As Ilena voiced her question, the cramped kitchen fell into complete silence.
Enya, hearing her words, slowly wiped the smile from her face and turned around.
Her expression was blank, eyes deep and unreadable.
The dim moonlight filtering through the window cast half her body into shadow, as if she were merging with the night itself.
Faced with such an Enya, Ilena’s earlier resolve to argue back was instantly doused.
She lowered her eyes, choking back her words in broken, tearful breaths.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I wasn’t trying to question anything. I just… just…”
“Your concerns aren’t baseless. Humans and demons rarely coexist in harmony. It’s an age-old truth.”
To her surprise, Enya actually agreed with her.
Ilena’s heart lifted—was Enya reconsidering?
But then Enya continued,
“But the young master is different.”
“Why?!”
Ilena’s voice trembled with frustration.
Enya merely curled her lips into a faint smile.
“Because he’s the young master.”
No elaborate explanation, no need for more words—just the simple truth that he was Kane, and that was enough.
And that alone showed how deep the bond between the two of them was.
If Her Highness could give her heart so completely, then what about me? Can I do the same…?
As Ilena hesitated, Enya stepped forward and gently patted her shoulder, speaking in a soothing, comforting tone:
“You need to have faith in the one you love. If you don’t even have that, how can you say what you have is true love?”
“Your Highness…”
That’s right. They say true love can overcome everything—even the barriers of race and gender.
There were even rumors that, once, a man in the demon realm fell in love with and married a virtual puppet named Yinchu.
If a living being and a non-living one could be together, why should race be a problem?
Ilena suddenly felt as if everything had clicked.
She opened her mouth to express her gratitude.
But Enya went on:
“Just like I know the young master loves me, so I’m sure he’ll be willing to let me refine him into the Myriad Demon Banner and stay with me forever.”
“Young master~, my young master~, just thinking about how he’s about to become part of the Myriad Demon Banner makes everything I’ve been holding back bubble up~.”
Ilena: ……
Yep, still weird. Her Highness’s way of thinking just isn’t something you can judge with common sense.
Enya’s actions weren’t something to imitate—at best, they could serve as a reference…
“…I understand, Your Highness. I’ll think about it,” Ilena said with a slightly forced smile.
Enya nodded in satisfaction, looking pleased, as if thinking: A promising student, indeed.
“Oh, by the way, since that’s how you feel, why not refine your little Itou into a Myriad Demon Banner too?”
Enya clapped her hands, inspiration flashing in her eyes as if she’d just come up with the most brilliant idea.
“Yeah… I think I’ll pass on that one.”
Ilena twitched at the corner of her mouth, politely but firmly declining.
She still preferred her partner to be, you know, alive—someone she could physically feel close to.
“No need to be shy! If you want to learn, I’ll teach you!”
Enya’s eyes gleamed with obsession, her breathing quickened like a cultist from the Axis Order, desperate to recruit new members into her cause.
Ilena waved her hands frantically.
“No, no, that’s fine! Such a special honor should be reserved for Lord Kane alone. Besides, even in the demon realm, it’s not easy to get a Myriad Demon Banner these days.”
“What a shame,” Enya sighed dramatically, then asked offhandedly, “Didn’t the demon realm used to have them everywhere? What, they’ve stopped making them now?”
Ilena explained, “Lately, the radical faction’s been going nuts, collecting Myriad Demon Banners from all over and banning private ownership. If someone’s caught with one, they get charged with treason.”
“Huh, sounds like the demon realm’s got plenty of trouble too.”
Enya absentmindedly twirled a lock of her silver hair, clearly uninterested, treating the whole thing like some village gossip to be forgotten as soon as it was heard.
After that, Enya returned to her love nest with Kane, bringing along a lovingly prepared dinner, while Ilena went off to retrieve the Myriad Demon Banner for her.
“Young master, sorry to keep you waiting.”
Enya pushed open the door, carrying a tray of food, her face beaming with a smile as she walked in.
But the moment she stepped into the room, that smile froze.
Kane looked flustered, furtively trying to hide something behind his back. In front of him were two steaming cups of black tea.
One of the cups was bubbling aggressively, like something unusual had just been added to it.
Black market… came back at five… the black market boss helped cover it up… A string of fragments flashed through Enya’s mind.
“Young master, why are you making tea yourself? Didn’t we agree that chores like this should be left to me?”
Enya smoothly resumed her refined, alluring smile as she walked over gracefully, that momentary stiffness just now vanishing as if it had never happened.
Kane was clearly panicked, scratching the back of his head as he let out a dry laugh.
“I just didn’t want to trouble you too much, Enya.”
“There’s no such thing as trouble.”
Enya set down the tray and stepped up beside Kane, her small hand resting on his shoulder, her delicate face leaning gently against his chest.
Her gaze was dreamy, and her voice soft.
“Serving you has always been my mission. I’ve never seen it as trouble. Besides…”
As she spoke, Enya rose slightly on her toes, her arms wrapping around the back of his neck.
She lifted one knee gently, nudging his legs slightly apart.
She took his hand and guided it down to her warm belly.
Lifting her flushed cheeks, she shyly murmured,
“Even if I’m not your maid, Enya already belongs to you in every way. So no matter what you ask of me, I’ll gladly do it. That’s the reason I exist.”
“Enya…” The anxiety vanished from Kane’s face. He lowered his head, hugging her tightly around the waist, burying his cheek in the crook of her arm. “I’m so glad to have you.”
“Young master, that tickles, haha… stop blowing on me… it’s too ticklish.”
The warm breath from Kane’s nose made Enya’s whole body go weak.
Her cheeks flushed as if drunk, and her soft, fair legs trembled slightly with anticipation.
But she still held herself back and said,
“Young master, stop fooling around. Time for dinner. Pineapple pizza won’t taste good once it’s cold.”
“But… right now I just want to eat you.”
Kane turned and gently took her earlobe into his mouth.
“Be good, young master. If you eat properly, you’ll have more strength to eat me later.”
Enya patted his back softly, her tone like she was coaxing a child.
“Alright then.”
Kane reluctantly let go, looking disappointed.
Enya quickly tidied up her rumpled clothes and called Kane over to sit down.
But Kane turned around and brought over the two cups of black tea.
“Enya, let’s drink this tea before we eat.”
Enya: ……