“It’s quite fun, isn’t it?”
Lucia’s voice was soft, but Lilia’s laughter caught in her throat.
The arrogant expression on her face froze.
A chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, even more intense than the thrill of her successful prank just moments ago.
She looked at the woman standing in the viscous pool water.
Droplets fell from her wet hair, tracing down that face.
And on that face was a smile that held a hint of fanaticism.
It was over.
‘It’s over.’
Only those two words remained in her mind.
This time, she had really overplayed her hand.
“M-Mistress… meow…”
Her voice trembled, and her teeth were chattering.
“I… I was just joking with you… meow…”
Lilia waved her hands frantically in front of her, trying to deny everything.
“It was… just a massage! Yes! A deep-pressure water massage to improve circulation, meow!”
Lucia ignored her excuses.
She walked through the swamp-like pool water, step by step, toward Lilia on the shore.
Every step was slow, and the sound of splashing water hit Lilia’s heart like a drum.
“No… don’t come any closer, meow!”
Terrified, Lilia scrambled backward over the slippery rocks using both her hands and feet.
She didn’t care that she was still naked; she just wanted to get away from that woman.
But before she could move even two steps, her back hit the garden wall with a thud.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
A shadow completely enveloped her.
Lucia stopped in front of her, looking down as if admiring a small creature cornered in a wall.
A cold hand pinched her chin, forcing her to lift her terrified little face.
“Your Spatial Magic is actually quite good.”
Lucia’s fingertip brushed over her trembling lips.
“Adding gravity to every single water droplet… very creative. But did you forget something?”
Lilia’s pupils constricted.
Lucia spoke in a flat tone, uttering just a few words.
“This is my world.”
As the words fell, Lilia’s vision blurred.
The hot spring, the steam, and the garden all vanished.
When she could see again, she was already kneeling naked on the wool carpet in the bedroom.
Lucia stood before her.
The soaked bathrobe was gone, replaced by that dry Black Imperial Gown.
Everything had returned to the starting point.
This wasn’t a dream.
The damp heat unique to the hot spring water still lingered on her skin.
“Since you like ‘surprises’ so much,” Lucia leaned over and hoisted her up from the carpet, “I’ll give you one too.”
She carried Lilia to the bed and threw her directly onto it.
The soft mattress made her bounce.
Before she could scramble up, a dark shadow pressed down.
Lucia moved over her, bracing her hands on either side of Lilia’s body, trapping her beneath.
“What… what are you doing now? Meow?”
“Punishment.”
Lucia leaned down, her breath entering Lilia’s ear.
“A punishment for this little thing… who keeps trying to bite her Mistress.”
The voice was low and husky, and each word swirled into Lilia’s brain, turning it into a mess.
“However, this punishment is a little different.”
Lucia straightened up, leaving Lilia in suspense.
She began to slowly unbutton her Imperial Robe.
Lilia’s head buzzed, and her mind went blank.
‘Taking off… taking off her clothes? What is she doing? This pervert is finally going to…’
“Don’t… don’t do anything reckless! Meow!”
Lilia scrambled, trying to escape the bed with all her strength.
But a force pressed down on her shoulder with terrifying strength, making it impossible to move.
She could only watch as Lucia removed the outer robe, revealing the form-fitting black silk shirt underneath.
Then, Lucia turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to her.
“Your ‘Space Pressure’ earlier was a good idea, but your control was a disaster.”
Lucia’s voice lost its warmth, sounding like a Magic Tutor giving a lecture.
“The Magic Power distribution was uneven, and the pressure fluctuated too much. You wasted at least seventy percent of the energy.”
Lilia was stunned.
‘Is she… reviewing the sneak attack from earlier?’
“Therefore, today’s punishment is practice.”
Lucia reached back and pulled her shirt down past her shoulders, exposing her smooth back.
“Now, use your finger to draw the entire rune for Space Pressure on my back.”
Lilia was dumbfounded.
‘Using… using a finger to draw runes on her back? What kind of punishment is this! This is clearly…’
“Of course, to make sure you remember,” Lucia’s voice held a trace of malice, “we will add a ‘Sensory Link.’ Every time you draw a stroke incorrectly or use the wrong amount of force, that error will manifest exactly on your own body.”
The color drained from Lilia’s face.
She understood.
This wasn’t a magic lesson at all.
This was torture!
She had to draw those complex runes on Lucia’s back.
Any mistake would turn into a strange sensation fed back to her.
It could be pain, it could be itching, or it could be… that killing sensation.
“What? Don’t you dare?”
Lucia turned her head, her blood-red pupils glowing remarkably in the dim light.
“I… I’ll draw it! Meow!”
Lilia gritted her teeth, forcing the words out.
She climbed up and knelt naked behind Lucia.
Looking at that nearby back, which exuded a cold fragrance, her hands shook violently.
She forced herself to extend her index finger.
The moment her fingertip landed, the warm touch made her whole body go numb.
She closed her eyes, recalling the complex rune structures, and began the most agonizing stroke of her life.
Her fingertip slowly traced the first curve on that smooth skin.
The pressure was… too light.
“Meow!”
Lilia’s body trembled, arching.
An intense itch surged from the same spot on her own back, making her almost pull her hand away.
She bit her lower lip hard, enduring the itch, and continued with the second stroke.
This time, she increased the pressure.
The result… it was too heavy.
“Ngh…”
A muffled groan escaped Lilia’s throat.
A strong sensation of soreness and numbness exploded from her lower abdomen, draining all the strength from her body.
She collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily, her cheeks flushed, and tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
‘How can I draw like this! It’s impossible to continue!’
“It seems your control is even worse than I thought.”
Lucia’s voice sounded pleased.
“Do you need me to… teach you personally?”
Without waiting for an answer, a large, cold hand covered Lilia’s trembling right hand.
That hand gripped hers without allowing any refusal, forcibly guiding her fingertip.
It landed once more on the skin that made her heart race with fear.
“Watch, and feel.”
Lucia’s voice sounded right against her ear, the warm breath making her go weak.
“Magic should flow like this.”
Before she could finish, Lucia gripped Lilia’s hand and led her fingertip in a powerful motion across that smooth skin.