Chapter 94: My Little Pet, Is It Here to Warm My Bed?

Where did that black ball of fur go?

Lilia leaned against the wall, her two legs still trembling.

Lilith stood in front of her, her back ramrod straight.

“Don’t worry.”

Lucia’s voice drifted over, calm and flat.

She stood still, not moving a single step as she raised her hand.

Aiming at the deepest shadow in the corner of the hall, she gave a light, airy squeeze.

With that one movement, Lilia’s head began to thrum!

Through her ‘Mana Vision,’ the space where the shadow resided was being pinched flat — light, air, and everything within it.

Everything twisted together, letting out a screeching, crunching sound.

“Guji — !”

A scream was forced out of that crumpled mass of space! The Void Beast cub hadn’t been caught; it had been crushed and expelled from its destroyed hiding place.

It struggled mid-air, its body flickering between physical reality and a spectral image.

It tried to tear through space to escape again.

But it was all in vain.

Bang!

It was slammed back into the self-repairing crystal container by a violent force.

The sealing runes flared with light, pinning it to the bottom.

The little thing twitched a few times, letting out some weak “gu… gu…” sounds before falling still.

Lilia stood there dazed.

Was this… the power of the Demon King? It wasn’t magic or some technique.

It was a command; the world was obeying her order.

Those thoughts of ‘reverse engineering’ things in her head felt like a joke compared to that single move.

“You did well.”

Lucia walked over to Lilia.

Her fingertips landed on top of the girl’s head, giving it a rub.

Lilia’s body stiffened.

But this time, she had no strength to dodge, nor did she want to.

A mix of exhaustion and the thrill of survival made her head spin.

“You combined your ‘Mana Vision’ with the spatial blade well. Your grasp of timing has already reached the threshold of the Third Tier.”

Hearing the praise, Lilia’s cheeks flushed, and the little tail behind her wagged unconsciously.

“O — of course! Meow!”

She tried her best to puff out her small chest.

“Who do you think I am? I’m a genius, meow!”

“Yes, you are a genius,” Lucia nodded in agreement.

All the rebuttals and arrogant remarks Lilia had prepared were stuck in her throat.

Lucia withdrew her hand and turned to the still-stunned Lilith.

“Take her back to rest. Today’s morning lesson ends here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lilith bowed and stepped forward, supporting the unsteady Lilia.

Her movements were stiff when her arm touched Lilia.

Back in her own room, Lilia was practically dragged and tossed onto the bed by Lilith.

The feeling of having her mental energy drained was miserable.

Her eyelids were too heavy to lift; she just wanted to drift off.

Lilith silently helped her take off her shoes and pulled over the covers.

The room was too quiet.

After a moment, Lilith returned with a glass of warm milk.

A glittering Soothing Potion Candy rested on the rim.

“Lady Lilia, drink this. It will help you recover your mental energy faster.”

Lilia forced herself up and took the glass.

The warm liquid slid down her throat, and her tense body relaxed.

She took small sips, noticing Lilith standing straight by the bed.

She wasn’t tidying the room, nor was she leaving.

Her lips moved, then pressed together.

“Um… Sister Lilith,” Lilia said after finishing the milk, handing back the glass.

“Back there… thanks for blocking that for me, meow.”

Lilith reached for the glass, their fingertips brushing.

Lilith’s fingers jerked back.

“Protecting you is my duty.”

Her voice was steady.

She paused for a long time, so long that Lilia was almost asleep.

“However… you also saved me.”

Hearing this, a look of pride immediately appeared on Lilia’s tired face, and she grinned.

“Hehe, I guess we’re even now, meow.”

She lay down contentedly, rolling herself into the covers and curling up.

Lilith tucked her in with gentle, slow movements.

Then, carrying the tray, she turned to leave. At the door, she stopped.

“Lady Lilia.”

“Hm? Meow?”

Lilia poked half her head out from the blankets, responding groggily.

Lilith didn’t look back; she kept her back to her, her voice very soft.

“You… are very impressive.”

After saying that, she walked out of the room with somewhat uncoordinated, hurried steps.

She gently closed the door.

Click.

Inside the room, Lilia was stunned for a full three seconds.

‘She… she just praised me? That ice-queen head maid actually praised me?!’

Today was the peak of her life!

Not only had she faced a Void Beast, but she had also protected Lilith and even gained her recognition!

Lilia was so excited that her sleepiness vanished.

Her mind was clearer than ever.

She closed her eyes, savoring everything that happened today — especially that final spatial blade.

That feeling of personally tearing through space remained in her perception.

She could ‘see’ the dried-up mana network inside her body being ruthlessly refilled by the surrounding magic.

Power surged in, washing through her meridians.

Every surge brought sharp pain.

But after the pain came a comfort that seemed to seep out from her very bones!

Her meridians were being forcibly torn open, then reshaped and widened by even more turbulent mana.

Her body hurt, but it was getting stronger!

This was it!

Instead of being afraid, Lilia immersed herself in it.

Using her newly mastered ‘Mana Vision,’ she observed, organized, and guided the energy running wild in her body.

She watched the energy wash over her body again and again.

She didn’t know how much time had passed.

Snap!

A faint, crisp sound echoed in the deepest part of her mental world.

An invisible barrier shattered.

In an instant, the world in her perception changed.

Space was no longer a set of flat lines; it had depth and layers.

She could ‘see’ the layers of the air.

She could ‘touch’ the trajectory of light.

She could feel the different spatial fluctuations emitted by every object around her.

The mana in her body surged, flowing turbulently yet under her firm control.

This was… the Third Tier!

Lilia snapped her eyes open.

She leaped out of bed.

Her body was filled with inexhaustible power; she felt like she could punch through a wall.

She walked to the door and, without touching the handle, extended a single finger.

Her perception passed through the door.

The complex lock cylinder made of brass and runes unfolded clearly in her mind.

She channeled a wisp of spatial power and probed inside.

Bypassing the alarm runes… moving the springs… undoing the linkage structure…

Click.

With a soft sound, the door opened.

Lilia clenched her fist.

Feeling the flowing yet precise power within her, she couldn’t help but puff out her chest.

She pushed the door open and, without a second thought, walked toward the Demon King’s Palace with her head held high.

Standing before the obsidian doors, she ‘saw’ the overlapping layers of magical restrictions behind them.

Before, she wouldn’t have even understood them.

But now, these structural laws were like toys she could take apart.

She grinned.

‘Lucia, you think your turtle shell is tough? Today, I’m going to sneak in without a sound, sleep in your bed, and then leave!’

She pressed her hand against the door, letting her spatial perception permeate it.

Analyzing, dismantling, and bypassing… This was more fun than any unlocking game!

Just as she was about to undo the final node of the outermost Defense Array —

Creeeak —

The obsidian doors opened on their own.

Deep inside the palace, in front of the throne, Lucia had changed into a loose black silk nightgown.

She was holding a cup of tea, steam rising from it.

She looked up, her gaze sweeping across the long hall to land on the tiny figure frozen at the entrance.

“My little pet, it’s so late. Have you come to warm my bed?”