Chapter 37: The Greedy Little Kitty

Lilith looked at Merolin in her arms, gently stroking her back as she spoke softly.

“Merolin, I should be thanking you… it was you who helped me understand a few things.”

Merolin heard this and lifted her tear-stained face.

Her red, swollen eyes were filled with deep confusion as she looked at Lilith in a daze.

“…Understand what?”

Lilith didn’t answer directly.

She merely used her fingertips to gently wipe away the tears on Merolin’s face, the corners of her lips lifting into a meaningful smile.

“Alright, Merolin, stop crying now.

Let’s go.

We’ll get something to eat first and replenish some energy.”

She lightly patted Merolin’s cheek, her tone turning playful.

“Don’t forget, you’re a succubus now.

A succubus’s body recovers very quickly, and…”

She deliberately dragged out her words, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes.

“In that sort of thing, you’re actually very talented, you know.”

Merolin had still been sobbing, but upon hearing that teasing remark, her cheeks instantly heated up.

Even the tips of her ears turned crimson, and the tears that had just stopped seemed to freeze from embarrassment.

Seeing her cry-and-blush expression, Lilith couldn’t help laughing.

“How adorable.”

“Geez!”

Merolin was both embarrassed and annoyed.

She raised her hand and, using all the remaining strength in her body, lightly punched Lilith’s chest.

“Lilith, you’re just as bad as Moganna!

You only know how to bully me!”

Lilith merely swayed her shoulder slightly from the soft punch.

Not only was she not angry, she laughed even more happily.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.”

She stood up and extended her hand toward Merolin.

“Come on, let’s go have breakfast together.”

Only then did she notice that Merolin was still wearing that wrinkled nightgown, soaked with sweat.

“Oh my,”

Lilith said with feigned surprise and a smile.

“That won’t do.

You can’t go to the dining hall looking so messy.

You’ll need to change into something decent first.”

Merolin finally came back to her senses and looked down at herself.

Only then did she remember that Moganna had changed her into this nightgown last night.

She muttered inwardly.

“Seriously… Moganna.

She even has to decide what I wear.”

Without thinking too much, she instinctively took Lilith’s outstretched hand.

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of reliance.

“Lilith… big sister.

I’ll have to trouble you to help me change, then.”

Lilith sensed the closeness and trust in her tone, so different from her usual stubborn resistance.

Her heart stirred slightly.

She smiled and replied.

“Since little sister Merolin has said so, I’ll gladly accept.”

She gently pulled Merolin up and carefully helped her remove the nightgown still carrying last night’s traces.

When Merolin’s bare body was fully exposed to the air, Lilith’s gaze lingered on her fair skin for a moment.

She couldn’t help smiling as she pinched Merolin’s cheek.

“Look at you.

This body is really starting to look more and more like a succubus.”

“Lilith!”

Merolin instantly flushed red and instinctively tried to cover herself with her hands.

Lilith laughed and dodged her hands, her tone light.

“Merolin, little sister,”

she suddenly suggested.

“Should we find some time for big sister to take you shopping for some proper underwear?

You can’t always just…”

“Geez!”

Merolin hurriedly turned her head away, not daring to look at her.

Her voice was full of embarrassment.

“I-I don’t need that yet!”

“Really?”

Lilith deliberately leaned closer and blinked.

“That won’t do, you know.

Merolin, even if it’s flat, you still need something to cover it, right?

Or could it be…”

She leaned close to Merolin’s ear and lowered her voice with a mischievous smile.

“That this was what you wanted all along?”

Merolin shuddered all over at the whispered words.

Her face turned so red it looked like it might drip blood.

Stammering, she answered softly.

“O-okay…”

Lilith smiled in satisfaction and lightly flicked Merolin’s nose with her finger.

“Then it’s settled.

We’ll go together some other day.”

Merolin lowered her head, fingers twisting at the hem of her clothes.

In a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, she replied.

“…Mm.”

In the dining hall

Lilith watched Merolin across from her, stuffing breakfast into her mouth in big bites.

A smile naturally curved her lips.

“Merolin, how is it?

Is it good?”

Merolin was in the middle of wolfing down her food.

Hearing Lilith’s voice, she immediately realized her lack of decorum.

She hurriedly slowed down, picked up her cup, and took a sip of water.

Trying to look composed, she answered softly.

“It’s… okay.”

Lilith couldn’t help laughing at her forced composure.

She gently swirled the teacup in her hand and asked mysteriously.

“Merolin, do you want to know what today’s lesson is?”

Merolin looked up, a trace of wariness flashing in her eyes.

Various possibilities instantly ran through her mind.

She asked cautiously.

“It’s not… cooking, is it?”

“Oh!”

Lilith clapped her hands in delight, then gently patted Merolin’s head.

“Merolin is really smart today.

That’s right, today’s lesson is cooking.”

Her tone was light, with a hint of teasing.

“After all, if you want to capture someone’s heart, you first have to capture their stomach.”

“Hmph!”

Merolin immediately turned her head away, her tone full of obvious displeasure.

“I’m not making anything for that bad woman!”

Lilith chuckled softly and set her teacup down.

Her voice was gentle, yet firm.

“Merolin, even if it’s not for the Demon King, shouldn’t you still have decent cooking skills?”

She leaned forward slightly, meeting Merolin’s gaze.

“Otherwise… when the time comes, you’ll only be able to rely on others.

Haven’t you always wanted to be independent?

Then start from this step.”

Merolin thought it over carefully.

What Lilith said did make some sense.

Yet for some reason, deep down she felt as if she were being gently pushed into a trap.

And she couldn’t refute it at all.

After a moment of silence, she finally nodded.

“Alright… you do make sense.”

Seeing her agree, the smile in Lilith’s eyes grew deeper, though she said nothing more.

Within the Demon King’s castle, those fortunate enough to taste food personally made by Merolin were few and far between.

And if one day the Demon King herself were to personally request it, and Merolin were to refuse…

That would definitely not be a matter of just a meal.

Merolin hurriedly finished her last bite, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and eagerly said to Lilith.

“Lilith, let’s hurry and start today’s lesson!”

Seeing her so enthusiastic, Lilith couldn’t help teasing her.

“Oh my, Merolin, why are you so eager?

Are you planning to sneak food in the kitchen?”

“Of course not!”

Merolin’s cheeks instantly warmed as she hurriedly denied it.

Yet her thoughts had been hit right on the mark.

The unmistakable embarrassment on her face betrayed her.

Lilith looked at her stubborn-yet-honest expression and smiled even more gently.

“I knew it.

Merolin isn’t that kind of greedy little kitty after all.”

Merolin lowered her head.

Her fingers unconsciously twisted her clothes.

The tips of her ears grew warm.

She felt both embarrassed and annoyed, yet couldn’t say a single word.