Chapter 7: Yes, what will we eat!

“No allowance, what are we going to eat!”

Chloe immediately cried out in dismay.

Preparing food for her future children was pure nonsense. Stopping her pocket money meant that the salaries for the maids under her and all the palace’s various expenses had become urgent problems that needed solving.

Elda also wore a worried expression.

“Yes, what are we going to eat… Your Highness is such a good-for-nothing who only knows how to collect money every day and has no concept of saving at all. It would be a miracle if you didn’t sit back and eat through the family fortune.”

“Can you not say it so bluntly! Where did the gentle and considerate Elda from before go?”

Chloe couldn’t stand her closest maid suddenly baring her fangs and showing such natural black-bellied behavior. She pleaded softly, hoping Elda would show some mercy with her words.

But Elda, who seemed almost indifferent to her fate now, simply sat on the edge of the bed and continued speaking to herself:

“If we maids go out to work for Your Highness, can we support you?”

“This…”

Chloe didn’t think she was the type to spend extravagantly. She was about to say something when Elda murmured again:

“No, that would mean Your Highness is completely useless, right? If you can’t even support your own subordinates, everyone will actively leave you.”

“……”

She couldn’t listen anymore.

This wasn’t analyzing the current situation for her—it was rubbing salt into the wound!

Of course Chloe understood that Elda and the other servants under her were not short of money. They were all prominent figures in the demon race or their children. They served her because of her status as the Demon King’s daughter, not for any salary.

But salary was still necessary.

When Yalith said she would abandon Chloe, no one took it seriously.

After all, she was the Demon King. No matter how cruel her attitude toward her subjects, it was within reason.

But if the princess couldn’t even manage to pay her subordinates’ salaries, things would be different.

Not being valued by the Demon King still meant she was ultimately the Demon King’s princess.

But if the Demon King’s princess was a maggot without ability, drive, or responsibility, the demon race’s followers—who generally admired the strong—would find it unacceptable.

“The sky is falling…”

Having reached this conclusion, the princess let out a tragic wail and curled up into a ball.

Chloe, who understood this logic just as well, no longer cared that she was being called useless.

Her Demon King mom thought she had spoiled her too much and wanted cruel society to torture her. What a hateful old woman.

Did she think she would just submit like this?

Dream on!

The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. A fierce glint flashed in Chloe’s rose-red eyes as she bared her teeth.

“Elda, if the Demon King’s daughter goes out to sell herself… how much can she earn?”

After calm consideration, she decided to first ask her loyal head maid whether this backup plan was feasible.

She had no choice.

Even though she felt it was a bit strange for someone of her age, as a demon, to say such things, the wolf-like hungry gazes those elders had directed at her left too deep an impression. It was hard for Chloe not to care.

But the moment she asked, she regretted it.

“Oh, if Your Highness has made up your mind, I can empty all my savings to buy you.”

The kind and gentle maid’s eyes lit up as she looked at her expectantly.

It seemed that in the eyes of those around her, she was a bit too appetizing.

“If Your Highness thinks it’s not enough, I can go raise funds. Everyone can enjoy together…”

“Enough! You’re all perverts! Shut up. I’m going to focus on preparing for tomorrow’s trial. Don’t stimulate me by going along with it like this.”

After tossing and turning, Chloe finally hardened her heart and placed all her hopes on battle. She shouted and chased Elda out of the room.

Understanding that Her Highness was finally getting serious, Elda felt slightly relieved. At the doorway, she said softly:

“For tomorrow’s trial, the judges and maintenance staff are all servants from our palace. What Her Majesty probably wants to see more than anything is your attitude.”

A muffled hum came from inside the room.

“Of course, what I said earlier wasn’t just going along with it. We actually wouldn’t mind seeing Your Highness willingly fall into depravity either.”

“Get out!”

Chloe’s roar made Elda’s lips curl in satisfaction.

Even when angry, Her Highness was still so cute.

Now that comforting and caring for Her Highness was done, she should go prepare for hosting the trial.

As for the preconception supplies…

Of course she hadn’t been joking.

But there was no need to rush. Even if Her Highness unfortunately lost, and His Majesty really had such intentions, if the little princess lacked nutrition, they could just let her drink their blood instead.

She hugged her chest and weighed it.

Elda, who was fairly confident in her own physique, felt that compared to milk, serving personally would probably have about the same effect.

Thinking this, the head maid’s face gained a few more shades of blush.

“Your Highness drinking my blood… hehe…”

Just imagining such a scene was intoxicating.

As for Her Highness’s question…

What to eat?

If Her Highness not only lost the trial but also proved unable to pay salaries, then they should just “eat” Her Highness. After all, the rules of the demon race were simple—

The strong must thoroughly humiliate the weak.

……

The next morning.

Chloe got up early with dark circles under her eyes.

She had only wanted to sleep soundly and replenish her spirit, but her wish went unfulfilled. The moment she closed her eyes, she would have a rather strange dream. The dream’s content was quite simple: she was tied to a rack, and her kind mother stood in front of the fireplace, smiling at her and saying:

“Chloe, my good daughter, you must struggle uglily until the very end.”

Then she would grin ferociously at her with a poker in one hand and a feather duster in the other.

“Otherwise, you can just pick one.”

Too weird.

Her mother—the beautiful and majestic Demon King—putting on that kind of posture felt wrong in every way. It was as if in her memories, the image of her mother was supposed to be one that whipped her with a feather duster.

But Yalith at most just slapped her bottom, right?

She couldn’t figure it out.

Harboring this doubt, Chloe couldn’t even muster any enthusiasm for facing the trial. In a daze, she was led by Elda into the arena. Standing in the center of the field and accepting the scrutiny of the demon race, she felt no ripples in her heart at all.

“Eh, Princess doesn’t look nervous at all. So calm and composed… Does that mean we’ll see a fierce battle today?”

“The cute sight of little Mimi bouncing around and getting spun like a top by monsters is definitely worth looking forward to.”

“I feel like Her Highness already looks a bit dead inside.”

The demons in the stands discussed today’s arena protagonist without any politeness. Not long ago she had been the supremely noble Demon King’s princess. Now she was the petite existence who would become a breeding slave if she lost.

The effect brought by this contrast was that these bloodthirsty spectators were far more eager to see the little princess fight with all her might yet fail to defeat strong enemies, helplessly suffering thorough humiliation, than to see her pass today’s trial.

Chloe, who sensed this, raised her eyes in grief and indignation to look at this group of bloodthirsty spectators eagerly waiting. Soon after, she shifted her gaze to her biological mom, who was watching her with a smile.

She had already made up her mind in her heart.

Old Feng, just wait. Your daughter is going to win.