Chapter 466: Carrying The Hill Family Along

After a quick bath, Damain returned to his room with Rah and Mary walking on either side of him while William held the door open. The warmth from the bath still clung to his skin, and his dark hair remained slightly damp around his shoulders.

He looked considerably more refreshed than he had earlier, although the exhaustion in his eyes had not completely disappeared. The moment he entered, however, the sight waiting for him immediately drew a small smile from his face.

Racheal, Hazel and Ruby stood together near the enormous wardrobe, each holding up a different ceremonial robe as though they had been waiting for him to return just to begin the argument over what he should wear.

Racheal held a magnificent black and purple robe against her body, the dark fabric embroidered with intricate fox motifs that shimmered faintly whenever the light struck them. Hazel held a white and purple robe whose sleeves were decorated with elegant violet patterns, while Ruby proudly displayed a white and black robe bearing a large fox design across the back and smaller motifs around the collar.

All three women looked genuinely excited, their eyes following Damian expectantly as they waited for him to choose.

"So what’s it going to be?" Hazel asked with an excited smile, while Ruby immediately lifted her robe a little higher as if silently insisting that hers was the obvious choice.

Damian glanced between the three robes before looking over his shoulder at William. "Shut the door behind you. I want to talk to my girls."

William immediately understood that something had changed in Damian’s tone. He nodded without asking questions, closed the heavy doors and moved quietly toward one corner of the room where he stood with his hands folded behind his back.

The three women blinked in surprise at the sudden change in atmosphere and instinctively glanced toward Mary and Rah. Both women wore the same troubled expression, and that alone was enough to make the excitement disappear from their faces.

Damain walked toward the center of the room and gestured toward the nearby seating area. "Sit down. There is something I need you all to know."

The women exchanged uncertain glances before slowly taking their seats. Racheal carefully folded the robe in her hands and placed it beside her, while Hazel and Ruby lowered theirs as well. Mary and Rah sat nearby, their expressions already telling the others that whatever Damian was about to say was not something pleasant.

For the next several minutes, Damian repeated the same information he had already shared with Rah and Mary. He did not reveal every detail of his plan, but he explained enough for them to understand that he intended to deceive Sol, gain his trust and eventually use that position to eliminate him.

By the time he finished, the room had become painfully quiet. Hazel’s fingers were tightly intertwined in her lap, Ruby’s usual energetic expression had disappeared completely and Racheal stared at Damian with an intensity that made it obvious she was desperately trying to think of another solution. Even though Damian had deliberately avoided telling them everything, they understood enough to realize that the plan could easily end with his death.

Hazel finally raised her head. "I understand what you’re planning to do, and I won’t tell you to stop. However, you can’t do this alone. Let us help you."

Damian studied her face for several seconds. He could see how difficult those words were for her. Hazel wanted to tell him to abandon the plan, to stay within Velmora and find another way, but she also understood something she had slowly been forced to accept since his return. Damian was no longer the young man they had met on Earth. He was the Prince of Lust, a God responsible for an entire realm, and some decisions were simply too important for anyone else to make on his behalf.

"Yes. If you must do it, let us give you a hand in whatever way possible." Racheal said, her voice controlled despite the worry visible in her eyes.

Ruby immediately nodded. "Of course. You wouldn’t gather all of us here if you didn’t need our help."

A faint smile appeared on Damian’s lips. "You’re right. I wouldn’t."

The three women looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to explain exactly what he wanted from them.

"With what exactly?" Ruby finally asked.

Damain walked toward the small table positioned near the window and reached for the wine jug. Before his fingers could touch it, William had already stepped forward and begun pouring the wine into his goblet. Damian gave him an appreciative glance before sitting down and accepting the cup from his Grand Chamberlain.

"The world is all about balance." Damian said as he studied the crimson liquid inside the goblet. "Tip too far toward one side and eventually everyone will unite against you."

He took a slow sip and allowed the wine to linger on his tongue before swallowing. His gaze remained fixed on his reflection in the surface of the liquid.

"So you want us to do good deeds in your name to counter the bad?" Mary asked before he could continue.

Damian lifted his head and looked directly at her. A genuine smile appeared on his face as he nodded.

"You are proving to be one of the most capable people I’ve ever come across."

Mary immediately blushed, and the other women turned toward her with varying expressions of jealousy and surprise. Mary lowered her gaze with a small smile, clearly pleased by the compliment despite trying not to show it.

Damian returned his attention to the others. "I need people to understand that I treat my allies well while my enemies suffer. It needs to be as distinct as day and night."

William nodded slowly from his position nearby. He immediately understood the political principle Damian was describing. If the prince simply became known as a ruler who executed enemies, tortured traitors and turned demons into cursed weapons, fear would eventually become hatred. Fear could control people for a while, but it could not create genuine loyalty. Damian needed another side to his reputation, one that made ordinary demons believe that standing beside him was safer and more rewarding than standing against him.

"Sire, do you already have an idea for countering the shock from the horrifying act you are about to commit today?" William asked curiously.

Damian’s lips curved upward.

He raised the goblet and emptied the remaining wine in a single motion before placing it on the table with a firm clack. The mischievous smile spreading across his face made everyone in the room instinctively tense.

"Oh my..." Damian chuckled as he shook his head. "I’m beginning to realize Lin Qui was right. I’m really cut out for this work."

The women exchanged glances, while William simply watched him with increasing curiosity. Damian rose from his seat and walked toward Ruby, picking up the white and black robe she had been holding earlier.

"I’ll handle the people’s opinion today. You don’t have to worry about that." He said as he examined the robe. "I need you to do something else for me."

William immediately stepped forward and bowed lightly.

"Your wish is my command, Sire."

Damian nodded and ran his fingers over the embroidered fox design on the robe.

"My brothers and the elders must all have spies in the capital. That’s the only way they know everything happening within the walls of my domain." His expression became more serious. "I need you to find them and bring them all to me."

William’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He understood the difficulty of the request immediately. The spies of the other princes would not be ordinary informants. Some would likely be nobles, merchants, servants, soldiers and perhaps even members of the royal household. Some might have spent centuries establishing their identities. Rooting them out would require more than simply questioning suspicious individuals.

"I will follow your command, Sire. But you must be aware that such a daunting task will require some time to accomplish." William replied honestly.

Damian turned toward him and nodded.

"I understand."

He had never said it aloud, but he genuinely respected William’s honesty. Very few people possessed the courage to tell a prince that something would take time instead of promising immediate results just to please him. William had served powerful rulers for long enough to understand that honesty was sometimes more valuable than obedience.

Damain turned back toward Ruby and held the robe against himself, checking how it looked.

A grin slowly appeared across his face.

"This will be a very interesting day."