Lilia’s cat ears twitched and stood straight up.
She snapped her head up, her gold and blue heterochromatic eyes filled with wariness.
“Cut it out! I won’t fall for that, meow!”
Newly learned space magic? Escaping from her? Those words put together didn’t sound right at all!
Lucia didn’t answer.
She stood up, pulling Lilia into her arms, and walked toward the carpet in the center of the study.
Only then did Lilia realize—she was still naked.
A rush of shame flooded her mind, her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg.
“Let go! I can walk by myself, meow!” She struggled within those arms, twisting and turning.
“Don’t move.”
Lucia’s voice was soft, yet it made her freeze.
That hand traced across her back, the cold touch sending a shiver through her.
“The game hasn’t even started, and you’re already being so disobedient?”
Lilia bit her lip, not daring to move again.
In the center of the study, Lilith was already waiting.
She stood perfectly straight, holding a neatly folded Black Gothic Dress in her hands.
Lucia sat down on the carpet and crossed her legs, situating Lilia to sit face-to-face on her lap.
“Let’s begin.” There was amusement in Lucia’s voice.
“A Second-Order Apostle’s space magic—let me see how much you’ve learned.”
Lilia’s mind raced.
Run! Run now! Forget about the position—life was more important than pride! She closed her eyes, desperately trying to recall the feeling when she absorbed the dragon scale earlier.
The world changed.
It was no longer a simple matter of front, back, left, or right.
Instead, it was an infinite number of invisible “points” and “lines” that formed a dense, intricate web.
All she had to do was find another “point” and “cast” herself over there… Yes! Just like that!
Lilia mobilized the mana network that had just finished restructuring inside her body.
She drew out a thread of spatial power and aimed for the spot at Lilith’s feet, three meters away.
Go!
“Vrrr—”
The air vibrated.
Lilia snapped her eyes open, ready to welcome her freedom—but then she froze.
She was still on Lucia’s lap.
Her posture hadn’t changed at all.
The only difference was Lilith, who had been standing three meters away, was now right in front of her.
She was so close she could see the patterns in the other’s purple eyes.
And the Black Gothic Dress in Lilith’s hands was gone.
“Meow?”
Lilia was dumbfounded.
What was going on?
She was clearly trying to teleport herself.
How did she pull Lilith over instead?
“Your control is too poor.”
Lucia gave a low chuckle.
“You wanted to move yourself, but instead, you moved the nearest living being with a Spatial Coordinate.”
Her finger tapped Lilia’s shoulder.
“Furthermore, you left out the non-living object in her hands.”
Lilia looked where she pointed.
The Black Gothic Dress was still floating three meters away, hanging in mid-air right where Lilith had just been standing.
Lilia’s face turned beet red.
How humiliating! Too embarrassing! Right in front of this pervert and her head maid, she had performed a failed magic trick!
“Interesting.”
Lucia pulled her closer, resting her chin on top of her head.
“It seems my little pet has her own unique understanding of spatial positioning.”
“I don’t! It was an accident, meow!” Lilia buried her face in Lucia’s chest, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
The embrace was warm and carried a cool, refreshing fragrance.
It made her instinctively want to draw closer, but her reason desperately pulled her back.
“Again.”
Lucia completely ignored her excuses.
“I’m not playing anymore, meow!” Lilia’s voice sounded muffled.
“That’s not for you to decide.”
Lucia pinched her cat ears.
“The game won’t end until you successfully escape from me.”
Lilia shuddered.
She looked up, meeting those blood-red eyes.
They were filled with the look of a hunter staring at its prey.
She knew there was no easy way out today.
She grit her teeth.
Fine, again then! This time she’d be smarter.
She wouldn’t teleport herself; she’d teleport—the clothes! As long as she put her clothes on first, she could at least save some face!
Lilia focused her mind once more.
Her target was locked onto the Black Gothic Dress floating three meters away.
She carefully enveloped the fabric with her magic.
Then, she activated Spatial Displacement!
“Vrrr—”
Another soft sound.
It worked! Lilia felt a weight on her body as the sensation of fabric touched her skin.
She looked down and saw the black dress, adorned with lace and bows, fitting her perfectly.
She was ecstatic! Even though she hadn’t escaped, at least she was dressed! She looked up smugly, wanting to show off her learning ability to Lucia.
Then, she met Lucia’s smiling eyes.
“My little pet, did you forget something?”
Forget something? Lilia blinked, sensing something was off.
She turned her head to look at Lilith.
The head maid was still standing expressionless, but a hint of… a crack flickered in those purple eyes.
Lilia looked down.
Her breath hitched.
The iconic black maid uniform on Lilith was gone.
In its place was… Lilia’s own cotton nightgown.
It was the one she had worn last night, printed with a silly cartoon cat.
As for the Black Gothic Dress on her own body…
Lilia’s mind went blank with a loud buzzing sound.
Had she just… performed a three-way Spatial Displacement with her nightgown, the Black Gothic Dress, and Lilith’s maid uniform?
“Pfft.”
Lucia finally couldn’t hold it back and let out a soft laugh.
She held the petrified Lilia, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
“It seems letting you figure it out on your own won’t work.”
Lucia stopped laughing and reached out to pat Lilia’s head.
“As your master, I have an obligation… to teach you personally.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the figure holding Lilia disappeared from the spot.
The next second, they appeared atop the dome of the study, with thousands of stars beneath their feet.
A second later, they appeared before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out at the endless darkness of the Evernight Palace.
Afterimages of their teleportation were left in every corner of the study.
Yet no matter how they moved, Lilia was constantly confined in her arms, her posture never once changing.
“Can you feel it?”
Lucia spoke into her ear, the warm breath making her ears itch.
“This is space, my little pet. As long as I wish, the entire world is a cage to imprison you.”
The teleportation stopped.
They returned to the center of the carpet.
Lilia was completely dazed, sprawling on Lucia’s lap with blank eyes.
How was she supposed to play this? They weren’t even in the same dimension!
“It seems the theory lesson is over.”
Lucia lifted her face.
Seeing her soul-crushed expression, she laughed even more happily.
“Next, it’s time for the practical lesson.”