A sudden warmth on her forehead.
Lilia opened her eyes, Lucia’s face was right in front of her.
That overly perfect face slowly drew back, lips still carrying the lingering heat from touching her forehead.
“Meow ahhh!”
Lilia exploded.
She scrambled backward with both hands and feet, tumbling and crawling to the foot of the bed, every hair on her body standing on end.
“You pervert meow!”
“Good morning kiss.”
Lucia sat up, her nightgown slipping off her shoulder.
Her voice was still hoarse from sleep, sounding like she deserved a beating.
“Who wants your good morning kiss meow!”
Lilia clutched her forehead, the skin still burning.
Memories from last night flooded back—
She had eaten fish while lying on this pervert’s lap, fallen asleep with a full stomach, and spent the whole night in her arms!
Shameful!
Too shameful meow!
“Looks like you’re in good spirits.”
Lucia got out of bed barefoot and walked to the wardrobe.
“Today’s lesson can begin.”
Lilia’s tail instantly went rigid.
Again!
Yesterday it was making tea, undressing, being a pillow. What weird game is it today?
“It’s a simple lesson.”
Lucia took a dress from the wardrobe and beckoned to her with a curled finger.
At her fingertip, a red dot had appeared at some point.
About the size of a fingernail, so bright it dazzled.
“Come here.”
“I’m not going meow!”
Lilia shouted fiercely, but her eyes were fixed on the red dot.
What is that?
A light condensed from Magic?
Lucia flicked her wrist.
The red dot leaped from her fingertip to the opposite wall, moving swiftly.
Shua—
Lilia’s pupils shrank to slits.
No!
Rationality screamed in her mind.
But her body was already tense.
She arched her back, lowered her center of gravity, and her tail was stretched straight, only the tip twitching uncontrollably.
She had to catch it!
Once the thought appeared, it grew wildly like weeds.
“No… I don’t want to meow…”
Her mouth resisted.
Her body had already leaped off the bed.
Landing on all fours.
Her paw pads pressed silently into the carpet.
The red dot traced circles on the wall, sometimes pausing, sometimes zipping by.
It was right ahead!
“Meow!”
Lilia pounced.
Both paws landed on the spot where the red dot had been.
Empty.
The red dot appeared an inch ahead of her paws, wavering slightly.
“Damn it meow!”
She pounced again!
Still empty!
In the room, a small figure cried “meow meow”, bells jingling, darting across the carpet, up the walls, even climbing the curtains.
Lucia leaned against the wardrobe, holding a cup of black tea.
“Your Majesty.”
Lilith pushed in a food cart.
She paused for less than a second at the scene.
The little creature who had been lying on Your Majesty’s lap being fed last night was now chasing the red dot, bouncing all over.
“Breakfast is ready.”
“Mm, set it there.”
Lucia’s gaze never left the little figure racing around the room.
Lilia was completely absorbed.
Dignity?
Reason?
Her mind held only one thought—
Catch it!
Shua!
The red dot suddenly shifted to Lilith’s immaculate black skirt.
“Meow!”
Lilia leapt, colliding solidly with Lilith’s calf.
“Ugh!”
Her nose stung from the impact, tears almost welling up.
Lilith didn’t budge.
She looked down at Lilia, who was hugging her calf and still trying to reach the red dot with her paws.
Silence.
All sound in the room vanished.
The scratching of cat claws stopped, and the crisp jingle of bells fell silent.
Lilia finally froze.
She slowly looked up.
And saw Lilith’s expressionless face.
It’s over.
I’ve been seen.
The Head Maid ice queen saw me acting this stupid.
Her face turned red from her neck to her ears.
But at that moment—
That damned red dot jumped nimbly from Lilith’s skirt to the tip of Lilia’s nose.
Lilia’s eyes crossed, turning into a squint.
She stared hard at the tiny red dot on her nose.
Then—
She stuck out her tongue and gently licked her own nose.
Her tongue brushed her nose, but touched nothing except her own skin.
The red dot vanished.
Lilia stayed frozen, eyes crossed and tongue out in a ridiculous pose.
I…
What was I just doing?
Did I pounce on the Head Maid?
Did I lick my nose?
For a stupid light dot?
“Pfft.”
A soft laugh sounded nearby.
It was Lucia.
Lilia turned her stiff head.
That pervert demon lord was leaning against the wardrobe, shoulders trembling.
She was laughing!
This demon is laughing at me!
“I’ll kill you meow ahhh!”
Lilia sprang up from the floor, charging straight at Lucia.
Halfway there, a hand easily pressed her head down.
It was Lilith.
The Head Maid had moved behind her at some point, and with just one hand, rendered all her attacks useless.
“Miss, please calm down.”
“Calm down my tail meow! Let go! I’m going to bite that pervert to death meow!”
Lilia struggled wildly under Lilith’s hand, all four paws flailing in the air, her tail whipping frantically.
“Lilith, take her to wash up.”
Lucia stifled her laughter, her voice returning to its usual coldness.
“Then bring her to eat.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lilith grabbed Lilia by the scruff, lifting her easily.
The moment her feet left the ground, all of Lilia’s resistance ceased.
This position…
It was too humiliating.
She drooped her limbs and head in defeat, letting Lilith carry her into the bathroom.
During washing up and breakfast, Lilia didn’t say a word.
She curled herself into a ball, using silence to fight the world.
But inside her head, thoughts raced wildly.
Blind resistance and outrage only made her more entertaining to this pervert demon lord.
All her reactions were within the enemy’s expectations.
Just like today’s red dot—
Lucia had clearly counted on her damned Catgirl body to react.
She couldn’t be ruled by instinct anymore.
She had to find true power.
Power that could free her from this situation, even suppress Lucia!
But how?
She had nothing now.
Her power was stripped away, her body altered, not even freedom remained.
The only thing she could do—
Was to trick what she wanted out of this pervert demon lord’s hands.
After breakfast, Lilith cleared the dishes and prepared to leave.
“Lilith onee-san.”
Lilia suddenly spoke up.
Lilith stopped, turning back in slight surprise.
This little creature had been so lifeless just now. Now what—
“I want to learn Magic.”
Lilia jumped down from her chair, walked to Lilith, and looked up.
This time, she didn’t force a smile or act cute.
She just stared straight at Lilith.
Lilith was momentarily speechless.
“…What?”
“I said, I want to learn Magic.”
Lilia repeated.
“Onee-san, look, I’m just a useless thing now, right?”
She spread her hands.
“I can’t even catch a light dot, making a fool of myself in front of you.”
“But I don’t want to stay this stupid forever.”
She lifted her head, stubbornness shining in her heterochromatic eyes.
“If I could learn some Magic, even just the simplest kind—like making a light orb to chase, would Master…”
She paused.
“Would Master be happier?”
Lilith stared at her.
This little creature…
Wants to learn Magic?
A zero-tier mortal stripped of all power?
“Miss, Magic isn’t a game.”
“A mortal without any magic foundation can’t even use the simplest Light Orb Technique.”
“Then if—”
Lilia bit her back teeth.
“If Master was willing to give me a little magic power?”
She lifted her head, her heterochromatic eyes full of unwillingness.
“Just a little! Enough to learn the simplest Magic!”
“I don’t want to…”
Her voice dropped.
“Don’t want to always be a useless thing that only chases light dots.”
Lilith looked at her small face.
She couldn’t see through this little creature.
One moment furious at being toyed with, the next able to regain composure and plot her own course.
Such a mindset didn’t belong to a caged pet.
“This is not my decision to make.”
Lilith finally shook her head.
“You need to ask Your Majesty directly.”
“I just wanted to ask onee-san’s opinion first meow.”
Lilia’s smile brightened.
“If onee-san thinks it’s a good idea, I’ll have more confidence when I bring it up to Master meow!”
Her words were flawless, flattering Lilith while showing her own “obedience.”
Lilith glanced at her.
“Your Majesty… might be interested.”
Leaving only those ambiguous words, she took the dishes and left.
The door closed.
Lilia turned and walked to the mirror.
In the mirror, the loli with cat ears was staring back.
The image of licking her nose just now replayed in her mind.
“Lucia, just you wait.”
She spoke to her reflection.
“The first thing I’ll do when I learn Magic is turn you into a stupid cat that chases red dots all over the floor meow!”
Vow sworn, she adjusted her expression, put on an obedient smile, and walked out of the room.
She had to go to the study.
She had to see Lucia.
She had to use all the acting skills she’d just learned from the Succubus Advancement Manual: How to Turn Innate Gifts into Weapons to win a chance to study Magic.
The study door was half-open.
Lilia stood at the threshold, raising and lowering her hand again and again.
How should she start?
Should she just say “I want to learn Magic”?
Too blunt.
That pervert would definitely ask “why”.
Then how should she answer?
Say “to take you down”?
I’d be dead meow!