The scenery outside the carriage window shifted continuously.
Winter in Ikerite was deeply familiar to everyone inside the vehicle.
Even during its coldest two or three weeks, temperatures never dropped too low. Warm in winter, cool in summer, and blessed with pleasant humidity, it was easy to see why Ikerite was hailed as one of the most livable cities on the Southern Continent.
To great demons like Iphatia and Talia, however, this orderly, harmonious Southern Continent metropolis had felt thoroughly novel when they first arrived.
From the ancient Ikerite Central Station and the Church of the Goddess of Fate's stronghold, St. Brian Cathedral, to modern magic glass curtain-wall buildings—including the Hutton Pedestrian Plaza where the Card Makers Association was located, and the Erica Magic Tower where scholars gathered—the city's diverse architecture lent Ikerite a vibrant splash of color.
"Sister, have you ever been to the top floor of the Erica Magic Tower? There's a workshop up there where you can customize magical pastries to your liking."
"Doesn't that place require a senior registered membership card for the magic tower?"
"Our family has one! Once we get back and I fetch it, we can go right away."
Iphatia spent the entire ride planning where to take Talia.
Even though Iphatia, having arrived in Ikerite much earlier in life, felt more like a local than Talia, she hadn't returned in over a decade. Talia, meanwhile, had spent most of the past two years living here. Traveling together, each sister had her own blind spots, making them the perfect guides for one another.
"I haven't spent a copper since arriving in Ikerite. The human realm really is wonderful."
Iphatia produced her family's Southern Continent Federation-wide credit card, declaring that as long as Talia stuck with her, she wouldn't have to worry about spending a single dime.
"Uh..."
Talia opened her mouth to speak, but caught herself upon realizing she was in no position to criticize Iphatia.
Her only edge over Iphatia was that she had earned some compensation through honest work, whereas Iphatia had completely given up on working, freeloading shamelessly off the Duke.
Then again, at the end of the day, every penny she earned came from Lanqi. If not for Lanqi giving her a chance, she would still be an undocumented resident unable to get a job. Just then, Talia noticed Mikhail in the front row turning his head to exchange a glance with Lanqi.
Mutual understanding shone in both pairs of eyes, with even a hint of shared sympathy. If they weren't right in front of their partners, they might have already started comparing notes on how it felt to get played for suckers.
"Are you two trying to say... that there's a good reason the Demon Realm fell?"
While Talia couldn't quite read Mikhail's mind, she knew Lanqi's damn micro-expressions all too well.
Lanqi looked as if he had finally found a daily quest teammate operating on the exact same wavelength.
"Not at all, not at all."
Mikhail waved his hands politely and quickly turned away, cutting off his flirtatious eye contact with Lanqi.
"Sister, have you been to the Golden Bee Amusement Park? Construction had just begun right when I left Ikerite, so it should be finished by now, right? Can you take me?"
Iphatia tugged at Talia's arm, chattering away incessantly.
"I have. It's pretty fun."
The last time Talia went to Golden Bee Amusement Park, she had won quite a lot of Golden Bee Coins. Even after buying late-night snacks, she hadn't spent them all, leaving the rest at home above Boss Cat Restaurant, so she could have a grand time on her next visit.
On top of that, she had earned an annual pass to the Golden Bee Amusement Park during a trial at the Corridor of Aching Love Academy, which hadn't expired yet. It would be a waste not to spend those Golden Bee Coins, so she would still need to find some time to have Lanqi help her take care of them.
"Wah, I want to feed Sister late-night snacks too!"
Iphatia beamed with eager anticipation.
"How did you know Lanqi fed me late-night snacks? No, I mean, your use of the word 'too' makes no sense, and besides, I don't need anyone feeding me."
Talia immediately shot back, pointing out the flaw in her logic.
"Huh? Didn't you two hug and feed each other the very first time you went on a date in the City of Flowers? Did you never feed each other late-night snacks?" Iphatia gasped, covering her mouth in mock shock.
"Iphatia, watch it or I'll smack you! Have you forgotten who fed you when you were little?" Talia fumed, reaching out to grab Iphatia beside her.
"No! Sister, mercy!"
They laughed and wrestled in the back seat as the sun climbed steadily higher in the sky.
The carriage carrying them drove through the southern district of Ikerite, gradually slowing as it neared the ducal residence. In the tranquil neighborhood stood an opulent, magnificent ducal estate.
Passing smoothly through the stately manor gates, a straight, pristine private driveway came into view, its paved surface swept spotless. Neatly planted sycamore trees lined both sides, their lush crowns arching overhead, while spherical hedges pruned between the trunks adorned the avenue like strings of jade beads.
At the driveway's end, in the center of an enormous circular fountain plaza, stood a marble goddess statue holding aloft a lantern. Crystal-clear spring water poured from beneath the lampstand, refracting into vibrant rainbows beneath the daylight.
Lush rose gardens clustered around the fountain, sending forth wafts of delicate fragrance.
Further ahead, the majestic three-story ducal mansion rose proudly. Its milky-white stone facade gleamed, lined with orderly rows of tall French casement windows whose frames and balcony railings boasted exquisite carvings. Flanking the front entrance stood two imposing white-jade stone lions standing guard, while the gilded crest of House Aransal on the main doors shone brilliantly in the daylight.
"We have arrived."
The carriage slowed to a stop before the mansion doors. Hans stepped forward to open the door for the Duke, and the ducal couple and their guests stepped down with poise.
"My home hasn't changed at all after all these years!"
Iphatia raised a hand against the dazzling sunshine, gazing upon her ducal estate.
"According to Hyperion, the Duke even kept that piano of yours untouched for over a decade. He wouldn't trade it for all the gold in the world," Lanqi said to Iphatia.
Back then, it was because he feared Lanfe would damage the piano that he had first heard the story from Hyperion.
Tears quickly glistened in Iphatia's joyful smile.
"Let's go inside first," Talia said, lightly patting her sniffling sister's back.
They soon climbed the immaculate white steps. Hans, the butler, was already waiting at the entrance, bowing respectfully.
"Welcome home, everyone."
Pushing open the heavy oak doors, a crystal chandelier crafted by ancient Ikerite artisans hung from the six-meter-high ceiling, its faceted crystal reflections illuminating the grand foyer. A resplendent staircase spiraled upward, leading straight to the second floor.
"Has lunch preparation begun?" Duke Mikhail greeted the attendants and maids who had long been waiting in the manor, then turned to ask Hans.
"Of course," Butler Hans replied respectfully.
Having worked in the Wilfort household for so long, he had long learned that if Miss Tata was coming, one could start preparing lunch in the morning.
"Pfft."
Lanqi couldn't help stifling a chuckle beside them.
He was always adept at spotting delightfully amusing details in life.
"Lanlan..."
Talia raised a hand to strike Lanqi, then checked herself.
In her younger sister's home, executing Lanqi on the spot wouldn't look very elegant.
"Is Hyperion home?" Iphatia asked a maid in the hall.
"She is, Lady Iphatia," the maid answered with utmost deference, treating Iphatia with the reverence due a mother. Talia, on the other hand, froze when she noticed the maid.
"Francine? What are you doing here?"
Talia remembered her as the maid in the Wilfort family who got along best with Lanqi—and with whom Talia herself had grown quite close. Now that Hans had returned to House Aransal, Francine had followed along as well.
"Miss Tata, I was originally a maid taken in by House Aransal," Francine explained with a curtsy. "Later, Mr. Hans brought me to the Wilfort household. Now that House Aransal is short-handed, it was only natural for me to return. But don't worry! Ever since the Wilfort family scaled back its businesses, there has actually been a surplus of hired servants. Not that they can't afford us, but staying at the Wilfort estate left us with very little to do most of the time. If the Wilfort household ever needs me again, I can head back anytime!"
Back then, she had been astonished to see Young Master Lanqi produce an epic-grade painting, but not overly shocked—after all, she had seen the Duke's artwork.
"I see..." Talia mused, a little dazed.
For some reason, she felt returning to the ducal estate was hardly different from returning to the Wilfort estate back then. Swapping the names of the two households wouldn't even feel out of place.
"By the way, how is Hyperion feeling?"
Talia immediately recalled what truly mattered.
As terrified as she was of sleeping in the same bed with Hyperion, whenever she wasn't around, she worried that Hyperion might kick off the covers and catch a cold. Her health had been on Talia's mind every single day lately.
"Doctor Antanas came over with Miss Sinnola this morning," Francine answered, gesturing toward the stairs to the second floor. "Her diagnosis was that there's basically nothing wrong. The young lady is just upstairs in her bedroom watching a video recording."
"Phew..." Talia breathed a sigh of relief.
"What video recording?"
Lanqi suddenly picked up on the key detail and asked Francine.
"It seems to have been sent from Palieu, the City of Flowers. Yes, Countess Rosalinda mailed an international package a while back, and it finally cleared customs and reached Boss Cat Restaurant. After Miss Sigrid finished watching it, she handed it over to Miss Antanas to watch at her leisure. Miss Antanas was so full of curiosity and delight that she rushed over to play it for everyone."
Francine recounted the story as she recalled it.
Fortunately, Antanas was exceptionally chatty and hadn't stopped talking since seeing Francine, which was how Francine knew so many details.
"Meow!"
Boss Cat sprang nimbly from Lanqi's hands over to Iphatia's side. The moment it heard about a recording from the City of Flowers, it sensed something was terribly wrong.
Knowing that Sigrid had already watched it, Boss Cat felt an even worse premonition!
It looked up at Lanqi and Tata, who had gone dead silent. Cold sweat beaded on both Lanqi's and Talia's foreheads, their expressions frozen solid. Sigrid was definitely messing with them—why else would she hand the recording to Antanas?
"Do you two know what's in that recording?"
Francine had never seen Young Master Lanqi and Miss Tata act in such perfect sync.
"Excuse me, which room is Hyperion's?" Lanqi snapped back to his senses and asked Francine urgently.
"Uh, down the corridor on the second floor, the largest bedroom at the very end is hers. The door has an amber crystal embedded in it," Francine directed them.
"Let's go check on Hyperion!"
Lanqi and Talia bolted toward the stairs at the exact same instant, leaving the others behind in the foyer.
After a moment.
"That video couldn't be the one Aetio showed us—ah no, showed me—in the City of Flowers, could it?" Iphatia asked Duke Mikhail.
"Pfft."
Mikhail clamped a hand over his mouth, barely suppressing his laughter. Did she even need to ask? It was without doubt that recording.
His colleague Sigrid was truly ruthless. Her first reaction after watching it had been to make sure Hyperion got to see it too.
Meanwhile.
Second-floor corridor of the ducal estate.
Sprinting at full speed, Lanqi and Talia braked in unison at the end of the hallway and found the bedroom door set with an amber crystal. Just as they raised their hands to knock—
Before their knuckles could touch wood, voices drifted through from inside.
"Ooh, so you're saying that Boss Cat's voice back then was actually Tata meowing? Meow~ Meow?" Antanas gasped in wonder.
She even pinched her throat to try imitating a cat, but couldn't replicate the pure, authentic tone Talia had possessed.
"Unbelievable..."
Sinnola's voice was tinged with embarrassment; she couldn't take this kind of spectacle.
She had never imagined that the usually dignified Talia from the Demon King's Castle could be so bold and unrestrained when playing around.
"Look, right here, they should have both realized something was wrong, yet their hands gripped each other even tighter. That conditioned reflex and physiological response induced the suspension bridge effect. Feeding each other while embracing afterward was merely a process of mutual comfort."
Hyperion seemed to have regained an upbeat mindset. With remote control in hand, she was analyzing frame by frame what Lanqi and Talia were saying on screen and why they had ended up wrapped in each other's arms feeding each other.
The three of them in the room looked for all the world as though they were holding a solemn academic seminar. Of course, it was more likely a far more sophisticated form of public execution.
"..."
Lanqi and Talia stood outside the door, their faces burning crimson, their trembling hands unable to touch the door panel as if the wood were searing hot. Just then, the great demon inside seemed to notice movement outside.
Antanas promptly swallowed her urge to speak and scurried over to open the door. "Is that you, Miss Francine?"
Antanas was ready to take the refreshments Francine had brought. But when she opened the door, all she saw were Lanqi and Talia.
Antanas sucked in a sharp breath. Posing as if she were merely one of the Duke's maids, she stood deferentially by the doorway, not daring to utter another peep. Sinnola, who had been lying on the bed watching, shut her eyes in haste, then sat gracefully on the edge of the mattress, resuming her usual demure composure.
The atmosphere instantly plummeted into extreme awkwardness.
Inside the dim room with curtains drawn, only the projector light flickered across their silhouettes and faces.
With Antanas and Sinnola terrified to make a sound, time seemed to freeze within Hyperion's bedroom, caught in the prolonged mutual torment of Lanqi and Talia.
"Lanqi, Tata, you're back from the City of Flowers," Hyperion parted her lips slightly, looking at Lanqi and Talia who had just arrived in Ikerite. She was the only one completely composed.
"..."
Both Lanqi and Talia were too guilty to speak.
Hyperion's deliberate modifier, "from the City of Flowers," carried a particularly pointed nuance.
"How was the City of Flowers? Did you have fun?" Hyperion asked.
"..."
Lanqi and Tata felt as though they were being subjected to harsh interrogation, unable to confess that they had embraced and fed each other yet again.
Hyperion watched the two of them with amused interest. Setting down the remote control, she let the recording of their date continue playing in the background as she walked up to Lanqi and Talia.
"Tata, your meowing was truly adorable. I didn't even realize back then that it wasn't Boss Cat."
Hyperion's amber eyes occasionally gleamed with flashes of deep violet crystal light as she whispered into Talia's ear.
"Hyperion, I was wrong," Talia finally broke down. Grabbing Hyperion's arms, she pleaded, "Please don't watch this recording anymore. Never watch it again, please. I'll do whatever you want!"
Talia wanted to hug Hyperion, yet didn't dare act presumptuously.
Even though she and Hyperion had already laid everything bare between them, having that day's footage personally inspected by Hyperion left Talia feeling incapable of facing either Hyperion or her friends.
It made her look like she had been sneaking tastes of Lanqi skillfully since long ago—which felt utterly absurd!
"Whatever I want?"
Hyperion asked as she took Lanqi's hand right in front of Talia.
"Yes..." Talia could only hang her head and mumble.
"Fine, I won't tease you two anymore."
Reaching toward the wall with her other hand, Hyperion pressed a button to open the automated curtains. As sunlight flooded the bedroom, the entire space brightened. The purple glint in Hyperion's eyes faded, leaving behind her amber gaze as clear as ever, save for a hint of mischievous amusement.
She had long made peace with everything. She, Sigrid, and Talia had already reached an understanding, which was precisely why she could host this screening party for Antanas and Sinnola here today.
"I'm taking Lanqi for today! Tell Mama Iphatia we won't be back for lunch!"
Clasping Lanqi's hand, Hyperion bolted out the door, spiriting him away from the room just like that day during the "so cute I want to eat you up" incident, as if she were boldly stealing Lanqi away.
"..."
Talia buried her face in her hands. As her mind gradually cleared, memories of the absurd things she had done replayed endlessly in her head. If even Lanqi could feel social death, she felt as though she could no longer exist in this world.
Fortunately, Hyperion had separated her from Lanqi, taking some edge off the awkwardness among the three of them.
"..."
Antanas looked around the room, then toward the hallway where the two had vanished.
Just as she thought—she hadn't misjudged! Whenever Talia, Lanqi, and Hyperion got together, things turned delightfully twisted! Antanas couldn't help clenching her fist.
Looking at her dear friend Talia, she couldn't help thinking that this blushing, utterly mortified Talia was far more charming than the emotionless, dignified Princess Talia of the Demon Realm!
A world-shaking hug couldn't sate her appetite,
Twisting like a pretzel couldn't hold her back,
May Lanqi never fail her heart.
A long while later.
"I'll go find Iphatia; I haven't seen her in days," Sinnola cleared her throat, stood up from the bed, and quietly slipped out of Hyperion's room with brisk steps.
"Uh, Tata, shall we head downstairs for pastries in a bit too?"
Antanas also realized she had been so caught up in her excitement that she had neglected Talia's feelings.
And so, only Talia and Antanas were left in the quiet room.
"Wuu... Antanas, I'm never doing antics with Lanqi ever again," Talia groaned like a deflated balloon, trudging listlessly over to Antanas. She slumped down beside her best friend and wailed in utter defeat.
Chapter 873