The Demon King was dead.
Lantis naturally and inevitably became the new Demon King.
The people cheered with joy, relieved that they were finally free from the tyrant’s rule.
They adored Lantis, because she was the one who had slain the tyrant.
But that wasn’t how she saw it.
Mo Zhi wasn’t killed by her—she had taken her own life.
After fulfilling all her desires, she grew weary of the world’s dullness, and so she chose that path…
But before she left, what she left behind for Lantis was a long-lasting, indelible scar.
From beginning to end, Mo Zhi had been toying with her, making her hate herself and love herself in turn.
This way, whether Mo Zhi lived or died, Lantis would always be in pain.
Lantis had become her plaything completely; even now, those old memories lingered in her heart and could not be erased no matter what.
On her first day as ruler, Lantis ascended to the throne in a daze.
She gazed at the seat Mo Zhi once occupied, hesitating for a long time before finally sitting down.
When no one was around, she would imitate Mo Zhi’s manner, reclining sideways on the throne, savoring the faint traces Mo Zhi had left behind, as if she still sat there, looking down upon her former, humble self.
Gradually, she became more and more like Mo Zhi—in both conduct and style.
All these things had been taught to her by Mo Zhi.
Sister… her omnipotent sister, as powerful as a deity, had been killed by her own hand.
Had she gone to heaven, or perhaps to hell?
Did she still watch this world with that mocking gaze?
Would she still spare a glance for her?
Haunted by such questions, she lived for centuries.
Until one day, Mo Zhi appeared before her eyes.
Her appearance was strikingly similar to her sister’s, only a little more youthful, and the aura she exuded was utterly different.
When she saw the three tails behind her, Lantis seemed to realize something.
What if… this was her sister reborn?
She had heard the rumors of the cat demon tribe: that multi-tailed cat demons could reincarnate into this world, though no one had ever proven it true.
She half believed, half doubted.
But now, seeing Mo Zhi, she would rather believe the rumor was real.
Long-lost, buried desire surged once more.
Since then, that desire had already become the image of Mo Zhi—no one but her could contain it any longer.
And this time, she would never let her sister slip away from her again…
***
In the Demon King’s bedchamber.
Lantis, asleep, furrowed her brows tightly, as if she were trapped in a nightmare.
“Sister!!”
She suddenly jolted awake, reaching out toward the vision from her dream, only to grasp nothing but air.
Her sheer nightgown slid off her shoulder, exposing a hint of spring beneath her chest.
“…Thinking of bad things again.”
She covered her eyes and gently shook her head, trying to banish the remnants of her dream.
She rose from the bed, the sheer fabric falling onto the sheets, revealing her smooth, jade-like body completely.
Glancing at the clock, she realized it was only eleven at night—what a wretched time…
At this hour, what was her little kitten—or rather, her sister—doing now?
On a dirt path through the forest, the carriage rattled up and down.
The truth was, at this time, Mo Zhi hadn’t even returned home yet.
“Seriously, leaving me so late—does she think my house is right next to that wretched palace or something?”
Mo Zhi’s grumbling echoed inside the carriage.
Just thinking about everything that had happened tonight made her head ache.
That lecherous woman would definitely do something to Windsor.
With her personality, it would be a miracle if she didn’t try something on Windsor.
After all, even if Windsor looked a bit frail, she was undeniably beautiful.
She’d heard from other cat demons who worked in the royal city about a popular term called “bony beauty.”
She didn’t really get what that meant, but… mm, Windsor did have that thin and striking sort of beauty.
She might as well call it bony beauty for now.
Lost in her random thoughts, she finally arrived at the settlement.
All the windows in the houses were pitch black; at this hour, everyone in the tribe had been resting for quite a while.
She made her way along the winding path and at last saw her own house.
Unlike the other homes, her room was brightly lit, and there seemed to be a delicious smell wafting out…
Mo Zhi sniffed at the air, her eyes lighting up as she quietly exclaimed, “Bean cakes!”
She happily ran over and pushed open the half-closed door.
“Welcome home, Chief.”
The room was tidy and clean, with several steaming hot dishes laid out on the table, including her favorite bean cakes.
Windsor sat at the table, her face still pale and drained, with dark circles that hadn’t faded, but when she saw Mo Zhi, a warm, radiant smile appeared on her weak face, blooming like spring’s first flower on dead wood.
“Windsor!”
The smile on Mo Zhi’s face disappeared instantly.
She put her hands on her hips and scolded, “Didn’t I tell you to rest at home?”
“I was worried… the banquet food wouldn’t suit the Chief’s tastes.”
Windsor smiled gently, her weak voice as soft as a breeze, tickling Mo Zhi’s heart.
She knew, of course—how could Mo Zhi dislike the banquet’s delicacies?
The tribe was poor; many people rarely ate good food, and Mo Zhi was a true food lover.
Anything she cooked herself was nothing compared to the palace chefs.
But she had lost something—something very important to Mo Zhi.
She tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, thinking if Mo Zhi came to hate her because of it, the pain would be unbearable…
“Your hand… How did you cook like this?”
“I can do it with one hand.”
“…Idiot.”
But honestly, she was indeed hungry.
After she’d arrived at the banquet, she hadn’t eaten a bite before Lantis pulled her away, and then, after witnessing that “appetizing” scene, she couldn’t eat at all.
After starving all night and then taking the long carriage ride home, Mo Zhi was both exhausted and famished.
“Well… I’m digging in.”
Blushing, Mo Zhi sat across from Windsor and stuffed a bean cake into her mouth.
The steaming aroma danced across Mo Zhi’s taste buds, and her appetite burst open like a river dam, making her devour the food ravenously and without restraint.
Windsor said nothing, propping her chin on one hand as she quietly watched Mo Zhi’s blissful face.
Windsor seemed to want to say something, but the words caught in her throat.
Mo Zhi caught her gaze, swallowed her food, and spoke seriously, “If you’re hiding anything from me, I’ll be really angry, you know!”
Windsor paused, took a breath, and said in her soft, mosquito-like voice, “Chief…”
“I’m listening.”
“I… lost the hair tie you gave me.”
Mo Zhi’s eyes widened.
She was about to scold her, but Windsor suddenly blurted out, almost desperately, “I’ll go back and look for it! Please trust me, Chief! Please… don’t hate me…”
Tears sprang from her eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks and soaking her collar.
This already fragile flower looked even weaker now.
Those dark eyes stared at Mo Zhi, filled with the pleading look of a puppy afraid of being abandoned. Mo Zhi’s heart ached at the sight.
She sighed. In the end, she just couldn’t bring herself to be angry.
“Alright, alright, what are you crying for in the middle of the night? If you lost it, you lost it. At worst, we’ll just buy another one.”
As she spoke, Mo Zhi took out a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped away Windsor’s tears.
“But… wasn’t it very important to you, Chief?”
Her face was still sorrowful, and Mo Zhi knew that if she didn’t take some special measures, Windsor’s tears tonight might drown her.
“If you make another one for me, I’ll forgive you, alright? Did you hear me?” she said with an unmistakably commanding tone.
“I understand, Chief! Tomorrow—tomorrow morning I’ll have it ready!”
“If you finish by tomorrow morning, are you not planning to sleep tonight? I’ll give you a month—take your time with it!”
“O-okay, got it.”
Seeing Windsor’s tears finally stop, Mo Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, right!”
Suddenly remembering something, she wiped her mouth and said sternly, “Tomorrow morning, come with me to the palace. The Demon King wants to see you, and will treat your hand while we’re there.”
Windsor’s expression froze.
Go see the Demon King… If she could, she’d rather not see that face she envied so much.
Just thinking of how that person humiliated the Chief every day made her want to claw her in anger.
But there was nothing she could do. If she refused, trouble would fall on Mo Zhi’s head.
That was the last thing Windsor wanted.
With her gaze dark and gloomy, she nodded, “Whatever you say, Chief.”