Chapter 13: Cat Lesson One! I Won’t Eat Handouts!

“I’m not a cat, meow!”

Lilia gritted her teeth, wishing she could swallow that “meow” back into her stomach.

“I won’t learn any weird courses either, meow!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and the bell on her neck jingled chaotically.

Lucia looked at her bristling appearance, a flash of amusement passing through her eyes.

“That’s not up to you.”

She turned and walked out.

Lilia stared at her back.

She hesitated for three seconds, but in the end, she still followed.

She had to see just what this perverted Demon King was plotting!

The two walked through a long corridor.

Lilia’s little short legs moved quickly.

Barely keeping up with Lucia’s unhurried pace.

At the end of the corridor, Lucia pushed open a door Lilia had never seen before.

The room was large.

A soft white long-haired carpet covered the center, deep enough for half a foot to sink in.

Strange-shaped wooden racks stood in the corners.

Some looked like towers, some like trees, all wrapped with hemp ropes.

By the window was a small round bed with a thick cushion.

Lilia glanced around, her pupils widening slightly.

A cat climbing frame?

A cat scratch board??

A cat bed???

Was she really being raised like a cat?!

“Sit.”

Lucia pointed to the velvet cushion in the middle of the carpet.

Lilia stood where she was, arms crossed.

“Why should I sit there, meow?”

“This is the classroom.”

“I’m not sitting, meow!”

Lucia didn’t reply, only looking at her with those blood-red eyes.

Lilia felt her whole body go numb under that gaze.

She remembered last night when her head had been patted.

The uncontrollable softness that overtook her body.

That powerless feeling of complete domination.

In the end, she bit her lip, shuffled to the cushion, and sat down with a plop.

Although she was sitting, the cushion was so soft.

Once she sank in, her posture looked more like kneeling.

It made her extremely displeased.

“Very good.”

Lucia smiled soundlessly.

“First lesson: learn how to eat properly.”

Eat?

Lilia froze.

She had just eaten breakfast!

Lucia clapped her hands.

Lilith walked in from a side door, carrying a tray.

On the tray was a small white porcelain bowl.

Inside were pieces of fish, cut into small chunks, drizzled with a light golden sauce.

The aroma was overwhelming.

Lilia’s throat moved.

Lilith placed the tray on the low table before Lucia, bowed, and stepped aside.

“This was made from the most tender part of the Deep Sea Silver Cod.”

Lucia picked up the small bowl.

“Very suitable for your current body.”

Lilia stared at the bowl of fish, a strong sense of unease rising in her heart.

The next second–

Lucia bent down and gently placed the white porcelain bowl on the carpet before Lilia.

Lilia’s pupils widened.

“You… What do you mean by this, meow?”

Her voice trembled.

“Eat.”

Lucia’s answer was self-evident.

“Eat?”

Lilia’s voice jumped eight pitches higher.

“You want me to eat off the floor? Meow!”

“Don’t cats all eat like this?”

Lucia’s tone was excessively innocent.

Lilia trembled all over with rage.

What an unbearable humiliation!

To make her eat on the floor like a pet?

“I won’t eat! Meow!”

She stood up abruptly, pointing at the bowl on the floor.

“I’m telling you, Lucia!”

“I, Lilia, would rather starve!”

“Jump off here!”

“And never eat a single bite of your charity, meow!”

Her voice sharpened with anger, and the bell on her neck jingled nonstop.

Lucia watched her quietly, the interest in her blood-red eyes growing deeper.

“Is that so?”

She stretched out a finger and tapped the bowl of fish.

A wisp of invisible magic flowed into it.

The next second—

The aroma of the fish was magnified tenfold.

A rich, irresistible fragrance filled the entire room.

Lilia’s nose twitched.

So…

So fragrant…

Saliva began to pour from her mouth.

Her stomach grumbled in response.

This had to be magic!

A trick by this perverted Demon King!

Lilia desperately warned herself–to maintain her dignity, to stay strong.

She turned her face away, refusing to look at the bowl of fish.

“Hmph, I won’t fall for it, meow!”

Lucia said nothing.

She just sat there, leisurely sipping a cup of black tea.

The room fell into silence.

Only the tempting aroma of fish kept sneaking into Lilia’s nose, relentlessly.

A minute passed.

Lilia’s legs began to go weak.

Five minutes passed.

Her stomach growled even louder.

Ten minutes passed.

She felt like she was starting to hallucinate—

The bowl of fish was sparkling, waving at her.

“Gulp…”

She swallowed her saliva again.

The sound was so loud even she could hear it clearly.

How humiliating.

“Do you want to eat?”

Lucia’s voice floated over.

“No! Meow!”

Lilia insisted stubbornly.

“Really don’t want to?”

Lucia’s finger traced a gentle line in the air.

A thin red line, made of magic, appeared at her fingertips, glowing faintly.

She flicked her hand.

The line drew a graceful arc in the air and landed on the carpet before Lilia.

The end of the line swayed playfully.

Lilia’s eyes were instantly drawn to it.

The red line twisted and curled on the carpet like a living creature.

Her body

moved on its own.

A small hand reached out, trying to grab the wiggling red line.

“Pa.”

She slapped at empty air.

The line dodged nimbly.

Lilia stared in a daze for a second.

Then pounced.

“Plop.”

Another miss.

The red line seemed to be teasing her, always dodging at the last moment.

Lilia’s competitive spirit was lit.

Her mind was now full of—

Before her brain could react

Catch it!

She chased the red line across the carpet on all fours, her silver twin-tails swinging.

The bell on her neck jingled nonstop.

She completely forgot she had been fighting for her dignity just moments ago.

Lucia sat on the sofa.

Drinking tea and controlling the red line.

Her blood-red eyes sparkled with delight.

In the corner, Lilith was trying not to laugh.

After a long chase—

Lilia was exhausted and panting, but still couldn’t catch the damned red line.

At last, she collapsed face-down on the carpet, motionless.

Seeing her stop chasing, the red line actually approached her, gently touching her nose.

Lilia’s anger shot to max.

“I’ll bite you to death, meow!”

She opened her mouth and bit down on the red line.

But—

The line vanished with a “whoosh”.

She bit nothing and almost chomped the carpet.

Looking up, she met Lucia’s mocking eyes.

Only then did Lilia realize what she had just done.

Her face turned scarlet all the way to her neck.

She had…

She had just spent half the time on the carpet chasing a string!

“Aaaahhh! Lucia, I’ll fight you to the death, meow!”

Overcome with shame and fury, Lilia sprang from the floor, baring her teeth and claws as she pounced at Lucia.

Lucia didn’t even move.

She simply reached out, easily pressing Lilia’s head down.

Lilia’s short arms and legs flailed in the air.

But she couldn’t even touch the hem of Lucia’s clothes.

“Looks like after all that exercise, you really are hungry.”

Lucia said, picking up the bowl of fish from the floor with her other hand.

The rich aroma washed over them again.

Lilia’s struggles paused.

“Open your mouth.”

Lucia scooped up a small piece of fish with a spoon and held it to her lips.

“I won’t…”

“Hm?”

Lucia’s eyes darkened slightly.

Lilia looked at the fish so close to her.

Smelled the irresistible fragrance.

And glanced at Lucia’s eyes that would brook no refusal.

In the end–

She opened her mouth in humiliation.

The fish melted instantly on her tongue.

The delicious taste exploded across her taste buds.

So good.

Too good…

She finished one bite, and Lucia fed her another.

Just like that, Lilia was held on Lucia’s lap and fed the entire bowl of fish one spoonful at a time.

After eating, she lay limp on Lucia’s lap, unwilling to move.

All the chasing and struggling earlier, now replaced by fullness.

Sleepiness surged over her like a tide.

“How was today’s lesson?”

Lucia gently stroked her silver hair.

Lilia buried her face in Lucia’s arms, mumbling.

“Didn’t learn anything, meow…”

“Really?”

Lucia let out a low, dangerous, sweet laugh.

“I think you learned very well.”

She took an Ancient Brass Key from her pocket and waved it before Lilia’s eyes.