"I'm heading out to buy groceries, Sister Shiren. I'll be back soon~"

"Hmm..."

No matter how she explained it, no matter how hard she tried—

Shiren had to admit her complete and utter failure.

Mei Yige’s logic seemed built on a scale of equivalence: if values balanced, it was perfectly reasonable.

For one silver coin a month in rent, Mei Yige had casually accepted that her landlord was a flesh-eating demon. Yet Great Lord Blood Demon Shiren found this utterly unacceptable.

Her emotional needs went unmet. Frustration left the demon sovereign mentally adrift.

She’d tried—truly tried—to make Mei Yige show even a flicker of normal human terror toward her. Just enough to steel her resolve to turn the girl into another meal.

The result?

Placing pre-cut "snacks" in the fridge earned not screams, but complaints:

"Sister Shiren, could you tidy your little treats? My ice cream’s getting bloody."

Her artisanal canned delicacies on the kitchen table drew not fear, but scolding:

"Sister Shiren! Don’t use my peach can for heads!"

When dinner used meat from her previous "hunting trip," the girl—fully aware it wasn’t from edible demons—made a request that left Shiren bewildered:

"Sister Shiren, is that meat tasty? Spare me a bite?"

And she’d actually eaten it?

No fear whatsoever. Shiren began doubting whether she’d lost her mind or the world had changed.

The missing greetings from last week now flooded back, doubled, as their secret dissolved.

Shiren’s current life:

Waking at dawn to Mei Yige’s relentless chorus:

"Sister Shiren, morning walk?"

"Sister Shiren, breakfast run?"

"Sister Shiren, Larin’s hosting a BBQ—join us?"

"Sister Shiren~ Sister Shiren~ Sister Shiren~"

...

Perfect. Not only had the Blood Demon Sovereign’s dignity crumbled, her rules ignored—she’d gained a chirping, sparrow-like "Sister Announcer."

"Enough! Leave me alone!"

Finally overwhelmed by the "Sister" barrage, Shiren snapped, slamming her door shut.

"Hah~ Surrendered already, Landlord Sister?"

Victorious, Mei Yige sank into the sofa with a satisfied grin.

Shiren’s exposed secret brought relief—it wasn’t just about rent, but the dread of being stalked by something monstrous. She’d feared Hans and the missing adventurers were old enemies targeting her. Now? Just her landlord snacking.

What was there to worry about?

Oh, she hadn’t yet revealed she knew Shiren’s true form. Imagining Shiren’s stunned face when she finally confessed—mirroring her own shock at learning her landlord ate people—made Mei Yige’s lips curl.

*Such an adorable landlord sister.*

Could she, technically guilty of harboring a demon, protect her?

*Yes. Absolutely.*

This secret Shiren had willingly shared? As a contract-savvy tenant, Mei Yige would wield it carefully—to safeguard her stable home.

*[Using it to make Sister Shiren do fun things wouldn’t be...]*

"Human nature is ugly."

Mei Yige rejected such cynicism—but she wouldn’t deny her own messy desires. To feel, then accept, without shame.

She truly had special feelings for Shiren. But she wouldn’t confess them.

Her landlord had given enough. Her duty was to be a good tenant—and protect Sister Shiren.

That was enough.

"Yes... this is enough, Mei Yige."

Whispering to herself, she’d never felt so light deciding her life’s purpose.

But as they say:

*"When one smiles, another weeps."*

Mei Yige smiled.

Shiren?

The Blood Demon Sovereign rolled helplessly on her bed, questioning the meaning of her existence.

No—her *demonic* existence.

"I’m the most pathetic Blood Demon. Undeniably."

A demon’s worth wasn’t measured by scaring others.

Yet Great Lord Shiren now tied her success to whether her authority was respected.

Total failure.

She stopped rolling, kneeling upright on the mattress.

"A ruler masters emotions. Patience, Shiren. Patience. Comfort made you weak."

*Breathe in. Breathe out.*

Expelling bitterness.

"*Mei Yige?* Hah. Just a brat who hasn’t tasted true terror."

Certain she was still the demon sovereign who once commanded fear, Shiren shifted from kneeling to cross-legged—a meditative pose.

She needed a better plan.

Shiren never realized her goal had twisted: from devouring an insolent snack to desperately proving her dominance.

Sinister schemes brewed in the house. And their architect, Mei Yige, finally stopped smiling.

Her vacation ended when Leya arrived, summoning her mentor back to work.

"Chief, rested well? We’ve got a big case needing your touch."

In the office, pre-meeting tea in hand, Mei Yige nearly choked.

"Not nearly enough, Leya. I’ve thought long and hard—you must change your pace."

*No more military-style schedules!* To save her life from this magic-obsessed protégé, Mei Yige turned serious.

Leya nodded solemnly. "How may I improve, Teacher?"

"You rush, Leya. Your talent makes tasks easy—but perfection requires patience, not just speed." Mei Yige sipped tea, golden eyes lowered. "I’ve avoided magic talk lately. Didn’t you feel... strung along?"

"Teacher, I never—"

"Don’t lie. You accelerate tasks, thinking leftover minutes earn my lessons—even seconds."

Caught, Leya met those piercing golden eyes, then looked down. "You’re right. I’m... too eager to advance."

"Recognizing flaws is half the battle. Before work, let’s talk properly."

Mei Yige’s tone softened.

*Good. Young minds adapt.* She’d survive this old body’s limits—no more boot-camp workdays.