The entire room seemed to hold its breath.
The hourglass on the obsidian table reset itself with a sharp clang, but no one moved. The Shadow Queen's promise hung heavy in the air—one question. Any question. And she would answer it truthfully.
I swallowed, my throat dry as a desert.
My mind spun through a thousand possibilities. I could ask something stupid, something safe… What's your favorite bubble tea flavor? or How do I get out of this maid contract without dying?
But no.
Deep down, I knew exactly what I wanted to ask.
And that terrified me more than any demon lord sitting in this room.
I took a slow, shaky breath.
"Your Majesty…" I began, my voice barely above a whisper.
She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile curving her lips.
"Careful, Caretaker. Once spoken, the truth cannot be undone."
Her crimson eyes locked onto mine, as if daring me to take the leap.
And against every ounce of self-preservation I had left, I asked:
"Why… did you really come to this world? Why me?"
The moment the words left my mouth, the air shifted.
The demon lords went deathly silent. Even the tiny chibi demon stopped scribbling in its notebook and stared at the Queen with wide, fearful eyes.
The playful glimmer in her eyes vanished.
For the first time, I saw her expression go… blank.
Cold.
Dangerous.
She rose slowly from her seat, the shadows coiling around her feet like living serpents.
"You ask a dangerous question, Liam Zhang."
My legs threatened to give out, but I stood my ground.
"I—I want the truth," I stammered, already regretting my life choices.
Her voice, when it came, was soft but carried the weight of a thousand storms.
"In the Shadow Realm, my reign… is ending."
My eyes widened. "Ending? But… you're the Shadow Queen."
She turned her back to me, gazing into the swirling void that had replaced my apartment walls.
"The ancient laws decree that when a Queen's power begins to fade, she must seek a successor. A partner. Someone capable of… anchoring her soul. Someone who can survive her presence, endure her chaos, and—"
She glanced over her shoulder at me, her crimson eyes burning with an emotion I couldn't quite place.
"—perhaps… tame her."
My mind blanked out.
"Wait. WAIT. Are you saying… this whole time… this 'Caretaker' contract…"
She turned fully to face me, her golden hair glowing faintly against the darkened room.
"You were never just a servant, Liam."
My heart nearly exploded out of my chest.
"I'm—what?!"
"You, my dear Caretaker… are a candidate for the Shadow Consort."
The room spun.
The demon lords all turned their heads to me with new, intense scrutiny.
Veylor let out a low whistle.
Lady Eira's frosty glare turned downright glacial.
The chibi demon just started giggling like it had witnessed the juiciest scandal of the century.
And me?
I was about two seconds away from passing out.
The Shadow Queen took a step closer, her expression unreadable.
"Now you know the truth, Liam. You can run… or you can stay and fight for the throne beside me."
I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.
Consort? As in… husband material? Me?
Suddenly, the maid outfit felt a thousand times more humiliating.
To be continued…