(MC POV)
I'm guessing this Bei Diu Diao guy is assuming that the 'Master' title is referring to me like the head butler or caretaker of this place or something.
Well, I'm not surprised to know that he's too conceited to believe anyone can be better than himself with how he's been acting so far.
I may not have remembered much about this guy in particular, heck I didn't even know his name until Diao Chan mentioned it, but I've seen plenty of people with his kind of character around in the other Planes.
Well, back then the only thing I could do was keep my head down and hope not to enter their sights or just endure whatever games they had in mind at that time. Humans really are trash when you give them power.
Entering the dining hall, I noted that he had already taken up the seat at the head of the table. Curiously, the guards were all seated at the table as well. I would have thought that someone like him would have deemed them too beneath him to eat at the same table so that was a surprise.
The other interesting thing was that no servants were to be found in the room, leaving our group of 'guests' alone.
"Finally! Are you going to serve us or not?!" Diu Diao demanded, slamming the table with a fist. "I expected a feast to have been prepared and yet there's no one here! Why are you not serving us?!"
I gestured to Cai Hong who is still sleeping in my arms.
"Well put down the damn kid somewhere and come back here! This isn't a nursery you know?!"
I patted my loli dragon's head, "You know… You never cared about who I was even for a moment."
He raised an eyebrow at me, "Why should I? Why would I possibly be interested in who a servant actually is?"
I contemplated telling him who I was but I doubt he would know me even if I did anyway so I saw no point in doing so.
"Alright then, what do you want?" I asked.
"Hmph! It's obvious from the way you talk that you have absolutely no class and whatever you prepare would also undoubtedly be something simple. Just give us the best that your limited skills can cook up, I'm already tired of seeing your face!"
Well, same here buddy, but you don't hear me complaining.
Ah well, seeing as how my disciples aren't here yet, I guess I can entertain him for a little while. I could also take this chance to make something nice for everyone else too.
Oh that gives me an idea! Heh heh, a perfect opportunity for a little payback then. I'll just add a little something to his food, heh heh heh.
Now then, to the kitchen!
*
(Lian Li POV)
"I'm sorry, but is there any reason why we aren't just… I don't know, killing him right now?" Eris asked incredulously.
Diao Chan gave her a wry smile, "I thought so too but Master didn't want any complications that might arise from us chopping his head off. He was thinking that we might want to check with Guiying first before committing to anything."
I perked up, "In that case, I shall go ask her then. If she gives us the greenlight, we off that little bastard, make it look like an accident."
"Ufufu~ No complaints there," Manami giggled. "I can even make sure there's no bodies~"
Eris nodded, "Agreed… Chop…"
"What if Queen Guiying wants to keep him around?" Brendan pointed out.
"Then we'll just need to think of another idea to deal with him without killing him," I answered without hesitation.
"You know, I can always just snipe him from a distance, no biggie," Elaria muttered, yawning.
Odriana shook her head, "No, it would be obvious who the culprits are since literally no one else around here has access to these weapons but us."
"If Guiying does not mind him disappearing… I can help with that too," Kiyomi volunteered, letting a snowflake appear in her palm before shattering it.
Diao Chan chuckled, "Kukuku~ I do hope we can torture him first, he was quite condescending while speaking to Master."
"Oh? Why didn't you say so? We should just rip his head off regardless of what Guiying says," Manami decided.
I held up my hand, "Just let me go talk to her first, I would sooner kill myself than know I've inconvenienced Master in anyway."
Manami thought for a moment, "Hmmm… I suppose that's true, I'll send you there then. Ready?"
I nodded my head.
Manami waved her hand at me and a circle of light appeared beneath my feet, the light blinding me for a second before my vision returned to show me standing inside what seems to be a large bedroom.
"S… Senior Sister Lian Li?" A voice called out from behind me.
I turned to see the Queen still dressed in her pajamas and sitting up in bed. It seems like I just caught her in the midst of waking up.
Normally her room would be protected from such teleportation Techniques, but she has since changed the protection to allow specific people to slip through. Only issue was that we could only teleport to her room within the palace so it was lucky she was still here.
"Ah, Guiying, sorry for the intrusion."
She waved a hand at me, "Nonsense. There is no such thing, how is everything? I'm sorry I can't join you guys at the villa."
"Don't be, we know you have big responsibilities, especially with our grand plan. Putting that aside, a problem came up."
Guiying raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Whatever can it be?"
"Your uncle showed up and is, honestly, being a complete asshole. Can we chop his head off?"
The news seemed to shock Guiying more than I thought it would, "Uncle Diu Diao is alive?"
"Mmhmm, with an entire group of guards and servants I might add."
She got up and started pacing around the room, "No, no, no… This can't be… I saw his severed head myself… It caused such a big uproar that day I could never forget it…"
I frowned, "What do you mean?"
"My uncle. He was killed shortly after being exiled. Someone had lopped his head off and sent it in a box to us. Well, specifically my mother but that's beside the point. She got a box left in her room while I was with her and we opened it up to see uncle's head inside it."
"Huh… I'm surprised this wasn't a publicly known fact."
She shook her head, "We kept it secret of course, else people might think my father had arranged it and we would lose the people's trust. But somehow, rumours of him being assassinated still circulated around, no doubt by the perpetrators. Father tried to investigate it but got nothing."
I furrowed my brows, "If that's the case… Then who is the one that showed up at our door?"
Guiying thought for a moment before turning to me, "Do you think you can stall him for a day or two?"
"What are you planning to do?"
"Let me just clear up some things here and I'll head over there to see this uncle of mine myself."
I tilted my head at her, "You believe him to be a fake?"
"That, or my uncle faked his death. Which makes no sense since this would bring him back to the spotlight if the whole point of faking his death was to get out of it."
"Interesting… You heard all that, Manami?"
'Mmm… Interesting indeed,' Manami's voice echoed inside my head. 'Shall I bring you back now?'
I turned to face Guiying, "We'll keep him there. But if he goes too far with Master… We will be the ones cutting his head off."
She smiled at me, "Naturally."
"Beam me up, Manami."
Another circle of light appeared underneath me before I was transported back to where I was in our room.
Now all we have to do is plan for this little intruder who had unknowingly wandered into our haven. For that intrusion, there can be no other fate but death.
