In the early morning, a sneaky silver-haired catgirl quietly slipped into Aegon's room...
Aegon was already asleep with Katherine in his arms, and he didn't notice the catgirl who sneaked in through the window.
Until... the sun was high in the sky.
"Huh? Why does it feel so much smaller?"
This was Aegon's first thought.
Katherine might not be as endowed as Irene and Selene, but she was still of average size.
But now, the feel was entirely different, and the scent was different too. Aegon sniffed lightly. This scent belonged to...
Silver hair!
"Mira, why are you here?!"
Turning, he found Katherine had vanished, replaced by Mira.
Mira, blushing and looking down, mumbled, "Can you... let go first?"
In his arms she felt something hard pressing on her back.
Mira seriously doubted whether he had slept.
Aegon awkwardly withdrew his hand, "Sorry, sorry."
Seeing Mira's clothes intact, as no clothes usually survived him, he was relieved he hadn't done anything to her.
"When did you come?"
"At five in the morning."
They didn't realize they were lying on the bed, facing each other and chatting.
In the days Aegon and the others were away on the Eastern Continent, Mira had discreetly gathered information around the estate to understand Aegon's character.
Aegon formed a rough image in her mind.
When she learned there were four other beauties in the estate besides her, she had some thoughts.
Seeing Katherine strengthened her resolve...
...
Katherine left shortly after Mira ran into Aegon's room; she wasn't as thick-skinned as one might imagine.
Thinking back on how she looked last night, she quickly gathered her broken black stockings and clothes, and hurriedly left early in the morning.
Aegon and Mira stood by the balcony, overlooking the manor's courtyard, as Mira slowly began to tell her story.
Mira was born into an ordinary family. Her parents were not mages and had passed away early, so she had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings from a young age.
She was kind-hearted, so much so that even when her life was already difficult, she still went to the church without hesitation when she heard there were demons.
Many people would consider this foolish, including Aegon.
"Fool."
Standing by the balcony with the gentle breeze caressing them, Mira lowered her head and murmured, "Stop calling me that."
"I don't understand. You were powerless before you received the demon's power, right? Why did you go?"
"The nuns at the church took good care of us, and I wanted to repay them."
"Ouch!" Mira rubbed her smooth forehead.
Just now, the man in front of her had unceremoniously flicked her forehead with his finger.
Wasn't he supposed to pat her head and comfort her?
"No matter what, it wasn't your place to go. What about the council? Couldn't you seek help from them?"
She put her hands on her hips and angrily replied, "Do you think we didn't try? It was useless!"
"The council sent a team, but they were completely wiped out. Since the demon never left the church, they never came back."
"So you went?"
"Yes."
Then, Mira sneaked into the church. She didn't even know how she received the Soul of demon.
"It felt like I just touched her soul... and then I lost consciousness."
"It seemed to be a female demon?"
"I don't know how to describe her. In my eyes, she had several faces: a dove, a crow..."
"But I can only use the most basic form for now, and only with one hand..."
At this point, Mira smiled awkwardly.
She then spoke about the difficult days when she couldn't control the demon's power, and her arm remained in the state of having received the demon, causing the villagers to see her as a demon.
She pretended to laugh lightly, "Luckily, it didn't last long. Soon, Aegon-sama, you came."
Finally, she honestly told Aegon her current thoughts.
One was to repay the kindness she received, and the other was to seek a better life.
She didn't have any grand ambitions; she just wanted to protect her younger siblings until they could fend for themselves.
Based on what she had heard, Aegon treated the people around him well.
When she saw Aegon return with another person, Katherine, she had already made up her mind.
"Story's over. You're smart, but it's still too early. Wait a couple more years."
Once again, she watched as Aegon's finger flicked her smooth forehead.
The speed wasn't fast, and Mira could have dodged if she wanted, but she didn't.
"Also, don't always live for your siblings. Live more for yourself."
After she let go of her reddened forehead, Aegon had already left the room, leaving behind those words.
She wrinkled her delicate nose, "Hmph," and muttered, "Can't you be a bit gentler?"
But the slight smile on her lips betrayed her.
...
Mira and Erza didn't clash, like needle against needle.
Mira was well aware of the difference in their statuses. She was currently just a housekeeper, while Erza was one of the masters. Although this master didn't have much awareness of it, she greeted her warmly.
"We're about the same age. Just call me Erza! I'll call you Mira!"
In Erza's eyes, there wasn't much of a hierarchy. Having been a laborer herself, she didn't like such distinctions.
She even talked to Irene about the manor's maids, until she learned that they were essentially brooms, mops, and weeders with added personalities. Only then did Erza somewhat adapt.
Mira strictly performed her duties as a housekeeper, always standing behind Aegon, arranging all the trivial matters meticulously.
It seemed she had put in a lot of effort during the days Aegon was away.
Even when Aegon asked her to sit and eat with them, she refused, Mira righteously said, "This is my job. At the very least, I want to prove my worth."
Mira quite enjoyed it. After a few days, she even personally cooked to show Aegon her culinary skills.
At dinner, Mira, with a mysterious look, pressed Aegon's shoulders to make him sit.
In front of him was an opaque black pot, and he smelled a hint of chili.
"You even used magic?"
The pot seemed to be enchanted with a scent-blocking spell by Irene.
"I heard from Mera and the others that Aegon-sama seems to like Eastern cuisine."
He nodded, "That's right. Compared to steaks, I do prefer those."
Mira placed her hand on the lid, speaking with a bit of pride, "Although I've never formally learned to cook, it seems... I do have some talent."
Selene gave a thumbs up, "She's even started learning to cook. I've tasted it, and it's delicious."
Irene nodded slightly, "Indeed, it's good."
Katherine added, "Although it's not from our homeland, I must admit, it's quite authentic."
The Eastern Continent had been very peaceful for nearly a century, so many people had devoted themselves to culinary arts.
When it came to cuisine, there were at least a dozen major styles. If you subdivide them, there would be too many to count. Katherine's local cuisine was lighter and less oily.
Erza nodded vigorously, "It's very tasty! I've never had such delicious food!!!"
"So, you all have already tasted it?"
Their looks piqued Aegon's appetite and curiosity.
Setting aside Erza's tendency to exaggerate, from Irene's perspective, "good" was already a high compliment.
Selene teasingly raised her eyebrows at Aegon, "We were just the test subjects."
"Ta-da! The mystery is revealed!"
As Mira lifted the lid, an amused smile appeared on Aegon's face.
It was a dish similar to Sichuan boiled meat slices.
Bright red oil, neatly chopped green onions, and chili sprinkled on tender white meat slices. As the lid was lifted, the spicy aroma hit their nostrils.
It was colorful, fragrant, and flavorful, far exceeding Aegon's expectations.
"Considering they said you like spicy food, I learned this dish first. How is it?"
Watching Aegon take a bite, Mira leaned slightly, blinking her eyes, nervously testing.
"You said you just learned this?"
Mira was a bit anxious, "Yes... Is something wrong? Erza, Mera, and the others all said it was delicious..."
"No, it's just that it tastes too good. It doesn't seem like a beginner's dish, but more like a chef's."
Hearing Aegon's praise, Mira's eyes curved into crescents.
"Really? It seems I do have a talent for cooking."
...
If you're interested, check out my Patreon page where I've posted some extra chapters. Here's the link:
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