Before long, Selena stopped and took out a jade token. After channeling a surge of demonic qi into it, the token flashed with white light and shot toward the royal city. Evan asked, "Are you notifying Lynn?"
“That’s right. Not so dull after all, are you?” Selena shot Evan a sidelong glance, her lips curling with chilly mockery. “Lynn will be here soon. We’ll wait right here—let’s see who dares to rush me.”
After about half a stick of incense, a luxurious carriage rolled up to the city gate. Evan eyed the beast harnessed to it—a creature vaguely elephantine, trunk stunted, a golden horn gleaming on its brow. He couldn’t help blurting, “What kind of beast is that? You Demon Clan folks use this brute just to pull carriages? Must be pretty fierce—if it were me, I’d probably get trampled flat.”
“Exactly. That beast is called a Horned Elephant—born monstrously strong, temperamental, nearly impossible to tame unless raised from a calf. It’s a pure badge of status. That golden horn? That’s painted—its true color is black. Only the royal family coats it in gold, announcing this carriage can charge through the Demon Royal City unhindered. No one dares block its way.” Selena’s voice was icy, prideful, and sharp.
“So that’s how it is, huh? I thought it was born golden—shows how little I know about Demon Clan status games.” Evan gave a sheepish chuckle, masking the gnawing sense that he’d always be an outsider here.
Soon, the elephant carriage rumbled to a halt before them. A young girl hopped down, and at the sight of Selena, dropped to her knees: “Lynn pays her respects to the Princess!” Before Selena could respond, Lynn sprang up, eyes sparkling, and cried, “Lynn greets the Royal Son-in-Law!”
Evan just nodded, momentarily tongue-tied. Lynn straightened, her voice ringing with ceremonial clarity: “Princess, Royal Son-in-Law, please board the carriage.”
Once inside the carriage, Evan quietly asked Selena, "Why does Lynn call me 'Royal Son-in-Law' instead of 'Royal Consort'?" Selena burst out laughing, "You didn't marry into the Demon Realm as a dependent. Don't be silly."
Suddenly it clicked—Evan really was as clueless as he looked. The carriage rolled into the Demon Royal City. To his surprise, the streets buzzed like any bustling human capital: vendors shouting, shops crammed wall-to-wall, squads of black-clad guards marching past. Demon Clan security was airtight. Evan shrank in his seat, acutely aware he was a lone human in a den of demons, every eye a reminder that he didn’t belong.
The elephant carriage drove straight into the royal palace. Evan and Selena got out, and he saw at least several hundred attendants kneeling in unison, shouting, "Welcome home, Princess!"
“All of you, rise!” Selena commanded, her gesture slicing through the air with imperious chill. As the crowd stood, their gazes locked onto Evan—the lone human. Whispers burst forth, swirling like a storm: why had the princess brought a human into their sacred halls? Tension crackled, suspicion spreading like wildfire.
At that moment, a burly middle-aged man and two elders made their way through the crowd toward Selena. From afar, the man called out warmly, "Sel, you're back!"
“Greetings, Second Uncle.” Selena’s tone was frigid, each syllable laced with regal disdain. “We pay our respects to the Princess!” the two elders intoned, their voices echoing with archaic gravitas. “No need for such ceremony, honored elders,” Selena replied, her words flat as steel.
All eyes turned to Evan. Zhou Wenbin’s face flashed with feigned surprise, but his mind raced with calculation. He deliberately ignored Evan’s human identity, angling for Selena to offer a politically safe explanation. Every word, every glance was a move in a hidden chess match.
“This is Evan Chu—my husband.” Selena’s voice was glacial, her gaze unwavering and unyielding. She saw straight through her Second Uncle’s veiled schemes, refusing to yield an inch.
Zhou Wenbin, for all his titles, was no blood kin to the Demon Lord—merely a sworn brother from years past. When the Demon Lord vanished and Selena was sealed in ice, the realm was left leaderless. Fearing chaos, the clan entrusted power to Zhou Wenbin, whose reputation for martial and scholarly skill masked an ambition as deep as the abyss. Yet Selena never cared for the throne; her heart lay elsewhere, and that indifference would soon shake the entire Demonic Realm.
Zhou Wenbin was meant to step down once the princess was ready to rule, but Selena never cared for the Demon Lord’s throne. If she had, she wouldn’t have left the Demonic Realm chasing after the Frostbane Sword, and Evan? He’d have stayed a nobody in the Azure Tide Ruins. Now, fate had dragged him into a political minefield where every move felt like borrowed luck.
But now, Selena’s sudden return with a human sent a chill down Zhou Wenbin’s spine. No one who sits on the Demon Lord’s throne for years gives it up willingly. Selena was the rightful heir, but this scandal—marrying a human—was a weapon he could wield to destroy her claim, even if it meant sacrificing family for power. The air crackled with the threat of betrayal.
“Your husband? Xuan’er, he’s a human, is he not? How could a princess of the Demonic Realm stoop to wed a mere human? What will the Demon Clan say? You are to inherit the Demon Lord’s seat!” Zhou Wenbin’s voice was sharp, every word a venomous barb meant to shame and provoke, his eyes burning with hidden malice.
Evan’s brow creased, a flicker of indignation sparking beneath his calm. He could read the middle-aged schemer’s intentions as clear as day. Selena’s reply rang out, every word edged in frost: “I came back for one reason—the Demon Lord’s throne. Second Uncle, thank you for managing the Demon Clan’s affairs all these years. Your loyalty will be remembered.” Her voice was so cold it could freeze bone.
A flicker of rage twisted Zhou Wenbin’s face, quickly smothered beneath a mask of calm. Evan caught the flash—if this power-hungry regent so much as dared threaten Selena, Evan could end him in a heartbeat. Seventh-Layer Saint Martial? To Evan, that was less than an ant. But in this nest of vipers, one wrong move could spell disaster for them both.
Zhou Wenbin kept silent, but his eyes flicked to the two elders at his side—a signal as clear as thunder. He could not risk his own position by speaking openly, so he unleashed his allies to do the dirty work, letting them voice the venom he could not.
“Princess, you may bear the Demon Lord’s bloodline, but now you have sullied it by wedding a human. Thus, you forfeit all right to inherit the Demon Lord’s seat, and your title as princess shall be stripped away. Demon Clan and humans have been sworn enemies since time immemorial. You have committed a crime that stains our honor! Out of respect for the late Demon Lord, I urge you to leave the Demonic Realm—else, do not blame this old man for showing no mercy!” the elder thundered, his voice cold as ancient stone, every syllable dripping with archaic venom.
Selena remained unmoved, but Lynn could not contain herself. She shot back, her voice trembling with fury: “Grand Elder, what right have you to address the Princess so brazenly? You defy the hierarchy and should be punished by clan law! How dare you, with shameless ambition, try to strip her of her title? What schemes are you plotting? Don’t think I can’t see through your poison!”
“Vile wench! You dare speak against me? Courting death! Guards, seize this shameless dog and take her out for execution!” the elder roared, his words like poison, rage twisting his face into a mask of hate.
As those words rang out, two guards stepped forward, ready to drag Lynn away. Selena’s voice turned glacial, slicing through the commotion: “Let me see which of you dares lay a finger on her. Grand Elder, I see these years have only made your temper more reckless—but abolish this princess? You are unworthy. Stand aside!”
Selena’s words froze the guards in place, their courage evaporating. Zhou Wenbin stepped forward, a sly smile on his lips: “Xuan’er, there’s no need for such wrath. Surely we can discuss matters civilly. Deposing a princess is not for the Grand Elder alone—it demands unanimous consent from all clan elders. You must be weary from your travels; why not retire to your chambers and rest? I shall arrange a banquet to welcome you back.”
“Spare me your false concern, Second Uncle. Today, I will see with my own eyes who dares strip me of my title. I demand the elders’ council convene immediately—arrange it, now! As for the Demon Lord’s seat, let’s settle who truly deserves it. Before this day ends, the truth will stand revealed!” Selena’s words rang out, imperious and unyielding, shaking the hall with icy force.