High Fever.

The intense pain in her hand made Luna realize how sharp and biting it was.

Aren was biting her arm like a ferocious monster.

The slight chill told Luna one thing—she was sucking her blood.

“Granite Great Shield.”

Luna murmured.

This was an emergency-release elemental spell.

It placed an enormous burden on the mind.

However, it was instantaneous.

Because it was a defensive spell, it consumed a tremendous amount of mental power.

Compared to Water Sphere, Granite Great Shield required far more mental energy.

For a low-tier mage, this would be unbearably painful.

But for Luna, it was extremely easy.

She did not even feel any strain as the spell activated.

It was almost instinctive.

“Bang!”

With a deafening sound, Aren was blasted away by the newly formed shield.

Her body was violently flung to the ground.

“Bang!”

Another heavy impact echoed.

“Aren? I’m sorry… Aren?”

Luna knew that she had not controlled the spell’s strength at all during that instant cast.

She may have used her full power.

The reason was simple.

There were faint cracks spreading across the wall behind Aren.

And Aren herself had been knocked unconscious.

She lay on the floor like a corpse.

The ferocious expression from moments ago vanished like a bursting bubble.

Yet the bite marks on Luna’s arm and the cracks in the wall were proof of that madness.

Because Aren had suddenly gone berserk in the middle of wound treatment, she had attacked while Luna was still unclothed.

Luna had never seen anything so bizarre.

Cold sweat formed on her forehead.

She wiped it away and walked over to check Aren’s condition.

The violent collision seemed to have broken several more bones.

Even with the naked eye, the skeletal structure of Aren’s body looked distorted.

Old wounds had reopened and were bleeding again.

She was completely unconscious.

What was surprising was that Aren’s breathing was slightly better than before.

Still extremely weak.

“But better than before…”

“No matter what, this place isn’t suitable for treatment.”

Luna thought.

She covered Aren with her own clothes.

Then she lifted Aren onto her back.

She headed toward the laboratory inside the castle.

Unbeknownst to her, the running only worsened Aren’s fractures.

Even while unconscious, Aren frowned slightly from the pain.

……………………………………..

The wounds were treated again.

Using spare herbs from the laboratory, Luna mixed them with Water Sphere magic to wash away Aren’s bloodstains.

Whether it would work or not, Luna did not know.

But Aren clearly looked to be in pain.

Every time the water rolled over the wounds, Aren frowned as if enduring it.

Luna tried to be as gentle as possible.

Even so, it was not very effective.

Each movement twisted Aren’s expression in pain.

She even let out faint groans.

Luna had no choice but to harden her heart and continue.

The infected wound was beyond terrible.

It could even be said to be rotting.

Yellow pus was visible inside.

Luna forcibly applied the herbs onto the wound.

Then she tightly wrapped it with bandages.

Ensuring the treatment would be as effective as possible.

“Haah……”

Luna sighed.

She looked at Aren’s fractured areas.

Then sighed again.

She gently placed her hand over the broken bones.

Soft chanting followed.

With an earthy-colored glow, Aren’s bones miraculously returned to their original positions.

It was as if the bones themselves remembered where they belonged.

They realigned perfectly.

This spell was very special.

It stabilized broken bones.

Both mages and warriors often used it for emergency treatment.

Combined with a priest’s healing spell, bones could heal in a very short time.

Now Aren’s torso was wrapped like a mummy.

A bandage circled her head as well.

Her eyes were tightly shut.

Her breathing was weak but steady and rhythmic.

Overall, her condition seemed stable.

There should be no major problems.

All of this took Luna nearly half a day.

“I can’t leave her in the laboratory.”

Luna thought.

She placed Aren onto a wooden board.

Then, as if by miracle, lifted the board into the air.

She headed directly to the top of the castle.

That was Aren’s original room.

“Mm~! Finally!”

Sitting on the sofa chair beside the bed, Luna muttered to herself.

After dealing with everything, she was exhausted.

Leaning against the mattress, propping her cheek with one hand.

She looked at Aren’s face.

Though wrapped in bandages, it looked strangely peaceful.

Like a sculpture.

“Hu… hu…”

Soft breathing.

Aren lay peacefully on the bed.

It was truly unbelievable.

What had happened earlier was far too horrifying.

Like a beast that had lost all reason.

Bloodthirsty.

Craving blood.

As if Luna herself were nothing more than a walking blood bank.

Just thinking about it made her shiver.

Luna could not forget Aren’s empty and terrifying gaze.

In those eyes.

She was nothing but edible prey.

Luna looked at Aren again.

“Ha……”

She sighed.

Glancing outside the window.

It was already close to evening.

“Mm, evening already…”

Luna nodded to herself.

“Evening already!!”

Only then did she realize something terrible.

In this absurdly large castle, she was the only one who had to work.

Aren could not possibly help with laundry or cleaning now.

The castle had not been cleaned for nearly a week.

If she touched anything downstairs, it would probably be covered in dust.

Lady Lilith’s clothes had not been washed either.

That meant she had a lot to do.

A lot.

And the rule was clear.

You only get to eat after finishing all your work.

Luna felt like collapsing.

“There’s still time!”

“If I go full speed!”

“I can still make it to dinner!”

……………………少女清扫中……………………

After the Ice and Snow Festival, the weather remained cold.

As night fell, chilly winds blew.

Yet inside the Demon Castle, protected by Lilith’s barrier.

It was as warm and comfortable as a spring field.

Nearly everything in the castle was handled by Luna.

And she did it perfectly.

Gardening.

Cleaning.

All flawless.

Except for one thing.

She could not cook.

She absolutely could not cook.

“Luna, go eat by yourself.”

“I’m the Demon King. I don’t need food.”

Lilith said calmly.

She casually twirled her hair.

“B-But! Master… but—”

Before Luna could finish, Lilith interrupted her.

“I’m busy right now.”

“If there’s nothing else, leave.”

Her tone was firm.

Leaving no room for objection.

“Alright… ugh…”

Whether she was acting pitiful or truly upset.

Luna actually made a whining sound.

It was obvious.

There were only three people in the entire castle.

And only one of them could cook.

That person was currently unconscious in bed.

Which meant.

Luna had no dinner tonight.

Thinking back to before.

When there were only two of them.

Luna had survived on raw meat.

Chewing fur and drinking blood had been awful.

Now that she was used to Aren’s cooking.

Going back to raw meat was impossible.

“Lilith, you old shut-in!”

Luna cursed silently.

Since gaining consciousness.

Lilith’s life revolved around the study.

The laboratory.

And the bedroom.

Three points in a line.

Aside from that one time she went to find Aren.

Luna could barely remember Lilith ever going out.

Calling her an old shut-in was completely accurate.

After all.

Lilith was already several hundred years old.

Luna did not know how to judge her master.

A gentle yet extreme workaholic.

That was Luna’s impression.

She slowly went to the botanical garden.

Picked some fruit.

Then lay on her vine-woven hammock.

Staring at the stars.

Bored out of her mind.

She raised her arm.

Looked at the bite marks.

And thought of Aren again.

Rocking back and forth in the hammock.

Unable to sleep.

She glanced at the faint light from the study.

Then at Aren’s room at the top of the castle.

Luna jumped down.

And headed toward Aren’s room.

Under the faint glow.

Lilith hugged her notebook.

Writing furiously.

“Just a little more!”

“Just a little more!”

“The improved collar is almost complete!”

Three days ago.

After returning to the Demon Castle and punishing Aren.

Lilith began researching it.

She had not slept for three days.

Fortunately.

She was the Demon King.

Her physique was absurdly strong.

She endured it.

“I’ll finish it now!”

“Tap tap tap tap.”

Urgent footsteps echoed.

…………………………………………

“Aren? Aren?”

“Are you awake?”

Luna asked softly.

There was no reply.

Only deep breathing answered her.

“Click.”

Luna lit the magic crystal lamp by the bedside.

Warm beige light filled the room.

Aren’s brows were tightly knit.

Her breathing was heavy and rapid.

Her cheeks were flushed red from the heat.

Her hair lay scattered.

“This is bad.”

Luna thought.

She placed her hand on Aren’s forehead.

It was burning hot.

A fever.

An infection caused by inflamed wounds.

This was an illness.

Healing spells would not work.

Only Lilith was proficient in herbal medicine.

But Lilith had made it clear.

She did not want to care about Aren anymore.

This was troubling.

“I’ll check anyway.”

Luna lifted Aren onto her back.

No matter what.

She would find Lilith.

The study was empty.

The cushion on the chair was still warm.

Proof that Lilith had just been there.

“Lilith…”

“Where are you…”

Luna whispered.

Calling her by name.