Chapter 60: An Unexpected Summons

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows into the lounge of Snow Lotus Palace, its warm, soft glow casting a bright and cheerful atmosphere over the room.

Xiamiya sat on the sofa. The table before her was covered in an array of exquisite pastries, colorful and fragrant, mouthwateringly tempting.

Her cherry-pink hair shimmered in the light, her face beaming with satisfaction and joy. She held a delicate cake adorned with fresh fruit and thick cream, eating it in small bites. Her cheeks flushed faintly with excitement and contentment.

Each bite brought her endless delight. The sweet cream melted on her tongue, delivering waves of bliss. A smudge of cream clung to the corner of her mouth, but she didn’t bother wiping it away, too absorbed in savoring every morsel. Her eyes sparkled with happiness—a radiant, joyful glow.

Soon, five or six large cakes had disappeared into her stomach one after another.

In truth, Xiamiya wasn’t a glutton. Her appetite was usually far smaller. But ever since she began carrying the Star God’s Egg, the evil god’s cravings had soared.

Perhaps it was the egg’s influence, but she soon forgot herself entirely—even the presence of the golden-haired maid who had been silently attending her faded from her mind.

Only when a sharp, icy glare struck her back did she jolt back to reality.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Clearing her throat, she swiftly regained her composure and picked up a cloth to wipe the cream from her lips.

Then the evil god smiled at Youka.

“Hey, Youka, would you like some too? They’re from that famous pastry shop in the Holy City. They’re really good.”

Faced with her mistress suddenly turning prim and proper, Youka wearily shook her head.

“No need, mistress. I don’t require food.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Mm.”

“If you don’t eat, how do you have energy? Those calamity demons from the soul realm seem to need regular energy replenishment too.”

Xiamiya blinked, curiosity in her voice.

Youka fell silent for a moment.

It was true.

Even she needed to replenish energy.

But unlike those calamity demons, she didn’t gain energy by hunting and devouring. That was far too barbaric, and Youka disliked it.

She had two methods: devouring souls, or receiving blessings from the evil god.

Since she handed over all the souls she acquired to Xiamiya, only the second option remained.

In fact, that was exactly how she sustained herself.

However… the evil god herself was rather unaware of this process.

Glancing at Xiamiya, who looked like a curious child, Youka chose to keep it a secret for now.

So, the doll maiden replied with a perfectly straight face:

“I only need to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to function normally. Please don’t worry, mistress.”

“Whoa? That’s possible?”

Xiamiya’s face instantly filled with envy as she stared at Youka.

“Yes, it is.”

Youka answered without batting an eye or her heart racing.

“Oh, by the way.”

“What is it, mistress?”

“Speaking of energy replenishment, how did you handle those calamity demons near the Holy Royal Palace, Youka?”

A hint of confusion crept into Xiamiya’s tone.

“Back in the Sacred Domain, they used to hunt in the beast spirit realm. But near the Holy Royal Palace, there’s no place for them to hunt. Without food, how have those monsters stayed so quiet for so long?”

Youka’s explanation was simple.

“I forced them into hibernation.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Mm.”

Seeing how easily Xiamiya believed her, a flicker of helplessness passed through Youka’s silver eyes.

Clearly, she had lied again.

But considering the truth would be too much for that girl to handle, Youka had no choice but to spin these well-meaning lies.

After replying, noticing the bathwater was already steaming, Youka urged in a prompting tone:

“Mistress, it’s time for your bath.”

“Huh?”

Xiamiya blinked in confusion.

“I didn’t go out today, nor did I train. I still smell nice and clean. Why do I need to bathe? And besides, twice a day recently? That’s too much!”

Back in the slums, she had gone weeks without washing. Even after becoming a princess, she bathed at most once a day.

What was Youka’s obsession?

Always making her bathe?

Sensing Xiamiya’s bewilderment, Youka replied calmly, ready for this:

“Mistress, you are the Third Saint Princess of the Holy Nation—nobility among nobility. If you wish to seize power through the title of Saintess, you must behave like one. According to my knowledge, the noble ladies of the great families in the Holy Nation bathe twice daily as a matter of routine. Therefore, you should get used to it as soon as possible.”

“Uh…”

“Besides, a long hot bath and absorbing the healing energy of the medicinal springs will be good for stabilizing the pregnancy.”

“Hey! How many times do I have to tell you to stop using that wording!”

Xiamiya shook her fist in protest.

Unfortunately, Youka ignored her complaints. She walked slowly to her mistress’s side and fixed her with a silent, urging gaze, prodding her to bathe.

Left with no choice, Xiamiya sighed and rose, trudging toward the bathroom step by step.

‘Sigh. Carrying a Star God’s Egg is so damn tiring… I’m listless all day. Either eating, sleeping, or soaking in water. On the surface, I’m supposed to be an evil god. Why do I feel so miserable? Was the former master of Starfall Palace this frustrated too?’

‘Huh? Wait. Former?’

A sudden thought struck her. Xiamiya frowned and turned back to look at Youka.

“Speaking of which, Youka. It’s said that the Star God’s Egg must gestate inside an evil god. Did previous evil gods do the same? What about the male evil gods? How did they manage? How did they give birth?”

For a moment, the evil god felt she had stumbled upon a critical blind spot.

Seemingly not expecting Xiamiya to suddenly realize this, Youka paused.

“The past?”

“Yes, the past. Those male evil gods summoned Star Gods before, didn’t they? So how did they give birth?”

“Uh, well…”

“Hey, Youka, are you hiding something from me?”

Xiamiya’s eyes grew sharp.

Under the cherry-haired girl’s piercing gaze, Youka remained silent for a brief moment before turning her attention back to the bath.

“Mistress, the water is getting cold. Please enter the bath soon.”

“Hey!! Don’t try to change the subject!”

“…”

“Hey!! Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me!”

“…”

“You coward! Look me in the eye!”

Growing more suspicious, Xiamiya hurriedly stepped forward, trying to grab Youka as she tried to slip away.

But just as she was about to press the matter, a loud, resonant voice imbued with holy power rang out from outside Snow Lotus Palace, cutting off her thoughts.

“—By order of the Holy King! The Third Saint Princess, Xiamiya, is summoned! Proceed to Sun Crown Palace immediately!”

‘Huh? That voice? A herald?’

“Father wants to see me?”

In an instant, Xiamiya turned toward the palace gate, startled but delighted.

Meanwhile, Youka, who had been fast retreating, also stopped. Following Xiamiya’s gaze, she looked out the window.

A faint, eerie smile flickered across the doll maiden’s lips, vanishing as quickly as it came.

Then, returning to her usual expressionless face, she addressed Xiamiya respectfully.

“Wonderful, mistress. You’ve been wanting to see your father, haven’t you? Now is your chance.”

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