What do succubi usually eat?

At that thought, a bad feeling rose in Zila's heart.

She looked at the bowl of "strange" food on the maid's tray and couldn't help swallowing.

No way, no way... could it really be that?!

Taking the bowl of "succubus food" from the maid, Zi Li lifted a spoonful and held it out to Zila's mouth.

Zila stared at what was in the spoon. The liquid on top was white and thick, looking extremely similar to yogurt.

The moment she realized what was in the bowl, Zila sucked in a sharp breath.

"Ahhh! I don't want that disgusting stuff! Take it away already!" Zila's eyes went wide in fright.

As Zi Li moved the spoon closer, Zila kept scooting backward with it, always staying just out of reach.

"Don't be scared. This yogurt is really delicious, you know! Here, ah~" Zi Li made a gesture for her to open her mouth, then pushed the spoon right to Zila's lips.

Yogurt? Yeah right, like I'd believe that nonsense~ This is obviously...

"Yah! I don't want it! Take it away, take it away~" Zila protested, flailing wildly.

But as she kept resisting, a fragrant, tender, enticing smell suddenly drifted to the tip of her nose. It felt like an invisible hand had hooked her by it.

So... so fragrant! Zila froze for a moment. Her eyes turned a little dazed, a little absent.

So... so fragrant! Is this really "yogurt"? How could there be yogurt in this world that smells this good?

In the end, faced with the temptation of that aroma, Zila lost herself, and everything unfolded exactly as Zi Li had expected.

Zi Li smiled a little to herself.

How could any succubus resist food brought right to her lips? And this was the palace's most "delicious," most "nutritious" top-grade "ingredient" at that!

Completely captivated by the fragrance, Zila didn't even realize she'd already swallowed a big spoonful of yogurt in one gulp.

As the thick yogurt passed over her taste buds and slid down her throat, the next second, Zila looked like she'd been injected with pure energy.

Her whole body refreshed at once, and her spirits came right back.

Pink hearts appeared in her eyes. Zila cupped her cheeks and savored the lingering taste in her mouth.

It was the first time she had ever tasted something this sweet. It felt as if every premium dessert in the world had fused together in perfect harmony.

The sweet fragrance melted the instant it touched her throat, then spread across her tongue at once. It lingered on her taste buds for a long, long time, more intoxicating than a treasured vintage wine.

"Ngh ngh ngh~ so, so yummy! I want more, give me more already!!"

"Alright, alright! Eat slowly, no need to rush. As long as my good granddaughter behaves, you can have as much as you want!" Zi Li continued feeding Zila just like before.

Her kindly face gazed at Zila.

Zila kept licking her lips and obediently accepted the feeding.

Zi Li smiled gently too. When the bowl was finally empty, she set it back on the tray.

After signaling the maid to leave, Zi Li held Zila's cheek and used one finger to gently wipe away the food at the corner of her mouth.

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, Zila bit down on Zi Li's finger like a starving animal.

Zila licked up the food residue on Zi Li's finger in a frenzy.

So adorable! As expected of this Empress's granddaughter!

"Huffah~ so yummy~"

Yet Zila still looked all blank and babbling, completely out of it. Zi Li didn't mind. She simply raised another finger.

She placed it in front of Zila's forehead. "Tap~" She lightly flicked her forehead.

"Ahwu~" Covering her aching forehead, Zila let out a dissatisfied little whine.

That slight pain finally pulled Zila a little out of her sinking obsession with the "food." She held her forehead and puffed out her lips in grievance.

"Alright now! My good granddaughter, it's getting late. Come sleep with Grandma!"

Wait! What happened to me just now? Having recovered a little, Zila fell into a completely bewildered state again.

The lingering taste on her tongue pulled up memory fragments so clear they couldn't have been clearer.

Everything she had just done flashed through her mind in complete, uncensored high definition.

Under the impact of those memories—

Zila froze, and at the same time, her cheeks slowly turned cherry pink. In her embarrassment, that blush spread faster and faster, all the way to her ears.

What the heck did I just do?! Aaaaahhh!

She couldn't believe she had actually begged an enemy for food, then obediently let herself be fed without any resistance!

For a human knight, wasn't that the ultimate humiliation?! Zila gave up thinking altogether, her face turning ashen.

As if she had long expected this reaction, Zi Li didn't say much. She only smacked her lips and snickered, then hugged Zila, lay down with her, and covered them both with the blanket to sleep.

...

Maybe it was luck, or maybe Zi Li had been careless for a moment.

That night, with her mind on the verge of collapse, Zila barely managed to hold on to the last shred of her sanity and found a chance to escape.

She successfully slipped out of the succubus palace. Hunted all the way, she fled for days and nights without food or water, stumbling and crawling the whole way back.

Only yesterday did Zila finally return to the human nation—the Gaelkani Kingdom.

By chance, she ran into a wagon transporting minerals near the border. Since the opportunity had fallen right into her lap, she chose to charm the driver and used the transport wagon to make it smoothly back into Gaelkani.

Coming back to herself from those memories, Zila sat on the sofa and looked at the earth-shaking changes in her body, sighing over and over in helpless frustration.

"So that's what happened. That old hag probably used some kind of curse on me and turned me into this."

After spending a few minutes giving a simple explanation of everything that had happened, Zila's mood sank.

"But why didn't the Succubus Empress kill Master? Why did she turn you into one of her own instead?" Sitting behind Zila, Xia Mo asked while combing her hair.

"I don't know either..." Her mismatched purple-and-gold eyes spun quickly a few times. Then Zila seemed to think of something and smacked her fist into her palm.

"I know! Didn't the rumors say the Succubus Empress's biological daughter fought a war against us humans over twenty years ago?"

"Oh! That war. Yes, that's true. But we humans also lost important fighting strength in that war." Xia Mo answered, then asked doubtfully, "But what does that have to do with the Succubus Empress turning Master into one of her own?"

"Xia Mo, you silly disciple, think about it carefully. That old hag lost her daughter, so she definitely wouldn't have a next generation to inherit the throne. If that's the case, then she must've..."

Zila made her guess with complete confidence. She crossed her arms over her chest and spoke smugly.

"But if that's really what she wanted, why did she call you her granddaughter?"

After hearing her master's theory, Xia Mo thought it over and analyzed it, but it still felt full of holes. She picked out the part that seemed wrong and asked about it.

"Why not call you her daughter instead? Between granddaughter and daughter, wouldn't daughter be closer?"

Zila closed her eyes and sank into thought again.

A moment later, she opened them and declared with confidence once more, "I know now! That old hag must be so desperate for a granddaughter that she's gone crazy! That's definitely it! Hahaha, I'm so smart!"