S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 202

Chapter 202

Maximilian's funeral was simple. The flickering flames rising in the presence of only Adelaide and Penelope seemed almost pathetic, not even worthy of being called modest.

In her heart, she wanted to give her the most magnificent funeral possible. However, Adelaide could not do so. She knew this would merely be for her own regret and remorse, not truly for Maximilian.

They say Maximilian wanted to turn into a handful of ash before the two demons she relied on most. It was excessively frugal for someone leading an entire species, a decision quintessentially her—refusing to burden other succubi until the very end.

Thus, Adelaide bid farewell to a being who was like a mother to her.

After the short funeral, her eyes were swollen like a goldfish's lips as she headed toward Penelope's room—evidence of how much she had cried.

Penelope playfully pointed out her appearance and brewed tea. However, it was tea in name only, essentially just slightly scented water. It was nowhere near the level of tea Lisianthus would brew, though acquiring even this much was surely difficult in the union.

"...How is the union's situation these days?"

Adelaide, quietly sipping her tea, glanced toward the firmly closed door and asked. Outside, Lupinus was standing guard—or rather, not quite guarding—having been denied entry by Penelope.

Of course, her assessment of him being lonely was entirely one-sided. In reality, Lupinus seemed more interested in examining the union, curious about the environment Adelaide had lived in, but to her, he appeared pitiful.

"After the legend incident ended, things have improved a bit. That's why I returned from the safe house. But with each passing day, the atmosphere feels increasingly ominous."

Penelope seemed to recall her accumulated worries and let out a long sigh.

"The Demon King's Castle continues to suppress the union... and far too many demons are still eyeing us. They want to either seize the opportunity to swallow us whole or control us like slaves."

Succubi and incubi were always under threat. After all, beauty is merely a curse for those who cannot fully protect themselves.

The union was created to survive within such threats, and the Queen led these unions. Although the Queen's position had been vacant for a long time, Maximilian had firmly stood at the forefront, leading the union, allowing succubi and incubi to protect themselves under sufficient protection until today.

However, now that Maximilian is dead, that protective power has vanished. Some succubi who anticipated this outcome have already left the union by contracting with other dungeons, but many could not. To begin with, only a tiny fraction of succubi possessed enough power to establish legitimate contracts with dungeons.

"...When news of Maximilian's death spreads, the situation will deteriorate to the worst possible scenario. All sorts of beings will attack the union, as if they've been waiting for this moment. The Demon King's Castle will try to steal the union's leadership, all while spouting false promises of protection. You know this, Adele. The Demon King's Castle has never once genuinely cared about succubi and incubi's circumstances. They claim protection, but it's clear they'll use us like dolls and discard us without mercy once we're no longer useful."

Penelope ground her teeth, thoroughly disgusted by such conduct.

Adelaide calmly gazed at her with settled eyes. Penelope had always been reserved in front of her. Particularly regarding her own concerns, she rarely spoke up. Like Maximilian, she didn't want to burden Adelaide, who was already struggling.

The fact that she was now continuously voicing her worries implied there was no room for restraint. The situation was more serious than ever before. Her darkened eye corners and pale face alone were enough to sense her mental state.

"By the way, Adele, how have you been? I've been so busy I haven't had time to check on you recently."

Penelope quickly redirected the conversation, realizing she had spoken at length. She even forced a slight smile, though it wasn't particularly convincing.

"That pretty one I saw last time was incredibly strong. Thanks to that, I've worried less about you since then."

"Yes, I've been healthy. That pretty one is still doing well in the dungeon."

"Are you growing the dungeon well? I heard the dungeon situations aren't great these days—you must be struggling. Oh, by the way, what was the name of your dungeon? Something like a green tree? Something like that..."

Adelaide let out a soft chuckle. Penelope seemed completely unaware of her newfound fame, likely because she didn't subscribe to dungeon journals and had been too busy watching over Maximilian and protecting the union.

"Yeah, something like that."

She didn't elaborate, wanting to properly boast about it later when her mind wasn't so turbulent. Though her intentions were slightly misinterpreted.

'Her dungeon's rank must still be low, so she's embarrassed. After all, even with such a strong demon beside her, raising an F-rank dungeon isn't easy.'

Penelope nodded lightly and quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, I heard from the letter you sent last time... he's really handsome."

She lowered her voice and gestured toward the door. She was referring to Lupinus.

"Like that demon from last time and him, they're so good-looking they could slap the faces of famous incubi hundreds of times over."

Penelope had thought the previous description of another handsome silver-haired demon was an exaggeration. The silver-haired demon she had encountered was more fantastical in appearance than any demon she'd ever met—she would confidently declare him the most beautiful in the demon realm. How could there be two more like him?

Yet here they were. The blonde demon standing outside the door possessed a face just as stunning as the silver-haired one. While their atmospheres differed, making direct comparison challenging, they were undoubtedly among the demon realm's most attractive.

"Is his personality strange? Does he get angry with you or anything? I've never seen a good-looking guy who's actually nice."

Of course, she implied that just because someone isn't attractive doesn't mean they're good. Penelope stared at the door with a savage gaze, her attitude remarkably similar to how Adelaide once regarded Lisianthus.

"No, they're all really kind."

Adelaide waved her hand in denial. When Penelope's suspicions didn't subside, she blushed slightly and added an explanation.

"Well... actually, with me..."

"You're dating? Which one?"

Penelope urgently leaned in before Adelaide could finish her sentence. Adelaide was amazed by her quick intuition and laughed awkwardly. The pretty green eyes sparkling too intensely toward her felt somewhat burdensome.

Wondering about her reaction, Adelaide carefully continued.

"Well, all three..."

A brief silence followed. Even Penelope, known for being talkative and quick, seemed momentarily speechless.

Eventually, her red-painted lips trembled, and an emotional voice emerged.

"Truly... truly impressive!"

"Wow, good for you, our Adele!" Penelope excitedly patted Adelaide's back. Though Adelaide was now stronger, Penelope's palm still felt unusually painful—likely because she was so accustomed to being hit.

"Hehe, well... it's all thanks to Pipa."

"As an experienced person, let me advise you: give love equally to all three. Got it? Otherwise, fights will break out and it'll get troublesome."

"Okay! Was Pipa also experienced?"

"Even if I was experienced, my guys weren't as handsome as yours! Look at how tall and pretty you are!"

Penelope ran her hands through Adelaide's hair, beaming. Adelaide also accepted her touch with an incredibly bright face. After always hearing explosive scoldings, this praise made the air feel sweet.

In the midst of their warm, affectionate moment, someone poked their head through the door.

"I prefer being the only one favored."

It was Lupinus, who had been listening to their entire conversation.

"Who comes in without knocking!"

Penelope's sweet smile instantly transformed into a viper-like expression of rage. Her spirit was so intense that Lupinus involuntarily flinched. Though significantly weaker than Lupinus in combat power, her momentum was no less than a formidable demon's.

"Sorry. But I think it's best if we leave now. The outside is quite noisy."

He apologized obediently and gestured outside. Listening carefully, they indeed heard considerable commotion. From the loud voices, it seemed a fight had broken out.

Penelope and Adelaide quickly rose and moved toward the source of the disturbance.

Arriving at the kitchen on the first floor, they saw two demons amid the crowd, shouting at each other. They were familiar to Adelaide—a succubus named Noxia and an incubus named Raymond.

Weren't they originally quite close? Adelaide looked puzzled and listened to their conversation.

"You'd be better off just prostrating yourself before the Demon King's Castle! What's the point of stubbornly resisting like this? Getting torn apart and killed by invading monsters?"

"Noxia! Do you have any idea what surrendering to the Demon King's Castle means? Don't you know how succubi and incubi were treated before the union existed? No, we don't even need to look back. Have you heard about the Zirus Union? After entering under the Demon King's Castle, how pathetically they've been treated! They're no different from slaves!"

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