"Do You Like It? Your Name From Me?"
After the emotions between Miria and me had calmed, she finally spoke in a soft voice, sipping from the silver cup in her hand.
Did I like the name she had given me? It was Lian. A beautiful name, easy to pronounce, and most importantly, it sounded wonderful coming from Miria's lips. I had no objections. After all, she was the only one who would call me by it.
"Yes, I love it," I said after a moment of silence.
She nodded in acceptance and continued sipping from her cup. My eyes followed her every movement, curious. I wanted to ask if she liked the name I had given her, but she seemed too focused on her drink.
I knew well that she could read my thoughts, so why wasn't she answering them? I wanted to know her opinion of the name.
Miria's eyes lifted slightly to meet mine, a playful smile forming on her beautiful face.
'Oh, she's toying with me, isn't she?' I realized. 'Or… does she want me to ask her directly?'
I stared at her for a few seconds before giving in. So, I had to ask after all. And she was the one who used to hate my questions before.
"Miria!" I called her name.
"Yes, my love!" she answered, sounding a little surprised and curious. Though I knew she was only pretending.
I rolled my eyes but continued playing along, more for her satisfaction than my own curiosity. "Do you like your name?"
Miria gazed at me for a long moment as if evaluating the question before answering. Her lack of expression made me a little nervous—only that small, usual smile that didn't say much.
But just before my nervousness could grow further, Miria's smile widened, radiating a happiness that caught me off guard.
"Oh, I adore it!" she said, her voice louder than usual, creating a small echo that traveled toward me.
I smiled at her, relieved that she loved the name. Even though she had played with my emotions a little before giving me her answer, my happiness was enough to overlook such a complaint—as long as she was happy.
"You might want to fill your stomach," Miria said, setting her cup of tea on the table and picking up a fork and knife instead. Her eyes shifted from me to the unfamiliar white meat on her plate. "That will be another thing to make you happy—me as well."
I watched her for a few seconds as she ate with an elegance that suited only her. It was a sight to behold, something I could keep watching without getting bored. But my stomach was empty, and I doubted it would be acceptable for me to just watch her eat without joining her in the meal she had prepared herself.
A newfound excitement, combined with my growing hunger, drove me to shift my gaze to the table.
I scanned the variety of delicious-looking dishes and finally settled on the one that piqued my appetite the most—a thick, orange soup with small, red pea-like balls floating on the surface, topped with a sprinkle of green leaves, likely for garnish.
I picked up the spoon carefully placed on my left side and filled my mouth with the soup. As its appearance suggested, it was rich in flavor and absolutely delicious.
Miria watched me from the side, her fork frozen just before her open mouth. She chuckled softly at my expression before finally eating the piece of meat.
---
"What Now?"
After the feast-like lunch, I asked Miria what would happen next.
Despite everything that had happened between us, I had only been awake for a few hours beside her. Even her castle—I barely knew my way from her room to the dining hall, maybe to that strange mirror chamber.
Strangely enough, I already knew what would happen on a grander scale—the hero seed inside me, my summoning to another world, Miria's role as the Demon Queen, and all that. But the smaller things, like navigating the castle or possibly going outside, were beyond my knowledge.
Would my life here just consist of waking up, sex, food, sleep, and repeating the cycle? I didn't think so.
So I asked Miria if she had a solution for my small issue.
From her seat on the grand chair, she observed me with an unreadable expression. Then suddenly, she burst into laughter.
At first, I was surprised by her reaction—it was definitely exaggerated. I knew she was laughing at my thoughts, but I didn't think my request was strange. Or maybe… she really did expect me to live just as I had imagined?
If that was the case, I wasn't sure how to feel about it… so I didn't. I simply waited for her to finish her amusement and explain her outburst.
"Ah, I'm sorry!... I never thought I'd be giving a tour of my own kingdom!" She resumed laughing for another minute or so before continuing, "The idea itself is hilarious. Me! The Demon Queen! A tour guide!"
Thinking about her words from her perspective, a small smile formed on my face. She was right. All of her previous 'guests' had already turned into skeletons and rivers of blood in the valley she had shown me. They never needed to know their surroundings, and she never needed to show them.
I understood now why she laughed.
"But I suppose… I am Miria too now." Miria's eyes glowed with a seductive red light. "I will give my dear Lian a tour!~"
---
Miria stayed true to her words, showing me the various parts of the castle one by one, explaining each section in detail. As always, her words were purposeful and precise.
She started with the room we were in, which she called the Banquet Hall or the Dining Hall. From there, she led me through several corridors to the kitchen—a massive space with high ceilings and an old-fashioned blend of wood and stone.
She even reintroduced me to her room, only this time she called it our room. Miria and Lian's room? I loved the sound of it.
Beyond her room was another adjacent chamber that surprised me—I never expected Miria, the Demon Queen, to be an artist. The simple-designed room was filled with paintings of landscapes, covering all four walls. In the center stood a tall chair, which Miria described as her throne.
In the art room, I felt like I had learned a new side of Miria. Hearing her talk about her passion for painting and how she developed the skill was truly an experience. Her landscape paintings were breathtaking in their detail and beauty.
I asked her why she only painted landscapes, and she answered simply, "I paint what I find worthy, nothing more. Or… does my dear Lian want a painting of himself~?"
I ended up saying, "It wouldn't be of much value if it was just me. You have to paint both of us."
My attempt at teasing her, for once, didn't result in any understandable reaction. Miria just stared at me for a few minutes, as if memorizing my details, before dragging me out of the room.
Our next stops were the seven towers that formed the castle's grand structure. Each tower had a different purpose.
One of them was a massive library filled to the brim with neatly arranged books. The scent of old wood and leather filled the air—not unpleasant, rather comforting.
Miria urged me to pick up a book and open it without explaining why. When I did, she simply laughed in my face. The book was filled with strange symbols I couldn't read, which was understandable! But not to Miria. She didn't like the fact that I couldn't read.
By the time we left the library tower, we left as Lian and Miria, my new teacher. A new routine added to my new life.
The second and third towers were described as magical laboratories, but she didn't elaborate. She simply said it was too advanced for me to understand.
From there, she led me straight to the next three towers, which served as storage rooms. Not just ordinary storage, though. The timeless nature of Miria's domain prevented regular preservation, so these rooms, carved with intricate glowing red patterns, functioned outside the domain's rules.
She attempted to explain how they worked, but I didn't grasp much. She didn't expect me to, either. She just made sure I understood that the moving time inside the sixth storage wouldn't work on my soul—so I shouldn't try anything stupid.
As for the seventh and final tower, she didn't take me there. But she said I had already been inside.
Yes, the seventh tower was the strange mirror chamber. But she called it the Records Room.
I tried to ask her about it, but she dismissed my curiosity. However, she promised that one day, she would share that part of herself with me—whatever that meant.
Just as I thought the tour was over, Miria, who had held my hand the entire time—making it all the more enjoyable—turned to face me, her face mere inches from mine.
"There is one last thing I want you to know!"