Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Damn, I wasn’t drugged by her, was I?
What flashed through Ling Xi’s mind was the killing intent in those people’s eyes just now.
It was the final beam of light from Aina’s sneak attack.
If the collar hadn’t blocked it, the one lying on the ground now would have been her.
The sensation of the fireball flying from his palm still lingered.
“Forget it. There was never a standard answer to this kind of question anyway.”
Ling Xi stared at her blankly.
"When the day comes that you are truly strong enough to make the rules, then go think about what is right and what is wrong."
The sky outside had already been dyed with the colors of the evening glow.
"Alright, it’s getting late."
Scarlet Moon stretched lazily. “I don’t want to go back only to wait for you to cook.”
"Eh?"
"Let’s eat here instead."
Scarlet Moon pointed toward the brightly lit streets of the Iron Ring District in the distance.
Night in the Iron Ring District was a completely different world from the daytime.
The white mist spraying from the steam pipes turned dreamlike under the glow of all kinds of lights.
The aroma of meat, the sweetness of bread, and the scent of spices Ling Xi couldn’t name all mixed together and slipped into her nose.
Ling Xi’s stomach let out an uncooperative growl.
“Looks like my little maid is very hungry.”
Scarlet Moon tugged on that invisible thread and led her into a restaurant that looked quite lively.
The heavy wooden door was pushed open, letting out a creak.
The noisy wave of sound inside instantly dropped.
The clinking of cups and plates stopped, the laughter from idle boasting caught in people’s throats, and even the motions of chewing slowed down.
Lines of sight shot over from every corner of the restaurant.
Ling Xi instinctively shrank back a little behind Scarlet Moon.
Scarlet Moon casually swept her gaze across everyone in the room.
Swish.
All those gazes, as if scalded, withdrew at the exact same moment.
Those drinking with their heads lowered continued drinking, and those cutting meat continued cutting meat.
The noise in the restaurant rose again, even louder than before.
Scarlet Moon sat down at a table by the window, and Ling Xi followed and sat properly across from her.
“Have a good taste of what food made by other people is like.”
Scarlet Moon tapped the menu with her finger.
“Learn properly.”
Ling Xi’s cheeks grew a little hot.
Got it, got it. My cooking was terrible. There was no need to keep reminding her.
She lowered her head, both hands resting on her knees, her fingers unconsciously twisting the folds of her skirt.
“What?”
Scarlet Moon’s lazy voice drifted over.
“Looking at your expression, you seem rather unconvinced?”
“N-no!”
Ling Xi denied it at once, burying her head even lower.
“Miss was right. What I make is not tasty.”
“Good that you know.”
Scarlet Moon lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertip.
“But just knowing isn’t enough.”
She leaned forward slightly. “As my maid, a basic skill like cooking can’t stay forever at the level of merely being edible, can it?”
Ling Xi defended herself in a small voice, “I... I only just started learning...”
Scarlet Moon cut her off mercilessly. “That’s why I brought you out, so you could properly experience food made by others.”
She stressed her tone, as if announcing a new rule.
“Now that you’ve already tasted the standard answer,
if you make that kind of hard-to-swallow thing again next time,
then I can punish you with full justification, right?”
“Eh?!”
Ling Xi lifted her head, her eyes full of alarm.
How could that be the same!!
Just because she had eaten it once, she had to be able to make it?
She wasn’t some kind of God of Cooking who could reverse-engineer a recipe just by tasting it with her tongue!
Her heart was roaring madly, yet her mouth only dared to let out a faint protest.
“T-that’s not fair…”
“Oh?” Scarlet Moon raised an eyebrow, pure curiosity on her face. “What’s not fair about it?”
“I…” Ling Xi fell speechless.
She couldn’t exactly say, “Because you’re a temperamental Demon King, so your standards for punishment must be twisted too,” could she?
Seeing Ling Xi’s aggrieved yet silent expression, the smile at the corner of Scarlet Moon’s lips deepened.
Just then, a waiter walked over carrying a huge tray.
Soon, the food was set on the table.
A large whole pork chop, grilled until it sizzled,
paired with golden fried sides and a small dish of brightly colored pickled vegetables.
The aroma rushed straight to the nose.
Scarlet Moon said something else to the waiter.
Before long, the waiter returned with another tray.
Two elegantly shaped goblets were placed on the table.
A thin layer of frost clung to the surface of the cups, wisps of white chill drifting upward.
The liquid inside displayed a beautiful gradient, shifting from deep red to scarlet.
Within the drink, several crystal-clear ice cubes floated up and down, accented by a small green leaf Ling Xi couldn’t name.
“Try this.”
Scarlet Moon pushed one of the glasses toward Ling Xi.
Ling Xi picked up the cup and brought it to her nose to sniff.
A rich berry fragrance greeted her, tinged with a hint of minty coolness.
She carefully took a sip.
The sweet-and-sour, icy liquid slid down her throat.
It tasted very good.
She couldn’t help taking another big gulp.
Across from her, Scarlet Moon didn’t touch her own glass. She merely propped her chin on one hand and watched her.
Ling Xi felt a little uncomfortable under that gaze and could only lower her head to focus on dealing with the pork chop on her plate.
The outer crust of the pork chop had been grilled to a crisp, yet the meat inside was tender and full of juices.
It was completely different from the dry, tough version she had made herself.
Damn it, it really was pretty delicious…
But that didn’t mean she could make it herself!
One cup of the drink was quickly emptied.
“Is it really that good?” Scarlet Moon’s voice carried a trace of amusement.
Ling Xi was just about to put the cup down when she paused at the words.
“Ah… it’s pretty good.”
She answered softly, continuously swirling the ice cubes in the glass with her hand.
“Mhm, I could tell.”
As Scarlet Moon spoke, she pushed her own cup over as well.
“But take it easy. The aftereffects are pretty strong.”
“Aftereffects?”
Ling Xi froze for a moment. Looking at the second pretty drink in front of her that was still giving off cold mist, she didn’t quite understand what Scarlet Moon meant.
Wasn’t this just fruit juice? What kind of aftereffects could it have?
She hesitated for a moment, but still failed to resist the temptation and picked up the second cup.
After the second cup went down, she felt a warmth rising inside her body, dispelling the chill she had picked up at the top of the tower.
Her cheeks also began to heat up.
The third cup was another one Scarlet Moon had ordered.
By the time she was halfway through it, Ling Xi felt that the scene before her eyes was beginning to blur slightly into double images.
The noisy voices in the restaurant seemed to be separated by a layer of water, growing somewhat distant.
She began to sweat, beads of perspiration seeping from her forehead and sliding down her cheeks.
That elaborate Gothic Lolita dress now felt somewhat stifling, and the corset cinching her waist made it a little hard for her to breathe.
Her thoughts also became sluggish, like rusted gears.
She set down the cup and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
What was going on?
Her body was so hot.
She raised her head to look at Scarlet Moon across from her.
Scarlet Moon looked completely at ease. In her pupils were reflected the dim yellow lights of the restaurant, and also her own face, flushed with an abnormal redness.
A thought suddenly arose in Ling Xi’s mind, making her sober up a little.
“Damn, I wasn’t drugged by her, was I??”