*Grrrr*

Layla held a hand on Luna's back so the dragon would not throw herself at the demoness before her.

She expected Mary to have caught this moment, but Mary seemed unaware (or ignoring) of Layla's moments. She had already returned to her work, confident that Layla could do nothing to harm her.

And usually, that was true. There was nothing Layla could do to harm someone like Mary, but the same could not be said for Luna on her shoulder.

"I was unaware that you got so arrogant when I was gone. But then again, maybe you were always arrogant. What did I miss while I was not here?"

Layla took off her armor and asked with a sigh.

Hearing her voice made Mary pause her work. She looked back to see a familiar face looking back at her from under that armor.

Layla had finally removed her armor and felt like she could breathe again. She only had a second before she felt Mary's hand reaching for her fact to grab it and check if she was an imposter or not.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me? Is this some kind of joke?"

Mary asked in a low voice as she circled Layla to check her out. She was about to touch the female when Layla grabbed the air in front of her and flickered it.

Luna's grumbly form came into focus, and understanding slammed into Mary's eyes. The female backed away, blinking in disbelief.

"So, as you can see, I am not an imposter. I am back, and I am awake. Tell me what I missed while I was not here."

Layla asked in a low voice. She was ready to head over to her work and start her task, but Mary looked frozen at her place when she was asked this question.

The female opened and closed her mouth, which looked a little funny. Layla also realized that she had never seen Mary speechless before, and it shocked even her to see the female trying to gather her wits.

"Welcome back, miss! How was your trip outside? Did you enjoy it?"

In the end, the female demon caught herself and asked this question. Not a hint of hesitation could be seen in the demoness's eyes that could prove that she had felt anything but fondness for Layla.

Layla noticed this sudden change, but she did not call out Mary for it. She felt that the female demoness was dealing with a lot and did not want to add to that burden.

"I am fine! However, I want to ask how work is going. Did you gather all the resources I discussed before I fell asleep? How about my business? Tell me everything in detail."

Layla asked as she walked over to the desk.

For a minute, she was sure that Mary would try to hide the business deals and other sensitive information from her.

Layla might have owned this business in name, but Mary was the one who shouldered all the responsibility for what they needed to do.

'By the way, I never told Mary why I was gathering all these supplies and what I expected to do with them. It is a miracle that she still followed me despite these conditions.'

It was amazing, and Layla allowed her previous maid to ask her anything.

"Mary, is there any question you want to ask me? Do you not wish to know why I was so desperate to form my empire and business? I am sure that the curiosity is killing you."

Layla asked in a low voice, and Mary made a curious face. It seemed she would ask any second, but then the female changed her mind the very next.

"I do not want to know, miss. My task was to assist you and make your dream come true. That is what our contract is all about. Whatever your wish or what you want to achieve, it no longer matters to you.

You might want to destroy this world, but I will still be obligated to help you."

Mary assured her, and Layla felt a little speechless.

The demon maid was making it all about loyalty, but some of what she said went beyond loyalty.

Mary was not going to be the one to tell her this, so she kept her mouth quiet and decided to keep her reasons to herself.

She had much more important things to do and people to rescue.

"Fine! Since you don't want to know, I won't burden you with excessive knowledge of my plan. But for now, tell me what you know about Duke Lockhart and his condition. Has he chosen a successor? What about other kids who lived in the adoption house?"

Layla asked in a concerned voice.

As far as she knew, this was when the Duke's 'real son' debuted in society. But he had quickly lost control and had been forced to be put down.

Layla planned to rescue that chimera before it could cause any more problems.

"Duke Lockhart? As far as I know, he has always been lying low. But he did say he has something huge planned for the ball to be held in a few days. Miss, are we going to do something fun?"

Mary asked in a cheerful voice as she let out a crackling laugh. She was ready to cause chaos, and Layla shook her head positively.

"Of course, we are going to do that. Brace yourself because this will be a fun ride from here on."

Layla promised, and she was not lying. This would be fun for her, Mary, and the others.

The only real problem was getting invited to the Duke's party. But Layla felt it wouldn't be that big of an issue. After all, she had Mary with her, and Mary was someone the Duke trusted a lot.

The demoness was easily able to get an invite for Layla and then it was time to move out.