While Lin Ling was talking in the pure white space, Ivelia, lying beside her, seemed to feel the girl in her arms trembling.
Ivelia had already fallen asleep, lulled by the faint fragrance emanating from the girl in her embrace.
Sensing that something was wrong with Lin Ling, she woke up instantly.
However, upon waking, Ivelia found herself facing a situation that even the Demon King had no idea how to handle.
Lin Ling's eyes remained closed, her brow slightly furrowed.
Her body trembled slightly.
It was as if she were having a bad dream.
Ivelia looked at her, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Should I wake her? Or should I keep holding her?
If I wake her, will it make her feel worse?
The Demon King was facing an unprecedentedly thorny dilemma.
What was she supposed to do when the little white dumpling in her arms was frightened in her sleep?
Ivelia: “...”
Truly, no one had ever taught her how to handle such a situation.
While Ivelia was still hesitating, Lin Ling snuggled deeper into her embrace, as if unconsciously searching for something.
The movement was very gentle, like a small animal seeking a safe haven.
Ivelia stiffened slightly.
Gazing down at Lin Ling pressed tightly against her, her eyes softened.
Does this mean I am also a safe harbor in Lin Ling's heart?
Surely her sense of security in her sleep couldn't be coming from that blanket.
At that thought, Ivelia looked down at the pink blanket on the bed.
For some reason,
the pink blanket, which had previously seemed perfectly fine, suddenly felt like an eyesore.
Ivelia remained silent for a moment.
Then, with extreme care, she reached out and nudged the pink blanket a bit to the side.
Feeling the warmth on her body recede, Lin Ling stirred slightly in her sleep.
Almost the instant Ivelia moved the blanket, Lin Ling instinctively clung to the nearest source of warmth.
Which happened to be Ivelia.
Ivelia: “...”
Watching Lin Ling instinctively seek out warmth the moment the blanket was gone, she felt as if a door to a whole new world had just opened.
I see. As long as the blanket isn't there,
she'll cling to me on her own.
Ivelia looked down at Lin Ling, who was hugging her tightly. Although her expression remained calm, her ears had flushed a faint red.
She was just thinking of holding Lin Ling like this and sleeping a bit longer,
when Lin Ling suddenly opened her eyes.
Lin Ling: “...”
Ivelia: “...”
The two of them stared at each other.
They were incredibly close.
So close that Lin Ling could feel Ivelia's breath on her face.
And her own arms were still wrapped tightly around Ivelia.
A prolonged, heavy silence filled the room.
Rumor has it that shortly after, the Demon King's Castle was once again jolted awake by a loud shriek.
At the dining table—
“Ahem.”
Ivelia cleared her throat softly.
“Alright. If there is nothing else, finish eating and get to your respective duties.”
A faint, almost imperceptible blush still lingered on her face.
Though the Demon King tried her best to maintain a calm facade, any of her close subordinates could detect a hint of awkwardness.
Lin Ling sat at the table,
looking completely soul-dead as she hung her head and gnawed on her bread.
Her face was flushed bright red.
Although Aliviel and Cecil were absent from the dining room this morning for some reason,
Leticia was present.
She sat quietly to the side, observing the tense atmosphere at the table, seemingly wondering if she shouldn't have shown up.
Phelan sat on the other side.
His expression was rather sour.
He even looked as if he was harboring resentment from being jolted awake by the morning scream.
Of course, given his usual squinty-eyed look, this annoyance wasn't particularly obvious.
However, he had already taken out his recording board.
“Lady Demon King,”
Phelan spoke up,
“I would like to know why a sharp scream has echoed through the Demon King's Castle every morning for the past two days.”
“I believe this phenomenon warrants recording.”
Lin Ling bolted upright from her seat.
“No!”
She slammed her hands on the table, glaring fiercely at Phelan.
“This matter...”
“Absolutely, positively...”
“...cannot be recorded!”
Lin Ling glared at the recording stone in Phelan's hand as if it were her mortal enemy.
That was an evil tool of social death.
She had to stop him.
“Leave this matter unrecorded, Phelan,”
Ivelia chimed in.
Much like Lin Ling, she seemed highly reluctant to have the cause of the scream documented.
Phelan looked at Lin Ling,
then at Ivelia.
After a brief silence,
“Understood.”
“The morning's anomalous screaming incident will not be officially recorded.”
Just as Lin Ling let out a sigh of relief,
Phelan added,
“I will limit it to informal mental retention.”
Lin Ling: “...”
“Phelan! ‘I didn't record it’—but you still remembered it!”
“That is a natural function of the brain.”
Lin Ling was tempted to leap across the table and perform a physical memory wipe on his brain.
Just then, Leticia timidly raised her hand.
“U-um... I have something I'd like to say.”
At her words, Lin Ling and Ivelia whipped their heads around to stare at her.
A dangerous red gleam seemed to flash in both of their eyes.
Because they had suddenly realized a very grave problem.
Leticia's vision allowed her to see people's light masses.
Which meant...
She had likely witnessed the entire thing.
The air in the dining room instantly turned freezing cold.
Looking at the two figures radiating pure murderous intent, Leticia felt as if the words Kill her were hovering in the air behind them.
Leticia: “...”
She hadn't even said anything yet.
She silently swallowed her original words back down.
Instead, she said with extreme caution,
“Um, what I wanted to say is...”
“...I would like to go to the residential district to study and learn.”
Hearing this, the murderous aura surrounding Lin Ling and Ivelia finally dissipated a little.
“Ahaha...”
Lin Ling immediately slumped back into her seat.
“I see, Sia—”
She cut herself off mid-sentence.
She had almost blurted out “Sia-chan” again.
Remembering the terrifying pressure the Demon King had released the last time she used that nickname, Lin Ling quickly corrected herself.
“Er, right.”
“If Sia wants to go, of course that's perfectly fine.”
“It's a great opportunity to observe the residents' daily lives and learn.”
Lin Ling nodded vigorously as she spoke.
Perfect. No honorifics this time.
Miss Saintess successfully survived.
However, Baroque, who was sitting nearby, frowned at Leticia.
“You must wear a magic suppressor, otherwise I won't feel at ease.”
His words were blunt.
Baroque remained highly wary of this Saintess of the Holy See.
Lin Ling looked at him, confused.
“But isn't the Holy Light Stasis active?”
“The Holy Light Stasis domain in the residential district is too large,”
Baroque explained,
“and it might not completely suppress the Saintess of the Holy See.”
Hearing such cautious words from Baroque was quite a contrast to his rugged appearance.
Leticia, however, seemed to have already anticipated such restrictions.
“That is fine,”
she said, nodding gently.
“You may even follow and supervise me if you wish.”
This was actually better than she had expected.
At least they weren't banning her from going to the residential district.
Baroque stared at Leticia.
After a moment, he snorted.
“Hmph. Suit yourself, then.”
With that, he grabbed a piece of bread from the table and resumed eating his breakfast.
Leticia looked down at her breakfast, then cast a glance at Lin Ling.
Lin Ling covertly gave her a thumbs-up.
Leticia blinked in surprise,
then offered a small, gentle smile in return.
Once breakfast was over, Baroque led Leticia toward the residential district.
Or rather,
he carried Leticia over his shoulder.
“Eh?”
Leticia's body stiffened the moment she was hoisted up.
“Mr. Baroque, I can actually walk on my own.”
“Too slow,”
Baroque replied curtly.
Leticia: “...”
Are all the residents of the Demon King's Castle this rough when transporting people?
Hanging over Baroque's shoulder, Leticia happened to look up and notice two dark shapes dangling from the clock tower.
She blinked.
What were those?
Teru teru bozu dolls?
Meanwhile, at the top of the clock tower,
Aliviel, who was swaying gently in the wind, finally woke up.
She first realized she was still hanging there.
Then, she felt the demon sleeping next to her,
and his tail, which kept repeatedly thumping against her.
Thwack.
Cecil's tail lightly slapped against Aliviel's face.
Aliviel's brow twitched.
Thwack.
Another hit.
Aliviel's face began to flush red with anger.
She looked down at Leticia being carried away by Baroque,
then out at the Demon King's Castle, which was slowly coming to life.
For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of peaceful tranquility within the Demon King's Castle.
Except, of course, for the sleeping demon hanging next to her, who kept assaulting her face with his tail.
Aliviel took a deep breath.
Then, she roared,
“Cecil! Control your tail!”
Cecil blearily opened his eyes.
“Hmm?”
He glanced at Aliviel,
then felt his body swaying in the wind.
“Morning.”
Aliviel: “...”
Cecil stared at her expression and fell silent for a moment.
Then, he offered a perfectly natural smile.
“The breeze in the Demon King's Castle is quite nice today.”
Aliviel: “CE-CIL!”
The wind atop the clock tower seemed to grow even colder.
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