Lan'er addressed the man of excessive beauty and grace before her with a touch of awkwardness.
Truth be told, had she not sensed the terrifying level of power emanating from him, she might have been quite taken by such a face. Even she had rarely seen such a masterpiece. His features were exquisite, his soft purple hair draped in a veil woven from dragon silk, and the crescent moon mark on his forehead only added to his allure—to say nothing of his impeccable physique.
However, this very man was the father of the body she now inhabited, and more importantly, he was Agares, the Moon Demon God, second among the seventy-two Demon Gods, second in power only to the Demon God Emperor Fengxiu himself.
Those who know how to adapt to circumstances are wise; that was her survival creed. If he weren't considering the fact that she was his daughter, the things she had just done would have been enough for him to kill her a hundred times over.
Watching the little hedgehog she had once appreciated suddenly retract its quills, Agares realized he could no longer quite fathom his eldest daughter.
Lan'er and Yueye were twins, yet neither possessed particularly great talent. Coupled with Lan'er’s dull, withdrawn temperament—unlike Yueye, who knew how to please him—he had naturally neglected his eldest daughter. He only remembered that she was exceptionally beautiful, having perfectly inherited the best features of both himself and her mother. Unfortunately, her personality was timid; she always kept her head bowed in public, afraid to meet anyone’s gaze, allowing her stunning beauty to gather dust.
Was this change, then, the result of some great shock?
As this thought crossed his mind, a trace of tenderness stirred in Agares’s heart. Withdrawing his spiritual energy, he reached out and gently lifted Anlan’s face, exposing her peerless, breathtaking beauty to the world. Even as her father, he could not help but let out a soft sigh.
A love for beauty was a nature carved into the bones of every member of the Moon Demon Clan; to appreciate and preserve beauty was their eternal pursuit.
But Anlan did not know this!
She had transmigrated at a terrible time and had not yet inherited Yue Anlan’s memories. Seeing Agares reach out, her heart skipped a beat. "Have I been found out? What do I do? Agares is terrifyingly powerful, and right now I am nothing but a weak half-demon with pathetic cultivation. How can I possibly deal with this? Am I just waiting to die?"
Anlan bit her lip in worry, and even Yueye thought the same, rushing forward to plead on her behalf. "Father, please show mercy! Sister didn't mean it! Please—"
Before she could finish, she was silenced by Agares’s next action. Neither sister had expected that instead of becoming angry and attempting to discipline Anlan, Agares was gently wiping the dirt from her face. After cleaning her skin and healing the wounds on her body, he gave a satisfied smile.
"This is how a daughter of Agares should look. Lan'er, I’m taking you home."
Agares held out his large hand. She had to admit, the man was undeniably charismatic. Even she, a soul from another world, was moved to a flicker of filial affection by the gesture. She slowly reached out, moving toward the fatherly love she had yearned for, just as Yue Anlan had once hoped for. But at the same time, she knew there were more battles to be fought.
Beside them, Yueye felt a strange sense of unease for the first time. *Father... is treating Sister so gently? How can this be? Doesn't he dislike her dull, uninteresting personality the most? Is Father’s favor about to be stolen away by Yue Anlan? No, that’s impossible. No matter how beautiful she is, if her personality remains unlikable, she will never win Father’s affection. Absolutely not!*
Thinking this, Yueye scrambled up and hurried after them as the three departed.
As for those who had acted so recklessly and persecuted his daughter, he would overlook it for now, as they were still just children. But as for the parents behind them...
A flicker of murderous intent crossed Agares’s usually gentle eyes, prompting Anlan, who sensed it, to close her eyes and remain silent.
Upon returning, Agares did not subject her to the detailed interrogation Anlan had anticipated. He merely asked a few questions about how she had defeated those youths, fell into a brief contemplation, and then spoke.
"Lan'er, Yueye, you two may return for now. As for your claim that you suddenly erupted with powerful potential after those brats provoked you—it is not impossible. Even as a half-demon, you carry the blood of Agares. It is well-timed; I shall arrange for your talents to be re-tested. Until then, do not slacken in your cultivation!"
"Yes!"
Once they were well out of Agares’s sight, Anlan’s taut nerves finally began to relax, but she knew she could not be entirely at ease, for—
"Sister, Mother wants to see you."
"Mother?"
Anlan’s brow furrowed. As memories gradually resurfaced, she looked at Yueye. Yueye was only eight years old and incapable of hiding her emotions. Seeing her expression, Anlan asked, "Is Mother angry?"
"Yes."
Anlan: "..."
*Well, I should have expected that.*
Yet, Anlan still found it hard to believe such a mother could exist. A human herself, she treated her own daughter with more cold-bloodedness than the demons did. Even for her own flesh and blood, if her status as the Moon Demon Queen was threatened, she would move to eliminate the danger without hesitation. Perhaps because she was her own daughter, she hadn't been "eliminated," but things were clearly not much better.
"Kneel! You rebellious child! As a princess of the Moon Demon Clan, you disregard your status to bully your own kin! Yue Anlan, do you know whose children you injured today? How could you dare lay a hand on them!"
"No one's children should be allowed to bully a princess of the Moon Demon Clan! Mother, you yourself said I am a princess. Just because the leader today was the son of a Count, does that mean I should swallow my pride and endure his verbal and physical insults? Based on his behavior today, killing him would not have been excessive!"
A fire burned in Anlan’s chest, making her already peerless face even more vivid. The sight caused a flash of disgust to cross the Queen's eyes.
"How insolent! Your father spared you because you are young, yet not only do you refuse to repent, you dare to talk back to your mother! Guards, drag her away! Lock her in confinement! Let her reflect on her actions. She is not to be released until she has thought it through and goes to apologize to the Count!"
"Yes!"
"Mother!"
"Yueye, there is no need to plead for this rebellious girl. This is her own fault—so crude and unrefined. Drag her away!"
"Heh."
Anlan was so angry she laughed. She couldn't believe these words came from a Queen, a mother. The Moon Demon Clan’s confinement cells were no place for a child. It was no wonder Yue Anlan had such a withdrawn, dull personality. She could easily imagine: as a beautiful half-demon in a clan that prized bloodline above all else, she must have faced endless torment. With a father she hardly knew and a mother who only punished her when her own interests were affected, why wouldn't she hide her personality, become insecure, and fear showing her beauty to the world?
But the problem was, Yue Anlan had already been so careful, and this time, it was clearly—
Anlan raised her head to look at Yueye, but she was met only with a pair of evasive eyes.
*Fine.*
Yue Anlan wore a mocking smirk as she ceased to struggle and allowed herself to be dragged away.