In the Dream Demon Palace restaurant that evening, a table of exquisite dishes was laid out quietly.
The soft aroma of the food failed to dissipate the faint, underlying tension in the air.
Bai Li sat quietly in his chair.
On the surface, he was simply focused on his meal, but his heart was already churning with layers of complex emotions.
To him, these days of seemingly stable and peaceful life together as father and daughter felt more like a gentle imprisonment.
There was the panic Ziya couldn’t hide in her eyes, Rongrong’s perfectly timed attempts to smooth things over, and even the way the maidservants in the palace avoided his gaze with a hint of caution whenever they saw him.
Only Xiaomiao acted normal, though that was likely because she was too dim-witted to know what was going on.
Aside from her, every detail silently told him the same thing…
There was something very important that everyone knew, yet he was the only one being kept in the dark.
His concern for Baining and his worry over the potential war twisted in his heart like vines, tightening with every passing moment.
It wasn’t that he lacked patience; he was simply afraid that if he continued to be left in the dark, the anxiety would crush him first.
The more he pretended to be calm, the more wildly his internal suspicions grew.
Every minute and every second felt like a torment to his sanity.
Finally, he decided to stop being silent and take the initiative to break this fragile peace.
“Ziya.”
Bai Li’s voice was soft, but it was enough to make the girl across from him instantly tense up.
Ziya flinched like a startled rabbit and hurriedly looked up.
“W-What is it, Father?”
To Bai Li, her panicked, helpless expression and darting eyes were as clear as day.
He sighed inwardly.
‘This child is clearly the worst at lying, yet she insists on trying so hard to keep a secret. She is clumsy yet earnest.’
It made him feel both pained and helpless.
However, at the thought that what she was hiding might involve the safety of the Vampires, he had to harden his heart and continue testing her.
“It’s nothing. I just suddenly found myself missing Baining. It has been quite a while since I left the Vampires, and yet I haven’t sent her a single letter.”
Bai Li’s tone was flat, as if he were discussing a common, trivial matter, but he observed Ziya’s every reaction behind every word.
“I… I miss my sister too!”
Ziya said, as if grabbing onto a life-saving straw.
She nodded quickly in agreement, trying her best to make her tone sound natural and affectionate.
“Then how about we write her a letter together tomorrow? We can tell her all about our life here!”
“Yes, that sounds fine.”
Bai Li nodded slightly, his calm gaze landing on the girl’s nervous little face.
Then, he shifted the conversation with a perfectly timed hint of confusion.
“It’s just that I find something a bit strange.”
“S-Strange? What is it?”
Ziya’s heart leapt into her throat.
Bai Li spoke slowly, his voice gentle but his words precise.
“Just because I didn’t write to her doesn’t mean she would forget me. Knowing Baining’s personality, even if I didn’t reach out, she would have sent a letter long ago to ask how I was doing. Yet, so much time has passed, and I haven’t received even half a sheet of paper. Do you think she is so busy that she doesn’t even have time to pick up a pen?”
Ziya’s mind went blank.
Her heart pounded so hard against her ribs it felt like it might burst.
She knew better than anyone that it wasn’t that Baining lacked time, but that she didn’t dare to write.
The war between the Vampires and the Human Empire had already begun.
The situation was tense, and one wrong move or a single slip of the tongue in a letter could expose everything.
With her father’s intelligence and sharp intuition, a single flaw would allow him to see through every lie instantly.
But she couldn’t say anything — she couldn’t say a single word.
She had promised Baining that she would take good care of their father and keep him away from the flames of war so that the Magic Power Side Effect wouldn’t put him in danger.
“S-She is the Queen, after all. She has ten thousand things to attend to every day, so she probably just can’t find the time…”
Ziya could only force herself to stammer out an explanation, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
“No matter how busy one is, there should always be enough time for a few short sentences,” Bai Li pressed on unhurriedly.
His tone remained gentle, yet it carried an unavoidable pressure.
“Could it be that she has grown up and no longer cares for me?”
As those words fell, Ziya was left utterly speechless.
She was so anxious she was on the verge of tears, yet she had no idea how to fix the situation.
The more she tried to hide it, the more flaws appeared; the more she tried to keep her father calm, the more her own panic was written all over her face.
She hated that she wasn’t smart enough, she hated that she couldn’t lie, and most of all, she hated that she could only use this clumsy method to keep the person she loved most in the dark.
Bai Li watched her helpless, near-collapsing state, already understanding everything clearly.
He didn’t soften his heart; at this moment, his gentleness was his most direct probe.
He had to know the truth.
He had to confirm whether the Vampires and Baining were safe.
“When we left the Vampires, Baining repeatedly urged us to keep in frequent contact. Now that there has been no news at all, I am truly worried. Ziya, why don’t we pack our things tomorrow and head back to the Vampires for a visit?”
“No!”
Ziya blurted the word out almost instantly.
The moment it left her mouth, she realized her reaction was too intense.
She hurriedly lowered her head to hide her flustered expression, her voice tinged with a sob.
“W-We agreed to stay here peacefully for three months… It wouldn’t be good to leave halfway through…”
“Three months was the agreement, but I am just going back to see Baining and confirm she is safe. I will return quickly.”
Bai Li’s tone was calm but carried an undeniable firmness.
He could feel that Ziya’s ability to keep the secret had reached its limit.
One more step and he would touch the truth.
“…That… wouldn’t be right…”
Ziya’s voice grew smaller and smaller.
Her head hung so low it was almost buried in her chest; she didn’t even have the courage to look Bai Li in the eye.
She was afraid that the moment she spoke, she would pour out every secret she held.
“Is it that you don’t dare let me go back, or that you don’t want me to go back?”
Bai Li’s light words pierced through all of her disguises.
Ziya shook violently, as if struck by lightning.
She had been seen through.
Completely and utterly seen through.
Her father had sensed everything long ago.
Her careful behavior and constant hiding over the past few days had been nothing more than self-deception.
She was afraid her father would be angry if he knew the truth, and she was worried he would insist on returning to the Vampires and end up in danger.
Both emotions tore at her heart, leaving her nearly unable to breathe.
“Is there… something very important you’ve been hiding from me?”
Bai Li’s gaze remained gentle, but that calm power left Ziya with nowhere to run.
“N-No! There’s really nothing I’m hiding from you!”
Ziya shook her head desperately, tears welling in her eyes from a mix of grievance and fear.
Her mind was a mess.
On one side was a secret she had to keep, and on the other was the person she was closest to.
She was trapped between two impossible choices and in total agony.
Just as Ziya was at her wits’ end, Rongrong, who had been standing quietly to the side observing the situation, finally stepped forward.
She moved smoothly to bail out her Queen.
“Your Highness, a plague has recently broken out in a border village. The situation is urgent and requires your presence to preside over the countermeasures and reassure the people.”
Rongrong’s voice was steady and respectful, leaving no room for doubt.
She then turned toward Bai Li and bowed slightly.
“Madam Bai, Her Highness has been preoccupied with many matters lately and cannot travel far. I hope you can be understanding.”
As she lowered her head, Rongrong caught Bai Li’s eye and gave him a quick wink.
The meaning was clear.
‘The child is still young and doesn’t know how to hide things. Please stop pushing her.’
Bai Li understood immediately, feeling both annoyed and amused.
These two, one old and one young, were actually teaming up to deceive him with nonsense.
The Dream Demon Tribe was naturally strong and immune to most poisons; common illnesses couldn’t even get near them.
How could a plague suddenly break out?
‘Could it be some kind of strange Erotic Plague?’
He complained wildly in his head, but his expression remained unchanged.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to expose them, but seeing Ziya’s pitiful, tearful face, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Pushing any further would only cause the simple-hearted girl to completely break down.
“Fine. Since the plague is the priority and national affairs come first, you should handle the urgent matters first.”
Bai Li sighed softly, choosing to back down for now.
But even though he agreed, his doubts and unease didn’t diminish in the slightest.
He knew very well that this was just a temporary fix, a loophole-ridden excuse.
Ziya’s panic and Rongrong’s deliberate intervention pointed to a single answer — Baining was likely… hiding something from him… and it was a war…
He couldn’t stay trapped in this gentle cage forever.
He had to know the truth.
Bai Li silently made up his mind.
For now, he would stay put and wait for a better opportunity.
The next time he was alone with Ziya and Rongrong wasn’t there, he would definitely speak up again.
Without coercion or interrogation, he only needed to guide her gently.
Sooner or later, this girl who couldn’t hide her thoughts would tell him everything exactly as it was.
Longing, worry, anxiety, and restraint… all sorts of emotions intertwined in his heart.
He appeared as calm as still water on the surface, showing no ripples, but deep inside, a storm was already raging.
He missed Baining, and he missed every inch of the Vampires’ land.
He worried for the safety of his people and for the pain that war would bring.
More than anything, he hated his own powerlessness — being kept in the dark and forced to wait passively.
No matter what kind of storm awaited him ahead, he would not keep shrinking back.