Should she go in? Or should she run?
Common sense dictated she should run.
Her survival instinct also dictated she should run.
But the person who told her to come in was the Demon King.
This was the Demon King's Castle.
And she was currently the most precious, most heavily protected Pet Saintess in the castle.
Even if she tried to run, she wouldn't get far.
Furthermore, the corridors here were complex.
She might end up running straight into the kitchen.
Or run right into Aliviel’s arms.
That would be even more embarrassing.
Lin Ling closed her eyes.
“Be brave, Miss Saintess.”
“Just go in.”
“Don’t look where you shouldn’t.”
“Don’t think about what you shouldn’t.”
“You’re a girl now. You’re a girl, a girl, a girl.”
Brainwashing herself as she went, she slowly pushed the door open.
The steam rushed toward her once again.
Lin Ling walked in with her head down, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor.
She walked with extreme caution.
As if she were walking through a minefield.
But after only two steps, her foot suddenly slipped.
“Whoa?!”
The wet stone tiles showed no mercy to Miss Saintess.
Lin Ling’s body tilted backward, and she instantly lost her balance.
Only one thought had time to flash through her mind—Am I... kind of dead?
Does falling count as damage?
In the next moment, the sound of splashing water rang out.
Ivelia stood up from the pool, her movements so fast they practically created a spray of water.
A black bath towel was swept up from the side by magic, instantly draped over her shoulders.
She stepped out of the pool in one stride, catching Lin Ling firmly before she could hit the ground.
Lin Ling tumbled into an embrace filled with the scent of water vapor.
Warm.
Soft.
Carrying a faint scent of herbs.
Her entire body froze.
This was far too close.
Close enough that she could hear the water droplets falling from the tips of Ivelia’s hair.
Close enough that her brain completely lost the ability to process language.
Lin Ling slowly looked up.
Ivelia was looking down at her.
Mist rose from behind her shoulders, and her dark red eyes appeared softer than usual through the vapor, her black hair damply framing her face.
The usually calm, majestic, and untouchable Demon King—who seemed as distant as a high throne—was now right in front of her.
Lin Ling’s brain completely exploded.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean it I didn’t see anything wait I might have seen a little but that wasn't intentional it was the result of physiological response and optical propagation I can write a self-reflection wait I can't because Lord Phelan will record it and I don't want this to become part of the official history of the demon race—”
Ivelia: “...”
Lin Ling continued at a rapid-fire pace:
“Anyway I think the bathhouse floor should have anti-slip measures added this is a public safety issue if I slip and die here it would become the first accident in the history of the Demon King's Castle where a Saintess slipped in the bathhouse which sounds incredibly embarrassing so I suggest we start renovations tomorrow—”
“Lin Ling.”
Ivelia spoke.
Lin Ling shut her mouth instantly.
Ivelia looked at her.
“Are you all right?”
Lin Ling blinked stiffly.
“I-I’m fine.”
Ivelia glanced down at her feet.
“Can you stand steadily?”
“Yes.”
Lin Ling tried to stand up straight.
As a result, her foot slipped slightly again.
Ivelia’s arm tightened a bit.
Lin Ling immediately stopped moving.
“It seems I can’t for the moment.”
Ivelia watched her for a while.
Then, she gave a light smile.
It was very faint.
As faint as a flash of light through the mist.
But Lin Ling was stunned by the sight.
She felt like she had rarely seen Ivelia smile like this.
It wasn't the calm of the throne.
It wasn't the restraint of a meeting.
Nor was it the suppressed weariness of facing the demon race's hardships.
It was just a light, soft smile.
Ivelia helped her over to the edge of the pool to sit down.
“Sit for a moment.”
Lin Ling sat down obediently.
She was much quieter than usual.
To be precise, she had crashed.
Ivelia, draped in the black bath towel, sat back down at the edge of the pool, though this time she didn't go fully back into the water.
She raised a hand to brush her damp black hair behind her shoulder, water droplets falling into the pool with tiny splashes.
Lin Ling stared straight ahead at her own knees.
Like an elementary student called into the teacher’s office.
Ivelia looked at her.
“Why did you come to the bathhouse at this time?”
Lin Ling answered immediately:
“Off-peak bathing.”
Ivelia: “Off-peak?”
“It means avoiding the times when everyone else comes.”
Lin Ling said solemnly.
“It’s safer that way.”
Ivelia glanced at Lin Ling, who had nearly just slipped and fallen.
“Safer?”
Lin Ling fell silent.
“Theoretically safer.”
Ivelia smiled lightly again.
This time, Lin Ling heard it.
She couldn't help but steal a glance, then quickly lowered her head again.
Ivelia didn't press the matter.
The bathhouse fell silent.
Mist rose slowly.
The magic stone lamps cast a soft glow through the vapor.
After a while, Ivelia suddenly spoke:
“Lin Ling.”
“Yes?”
“When you were first brought to the Demon King's Castle, were you afraid?”
Lin Ling was taken aback.
The question came too suddenly.
She had been trying hard not to look around, not to think too much, and not to dunk her head into the pool water to cool down.
But Ivelia’s single sentence instantly pulled her back to that first day.
The unfamiliar room, the purple-haired succubus, the sudden teleportation.
Lin Ling thought about it.
“A little.”
Ivelia looked at her.
Lin Ling scratched her cheek.
“But I have a pretty strong ability to adapt.”
“Even though Lady Aliviel looked like someone who would drag me into a strange plot, she didn't actually do anything weird.”
“And the room you gave me was very comfortable.”
“So...”
She paused.
“I wasn't that afraid after that.”
Ivelia was silent for a moment.
“At that time, we were not gentle.”
Lin Ling looked up.
Ivelia said softly:
“We took you by force at first.”
“To you, that was a kidnapping.”
“We did not ask for your consent.”
“Nor did we give you a choice.”
Lin Ling didn't say anything.
Ivelia looked at the surface of the water, the faint lamplight reflecting in her dark red eyes.
“At that time, we assumed you would not like the demon race.”
“Humans summon Heroes to subjugate demons.”
“From the moment a Hero descends, they are indoctrinated with hostility by the Church and the Kingdom.”
“We have seen it many times.”
“So, when we learned the summoning circle had been activated, our first reaction was not to negotiate, but to stop it.”
Her voice was calm.
But deeper than usual.
“We did not expect you to be such a person.”
Lin Ling blinked.
“Such a person?”
Ivelia looked toward her.
“Even though you wear the Saintess's vestments and radiate a strong holy light aura, you harbor no hatred for demons. You even came to the demon race and only complained about the food.”
Lin Ling: “...”
“Lord Demon King, isn't that description a bit strange?”
Ivelia continued:
“Someone who would make demands for minced meat soup, yet actually make seedlings grow again.”
Lin Ling: “...”
“That one’s also a bit strange.”
“Someone who calls themselves a pet and believes the demons will protect them.”
Lin Ling suddenly grew quiet.
Ivelia looked at her, her voice softening slightly.
“You have done many things.”
“More than we initially imagined.”
The water's surface rippled gently.
Ivelia lowered her eyes.
“So, I have always felt some regret.”
Lin Ling was stunned.
“Regret?”
“Yes.”
Ivelia said in a low voice:
“I regret bringing you here in that manner at first.”
“If we had known from the start that you had already been abandoned by the human Church.”
“If we had known from the start that you would not harm the demon race.”
“Perhaps...”
She paused.
“At least our first meeting could have been more pleasant.”
Lin Ling looked at her.
The mist in the bathhouse was light.
But she suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
It wasn't painful.
It was a very subtle kind of ache.
She looked down at her hands.
“Actually...”
She said softly.
“I really did feel like I was kidnapped at first.”
“I also thought demons were terrifying.”
“After all, anyone who wakes up to find themselves in a different place with a succubus standing nearby would think their life was taking a bad turn.”
Ivelia didn't interrupt her.
Lin Ling continued:
“But later...”
“Niya brought me food.”
“Lady Aliviel always teases me, but she’s actually been looking after me.”
“Lord Baroque is very fierce, but he was worried I’d blow up the residents, and I can tell he actually cares about me too.”
“Lord Phelan keeps recording my dark history, but at least he does it diligently.”
“Lord Cecil has a sharp tongue, but... well, his tongue really is sharp.”
A hint of a smile appeared in Ivelia’s eyes.
Lin Ling also smiled.
Then she looked at Ivelia.
“And then there’s the Demon King.”
“Who would give up her soft bread for me.”
Ivelia’s expression faltered slightly.
Lin Ling immediately looked away.
“I-I didn't mean to find out.”
“I just got lost that day.”
“And I happened to pass the kitchen.”
“And my ears heard it on their own.”
Ivelia looked at her.
“You heard it that day?”
Lin Ling answered softly:
“Yes.”
She kept her head down, her voice much lighter than usual.
“That’s why I wanted to find a way quickly.”
“At least so I wouldn't be the only one eating soft bread.”
Ivelia was silent for a long time.
Then, she said softly:
“Thank you.”
Lin Ling was stunned.
She looked up.
Ivelia looked at her, her gaze very earnest.
“Lin Ling.”
“You have solved the demon race's most important problem.”
“It’s not completely solved yet.”
Lin Ling said immediately.
“Lord Phelan said we still need a lot of tests.”
Ivelia nodded.
“I know.”
“But you have opened the path.”
“To the demon race, that is important enough.”
She paused.
“Important enough that I must tell you something.”
Lin Ling grew quiet.
Ivelia looked toward the water.
“Back then, after we knew the humans had initiated the Hero summoning.”
“Once a Hero is fully summoned and controlled by the Church, they are inevitably pushed toward the demon race.”
“This is something that has happened repeatedly in the past.”
“The Hero is used as a banner.”
“Used as a weapon.”
“Used as proof of the people's faith.”
“Then, they lead armies to attack demon territory.”
Lin Ling didn't speak.
She thought of Bishop Karl.
She thought of those disappointed looks in the summoning hall.
She thought of the moment she was called a low-tier Hero and had her contract terminated.
Ivelia continued:
“At that time, the demon race's food supply was already very tight.”
“Crops could barely survive.”
“Demon children were dying young due to the high concentration of magic.”
“The border grain routes were controlled by human merchant caravans.”
“The stored grain in the city was also rapidly dwindling.”
“If a Hero controlled by humans appeared at such a time, the demon race would have had almost no strength left to respond.”
Lin Ling gently pinched the corner of her clothes.
“So you wanted to take the Hero away while they were still weak?”
“Yes.”
Ivelia did not shy away.
“Take them away.”
“Or eliminate them.”
Lin Ling looked up.
Ivelia looked at her, her voice calm but not hiding the weight of her words.
“That was a judgment made in a time of war.”
“It was cruel.”
“But at that time, we had few choices.”
“However, Heroes are blessed by the Goddess.”
“They are difficult to kill completely.”
“Even if killed, it could trigger a backlash, a curse, or even cause the next summoning to begin sooner.”
“So the final decision was to bring you back to the Demon King's Castle first.”
Lin Ling said slowly:
“If we could talk, we would talk.”
Ivelia nodded.
“If we couldn't talk, we would teleport you to a far-off place.”
“Somewhere so distant that you couldn't return to the human capital in a short time, at least not before their news reached the entire human empire.”
“That way, the demon race would at least gain some breathing room.”
Lin Ling was silent for a moment.
“And then you found out I was discarded by the Church?”
“Yes.”
Ivelia said.
“We knew as soon as we used Appraisal.”
“The Hero Contract on you had already been terminated, which is how you gained the title 【Discarded Hero】.”
“There were no surveillance spells on you, nor any protective barriers.”
“You didn't even have any alerts set while you slept.”
Lin Ling: “...”
She suddenly had a bad feeling.
Ivelia looked at her.
“Under normal circumstances, no rational person would fall fast asleep on their first night as a summoned Hero without setting any protective measures.”
Lin Ling: “...”
She guiltily looked away.
Ivelia continued:
“A Hero is a powerful combat force.”
“It’s not just the demons who watch them.”
“Various factions within the humans watch them too.”
“The Church, the nobles, the prince’s faction, even the border armies.”
“Everyone wants to confirm where the Hero’s allegiance lies.”
“So a normal Hero would inevitably have guards, barriers, surveillance, and contract constraints around them.”
She paused.
“But you had none.”
Lin Ling whispered:
“I just thought the bed was really comfortable at the time...”
Ivelia: “...”
Lin Ling covered her face.
Ivelia watched her for a moment.
Then she said softly:
“So we confirmed that you were not being protected by the humans.”
“We also confirmed that you were not the official Hero in the humans' plans.”
“But even then, we still didn't know what choice you would make.”
“Until you began to care about the demon race's land.”
The bathhouse fell silent.
Lin Ling looked down at the mist.
After a long while, she suddenly said:
“Actually, you don't need to keep apologizing.”
Ivelia looked toward her.
Lin Ling scratched her cheek.
“Though it was really scary at first.”
“And being kidnapped isn't exactly something worth praising.”
“But...”
She slowly looked up.
“I’m doing pretty well here now.”
“Really.”
Ivelia’s gaze shifted slightly.
Lin Ling continued:
“I have a bed to sleep in.”
“I have food to eat, Niya talks with me, Lady Aliviel teases me but still leads the way for me, Lord Phelan helps me organize the experimental process, Lord Baroque is fierce but reliable, and Lord Cecil is sharp-tongued but makes the atmosphere lighter.”
She paused and added in a small voice:
“And then there’s the Demon King.”
“Who catches me when I’m about to fall.”
Ivelia looked at her.
After saying that, Lin Ling felt a bit embarrassed herself.
She lowered her head, pretending to study the pattern on the floor tiles.
“So...”
“Your wish for me to live comfortably in the Demon King's Castle is already half-fulfilled.”
Ivelia asked:
“Half?”
Lin Ling looked up, her expression turning serious instantly.
“The other half depends on when the bathhouse floor gets anti-slip treatment.”
Ivelia: “...”
She was quiet for a moment.
Then, she let out a low laugh.
This time the laughter was more obvious than before.
Lin Ling watched her, suddenly feeling as though the mist in the bathhouse had grown a bit warmer.
After laughing, Ivelia looked at her again.
“I will have someone handle it.” Ivelia said.
“The Demon King is wise!”
“There is one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“The First Prince has been keeping a close eye on the demon race lately.”
Lin Ling was slightly taken aback.
“The First Prince from the humans?”
“Yes.”
Ivelia’s voice regained some of its usual calm.
“He needs achievements.”
“He needs military power.”
“And he needs the minerals in demon territory.”
“If the humans confirm that the Hero cannot be used, they will likely find another way to start a war.”
Lin Ling thought of the things she had heard before.
The human merchants, the minerals, the grain, the capital factions, and the Church.
She frowned.
“So, things won't be quiet on the human side?”
“No.”
Ivelia looked at her.
“At least not until their next King is chosen.”
Lin Ling fell silent.
She had thought her main quest was farming.
But as she farmed, a war storyline was cropping up.
This was very unfriendly.
She just wanted a relaxed and pleasant slow life.
Why did the world always like to unfold complex plots in front of her?
Just as she was about to ask more, Ivelia suddenly changed the subject.
“But that is a matter for later.”
Lin Ling was startled.
“Eh?”
Ivelia looked at her.
“How have you been since coming to the demon territory?”
Lin Ling blinked.
The topic shift was so natural.
So natural she almost didn't react.
“Didn't I just say?”
“You said a part of it.”
Ivelia said calmly.
“I want to hear you say it for yourself.”
Lin Ling was dazed.
Ivelia’s tone wasn't forceful.
It felt more like she truly wanted to know.
Wanted to know if she was living well.
If she was used to the food.
If she was afraid.
If she felt wronged.
If she was uncomfortable anywhere.
Lin Ling suddenly felt her chest soften again.
She thought about it for a moment.
Then she said:
“At first, it was very chaotic.”
“Then, I was very hungry.”
Ivelia: “...”
“Then I found out black bread was dangerous.”
“Then I realized the demon race is actually working very hard.”
“Then I started farming.”
“Then I finally got to eat soft bread.”
“Then I started making Magic Slow-Release Stones.”
“Now, everyone watches me every day to make sure I don't do anything reckless.”
She paused.
“To summarize.”
Ivelia watched her.
Lin Ling said very seriously:
“The quality of life in the Demon King's Castle is steadily improving.”
“But the navigation system and bathhouse anti-slip measures still need significant improvement.”
Ivelia was silent for two seconds.
Then she nodded.
“I will remember that.”
Lin Ling breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s good then.”
The mist in the bathhouse drifted slowly.
The atmosphere between the two was quieter than before.
And more natural.
Lin Ling suddenly felt as though she wasn't as nervous as when she first came in.
Even though this was still the bathhouse.
Even though the Demon King was still right in front of her.
Even though the location of this conversation was still a severe test of her mental stability.
But she could breathe normally now.
Speak normally.
Even complain normally.
This meant her adaptability had evolved again.
Lin Ling gave herself a silent thumbs-up in her mind.
Ivelia looked at her.
“Lin Ling.”
“Yes?”
“If you ever want to leave the Demon King's Castle in the future, you can tell me.”
Lin Ling was stunned.
Ivelia said:
“I will not restrict you in that way again.”
“The Demon King's Castle will protect you.”
“But it will not treat you like a prisoner.”
After those words fell, Lin Ling was quiet for a long time.
She thought of the door that had been closed at first.
She thought of Aliviel leading her through the corridors.
She thought of the soft bread Niya brought.
She thought of Baroque’s clumsy handshake.
She thought of every absurd but earnest line of text in Phelan’s records.
She thought of the light embrace Ivelia had just given her.
She looked down at her reflection in the water.
Platinum blonde hair.
Pale blue eyes.
A Saintess’s dress.
A failed Hero from another world.
A Miss Saintess being raised as a pet by the demon race.
After a moment, she said in a small voice:
“I don't want to leave yet.”
Ivelia looked at her.
Lin Ling looked up.
“At least not until everyone can eat their fill.”
“I don't want to go.”
She paused, then added another sentence:
“And I haven't eaten a truly large chunk of meat yet.”
Ivelia: “...”
Lin Ling said seriously:
“This goal is very important.”
Ivelia looked at her.
A moment later, she nodded slightly.
“I will remember that.”
Lin Ling’s eyes lit up.
“The Demon King keeps her word?”
“Yes.”
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