Chapter 38: The Kitchen Killer

In the kitchen

Lilith smiled as she looked around, then said to Merolin beside her:

“Merolin, this kitchen was prepared just for you.

From now on, this will be your personal territory.”

Before her words had even finished, she had already slipped behind Merolin.

With one hand, she gently hooked Merolin’s chin, forcing her to turn her head.

A doting smile appeared on her face.

“Merolin, don’t feel any pressure.

Just do whatever you like.

Even if you accidentally blow up the kitchen, it’s fine—after all, I’m here.”

“Blow it up?

I wouldn’t do that!”

Merolin puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

She really didn’t want to cause a huge mess the moment she started.

Lilith merely smiled at her reaction.

Suddenly, she leaned in and lightly kissed Merolin on the cheek, the gesture natural and intimate.

“Now that you’re under my loving magic, there’s no way the kitchen will explode.”

“Ah!”

Merolin froze from head to toe at the sudden closeness.

Her cheeks instantly burned red.

Stammering, she protested,

“Y-you… if you keep doing things like that… then I’ll tell Moganna!”

Lilith didn’t care at all.

Instead, she smiled even more smugly.

“But the Demon King won’t mind that kind of thing.”

She gently stroked Merolin’s hair, her tone full of confidence.

“After all, we’re both the Demon King’s most adorable little darlings.

No matter what we do, we won’t be scolded.”

Merolin was immediately rendered speechless.

Embarrassed and annoyed, she couldn’t find any way to argue back.

She quickly took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, then flushed and changed the subject.

“Seriously… stop joking around.

Let’s hurry up and start today’s lesson!”

“Alright, alright,”

Lilith laughed as she stepped back and began patiently instructing her from the side.

“First, sift the flour.

Remember to add some butter… yes, just like that…”

However, no matter how seriously Merolin followed the steps, the results were always disappointing.

After who knew how many attempts, the kitchen was already in complete chaos.

Merolin was covered in flour and sauce.

Her hair was a mess, sweat beaded on her forehead, and even the tip of her nose was dusted white with flour.

Even Lilith, who was usually immaculate, had somehow ended up with several stains on her clothes, looking unusually disheveled.

Merolin wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the finished product—charred black, cracked at the edges, and emitting a strange blue smoke.

Forcing a confident smile, she declared,

“I believe this time it’ll definitely be a success!”

Lilith stood to the side, watching her stubborn yet adorable expression.

She smiled, then let out a soft sigh.

“Merolin… how about we stop here?

I feel like you might really not have any talent for cooking.”

“How is that possible?!”

Merolin immediately protested.

“It’s just a little hard, a little burnt, and tastes a bit strange… that’s normal!”

Lilith didn’t argue.

She simply pointed silently to a corner of the counter.

There, neatly lined up, were all of Merolin’s previous creations:

a loaf of bread as hard as stone,

a pot of soup glowing an ominous green,

and a pancake with a cracked surface that constantly oozed black sludge.

Each one radiated a terrifying aura, as if it might crawl away on its own at any moment.

“If I didn’t tell people these were food,”

Lilith said helplessly with a smile,

“wouldn’t they think these were some kind of cursed artifacts?”

Merolin followed her pointing finger and finally realized the seriousness of the situation.

She scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.

“Well… you know… it’s my first time, after all…”

Lilith sent Merolin out of the kitchen.

Standing outside the door, Merolin looked at the monsters coming and going, busy with their work.

A sense of loss and confusion quietly welled up inside her.

“Seriously…”

She muttered under her breath, unconsciously rubbing her flour-stained sleeve.

“I followed every step exactly, even the seasoning ratios were right…

So why did it turn out like that?”

Just then, a crisp 啪 sounded not far away.

Merolin looked over and saw a young succubus girl slip and fall.

The eggs she had been carrying shattered all over the floor, yolk and shells spilling everywhere.

A tall, stern-looking succubus supervisor immediately strode over.

Pointing at the girl, she scolded sharply,

“Louise!

What do you think you’re doing?

So clumsy!

I didn’t bring you into the kitchen for you to make trouble!”

Louise’s eyes instantly turned red.

Tears welled up as she hurriedly sat up on her knees, apologizing through sobs.

“I-I’m sorry, Supervisor.

I didn’t mean to…”

“You didn’t mean to?”

The supervisor’s voice grew even colder.

“Then you never should have been brought in at all!

You’re always fumbling around—can’t even hold an egg properly.

Keeping you in the kitchen will only cause problems!”

Louise couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She hugged her knees and burst into tears.

Her small shoulders trembled as egg liquid clung to her body, making her look pitiful and miserable.

Merolin watched the scene quietly, a powerful sense of resonance rising within her.

That helpless crying, that look of being scolded yet unable to defend herself…

It felt like a reflection of herself from the night before.

She didn’t know where this emotion came from.

Perhaps it was sympathy between the weak, or perhaps it was a desire deep in her heart—one that had not yet been extinguished—to protect something.

Without thinking further, she walked straight over and stood between Louise and the supervisor.

“You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”

Merolin’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.

The succubus supervisor froze, looking Merolin up and down.

She remembered seeing this girl with Head Maid Lilith earlier that morning, acting very close.

Her status was clearly not ordinary.

Though she didn’t know exactly who Merolin was, anyone who could be so close to Lilith was definitely not someone to offend.

The supervisor immediately put on a gentle smile.

“My apologies, miss.

I may have gone a bit too far just now.”

She turned to Louise and said,

“Louise, I’ll let you off this time.

Quickly clean up the floor.”

After saying that, she sensibly turned around and hurried away.

Only then did Merolin turn back to Louise, who was still crouched on the ground.

The girl looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks on her face, utterly pitiful.

Merolin crouched down, gently patted her shoulder, and said with a smile,

“You’re Louise, right?

From now on, be my personal maid.”

She wasn’t even sure whether she had the authority to say that.

She was only the Demon King’s retainer—hardly safe herself.

But in that moment, she simply wanted to make that decision.

Even if it angered the Demon King, at worst she’d just be “educated” one more time.

Louise’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“Th-thank you, my lady…

But just now, it really was my fault…”

“Alright, alright, enough of that,”

Merolin interrupted with a smile, gently wiping away the tears on her face.

“Look at you, you’re covered in egg.

That won’t do at all.

Come on, let’s go wash up together.”

Just then, a familiar hand gently tapped Merolin on the shoulder.

“Merolin, what’s going on?”

Lilith’s gentle voice came from behind her.

She had appeared at some point, a warm smile on her face.

“Are you thinking of picking up a little pet to play with?”

Merolin jumped in fright and spun around, frantically waving her hands.

“N-no, not at all!

I’m not that kind of person!”

Lilith looked at her flustered expression and let out a soft laugh.

“Is that so?

Then I suppose I misunderstood you, Merolin.”