Chapter 11: Meow~? What’s with this “meow”?!

Lilia kicked the Obsidian Gate.

Bang!

A dull sound echoed through the corridor.

The door didn’t budge.

But her foot hurt like hell.

Fuming, Lilia kicked it two more times, then switched to ramming it with her shoulder.

“Open the door! Lucia!”

A thread of magic seeped through the crack, and the door slowly slid open on its own.

Ignoring her aching foot, Lilia clutched the empty Enchanter’s Cauldron and rushed inside.

The Demon King’s Bedchamber was simpler than she’d imagined.

No treasure-filled vaults.

No terrifying walls decorated with skulls.

Just wide stretches of black velvet carpet, a few elegant pieces of furniture, and—

A massive sofa by the window.

Lucia was sprawled on the sofa, a book in her hand.

Black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the loose neckline of her robe revealed a strip of dazzlingly white collarbone.

She lifted her gaze, blood-red pupils calmly meeting the doorway.

“Oh?”

Lilia stormed to the sofa, hands on her hips, raising the cauldron that had been drained dry.

“Lucia!”

She took a deep breath, ready to unleash a day’s worth of pent-up grievances.

“What kind of trash materials did you give me? They’re completely useless, nya~!!”

The moment the words left her mouth—

She froze.

No.

That last sound just now…

What was it?

Lilia opened her mouth, trying to repeat herself.

“What kind of trash materials did you give me, nya~!”

The trailing sound was soft and milky, like a kitten whining.

Her brain short-circuited.

Lilia clamped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as saucers.

“Uu… What’s happening, nya~!”

She hadn’t finished speaking when—

Another cry burst out!

On the sofa, Lucia put her book down, body stiffening for a second.

Then her shoulders began to tremble.

Lilia stared at her, heart pounding.

No way?

No way, no way?

“Gege…”

The Demon King’s laughter spilled from her throat, low and suppressed, as if she was desperately trying to hold it back.

But a moment later—

“Gegege… Hahahaha!”

She lost all composure.

Lucia covered her mouth, shoulders shaking violently, blood-red eyes sparkling with unprecedented light.

Laughter filled the entire bedchamber.

No dignity.

No majesty.

Just pure, uninhibited laughter.

Lilia’s face turned scarlet in an instant.

“Stop laughing, nya!”

She lunged forward, intending to bash Lucia’s head with the cauldron.

But after two steps, an arm scooped her up into an embrace.

“If you keep laughing, I’ll… I’ll bite you, nya~!”

Lucia only laughed harder.

She pulled Lilia onto her lap, one hand pinning down the squirming little body.

The other hand covered her mouth, as if trying to suppress the laughter.

But the giggles kept slipping out.

“Hahaha… Cough cough…”

She finally caught her breath, even as tears shimmered in her eyes.

“What… What did you just say?”

Lucia’s voice still carried a laugh, low and full of delight.

“Say it again.”

Lilia shook with anger.

“I won’t say it, nya!”

Another mewl.

She broke down completely.

“Why! Why is this happening, nya~!”

Lucia finally managed to stifle her laughter, though a mischievous curve remained on her lips.

She looked down at the bristling little girl in her arms, blood-red eyes full of mischief.

“What did you do today?”

“I… I made a potion, nya~!”

Lilia tried to glare at her, but tears welled in her eyes.

“And then I failed, nya! All the materials were wasted, nya! It’s all your fault for giving me junk, nya~!”

Every sentence ended with a soft, cat-like mewl.

The more she spoke, the more she crumbled, until she gave up and just struggled.

But Lucia’s arms were like iron bands.

“Potion-making?”

Lucia’s tone was teasing.

“What kind of potion?”

Lilia gritted her teeth, refusing to answer.

Lucia didn’t rush her, simply asking slowly:

“Lilith said you asked for a Cat Whisperer Whisker.”

“That’s a core ingredient in mental-type potions.”

She paused, blood-red eyes narrowing.

“What were you trying to make?”

Lilia’s face flushed even deeper.

“I… I wanted to make a Tranquility Potion, nya!”

Lucia raised an eyebrow.

“Tranquility?”

“Yes, nya! Tranquility, nya~!”

Lilia had given up entirely.

“In the end, it was a total failure, nya! I didn’t make anything, nya!”

Lucia stared at her for a few seconds, then let out a soft chuckle.

“So what did you drink?”

Lilia blinked.

“Drink what, nya?”

“The scent on you.”

Lucia leaned in, her nose almost touching Lilia’s neck.

“Strawberry Milk, and Catnip.”

Lilia’s body went rigid.

“I… I didn’t drink anything, nya!”

“Didn’t drink?”

Lucia tapped her belly with a finger.

“Then why is your body temperature higher than usual?”

“Why does your breath smell like strawberries?”

“And…”

Her fingers slid up to Lilia’s ear, giving it a gentle pinch.

“Why are your ears so hot?”

Lilia shuddered, face reddening so much it was practically steaming.

“I… I just drank a little, nya!”

“A little?”

Lucia glanced at the empty cauldron in Lilia’s hand.

“The whole cauldron?”

Lilia was beyond words.

Lucia laughed.

She flipped Lilia over, laying her face down across her lap, then lifted her hand.

Slap!

A light smack landed on Lilia’s backside.

It wasn’t hard, but the humiliation was unbearable.

“You dare drink something without knowing what it is?”

“Are you trying to make me angry?”

Tears finally rolled down Lilia’s cheeks.

“I… I thought it was a failed batch, nya!”

“And the materials were so expensive, nya! Throwing it away would’ve been a waste, nya~!”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, her voice trembling with tears.

“It’s all your fault for giving me bad ingredients, nya! That’s why I failed, nya~!”

Lucia’s laughter bubbled up again.

She picked Lilia up, turning her to sit face-to-face on her lap.

“Do you know what you drank?”

Lilia shook her head, her silver twin-tails swaying.

“I don’t know, nya.”

“That’s a variant of the Mind-Surrender Potion.”

Lucia’s voice was low and amused.

“The original effect is to make the drinker develop absolute trust and affection for the maker.”

“But because you soaked the Cat Whisperer Whisker in warm water…”

She paused, the laughter in her eyes deepening.

“The effect was reversed.”

Lilia stared in shock.

“Reversed? Nya?”

“Mmm.”

Lucia’s fingers brushed through her silver hair.

“Now, it’s not the drinker who’s affected, but the maker.”

“In other words, you.”

Lilia’s mind went blank.

“What do you mean, nya?!”

“It means…”

Lucia leaned close to her ear, warm breath caressing the rim.

“You’ll develop a strong sense of dependence and attachment to me.”

“And you’ll exhibit some feline traits.”

“For example…”

She gently squeezed Lilia’s ear.

“Like enjoying head pats, being easily spoiled.”

“And…”

Lucia’s smile grew wider, blood-red eyes gleaming with playful light.

“Speaking with a ‘nya’ at the end of your sentences.”

Lilia was completely dazed.

She opened her mouth, wanting to argue.

“I would never, nya~!”

Another mewl.

She crumbled.

“No, nya! I don’t want this, nya~!”

Tears dripped down, splashing onto the back of Lucia’s hand.

Lucia was laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

“Too cute.”

She raised her hand, placing it gently on Lilia’s head.

Then slowly stroked down her silver hair.

Once, twice, three times.

Lilia’s body instantly went limp.

A tingling current swept from her head to her toes, as if something inside her was melting.

She collapsed against Lucia’s shoulder, her voice turning soft and sweet.

“Don’t pet me, nya…”

But her body offered no resistance.

In fact, she unconsciously nuzzled into Lucia’s embrace.

Her little head burrowed into Lucia’s neck.

Lucia continued to stroke her hair, her voice low.

“Good girl.”

“You’ll get used to it soon.”