a faint craving within her own magic.
How was this possible?
How could a human-like little maid create something like this?
Hera finally raised her hand.
Lilia quickly bowed and carefully placed the tray onto the table before her.
Hera did not immediately pick up her chopsticks.
She simply observed the vibrant composition in the bowl—the red-black minced topping shimmering with a strange luster, golden egg strips, emerald-green broth…
The presentation was indeed excellent.
She picked up the pair of black jade chopsticks and gently lifted a small piece of the minced topping.
At that moment, every demon in the hall fixed their gaze on the tip of Hera’s chopsticks.
They knew better than anyone how picky she was.
This Queen of Eternal Night had standards for food that bordered on absurd. The previous chefs of the Demon King’s Castle had all met miserable ends.
This new maid would probably—
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Hera placed the piece into her mouth.
She chewed slowly, elegantly.
Her face remained the same eternal ice-cold expression, revealing nothing.
Lilia’s heart climbed into her throat.
Fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Success or failure—everything hinged on this moment.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Hera stopped chewing.
She swallowed.
And then…
Nothing.
She said nothing, showed no expression, and simply set down her chopsticks.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing.
It’s over.
This was the first thought that appeared in everyone’s mind—including Lilia’s.
Judging by that reaction, the Queen was clearly dissatisfied.
The corner of Camilla’s lips had already curled into a schadenfreude smile.
She was just about to speak, ready to add a few more mocking remarks—
But in the next second—
Everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget in their lives.
Hera, the eternally cold Queen who treated food like dirt—
After a full five seconds of silence—
Actually…
Picked up her chopsticks again!
She lifted a portion of noodles, wrapped in broth and minced topping, and brought it to her mouth.
One bite after another, she finished the entire large bowl.
The entire council hall fell into absolute silence.
All the demon generals looked as if they had been turned to stone, staring blankly at the throne—at the Demon Queen who was now calmly wiping the corner of her lips with a silk cloth.
Their minds were completely blank.
Meanwhile, kneeling on the ground, Lilia heard the heavenly system notification in her mind.
【Ding!】
【“Queen’s Breakfast” Mission (Lunch Portion) Completed!】
【Evaluation: S+ (Beyond Extreme Perfection)】
【Reward Calculation in Progress…】
Lilia’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed.
She had succeeded.
Hera set down the silk cloth. For the first time, her golden eyes carried a faint, almost imperceptible trace of… approval.
Looking at Lilia, she spoke calmly.
“The taste is good.”