In the heart of the demonic continent, where the sky is forever veiled by dense dark clouds and the weather carries a gloomy appearance, barely letting sunlight through, stands a majestic castle of ancient appearance with imposing towers.
Inside a room within the castle, a beautiful woman lay on a bed, sleeping peacefully. Clad in a purple nightgown that revealed part of her pale skin, her long white hair cascaded backward. Two black bat-like wings protruded from her back, and a heart-tipped tail occasionally swayed amidst the sheets.
Footsteps echoed from the bedroom door, followed by a female voice:
"Princess Liliana, breakfast is ready. Your mother awaits you in the dining hall," spoke the woman behind the door.
"Hmm... five more minutes..." Princess Liliana responded groggily.
"And I've told you to call me just Liliana, Margareth," Liliana added.
Exasperated sighing, Margareth replied, "Tomorrow is the day when the Royal Academy of Arkania will conduct the evaluation test."
*Ssshhh…*
"I know... I don't understand why mother insists I go. I already have enough bothersome tutors," Liliana replied, pouting cutely.
Margareth gently opened the bedroom door. Like Liliana, her skin was pale, and she had bat-like wings with a tail swaying behind her. She was dressed in servant attire, and atop her head were two curved red horns. She entered with firm yet silent steps, approaching the bed and looking at Liliana affectionately.
"You should stop pouting; you're over a hundred years old now. You're not the spoiled little girl who used to run through the halls," Margareth said, continuing, "Mother only wants you to explore the world and experience something new."
"I'm still young! In demon years, I'm considered a teenager," Liliana retorted with a pout.
Margareth slightly furrowed her brow at Liliana's pout but couldn't help a small smile. She said, "Who knows, maybe you'll meet an interesting man at the academy."
Blushing slightly, Liliana turned in bed and covered her face with a pillow. In a small voice, she said, "Maybe you're right."
Hearing her soft murmur, Margareth nodded and said, "Now, get up and get ready. Your mother is waiting in the dining hall."
*********
After a few minutes, Liliana emerged from her room dressed in a long gothic black dress, revealing part of her pale and chubby thighs. Adorning her were beautiful, pristine curved dark horns on her head.
As she walked down the hallway, the only sound was the rhythmic tapping of her heels on the floor. Approaching a door at the end of the hallway, it began to open.
Two female guards, dressed in gleaming black armor with purple accents, opened the door using a mechanism. The guards, with serious faces and unwavering expressions, bowed deeply in a sign of respect.
Liliana nodded slightly, accustomed to this since childhood, acknowledging their salute as she crossed the threshold into the next hall, where more guards stood against the walls.
Finally, she reached a double door with beautiful golden engravings. Pushing it open, she entered the dining hall. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room.
In the middle of the dining hall, a banquet table large enough to accommodate fifty people dominated the room. Sitting in the main chair was a beautiful woman, who appeared as a mature version of Liliana. Her whole body radiated a seductive and enticing aura that would make most succumb.
"Good morning, mother," Liliana said, sitting in one of the seats near the main chair.
"Good morning, dear. I heard you didn't want to leave your room," Morgana replied with a soft smile that seemed chilling to Liliana.
"W-w-well, tomorrow I have to leave for the academy and won't be able to sleep in my bed anymore," Liliana stammered, pouting while avoiding her mother's gaze.
Morgana chuckled softly, enjoying intimidating her daughter, and although she already knew the answer, she still asked: "What's your current rank?"
"My current rank is Rare with five stars," Liliana replied, a bit unsure.
Sighing, Morgana said seriously, "You shouldn't slack off your training, Liliana. Remember, even though we're no longer at war, they still harbor hatred toward demons. As the princess of the Demon Empire, you shouldn't show weakness."
Liliana responded with a determined look. "I understand, mother."
A momentary silence settled between them, but seeing the tension on Liliana's face, Morgana decided to break the ice. Smiling, she said, "Well, at least you'll have a chance to meet other young people your age. Who knows, maybe you'll return with a boyfriend to the castle."
Liliana blushed intensely and covered her face with her hands. She exclaimed, "Mom!"
Morgana laughed, enjoying her daughter's reaction. "I'm just teasing, dear. Although you never know..."
Morgana got up from her seat, approached, and kissed Liliana on the forehead. "Now finish your meal. You have much to do before leaving tomorrow."
Liliana nodded again, regaining her composure as she continued with her breakfast.
*****
After breakfast, Liliana headed to the training ground to practice. Like her mother, Liliana had an affinity for the illusion attribute. Her talent allowed her to manipulate both mana and aura.
The training ground was located in the back gardens of the castle, reinforced with magical barriers to prevent attacks from escaping and damaging the garden.
In the middle of the training ground, Liliana unsheathed a pair of short swords. With agile and precise movements, she channeled her mana through her veins and hurled the daggers at a training dummy.
Instantly, six identical swords materialized. They struck the target, with the two real swords embedding themselves while the illusory ones disappeared.
"The number of illusions I can create has significantly increased, and mana consumption has been reduced considerably," she murmured to herself.
Leaving the daggers in her storage ring, she channeled mana again, though this time the expenditure was greater, causing her face to grow paler.
Within seconds, a figure identical to her materialized, mimicking gestures such as walking and waving its hand. Though the effort had considerably drained her energy, the achievement of creating such a complex and detailed illusion filled her heart with pride.