Preparation talk

As evening descended, the night swiftly enveloped the world, with the two moons emerging to illuminate the darkened sky.

Inside the royal palace, the changing room buzzed with activity. Lilith, Sivel, and Galena were there, surrounded by elven maids who hurried to apply the finishing touches to their makeup.

One of the elven maids approached Lilith cautiously, her words laced with the utmost respect. "My lady, please, it would be best to leave your weapons here," she suggested, careful not to offend.

Lilith, however, was firm in her resolve. "No, I always carry my weapons with me," she asserted, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Sivel, overhearing the exchange, looked towards Lilith with a mix of surprise and concern. "You don't seriously plan to bring your weapons to the banquet, do you?" she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty, her expression mirroring her doubt. The idea of attending a formal event armed seemed out of place to her.

"Would there be a problem with that?" Lilith inquired.

Galena exhaled a sigh, a hint of resignation in her voice. "Well, carrying weapons will certainly attract a lot of attention, and our security team might be overwhelmed with questions," she explained, her shoulders lifting in a half-hearted shrug as if to say there wasn't much she could do about Lilith's choice. "But, of course, you're free to carry your weapons. The bigger issue, though," Galena paused, her expression turning to one of concern, "is that you don't have a proper dress for the banquet."

Lilith looked puzzled. "Huh?"

Galena's worry deepened. "Yes, you'll need a formal dress for the event. We do have dresses, but I'm concerned they might not do justice to your beauty," she admitted, her tone reflecting her anxiety about finding attire suitable for Lilith's unique presence. The thought of Lilith attending the banquet without appropriate attire seemed to trouble Galena more than the idea of her carrying weapons.

"Ah, I do have a dress," Lilith said quietly, reaching into her Dimensional pocket. With great care, she pulled out a dress that Suzuki had crafted for her. "This should be suitable," she added, holding the garment.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the dress dissolved into a cloud of magical particles. Lilith watched in astonishment as these particles swirled around her, completely enveloping her in a dazzling display. In just a moment, the transformation was complete. Lilith stood there, stunningly attired in the dress that had magically adorned her.

The dress was a masterpiece, beautifully accentuating Lilith's features. The black and red fabric hugged her figure in a way that seemed almost divine, highlighting her allure with an effortless grace. The combination of colors and the exquisite fit made Lilith look breathtaking, capturing the essence of her unique beauty in a way that left Sivel and Galena in awe.

Azriel, with a graceful bow, apologized, holding the clothes Lilith had been wearing earlier. "My apologies if I startled you," he said, his tone gentle and apologetic

Lilith, slightly taken aback by the sudden change, retrieved her clothes from Azriel and swiftly placed them into her Dimensional pocket. "You can do something like that?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of surprise and curiosity about Azriel's abilities.

"It's just a simple act," Azriel replied with a modest smile, downplaying the impressive display of his magical skill.

He then made an offer, his demeanor hopeful. "If possible, may I assist you with your makeup?" he asked, showing his willingness to help Lilith prepare for the upcoming event.

Lilith, however, seemed to prefer a different approach. "Ah... the maids should be fine..." she politely declined Azriel's offer, expressing her comfort in sticking with the palace maids for her makeup needs.

Azriel knelt gracefully, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. "My lady, your beauty is already a gift to us mere mortals," he began, his voice filled with earnest admiration. "But I wish to enhance your allure even further, to make you so radiant that your beauty will illuminate even the darkest corners of the demon world, mortal world, and even the heavens."

Lilith, caught off guard by Azriel's grand declaration, found herself at a loss for words. 'W-what is this guy saying...' she thought, bewildered by his bold and flamboyant statement. His serious expression only added to the intensity of the moment.

The maids, witnessing this exchange, exchanged glances, their expressions hinting at curiosity and a bit of gossip, wondering if something was going on between Lilith and Azriel. Maybe not a simple servent master relationship.

Unable to contain her reaction to Azriel's over-the-top statement, Lilith snapped. "How could you say something like that?!" she exclaimed, her emotions boiling over. In a swift movement, she clenched her fist and delivered a punch to Azriel's cheek, sending him flying across the room.

Lilith, still simmering from the recent exchange, turned to address the room with a grumble. "Nobody here had any ideas, right?" she questioned, her tone suggesting she wanted to dismiss any rumors or fantasies that might have been brewing among the maids regarding her and Azriel.

The maids, who moments ago were abuzz with thoughts and daydreams possibly involving Lilith and Azriel, were abruptly pulled back to reality by Lilith's direct question. They quickly shifted their demeanor, nodding frantically in agreement, eager to show that they harbored no such thoughts.

Galena and Sivel, also present in the room, joined in the nodding, their actions mirroring the maids'.

Almace emerged from the rubble, the clear imprint of Lilith's fist still visible on his cheek. He stood up, brushed himself off, and addressed Lilith with a mix of respect and a hint of pain. "That was quite painful, my lady," he said, his voice carrying a note of mild reproach. "I only wished for the well-being of my lady," he added, emphasizing his intention was purely out of concern for her.

Lilith, hearing Almace's words, couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, as if she might have overreacted.

Suddenly, the room's attention shifted as another voice chimed in, challenging Azriel's previous statement. "Wow, how bold," said Almace, but this time, in her human form, stepping forward to confront Azriel directly.

Both Sivel and Galena, along with the maids, expressed surprise at this sudden transformation. They were astonished to see that one of the katanas Lilith had at her waist had turned into a human being. 

"My Almace, don't you also wish to see our Master in her most impeccable form?" Azriel posed the question with a hint of challenge in his tone.

"She's already perfect," Almace replied promptly, countering Azriel's implication.

Azriel, undeterred, continued, "Almace, while I hold great respect for our master, I believe she has not yet reached perfection. That is precisely why we are here - to aid in elevating our master to that ideal state." His words were carefully chosen, aiming to offer constructive criticism rather than mere flattery, unlike before.

"Humph! I'm well aware of that!" Almace retorted her tone a mix of annoyance and agreement. "But don't speak to our master in such a manner," she added, clearly disapproving of Azriel's approach.

"What do you mean?" Azriel asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"The way you spoke earlier," Almace explained, visibly cringing at the memory, "it sent shivers down my hilt, and trust me, not in a pleasant way." Her words conveyed her discomfort with Azriel's overly dramatic and bold proclamation of admiration towards Lilith.

Azriel caught the subtle cue from Lilith, who was trying to divert the conversation to a less contentious topic. "Haha... didn't you say you wanted to do my makeup?" she asked, offering him a way to shift the focus.

Realizing the inappropriateness of his earlier conduct, Azriel quickly acknowledged his mistake. "My apologies, my lady...!" he exclaimed, dropping to all fours in a bow towards Lilith, showing his sincere regret for his actions.

Lilith, seemingly eager to move past the awkward moment, brushed it off casually. "It's fine," she said.

However, her curiosity about Azriel's earlier choice of words led her to a question as he began fixing her hair. "But where did you learn to talk like that?" she inquired.

"The succubus queen," Azriel replied. "She taught me how to apply makeup and talk like this, upon many other things," 

Lilith, though curious about these other things, chose not to delve deeper. She sensed that some stories were perhaps better left untold, at least for the moment.

After a brief period of careful work, Azriel stepped back, presenting Lilith with a new look. The makeup he applied was noticeably different from that done by the elven maids. Despite using less makeup, Azriel skillfully enhanced Lilith's features, complementing her natural beauty in a way that was both subtle and striking.

Rising from her seat, Lilith approached the mirror to see the transformation for herself. As she gazed at her reflection, she was taken aback by the change. The person staring back at her seemed so different, so transformed, that it was hard to reconcile with her previous life as a man.

 It was almost unbelievable to her that just a week ago, she was a man. 

Galena and Sivel, impressed by the transformation Azriel had achieved with Lilith, eagerly spoke up almost simultaneously. "Please do our makeup too!" they requested, their voices harmonizing in their excitement.

Their request made it clear that Azriel was exceptional with his makeup skills, which had caught their admiration. After Lilith gave her nod of approval, Azriel proceeded to work on Galena's and Sivel's makeup.

Once he had skillfully completed their looks, Azriel turned his attention towards Almace, as if considering offering his services to her as well. However, Almace, with a raised eyebrow, quickly dismissed the idea. "What do you want?" she asked her tone a mix of annoyance and defensiveness. "My job is to protect and serve my master. I don't need such things!" she declared firmly.

"Then let's get going," Galena spoke as she stood up satisfied with Azriel's work. "But my grace have you decided what you would do for the banquet?"

"Ah...!" Lilith's mind went blank for a moment but she quickly recovered. "Yes..." She nodded.