Time flowed like a gentle stream, and in the blink of an eye, it was morning once again.
But today was destined to be an unforgettable day for Hualí—it was the day she would officially become a serving maid!
The sky above Demon King Castle Aisaridu remained bright and clear, sunlight pouring down generously.
It landed on the sweet, energetic face of the pink-haired girl, her long fluttering lashes sparkling like stars in the light, unbearably cute.
It was as if even the Goddess of Light favored this pink-haired girl.
Just the gentle smile on her lips was already a rare and beautiful sight in this world.
“So strange, where did Nicole go?”
Hualí scratched her head in confusion.
It seemed she hadn’t seen her since they parted ways yesterday.
Even this morning, when she went to Nicole’s room to share the joy of her upcoming promotion, she couldn’t find her anywhere.
It was as if she had vanished into thin air in just one day.
“Her? I heard from Her Majesty that she found her birth mother yesterday and was taken back to the countryside.”
Jeilinfa, who was accompanying Hualí on her way to Sidella’s palace for the Promotion Test, spoke casually, rolling her eyes at Hualí.
“Otherwise, where do you think your chance for promotion came from? If she hadn’t left yesterday, would the opportunity to serve Her Majesty have fallen to you?”
“Is that so?”
Hualí shook her head.
She hadn’t really paid attention to what happened in the palace yesterday.
After all, she’d spent most of the day running to the bathroom…
Hualí muttered quietly.
“Looks like she left in a hurry—she didn’t even have time to pack her things.”
As they walked, the shadow of Sidella’s palace came into view.
A Guard stepped forward to block Jeilinfa, indicating she could go no further.
“From here on, you’re on your own, Hualí. I won’t disturb you.”
With those words, Jeilinfa turned and left.
Hualí was escorted by the silver-armored dog-headed Guard to Sidella’s palace.
The heavy doors slowly opened, revealing the silver-haired girl ‘examiner’ in a sheer nightgown, sitting on the bed and waiting.
Sidella’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, her lips curled in that familiar mischievous smile.
***
The Promotion Test for a serving maid wasn’t particularly difficult, even with Sidella as the examiner.
After all, Hualí had been studying hard all along.
Hmph~!
The test was divided into two parts: morning and afternoon.
The morning focused on checking the knowledge Hualí had learned from Jeilinfa in recent days—such as distinguishing between different types of coffee and red tea, Sidella’s dietary preferences and dislikes, and most importantly, choosing the freshest cup of blood among hundreds.
Most of it was a Theory Test.
Hualí scrunched her nose, eyes sparkling with wisdom as she pointed to a cup of blood at the corner of the table.
“This one! I choose this!”
“Oh~ Have you made up your mind, stupid Hualí? Once you choose, you can’t change your answer~”
Sidella sat on the bed, her long, white legs crossed beneath her sheer dress, chin resting in her palm as she looked at Hualí with interest.
Hualí crossed her arms, cheeks puffed in anger.
“Heh! Don’t try to mislead me! I’m sticking with my choice!”
She couldn’t help but urge Sidella to announce the result.
“Hurry up and confirm it already, then congratulate me on my promotion and transfer my trainee wages to my card!”
“You sure? It’s easy to become a clown if you pop champagne at halftime~”
Sidella grinned.
“Gu… Then, never mind. Pay me after I’m officially promoted.”
Hualí hesitated.
Of course, it wasn’t because she believed in those superstitions—it was just that, knowing Sidella, that wicked woman would definitely find an excuse to withhold her pay.
Sidella chuckled, picked up the cup of blood Hualí had chosen, sniffed it, and after a moment, spoke.
“Correct. This cup is the freshest.”
She placed the glass back on the table.
“Take them all away, and come back after lunch for the Practical Test.”
***
Leaving Sidella’s palace, Hualí stood on the steps outside and let out a deep breath.
“Whew~ Piece of cake!”
But before she could fully enjoy her victory, a familiar voice called out from the distance.
Turning toward the sound, Hualí’s eyes lit up as she jumped and waved excitedly.
“Lilith! What are you doing here?!”
“I had the day off and didn’t know what to do, so I heard today was your Promotion Test. I thought I’d come see you.”
Hualí couldn’t believe that the industrious Lilith Kofara actually took a day off.
She couldn’t help but sigh in her heart.
A vacationing Lilith—what a rare sight~
The Dragon Princess had shed her usual armor for a casual dress, her fiery red hair tied up with a ribbon, glowing in the sunlight.
She carried a small bamboo basket, its contents unknown, looking more like an ordinary girl than a Red Dragon Clan general who could stain a battlefield with blood.
“Congrats on the test. I brought you lunch.”
Lilith smiled.
“Waaah! Lilith, you’re the best!”
Hualí exclaimed, biting her tongue and plopping down on the steps, patting the empty space beside her.
“Lilith, sit here! Let me see what yummy stuff you brought~”
“Nothing much. I was in a hurry, so I only made some sandwiches…”
Seeing Hualí devour the sandwich, almost swallowing her tongue in her eagerness, Lilith’s worries about her cooking skills vanished.
But eating too fast can be dangerous—even Hualí wasn’t immune.
Choking, she thumped her chest, coughing violently.
“Kh, kh… Lilith… kh… Water…”
“I brought milk!”
Lilith hurriedly pulled out a bottle of Fresh Milk from the basket, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to Hualí.
“Here!”
A big gulp later, Hualí stopped coughing and shivered.
“Waaah! Lilith! The brave Hualí was nearly single-killed by an evil sandwich!”
Lilith couldn’t resist knocking Hualí’s head lightly.
“That’s nothing to be proud of.”
Hualí smacked her lips, savoring the creamy taste.
Smooth, rich, and fragrant.
The only flaw was the blandness.
Then Hualí suddenly remembered the good stuff in her pocket.
She fished out the ‘white sugar’ jar she’d snatched from Nicole yesterday.
Under Lilith’s puzzled gaze, she poured it into the milk bottle.
Countless tiny granules melted instantly, and a faint sweetness wafted up.
“What’s that?”
Lilith asked.
“Hehe! Stolen white sugar from the kitchen. I tried it—it’s super sweet~”
The ‘white sugar’ jar in Hualí’s hand continued to pour into the bottle, far exceeding the normal amount.
“Stolen from the kitchen? Then I really have to punish you~”
At those words, Hualí froze.
The voice wasn’t Lilith’s—it came from behind.
Sidella had appeared.
“No, I…”
“Confiscated~”
Sidella snatched the milk, now deadly sweet, and turned away.
“By the way, your wages are halved during your trainee period for theft~”
“Wh-what! Nooooo!”
***
Back in the palace, Sidella’s smile still lingered.
Teasing Hualí left her feeling refreshed, body and soul~
“But now that I think about it… was that really white sugar Hualí just poured in? Why does it smell so good?”
Sidella wore a rare look of confusion, licking the rim of the bottle.
To be honest, the taste wasn’t bad.
“I wonder what expression Hualí will make when she comes in and finds her precious milk all gone~”
Grinning wickedly, Sidella drained the Fresh Milk—now laced with a lethal dose of Blood Clan Poison.
***
Perhaps Nicole never imagined that the so-called Blood Clan Poison worked as a neurotoxin, paralyzing the blood clan’s brain at high doses.
Humans can’t imagine what they don’t understand, and the same goes for Sardin Marquis’s clan, who created the poison.
What they thought would kill the Blood Queen outright was, when swallowed by Sidella, barely enough to dull her senses.
Even if the dose was multiplied several times, it could only disrupt Sidella’s perception temporarily, plunging her into brief confusion.
—Also known as drunkenness.
When break time ended, the afternoon Practical Test began.
Hualí entered to find Sidella sitting barefoot on the bed, swaying drunkenly.
“Hey, Sidella! What’s the Practical Test for promotion?”
Sidella struggled to open her eyes.
Seeing Hualí approaching, the poison inside her still raging, she instinctively lifted her pale foot.
A mischievous smile appeared.
“The Practical Test… is to see if you can eat my foot, Hualí. That’s your reward~”