Day by day passed.
Alfina was trying to hunt a deer.
Patiently, she waited on top of a tree, gripping a spear she had taken during her escape from the castle, watching carefully as the deer approached.
JUMP!
She leapt from the tree and thrust her spear—
…Silence.
"Ughhh… I missed again!" Alfina cried out in frustration. She had failed once more.
"What's the point... I've been surviving on wild plants for days. I don't even have the energy anymore."
Collapsing onto the ground, she lay on her back, groaning in exhaustion.
Then suddenly—
She smelled grilled meat wafting in the air, not far from where she was.
Drawn by the delicious aroma, she stumbled toward the source.
Eventually, she arrived at the edge of the forest—
In the dark grasslands of the demon realm, she spotted two familiar faces picnicking and grilling beef.
"W-What are they doing?" Alfina whispered, peeking from behind a tree as she wiped the drool from her lips.
The ones grilling meat were, of course, Vivian and Pandora.
They both clearly knew Alfina was watching.
"Wow... this smells amazing. I didn't expect you to be such a good cook," said Vivian, looking eager as she waited for the food.
"I didn't know herbs could be used in cooking too," she added.
"Hehehe! That's what I call modern knowledge," Pandora replied proudly.
Pandora kept glancing toward the tree where Alfina was hiding, smiling mischievously.
Alfina's eyes were fixed on the basket overflowing with bread and meat. Her mouth watered as she tried to resist the temptation.
Vivian and Pandora could barely hold in their laughter.
"T-They think they can tempt me with food!" Alfina grumbled in her mind.
SLAP!
She slapped her own cheeks, trying to regain focus and shake off the temptation.
With a heavy heart, she turned and walked away.
---
The next day... and the day after that... and the day after that—
Vivian and Pandora continued teasing Alfina with delicious food.
It was driving her insane.
"I-I really can't take this anymore..." she thought.
---
Then, a few nights later—
At an abandoned ranch, once owned by a demon who had perished five months ago...
Peek!
Alfina looked left and right, making sure no one was around.
"Taking one livestock animal won't be a big deal... I doubt they'd notice one missing chicken," she whispered.
She rushed toward the chicken coop, slowly opened the door, and lit a small flame in her hand with magic.
"Gotcha!" she whispered as she grabbed a chicken.
"Now time to get out of here."
But just as she turned around—
"Boo!!!"
A voice startled her.
"Kyaaa!!!"
Alfina screamed and fell flat on her back, dropping the chicken which then ran away.
"Ahahaha! That expression just now was priceless!"
It was Vivian, who had been hanging from the roof the whole time.
"W-What do I do?! I've been caught stealing. She's definitely going to drain all my blood!" Alfina panicked.
Vivian burst into laughter.
"Relax, relax. I'm not going to suck your blood," she said gently, smiling kindly to calm Alfina down.
After a moment, Alfina finally settled down.
Vivian then invited her to meet Pandora, teasing her again with the promise of delicious food.
Unable to endure her hunger any longer, Alfina reluctantly agreed.
Her face blushed red with shame—stealing a chicken only to shamelessly accept a dinner invitation afterward.
---
They arrived at a house that apparently belonged to the ranch's former demon owner.
"Why aren't you two staying at the castle?" Alfina asked.
"The castle's too big for just the two of us. Besides, we're taking care of the livestock and growing crops here," Vivian explained.
Alfina was stunned. She didn't expect demons to farm.
She had always assumed demons only ate meat.
While it was true that demons rarely ate vegetables or plants, that didn't mean they never ate them.
Their tongues weren't accustomed to the taste, and their environment didn't help either.
The demon realm was known for its barren lands—not suitable for farming, except for certain plants like black grass which grew exclusively in their domain.
After a short walk and small talk—
They reached the front door.
Vivian opened it.
The creaking echoed clearly, making Alfina feel uneasy.
And once inside...
"Hello! Welcome."
At a table filled with food, Pandora greeted her with a warm smile—
As if she had known Alfina would come.