Chapter 7: She Wants to Lick the Soles of Your Shoes, Princess

The Demon King Castle was larger than Xing Yue had imagined. Above the first floor, it was like a sleeping castle, with most rooms empty and the interior extremely eerie and strange.

The most common corridors were remarkably uniform. A red velvet carpet stretched endlessly along the floor, countless crystal chandeliers hung overhead, and rows of portraits lined the dark purple walls on both sides.

Upon learning that all these paintings were by the Demon King, Xing Yue couldn't help but marvel at Phyllis's incredible skill.

The portraits were so lifelike—especially under the flickering candlelight of the chandeliers, in the dim, hazy environment—that it felt as though a real person sat in each frame, maintaining that stiff, lifeless pose, constantly watching everyone who passed by.

But precisely because they were so realistic, even knowing they were fake, your first glance would instinctively treat them as real. Then, after realizing, you'd fear they might suddenly come to life.

Xing Yue was very grateful her room had a bathroom. She didn't have to go out to the corridor at night to find one—otherwise, she'd definitely be scared back.

The castle also had very few windows. The ones that existed were tall stained-glass windows, completely blocking the outside view. But from the light filtering in, it must be nighttime.

Aside from that, Xing Yue hadn't seen a single monster along the way. The only sounds echoing in her ears were her own footsteps and the goat-headed demon's.

It wasn't until they reached the bottom floor that Xing Yue encountered new monsters.

There was a pink jellyfish monster. Its eight long, soft tentacles held rags, brooms, dustpans, and other tools, as if it were cleaning.

When it saw Xing Yue and the goat-headed demon, it waved its free tentacles and made a gurgling sound.

Xing Yue looked at the goat-headed demon in confusion. “What is it saying?”

“She is greeting you, Your Highness. She also asked if she could lick the soles of your shoes.”

“?”

Xing Yue was startled by the bizarre request and stepped back, quickly shaking her head. “Ah... no. Just tell her, no need.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

The goat-headed demon relayed Xing Yue's response to the jellyfish monster. The monster looked clearly disappointed; its tentacles barely moved.

Then Xing Yue saw the goat-headed demon suddenly lift one of its large, hoofed feet. The next moment, the jellyfish monster pressed in, waving its moist tentacles all over the hoof, making a squelch-squelch sound.

But this obviously clashed with Xing Yue's imagination. She could see the monster alternating between using a rag and its tentacles to wipe the bottom of the goat-headed demon's foot.

Xing Yue felt she might have misunderstood something. “Wait... Is that what she meant by licking?”

The goat-headed demon had already lifted its other foot. “Your Highness, what do you mean?”

“I mean, when she said 'lick,' she just uses tentacles to clean the soles? Not using mouthparts or a tongue?”

“Your Highness, these aren't actually tentacles. They're her tongues.”

“?”

Xing Yue had just started feeling a bit better, but this new information made her physically uncomfortable again. She silently moved farther away from this strange monster that looked like a jellyfish but was actually something unknown.

After that small incident, they reached the first floor of the Demon King Castle, where many more monsters appeared. Xing Yue also realized that many of these creatures couldn't be understood through mere sight and common sense.

The good news was that all the monsters were friendly and respectful to her.

The only problem was whether she could accept their bizarre appearances and strange ways of acting.

Once on the first floor, the goat-headed demon began speaking more than before.

“This is the communal dormitory. Only monsters of noble status or great strength recognized by the Demon King are allowed to rest here.”

“This is the storage room. It contains books collected by past Demon Kings, high-level magic scrolls, and ancient artifacts.”

“This is the ritual hall, where the Demon King holds various ceremonies and sacrifices.”

“This is...”

Xing Yue silently listened to the introductions, committing the general layout of the castle to memory.

She wasn't directionally challenged—she could remember the way after walking it once.

But the more places they visited, the more Xing Yue realized how absurdly large the first floor was. Every location the goat-headed demon introduced was at least the size of a movie theater; they were hardly rooms.

Xing Yue even began to wonder if they had unknowingly left the indoors and stepped outside.

Could the Demon King Castle really be an entire city?

Finally, the goat-headed demon led Xing Yue to the dining area. It looked like a university cafeteria, with many separate tables and the largest gathering of monsters.

Xing Yue often saw monsters who, upon seeing her, would instinctively exclaim, “Demon King!” only to be scolded by the goat-headed demon. “Idiot, this is the Princess!” correcting their perception.

Clearly, these monsters were just as face-blind as the goat-headed demon, only able to distinguish the most basic external features.

At first, Xing Yue felt a bit uncomfortable under the admiring gazes of all the monsters. Only when the goat-headed demon led her into a private room, free from those stares, did she breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Then, the goat-headed demon suddenly knelt and bowed. “Your Highness, you were born very recently. Most monsters, like me, do not yet recognize you. I believe you need to establish your authority now.”

“So I took the liberty of bringing you here, to let them remember your presence.”

“After today, your existence will surely become widely known among us.”

Xing Yue was puzzled. “Born recently? Wasn't I knocked unconscious by the Hero's elbow? From what you're saying, it sounds like none of you knew I existed before today?”

Xing Yue had seen herself. Though she was indeed small, looking young enough to raise questions, she should at least be over ten years old. How could the monsters in the Demon King Castle not know about her existence for over a decade?

Could it be that Phyllis had been deliberately keeping her hidden?

The goat-headed demon nodded. “Before the Hero broke into the Dark Domain, the Demon King never revealed to us that she had a successor, nor that you existed.”

“It was only after the Demon King dealt with the Hero and returned, assigning me and my brother to guard the room, that we learned we were protecting a princess.”

“As for when the Demon King conceived you, I wouldn't dare speculate. Only the Demon King herself would know.”

“But I can sense that the magical essence within you is very fresh, with no trace of training. You are absolutely a newborn existence.”