However, both Ailaira and Andrea took a step back in unison, watching with wide eyes as Yukla crashed straight onto the floor, leaving a human-shaped dent behind.
Andrea nervously reverted to human form, slipped back into the bushes to change into her pajamas, then pressed close, hiding behind Ailaira’s back, warily eyeing Yukla as she climbed out of the hole. She whispered sneakily, poking Ailaira’s lower back, “What do we do, she saw everything, didn’t she?”
“Simple, just silence her.”
Ailaira spoke nonchalantly. Hearing this, Yukla felt as if the sky was falling. She stared in disbelief at the devil before her, trembling as she pointed, “Ailaira Green, are you even human? Wasn’t it you who called me here?!”
“You came at the wrong time, barged right in without even a word, and didn’t even notice the spatial seal magic I’d set. Yukla, you’ve gotten sloppy.”
Listening to Ailaira not only refuse to self-reflect but even turn it back on her, Yukla was so furious she could hardly speak. If she could beat this woman, she’d have let her experience three hours of free fall long ago!
“Damn it! Meeting you is the worst luck I’ve had in eight lifetimes!”
Fuming, Yukla ultimately didn’t dare provoke Ailaira any further. She could only shift her anger by cursing Vista, who was far away in the Royal Capital. Then she noticed Andrea repeatedly casting glances her way, and immediately glared back, venting, “What are you looking at! I may not mess with her, but I can still handle an underage Little Dragon like you!”
“She really noticed! Ailaira, quick, get rid of her!”
“Hey, hey, hey! You little dragon girl, don’t go stirring things up between me and the boss!” Afraid that Ailaira might actually listen to the pillow talk and do her in, Yukla hurried to protest. She brushed stone dust off her head, stuck out her chest disdainfully, and declared, “Back in the day with the boss, I’ve seen it all. Just a dragonkin turning up in the Human Kingdom, no big deal. I’ve even personally caught Elves before.”
Hearing this, Andrea recalled that Ailaira had mentioned Elves before. She punched Ailaira in the lower back again, her voice now tinged with an odd tone, becoming half-mocking, “Oh? I hear Elves are all rather beautiful. Don’t tell me you locked one up at home as some sort of wicked collectible just because of that?”
“Mhm, sounds like something a certain Red Dragon wanted to do to me at our first meeting.”
“That’s different! I’m not as devious as you!”
Ignoring Andrea’s nonsense, Ailaira had no patience for this topic and simply summarized, “She was just an Elf spy who infiltrated the Royal Capital. I caught her, threatened her to work for me for two years, and when time was up, she naturally returned to the Elf Forest.”
Andrea narrowed her eyes, filled with distrust. Based on her own experiences, and the case of Trinis, if this woman let someone stay close, she must have ulterior motives!
“Is it really that simple? Didn’t she come back for revenge?”
“Believe it or not. Not everyone is as eager for a beating as you.”
Ailaira took out a pair of brand-new flat leather shoes, tossed them to Andrea, and said without looking back, “Put these on. Don’t dirty my precious carpet.”
“Tch, I’ll roll around on it in a bit anyway.”
Though Andrea complained, she obediently put on the flats. The perfect fit made her smile with contentment, and she skipped behind Ailaira back into the residence.
At that moment, Jody happened to be preparing breakfast. Seeing Yukla among the seated, she was a bit puzzled, but still politely set out a new set of tableware.
Breakfast at the Green Family’s home was simple, yet exquisitely delicious. Elegantly savoring perfectly roasted ham, Ailaira swirled white wine in her glass, glanced at Yukla, and softly asked, “Anything happening in the Royal Capital?”
Yukla wasn’t interested in the plain breakfast, so she only tasted a little and sipped her wine as she answered, “According to your orders, I’ve reconnected with the Secret Line in the Royal Capital and received updates. Recently, there are two main developments.”
“One, the Second Princess of Verlendel has run away from home, but…”
“Skip that. Tell me about the other.”
Yukla found this a bit odd, but continued with her report, “Actually, the two are somewhat connected. It’s also one of the reasons the Second Princess ran away.”
“The Saintess Sillirora committed Exile, secretly using Memory Searching Magic on The Church’s Judges, and then tried to steal the Catechism Codex.”
Ailaira’s hand froze mid-motion, surprise evident in her tone as she asked, “I remember she’s the most senior, and claims to be the Divine Mother’s most devout follower, isn’t she?”
Yukla shrugged, rolling her eyes, and grumbled, “Who knows what those zealots are thinking day in and day out. The exact reason is sealed off. I haven’t managed to dig it up yet.”
“But what’s worth mentioning is, Sillirora failed, and the one who stopped her was your younger sister. During their fierce fight, the Second Princess seized the chance to escape.”
This did catch Ailaira off guard, though she suspected the escape was likely prearranged by Vista Green and Trinis Verlendel. Sillirora’s Exile may have been an unplanned variable, but the two had simply used it as cover to avoid punishment.
“And Vista Green, for her multiple merits, was sent straight into Retreat in the Cathedral of Life.”
Ailaira arched an eyebrow, a slight smile at her lips as she concluded calmly, “She can’t stay put for long. I bet she’ll find an excuse to get out in a month or two.”
Yukla blinked in confusion and curiously asked, “Why? Isn’t that place a paradise for you Divine Mother’s followers? Rumor has it that a day inside is worth a year outside.”
“For Vista, increasing her own strength has never been her top priority.” Ailaira answered vaguely, then slid a prepared note toward Yukla. “Help me collect these materials. Also, check if there have been any other species entering the kingdom lately.”
Yukla glanced over the note, memorized it, and pushed it back to Ailaira. She pondered for a moment, then suddenly had a realization, “Actually, there is something!”
“It’s related to the Saintess Sillirora. Originally, a Foreign Exchange Delegation was being sent from the Border, with the Saintess of Vista supposed to receive and vet them. But because of this mess, The Church doesn’t have a spare Saintess to handle it now, so the nearest City is temporarily hosting the Delegation.”
“And our City is the closest to the Border. If nothing goes wrong, the Delegation should already be on their way.”
At this, Yukla cast a meaningful glance at Andrea, who was wolfing down her food, and remarked with feeling, “The members of this Delegation are truly a motley crew: Fishfolk, Elf Race, Mountain Dwarves—”
“And, the Dragon Princess.”
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