“The Demon Lord has agreed to let you stay.”
Ling Xiya almost thought she was hallucinating.
Afterward, Ling Xiya was permitted to return to her servant’s quarters.
The room remained the same, but in her eyes at this moment, it was more precious than any magnificent palace.
She was so excited that she couldn’t sleep all night, her mind repeatedly replaying the image of Isayat.
She told herself that she had to be even more obedient, even more submissive.
She could never provoke the Lord’s anger again; she could never lose this gift again.
However, the days that followed became the most agonizing time for Ling Xiya.
Isayat seemed to have completely forgotten her existence.
There were no summons, no orders, and certainly none of the “blessings” she yearned for day and night—that strange infusion of magic brought by the Demon Lord’s power, which allowed her to briefly forget her pain and feel a moment of “warmth” and “belonging.”
Initially, Ling Xiya comforted herself, thinking the Lord was simply still angry.
As long as she waited patiently and showed enough remorse, the Lord would surely forgive her.
Every day, she rose before dawn to clean the area around the Demon King’s Castle until it was spotless, polishing every item the Lord might use until it shone.
Then, she would stand motionless outside the bedchamber doors, hoping the heavy gates would open for her.
But the only responses she received were the tightly closed doors and the increasingly mocking, contemptuous gazes cast her way.
“Oh, isn’t this that maid who made the King unhappy? Why are you still loitering here? Waiting for an audience with the King?” A demon guard holding a giant axe sneered, intentionally bumping into Ling Xiya and making her stumble, nearly falling.
“Save your breath. I heard the King already has a new favorite. A beauty named Eve. She’s much prettier than her, and far more submissive.”
Another demon soldier with a sharp, monkey-like face added in a strange, mocking tone, “I heard that Lady Eve possesses a face identical to hers, but she is absolutely perfect. Unlike some people, who only have the face but are still so stubborn to the core.”
“Isn’t that the truth? The King only has eyes for Lady Eve now. Why would he have time to bother with a disobedient old toy?”
“Tsk tsk, how pathetic. Falling from the clouds into the mud, and now even the mud is about to reject her.”
The foul words were like poisoned needles, stabbing into Ling Xiya’s heart one by one.
She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, bringing a sharp sensation of pain.
She wanted to argue, she wanted to roar, she wanted to curse them like she used to and tell her Master about every single demon who dared to mock her.
But she couldn’t.
She was merely a lowly servant, a pet surviving on her Master’s whims.
She had no right to resist, let alone the ability.
She could only bite her lip hard, swallowing all the humiliation and anger.
Forcing a smile on her face that looked worse than crying, she continued to bow her head and wipe the cold floor.
But the panic in her heart grew wildly like weeds.
“Eve… that existence more beautiful than her… perfect… the King doesn’t want you anymore…”
These words circled in her head like a curse.
She wasn’t afraid of hardship, exhaustion, or being beaten; what she feared most was being completely forgotten and abandoned by Isayat.
That morbid dependency had gradually seeped into her very marrow.
Isayat was her sky, her earth, the sole meaning of her existence.
If she even lost the qualification of “being needed,” what was the point of living?
No! Absolutely not! She had to know who this Eve really was! She had to confirm if the Lord truly didn’t want her anymore!
The poisonous vines of jealousy quietly climbed into her heart, entangling her rationality.
She began to uncontrollably imagine Eve’s appearance.
She imagined how Eve would snuggle in the Lord’s arms, and how she would receive the blessings and favor that should have belonged to her.
Every time she imagined it, it felt like a dull knife cutting her nerves.
Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, during the interval of the guard shift change, Ling Xiya could no longer suppress her inner impulse and fear.
Like a startled rabbit, she silently slipped toward a secluded garden on the side of Isayat’s bedchamber.
She had heard that Eve occasionally took walks there in the evening.
Hiding behind a thick cluster of Shadow Flowers, Ling Xiya’s heart pounded so hard it almost burst from her chest.
She held her breath and carefully poked her head out.
Under the moonlight not far away, a figure stood quietly.
In that instant, Ling Xiya felt her blood nearly freeze.
That face… that face was even more perfect than her own! The eyes were different, the contours were different, even the tiny mole at the corner of the mouth was very different.
And yet, something was the same…
The Eve before her had skin that glowed with a nearly transparent luster under the moonlight.
Her features seemed to have been meticulously carved by the greatest artist; every detail was exquisite to the extreme, even more flawless than her own original appearance.
She wore a pure white gown, the hem fluttering gently with the breeze like an angel untouched by dust.
However, what made Ling Xiya’s heart sink the most were her eyes.
Those eyes were as hollow as the most exquisite glass doll.
There were no emotional fluctuations, no focus, as if she were a beautiful shell that was completely empty inside.
Just then, Eve seemed to sense something.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze moving toward the direction where Ling Xiya was hiding.
Ling Xiya immediately pulled her head back in terror, her heart nearly jumping out.
After a moment, she heard a voice as soft as a feather brushing against water, ethereal and without any inflection:
“Who are you? Why are you hiding there?”
Ling Xiya covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound.
Eve didn’t ask again; she simply stood there quietly as if the question just now had been nothing more than an unconscious murmur.
Ling Xiya summoned her courage again and took a peek.
Eve had already turned back to look at the moon, her expression still filled with that hollow calmness.
So beautiful… An unspeakable jealousy surged in Ling Xiya’s heart.
More beautiful than her, more “perfect” than her… No wonder the Lord likes her…
Just then, a few demon maids responsible for the garden’s upkeep walked over.
Seeing Eve, they immediately bowed respectfully: “Lady Eve.”
Eve nodded slightly, still showing no extra expression.
One maid said with a flattering smile: “Lady Eve, you look truly beautiful today. The King truly dotes on you, even transplanting this Moonlight Grass from the Dark Forest here for you.”
Eve didn’t answer.
She only reached out with her fair, slender fingers and gently touched the leaves of the Moonlight Grass that emitted a soft glow.
Another maid, with a hint of subtle sycophancy, glanced toward the direction where Ling Xiya was hiding.
Perhaps she had discovered her long ago but intentionally didn’t say so, speaking to Eve in a mocking tone:
“Lady Eve, please don’t be disturbed by certain unsavory people. Some people just won’t accept it. They’ve clearly fallen from favor, yet they still think about peeping. It’s truly a toad lusting after a swan’s meat; they should look at what kind of state they’re in now.”
These words were undoubtedly meant for Ling Xiya’s ears.
Eve remained silent, but Ling Xiya felt a cold rage rush from her heart to the top of her head.
She looked at Eve, who was even more perfect than her.
Even though Eve was still hollow, that posture of being pampered and held in high regard was like a needle, fiercely stabbing her self-esteem—that last bit of self-esteem that she herself had nearly forgotten.
Why?! Why could this fake receive the Lord’s favor? Why could she replace her?! What kind of thing was she!
Ling Xiya’s gaze changed.
It was no longer filled with simple fear, humility, and jealousy.
Instead, it was mixed with a darker, more dangerous emotion.
Eve must disappear! Only if she disappears will the Lord see her again, and only then will the Lord need her again!
For the Lord… no, in order to continue staying by the Lord’s side, she had to eliminate this obstacle!
After being repeatedly refined by despair, dependency, humiliation, and jealousy, the seed in her heart named “murderous intent” finally broke through the soil at this moment, taking root and sprouting wildly.
Her gaze became cold and resolute, staring fixedly at the perfect silhouette under the moonlight, the corner of her mouth curling into a twisted, vicious arc.
Isayat, who was observing all of this from the shadows, saw every change in Ling Xiya’s expression through a magic crystal.
The smile on her face grew colder and more satisfied.
“Very good, Ling Xiya, very good… Are you jealous? Are you angry? Do you want to kill her? Then go… Let me see just how insane you can become just to stay by my side…”
She gently stroked the cold surface of the crystal ball as if she were stroking a beloved toy.
“Your blessing will be coming soon… in the way you least expect.”