**Chapter 8: Suspicion (1)**
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In a dimly lit tavern, flickering firelight danced across Adeline’s delicate profile.
Perhaps it was Morris not biting the dust on the spot that left her a bit disappointed. She sighed, leaned closer to Xi, and whispered, “Honestly, did you realize how impressive that harpist would be before you jumped into bed with her?”
Xi replied, “… We’re just plain friends.”
Adeline giggled, “If she makes it to the Imperial Capital, she’ll hit the jackpot! Haha! And if she’s feeling nostalgic, you little noble might just ride her coattails to success!”
Xi went silent, contemplating who decided to let this little girl speak such blasphemy and live.
“Teehee! Just don’t forget your poor little maid, Count Morris, when you’re all famous.”
Adeline tilted her head and looked at Xi with a pout, as if saying she couldn’t bear to part with him.
In her eyes, they would soon be leaving Black Stone City. After all, it was a battleground, and there was no need to stick around and play the part of a frying pan in a fire.
Xi shrugged, pointing to the recently escaped Morris.
“Looks like your Count doesn’t want us to leave.”
Adeline had never seen Morris grovel so much for a woman, even resorting to kneeling and sputtering out his desperate cries.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she said to Xi, “I think I have a way to convince the Count to let me go! Xi, when that happens, take me with you, okay? I’m more than happy to be your maid.”
Before Xi could respond, Adeline winked and dashed towards Morris with the speed of a speeding b*llet.
At that moment, Morris was on his knees before Lin Nan, sweating bullets, but utterly helpless to express himself.
The spectators exchanged glances, but unfortunately, Morris was now deaf and mute, completely clueless on how to communicate.
Just then, Adeline appeared in front of Morris, pointed to her lips, then whipped out a piece of paper and quickly scribbled, “My lord Count, I’ll be your translator!”
Morris instantly felt relieved; he vaguely remembered Adeline could read lips, but he had forgotten in the heat of the moment.
She conveyed his message to the Muse and jotted down her responses on the paper for him.
This way, even though communication was a bit slow, it saved him the trouble of writing it out.
Morris urgently said to Adeline, “Please ask the harpist to stay! We’ll only be in Black Stone City for about a week before heading back to the Imperial Capital. We can escort her to the Harpist Academy. With her incredible skills, it would be a shame for her talent to go unnoticed out in the sticks!”
Adeline relayed Morris’s idea to Lin Nan.
After pondering for a moment, Lin Nan seemed to be considering Morris’s suggestion.
At this moment, Trissa knelt before Lin Nan and said, “Harpists hold a high position among the Demon Race, and Lin sister, if you don’t mind me calling you that, I sincerely hope you’ll make a trip to the Imperial Capital. They would go insane if they knew you were an expert harpist far beyond the current standards!”
Lin Nan nodded, “That sounds good. Conveniently, I want to check out the potion culture of the Demon Race, which is quite different from that of the Human and Monster Races.”
“Perfect! I’ll send someone to notify the academy to prepare for your arrival,” Trissa beamed.
“Alright, the guest is the boss.”
Seeing Lin Nan agree, Morris quickly stood up, eager to arrange accommodations for the two ladies. Adeline followed closely, constantly barking orders in his stead.
*Knock! Knock!*
At that moment, an urgent knocking echoed from the tavern door.
Everyone froze in their tracks.
If Morris could speak now, he would definitely be impatiently yelling, “Who the heck is bothering us at this hour?”
Before anyone could open the door, it swung wide open.
A massive Alligator Monster with a gigantic crocodile head ducked through the entrance, which was a bit too low for him.
Behind the Alligator Monster, a dozen Little Demons stood guard outside, respecting their noble status by not entering.
The lord of Black Stone City cupped his hands together and said, “Everyone, a brilliant white light just poured down over Black Stone City, and I was worried for your safety, so I came to check if you’re all alright.”
Morris didn’t feel like talking and didn’t want the leader from the Alliance to see him in this state, so he shrank back and stayed hidden.
Seeing this, Trissa quickly stepped up, smiling, “Thank you for your concern, we’re all fine.”
The Alligator Monster scanned the tavern and, having a good memory, noted the presence of two unfamiliar faces after just one glance.
Especially the cool and collected woman leaning against the door, who made him take a second look.
Not of the Demon Race?
So she was either Human or a Monster.
Since the relationship between Black Stone City and Half Moon City had been severed, any remaining humans had either been killed or fled.
Therefore, her odds of being Human were pretty slim.
Moreover, he didn’t detect even a whiff of Human scent on her.
In that case, she must be a Demoness with extraordinary shapeshifting abilities.
At first glance, she virtually had no traces of her original Monster form; her transformation was nothing short of flawless.
What in the world was a Demoness doing in a tavern filled with Demons at the dead of night?
He distinctly remembered announcing to the entire city’s Monsters that, upon the arrival of Demon Race members, no one should contact them without his permission.
More importantly, how could someone with shapeshifting skills like hers reside in Black Stone City without him knowing? If she were from here, he would have long taken her into his home and dote on her, certainly not handing her off to a guy like Morris to ruin.
Hence, the only explanation was that this woman hailed from outside the city.
Right now, as Cold Wind City and Black Stone City were in the thick of battle, could she be an enemy spy?
Surely, the enemy leader found out about the Demon Race visiting Black Stone City, then sent this Demoness in to seduce Morris with her looks.
But he hadn’t anticipated that Trissa, a Demoness of comparable status to Morris, would advocate for her. Clearly, this Demoness was no ordinary one and possibly a master of charm spells.
The Alligator Monster’s eyes darted, landing on a pale-skinned young man of the Demon Race sitting at the bar in the distance.
That guy looked unfamiliar; he definitely wasn’t from Morris’s entourage.
Could it be…
A terrifying thought suddenly popped into the Alligator Monster’s mind.
Could it be that the Demon Race had already formed an alliance with the forces from Cold Wind City, and that pale-skinned Demon was likely their envoy secretly planted there, having made some deal, which let that Demoness slip into the city to have secret meetings with them?
In the past, whenever Morris saw him, he was all too eager to greet him and would find every means to procure more women for him.
But now, he was cowering in a corner, even avoiding eye contact.
Clearly, Morris was feeling guilty! He had betrayed Black Stone City!
