Her consciousness struggled out of the grogginess.
Her body felt heavy, and a dull ache pulsed through her bones.
Lilia moved her fingers, and then the memories came flooding back.
The sensation of losing control before she passed out exploded in her mind.
Shame swallowed her instantly.
‘She… had been made to faint… by a single finger?’
Lilia opened her eyes to the familiar ceiling.
She was lying in bed, covered by a silk duvet.
Her body had been cleaned, and she had been changed into a clean nightgown.
This considerate treatment only intensified her sense of humiliation.
‘What else did that pervert do after I passed out?’
Lilia bit her lip hard.
She buried her face in the covers, wishing she could just suffocate herself.
‘This is too embarrassing. I’ve never been this humiliated in my life.’
“Get up.”
A voice rang out in the room.
It wasn’t loud, but it pierced through her ears.
Lilia’s body froze.
She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and played dead.
“Can’t you hear me?”
The other person’s tone was impatient.
“…I hear you, meow.”
Lilia’s voice came muffled from under the covers, raspy and aggrieved.
“Then why aren’t you getting up?”
Lilia slowly peeled back the covers.
She poked out only half her head, warily watching the person in the room.
Lucia stood by the window, her silhouette outlined by the moonlight.
“What… what else do you want to do, meow?”
Her voice trembled, fearing that this lunatic had come up with some new trick.
Lucia didn’t answer, uttering only two words.
“Eat.”
“What, meow?”
Lilia froze, thinking she had misheard.
Lucia walked to the door and pulled it open.
Outside, Lilith was waiting quietly with a food cart.
On the trays were glistening roasted bird legs, steaks drizzled in sauce, and a thick soup wafting a sweet aroma.
The scent of food drifted into Lilia’s nose.
Grumble—
Her stomach let out a growl.
The sound was very clear in the quiet room.
Lilia’s face flushed crimson instantly, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
She only then realized that she hadn’t eaten anything.
“Your Majesty, dinner is served.”
Lilith bowed, without looking at Lilia on the bed.
She set down the food cart, withdrew, and closed the door.
“Come here.”
Lucia sat at the dining table with perfect posture.
Lilia didn’t want to submit; she didn’t want to eat anything that pervert gave her.
But her stomach was protesting.
Ultimately, hunger overruled her dignity.
She slowly crawled out of bed.
Stepping barefoot onto the carpet, she shuffled toward the table one step at a time.
She reached out to grab a fork from the table.
Slap.
A hand pressed down on the back of hers.
The force wasn’t great, but it rendered her unable to move.
Lilia’s hand stiffened, and she looked up at Lucia.
“Who told you that you could feed yourself?”
“Then… then how am I supposed to eat, meow?”
Panic tinged Lilia’s voice.
Lucia said nothing.
She released her grip, picked up a fork herself, and speared a small piece of roast meat dripping with gravy.
Then, she raised the fork and brought it to Lilia’s lips.
Lilia’s mind went blank.
‘What… what does she mean by this?’
“Are… are you going to feed me, meow?”
“Is there a problem?”
Lucia’s tone was flat.
“I’m not a three-year-old child! I’m not a cripple, meow!”
Lilia trembled with rage, her cheeks flushed.
‘Is this pervert insane?! After torturing me, now she’s putting on an act to feed me? What kind of new humiliation is this?’
“Open your mouth.”
Lucia ignored her protests.
“I won’t, meow!”
Lilia jerked her head to the side, dodging the piece of meat.
“I have hands! I can eat by myself, meow!”
“Is that so?”
Lucia looked at her and let go of the fork.
“Then show me.”
Lilia was stunned for a moment, then immediately reached for the fork on the plate.
However — the moment her hand touched the fork, her strength suddenly vanished.
She actually couldn’t lift that tiny silver fork.
She used all her strength, her fingers gripping the handle tightly.
The veins on the back of her hand bulged, yet the fork didn’t budge.
“How… what’s happening…”
The color drained from Lilia’s face.
“What did you do to me again, meow?!”
She tried desperately to lift her hand, but her arm felt too heavy to raise, completely refusing to obey her.
“It’s nothing,” Lucia said, her tone remaining level.
“I’ve merely made your body temporarily stop following your orders.”
‘That trick again! This woman always manages to do the cruelest things with the calmest expression!’
Despair and helplessness washed over Lilia.
“So…”
Lucia picked up the fork again, speared the meat, and brought it back to her lips.
“Open your mouth.”
Lilia gritted her teeth, her lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to open up.
‘I don’t believe it. If I don’t eat, what can this pervert possibly do to me!’
Lucia was in no hurry.
She just held the fork and watched her.
Time ticked by, the quiet room filled only by Lilia’s heavy breathing.
Just as Lilia thought the stalemate would continue
— Lucia set down the fork.
She reached out, her fingertip lightly brushing the Black Collar around Lilia’s neck.
Click.
A soft sound.
Lilia’s whole body shuddered.
A faint electric current surged through her, reminding her of the terror of being shocked.
“Do you want to experience that again?”
Lilia’s defenses crumbled.
She was afraid.
She was truly terrified.
She didn’t want to be shocked again; she didn’t want to experience that pain.
Lucia picked up the fork again and brought the meat to her lips.
Lilia closed her eyes in humiliation as tears slid down her face.
Stiffly, she began to open her mouth bit by bit.
However, the moment the meat was about to be put inside, she regretted it!
She snapped her mouth shut, her teeth making a clack sound, nearly biting the silver fork.
“I… I would rather die than eat anything you feed me, meow!”
She opened her eyes, her expression frantic.
Lucia watched her continued struggle and smiled.
“Very well.”
She set down the fork and reached out.
Two fingers pinched Lilia’s cheeks.
“You… mph!”