Chapter 73: You bastard, I’ll take you down sooner or later!

Lilia lay prone on the sofa.

Her face was buried in a cushion.

Her heart was pounding wildly.

Lucia’s hand hovered just above her backside.

It was coming.

That shameful punishment was about to begin.

“Wait!”

Lilia whipped her head around.

“This time doesn’t count! You cheated, meow!”

“Cheated?”

Lucia let out a soft chuckle.

“I merely used certain means within the rules.”

“That is called ‘reasonable utilization.’”

“You’re just twisting words, meow!”

Lilia was so angry that her tail lashed about wildly.

“It seems you need some help understanding the rules.”

Lucia’s hand descended.

*Smack!*

The crisp sound erupted in the study.

It wasn’t heavy, but it possessed immense penetrating power.

A burning sensation spread through her entire body from that patch of soft flesh.

“Meow!”

Lilia’s body jerked violently, and tears nearly burst from her eyes.

Shame.

It was too shameful.

Even more shameful than the last time in the study.

Last time, it was at least “for the sake of leveling up.”

This time, she was purely being toyed with like a plaything.

“Do you understand now?”

Lucia’s voice drifted down from above.

“I don’t understand! You’re just a pervert! You jerk, meow!”

Lilia abandoned all restraint and started cursing.

Since she was going to get beaten regardless, she might as well have the satisfaction of speaking her mind.

*Smack!*

Another one landed, heavier than before.

“It seems you still don’t understand.”

Lucia’s tone remained indifferent.

“I’ll kill you! Sooner or later, I’m going to dominate you, meow!”

*Smack! Smack!*

Two consecutive strikes made Lilia’s vision go dark.

Pain.

A burning pain.

But even stronger was that bone-deep sense of shame.

Lilith stood nearby, watching quietly.

Though Lilith said nothing, Lilia could imagine the slight hint of… pity that might be on that ice-cold face.

No.

She didn’t need pity.

“If you have the guts, then just beat me to death, meow!”

Lilia shrieked with all her strength.

However—

The expected next slap did not fall.

Lucia stopped.

She simply looked down silently at the little creature beneath her who was struggling desperately and being so stubborn.

A hint of amusement flashed in her blood-red pupils.

This was exactly how it should be.

She wanted this stance of preferring death over surrender.

If the girl were truly tamed so easily, then this game would be far too boring.

“Fine.”

Lucia suddenly spoke.

“Since you have such backbone, let’s change the way we play.”

She scooped Lilia up from the sofa.

She pulled her back into her arms, letting her lie across her lap.

This posture made Lilia feel even more ashamed.

Her backside was sticking up uncontrollably.

“What… what do you want to do now, meow?”

There was a hint of a sob in Lilia’s voice, and her body wouldn’t stop trembling.

“Didn’t you want to kill me?”

Lucia’s finger tapped lightly against the center of Lilia’s back.

That was the spot where the Void Dragon’s reverse scale had been integrated.

“I will give you a chance now.”

A stream of pure spatial mana was injected into Lilia’s body from Lucia’s fingertip.

Lilia froze.

Those mana networks that had just finished restructuring and were still somewhat stiff began to operate at high speed under the guidance of this external force.

“Attack me with your spatial magic.”

Lucia lowered her voice.

“As long as you can leave a single mark on me, even if you just tear my clothes, you win.”

She paused.

“Everything from today will be written off.”

Lilia’s breath hitched for a beat.

Attack her?

She could actually attack her?

Was this another trap?

“What? Too scared?”

Lucia’s palm gently kneaded Lilia’s already reddened and swollen backside.

A warm sensation traveled through her, making Lilia’s body stiffen.

The kneading force was very gentle.

Instead of causing pain, it actually relieved a bit of the burning sensation.

But this intimate gesture was even more shameful to her than being hit directly.

“Who’s afraid, meow!”

Lilia was provoked.

She snapped her head up, an unyielding fire burning in her heterochromatic gold and blue eyes.

If she wanted an attack, she’d get an attack.

At worst, the result would just be another beating.

She was going all out.

Lilia concentrated her mind, mobilizing all the spatial power within her body.

She didn’t dare mess around with fancy teleports anymore.

She was going to use the most direct, most brutal method.

Space Blade.

She compressed and condensed all of her spatial power.

At her fingertip, she formed a nearly invisible, constantly vibrating blade.

Though it was small, the tearing force contained within was enough to slice through steel.

At least—that was what she believed.

“I’m coming, meow!”

Lilia shouted to bolster her courage.

Then, she grabbed that Space Blade and slashed it fiercely toward the arm Lucia was using to hold her.

It was happening.

Lilia’s heart climbed into her throat.

She could already imagine the image of Lucia’s elegant black imperial dress being torn open to reveal a bloody gash.

However—

*Ding.*

A soft sound rang out.

It was like a fingernail hitting glass.

Lilia’s Space Blade slammed into an invisible, indestructible wall.

All of the force was reflected back.

“Puh!”

Lilia coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body going limp.

Mana Backlash.

The mana network within her body exploded in an instant.

Countless cracks spread through her meridians.

A tearing, agonizing pain radiated from every part of her body.

She slumped across Lucia’s lap, unable to even move a finger.

“Control, density, understanding of the laws… all of it is failing.”

Lucia’s emotionless evaluation sounded from above her head.

“You couldn’t even break through the surface layer of my Absolute Defense.”

She paused.

“You truly disappoint me.”

Lilia lay on Lucia’s lap.

Her consciousness began to blur.

Her final struggle—a strike she thought was earth-shattering—wasn’t even worthy of being called an itch to this pervert.

Despair.

An unprecedented despair enveloped her.

She had lost.

She had lost completely.

The double exhaustion of spirit and body left her without the strength to even move a finger.

Tears fell from the corners of her eyes, wetting the hem of Lucia’s skirt.

She was tired.

Truly tired.

She didn’t want to resist anymore.

So be it.

Let everything be destroyed.

Just as Lilia’s consciousness was about to sink into darkness, a warm embrace gently lifted her.

Lucia picked her up from her lap.

She held her against her chest, adjusting her into a more comfortable position.

That cold fragrance surrounded her once again.

Subconsciously, Lilia shrunk toward that source of warmth.

Her body made the choice before her will could.

Lucia looked at the little thing in her arms, whose face was covered in tear stains yet was actively burrowing into her embrace.

Deep within her blood-red pupils, a flash of softness appeared that even Lilith couldn’t decipher.

“It seems my little pet is tired.”

Her voice was very soft.

She raised her hand, using the pad of her finger to gently wipe the tears from Lilia’s face.

“Lilith.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Bring the ‘reward’ over.”

Reward?

Lilia opened her eyes groarily.

Lilith walked over carrying a tray.

On the tray sat a neatly folded set of clothes.

It wasn’t the complicated Gothic dress she was used to seeing.

Instead, it was a very simple, very soft-looking White Long Dress.

There were no unnecessary lace or ribbons on it.

Only a few pale gold patterns.

This…

Was this for her?

Lilia could hardly believe it.

This pervert had actually prepared such a normal outfit for her?

“Put it on.”

Lucia spoke.

Lilith stepped forward.

She picked up the White Long Dress and unfolded it in front of Lilia.

A faint but pure ripple of mana emanated from the dress.

Lilia’s cat ears twitched.

This clothing was magical.