Chapter 77
Yu Tai froze for several seconds at the title.
Anyone else might have asked, “Are you talking to me?” or “Have you mistaken me for someone else?”
But Yu Tai merely nodded calmly, then instructed the woman dressed as a maid to help her change clothes.
The maid tremblingly dressed the young woman whom the Demon Lord had brought back.
During the process, Yu Tai asked, “Why do you call me the Demon Empress?”
The maid’s hands trembled. Suppressing her surprise, she answered with utmost respect, “Because you are the Demon Lord’s beloved…”
The Demon Lord himself had personally confirmed it.
Standing before a full-length mirror, Yu Tai carefully studied her reflection.
Unlike the light, convenient robes worn by cultivators, the maid had dressed her in an elaborate gauze gown.
Fine strands of gold thread across the white gauze perfectly accentuated the young woman’s curves. Her black hair, which she usually pinned up carelessly, had been arranged in a proper bun adorned with a single dangling hairpin.
It was beautiful, and the face was unmistakably Yu Tai’s.
System, Yu Tai called inwardly.
But she received no response.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Tai determined that she hadn’t encountered anything as cliché as transmigrating a second time. As for why she couldn’t contact the System…
That wasn’t important for the time being.
“Come. Take me to your Demon Lord.”
Yu Tai swept the loose length of hair behind her, exposing her slender neck, and lifted the hem of her overly long skirt as she walked toward the door.
The maid thought, She’s so dashing…
Hurrying ahead to lead the way, the maid pushed open the door for her.
Yu Tai looked up at the blood-red sky that seemed almost within reach, then withdrew her gaze.
She secretly observed her surroundings throughout the walk.
This was an enormous palace, and everything about it seemed completely at odds with the words “Demon Realm.”
If Yu Tai’s senses weren’t mistaken, the entire palace appeared to be floating in the sky.
Looking at the two immortal cranes playing in a sparkling pool beside her, she wondered whether this was actually the celestial court.
This Demon Lord had interesting taste. But when had such a new Demon Lord appeared in the Demon Realm?
She wondered whether he might return her spatial pouch and demon-beast pouch out of consideration for her being the previous Demon Lord’s daughter.
Touching the empty space at her waist, Yu Tai’s gaze darkened.
She couldn’t panic. If necessary, she would pretend to submit and act obediently, then steal her belongings back and escape.
It appeared another wanted notice would soon be issued for her.
This maid must hold a very high position. Yu Tai noticed that almost everyone they encountered immediately bowed respectfully at the sight of her and moved aside.
The maid’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, as though she had long since grown accustomed to it.
Eventually, they reached the entrance to a great hall.
Upon seeing the maid, one of the guards respectfully called, “Lady Shihua.”
Then he opened the door and gestured for the two of them to enter. Throughout the entire process, he kept his eyes straight ahead, not daring to glance at Yu Tai.
Sensing that something was amiss, Yu Tai faced Lady Shihua’s gesture of invitation and, for some reason, felt a sudden flash of panic.
It was as though something had slipped free of her control and was galloping madly in a direction she could never have anticipated.
She had never been a coward, nor would she hesitate to move forward merely because the path ahead was a dead end.
Lifting her skirt, she straightened her back and walked inside. The instant she entered, the overlapping discussions within the hall abruptly fell silent.
Almost everyone lowered their heads at once, not daring to look at Yu Tai.
But Yu Tai no longer cared about their strange behavior.
All her attention had been captured by the figure on the dais, standing beside the throne with his hands behind his back and his back turned to her.
Hearing her footsteps, the man slowly turned, revealing a face capable of driving countless men and women mad with infatuation.
Yu Tai hadn’t seen that face in three years, but her gaze was still instantly drawn to him just as it had been back then.
When Yu Tai stopped before him, the man’s tender gaze glided across her made-up face. “You look beautiful today.”
As though helplessly drawn to her, he instinctively reached out to caress the young woman’s cheek as he had in the past.
Smack!
The crisp sound jolted everyone in the hall. Disregarding their fear, they raised their heads and saw a vivid red handprint on one pale cheek of their incomparably exalted Demon Lord.
The person who had struck him even shook out her wrist in disgust. Then she raised her chin, expression cold, and demanded in a thoroughly hostile voice, “Explain.”
Everyone: […]
Someone couldn’t help stammering, “Such treach-”
Before he could finish, the Demon Lord with the red handprint on his face gave him a casual glance. The man’s upper and lower teeth snapped together with a click, and he didn’t dare utter another word.
Despite being slapped before everyone, Shu Li didn’t seem angry in the slightest. His gaze remained gentle, and he asked warmly, “Will you wait for me? I promise that as soon as I finish dealing with a few matters, I’ll explain everything to you.”
Yu Tai raised an eyebrow, then suddenly revealed a brilliant smile. “Go fuck yourself, Shu Li.”
With that, she kicked him hard, turned without the slightest hesitation, and walked away.
Everyone who witnessed the scene wished they could gouge out their own eyes on the spot.
Even the Demon Lord was this humble before his beloved. What right did any of them have to complain so much about their own wives?
That saying truly was correct.
The more power and status a man possessed, the better he treated his wife.
Only incompetent men lost their temper with their wives.
With a footprint now marking the hem of his robe, Shu Li glanced at Shihua, who stood below at a loss. She immediately understood and hurried after Yu Tai’s mercilessly retreating figure.
Maintaining a cold expression, Yu Tai swiftly returned to her original room. She ordered Shihua to guard the door and let no one inside. Only after shutting the door did Yu Tai’s expression finally change.
Her face twisted for several seconds before she fiercely ground her back teeth.
Wonderful. Truly wonderful, Shu Li.
The useless male lead had transformed into the supreme Demon Lord. So he had been following the script of an underdog protagonist rising to greatness all along.
And she had self-righteously treated the male lead as a weak, pitiful soul. Shu Li must have found it enormously entertaining.
After all, she had looked like an idiot the entire time!
No wonder Shen Zhiyou had said that Shu Li would keep her by his side.
Of course he would. How many self-important fools like her could possibly exist in the entire world?!
She had even gone to enormous lengths, enduring an endless manhunt and roaming throughout the Three Realms in search of that damned doctor who could save him.
With a cold laugh, Yu Tai closed her eyes and desperately suppressed the rage rising in her chest.
At that moment, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
She frowned and called out, “What is it?”
Shihua’s voice came from outside. “My lady, someone wishes to-”
“I won’t see them!” Yu Tai shouted, cutting her off.
Right now, she only wanted to calm down alone. She didn’t wish to see anyone.
The voice outside disappeared. Just as Yu Tai’s taut nerves began to relax, a sound came from the window. Her gaze sharpened, and demonic qi instantly gathered in her hand as she prepared to strike.
A black-haired head poked inside. The young man raised a pair of eyes identical to Yu Tai’s and said pitifully, “Yu Tai, I missed you so much. Why won’t you see this panda?”