Go feed him after he wakes him up

“Alright, Lord Demon Lord, I understand your perspective.”

Lucia paused briefly after hearing Vivian’s unyielding words, then nodded.

“You make a compelling case, though I still have my reservations.”

Her gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, drifted naturally to the sleeping Luna nearby.

“By the way, this child—you said you found her?”

She circled slowly, approaching the peacefully sleeping Luna.

Tilting her head, she studied the infant’s face with curiosity—rosy, delicate, breathing softly and evenly, unmistakably a newborn.

“She looks like she was born just a few days ago, so pink and tender. Truly adorable.”

Lucia extended a finger, as if to gently touch Luna’s cheek.

“Caring for such a tiny infant must be exhausting.”

Her eyes brimmed with “concern.”

“You’re swamped with managing the territory and handling endless affairs, Lord Demon Lord. Do you really have the energy to personally care for a foundling?”

“In my opinion, you should find an experienced nursemaid. Otherwise, won’t it interfere with your important work? Sigh, just thinking about how hard you’re working—ow, ow, ow! Don’t grab my neck!”

Just as Lucia leaned closer to Luna, perhaps intending to touch her again, a cold, slender hand suddenly clamped onto the back of her neck with precision, catching her off guard.

It was as if fate itself had seized her throat.

The Frost Banshee instantly sensed trouble.

Vivian had appeared behind her, her face expressionless.

Naturally, it was Vivian who had grabbed Lucia’s neck.

“My child is none of your concern. And keep your voice down—don’t wake her.”

“Alright, alright, I get it! Let go, Lord Demon Lord!”

Vivian’s tone was sharp, while Lucia, like a cat caught by the scruff, squirmed futilely, trying to break free from the iron grip.

She wasn’t sure what Lucia was up to, but it certainly wasn’t anything good.

Lucia struggled briefly, then, as Vivian slightly loosened her grip, slipped out like an eel and darted to the tent’s entrance.

“Tch, if you don’t want me to look, just say so! No need to get physical. You nearly scared me to death!”

She grumbled softly, her tone laced with grievance, huffing indignantly.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Lucia adjusted her slightly disheveled collar, regaining some of her sharp composure.

“I need to assist Lady Aria with the public punishments for those petty thieves. There’s a pile of work waiting.”

She turned to leave but paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and looked back with a casual tone.

“Oh, right, almost forgot to mention—a few days ago, Evernight City experienced a small earthquake. It was quite noticeable and caused a bit of a panic.”

“The camp was in chaos for a while, but thankfully, it stopped quickly. Only a few crumbling shacks had their corners collapse. No casualties or major damage.”

“You just returned, so no one’s likely had the chance to brief you yet.”

“I see. You may go.”

Vivian responded flatly.

“Hmph.”

With a final huff, Lucia lifted the tent flap and left, muttering under her breath, leaving behind a faint chill in the air.

Vivian lowered her gaze to her fingers.

Admittedly, it was her first time touching a Frost Banshee’s body.

Cool, smooth, almost slippery.

The sensation was surprisingly pleasant.

As for the earthquake?

It was likely the result of her mana going haywire during Luna’s birth.

“Sigh, work, work.”

Vivian sighed, glancing at the soundly sleeping Luna before shaking her head and returning to her tasks.

She had been absent for a full month.

While Luna’s reports gave her a general sense of the territory’s state, there were still countless detailed documents to review.

Beyond the issues already discussed, another major challenge was implementing reforms in other parts of the Evernight Territory.

Truthfully, Vivian hadn’t expected others to readily accept her orders.

As the saying went, “The emperor is far, and the heavens are high.”

Her actual control depended on the military forces loyal to her.

Currently, her forces, excluding those assigned to reconstruction, numbered just four thousand, including newly recruited soldiers.

With so few, maintaining security, patrolling, and dealing with troublesome adventurers and mercenaries left little manpower for war.

In the short term, she couldn’t spare enough forces to enforce reforms in distant villages and towns, let alone establish effective grassroots control.

The biggest issue was the lack of capable, trustworthy local leaders.

Most competent, respected demon captains and key figures were tied up with Evernight City’s reconstruction and production efforts, particularly at Blackthorn Village and other Evernight Crystal mines,

where manpower was critically short.

Her control over other towns and villages was limited to knowing their existence, population movements, and general conditions, maintaining only basic communication.

Actually implementing her reforms?

That was a pipe dream.

But it didn’t matter.

As long as Evernight City thrived and proved her vision correct, she could gradually regain control of her territory.

After all, who wouldn’t yearn for a better life, especially when a clear example stood right before them?

Everything would fall into place more smoothly then.

Vivian took a deep breath, leaning back in her chair to relax.

A month away from paperwork, yet it felt like she’d been handling it just yesterday.

But then, that month hadn’t exactly been a vacation—she’d spent most of it unconscious.

It felt like the time had slipped by in a blur.

Fortunately, no major crises had erupted in the territory during her absence.

Vivian resumed tackling her documents, occasionally rising to tend to Luna when she woke, fussing for milk.

More often than not, she worked with one hand cradling Luna, her eyes scanning reports on the stone desk, the other hand scribbling orders and plans.

“Wuu?”

Luna seemed puzzled by Vivian’s divided attention, but driven by instinct, she focused on eating and sleeping, drifting off after a short fuss.

For now, caring for Luna didn’t demand too much of Vivian’s energy.

After feeding Luna again and watching her fall back asleep, Luna’s head peeked through the tent’s entrance.

“Lord Demon Lord? I’ve brought your dinner…”

“Hm?”

Vivian looked up from her pile of documents, realizing the sky had darkened and the tent was dim.

With a flick of her hand, she ignited a mana-fueled lamp for light.

“It’s already this late…”

She rubbed her throbbing temples.

“Come in.”

“Yes.”

At Vivian’s command, Luna entered softly, carrying a tray.

The tray held simple fare: perfectly grilled meat, fresh bread, a steaming bowl of vegetable soup, and a small plate of fruit.

She placed the meal on an empty stone table beside Vivian’s desk.

With trade resuming, Evernight City’s food supply had improved significantly.

Gone were the days of subsisting solely on moonlight beans.

“How’s the little princess today? Has she been interrupting your work, Lord Demon Lord?”

After setting down the meal, Luna couldn’t help but glance curiously at Luna.

“She’s fine. Just eats, sleeps, and repeats. It hasn’t been too disruptive.”

Vivian’s eyes remained fixed on her documents—she was nearly done with the current batch.

Never one to procrastinate, she wanted to finish before eating.

“…Lord Demon Lord, may I hold the little princess?”

Luna, clearly intrigued by Luna, gazed at her serene sleeping face, her eyes sparkling with excitement and a cautious request.

“Sure, but if you wake her, you’re feeding her.”

“Ugh, no fair! Without enough [Yang Energy], even a succubus can’t produce milk, Lord Demon Lord!”

Familiar enough with Vivian to catch her teasing, Luna stuck out her tongue playfully.

Carefully, she lifted Luna from the cradle.