“The Human Who Helped the Demon Princess Reclaim Her Kingdom”

 

After finishing breakfast, Lanqi immediately went to find the manor's butler.

The butler was waiting outside the dining room, smiling as he watched the young man suddenly approach him.

"Young master seems to be in a good mood today?"

The man's voice was very deep, like that of a devoted old father.

But just hearing the butler speak sent a chill through Lanqi's entire body.

In his predecessor's memories, the butler was the most reliable person in the manor, and the one who usually took care of him.

But Lanqi realized that his predecessor had not been aware that this smiling tiger-like butler was also the most dangerous person in the household.

Just like how the butler was now calmly displaying a 100% fake smile, yet facing a spoiled brat that everyone in the house somewhat feared or disliked.

"It's alright, I have a favor to ask of you," Lanqi said calmly.

"Please go ahead."

"It's about the pigeon I shot down yesterday. I realized it might be someone's familiar. If by chance it belongs to someone of high status, it could cause a lot of trouble for the family. So I need you to help me smooth things over with anyone who might know about this incident from yesterday."

"Oh?"

Lanqi's words clearly surprised the butler.

He seemed to observe Lanqi more carefully for a moment.

So this young master would consider so much for the family? Was it a sudden whim, or had he encountered some other trouble?

However, the butler didn't intend to ask much more. He bowed slightly to Lanqi and said:

"I'm at your service."

"Also, I'd like you to help me find someone."

"Please describe their characteristics."

"It's a female who looks about my age, with gray hair and golden eyes. She's probably wearing a tattered dark gray cloak, looking like a vagrant. And please don't let her know I'm looking for her."

Lanqi said while gesturing.

This made the butler look troubled.

"I'll do my best. But you should know how big this border city-state is, young master. I can't guarantee I'll find her quickly... Of course, if you could provide more specific characteristics, I should be able to save a lot of investigation and screening time."

"Is that so... Then if I could draw her, how long would it take you to find her?"

"Within a day, I can find anyone in this town that I've seen with my own eyes, I guarantee you."

The butler smiled again.

He remembered that Lanqi used to draw, but since his parents started neglecting him, he had never seen Lanqi pick up a pen again.

It was also from that time that the young master's personality gradually turned bad.

"Then you go ahead and smooth things over with the witnesses first. I'll have a portrait of her ready by the time you return."

Lanqi nodded.

"Very well, young master. I'll be going then. But remember to draw carefully, I should be able to complete your first task by noon."

The butler smiled as he put his hands behind his back and walked towards the kitchen, not forgetting to remind him.

"Don't worry."

Drawing was what Lanqi was best at.

He could draw Talia with his eyes closed.

He guaranteed that no one in this world could draw Talia better than him.

Lanqi breathed a sigh of relief.

Although his predecessor had gotten into trouble, there was still room for maneuver at the moment.

Of course, concealing evidence would only make it a bit more difficult for the demon princess Talia to uncover the truth.

As far as Lanqi knew, Talia had a magic that could see through lies. With patience, there was basically nothing she couldn't find out.

And given Talia's super grudge-holding personality.

Once she discovered it was him who hunted her familiar, even if he treated her kindly when she came to confront him and she managed to hold back for now, she would definitely take revenge a thousand percent once she rose to power.

To truly resolve Talia's hatred, he would have to personally confront Talia.

But for now, at least until noon, he just needed to focus on drawing.

......

At this moment, just as Lanqi reached the second floor, he saw the maid who had woken him up this morning and was a bit afraid of him.

"I'll go prepare for you, young master."

The maid was already accustomed to going to prepare some good wine and the latest novels for Lanqi.

But she quickly stopped in her tracks.

Because of what Lanqi was saying to her—

"I want to go to the study."

This statement made the maid very anxious.

"...Did you say the study, sir?"

Her tone was somewhat hesitant.

This made Lanqi show a confused expression.

"Yes,"
Lanqi confirmed.

He wanted to go to the study to check some information, as well as draw a portrait of Talia to send to the butler.

Before determining Talia's location, he had no other urgent matters for now.

However, when he opened the door to the study, he found that.

There was no desk in the room, not even paper, but there were many expensive-looking wine bottles.

"Please forgive me, young master."

"What's wrong?"

Lanqi looked at the anxious maid.

"I, I haven't finished the morning cleaning of the study yet."

She mumbled, lowering her head, seemingly prepared to be scolded.

Given the young master's temperament, he would surely slam the door and leave now, then come back drunk late at night.

"Is that so? It's fine if it's not cleaned for a day or two. Just prepare some drawing tools for me, any other room will do."

Lanqi sighed helplessly.

"No, young master, how could that be!"

The maid widened her eyes as she looked at Lanqi.

She suddenly became a bit flustered, both surprised by Lanqi's unusually accommodating attitude again today, and hurriedly said:

"Just give me fifteen minutes, and I'll make the study spotless! Then I'll prepare the tools you need! I guarantee it with my professional integrity!"

"Then I'll trouble you with that."

Lanqi didn't mind waiting for a while.

Talia's killing intent made him a bit panicked, but not completely.

Because he already had a plan to deal with it in his mind.

No one could stop him from living a comfortable and carefree life.

......

In about ten minutes, the maid completed the cleaning of the study as promised and brought Lanqi the best drawing tools in the manor.

Lanqi looked at the pens of this world.

Although they were quite different from what he was used to in his previous life, he quickly figured out how to use them.

Then he sat in front of the canvas, composed, started sketching, and began drawing Talia's portrait with a relaxed expression.

The thought that he once drew the most perfect character, the mighty demon princess Talia, yet she had to dress like a beggar and be so down on her luck, made Lanqi want to laugh.

Even without having to contemplate much in his mind, the pen in his hand was already moving freely.

He had drawn Talia too many times.

Lanqi invested his years of honed skills, with a faint smile on his lips, calmly and skillfully moving his pen.

He didn't look like a particularly impressive artist at all.

His composed demeanor was like that of a house husband preparing dinner.

But gradually, his attention had unconsciously become fully absorbed in the painting before him, as if he had lost all sense of time.

He didn't even notice that the maid waiting beside him had gradually started blinking in surprise, her mouth slowly forming a small round shape.

As time slipped away.

Lanqi's painting was also almost complete.

The young woman on the canvas, though wearing a worn-out cloak, was as beautiful as a wolf in the snow.

A gentle breeze brushed across her face, making the gray strands of hair under her hood flutter slightly in the wind.

Hidden beneath a thousand layers of ice in those faintly visible golden eyes was a fiercely burning flame.

Her solitary figure would not at all lead one to mistake her for a fragile being. The more the dust on her body concealed, the more it failed to hide the nobility and strength flowing in her blood.

"Finished."

Lanqi smiled as he completed the final refinements.

Only then did he carefully examine the painting, and seemed to realize he had inadvertently put too much effort into it.

"My goodness, young master, has your painting skill become so superb?"

An exclamation sounded from beside him.

"I was just imagining if you had been possessed by the god of art. This is the first time I've seen such a soul-stirring painting!"

Even now, the maid couldn't calm the excitement in her eyes.

She had seen Lanqi paint years ago.

Back then, Lanqi would still show a gentle smile, never lose his temper, and the scenery he painted was as beautiful as his heart.

Many of the servants in the manor had been hoping that one day, the current Lanqi would suddenly come to his senses.

Because they dared not imagine what kind of life the servants would have if he continued to degenerate like this, or if they would all be driven away when he became the true master of this house in the future.

The maid so hoped that all the signs today were not her illusion.

But that the young master had truly become gentle and understanding from the bottom of his heart.

"Is that so?"

Lanqi smiled somewhat embarrassedly as he rubbed the back of his head.

He was indeed a very skilled painter, but judging by the maid's admiring gaze, she was treating him almost like a resurrected Picasso or Van Gogh.

He felt like he had inadvertently gotten too absorbed while painting earlier, as if he had poured his heart and soul into it, and even felt a bit dizzy the moment he finished.

But surely it didn't deserve such high praise?

"I guarantee that you will become a great painter who will shake the kingdom. Even His Majesty the King would want to obtain your paintings, and card makers of the highest status would want to discuss painting techniques with you!"

The maid clasped her hands tightly as she looked at Lanqi earnestly.

After a moment of silence.

"Hiss—"

Lanqi suddenly realized a fact.

Oh right!

This was originally a game with non-turn-based magic card features!

And he was the lead artist!

Many things in this world could be said to have been painted by him, including the prototypes of many magical cards that were like priceless treasures.

According to the game's settings, magic cards were equivalent to the encapsulation of skills, equipment, or summons, with the characteristics of portability, tradability, and easy free matching.

Compared to spending a great cost to learn spells, in this world, one could directly buy the corresponding magic cards, bind them, and then use that spell. One could also adjust their skill structure at any time according to the powerful enemies they needed to challenge.

Moreover, in the game's highest difficulty dungeons, challengers would be matched to random alternate time-spaces to obtain unique identities and situations, unable to bring any external objects with them, except for magic cards bound to their souls.

Therefore, magic cards were essential items in this world for traveling, robbing and killing, and fighting!

Valuable magic cards could be produced in dungeons, and could also be made by card makers.

And the skill of painting was inextricably linked to the making of magic cards.

"It seems that besides being a great artist in this world, I also have good potential in card making?"

Lanqi cupped his chin and pondered deeply.

He had long felt that the magic cards in this game were too boring.

And whenever he proposed to the game designers about making cards that could enrich the game experience without breaking the game balance, he was always rejected.

The designers said they wouldn't dare implement those cards unless they had ten mothers.

"Young master, is the woman in the portrait someone you like?"

A slight probing voice interrupted Lanqi's thoughts.

The maid waiting beside him noticed that Lanqi had become unusually gentle today, causing all the servants in the manor to feel somewhat uneasy.

But the maid had observed him for so long.

She felt that he didn't seem to be pretending.

Plus, he suddenly painted this miracle.

Finally, the maid came to a shocking conclusion—

He might be in love!

"..."

Lanqi raised his head with an odd expression, not knowing how to respond to the maid.

The one in the painting...

Is a woman who might kill me.

But after carefully observing this painting and thinking for a moment.

If judging by the level of shock people in this world had towards his paintings, having the butler take this painting to search for someone might cause unnecessary trouble.

So Lanqi pushed away the easel.

He skillfully prepared a new canvas, intending to paint another, more ordinary portrait of Talia as a vagrant.

However.

On the new work, just as he made a few strokes, a strong sense of dizziness made him almost unable to see the canvas clearly.

The maid watched Lanqi's painful appearance with some concern, but didn't dare to forcibly interrupt his creation.

But after hesitating for a moment.

She felt that perhaps today the young master really wouldn't vent his anger on others.

So she swallowed and said:

"Young master, if you're feeling particularly unwell, you may have fallen into a state of magical exhaustion... It seems that when you paint, you pour your whole heart and soul into it, as well as your own magical power. I've heard stories of great painters or card makers in history who even gave their lives to art because of this..."

"I'm done painting."

Lanqi immediately put down his brush after hearing this.

This wasn't just a matter of staying up late painting that would pass after a while.

This time he clearly felt that while painting, something peculiar in his body seemed to be draining away!

"Please take this painting to the butler, let him look at it and then do as I instructed, and then help me keep this painting safe, don't take it out of the house."

Lanqi said, pointing to the painting he had finished earlier.

As soon as he relaxed, he felt unbearably sleepy.

The fatigue swept over him like a receding tide, even more violently, and his head couldn't help but nod.

He found that at this rate of consumption, he probably wouldn't have the strength to paint a second portrait that could clearly identify Talia for the butler in a short time.

"And no matter what, wake me up before dinner."

After giving this instruction, Lanqi said no more.

"Understood, understood!"

The maid carefully used magical tools to accelerate the drying and sealing preservation process for this painting.

On one hand, the price of this painting was inestimable, and on the other hand, the young master had already fallen asleep leaning on the chair.

She was overjoyed at the young master's transformation today, and couldn't help but be more curious about what level the young master's work had actually reached.

So she secretly used an appraisal magic, and finally saw the true face of the painting—

[Portrait: Mysterious Princess]

[Type: Artwork]

[Grade: Epic]

[Rank: 1]

[Those who appreciate this painting will recover a small amount of spirit and physical strength, and their favorability towards the princess in the portrait will increase, with a chance of slightly increasing spirit.]

......

When Lanqi woke up again and opened his eyes to look out the familiar window, it was already afternoon.

The setting sun was gradually sinking in the west, its golden light tinged with red dyeing the clouds, and the light coming through the window rippled, adding a touch of dreamlike color to the room.

The butler must have carried him back to his room.

Because a letter had appeared at his bedside, written in the butler's neat handwriting—about Talia's whereabouts.

Lanqi shook his head, this nap had been particularly heavy.

However, when he sat up and stretched.

He found that a painting had been added to a conspicuous position in his room.

Just this painting alone added several points of artistic atmosphere to the entire room.

Lanqi sat on the bed, frowning as he stared at Talia's portrait.

The maid and butler must have misunderstood his intentions.

I didn't ask you to frame this painting and hang it in my room.

I asked you to hide it for me!

Otherwise, if the original person in the portrait saw that someone had painted her so seriously, how embarrassing would that be!

"Never mind."

Lanqi got out of bed helplessly.

Anyway, Talia wouldn't have a chance to come to his room.

It would be considered a success if he could calmly persuade her to leave this country.