Once the two of them finally finished their rather... awkward? breakfast, Ivelia took the lead and walked out of the dining hall.
Lin Ling sat in her seat, watching Ivelia's retreating back.
She couldn't help but feel that Ivelia's footsteps as she left seemed a bit hurried?
And... were her ears a little red?
Lin Ling watched Ivelia's figure disappear through the doorway, then looked down at the finished breakfast in front of her.
Then, she fell into a dead silence.
What had just happened?
The Demon King had fed her breakfast.
And she had bitten right into it without the slightest hesitation.
Lin Ling: “...”
This world might as well just end already.
Just as she was trying to force herself to forget this memory, the Head Chef happened to walk out of the kitchen to clear the tableware.
Watching the Head Chef clean up, she still expressed her gratitude to him.
“Thank you very much. The food was delicious.”
Hearing Lin Ling's thanks, the Head Chef's movements paused slightly.
Then, he scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment.
“I'm glad Miss Saintess liked it.”
To be thanked so earnestly by Miss Saintess was indeed a highly gratifying thing for a chef.
But...
The Head Chef looked in the direction of the recently departed Demon King.
He recalled the Demon King's slightly flushed face when she left.
Then he looked back at Lin Ling, whose face was currently completely red.
The Head Chef fell silent for a moment.
Then, as if he had realized something, he let out a soft sigh.
“Miss Saintess, it is best not to drink so much alcohol in the morning.”
Lin Ling: “Huh?”
She froze.
Clearing the tableware, the Head Chef said in a somewhat helpless tone:
“The Demon King is really something.”
“How could she let you drink so early in the morning?”
Although there was no sign of alcohol on the table,
seeing Lin Ling's completely red face and remembering how the Demon King looked when she left, the Head Chef had already reconstructed the entire scenario in his head in a very logical manner.
Miss Saintess must have been coaxed into drinking by the Demon King.
Otherwise, why would her face be so red?
Hearing herself being suspected of drinking, Lin Ling's lips twitched slightly.
No, it's not alcohol, hey!
That was something far more terrifying than alcohol.
It was the Demon King's feeding attack.
But how could I possibly say something like that out loud?!
Thus, Lin Ling could only muster a very stiff smile.
“Ah, haha. I'll be more careful next time, next time...”
With that, Lin Ling practically launched herself from her seat and bolted out of the dining hall.
The Head Chef watched her retreating back.
Her steps looked rather unsteady no matter how he looked at it.
He gently shook his head.
“She definitely drank some.”
The moment she stepped out, Lin Ling ran into Cecil, who happened to be passing by.
Lin Ling: “...”
Cecil: “...”
The two of them locked eyes for a split second.
A slow grin spread across Cecil's face.
“Wow.”
“Did our Miss Saintess sneak off to find some alcohol to drink?”
He circled around Lin Ling, sizing her up.
“Your face is awfully red.”
Lin Ling instinctively covered her face.
“No, I didn't! Miss Saintess did not sneak any alcohol!”
Cecil narrowed his eyes, his tail swishing gently behind him.
“But looking at your face right now, it doesn't look like 'nothing' at all.”
As he spoke, he leaned in a little closer.
Being a demon, Cecil naturally possessed a very sharp sense of smell.
Strangely, however, he didn't smell any alcohol on Lin Ling.
No alcohol smell, yet her face was this red.
This made it even more interesting.
“Strange,”
Cecil muttered, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought.
“No smell of alcohol... could it be something else?”
Lin Ling's body stiffened.
“N-no, there's nothing else.”
“I just woke up, so my blood circulation is a bit active.”
Cecil looked at her.
“Active blood circulation?”
“Yes.”
Lin Ling nodded very earnestly.
“Miss Saintess is now fully resurrected, so a healthy, rosy complexion is perfectly normal.”
Cecil fell silent for a moment.
Then, his grin grew even wider with amusement.
“Oh~ I see.”
“Fully resurrected, is it?”
As he spoke, he circled Lin Ling once more.
“Then why are Miss Saintess's eyes darting all over the place?”
Lin Ling: “...”
Damn it.
Why is this demon so observant?!
Just then, Ivelia happened to return.
As soon as she rounded the corner of the corridor, she saw Lin Ling standing in front of Cecil with a bright red face.
Meanwhile, Cecil was pacing around Lin Ling.
It seemed he was trying to figure out the reason behind her blushing face.
Ivelia's footsteps paused.
Lin Ling stood frozen, completely at a loss.
How could I possibly explain the reason why I'm blushing?! You jerk!
As Cecil was pondering the cause of Lin Ling's blushing, he suddenly felt a terrifying chill creeping up from behind him.
He paused slightly.
“Is it just me, or did it suddenly get cold?”
With that, he looked at Lin Ling.
“Lin Ling, what do you think?”
Lin Ling didn't answer.
She only slowly raised her hand and pointed behind him.
Cecil blinked as he watched her gesture.
“Is there something behind me?”
He didn't think there was anything in the Demon King's Castle that could actually send a shiver down his spine.
After all, this was the Demon King's Castle.
He was one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
The only thing that could make him feel cold...
Right at that moment, a hand gently rested on his shoulder.
Cecil: “...”
He slowly turned his head.
And saw Ivelia.
Ivelia was looking at him with a perfectly polite smile.
It was an incredibly polite smile.
Yet for some reason, Cecil felt a very bad premonition lurking behind that smile.
“Cecil,”
Ivelia said softly.
“Are you free this morning?”
Cecil's tail froze instantly.
“My Lord, I was just passing by.”
“And happened to check in on Miss Saintess's health while I was at it.”
Ivelia looked at him.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Cecil nodded with utmost sincerity.
Standing nearby, Lin Ling silently took a step back.
Right now, she just wanted to escape this danger zone.
Ivelia didn't immediately do anything to Cecil, turning her head to look at Lin Ling instead.
When she looked at Lin Ling, her tone became noticeably softer.
“Lin Ling, Furni has some matters to discuss with you.”
“Go ahead to the meeting room first.”
“I will... handle some business here.”
The word “handle” sounded exceptionally heavy.
Lin Ling blinked.
She felt like there was definitely something going on here.
But right now, she had absolutely no desire to think about it.
She only wanted to find a place where she could let her burning face cool down.
“O-okay!”
With that, Lin Ling dashed away in a flash.
Like a small animal that had finally escaped to safety.
Standing where he was, Cecil watched Lin Ling's retreating figure.
Then he felt the grip of the hand on his shoulder tighten just a bit.
He instantly fell silent, cold sweat seemingly pouring down his forehead.
He then forced a very strained smile at the Demon King beside him.
“My Lord.”
“Is it too late for me to say that I didn't see anything?”
Ivelia smiled at him.
“What do you think?”
Cecil: “...”
That day, Cecil learned that mornings in the Demon King's Castle really can be cold.
Rate on N.U.
