Lilia slumped to the floor.
A chill ran through her entire body.
She had lost.
Her previous pride in cracking the Magic Circle now felt laughably stupid in hindsight.
“It seems my little pet is looking forward to her upcoming ‘reward’.”
Lucia’s voice was laced with a hint of amusement.
Lilia’s body, however, was frozen by that very same amusement.
‘Looking forward to it? Looking forward to it, my foot!’
Vivid images flashed through her mind.
She saw herself bound to a massive bed by black chains.
Her body would become a mere conduit as the immense mana of the Evernight Palace poured into her veins and meridians.
She would become a living Mana Container.
She would be conscious, yet unable to move a single muscle.
Fear seeped out from the marrow of her bones, and she couldn’t stop herself from shaking.
“No… please… meow…”
Her throat was dry, her voice cracked, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“I was wrong… Master… I’ll never do it again… meow…”
“Begging for mercy now?”
Lucia looked down at her, her face devoid of any expression.
She walked to the bedside and opened a drawer, pulling out several chains that shimmered with a dark light.
Magic-Suppressing Locks.
They were torture devices specifically designed to restrain high-ranking demons.
Once locked, one couldn’t even move a finger.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Lucia held the chains, walking back step by step.
“The process is quick. Once you adapt to the flow of energy, you’ll find it… very comfortable.”
Lilia’s brain stopped functioning.
She scrambled backward on all fours.
Her back hit the cold wall, leaving her with nowhere left to retreat.
Lucia raised her hand, and the chains clattered.
Knock, knock.
The door to the bedchamber was struck.
“Your Majesty.”
It was Lilith’s voice.
Although steady, her speaking pace was slightly faster than usual.
“Ignis, the Flame Demon Lord of the Black Iron Mountains, requests an urgent audience. It concerns the stability of the Empire’s Core Energy Hub.”
Lucia’s movements halted.
She was clearly displeased at being interrupted.
The Black Iron Mountains?
The Core Energy Hub?
Did she really need to handle such trivial matters personally?
But Ignis was a Rank 5 Monarch.
That fellow had nothing but magma and forge hammers in his head, and his temper was as explosive as a volcano.
If the sky wasn’t falling, he would never dare to disturb her at a time like this.
Lucia glanced at the little thing trembling in the corner.
Then, she looked at the Magic-Suppressing Locks in her hand.
The bedchamber became deathly silent.
Finally, she tossed the chains onto the carpet.
“Consider yourself lucky.”
She dropped those words to Lilia before turning toward the door.
The obsidian doors opened and then swung shut.
“The game is paused. Wait for me to return, and then we will continue.”
That final sentence crushed the tiny spark of hope that had just risen within Lilia.
She was left alone in the vast, empty bedchamber.
Leaning against the wall, she gasped for air, her heart still pounding wildly.
‘I’m saved… I’m actually saved!’
She wanted to laugh from the sheer relief, but the moment she remembered Lucia’s promise to “continue,” her heart hung in her throat once more.
That pervert wasn’t going to let her go.
‘I can’t just sit here and wait for death!’
Lilia struggled to her feet, her mind racing.
She had to escape before Lucia came back!
‘But how? The entire bedchamber is sealed by Laws. How can a Rank 3 like me possibly get out?’
Just as she was about to pull her hair out in frustration, the bedchamber door slid open silently.
Lilia flinched, her fur standing on end as she assumed Lucia had returned.
However, it was Lilith who walked in.
The Head Maid carried a silver tray with a warm towel and a cup of potion on it.
She walked up to Lilia, placed the tray on a small side table, and then knelt down.
Lilia watched her with a confused expression.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Lilith’s voice was very soft.
Lilia looked at the Head Maid, who was usually as precise as a machine.
For a moment, she didn’t know how to react.
It was her.
It was this woman who had pulled her back from the gates of hell with that “urgent military report.”
Though she might have just been afraid of the Demon Lord’s “pet” breaking, she had indeed saved Lilia’s life.
“I… I’m fine, meow…”
Lilia shook her head, her voice raspy.
Lilith picked up the warm towel and gently wiped away the cold sweat and tear stains from Lilia’s face.
Her movements were slow, unlike her usual crisp and efficient manner.
Lilia’s body remained stiff as she caught a whiff of a fresh fragrance.
“Sister Lilith…”
Lilia spoke in a low voice.
“About just now… thank you, meow…”
Lilith’s hand paused.
She then put the towel down, and her voice returned to its flat, professional tone.
“Protecting you is my duty.”
Having said that, Lilith lowered her gaze, avoiding eye contact.
“Miss.”
Lilith lowered her voice further and leaned in closer.
“Do you wish to… rid yourself of this current situation?”
Lilia’s heart skipped a beat.
She lifted her head and stared intently at Lilith’s expressionless face, trying to see through her.
What did this mean?
“Do you wish to… obtain a true victory?” Lilith looked up, meeting her gaze.
“A victory that would cause even Her Majesty to feel ‘troubled’.”
Lilia’s breath hitched.
Her head buzzed as her thoughts became a jumble.
‘Helping me? The Head Maid of the Evernight Palace? The Demon Lord’s most loyal subordinate wants to team up with a prisoner?’
‘No! This is definitely another trap! It’s some new game that pervert dreamed up!’
“Why? Meow?”
Lilia shrank back, her entire body on high alert.
“Why would you help me? Aren’t you her most loyal dog? Meow?”
She intentionally used the harshest words possible to see the other woman’s reaction.
Lilith’s expression didn’t change in the slightest; the insult hadn’t affected her at all.
She remained silent for a moment.
She wasn’t helping this little creature; she was “maintaining order.”
Her Majesty’s whims had begun to interfere with the normal operation of the Empire.
A Rank 5 Monarch, a Flame Demon Lord, had been sent to find ingredients for this little thing.
Now, for the sake of a game, Her Majesty was even treating an alarm from the Core Energy Hub with impatience.
Her Majesty’s “humanity” was awakening, but her order as a “God” was wavering.
This pet had to become an opponent who could make Her Majesty “serious,” rather than just a toy.
“I am not helping you, Miss,” Lilith said, her voice devoid of any ups or downs.
“I am fulfilling my duty—ensuring that Her Majesty’s environment remains in its ‘optimal’ state.”
Her words were formal and lacked emotion.
“Her Majesty has been trapped in silence for too long. Your appearance is a ‘variable.’ In a game where one side always loses, Her Majesty will soon grow bored. A completely controllable plaything results only in ‘tedium’ in the end.”
Lilia was dazed by the explanation, but she understood the gist of it.
To put it simply, she was just too weak.
She wasn’t qualified to be Lucia’s opponent.
“Why should I believe you? Meow? This must be a new act that pervert told you to put on!”
“Because of this.”
Lilith stopped explaining and took a Silver Crystal, the size of a fingernail, from her pocket.
She held it out to Lilia.
“Inside are the structural maps for Levels 0 to 3 of the Evernight Palace’s underground vault, the decryption methods for the defensive Magic Circles, and spare keys. The patrol routes of the Patrolling Golems are also included.”
Lilia’s breath caught.
‘The Evernight Palace’s vault?!’
That place was filled with the treasures Lucia had plundered over hundreds of years! Lilith… was giving her something like that? This wasn’t a test; this was blatant betrayal!
“Her Majesty is dealing with the matter in the Black Iron Mountains. The earliest she can return is tomorrow at noon.”
Lilith’s tone remained ripple-less as she pressed the crystal into Lilia’s cold hand.
“You have more than ten hours to do what you wish.”
She leaned in toward Lilia’s ear, her voice dropping to an extreme whisper as she emphasized every word.
“Use the ‘private seal’ Her Majesty gave you and go to the third level of the vault. Take the ‘Relics of the Old Era’ that she treasures most. Give Her Majesty a real ‘surprise’.”