The call ended.
A steady beep echoed from the phone.
Shiho let out a helpless sigh.
It wasn't that she didn't want to explain—it was that she had no idea how.
Dropping the truth out of nowhere would only make her sister worry more.
After all...
Everything that had happened today was far too worldview-shattering.
Even for her, it still felt like a dream.
Some time passed before a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
"Dinner's ready."
Shiho walked into the dining room and stared at the spread on the table, blurting out, "Master, you actually know how to cook?"
Mapo tofu, braised pork ribs, sweet-and-sour spinach...
Had her master studied cuisine in the East?
"It's been a while. Give it a try."
Taking the chopsticks from Kaiser, Shiho picked up a piece of rib and bit into it delicately.
Her eyes lit up.
"Good?"
"Mm-hmm—it's absolutely delicious."
"Great. Then hand over the meal fee."
"Huh?"
Shiho's eyes widened as she pointed at herself. "You're charging me?"
Kaiser replied with utmost seriousness, "Isn't it only natural for a servant to support her master?"
"Heh..."
Shiho's mouth twitched, but she obediently pulled out her small wallet.
No choice.
Kaiser was her master—in every sense of the word, he held all the authority.
Channeling her frustration into appetite, she began devouring the food.
Kaiser flipped through the wallet, eyeing the thick stack of bills.
He nodded in satisfaction.
His new servant was quite the little heiress.
Once they were full and content...
Shiho finally remembered the important matter. "By the way, Master—when are you going to teach me some devil abilities?"
Right now, all she could do was fly. It was downright embarrassing for a devil.
"Don't worry. I'd teach you even if you didn't ask."
Kaiser raised his hand and flicked it lightly toward the table. A purple magic circle shimmered into existence.
The next moment, a thick tome appeared on the surface.
Shiho's eyes sparkled with excitement.
A real magic book?
She was finally going to learn magic.
"This contains all the fundamentals. Start with this—ask me if anything confuses you."
Whatever Kaiser said next fell on deaf ears.
Shiho flipped open the pages and plunged headfirst into an ocean of magical knowledge.
Kaiser watched quietly, grabbing a cold can of cola from the fridge and taking a sip.
Hum!
Moments later, Shiho held the book in one hand while raising the other slightly.
Brilliant light flared as a crimson magic circle bloomed across the floor.
"I did it!"
Pure exhilaration lit up her face.
As she adjusted her gestures, the circle's glow pulsed in perfect sync.
"So this is the power of the Heart of Magic."
Kaiser murmured in genuine admiration.
Basic spells—mastered almost instantly after a single glance?
Time slipped by unnoticed.
Shiho had already grasped nearly half the spells in the book.
Her enthusiasm showed no signs of waning.
But...
When she turned to the next page, a wave of dizziness crashed over her. She collapsed straight back onto the sofa.
Her slippers slipped off with the motion, revealing delicate, porcelain-like toes that curled against the floor.
The graceful lines of her legs gleamed like jade under the lights.
Kaiser set down his cola and declared solemnly, "Well now—has my servant finally awakened to seduction tactics?"
"Master, is your brain filled with nothing but trashy thoughts?"
Shiho retorted weakly, drawing her legs up. "I just... don't know why I'm suddenly so exhausted."
Kaiser grinned. "That's only natural."
"You cast that many spells in a row—your demonic power must be completely drained."
"You knew that and still said something like that just to tease me?"
"If that's how you want to interpret it, I won't complain."
Shiho's expression was utterly resigned. Her master was brimming with mischief.
"So, oh esteemed master—do devils have any way to restore demonic power?"
"Simple. I'll just replenish it for you."
Replenish?
How exactly?
Shiho lifted her head, curious to see the process.
Then...
She watched Kaiser's handsome face draw closer and closer.
Wait—
Did replenishment really require getting this close?
Was something off here?
Mmm—
Her eyes shot wide.
It felt... so strange...
But...
Her demonic power was indeed recovering rapidly...
...
A short while later, Kaiser released her shoulders.
Gulp.
Shiho's throat bobbed as an exquisite, overwhelming sensation surged through her entire body.
"Y-you... you're sure this is replenishment?"
Her body trembled faintly as she melted into the sofa, a deep flush blooming across her cheeks.
"Of course. This is how masters restore their servants' power among devils."
Kaiser answered with a straight face.
He had, in fact, been replenishing her.
Though...
Something did feel a little different this time.
He glanced at Shiho, whose reactions were growing increasingly unusual.
With Grayfia, it hadn't been like this at all.
Right—he'd awakened his system and become a Progenitor Devil afterward.
It seemed...
He'd underestimated the potency of his own bloodline.
"Huh? My demonic power actually increased a bit."
"But... something's still not right. Master, do something—you must have messed up the process!"
Kaiser scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Could he really admit that the replenishment itself was fine—and her current state was entirely due to his Progenitor Devil nature?
Honestly, he felt a little wronged.
He hadn't known about this side effect before.
Watching Shiho writhe with growing intensity, Kaiser hesitated.
He had two options now.
Be a beast...
Or be worse than a beast.
Moments later, resolve hardened in his gaze.
Since this was all his doing, he would naturally take responsibility—like a proper beast.
"Don't worry. I'll fix it right away."
"Really?"
A glimmer of delighted relief crossed Shiho's face.
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