Half an hour later, Ailaira Green calmly wiped down the damp tabletop.
Before her, identical reagent bottles were lined up on the desk, each sporting a different label.
The [Species Appraisal System] could only offer her inspiration and hint at the feasibility of a path. But to actually put it into practice, how to do that, she still had to figure it out herself.
So Ailaira decided to start with what she was good at.
Drawing on her previous experience of using Priestessesโ bathwater to make Holy Water, she was quite adept at this sort of potion research. All she needed was to experiment and see which part had the best effect.
After putting away the reagent bottles, Ailaira softly called Jodyโs name.
The moment she spoke, a knock sounded at the door. Jody entered the study, broom in hand, and bowed respectfully: โMiss, you called for me?โ
โYes, take this dragon back to be washed again. Remember, donโt change the bathwater yet.โ
Hearing this, Jody sneaked a glance at Ailaira, then quickly lowered her head.
Though a bit puzzled, she reasoned that Miss surely had her reasonsโthereโs no way she was one of those perverts who liked tasting cute girlsโ bathwater, right?
Not daring to question her mistressโs decision, Jody pressed her lips together, suppressing her curiosity. She effortlessly hoisted the limp-limbed, dazed Andrea over her shoulder and left the study.
Strolling down the corridor, Jodyโs nose twitched as she caught the faint, fresh scent wafting from Andrea. She noticed the brand-new clothes she had just prepared were already showing a few pulled threads.
โSo Miss likes this type after all?โ
Jody weighed Andrea in her arms. Aside from being cute and of a peculiar race, there was nothing particularly surprising.
Back in the days before Ailaira had left home when she was still called Master Green and the Green Family hadnโt yet fallen there had been maids who tried to climb the social ladder by approaching him. The end result was always Master Green sending them off to shovel manure at the ranch.
Since then, Jody had been especially cautious in her dealings with Ailaira, careful not to cross any of her mistressโs boundaries.
She sighed at her own prudence and resolved to be a little kinder toward this dragon on her shoulder from now on. After all, she was a resourceful maid, housekeeper, cook, and groomโthe kind of career experience earned by always being careful!
Jody gently lowered Andrea into the warm bath.
As the water washed over her, Andreaโs unfocused eyes finally regained their light, and she woke with a start, her legs still trembling uncontrollably.
Andreaโs mind still lingered on the previous scene Ailaira pressed close to her, urging her on in a soft, meticulous voice.
Thereโd been no emotion, no warmth, only a cold determination to achieve her goal. And once she got what she wanted, sheโd tossed Andrea aside without a second thought!!
โWhat a hateful woman! How dare she! How dare she toy with me like this!โ
Andrea lashed her tail against the water, sending splashes flying onto her small dragon horns, which seemed to grow a little from it. Dragons always compromise. When Andrea realized Ailaira only wanted her body for experiments, she thought she might as well have been made to warm the bed!
Aside from being Dragonborn, did this exquisite, adorable face and this lively, youthful body have no allure at all!?
Unconsciously, without realizing it, Andreaโs attitude had shifted from rejecting Ailaira to wanting to make Ailaira acknowledge her charm.
โHmph, if she goes too far again next time, Iโll just transform into my full dragon form and see what she does!โ
Arriving at the Research Laboratory, Ailaira suddenly sneezed twice at her elbow. Rubbing her sore nose, she thought to herself that someone must be cursing her. But who could it be? It was impossible to guess.
Ailaira lined up all the reagent bottles filled with liquid and picked up the first one in order, pouring it into the cauldron of murky liquid sheโd prepared.
โReagent No. 1โRed Dragon Sweat.โ
The clear liquid, emitting a charming fragrance, was absorbed the instant it touched the cauldron, without the need for stirring. In the next moment, the dull original solution suddenly burst into iridescent colors, like an explosion of fireworks, dazzling for a brief instant before fading awayโleaving only a transparent gel in the cauldron.
ใDingใ
ใCongratulations, Host, for developing the โFacial Cleanser of the Red Dragon Brand.โ Individual Andreaโs Development Progress has increased by 2%.ใ
The systemโs timely notification spared Ailaira the trouble of testing the potion herself to confirm its effect. Still, she found it odd. Why would an adhesive herb, when mixed with Andreaโs sweat, turn the potion into a rudimentary facial cleanser?
Her initial goal had been to make a perfume with aphrodisiac effects!
โDid the procedure go wrong?โ
Ailaira repeated the process and successfully recreated the cleanser. But when she tried to optimize the steps, her experimental materials suddenly turned into roaring flames, almost setting the entire laboratory on fire.
Fortunately, she had previously used Ritual Magic to lay down protection measures for the Research Laboratory. The condensed mist instantly suppressed the spreading flames. After putting out the fire, Ailaira gazed thoughtfully at the ashes left in the cauldron, recording the results: โIt seems the oddities on that Red Dragon are even more interesting than I imagined.โ
Without delay, Ailaira plunged into her next experiment, immersing herself in the sea of potion-making, working tirelessly until noon the following day.
After a good sleep and a hearty meal, Andrea was full of energy as she strolled down the corridor, earnestly appreciating the lair humans had dedicated to her.
Then, in front of the basement door, she saw Jody standing there holding a tray, looking worried.
Andrea walked over, reaching out to grab a piece of bread from the tray, but Jody quickly slapped her hand away. Rubbing the back of her hand in confusion, Andrea asked, โWhat are you waiting here for? Is it for Ailaira?โ
Jody sighed, putting away the now-cool lunch. โMiss is at it again. Whenever sheโs experimenting, sheโll go all day without eating anything. If this keeps up, sheโs bound to fall ill.โ
Hearing that her precious collector might get sick, Andrea felt a twinge of concern. That woman might be mean, but if she really collapsed, thereโd be no one to help hide her identity, and sheโd have to go back to her damp, dark cave, starving for days on end.
Thinking about how hard-won her current life, food and board included was, all bought by selling her own body, Andrea didnโt hesitate in the slightest. She took a running start and kicked the basement laboratory door with all her might.
The door, unable to withstand the force of a rampaging dragon, crashed down, revealing Ailaira stirring a large cauldron inside.
Ailaira glanced at the sheepish Andrea and spoke without surprise: โYouโre just in time.โ