“Ding-dong! The Master’s daily task has been triggered: Move from Magic Feather Fantasy to Shadowmoon Manor. For each night spent at Shadowmoon Manor, you will earn 2000 Humiliation Points.”
“If the host fails to return to Shadowmoon Manor by midnight each day, you will temporarily enter the Masochistic state for one hour. However, if the Horned Demon Master is by your side at midnight, the penalty will be waived.”
The inevitable had finally arrived.
Because of her bound state, a single casual remark from that wretched Horned Demon could easily become a task she was forced to complete.
If it were a task issued directly by the system, she could refuse or fail without consequence.
But the tasks spoken by that vile Horned Demon?
Not only could she not refuse, but failure came with punishment.
Even without such a task, though, her situation was dire.
That Horned Demon held humiliating photos and videos of her, and he dangled threats over her parents’ heads.
For now, she had no room to negotiate.
If only she’d known better than to provoke him.
Now, there was no choice but to keep moving forward.
Perhaps living in Shadowmoon Manor would give her more chances to search for the photography crystal ball.
Maybe, just maybe, she could get closer to the Horned Demon, uncover his weaknesses, and find a way to defeat him.
Su Nian clung to these thoughts, silently consoling herself.
Though the path ahead was strewn with thorns, as long as there was even a sliver of hope to escape the Horned Demon’s grasp, she would never give up.
“What’s this? I’m letting you live in my manor, and you’re still not satisfied?” Chu Tian, the Horned Demon, noticed her silence.
His fingers toyed with the strands of her hair, his voice teasing the visibly distressed girl.
“Or is it that you don’t want to live with your Master?”
“N-no… I’m not dissatisfied. The manor is so grand… so beautiful. I love it,” Su Nian forced out, swallowing her anger and humiliation to feign delight.
“Ding-dong! Humiliation Points increased by 3431.”
“Ding-dong! Annoyance Points increased by 3431.”
This time, her decision to sneak into the dungeon had been a mistake.
She had completely underestimated the Horned Demon.
From now on, she vowed to think twice—no, three times—before acting.
She would never again give that wretched Horned Demon an opportunity or excuse to humiliate her.
But Su Nian was wrong again.
If the Horned Demon truly wanted to torment her, he didn’t need an excuse.
In the grand hall of Shadowmoon Manor, “Mr. Mo Yuan” gathered the maids and announced that Su Nian—the magical girl idol of Magic Feather Fantasy and genius instructor at the Magic Academy, also his “cousin”—would officially move into the manor.
“Greetings, Miss Su Nian. Please don’t hesitate to call on us if you need anything,” the maids said in unison.
“No need for formalities,” Su Nian replied with a slight nod, maintaining an air of elegance and composure in front of others.
She needed to keep up appearances, at least.
Of course, this gave the Horned Demon yet another way to control her.
He had said it plainly: “If you don’t obey, I’ll make you do the lowliest tasks. You wouldn’t want the maids to see their dazzling idol reduced to the lowest servant in Shadowmoon Manor, would you?”
‘Ugh!’
Just thinking of his smug face made Su Nian’s blood boil.
Thankfully, tonight he’d allowed her to rest.
But starting tomorrow, she’d have to report to his room every evening.
This… didn’t bode well.
She couldn’t refuse, though—not yet.
On a brighter note, tomorrow morning she would begin teaching at the Magic Academy.
She only needed to give one public lecture a week to all the students.
At the academy, surely the Horned Demon wouldn’t dare act so brazenly.
There, she could research ways to counter magical arrays and dark magic.
The magic she’d purchased through the system was powerful in control and proficiency, but foundational knowledge—perhaps deemed too basic—wasn’t available for purchase.
For that, she’d need to visit the Magic Academy’s library.
Beyond that, she needed to inform her colleagues at Magic Feather Fantasy that she’d be living at Shadowmoon Manor from now on.
She’d still participate in rehearsals and performances, though.
With her “magic phone,” messaging Matthew and Amy was easy enough.
At the Shadowmoon Manor banquet, the Horned Demon had generously gifted every attendee a magic phone.
He certainly knew how to win people over.
[Singer Amy]: So jealous!! Miss Su Nian gets to live in Shadowmoon Manor!
Su Nian let out a silent, exasperated sigh.
There was no need for envy.
If she had any choice, she’d never set foot in this wretched place.
Having settled everything, Su Nian arrived at the room the Horned Demon had prepared for her.
It was on the third floor…
Right next to his room?
A flicker of unease stirred.
Would he sneak in through the window in the middle of the night?
She couldn’t dwell on it.
Stepping into the room, she found several maids hanging a large pile of clothes in what was now her new space.
“Miss Su Nian,” the maids greeted, quickly bowing as she entered.
“No need for that. You don’t need to do that when you see me,” Su Nian said, keeping her tone gentle.
Though she secretly enjoyed being attended to, she knew the gap in status shouldn’t create a divide.
She didn’t want to come across as aloof in this unfamiliar place.
“Yes…” The maids looked surprised, clearly not expecting the magical girl idol to be so approachable.
“The Master is so kind to Miss Su Nian, sending all these clothes,” said Emma, the youngest maid.
“Isn’t he? My cousin is… quite thoughtful,” Su Nian replied, not daring to contradict.
The Horned Demon was the maids’ master, after all, and with his elusive dark magic, she couldn’t afford to speak the truth.
Once the maids left, Su Nian sank onto the bed, exhausted, and surveyed the unfamiliar room.
It was exquisitely furnished—lavish bedding, ornate furniture—but none of it brought her comfort.
She rose and walked to the window, gazing out at the night sky beyond Shadowmoon Manor, her thoughts drifting.
She recalled the joyful times at Magic Feather Fantasy, rehearsing and performing with her friends, basking in the audience’s love and applause.
Though those days were brief, they felt like the life she was meant to live.
But everything changed the day she received that letter and came to Shadowmoon Manor.
This couldn’t go on.
Hesitation would only lead to more suffering.
If she wanted to break free from the Horned Demon, strength was her only path forward.
To grow stronger, she could study countermeasures for dark magic and magical arrays at the academy.
But the fastest way to gain power was through Humiliation Points.
Earning Humiliation Points… it was shameful, degrading.
But if she kept hesitating, she’d only sink deeper into the Horned Demon’s torment, facing even greater humiliations.
So… perhaps she needed to seize every opportunity to gain Humiliation Points and grow stronger.
Meanwhile, in the room next door, Chu Tian held an ornate box.
Inside was something he planned to give Su Nian to wear tomorrow night.
When he opened it…
Inside the exquisite box lay a black leather collar, adorned with two small bells and a metal ring attached to a leash.