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

"What...what should we talk about?" Philippa seemed a little reserved.

While Reginald's education of her wasn't exactly harsh, he did control the people she could come into contact with.

The noblemen introduced to her in order to lay the foundation for her future marriage to a prince consort, and the only ones she could find to make friends with were the daughters of various noble families. They were all people who indulged in a life of luxury and extravagance, and Philippa, who longed for adventure, had no connection with them at all.

Without female friends, women's associations, or opportunities to gossip together, there's naturally no chance for them to get together.

Philippa suddenly paused, looked up and stared intently at the saintess in front of her.

So, Sophia was my first true same-sex friend.

But I treat you like a best friend, yet you have feelings for me? It's so annoying.

“Let me think…” Sophia touched her chin with her fingertips, pretending to think. “Aren’t you obsessed with that Grey Brandt? Let’s start by telling you how you met him?”

Philippa was surprised that Sofia would bring up Gray, and upon hearing the name, his face involuntarily appeared in Philippa's mind, her cheeks flushing: "We met at a banquet."

Seeing that Sofia was listening attentively, Philippa continued, "He was the one who approached me first..."

Seemingly feeling that her behavior as a child was too strange, Philippa silently omitted the part about recommending dishes to Gray: "Do you know that guy named Luca? He's the son of the Kingdom's Prime Minister, the one my father chose for me, my future husband..."

Upon hearing this, Sofia realized that it was not easy for Philippa, who had been on Reginald's shortlist of potential husbands since childhood, to still be a fresh and beautiful cabbage that had not been taken by any pigs. She once again lamented that she had met Philippa too late.

“I’ve always thought that man was pretentious. His gentlemanly demeanor was all an act, so I really disliked him.” When the topic of this potential consort came up, Philippa’s pretty face showed disgust: “He invited me to dance, but to avoid him, I pulled Gray along and told him that I had already found a dance partner and that we would only dance one song.”

In other words, a so-called shield.

Philippa then told Sofia about what would happen next.

That's how the two met. Every time they met after that, it was at a banquet. They had a very pleasant conversation, and she finally had a friend she could confide in.

Then, she found out he had a fiancée and realized her feelings for him...

"Do you think he likes you?" Sofia suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Philippa was taken aback by the sudden attack, her pretty face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head and slowly said, "It should... just be my feelings for a friend..."

"That's the problem!" Sofia suddenly raised her voice, startling Philippa, who looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when she found no one was paying attention.

“You know he only sees you as a friend. He has a fiancée, and you rarely even see him. How could you possibly compete with his fiancée?” Sophia’s voice returned to normal as she spoke slowly.

Each word was like a sharp blade, piercing Philippa's heart.

She understood all of this, of course, because she knew she had no chance at all, which is why she locked herself in her room and cried bitterly.

She still understands this now, but subconsciously she is running away from it, trying to forget that her beloved is already engaged.

Philippa pursed her lips tightly, every word Sophia spoke hitting the nail on the head: "Now you still have the mission to defeat the Demon King, that terrifying being, how many years do you think it will take us to succeed? By then, forget about the marriage agreement, your child will already be walking, right?"

Try to imagine yourself after defeating the Demon King, finding Gray, and being entertained by Gray and his family.

The unfamiliar fiancée nestled in Gray's arms, while the child whimpered and cried...

Philippa froze at the thought of such a scene.

Seeing Philippa's heartbroken expression, Sofia felt she had dealt her enough of a blow and said jokingly, "What will you do when that happens? You can't exactly become his concubine, can you..."

Upon hearing this, Philippa's broken eyes regained some of their luster.

This is possible!

She rubbed her hands together hesitantly, "Well... it's not like we can't consider it..."

Sofia: Σ(?д?|||)??！ Kid, you're invincible!

It seems the crackdown wasn't enough, so Sofia decided to intensify her efforts.

"Don't talk nonsense. How could your father possibly allow you to marry into a fallen noble family as a concubine? Even without that fiancée, His Majesty the King wouldn't approve of such a husband, would he?"

Philippa lowered her head: "You're right."

(But the struggle for the crown prince position has always been like this! Continue...)

Philippa understood perfectly well how many obstacles stood between her and Gray, and that it was absolutely impossible for them to be together...

"Since it's destined to be unattainable, instead of getting stuck in it and repeatedly tasting the pain, why not choose an easier path?" Sofia launched her offensive against Philippa: "Your Highness, I promise to make you happy..."

Philippa lowered her head again and did not respond.

Sofia wasn't in a hurry and gave Philippa plenty of time to think.

She felt that her move was pretty good. Even if she couldn't completely win her heart, she could at least pull her a little closer to her side.

Finally, Philippa looked up and, amidst Sophia's expectant gaze, delivered a heavy blow: "Wait a minute, you've got me hooked. Father won't approve of me and Gray, much less two girls! At least Gray and I are still within the bounds of morality and common sense..."

"Tsk." Sophia tilted her head and clicked her tongue.

It was discovered.

Philippa secretly rejoiced as she watched Sofia's wicked scheme fail.

I almost got scammed...

As a result, the atmosphere became very strange.

Philippa was in a lot of pain, and Sofia also understood that her thoughts were even more incomprehensible to the world.

But it's okay, because nobody is that fragile!

"Beware! Monster attack!"

A startled shout snapped the two women out of their awkward silence. They immediately looked around and discovered that the caravan was surrounded by dozens of wolf-like creatures.

Taric leaped off his horse, gripping his giant axe with both hands, eager to try.

The journey was too peaceful, and Taric was getting a little bored.

Wolf-like creatures surrounded him, and Taric smiled.

Finally, I can stretch my muscles!

Having just ended a women's gathering that had a significant impact on both sides and caused considerable emotional distress, the two women desperately needed an event to help them temporarily forget the previous unpleasantness.

At this moment, the three-man hero team reached a consensus.

Well done!