"You... you stay back!!"

I blurted out that famous line in terror, struggling involuntarily.

"Hehe~ Carol, look how you’ve scared the Great Demon King. Can’t you be a bit gentler?" Evelyn teased.

"Where am I not gentle? Lady Sibyl, what do you think?"

Carol pinned me with her left arm while her right hand gently stroked my forehead, her voice unnaturally soft.

Yet the meaning behind it was crystal clear.

...

I finally couldn’t bear Carol’s honeyed pressure. Her touch felt like a knife coated in sweetness—delicious on the skin but hiding danger beneath.

My loli instincts kicked in. I turned my head, shooting the black-haired beauty a terrified glance, then burst into loud, helpless sobs.

"Sob... sob..."

Wait, why did my crying sound so adorable?!

"Sob... sob..."

Sweet and soft, it stirred protective urges in anyone who heard it.

A crying loli like this would make her bullies feel crushing guilt.

I’d never noticed before—were my tears really this powerful?

"Carol, you’ve gone too far. You’ve made the Great Demon King cry. She’s not one of your..."

The silver-haired vampire frowned at my sobs, but cut herself off halfway. She shook her head. "Never mind. Handle it yourself."

"Sigh, the Great Demon King is still such a child," Carol murmured, unflustered. A faint smirk played on her lips.

Without warning, she scooped me up, ignoring my instinctive struggles. She carried me to the bed, sat down, and cradled me in a princess hold. With magic, she shifted the food tray aside while soothing me.

"There, there, little Lady Sibyl. No more tears. As an apology for scaring you, let us serve your breakfast. Besides your favorite cake, I brought a new drink popular among noble girls in the human kingdom. Guess what this is?"

Carol pulled a small cup from the tray. She scooped some steaming, dark-brown liquid and held it to my lips.

A deeply familiar aroma filled my nose—rich and fragrant, yet unplaceable.

Before I could figure it out, she shoved the spoon into my mouth. The thick, velvety flavor flooded my senses, halting my sobs mid-cry.

Huh? What was this? Like chocolate, but not quite.

Oh—cocoa! How did cocoa exist here?! Did this world have hot zones for cocoa trees?

My Demon Kin territory felt warm, but nowhere near hot enough. If such places existed, they wouldn’t be under our control. How had Evelyn gotten this?

"The Great Demon King loves it, doesn’t she? This rare ingredient came from captured human nobles. Every drop is in this cup," Carol said, as if hearing my thoughts.

Evelyn watched silently from the side, then muttered dryly, "Tsk tsk. She really stopped crying. Such a little glutton."

Ignoring the silver-haired beauty’s jab, I swallowed my embarrassment and whispered, "It’s tasty... but Sister Carol is so mean! You always bully me! I like gentle Sister Carol, not scary Sister Carol. Didn’t you say Demon Kin are honest? Why trick Sibyl like this? I was really scared..."

To fix her habit, I’d sacrifice dignity. I’d tossed my pride to the winds long ago.

"Is that so..." Carol nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. I promise never to treat you this way again, Great Demon King. But little Lady Sibyl must remember—this only holds if you behave."

Something felt off. By that logic, if I misbehaved, she could still threaten me, right?

"Since this threat displeases Lady Sibyl, it can remain as a punishment option, no?"

I felt confused, sensing a flaw, but before I could argue, Carol stuffed a cake piece into my mouth, silencing me.

"Well, we’ve wasted enough time. Enjoy your breakfast, Lady Sibyl."

Evelyn had slipped beside me, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the black-haired girl. Wordlessly, she untangled Carol’s hold, letting my head rest on her lap. She shifted me gently, then reached for my velvet-pink hair.

Carol didn’t feed me properly either. She dangled cake teasingly under my nose, refusing to let me eat.

And so, the iconic scene was set.