Chapter 11: Punishment

The Demon King withdrew that suffocating pressure, and Lilith immediately collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Lilith propped herself up and lifted her head to look at the Demon King.

A complicated expression flashed through her eyes, finally turning into a helpless sigh.

“You’re really becoming more and more vicious…”

“That’s none of your concern.”

Morganna was unconcerned.

She lifted one foot, a teasing smile on her face.

“Come on, good dog, just like before.”

Lilith struggled to kneel down, her forehead pressed against the floor.

Her voice was cold and sharp.

“I really don’t understand why you would think like this!

Morganna, just how far have you fallen?!”

“Because it’s fun.”

Morganna’s reply was light and careless.

“Watching you look so unwilling yet forced to submit is truly pleasing to the eye.”

Lilith closed her eyes in despair, then slowly opened them again and crawled forward little by little.

Watching this, Morganna’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

However, at the moment when Lilith was most focused, Morganna suddenly lifted her foot and kicked her away without mercy.

“Bang!”

Lilith crashed heavily to the ground and let out a muffled groan.

“Continue?”

Morganna tilted her head, her smile innocent and pure.

“No need.

I still have many documents to review.

You may leave.”

—

Morning

Merorin woke up to find herself tightly embraced.

Sylvia’s arms were wrapped around her waist like vines, their bodies still pressed closely together.

She tried to break free, but the movement tugged at the soreness throughout her body.

This slight motion immediately woke Sylvia.

She groggily opened her eyes, and upon seeing Merorin’s shyly turned-away face in her arms, she immediately broke into a satisfied smile.

“Good morning, Merorin~”

Sylvia’s voice was hoarse from sleep.

“Last night was really fun.

Merorin’s body was even more wonderful than I imagined.”

“Sylvia, honestly…”

Merorin’s cheeks flushed instantly.

She turned her head away, not daring to meet Sylvia’s eyes, her fingers nervously twisting the bedsheet.

“Saying things like that first thing in the morning…

Let’s hurry up and get dressed for breakfast.”

Instead of restraining herself, Sylvia moved even closer.

She whispered in a nearly obsessed tone.

“I really want to leave a deep mark on you, Lady Merorin…

How about we continue what we didn’t finish last night?

Let’s fill the whole room with marks that belong to us.”

“No!”

Merorin suddenly sat up, her voice tinged with panic.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Lilith’s voice came from outside, breaking the ambiguous atmosphere inside the room.

“Merorin, Sylvia, hurry up and come to breakfast.

The Demon King is waiting for you in the dining hall.”

“Oh! That’s great!”

The moment Sylvia heard this, she bounced out of bed, her eyes sparkling with fanatical excitement.

The seductive expression she had moments ago vanished completely.

In its place was pure anticipation.

“I get to have breakfast with the Demon King again!

Lady Merorin, let’s hurry!”

As she spoke, she hurriedly began getting dressed, completely forgetting about what she had wanted to continue earlier.

Watching her, Merorin felt a mix of emotions.

The Sylvia who had just been showering her with affection was now overflowing with excitement simply at the thought of seeing the Demon King.

She didn’t know whether to feel relieved that Sylvia had momentarily escaped yesterday’s madness, or deeply saddened by how easily she had been tamed by Morganna.

She silently put on her clothes, yet a flame ignited within her heart.

“Sylvia…”

She swore silently.

“I will definitely restore you to normal.

And you too, Morganna…”

Her eyes became colder and more resolute than ever before.

She thought.

“This humiliation, this pain, I will make you repay it tenfold, a hundredfold.

Just wait for my revenge.”

Sylvia flung the door open and dashed out like a cheerful little bird.

At a glance, she spotted Lilith standing at the doorway and immediately spread her arms and pounced on her.

“Lady Lilith—!”

She clung to Lilith’s body, rubbing her cheek against her soft chest like a spoiled kitten.

“Waaah, Lady Lilith, you smell so nice and feel so warm…

I really want to stay like this a little longer and never leave!”

Lilith staggered back half a step from the impact, but still caught her steadily.

Lilith smiled helplessly and gently stroked Sylvia’s long hair.

Her voice was gentle, carrying a trace of indulgence.

“Honestly, Sylvia, it’s always like this…

You’re already grown up.

Why are you still like a child?”

“Because Lady Lilith’s arms are the warmest place ever!”

Sylvia looked up and said with a smile.

“And besides… the Demon King herself said that Lady Lilith is ‘the most trustworthy guardian’!”

“Guardian?”

Lilith chuckled softly.

A hint of complexity flashed through her eyes before returning to calm.

“That won’t do, Sylvia.”

She gently patted Sylvia’s back and reminded her.

“The Demon King is still waiting for us in the dining hall.

If we’re late… the Demon King will punish us.”

“Punishment?!”

The moment Sylvia heard that word, her eyes lit up.

Her whole body trembled with excitement, as if electrified.

She sprang out of Lilith’s arms, her face filled with near-ecstatic joy.

“That’s wonderful!

Punishment?!

The Demon King’s punishment?!”

As if recalling something incredibly blissful, her body twisted unconsciously.

Her cheeks flushed red, her breathing quickened.

“Ah… the Demon King’s punishment…

Every time it sends me straight to the clouds…

That feeling… it’s just amazing!”

Watching her like this, a trace of pity flashed through Lilith’s eyes, but it quickly faded.

She turned her head toward Merorin, who stood to the side with a somewhat vacant gaze, and spoke softly.

“Let’s go, Lady Merorin.

Don’t keep the Demon King waiting.”

That call snapped Merorin back to reality.

Led by Lilith, they headed to the dining hall.

Inside, Morganna heard the footsteps and laughed.

When she saw Merorin, she smiled and said.

“Little Merorin, you’ve kept me waiting for so long.”

“This is bad…”

Alarm bells rang loudly in Merorin’s mind.

“The Demon King is definitely looking for an excuse to bully me.

I need to think of a way to give her no reason to do so…”

Her gaze swept over Sylvia’s flushed face, and an idea instantly took shape in her mind.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the guilt in her heart, and put on a perfectly timed expression of grievance and innocence.

“That’s because…”

She spoke up, her voice crisp and carrying a hint of complaint.

“Sylvia overslept today and almost made us late.”

“Huh?”

Sylvia froze, not yet understanding what Merorin meant.

But in the next second, she suddenly remembered punishment.

“Yes, yes!

I overslept!”

She nodded enthusiastically at once.

She was even delighted to have found a reason to be at fault.

She was completely unaware that Merorin was shifting the blame.

Instead, she looked at Merorin with gratitude.

She even bounced in place slightly, hands clasped together, her eyes filled with longing for punishment.

Watching her, Merorin felt a storm of emotions inside.

She said silently to Sylvia in her heart.

“I’m sorry, Sylvia…

I promise I’ll take revenge for you someday.”