Chapter 71: The Confiding Demon Lord PUAs Sophia
Six months later.
"Ah! A town!!"
With an excited heart and trembling hands, Sophia was liberated once more. Breaking free from the spider-silk restraints, she bolted toward the small town as if fleeing for her life. After half a year of training, her stats and skills were now comparable to a Greater Taratect. Most importantly, she could finally walk on her own and no longer needed Mera to carry her everywhere.
"Young Lady, slow down, you've tripped again..." Mera massaged his temples, feeling somewhat helpless.
"Leave me alone!!" Sophia didn't even look back. She scrambled up from the ground and continued her mad dash. She had to seize every second to enjoy this rare vacation.
Ever since the little spiders were gone and Shiro lost her source of amusement, she had poured all her energy into Sophia's training, squeezing every drop of potential out of her every single second. Over the past six months, their relationship had deteriorated to the point of nearly becoming enemies.
*My foolish little brother, rest easy...* It was that kind of vibe. Shiro, for her part, was too lazy to explain and simply let things take their course.
"Sigh~" Ariel let out a long sigh, shook her head, and followed. Before leaving, she summoned the four Puppet Spider sisters, signaling an end to the cold war.
In response, Shiro gave a haughty "Hmph," looked away, and ignored her.
"Mama~ Mama~" The little lolis clung to Shiro, acting spoiled, nearly melting her maiden heart. She stroked their heads dotingly, a look of pure happiness on her face.
Shirazawa: "..." *Did I do something wrong? Why does it feel like Shiro's character art is heading in a weird direction?*
"Ahem, call her 'Sister' from now on."
"Oh~" The little lolis were very cooperative, responding in crisp, sweet voices.
"Hmph!!" Shiro puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Shirazawa as if angry at his decision.
Shirazawa silently looked away. He couldn't encourage this "deviant" trend. Besides, these spider girls weren't biologically theirs; if they wanted to be parents, they could have their own kids later. Of course, he was mainly doing this to bridge the gap between Shiro and Ariel. Since Ariel had taken the lead in compromising, they had to show some sincerity in return.
Seeing this, Ariel said no more. After handing the spider sisters over to the two, she left. Before departing, she gave her four kin new names: Ael, Sael, Riel, and Fiel. This way, she wouldn't have to worry about the little ones being "stolen" by Shiro.
Hidden under their exquisite little skirts, and in the interest of realism, Shiro began crafting skin for the puppet's torso.
"Hmm, since they're lolis, the 'proportions' don't need to be too big, right?" Shiro fell into a state of indecision.
"How can you say that? They should have what everyone else has." Hearing her muttering to herself, Shirazawa frowned. "Step aside, let me handle this!"
He nudged Shiro away and focused intensely on sculpting the ideal figures for the little lolis.
"Hehe..." The corner of Shiro's mouth twitched as she rolled her eyes at him repeatedly. *I'm almost too embarrassed to call you out. You weren't even this enthusiastic about eating. Hmph, men... wait, Aze is a woman now... Hmph, women...*
On the other side, Ariel and the master-servant duo arrived in town and went straight to an inn. After seven months of trekking, the group was nearing the capital of the Sariella Kingdom. The town they were in now was many times more prosperous than the border cities. As they entered the streets, they were met with dense rows of shops and a dazzling array of goods.
Ariel frowned slightly. She had always preferred peace and quiet; this noisy atmosphere didn't hold much appeal for her. Upon reaching the inn, they followed the old routine: a massive feast to fill their bellies.
"Waaaah... (ლ(´ڡ`ლ) So good..." Sophia cried as she stuffed her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Sigh, why bother?" Ariel shook her head, asking with a hint of confusion, "If your attitude toward Shiro and Aze were a bit better, would you really be living this miserably?"
Sophia looked up, speaking through a mouthful of food. "It's clearly them targeting this Young Lady! I'm not a masochist, why should I suck up to them..."
Ariel was momentarily speechless. "You need to realize, Shiro and the others are your lifesavers! Besides, they get nothing out of this. It's *your* strength that's growing; they're essentially running a business at a loss! Compared to me, they're actually being way too nice to you."
"Huh?" Sophia stopped chewing and stared at Ariel blankly, blinking her eyes as she seriously considered the truth of those words.
The growth in strength was a fact; the bad attitude was also a fact. *Could it be... that I was really the one in the wrong?*
"No! I just..."
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Before she could finish her protest, Ariel cut her off, grabbed her shoulders, and said earnestly, "Whether you admit it or not, Shiro and the others really do have your best interests at heart. Telling me this is useless; you should be telling them."
Sophia fell silent for a moment. Recalling the journey so far, she realized she might have truly misunderstood them. They had saved her time and again and stayed by her side to help her and Mera selflessly.
Looking back at herself, she seemed to have been repaying kindness with resentment, misinterpreting their original intentions. *Why did it turn out like this? Am I jealous of Wakaba?*
In her past life, she was a loathed existence, while Wakaba was envied by everyone. "Beauty is truth, beauty is everything"—this concept had been her gospel in both lives. In this life, Shiro's beauty was still transcendent, whereas she had been reborn as a "hideous" vampire. Intense jealousy and resentment had caused Sophia to subconsciously push Shiro into the enemy camp.
As for Shirazawa... he was her crush in her previous life, but in this life, he had become the person she disliked most. That massive gap inevitably left a knot in her heart.
Looking at the "Empathetic Older Sister" Ariel, Sophia poured out all her dark thoughts. She subconsciously waited for the Demon Lord's comfort. Instead, she got:
"Are you an idiot?"
Sophia froze, bewildered. "Ara?" *Why is the Demon Lord calling me an idiot?*
Ariel rolled her eyes. "Back when they were just spider monsters, they earned the respect and love of the Count's people. Do you think they bought that with looks?" She poked Sophia's smooth forehead, scolding her bluntly. "Personal charisma is something appearance can never compensate for. Only when the inner and outer selves are both excellent does life truly shine."
"I see..." Sophia lowered her eyes dejectedly. In this moment, she realized how laughable her childish thoughts were.
Seeing her like this, Ariel felt she might have been too harsh, so she softened her tone. "Well~ you are still a baby after all. It takes time to grow."
"..." Listening to Ariel's gentle guidance, Sophia's mind gradually regained its calm. "I understand. I'll watch my attitude from now on."
"Good girl. That's more like it."
"But... why *are* they being so good to me?" Sophia looked confused again.
"That... maybe it's the feeling of meeting an old friend in a foreign land. It feels familiar."
"Is that so?"
"Probably..."
"..."
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