The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Alpha's brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.

This girl is determined to give herself away for free. Do all elves value gratitude this much?

Poor little Gray, though worldly-wise, is a bit clueless when it comes to emotions, and he was easily fooled by that scheming woman.

Thanks to the elven girl's exquisite and shy acting, Gray failed to notice anything unusual about her, simply regarding her as an ordinary, cute, lovable, and charming elven girl.

She said she wanted to stay by my side.

It just so happens that the Shadow Court has only been established for a short time and is short of manpower.

So, should we take her in?

But then I thought, the elven girl in front of me was abducted by the slave-catching team, so she must be homesick, right?

Although she said she wanted to stay by my side to repay my kindness, she'll leave once she's done repaying it.

Gray still hopes that the Shadow Court can recruit members who are always dedicated to the cause of the Shadow Warriors and will not leave easily.

So Gray asked the elf girl for her opinion.

"There will definitely be other opportunities to repay this kindness in the future, so there's no need to rush."

Compared to this, you were captured by the slave train and suffered these inhumane treatments. Don't you want to go home?

Although Gray was unaware of the situation, we all were.

This guy ran away from his arranged marriage. He was so engrossed in the novel's plot that he was captured by the slave team. How could he possibly want to go back when he longs to meet his own Prince Charming?

Upon hearing this, the elven girl hesitated for a moment.

Well, now comes the problem.

How should I answer this question?

Adding the persona of a pitiful, helpless elf girl longing for her hometown and wandering the world would probably make her more lovable, but if that leads her benefactor to consider sending her back, then it would be a loss.

Her original goal was simply to have a good, carefree relationship, get married, and live a happy, shameless life!

Therefore, it's best to reveal a little bit of the truth here (just a little, but not much).

"I escaped from the Kingdom of Saint-Tian here, but I was unfortunately captured by a slave-catching team on the way. I don't want to go back."

Gray also grasped the key word "escape".

"You escaped here? Why?"

The elven girl immediately delivered a stellar performance.

She tilted her head slightly and sighed softly.

Her sigh was like the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze, soft yet tinged with helplessness. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes revealed a hint of worry and confusion.

Her lips parted slightly as she exhaled softly, as if releasing pent-up emotions. Her shoulders slumped slightly, as if weighed down by some invisible burden.

“We elves are a peace-loving race, but in the last few years, everything has changed.”

Power corrupts the mind, but I never imagined it would be the same for us elves.

The power struggle among those in power plunged the entire Elven race into chaos, and my parents were caught up in it, tragically losing their lives.

The elven race is in chaos right now, so I fled to a human country for refuge.

Very well, this elven girl is shameless and unfazed, ignoring her living parents and adding the setting of being an orphan to herself.

As for what I just said, it was all made up on the spot and has no credibility whatsoever.

She even took the opportunity to press herself against Gray again.

Her soft, delicate body pressed close to Gray once more, and she deliberately tilted her head back to adjust the angle so that Gray could see her pitiful expression.

Her eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and confusion, as if she were troubled by some kind of pain deep inside.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she clung tightly to Gray, as if seeking warmth and comfort. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she were murmuring something, but it was impossible to understand what she was saying.

Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, swaying gently as she trembled. Her pointed ears drooped slightly, as if they had lost their former liveliness.

Alpha: "(╬~皿~)!"

What's wrong with this woman? Didn't she hug me enough after all that time?

"Feel sorry."

Gray was completely fooled by this Oscar-winning elven girl, thinking he had inadvertently touched a nerve with her.

Without further hesitation, he extended an olive branch to the elf girl.

"Would you like to join our Shadow Court? We, the Shadow Court, are..."

Before Gray could finish his introduction, the elven girl wiped away non-existent tears and said firmly, "I do!"

Honestly, without reading the context, just based on that sentence and that expression, one might mistakenly think that Grey proposed to her and she accepted.

Gray touched her brow, and a purplish-black light emanated from his fingertip, quickly seeping into the elven girl's body, completing the ritual.

This is Gray, no, the Demon King's second familiar.

"The power of Lord Shadow has entered..."

The terrible lines almost made Grey lose his composure, but he managed to keep his mouth shut in time. However, thanks to the black robe, he didn't embarrass himself.

"From today onwards, you will be the third member of my Shadow Court, codename [Beta]."

"Yes! I will obey Lord Shadow's commands!"

Beta knelt on one knee, taking advantage of the information gap, and struck a pose that elves use when proposing marriage.

Seeing Gray dressed in black robes, his body shimmering with the purple-black light of a demon emperor, Beta couldn't help but swoon.

He's so handsome even with his face covered, I'm really curious about what's under that cloak...

Alpha was still standing there, completely bewildered.

Do I only have this many sisters?

"Cough cough."

Gray cleared his throat, diverting their attention.

"Our Shadow Court believes in a first-come, first-served principle, regardless of age, only the order in which we joined the organization. From now on, you can address each other as sisters."

Alpha and Beta both turned to look at each other.

Beta: Does that mean this little one will be my older sister in the future?

Both Gray and Alpha's black robes were manifested from their own magic. Gray's black robe had a stronger cognitive barrier, making it impossible for observers to even perceive his size.

Alpha's skills were clearly lacking; the cognitive barrier effect of his black robes was only to conceal his face.

So Beta could easily tell that Alpha was still a child, but he couldn't tell that Gray was still a child.

Beta tried to manifest a black robe to wear, just like Gray did.

You won't know until you try it, and once you try it, you'll be surprised.

He looked strangely handsome in that black robe.

No wonder Lord Shadow likes this style.

"Hello, please guide me in the future."

Beta extended his hand and symbolically shook hands with Alpha.

Although Alpha harbors some hostility towards Beta, Beta doesn't take Alpha seriously.

What can such a small child use to compete with me for my affection?

That mere shadowy figure will surely be taken down!