It was the second day after Windsor had left.
Moezhi lay bored on the dining table, her hair as black as ink fanning out on the tabletop, neatly trimmed fingertips tapping rhythmically against the surface.
“Our Windsor, hurry up and come home, wuwu～”
Ever since Windsor left, no one was there to cook for her anymore.
Just two days of eating her own cooking, and she already began to miss Windsor’s bean cakes and the porridge she simmered for her.
Longing surged in her chest, flowing through her veins into every part of her body.
She and Windsor had lived together since childhood, and she had grown accustomed to Windsor’s care.
Now, with Windsor gone, everything felt just a bit off; even being at home carried a faint sense of unfamiliarity, as though something was missing.
But what exactly was missing?
Was it that familiar figure in the kitchen, the unique fragrance that belonged only to Windsor, or that hoarse yet endlessly gentle voice?
Life’s busyness continued, but everything around her seemed to be silently changing. After court each day, when she returned home, there was no longer any piping hot meal waiting for her.
When she left early in the morning, she could no longer hear that “Come back soon” and see that bright, gentle smile.
Even though she was no longer young, and even though she was the head of her clan, in the end, she still couldn’t get used to days without Windsor.
“Seriously, everything was fine, why did you suddenly have to leave…”
“Couldn’t you have waited another hundred years, until I found an heir, then we could have gone out together…”
“The outside world is so dangerous, what if she runs into bad people…”
***
In the quiet room, Moezhi’s constant muttering complaints echoed.
She still couldn’t believe Windsor would just leave her like this.
Did she do something wrong?
She was indeed not the most straightforward person, but she had never hidden anything from Windsor.
She always poured out her day’s unhappiness to her, and only by Windsor’s side could she truly relax.
Windsor had always indulged her, so in all these years they had never had a serious quarrel. But then, why?
Could it really be that she wanted to see the outside world, so she left?
Was her curiosity more important than staying by her side?
Or perhaps she herself had overestimated her own place in Windsor’s heart…
She recalled the look in Windsor’s eyes that day in the carriage—guilt, fear, sadness.
But if she was afraid, then why would she leave?
Why the guilt…
In her mind, another voice echoed—what if all this was because of that woman’s instructions?
All along, she thought Windsor was always straightforward with her, but after that incident, she realized Windsor also kept things from her, and sometimes did foolish things.
If… this time was the same?
She suddenly jumped up from her chair, fear rising in her heart.
Once this thought appeared in her mind, unease spread through her brain like a plague.
That day, she had been unconscious for a long time, and when she woke, Windsor’s hand had been healed.
At the time, Moezhi was surprised that Landis actually kept her word, which was out of character for her.
But now, thinking back, how could she have listened so easily?
Landis must have done or said something to Windsor, which made Windsor make such a decision.
“That woman…”
With her suspicions settled, Moezhi hurriedly put on her robe and rushed out the door in a panic.
It was night, and the sky was heavy with clouds, as though it would rain at any moment.
Moezhi drove her horse straight towards Demon King City without stopping.
Staring at the overcast sky, her anxious heart grew even more restless, and she spurred her horse to go even faster.
A journey that usually took two hours was finished in less than one.
At the gate, the Guards saw her wearing the robe—an emblem of a Minister—so none dared to stop her.
Upon seeing it, they opened the grand gates without hesitation.
Once inside the castle, Moezhi began to search for that familiar figure.
At this hour, who knew what that woman was up to?
With her notorious tastes, was she out carousing with other women?
She stopped a passing Guard and asked, “Do you know where His Majesty the Demon King is right now?”
It was a suspicious question to ask so late at night.
The Guard immediately became alert, hand moving to his sword hilt, but upon seeing her face, his expression shifted to one of knowing.
So she’s here for the royal bedchamber.
“Ah, Lady Moezhi, Her Majesty should be in the study right now. Please wait in Her Majesty’s chambers. Usually, Her Majesty will rest around two in the morning.”
She’s in the study?
And why should I wait in her chambers?
Without thinking further, Moezhi strode quickly toward the study.
The nearby Guard understood even more—are they planning to play in the study?
As expected of the Cat Demon clan, always seeking excitement.
[BANG!]
Moezhi flung open the study door.
In the dim room, books were neatly arranged on the shelves.
A strong fragrance wafted into Moezhi’s nose—one she knew well, the scent of that woman.
Her eyes swept the room, landing on that purple silhouette at a desk.
Landis, dressed in a light lavender gauze gown and wearing double-framed golden glasses, was intently reading sheets of paper filled with dense writing.
The room was dark, with only a Moonstone carved into a circle on Landis’s desk emitting a faint bluish glow, gently illuminating Landis’s alluring face.
She seemed not to have noticed Moezhi, eyes fixed on the page, hand moving a quill busily across it.
Seeing Landis like this, Moezhi was dazed for a moment—she’d never seen Landis so focused.
So this woman could actually work.
Coming back to her senses, Moezhi put one hand on her hip, pointing at Landis with the other and shouted, “Speak up! What did you do to Windsor?!”
Landis still did not reply.
Had she not heard?
Moezhi took a deep breath, and just as she was about to shout even louder, something suddenly grabbed her feet and dragged her swiftly toward Landis.
“Wait—wuaaah!”
Moezhi was hoisted upside down above the desk by Landis’s purple snake tail, her face only a foot away from Landis’s.
“Quiet. Let me finish this letter.”
Without so much as a glance at Moezhi, Landis continued marking up the paper.
Moezhi’s mouth was stopped by the snake tail, and her body was tightly bound.
No matter how she struggled, it was useless, so all she could do was glare at her angrily.
[Click]
With a final dab of ink, Landis set down the quill and removed her golden glasses, resting her chin on her hand, lips curling into a smile as she gazed into Moezhi’s eyes.
“So, coming to see me this late—are you here to warm my bed?”
“Mmmph mmmph…”
“Oh my, how rude of me.”
[Pop～]
The snake tail finally released Moezhi’s mouth.
Moezhi coughed twice and then snapped angrily, “You—did you say something to Windsor that day?”
“…What did my beloved just call me?”
Landis’s eyes darkened, her tone sharp, “I’ll give you one more chance to address me properly. What should you call me?”
“D—Demon King, Your Majesty…”
Landis’s expression brightened immediately, and she smiled again, “So, what brings my beloved to me tonight?”
Moezhi took a deep breath and repeated, “Your Majesty, did you say something to my sister that day?”
“I merely gave her a small task. Oh my, she didn’t tell you? Well, you can’t blame me for that.”
So Windsor was hiding things from her after all!
She pressed further, “Then—then what task? Is it dangerous?”
“Not dangerous, of course not. Just told her to kill someone, that’s all.”
“Who?”
“The princess’s new husband.”
“Who?! You’re sending her to her death! Let me go, I have to save her!”
She struggled as hard as she could, but it was no use—the coils only tightened further.
“That won’t do. I can’t let you go off doing something so foolish. Since you’re here, stay a few more days, at least until the princess’s wedding is over.”
Landis gave a soft hum and pulled Moezhi into her arms, whispering into her ear, “Tonight, sleep with me.”