Chapter 47: I’m Done For! Caught Red-Handed Secretly Learning Magic!

The door of the lounge opened.

A faint “click” echoed through the silent study.

Lilia’s mental power jolted violently.

The wisp of icy energy, thinner than a hair, which she’d just “pulled” from the Magic Power Node, lost control.

A burning-hot needle rampaged inside her head!

“Ugh!”

She let out a muffled groan, golden stars exploding before her eyes as she toppled forward.

“Miss!”

Lilith almost teleported to her side.

She raised her hand, wanting to use her own power to stabilize the rampaging Magic Energy.

But—

An even greater will enveloped the entire study before she could.

“Who’s there?”

A cold voice came from the direction of the lounge.

It was Lucia.

The Resonant Barrier Lilith had set up couldn’t even last a second under that questioning tone.

“Crack…crack…”

A faint sound like shattering glass echoed in the air.

That invisible shield broke apart into a flurry of Light Points.

It’s over.

Only those two words remained in Lilia’s mind.

Caught red-handed learning magic in secret.

And by Lucia, that perverted Demon King, no less.

I’m dead.

This time, I’m really dead.

Even more terrifying was that rampaging Magic Energy.

The moment Lucia’s voice appeared, it suddenly became “obedient,” shrinking back into the Magic Power Node, motionless.

Even the energy inside her feared that woman!

Lilia’s whole body went cold, her limbs stiff.

She knelt on the carpet, unable to even muster the thought of running.

Lilith’s hand on Lilia’s shoulder also froze.

She slowly straightened, turning to face the lounge, and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty.”

No emotion could be heard in her voice, but the faint tension in her back betrayed her nerves.

Footsteps approached.

Lucia stepped out from the shadows of the lounge.

A loose black silk robe draped over her body.

Her long hair hung freely, and her bare feet made no sound as they touched the soft carpet.

Yet with every step she took, Lilia’s heart convulsed.

Lucia did not look at Lilia, who was kneeling on the floor.

Her blood-red pupils landed on Lilith.

“Lilith.”

Her voice was calm—so calm it was terrifying.

“Awake in the middle of the night, in my study, teaching my Pet… what interesting things?”

It’s here!

Lilia’s heart leapt into her throat.

Lucia hadn’t directly said the word “magic.”

She was probing!

She was waiting for them to slip up on their own!

What to do? What to do?

Lilia’s mind raced.

But it was blank. No ideas at all.

“Replying to Your Majesty.”

Lilith spoke, her voice steady as ever.

She took all the responsibility onto herself.

“It was my negligence.”

“Miss was too energetic tonight to sleep.”

“I was merely playing some… energy-consuming bedtime games with her.”

Games?

Lilia blinked, then quickly caught on.

Lilith-onee-sama was covering for her!

She immediately lifted her head, forcing a smile while cold sweat beaded on her face.

“Yes! Yes! Meow!”

She nodded frantically, her tail swinging nervously behind her.

“It was just a game! Meow! Lilith-onee-sama played with me! Meow! It was super fun! Meow!”

She spoke while scrambling up from the floor, using both hands and feet.

She ran to Lilith’s side, hugged her thigh, and tilted her face up, doing her best to look innocent.

Lucia watched their act without a word.

Her blood-red eyes revealed neither joy nor anger.

The air in the study was so heavy it felt like it could freeze.

Lilia clung to Lilith’s leg, her heartbeat thunderous.

Did this perverted Demon King believe them or not?

“Game?”

After a long silence, Lucia finally spoke.

She repeated the word, the corner of her mouth slowly rising.

“Very good.”

Lucia smiled.

“I also like games.”

She walked over to them, looking down from above.

“Since both my Head Maid and my little Pet enjoy playing games late at night…”

She paused, a playful light flashing in her blood-red eyes.

“Then let me join as well. Is that alright?”

Lilia and Lilith’s bodies froze at the same time.

No! Please, no!

Lilia screamed silently inside.

If this perverted Demon King joins the game, it can only mean disaster!

“As compensation for disturbing me late at night, and as punishment for my most loyal servant and most beloved Pet not sleeping…”

Lucia raised her hand, her slender fingers tracing a gentle arc through the air.

“Let’s play an even more interesting game.”

The moment she finished speaking, the entire study changed.

Bookshelves, tables, sofas—all vanished.

In their place appeared a vast, endless pure white space.

This is…

…Domain?!

Lilia’s eyes widened in terror.

She’d only read about it in books.

This was a power only a Fifth-Rank Monarch could possess!

No, that’s not right.

Lucia’s strength far surpassed that of a Monarch.

This wasn’t a Domain. It was a Temporary Space she’d created from her own will alone!

“The name of the game is ‘Grand Sweep.'”

Lucia’s voice echoed through the pure white space.

She snapped her fingers.

In the next instant, the ground beneath Lilia’s feet became sticky and slick.

She looked down, her pupils contracting sharply.

At some unknown point, the once pure white floor had become coated with a thick, black, foul-smelling viscous liquid.

It continued to bubble endlessly.

“This is the mucus of Abyssal Worms, accumulated over three hundred years.”

Lucia’s voice held a trace of amusement.

“A bit dirty, isn’t it?”

Lilia’s stomach turned. She nearly vomited.

Abyssal Worms?

Weren’t those the infamous, disgusting creatures rumored to dwell at the lowest depths of the Chaos Abyss?

How did this perverted Demon King get so much of their mucus?!

“The rules of the game are simple.”

Lucia’s voice continued.

“Before dawn, the two of you must clean this place until not a speck remains.”

She pointed to the endless floor coated with nauseating slime.

“With your… magic.”

Lilia was dumbfounded.

Clean with magic?

How?

Burn it all away with a Fireball Spell?

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot to mention.”

Lucia saw through her thoughts.

“This mucus is immune to heat and physical force.”

“The only way to clean it is with the purest Magic Energy, condensed into Light Points, and use high-frequency vibration to break it down.”

She raised her hand, a grain-sized Light Point appearing at her fingertip.

The Light Point landed on a patch of slime.

It sizzled, and that patch vanished, the ground returning to pure white.

Lilia’s mouth formed an “O.”

This was the exact Magic Energy manipulation Lilith had just taught her!

This perverted Demon King really does know everything!

She was playing with them from the start!

“At dawn, I’ll inspect.”

Lucia’s figure began to fade.

“If even the slightest stain remains…”

Her voice lingered in the air.

“The game will level up.”

With that, her presence vanished completely.

Leaving only Lilia and Lilith.

Standing in this endless, foul-smelling slime hell.

Lilia looked down at the sticky mess beneath her feet.

Then up at Lilith, whose expression was equally grave.

She burst into tears.

“Lilith-onee-sama! What do we do! Meow!”

This was worse than a spanking!

It was an impossible task!

“Miss, don’t cry.”

Lilith knelt down, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe Lilia’s face.

Her expression was calm.

“Since it’s Your Majesty’s command, we must complete it.”

She stood, surveying the endless space.

“Now, please begin condensing Magic Energy as I taught you.”

The Head Maid extended her hand, a Light Point forming in her palm, larger and brighter than Lucia’s.

“There’s not much time left.”