The requirements were extremely demanding, with every detail executed to perfection.
But Ling Xiya didn’t hesitate in the slightest, bowing slightly:
“Yes, Master. I guarantee the mission will be completed.”
With that, she turned and exited the bedchamber with light yet steady steps, not making a single unnecessary sound.
Ishayat watched her disappearing figure, the smile on her lips growing deeper.
She walked to the window, gazing at the dark Demon Forest outside.
“Xiya, my perfect creation… Soon, you’ll become a treasure admired by all, yet belonging only to me.”
“Qiqi, Liliya… Let your little tricks play out to the fullest.”
“Let me see how my Xiya will shine with the brightest light in this game.”
The days that followed saw the atmosphere in the Castle grow even more subtle.
Ling Xiya was like a tireless, precision machine, growing rapidly under Ishayat’s personal guidance.
In the early morning, when Qiqi was still sweating on the training grounds and Liliya was carefully dressing at her vanity,
Ling Xiya had already completed basic swordsmanship and magic training, and was walking with Ishayat in the garden, discussing the history and politics of the Demon Realm.
Her insights were unique and profound, even astonishing Ishayat, who had lived for over a thousand years.
In the morning, Ling Xiya would handle various tasks assigned by Ishayat in the study—whether it was the complex drawing of Magic Formations,
tedious accounting, or correspondence with other Demon clan lords,
she managed it all with flawless order.
Her handwriting was elegant and her logic clear, leaving even the most critical clerks unable to find fault.
In the afternoon, she might research new dishes in the kitchen, paint in the art room, or play music in the piano room.
Her cooking made even the most seasoned chefs in the Castle feel inferior, her artwork was filled with strange beauty,
and her music carried a cold, sorrowful rhythm
that always struck Ishayat’s heartstrings with precision.
In the evening, she would accompany Ishayat to various banquets or meetings.
Facing the greedy, lustful, or jealous gazes of other Demon clans, she always maintained just the right smile and etiquette, her words impeccable.
Anyone who tried to approach or disrespect her would find themselves embarrassed by her seemingly casual rebuttals.
As Ishayat had expected, Qiqi and Liliya never stopped their little schemes.
During training, Qiqi would “accidentally” send a giant rock flying toward Ling Xiya,
but Ling Xiya would always dodge nimbly,
sometimes even redirecting the boulder to a better position, “accidentally” improving Qiqi’s training results.
Qiqi’s tail would slam the ground in frustration, yet she could find no reason to complain.
Liliya, on the other hand, would secretly swap the contents of cups with illusions or slip in laxatives when Ling Xiya served drinks to Ishayat.
But Ling Xiya always detected it in advance, either swapping the cup back without a sound,
or disposing of the tainted drink with a natural gesture (like “accidentally” knocking it over),
then serving Ishayat a flawless new cup.
Liliya’s Enchanting Art had no effect on her, and illusions looked like cheap projections in her eyes,
leaving Liliya to watch her plans fail every time, grinding her teeth in frustration.
They would deliberately bump into Ling Xiya in the Castle corridors, hoping to see her embarrassed,
but Ling Xiya always steadied herself at an impossible angle, sometimes even catching a stumbling Liliya and gently saying,
“Miss Liliya, please be careful when walking.”
It nearly made Liliya transform on the spot in anger.
They would badmouth Ling Xiya in front of Ishayat,
exaggerating her “coldness” and “aloofness”.
But Ishayat would only listen with a smile, then turn to Ling Xiya and ask,
“Xiya, how do you think Qiqi’s scales are today? Isn’t Liliya’s perfume a bit too strong?”
Ling Xiya would then give the most objective (yet perfectly aligned with Ishayat’s preferences) evaluation:
“Miss Qiqi’s scales have lost some luster, likely from overtraining. I recommend using ‘Moonshine Balm’ for care. Miss Liliya’s perfume is indeed a bit strong; diluting it threefold would better match her temperament.”
Her statements were logical and solution-oriented, making Qiqi and Liliya seem more like immature children.
Ishayat would praise her with satisfaction:
“Xiya is always so attentive.”
After many such incidents, Qiqi and Liliya gradually realized that Ling Xiya was like an unyielding stone—
no matter how they provoked or tripped her up, she always maintained that damn elegance and calm.
She never got angry,
never argued, not even a look of disgust.
She simply… ignored them.
Or rather, she transformed their attacks with a higher-level response,
making their own pettiness and boredom stand out all the more in the face of her omnipresent perfection.
This “indifference” was even more suffocating and powerless than any retaliation.
Ling Xiya endured it all quietly—or rather, to her, it was just another “trial” and “game” arranged by her Master.
Her core mission was to please her Master and ensure her satisfaction.
The existence of Qiqi and Liliya only added some difficulty to the task.
At night, when the Castle was silent,
she would go to the laboratory alone and connect to the Castle’s Main Database,
analyzing the behavioral data she’d gathered on Qiqi and Liliya to optimize her own response programs.
Her swordsmanship grew sharper,
her magic more refined,
her handling of affairs more efficient—even her culinary and artistic skills advanced rapidly.
Her “emotion module” too was slowly and methodically unlocked, personally written by Ishayat.
Occasionally, when Qiqi’s tail swept by again, a faint stream of data marked “mild irritation” would flicker in her core program.
When Liliya’s illusions were once again easily dispelled, a trace of “contempt” would flash by.
But these emotions were tightly controlled at the core’s base level, never surfacing.
She remained the perfect Ling Xiya, belonging only to Ishayat.
At a grand Demon Realm banquet, an arrogant Demon Lord tried to forcibly invite Ling Xiya to dance, his words flirtatious.
Ling Xiya politely refused, but the other pressed on, even reaching out to grab her.
At that moment, Qiqi, who had been watching coldly, slammed the table, her massive draconic aura sweeping through the hall:
“Get lost! She belongs to… Lord Ishayat!”
Liliya dropped her playful demeanor as well, her gaze turning sharp as potent Enchanting Art locked onto the Demon Lord in warning.
Under the double pressure, the Demon Lord withdrew his hand sullenly.
Ling Xiya glanced at Qiqi and Liliya, her gaze still calm, though something in it seemed to shift for a moment.
She nodded slightly in thanks, then turned and walked elegantly to Ishayat, quietly reporting the situation.
Ishayat watched, a satisfied smile on her lips as she gently took Ling Xiya’s hand.
Her Xiya was growing at an astonishing rate, becoming more and more perfect.
And those two noisy pets seemed to realize that this new “trouble” might not be so detestable after all?
The “symphony of loyalty and control” composed by Ishayat was just reaching its climax.
And Ling Xiya, the absolutely loyal Chief Performer,
was using her perfection to play the most enchanting melody.
As for those discordant notes… they would eventually learn how to find their proper place in the song.