Knock knock~
After the knock, the man standing in front of the row of large windows let out a soft sigh, turned around, and sat down in his chair.
At the sound of “Come in,” the person outside slowly pushed the door open.
The newcomer was dressed in gray—it was the same assassin who had attacked Lucia. He approached quickly, stopping at a desk’s distance away.
From beneath his hood, a face wrapped in bandages revealed only a pair of eyes, staring at the man who controlled the entire Tea Rose Chamber of Commerce.
“Two women came from the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce. One wore a maid outfit, black hair. The other wore a gray cloak, face unclear. She used a bow against me.”
The assassin reported everything he knew to the head of the Tea Rose Chamber. His name was Penrose.
After hearing the assassin’s report, Penrose frowned. With handsome features, his thick brows knitted together as he said in a low voice, “You’re injured?”
He caught a faint scent of blood on the assassin.
“Just a scratch.”
Penrose was silent.
After a moment of quiet, the assassin dropped his dagger onto the desk. “This is blood from that maid-dressed woman.”
“This…” Penrose looked down at the jet-black dagger, which had left a dent in the desk where it landed, along with the still-uncoagulated blood on it. He had no use for it.
Just as Penrose was about to send the bandaged assassin away with it, a thin mist appeared beside him. From the mist emerged an old man with white beard peeking out from under his hood. The old man raised a slightly withered arm, and the black dagger flew into his hand. He pinched the tip and brought it close to his face beneath the hood.
As soon as he appeared, the air in the room grew oppressive. The bandaged assassin also stepped back discreetly, as if to keep his distance from the old man’s ominous presence. Seeing the old man so interested in the blood on the dagger, Penrose couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Mr. Frisi, what use does this thing have?”
His tone was respectful. Clearly, the old man was not his employee but more of a collaborator.
Frisi stroked his white beard and laughed. “Hehe. In this world, it’s best not to let others get your blood, or you might not even know how you died. What do you think—does it have use?”
Penrose’s face paled slightly but quickly recovered. “You really are formidable, sir.”
Frisi laughed heartily, then vanished from the room, dagger and all, leaving no trace or presence. After a while, Penrose finally breathed a sigh of relief. By then, the bandaged assassin had also slipped away.
“Heh, Einfel Krolock. Never heard that name before. I wonder if she actually has any real skill.”
He rose from his chair and walked back to the window. Through the glass, he gazed into the distance. His eyes were fixed on the direction of the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce building. Penrose could see the five-story structure standing in the skyline. The look in his eyes was one of burning desire—like a young man yearning for a beloved maiden, willing to go to any lengths to possess her.
“One day, you will be mine.”
Penrose was determined to take over the Lily of the Valley Chamber of Commerce. Although the Tea Rose Chamber was far smaller in scale, the people behind the Chamber of Commerce Union were now his supporters. He didn’t believe that a woman named Einfel could hold onto the Lily of the Valley Chamber in Lakeside City. Doing so would be like fighting against the city’s rules. Those who fought the rules either died horribly or ended up on the run.
Enya sent for the chamber’s manager, Wilder. But the man reeked of alcohol, so strongly that even five or six meters away it was nauseating. When he pushed open the door and entered, Enya frowned.
Wilder saw Enya sitting in that seat and felt a surge of anger. Taking advantage of his drunkenness, he shouted in her face.
“Gro and I worked our asses off to build this business! What right do you have to take it over? A woman like you should stay home and take care of your kids! Quit meddling in men’s affairs!”
“You expect me to work under a woman? Don’t even think about it! I don’t even listen to my wife at home! Who do you think you are?”
“Tsk, just because you’re pretty doesn’t mean I’ll show you any respect. What I despise most is a woman who relies on her face…”
Wilder seemed to be getting more worked up. From the moment he entered, Enya’s gaze had been icy cold. Now she cut him off and shot back.
“Did you just crawl out of the toilet after drowning in booze? Shut your dog mouth.”
Wilder tried to retort but found himself completely speechless. He could only stare wide-eyed as Enya looked at him with contempt.
Enya couldn’t care less about Wilder’s chauvinism. She got down to business.
“Something happened at the factory. What were you doing? If you can’t handle your job, then get the hell out of the Lily of the Valley Chamber.”
“What?” Wilder was shocked. No one had told him about any trouble at the factory during his drinking binge. So when Enya said the factory had issues, he was genuinely stunned. But being stunned wouldn’t solve anything.
The alcohol haze quickly dissipated from Wilder. He looked at Enya and asked, “What happened?”
Enya didn’t answer. Instead, she tossed a file folder to Wilder. He walked over, picked it up, and opened it. As he read, his eyes slowly narrowed. After he finished, Enya shook her purple folding fan, lifted her chin slightly, and looked down at Wilder with her pale gold eyes.
“Wilder, if you can’t solve the problem, I’ll solve you. As for the reason… let me think. Because you stepped in with your left foot first. I don’t like it, so you have to die.”
Wilder’s face flushed red and pale. He was angry, but also felt he had no right to be. He grabbed the documents and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Enya snorted as she watched the closed door. Not cutting someone down just now showed her restraint. She wouldn’t bother with a fool.
In the afternoon, after reviewing all the documents with Katherine’s help, Enya learned what her role as chamber head entailed. Aside from sitting in the office reading files, she was responsible for major decisions and future plans. It sounded overwhelming, but in practice, it was just dealing with problems as they came. Besides, the clients were so eager that they handed over contracts without Enya even needing to negotiate.
Easy, so easy.
She drank tea leisurely until quitting time. Enya didn’t linger a moment longer. She immediately took the carriage back to the estate.
The road home was quiet.
Lakeside City had welcomed the night. But this night seemed different from usual. Those who slept early vaguely saw strange figures moving in their dreams. When they tried to get a closer look, they suddenly woke up, forgetting everything that had happened, leaving only a blurry impression.
Nightmares were impartial to all. Except for those cultivators with strong mental protection, everyone else had their dreams invaded by Nightmares.
Enya revealed her true form and soaked alone in the warm pool. She held a towel and gently rubbed it along her tail.
Although her body was always clean, she never sweated, and she always smelled nice, Enya still enjoyed bathing. To admire her own body? She wasn’t narcissistic—it was just that she couldn’t touch someone else’s.
After scrubbing her flawless body from top to bottom, Enya stepped out of the bath. The water droplets on her skin gradually evaporated into white mist. Soon, her graceful figure was dry again.
Enya put on a black nightgown and walked out of the bathroom in her dragon form.
As the door opened, the two maids standing outside turned to look at her.
Lucia was startled to see Ms. Enya enter as a human but emerge as a Dragon Princess. The elegant, heroic beauty made Lucia’s face blush. She quickly lowered her head.
Wendy was also timid. She only dared to sneak glances at Enya’s legs, not looking directly—she didn’t have the courage.
Enya glanced at the maids’ reactions and couldn’t help but curl her lips. She walked between Lucia and Wendy, her long, shapely legs striding forward. Her dragon tail swayed as if she were a little pleased.
Lucia and Wendy looked at each other, seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes. They shared a smile and then turned to follow Enya.
Enya reached the bedroom door. Just as she pushed it open, she stopped and turned to look at the two behind her. She raised an eyebrow.
“What, you want to sleep with me?”
“…”
“…”
Both maids were stunned. Lucia blushed and replied, “If Mistress wishes, Lucia will do anything.”
“Huh?” Wendy was confused. Her grasp of the human language was in a superposition of understanding and not understanding. Watching Enya and Lucia’s exchange left her bewildered.
Enya took a long look at Lucia. “Not bad. You have potential. You worked hard today. Go rest in your own room. I only need Wendy by my side.”
“Yes, Mistress…” Lucia felt a twinge of disappointment at being rejected, but quickly adjusted her mindset. She bowed and withdrew, while Wendy remained where she was.
Enya narrowed her eyes and stepped aside.
“You should know what I’m going to do.”
“Uh… yes, Mistress…” Wendy was scared but still tensed up and walked into the room. As she passed Enya, Enya slapped her on the bottom, then said coldly, “Today, I’m going to discipline your lazy habit.”
“…”
Wendy’s body trembled. She wanted to tell Enya no, but Enya’s hands were already on her shoulders. And the door closed with a bang, sealing them inside.