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

"That's more like it! This is the life I want!"

Philippa was carrying a small cloth bag filled with coins—the fruits of her labor over the past few days.

These savings came from the Nightfall Lord's reward for outstanding performance in resisting the beast tide, as well as the rewards obtained from hunting monsters and selling magic crystals.

During these days, the princess, who had enjoyed all the riches and honors, finally gained a certain understanding of money and also learned the hardship of earning it.

However, being confined to the palace and unable to leave the house seemed even more terrifying for Philippa.

Looking back on the miserable days in the palace, Philippa felt more and more that her decision to leave was absolutely the right one.

Free and unrestrained, she doesn't have to maintain the dignity of a princess like she does in the palace, nor is she forced by her father to get to know the young masters and ladies of noble families, and is constantly pressured to get married.

Philippa is already twenty years old, and in this Western fantasy world, being unmarried at that age is considered very late.

Remembering the list her father had given her, the so-called promising young talents on it, Philippa's face fell.

Lucas Valestried, son of the Kingdom's Prime Minister, is at the top of this list.

This man was very popular among aristocratic young ladies because of his handsome appearance, elegant demeanor, and genuine talent.

But Philippa always felt that this person was hypocritical, not because she knew his background, but because of her sixth sense; she disliked him at first sight.

Such an annoying guy keeps trying to curry favor with her every day, as if he's trying to boost her favorability. Just thinking about it makes me sick.

And then there's that so-called Prime Minister, Cassie Wallestride. Although she didn't have much interaction with him, Philippa's initial dislike for him was even greater than for his son. It was only because Lucas Wallestride frequently bothered her that she disliked him even more.

In contrast, Grey was much better. She was good-looking and had a good temperament. She was not pretentious and did not try to curry favor with her because of her status as a princess.

The two were like close friends, with no serious barriers between them; the only problem was the time and distance that prevented them from seeing each other often.

But now that I've left and gained my freedom, I can go to Bifeng Territory to visit him.

It's quite a distance from Yemu to Bifengling; it takes several days to travel there.

I was lucky enough to see him once when I first escaped and said hello, but unfortunately I missed him because I was trying to avoid the guards.

Recalling the scene of her last meeting with Gray, Philippa's lips curled up slightly, but the smile quickly disappeared.

She remembered that Gray was followed by a girl wearing a hat.

Philippa felt a strange sense of hostility rising within her.

That girl is quite pretty, though not as pretty as me (self-admiring). She seems to be quite close to Gray.

What is their relationship? Are they boyfriend and girlfriend?

Um... Gray found a girlfriend, should I congratulate him?

But the next second, Philippa's mind flashed back to the scene of receiving the wedding invitation from Gray, and her pretty face immediately broke into a grimace.

Ouch... I feel a little uncomfortable.

The next moment, a distant aura interrupted the princess and hero's reverie.

“An evil, repulsive aura,” Philippa summed up how the aura made her feel.

The feeling that the monster gave Philippa was one of ferocity, bloodthirstiness, and irrationality; she did not feel such a deep sense of evil.

Looking in the direction from which the aura was coming from, Philippa took a step forward, determined to find the source of the evil aura.

—————————————————————

On that dark night, a peaceful village was engulfed by evil flames. Thick smoke billowed and flames soared into the sky.

The village houses teetered precariously amidst the flames, the burning wooden beams crackling and popping.

The fire raged like a raging beast, devouring every inch of the village. Flames surged and churned, like crimson demons baring their fangs in the night sky. Tongues of fire licked the walls of the houses, the wooden structures rapidly charring and turning to ash under the intense heat.

In the heart of the village, an ancient temple was the first to be touched by the flames; its roof collapsed instantly, sparks flying like fireworks bursting in the air. The fire then spread to the surrounding houses, the wooden doors and windows instantly turning into walls of fire, blocking all escape routes.

Smoke filled the air, thick black smoke blotting out the sun and turning the once bright moonlight dark. The villagers panicked; some tried to put out the fire with buckets, but the flames were too great, and their efforts were futile; others dragged their elderly, weak, sick, and disabled family members, stumbling and struggling through the smoke to find a way out.

The roar of flames, the rumble of collapsing houses, and the cries and screams of the villagers mingled together, creating a tragic symphony. In the firelight, the fear and despair on the villagers' faces were magnified infinitely; their figures appeared and disappeared in the smoke, like ghosts swallowed by the flames.

Livestock ran frantically through the fire, their bellies piercing the night sky, yet they could not escape their fate of being consumed by the flames. Some villagers and livestock were trapped under collapsed walls or burning beams as they fled, their desperate cries for help gradually fading into the inferno.

On the village paths, villagers fled in panic, many jumping into the nearby river in hopes of survival. Burning debris and remnants of clothing floated on the water, and the reeds along the riverbank were charred black.

The entire village trembled in the flames, its once tranquil pastoral landscape transformed into a living hell. The fire spread so rapidly that it was suffocating, and every corner of the village was undergoing a baptism of destruction. In this catastrophe, homes were destroyed, lives were lost, leaving only a desolate ruin and an indelible pain.

The person who started all of this, after witnessing such a scene of disaster, revealed a satisfied smile.

Dozens or even hundreds of gray-robed men quickly surrounded the village, which was still engulfed in flames.

Under the guidance of one of the gray-robed men, they found the survivors in the fire and the villagers trying to escape.

They slaughtered them one by one, showing no regard for the women and children lying in pools of blood.

"(Demon's words) In the great flames of My Lord, your servant will offer you a despairing landscape of ruins!"

The gray-robed people scattered, their strange positions and the red magic circle that appeared and disappeared on the ground adding to the pain and despair of the scene.

"What's this……?"

Philippa stared blankly at everything before her, her chest burning as if a raging fire were raging within her.

A fiery emotion, unlike anything I'd ever felt before, filled my chest.

Philippa knew, and this was...outrage!

"Tell me, what have you all done?!"