The first thing Fíliya did the moment she opened her eyes in the morning was to pat herself down and then look at her hands and feet.
Mmm, good, no parts are missing.
Ah, praise the Goddess. Although I don't have an ounce of faith in you, I thank you for letting me live another day.
Mmm, and thank you, Miss Solitär, for the mercy of not killing me.
A faint smile played on Fíliya's lips. After checking her body, she finally looked at the empty space beside her.
Solitär is awake so early?
Fíliya was slightly surprised, as she herself was the type who needed very little sleep.
Could it be that the Demon Race doesn't actually need to sleep? Was that creature pestering me to sleep last night just some kind of 'experiment'?
Although strange thoughts were swirling in her mind, Fíliya quickly put the matter aside.
After all, she had more important things to think about.
Namely... eating.
At that thought, she jumped right out of bed and rummaged through her travel backpack for a moment.
Huh?
Fíliya was confused. She remembered having some dry rations in her bag, but now they had vanished into thin air.
Don't tell me Solitär threw them away... what a waste.
She sighed, put on her outer clothes, and slowly walked downstairs.
Soon, she caught the scent of meat.
Even though she was famished, upon smelling the meat, Fíliya didn't dare to subconsciously associate the aroma with a delicious meal.
Who knows if this demon had gone back on her word right after agreeing to it.
She didn't go and catch some human, did she? Is she in the 'cooking' phase now?
"Mmm, that doesn't seem right. I've never heard of the Demon Race cooking humans before eating them. I must be overthinking it again."
After a flurry of wild thoughts, Fíliya finally reached Solitär's kitchen.
That's right. In this shipyard ruin, which was much larger than a villa, Solitär didn't even have a bathroom, but she did have a kitchen.
Fíliya carefully peeked her head out from the doorframe. Of course, she knew her every move was certainly within the range of Solitär's Mana Detection.
But that didn't stop her from acting cute.
In that moment, Miss Fíliya was at least certain that the dish Solitär was preparing was likely normal food.
"Fíliya, you'll have to wait a little longer."
Solitär said. It was clear this demon even cooked by hand, not using any magic to assist herself.
Last night's statement, 'I like human skills,' suddenly seemed a bit more believable.
Hearing this, Fíliya obediently nodded, curious as to what kind of food a demon could possibly make.
She slowly backed away.
While waiting for the food, bored, she began to explore the first floor.
Looking at Solitär's collection of displayed specimens, she couldn't help but let out another sigh of admiration.
After clearing out the human specimens, this place really looked pleasing to the eye... from a scholar's perspective.
She glanced around and suddenly thought of something.
There are so many animal and Monster specimens displayed here.
But it's uniquely lacking... plants.
Yes, that's right, plants.
Fíliya nodded, then thought that she couldn't just use that air-freshening magic several times a day... Why not get some plants? Maybe they could improve the air quality in the shipyard.
No sooner said than done. She was a person of action, so she turned around, went upstairs, and said to Solitär.
"Solitär, I'm stepping out for a bit. I'll be back later."
Fíliya said with a casual expression.
And Solitär replied without even turning her head.
"Got it. Don't be too late, or the food will get cold."
"Do you have any vases at home? Or flowerpots would work too... you know, the containers humans use for plants."
"I do. There are a few empty storage cabinets in the guest room. Go have a look, Fíliya."
"Mmm."
After getting the information she wanted, Fíliya quickly used object-manipulation magic to carry a pile of flowerpots out the door.
Fíliya was surprised at how simple and efficient her negotiation with Solitär had been.
For a 'captive,' she certainly had a lot of freedom, she thought, shaking her head with a smile.
But then again, for a great demon like Solitär who has lived for who knows how long, the range of her Mana Detection, even if not equal to that of the Goddess, must be terrifyingly vast.
Fíliya conservatively estimated that Solitär's detection range must be at least ten to twenty kilometers.
As long as she couldn't teleport beyond that distance in an instant, it would be impossible to escape Solitär.
Besides, she had long since mentally prepared herself for a long-term stay. Why would she run?
Fíliya walked out of the shipyard gate and headed straight for the surrounding forest.
She was a woman with a strong sense of purpose, so she wouldn't waste too much time on this part.
Before long, she returned to the shipyard with many flowers she liked.
As soon as she entered the shipyard, she placed a dozen or two potted plants on the first floor, since that was the place most likely to get smelly.
As for the remaining flowers, she placed them all in her and Solitär's bedroom.
Just as she finished, Solitär's voice rang out.
"Time to eat."
Fíliya turned to see Solitär staring at her with an ambiguous gaze.
"Such a good girl, Fíliya. You didn't even try to run."
Tsk.
So this creature has been watching my every move all along, huh.
Fíliya shook her head helplessly.
She then followed Solitär to the guest room.
She looked at the wooden table before her. Compared to yesterday, Solitär had thoughtfully covered it with a rather magnificent tablecloth.
Set upon the table was a clearly sumptuous meal, so lavish that Fíliya felt eating it in the early morning was a bit too extravagant.
At her seat were several ceramic plates, and beside them lay gleaming silver cutlery, engraved with exquisite patterns.
This creature really has everything, doesn't she.
Fíliya shook her head.
As for the food, the first thing that caught her eye was a large steak. Judging from the meat's texture and grain, it probably wasn't beef, but Fíliya couldn't tell from this partial piece what kind of animal—or Monster—it belonged to.
The steak had been pan-seared to a slightly charred crispiness. Fíliya tried gently pressing it with her fork, and rich, fragrant juices immediately oozed out.
Alongside the steak were baked potatoes, and sprinkled on top were... Fíliya sniffed lightly and identified the small, blackish-gray granules as black pepper.
Besides that, there were even large, meticulously peeled shrimp. The plump, springy tail meat, as thick as her own forearm, made Fíliya's mouth water just from looking at it.
"Solitär, can you pinch me?"
Fíliya said, her expression dazed.
"Mmm, my pleasure."
Solitär chuckled, walked over to Fíliya, and gently pinched her on the cheek.
"Ugh... I meant for you to pinch my arm or something. Why did you pinch my face?"
Fíliya pouted, looking displeased.
"Mmm, you weren't specific, Fíliya. How can you blame me?"
Solitär looked innocent.
Fine.
Fíliya swallowed.
Then she reached out her sinful claws for the grand feast before her.
She never would have imagined that the most extravagant breakfast of her life so far would be one made for her by a demon.
Should I be touched?
Fíliya just felt her heart swell with satisfaction.
Like a starving ghost, she quickly devoured everything in front of her, even digging out the lobster shells to suck the flavor from them.
Solitär, of course, ate a little with Fíliya, all the while observing her with her eyes. She committed Fíliya's completely unladylike table manners to memory.
And she would never ridicule Fíliya for it; after all, when she ate humans, her own table manners were far worse than Fíliya's in this state.
Once Fíliya was satisfied, she rubbed her stomach and looked at Solitär with a serious expression, remarking with emotion.
"Solitär, I believe you now. You really have learned human skills... This level of talent could easily get you a job in the court of a human kingdom."
"Seriously, why aren't you human?"
______
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