“P-please… may I ask what else the pretty little miss needs? Hehe~”

The middle-aged man grinned foolishly, shoulders slumped as if unable to straighten. He stood beside Zila like a walking corpse, dazed and mumbling his greeting.

Oopsie, almost forgot about this nice uncle~

“Uncle~ I’m sooo hungry! Could you *please* go to that sweet soup vendor at the street corner and buy me a cup of super sweet, yummy sweet soup? Pleeease?”

Zila clutched his hand, swaying her body coquettishly with a spoiled pout. Her heterochromatic amethyst-and-gold eyes shimmered with a soft glow—radiating cuteness so overwhelming it felt almost unfair.

Especially since she was a beautiful Succubus Curse!

“Of course! Little miss, Uncle’s going right now!” He snapped into motion like a mindless machine, obeying without hesitation.

The moment he vanished from sight, Zila perked up. “Time to slip away~”

After weaving through several streets and confirming she’d shaken off the cargo-carrying uncle, she slowed, panting lightly. Glancing back, she whispered, “Phew~ That charmed uncle probably can’t find me anymore, right?”

*Sorry, Uncle… I didn’t mean to charm you. I just needed a tiny bit of help to get home.*

Heart lightened, she soaked in the bustling street—people flowing peacefully, laughter drifting on the breeze. Tranquility wrapped around her once more.

Even after so long away, she remembered everything.

Her home lay in the human realm: the Gaelkani Kingdom. Right now, she stood in a commercial lane of Huangfeng Town—not far from where she once lived.

She—no, *he*—was Xue Yu: a knight of this land, a proud graduate of Huangfeng Academy.

Alas. The valiant knight who once battled demons on the front lines was now… this. A once-tall, handsome man reborn as an immature little girl.

Worse—she’d become a Succubus Curse, a form even her own kin despised. Just thinking of Demon Empress Zili made Zila grit her teeth. *I’d twist her head off if I could…*

But she was the defeated. Powerless. Just a bitter thought.

That night—the Succubus Empress’s demonic blade, Jue Mo, piercing her abdomen. Unimaginable agony. Darkness.

Then… waking up like *this*. A face hauntingly similar to Demon Empress Zili herself.

*Why spare me? Why transform me?* Frustration coiled tight. *Succubus Empress… what do you truly want from me?*

Lost in thought, Zila tripped over something—and face-planted~

“Ow! What in the…!” Rubbing her stinging forehead, tears pricking her eyes, she looked down.

Not an object—a child! Around eight or nine, wrapped in a tattered brown robe, just like her.

“A… beggar? So young? How…?”

The child lay motionless, seemingly asleep.

Then—a stir. A shift. Woken by the stumble.

Silver-white strands of hair slipped from the hood as the girl lifted her head.

First thing Zila noticed: eyes redder and clearer than rubies. Breathtaking.

But her sickly pale face and vacant gaze tugged at Zila’s heart.

After a blank stare, the girl flinched.

“Wah… wah!” She clutched her head, trembling like a rabbit facing a hungry tiger.

“Eh?! Wait—I didn’t bully you~!” Zila panicked, flustered by the tears.

*Did she sense I’m not human? No… my disguise is perfect!*

*Morning grumpiness? Did I hurt her when I fell?*

Brushing dust off her clothes, Zila stepped forward to comfort her—

“Hey! You! Stop bullying that little girl!”

A woman’s voice cut through the air. Zila turned—not startled by the accusation, but by the *familiarity* of the tone.

And there she was.

Xia Mo.

Her apprentice. The young knight she’d saved on the battlefield.

Chestnut hair tied in a neat ponytail, Huangfeng Academy’s maple-leaf emblem gleaming on her uniform, sword strapped firmly behind her. Sweet-faced, mature, radiant.

Joy surged in Zila’s chest—*I’ve missed you!*

But Xia Mo seized her wrist, eyes sharp with disgust.

“Did you bully her? I don’t care if you’re a child—kicking a beggar on the street? Have you no shame?”

She’d come bearing food, ready to offer warmth… only to witness “bullying.”

“Eh?! Xia Mo, no! I didn’t—I swear!” Zila stammered, frantic.

The moment those words left her lips, Xia Mo froze.

That voice—

A melody sweeter than dawn’s lark. A bewitching whisper that coiled around the soul. Unforgettable. Addictive.

“Wait…” Xia Mo blinked, shaking off the haze. “How do you know my name? Have we met?”

“?” A mental question mark popped over Zila’s head.

*We’ve met tons of—oh no.*

Her smile froze. *Right. I’m not *me* anymore!*

Panic sparked. Quick-thinking, Zila jabbed a finger behind Xia Mo and shrieked:

“Look! It’s the handsome, amazing Brother Xue Yu!”

“What?! Master’s back?!”

Just as planned—Xia Mo whipped around instantly.