Chapter 10: The Chef and the Saintess’s Scheme

The following morning, Lulu woke up, stretching languidly. ‘Ah, still so sleepy,’ she thought, a soft yawn escaping her lips.

To finally escape the ‘Little Demon King’s’ persistent gratitude, Lulu had, late into the night, volunteered to scour eight different night markets for men’s clothing. Only after securing several new outfits for him did she finally drift into a peaceful slumber.

Upon waking the next morning, the lingering memory of another night spent dreaming of foot massages was the least of her worries. Lulu felt as though her very soul was about to float away.

As she groggily dragged herself from bed, a most unexpected sound reached Lulu’s ears: the distinct sizzle and clatter of cooking emanating from within the room.

‘Ah… hmm?’

Lulu rubbed her eyes, then peered into the kitchen. There, the Little Demon King stood, deftly using her own spatula to prepare breakfast with surprising ease.

‘Well, I’ll be,’ Lulu couldn’t help but shake her head in amazement. ‘I certainly didn’t pick the wrong disciple,’ she mused. ‘My future meals are completely taken care of!’

‘Pfft, a free meal ticket, just like that!’ she thought, a grin spreading across her face. ‘In my past life, I barely cooked a handful of meals in five years, always scrounging for food. Now, I can finally enjoy free meals at home, haha!’

‘This Little Demon King seems a bit dim-witted, but he’s surprisingly competent,’ she chuckled internally. ‘Pfft, no matter how capable he is, didn’t I still trick him into becoming my personal chef?’

Overhearing the woman’s smug thoughts so early in the morning, Alexius, who had initially intended to curry favor with Lulu, silently added two extra pinches of salt to the breakfast.

‘This is urgent. I need to know: how do I poison this woman into silence?’

‘Damn it, even if I poison her mute, it’s useless! I’m hearing her thoughts, after all. The real question should be: how do I make this woman stop thinking?!’

‘Hmm… Perhaps I should focus on how to get my revenge on this woman instead.’

Alexius shook his head, then turned, adopting a facade of utmost respect as he addressed Lulu.

“Teacher, you’re awake? I’ve prepared some breakfast for you. Shall we eat together?”

“Mm… very well. Thank you, Xiu’er.”

Lulu nodded, her cool, clear voice sounding impeccably polite. In reality, however… Alexius found himself too exasperated to even bother complaining.

Lulu climbed out of bed and changed into her clothes. Soon after, she joined the Little Demon King for breakfast. To Alexius’s utter dismay, Lulu was consuming the heavily salted meal he had prepared with remarkable relish.

‘Your palate is quite robust, Teacher,’ he thought dryly.

A moment later, at the dining table, the Little Demon King abruptly broke the silence, raising the delicate matter of their master-disciple relationship.

“Teacher Lulu, I… I was wondering, now that you’ve accepted me as your disciple, when might you begin instructing me in magic? I… I have many things I wish to accomplish, and I find myself quite eager.”

“Ah, is this… about your parents’ situation?”

Lulu fell silent for a moment, then tentatively posed the question. Alexius paused, startled, before slowly nodding. “Yes… I suppose it is…”

“You needn’t be so anxious. You are quite safe under my protection; there’s no need to fear your enemies finding you here.”

“No, that’s not it at all. I seek revenge!” Alexius declared, firmly clenching his fist.

While these words served as a pretext to compel Lulu into teaching him basic magic—thereby rapidly awakening his magical bloodline and accelerating his recovery of strength—they also functioned as a counter-strategy against Lulu’s evident desire to render him useless.

Yet, the Little Demon King genuinely harbored this goal. In his previous life, he had wasted considerable time entangled with the Demon King’s army. By the time he finally set out for vengeance, he discovered his enemies had already been eradicated by another’s hand.

The inability to personally avenge his family remained an eternal source of regret for him.

Thankfully, that tragic outcome was still far in the future. It wouldn’t be too late to exact his vengeance once his strength had fully recovered.

‘Oh, the Little Demon King… is he still blinded by hatred?’ she mused. ‘Hmm… no, I shouldn’t think that of him. If I had endured such a tragic fate, I would undoubtedly yearn for revenge too, wouldn’t I?’

‘While I certainly don’t wish for him to grow powerful, perhaps in the future, if the opportunity arises, I should accompany him and help him achieve his vengeance,’ she considered. ‘It might just be what’s needed to dispel the resentment in his heart and keep him from straying down a darker path.’

‘Hmm, but… teaching the Little Demon King is quite the commitment. I’ll be busy with work, cough cough,’ she thought. ‘And I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone at home; I’d have to constantly keep an eye on him. Unless… I send him to the school where I teach?’

‘Hmm? Go to school?’

The Little Demon King blinked, considering the idea. It… didn’t seem like a bad proposition. But Lulu, teaching? Was she not a Battle Saintess?

Indeed, Lulu was a glorious… magic teacher!

To briefly explain, there are fundamentally two types of magic in this otherworld. One is the traditional, primal magic wielded by the Demon King’s army, inherently steeped in malevolence. The other is the Holy Light-transcribed magic of the Church—essentially black magic purified by the Goddess’s power, thus preventing its practitioners from succumbing to corruption.

Lulu, naturally, belonged to the Holy Light magic faction. A prodigiously talented mage, she had been inducted into the Church’s religious order at an early age. Serving the Goddess, she became a probationary Saintess, securing a formal position within the hierarchy. While enjoying generous benefits, she was also assigned various duties by the Church.

Presently, Lulu served as a teacher at a prestigious noble magic school in Kafa City, instructing the children of aristocratic families in fundamental magical principles. In her previous life, she had grown disinclined to a perpetual teaching career, choosing instead to transition within the ecclesiastical system to become a Battle Saintess, eventually rising to the esteemed rank of Temple Guard.

Thus, while Saintesses in this world weren’t considered exceptionally rare, the position was certainly not accessible to just anyone.

Lulu was due to return to her teaching duties once the holidays concluded. So, perhaps… enrolling the Little Demon King in the school wasn’t such a bad idea after all? She could impart some magical knowledge, fulfill her responsibilities as a master, and still earn her salary.

Reborn into this new life, Lulu had no desire to resume the arduous path of a Battle Saintess. All she yearned for was a life of tranquil idleness.

‘Hmm, perfect!’ she concluded. No sooner had the thought formed than she decided to act.

Lulu promptly pulled the Little Demon King along, ensuring he was dressed before leading him directly to an adventurer’s guild.

At the counter stood a mature woman, a few years Lulu’s senior, with cascading brown hair and a gentle demeanor. She patiently addressed the queries of consulting adventurers, occasionally deflecting the crude advances of unscrupulous ruffians.

Lulu led the Little Demon King forward, approaching the counter. She tapped lightly on the brown-haired woman’s desk, then offered a warm smile.

“Nia, I’m here.”

“Oh? Lulu, is that really you? Have you returned from your herb-gathering in the forest?”

Nia, the brown-haired woman, broke into a wide smile upon recognizing the genius white-haired mage. This was only natural, as Nia and Lulu shared an exceptionally close bond, having been inseparable best friends since childhood. Furthermore, Nia was a paragon of virtuous beauty, a sight Lulu always found utterly captivating!

In her previous life, Lulu had recognized this fact, and subsequently, had freeloaded meals from Nia for five years straight.

“I’m back. I actually have a few things I wanted to ask you. And… Xiu’er, please, have a seat.”

Lulu gestured for Alexius to take the chair beside her. It was only then that Nia noticed the young boy accompanying Lulu. She observed Alexius with keen interest, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

‘A little boy?’

The woman smiled, patting Lulu on the shoulder, then gestured towards Alexius who was seated. “Is this, dare I ask, Miss Lulu’s little boyfriend?”