The aroma of caramelised soy sauce and frying garlic hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the magical tension that had suffocated the room just minutes ago.
I placed three plates on the counter. The dark brown grains of Nasi Goreng glistened under the warm shop lights, topped with a perfectly fried egg, the yolk still wobbling dangerously. It was simple Javanese comfort food, but to the inhabitants of this world, it probably looked like alchemical sludge or overcooked food.
The sound of the bathroom door clicking open.
Chis stepped out.
I blinked, momentarily stunned. The drooling, trembling mess of a creature from five minutes ago was gone. In her place stood a being of almost painful elegance. She had tidied her hair, letting it flow down her back like a sheet of moonlight. Her posture was no longer subservient but naturally regal, her chin lifted slightly, and her red eyes were sharp and glowing with a predatory intelligence. She wiped a stray drop of water from her pale neck with a long, slender finger, the movement slow and deliberate.
Damn. She is… actually breathtaking. Forget sometimes, between the drooling and the begging, that she is a Vampire Lord. Her beauty and body are a waste with her trait.
"I have cleansed myself," Chis said. Her voice had changed too; it was smoother, lacking the erratic stutter of her earlier delirium. She walked toward the counter, her hips swaying with a hypnotic rhythm.
Chis took a seat exactly beside Orla. Maybe in this world, it was the first time the Commander of the Human Realm was sitting side by side with the High Ranking-Demon without being terrified.
Orla blinked, looking down at her hands.
"You are staring…" Chis said, her voice was calm. She didn't turn her head.
"I…" Orla stammered, caught off guard. "You are… different from last night."
"Different?" Chis tilted her head slightly. A faint, mocking smile played on her lips. "I am simply in the presence of the Master. To be anything less than perfect would be an insult to his hospitality."
Please don't make it sound like that.
"Ah…yes, the mind control… You are actually loving being controlled, aren't you?"
"Hearing that from a mere human… is quite presumptive," Chis purred, her red eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. The temperature in the shop seemed to drop. "You see chains; I see the privilege of witnessing true power. To be crushed by His will is a sensation your fragile mortal mind couldn't possibly comprehend."
Just shut up already…
I felt a headache forming behind my eyes. I had to intervene before she started describing her 'correction' in detail.
"How about we start to eat?" my voice cutting through the atmosphere. "The food is best when it is hot."
Orla picked up her spoon.
"Eat," I said, sliding a plate toward Chistera. I didn't look at her. "Before I change my mind and feed it to the floor."
"~… The floor...~" Chistera whispered, picking up her spoon. A shiver went through her shoulders. "~… You would deny me... to feed the dust? How... Cruel… hehehe.~"
I made a mistake because her beauty and her regality changed immediately after that. She started to drool again, and it dropped onto the food.
She took a bite. Her eyes widened.
"It's… black," she murmured, chewing slowly. "Dark… heavy… sticks. It tastes like… night."
She looked at me, a flush rising on her pale cheeks. "Is this what 'Ruin' tastes like?"
As soon as she took a glance at me, I immediately avoided looking at her.
"It is merely fried rice. Do not make something into your own fantasy," I said.
Orla swallowed hard, looking between Chis and me.
"This… flavour. It is rich. I have never tasted spices like this in the Capital. But…" She lowered her voice, glancing at Chis. "Darya, you feel okay having the Vampire Lord have breakfast like this; that's fascinating."
"How do I put it…"
…
After we had breakfast, Orla immediately went to the bathroom to take a bath.
At the front of the counter, it was just Chis and me.
I remembered the first time Chis was in here and took a bath. She took a whole bottle of shampoo. However, this time, her scent wasn't overpowering like before.
"How many pumps did you use the shampoo?" I asked her, as there was no Orla, so I could stare at her.
"I think I use 2-3 pumps," Chis replied with a sheepish grin. "I learnt my lesson from last time," she added, chuckling.
"Good then…"
…
"By the way," she asked. "The Knight… Orla, is that the name you call her? Do you intend to keep her? For how long?"
"Keep her?" I frowned. "She is not a pet."
"Sure… She is the eye and ear of the Human's realm…"
"While you are the same, the eye and ear of the Demon."
"Sure…sure… This Orla looks at you with fear. But also… hunger. Not the hunger for food. But a hunger for… answers. Truth."
"Well, about that… That's a good thing, if someone is hungry for answers or truth."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ignorance is a cage," I said, leaning back. "It keeps people safe, but it also keeps them small. If Orla is hungry for the truth, it means she is starting to see the bars of her cage. She wants to know what lies beyond the teachings of her Kingdom."
The silence stretched.
"Speaking of 'cage'," her voice changed completely, a sly smile playing on her lips, "As you try to act in front of Orla, you are under my mind control. How about exploring it more?
"~… Don't try to act it… just embrace it… You can use me…~" She leaned closer over the counter, the distance between us shrinking. Her eyes were glazed with violent delight.
Hearing that, surely a human will want to use/play her… But… Wait a second, I can use her… for another purpose…
"So you want to play?" I leaned closer to her, my right hand touching her cheeks.
Her eyes were immediately sparkling with a feverish intensity. She leaned into my touch, her skin cool against my palm.
"~…Yes… Master…~" she whispered, her voice trembling. "~…Use me… I am yours to play with…~"
"If you want to play," I whispered, bringing my face close enough that she shivered in anticipation, "then you must prove you can handle the dirty work. Can you handle that?"
"~…Yes… Anything…~"
I pointed at three plates in front of us and some glasses.
"Clean them," I commanded, my voice flat and authoritative. "Wash every single dish. By hand." Immediately, I activated the skill cafe.
She blinked. The hazy lust in her eyes cleared for a split second, replaced by confusion as she looked at the plates. Then, a slow, creeping flush spread across her neck.
"~…Manual labor…~" she breathed out.
"Every spot," I added, withdrawing my hand and crossing my arms. "If I see a single speck of grease, you do it again."
"~…To reduce a Lord… to a scullery maid…~" She hugged herself, her nails digging into her arms. "~…To force me to touch the filth with my bare hands… to serve like a commoner… Oh, Master… you are truly cruel…~"
She looked at me, her expression bordering on religious ecstasy.
"~…It is humiliating… It is… exquisite.~"
"Get to it," I said, turning away to grab a cloth so she wouldn't see the relief on my face. "And don't break anything. Those plates are expensive."
"~…Yes… I will scrub them… I will make them shine for you…~"
She practically scrambled off the stool, rushing to the sink with disturbing enthusiasm.
Well, free labour, I think… even, it's a pervert maid.
Just as Chis plunged her hands into the soapy water, the bathroom door clicked open again.
Orla stepped out. She looked refreshed, the tension from the morning largely washed away, though she froze when she saw Chis aggressively scrubbing a plate.
"What is she doing?" Orla asked, walking over to the counter.
"Doing dishes?"
"No…No… what I mean is, why is she doing dishes?"
"I ordered her…"
She shocked. Her mouth hung open slightly, her eyes darting between Chis and me.
"You… you made a High-Ranking Demon… a scullery maid?" She whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief. "Do you have any idea how much dignity she has stripped away to do this?"
"What I know is, she wants to play, so I give her the 'play'."
Orla's eyes widened in horror as she realised the implications of Chis being forced to do menial tasks. "But she's a High-Ranking Demon," she protested, her voice filled with concern. "This isn't right."
"Why do you suddenly protect her dignity?"
She looked at Chis, who was scrubbing happily, and turned back at me. "Well, you are right… Why do I need to protect her dignity…?"
…
..
.
Chis was scrubbing the dishes; Orla and I were sitting at the counter waiting for someone or something to come as customers…
As the sun was blazing outside, some knocks could be heard. I went to the entrance door and opened it…
It was the vegans of this world, Dryads. I looked at them, as I remembered, Eleni and Alani. They were in front of me, but with another creature. Her physical appearance was like Aella's, but her eyes were a striking shade of green, unlike anything I had ever seen before. I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and wonder as I welcomed them inside.