Chapter 50: Leave It to Me!

Li Ang reached out and gently brushed the ashes from the girl’s hair, a little helpless.

“No worries. I’ll have the Duke send someone to clean up later. Let’s go out for dinner tonight, and I’ll show you around the capital. This place is much livelier than Everfrost City.”

“Oh.”

Seeing that Li Ang wasn’t blaming her, Lias finally relaxed, though she felt a little dejected.

Normally, it was always Li Ang who cooked.

She’d thought it would be simple and even hoped to surprise him for once, but hadn’t expected things to turn out so badly.

She thought cooking was just about putting food over the fire until it was done, but hadn’t imagined it would end up like this.

Did I cause trouble for Li Ang again?

Lias followed behind Li Ang as they left the residence, her thoughts a tangled mess.

Their residence was very close to the Duke’s mansion.

Li Ang left the matter to the guards at the gate and took Lias for a leisurely stroll down the street.

Very soon, Lias’s earlier gloom was swept away by the bustling sights of the capital’s streets.

Merchants’ cries filled the air without end, and compared to Everfrost City, the shops here were decorated far more lavishly.

“Li Ang, what are they doing over there?”

Lias tugged at Li Ang’s sleeve, pointing to the mouth of a small alley.

A scantily-clad woman was leaning over a passing man, whispering something.

The man looked nervous, fished out a few silver coins from his pocket, and was then led by the woman into the alley.

Li Ang could vaguely see a red light glowing inside the alley, casting an enticing glow on the woman’s skin.

He twitched the corner of his mouth, quickly realizing what kind of place it was.

Reaching out, he covered Lias’s eyes.

“That’s a place for adults. Little kids shouldn’t ask about it.”

It was a little ridiculous, really—Li Ang was actually trying to keep a succubus’s mind pure.

Lias puffed up her cheeks, stubbornly straightening her chest.

“I’m not a little kid anymore.”

Li Ang awkwardly shifted his gaze away from the girl’s not-so-little chest, tapped her nose to change the topic, and asked, “Do you want to try that?”

It was a lavish shop, displaying all kinds of sweets—from pale yellow sugar cubes to snow-white crystals of sugar, all beautifully arranged, but at a very high price.

Li Ang found himself lost in thought as he looked at the sugar cubes.

“What’s wrong?”

Lias noticed Li Ang’s distraction and asked.

“It’s nothing, just reminded me of something from the past.”

Li Ang shook his head and asked, “Do you want to have a taste?”

Lias glanced at the price tag, pouted, and shook her head.

“No, I can already tell it won’t taste as good as the candied fruit you gave me.”

She pulled Li Ang away from the shop and headed elsewhere.

Candied fruit was made by soaking dried fruit in honey, whereas making sugar cubes was much more complicated—so the price was even higher, and ordinary families wouldn’t buy it.

They found a simple restaurant by the street, had a quick meal, and then returned to their residence.

The kitchen was already cleaned up.

Lias went back to her room to absorb magic power, while Li Ang started flipping through the books in the study.

As night gradually fell, Li Ang put out the lamp made from a Magic Crystal and prepared to rest.

He would be busy in the coming days; the Magic Association would likely soon learn of his arrival in the capital.

But just as he lay down on the soft bed, the door was pushed open.

Moonlight shone on the girl standing at the door.

Lias was already in a black nightgown, and she spoke in a small, embarrassed voice: “I… I can’t sleep by myself.”

Lias wasn’t lying.

She lay in bed but simply couldn’t fall asleep.

Staring at the empty room, she felt an inexplicable emptiness inside her.

Every time she closed her eyes, she instinctively reached out for something—only to grasp at air.

Lias was a little afraid, as if once she fell asleep, she might never see someone again.

So she went to Li Ang’s room.

“Had a nightmare?”

Li Ang looked at Lias and asked.

Lias hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Seeing this, Li Ang moved over to make space for her, lying closer to the edge, his eyes soft.

“Why don’t you sleep here tonight, then?”

Lias’s eyes brightened, and she nodded, the panic in her heart fading.

She climbed onto the bed, slipped under Li Ang’s blanket, and as she breathed in his familiar scent, her heart finally calmed.

Li Ang lay on his back.

He could understand Lias’s unease.

She was in a brand-new environment, and in the heart of human territory at that—a demon lacking a sense of security was only natural.

“Li Ang.”

“Yeah?”

Li Ang lay perfectly still on his back, eyes open and staring at the ceiling.

The little succubus turned sideways, gazing softly at Li Ang’s profile.

“Hasn’t it been a long time since we slept together like this?”

Though her words could be misunderstood, Li Ang understood what she meant.

“Yeah.”

“I kind of… miss that little cabin. Do you think we’ll ever go back?”

Lias seemed a little lost.

“We will.”

Li Ang turned his face to look at the girl.

“As long as you want to, we can go back anytime.”

Hearing Li Ang’s answer, a smile blossomed on her face.

She nodded.

“Mm, okay!”

“All right, go to sleep now.”

“Okay…”

The girl snuggled closer to Li Ang, breathing in his scent, and gradually drifted off to sleep.

In the room, the young man stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

***

In the days that followed, at Lias’s strong insistence, Li Ang found her a teacher to learn cooking from, while he himself was thoroughly occupied with affairs at the Magic Potion Association.

Those old men pestered him relentlessly; Li Ang had to stay at the association until night every day, his stomach often rumbling with hunger.

Lias’s efforts at learning to cook didn’t go smoothly either—the girl seemed to have no talent in this area, leaving her teacher utterly exhausted.

Still, every day when Li Ang returned, there was a meal waiting for him, cooked by Lias.

The taste, which was initially nearly inedible, gradually began to improve.

Day by day, Li Ang, with his unique understanding of potion-making, quickly gained immense respect in the association.

Thanks to his reputation, Duke Seretes soon regained his footing in the capital.

Now, Li Ang’s main research was focused on potions to increase magic power absorption—and… the Longevity Potion.

But the Longevity Potion project was met with much skepticism; even the elders who usually supported him thought it was entirely impossible.

After all, in their eyes, only the Gods could possess eternal life!

To them, what Li Ang was attempting was no different from trying to become a God.

So he could only publicly work on magic talent-enhancing potions, while secretly continuing his own research into the Longevity Potion.

That day, he dragged his exhausted body back to the residence as usual.

“Li Ang, you’re back!”

Lias, dressed in a black and white maid outfit, looked at Li Ang a little nervously.

She hurried over and pulled Li Ang to the dining table, nervous.

“Try it, how did I do today?”

Li Ang looked at the dishes on the table—they looked quite appetizing.

He picked up a piece of meat with his fork and put it in his mouth.

“Well… how is it?”

The maid version of the little succubus looked anxious.

“Mm! Delicious!”

Li Ang gave a thumbs-up in praise.

“Yes!”

Lias happily hugged Li Ang, cheering.

After so many days, she’d finally succeeded!

“So I can leave my dinners to you from now on?”

Li Ang ruffled Lias’s hair with a smile.

The little cat-like succubus lifted her chin proudly, let out a soft hum, and patted her snowy chest with confidence.

“Leave it to me!”