Lady Rearwin tilted her chin slightly, a feeling of satisfaction washing over her like a refreshing waterfall.

How utterly delightful!

Crescent’s cello performance had sent ripples through everyone gathered in the garden.

Hah. They dared to mock my Centi for being an orphan, and now they’ve had their noses thoroughly rubbed in the dirt.

She wasn’t blind to the fact that the noblewomen had doubted Crescent’s claim of knowing how to play the cello and had purposefully pushed her to prove it. Anyone oblivious to their intentions would have to be a fool.

Lady Rearwin was furious at their malicious behavior.

Despite Rossi’s disastrous performance, she had still showered her with praise. How could they then turn around and insult her ward?

Even after hearing Crescent’s breathtaking performance with their own ears, they still found it hard to believe.

Regardless of Crescent’s background as an orphan, she was under the sponsorship of the prestigious Pluto Ducal House. To look down on Crescent was to insult the house itself.

But Crescent had firmly put them in their place.

Lady Rearwin’s shoulders felt like they were soaring with pride. It was the most exhilarating sense of vindication she’d ever experienced.

“...Hoho,” she chuckled softly.

Meanwhile, Countess Heylroth’s lips twitched in a strained attempt at a smile.

Could Crescent possibly teach Rossi?

No matter how talented Crescent’s performance had been, it was an outrageous suggestion. To think that a mere orphan could be brought into such a high-society gathering and humiliate her like this was beyond her tolerance.

Forcing a brittle smile, Countess Heylroth managed to say, “Lady Rearwin, as expected, you don’t sponsor just anyone. Crescent’s performance was truly moving. I suppose our Rossi could learn a lot from her.”

Her words were accompanied by a sharp look directed at Rossi, whose face contorted in displeasure. Under her mother’s fierce gaze, however, Rossi forced a stiff smile.

“T-Thank you very much. Crescent, I didn’t know you could play the cello. I hope we can get to know each other better through our music.”

“You’re so sweet, Rossi,” Lady Rearwin said with a gentle smile.

Rossi returned the smile, but her clenched fists betrayed her barely concealed frustration. Her mother, Countess Heylroth, wasn’t faring much better.

In truth, she had been taken aback by Crescent’s beauty from the very start.

But no matter how prestigious the Pluto Ducal House was, the idea of an orphan being introduced into the highest echelons of northern society was still deeply unsettling.

“Hohoho. The weather is so lovely today—it’s putting me in such a good mood. Shall we listen to the next young musician’s performance?” Lady Rearwin suggested, her bright laughter lightening the atmosphere as she steered the conversation forward.

However, the children who were next in line to perform looked as though they were about to cry. The thought of following Crescent’s performance with their own meager skills was clearly daunting.

As the attention shifted to the next performer, the world suddenly plunged into darkness as if a veil of black had descended.

“!”

What’s going on?

Crescent blinked her eyes, only to see the darkness slowly retreat. The surroundings began to come back into view—but this wasn’t the same place they had been moments ago.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, it felt as if the ground had vanished beneath her, sending her toppling over.

“Everyone, stay still!”

Meteor’s voice rang out sharply.

His command brought everyone to their senses. It didn’t take long for them to realize they were no longer in Count Heylroth’s garden.

“What—what is this? Aaaaah!”

“Mother! Waaah!”

Amidst the chaos, Crescent’s system emitted a familiar chime.

Ding!

You have entered the Demon Realm Dungeon—‘The Festive Mansion of Lady Aldred.’

The Demon Realm?

Crescent blinked at the system window in disbelief. The suddenness of the situation left her momentarily stunned.

...So we’ve been transported to the Demon Realm?

Quickly regaining her composure, she scanned her surroundings. They were in the main hall of a vast mansion, its high ceilings and expansive space making it impossible to take in all at once.

The decor was anything but ordinary.

The hall was a combination of black and violet, with walls covered in purple wallpaper that had been layered with black lace in an almost haphazard collage. Black flowers dotted the surfaces, their eerie beauty adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

A dimly lit chandelier dripped with what looked like blood, the drops vanishing before hitting the floor.

The staircase was lined with a black carpet, from which shadowy flowers writhed and shifted like living tendrils—clearly the work of demonic magic.

What a house… just looking at it makes my skin crawl.

Beyond the large windows, fireworks burst in crimson hues, briefly illuminating the mansion with each explosion. The ground quivered faintly with the reverberations.

The stars and moon outside glowed blood-red—a telltale sign they were indeed in the Demon Realm.

From the outside came the faint sounds of laughter, not from humans, but from demons. It seemed some kind of festival was underway.

As Crescent took in her surroundings, a troubling realization struck her.

Where are the doors?

There were no visible exits. Even the windows were sealed in such a way that they couldn’t be opened. Where doors should have been, there were only solid walls.

“What—what’s going on, Mettie?” Lady Rearwin asked, her voice trembling slightly as she turned to Meteor. He was already on high alert, scanning the hall with sharp, focused eyes.

Crescent had a good grasp of what had happened. Everyone in the garden must have been caught in the vortex of a high-tier demonic entity, which had transported them directly to the Demon Realm.

Meteor sighed deeply and answered, “It seems we’ve been taken by a high-tier demonic entity. We’ve been transported to the Demon Realm.”

“What? A high-tier demonic entity? But weren’t those eradicated long ago? This can’t be happening….”

Lady Rearwin struggled to process the situation. It was understandable—such occurrences were supposed to be exceedingly rare.

I’m sorry.

Although Crescent wasn’t the cause, she felt a pang of guilt knowing this was only the beginning of what was to come. The return of the Demon King meant more frequent appearances of high-tier demonic entities.

“What do you mean we’re in the Demon Realm? Does this mean we’re all going to die?”

“Is there any way to get back?”

The noblewomen wailed in despair, while Countess Heylroth clutched her head, muttering to herself.

“We’re doomed. We’re all doomed. The only holy knight we have is a nine-year-old boy. How could Meteor possibly protect us all?”

It wasn’t an unreasonable concern.

Even with his extraordinary divine power, Meteor was still a child who had only trained for five years. He wasn’t yet strong enough to ensure everyone’s safe return to the human realm.

Crescent herself had recently become a holy knight but had no formal training yet.

Just as a heavy pall of dread began to settle over the group, an unexpected voice broke through the tension.

“Congratulations!”

Bang!

The deafening sound of fireworks accompanied the sudden appearance of a figure—a girl who looked about fifteen, her features deceptively sweet and innocent.