“Big sister, did I do well enough for you?”
Inside the Great Hall, a pool of fresh blood spread across the floor.
The chests of over a dozen corpses had all been gouged open, their Hearts torn out.
Their faces were twisted in agony, limbs convulsed—their final moments must have been consumed by unbearable pain.
Lantis stood in the midst of the blood, her whole body soaked crimson, the Dagger in her hand stained scarlet.
Her face was alight with excitement, and in her shadowed eyes burned a look of raw hunger.
This violet flower, thirsting for Spring Radiance, was as beautiful and captivating as if it had been watered with scarlet blood.
As the Dagger stabbed into their Hearts again and again, all Lantis thought about was ending this quickly, so she could throw herself into that person’s arms as soon as possible.
This feeling—its cause and source unknown—sprang from the pure Demon Bloodline within her.
She was instinctively drawn to the powerful, and deeply desired the beautiful.
Now, both of those things resided in one person—a person she hated.
The blood in her body stirred restlessly, a muddy tangle of hatred and desire churning in her chest.
She hated her, and yet… she wanted her desperately.
Seeing this Blood Maiden tableau, Mochi’s eyes brimmed with laughter.
“Of course I’m satisfied, my little sister. For your first time killing, you were surprisingly clean and decisive. Well, it can’t be helped—you are the Demon King’s Daughter, after all. You really do have a knack for this.”
Lantis had no patience for her pointless words, and called out urgently, “Then can I…?”
“No.”
That crisp, decisive rejection froze the smile on Lantis’ face, and her hollow gaze flickered with a flash of anger.
“Why! I did exactly what you asked, didn’t I?!”
That she dared to shout at her now was something Mochi hadn’t anticipated.
Indeed, desire can change a person from the inside out.
What they ultimately become—well, that is impossible to predict.
Mochi was quietly delighted.
She remembered Lantis’ timidity last night, and compared it to the impatient, yearning creature before her now.
She thought to herself that this toy would entertain her for a very long time yet.
That teasing light in Mochi’s eyes vanished as she quickly hid it away.
She lifted her bare toes, pressing them against Lantis’ chin.
At the touch, Lantis’ body trembled ever so slightly.
The way she looked at Mochi was full of desire, her pupils seeming to blossom with little Hearts.
Without thinking, she took hold of those fragrant, jade-like toes in both hands, nuzzling them with her cheek.
“Don’t be so impatient, little sister. Not yet. I have no interest in mingling with cowards.”
“What… do you mean?”
Mochi let out two soft laughs, her tone playful: “This is only the first step, little sister. When you’ve truly outgrown that weak, delicate self of yours, only then will I satisfy your desires.”
“Then what else do you want me to do?”
Her icy, delicate foot slid along Lantis’ chest, toes toying with the laces at her collar, tugging them loose to reveal a glimpse of hidden Spring Radiance.
“I’ll tell you when the time comes. For now… be patient, and wait for my orders.”
Lantis’ cheeks flushed red. Feeling the playful touch on her chest, her Heart began to pound wildly.
She wanted to say something, but Mochi gave her no chance.
The warm jade withdrew from her chest, pausing at the most tantalizing spot.
Any lower, and the faint pink Spring Radiance would have been exposed.
Lantis grew anxious, longing for that foot to linger on her a little longer.
She even reached out subconsciously to catch it, but the smooth, tender skin slipped right through her fingers.
“I have matters to attend to. I won’t keep you company any longer.”
Mochi stood up, glided past Lantis, and strode out through the Palace Gate.
She didn’t spare Lantis a single glance, but Lantis’ gaze clung to her, never wavering for an instant.
Not until the Great Hall doors closed, leaving the vast, silent chamber to Lantis alone—she and the pile of corpses beneath her feet.
Her frantic Heart gradually calmed, and her eyes slowly regained their former light.
Only now did Lantis realize what she had just done.
Clang—
The Dagger clattered to the ground, and her legs gave way.
She collapsed into the blood pooled beneath her.
Shaking, she stared at her blood-soaked hands.
Tears began streaming uncontrollably down her face.
This… this was her doing?
She had really obeyed that woman’s will, just to do such things?
That woman was her father’s murderer—how could this be?
It must be Magic, she must have bewitched her! It has to be, it must be…
Covering her face with blood-red hands, she began to mutter madly in the vast hall, denying everything she’d just longed for.
But the pool of blood beneath her was the shadow of her own desire.
This chaos was born from her longing, saturating every bone and limb.
Covered in blood, she returned to her Bedroom. By now, it was noon.
She was dazed, and her Royal Attendant was so frightened that she didn’t dare come near, only asking in a timid voice what had happened.
Lantis didn’t answer.
She simply stared blankly out the window like a bloodstained spirit, lost in thoughts unknown.
“Your Highness the Princess, perhaps you should wash off all that blood first,” her Royal Attendant suggested nervously.
Lantis suddenly turned, her hollow, lifeless eyes fixed on the Royal Attendant, sending a chill down the girl’s spine and making her stumble back a step.
“It won’t wash away…”
“Eh?”
“It’s already… impossible to wash away…”
Her mind… was filled with nothing but that woman’s image.
***
Time passed.
Such chaotic days dragged on for nearly a hundred years.
During that time, Mochi never gave her what she craved.
Lantis was like prey caught in a spider’s web, unable to escape, forced to be toyed with by the web’s mistress.
Yet it was she herself who had willingly walked into the web.
Over this century, Mochi taught her much—how to kill, how to manipulate Magic, how to toy with others.
But none of it was what Lantis truly wanted.
The desire in her eyes only grew more intense.
Each time she saw Mochi, her body would tremble uncontrollably.
Who knew how many nights she’d spent in bed, imagining Mochi’s slender, voluptuous body, doing things that filled her with shame.
As her courage grew, so did the hatred buried deep in her heart.
The vengeance for her father’s death was never forgotten—nor had she ever considered forgiveness.
She once thought such days would last until Mochi grew tired of her and killed her.
But events gradually took an unexpected turn.
The War of a Century finally ended.
Thanks to Mochi’s ruthless decisions, the Demon Race achieved a pyrrhic victory, winning at tremendous cost.
After the Human Race surrendered, they offered land and reparations to end the war.
But Mochi seemed utterly uninterested.
From beginning to end, she only sought to satisfy her lust for killing and conquest.
As for the land of the Human Race… it was just a bother.
A century-long war, and the ultimate prize was just a single Victory Surrender Document.
The people of the Demon Race were confused and furious, rising in rebellion, but Mochi crushed all resistance with swift and merciless force.
On the third day after the war’s end, Lantis’ life changed forever.
That morning in the Royal Court, Mochi reclined sideways on the Throne, counting her fingers.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…”
At ten, she suddenly paused, deep in thought for a long moment.
“…I’m bored. It’s time to end this.”
With that, she suddenly looked down at Lantis, her voice cold and clear: “Tonight, come to my Bedroom Palace.”
Lantis froze, then quickly nodded.
“Yes, big sister.”