Chapter 2000 - 540: It's Not Just Bats Who Sneak Snacks_5

He just didn't know why his chest still hurt so badly—and it was getting worse!

...

The loneliness after victory always leaves people feeling hollow, especially when that hollow ache, once you come back to your senses, slowly curdles into a sour kind of pain.

That was Erin's body, after all.

The Colin Family's Vampire had once again made a complete mess of herself, ragged and riddled with holes… until she finally let out a whimpering cry, tumbled off the eaves, and fell straight into the bewildered arms of the Padric Demon.

But it wasn't all loss for Vivian; at least there was one thing she shared with her Beloved—both of them were headed into a long, sleepless night.

In the room that belonged to Prince Colin, Luo Yan finally made his way back. That stretch of road wasn't long, yet it had taken him quite a while to walk.

Shutting the last faint traces of noise outside the door, Luo Yan let out a long, turbid breath, trying to dispel the flutter in his heart left behind by that kiss just now.

Just as he turned to walk toward the bed, the patch of shadow in the corner of the room, which had been still, suddenly began to flow without warning.

Without the slightest sound, a slim and lithe figure peeled silently out of the darkness.

"Lord Demon King."

Sarah dropped to one knee. Her tight black night-gear perfectly concealed her Energy and presence, and her smooth black hair fell over her shoulders.

Her expression remained as calm as ever, yet from the way the cat ears atop her head swayed lightly, Luo Yan could tell his subordinate was in a good mood today.

"What is it, Sarah? The food at the banquet didn't suit your taste?"

"I simply don't like noisy places, Your Majesty. Besides, rather than putting on false smiles for those irrelevant people, I have more important matters to report to you."

Here Sarah paused for a moment, then respectfully continued.

"Per your orders, I've already assisted Grega in completing the personnel screening. The intelligence network named 'Holy Mark' has successfully taken root in the capital of the Ryan Kingdom. In addition, we've discovered we are not alone—Duke Campbell's people have arrived there as well."

"They're a group of defeated officers who were once routed by Sir Wesley's new army during the Winter Moon Coup. Edward has been training them; they are currently making contact with stone masons who yearn for a republic… Those men have been suppressed by the Royal Guard and are increasingly dissatisfied with Theoden."

"As for the Twilight Province, everything remains as before. Governor Ailarike is further expanding the Holy Light Council's Influence. And over on the Salvation Army's side, things are proceeding according to your plan—they're handing over their local Influence to the rightful rulers, and shifting their focus to a much larger battlefield."

Her voice was cool, devoid of any superfluous emotion, as she gave her master a detailed report on the wrap‑up work in the Twilight Province and the Ryan Kingdom.

Luo Yan moved his index finger slightly, making the teapot by the table float up and pour him a cup of water. He then stood by the window, quietly listening.

"Also, about Brennan…" Sarah hesitated for a beat, her tone uncharacteristically tinged with a ripple. "That former Green Forest Army leader has remarkable execution. By now he's practically become the actual head of the Salvation Army. At present, the Nobles of the entire Ryan Kingdom are cursing the Devalu family's greed and shamelessness, while the people of the Twilight Province likewise harbor a bellyful of anger toward the King who ignores their suffering."

"Good. We don't need to intervene in what comes next; leaving it to the locals will be enough. Once the railway in the Spinor Earl's Domain is finished, it'll about be time to pay our old Ratmen friends a visit… The Dwarves say the coal mines beneath their feet are quite sizeable."

Luo Yan nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at the trusted subordinate who always guarded him from within the shadows, smiling as he spoke.

"You've worked hard, Sarah. Having you keep watch in a place like Twilight City all this time has indeed been something of a waste of your talents."

By habit, Sarah should have replied with a "It's not hard," then melted back into the room's shadows.

Yet today, the Demon King's "chess piece" and "pet" both seemed off, refusing to follow the usual script.

The cat ears atop her head trembled, then slowly lowered; that cold, taut face of hers softened for a fleeting instant.

"Lord Demon King…"

"What is it?"

"Um… I…"

She still kept her head down, but her hands had instinctively clenched at the hem of her clothes, a distinctly unnatural flush blooming across her cheeks.

"I… also want a bit of a reward. It might be a little willful, so please… turn a blind eye to it… may I?"

That ordinarily cool voice didn't sound cool at all; it even carried a rare hint of shyness, like a cat tucking its paws to its chest right before the pounce.

At the instant he heard those words, the hand Luo Yan used to hold his cup of water trembled slightly; he almost dropped it.

The lingering unease from having been "listed via a borrowed shell" in the next room hadn't even faded yet, and the alarm bells in his head started clanging again.

What is going on tonight?

Unlike before, this time Sarah didn't wait for him to respond. Instead, imitating Erin's earlier movement, she flickered forward in one swift step straight into the Demon King's chest.

"Poof…"

With a soft thud, her forehead pressed against the Demon King's chest, and with just a touch of petty vengeance, she drew in a deep breath.

"Hiss—"

Epic‑level full‑lung inhalation: accomplished.

A dazed, intoxicated look spread across Sarah's face. Her tensed cat ears slackened along with the way her shoulders drooped, going soft and loose.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a few seconds. Luo Yan could faintly hear a cozy purring sound coming from his chest, a sound brimming with contentment.

Uh…

That's it?

Luo Yan let out a speechless chuckle, but quickly thought of everything Sarah had done over the past year; his wry smile slowly softened.

He set the cup down on the windowsill, reached out, and gently patted Sarah's shoulder—just as he'd done to Erin's shoulder at dusk today.

He could more or less guess that this was exactly what Sarah wanted.

"Thank you for your hard work…"

Feeling the warmth upon her shoulder, Sarah suddenly snapped back to herself. In an instant, searing blush surged up to the tips of her ears.

"I—I'll go patrol for you!"

She moved as swiftly as a gust of wind. Stammering out the line, she sprang back like a squirrel whose tail had been stepped on, retreating in a single hit‑and‑run into the shadows of the corner, leaving only a faint trace of embarrassment lingering in the air.

Gazing at the now‑empty room, Luo Yan smiled and shook his head, reclaiming the cup on the windowsill and draining in one go the moonlight reflected in its surface.

"Looks like I can forget about sleeping tonight."

He climbed onto the bed, folded his legs, and closed his eyes, preparing to enter meditation.

The real "trouble" would begin once he returned to Thunder City.

He still hadn't figured out how the play should proceed from here; for now, all he could do was take things one step at a time…