Two days later, in Ailaira Green’s private Research Laboratory, the room was still funded by what was left of her possessions before she left home, and it was a far cry from the lab she once had at The Church.
Fuming, Ailaira angrily slammed her pestle down, her mind racing with all sorts of filthy, blasphemous words.
But she dared not let them slip out, afraid that certain perverted goddess, so obsessed with being a mother, would hear and actually put those curses into practice.
The whispers of the divine seemed about to drift into her mind again.
Ailaira quickly shook her head, casting out the frightening thoughts, and focused entirely on making the Alchemy Potion before her.
“Frostgrass, 15g. Unicorn Horn Powder, 5g. Ghostpool Mushroom, 20g…”
“Does just 10g of Red Dragon Saliva really require so many cold herbs to dilute? Just how lascivious is that dragon’s true nature?”
Ailaira repeatedly ground the herbal mixture, slowly infusing it with her own magic.
Suddenly, an insidious voice of a red dragon came from behind her.
“Were you calling me?”
A blazing breath swept over the sensitive nape of Ailaira’s neck, startling her enough to noticeably break her rhythm.
Though she outwardly remained composed, her hands were far from gentle.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the mischievous red dragon by the collar and kicked her out of the Research Laboratory, warning once more:
“Andrea, if you sneak into my lab without permission again, I guarantee that next time I harvest materials from you, you’ll be bedridden for three days and three nights.”
With that, the laboratory door slammed shut.
Andrea, tossed out, dusted herself off nonchalantly and, as if nothing had happened, snatched up the breakfast Jody had set outside the lab for Ailaira.
Teasing Ailaira and making her angry was always endlessly entertaining for Andrea.
Of course, that wasn’t her only aim—
“Mhm, I managed to sneak into the lab this time without getting caught!”
“Now, all I have to do is wait until Ailaira leaves and steal that potion!”
Ever since Andrea learned of her own “importance,” she seemed to have suddenly wised up.
Through repeated probing, she gradually figured out Ailaira’s limits.
As long as she didn’t try to escape, Ailaira basically didn’t care what she did—so long as Andrea supplied potion materials when needed, Ailaira’s patience was truly shocking.
So, Andrea’s behavior around the Chapel only grew bolder.
She even claimed the largest room as her own, ostentatiously ordering Jody to haul all valuables from the Chapel into her quarters.
Ailaira may have finally achieved her dream life, but she was no idle, decadent dragon.
She kept her goals in mind.
After repeated harassment, she finally figured out the pattern of the Research Laboratory’s Warning System.
This was thanks in part to Ailaira being too busy after returning home to update the Chapel’s Defensive Formation, letting Andrea discover the vulnerabilities.
Feeling smug, the red dragon lady thought it was her own peerless wit at work.
She waited until Ailaira was out discussing business before sneaking up to the lab door, ready to seize the original Perfumery Prototype and redeem herself.
Under the cover of night, the sneaky red dragon crept up to the lab, cracked the door open, and slipped inside.
Flattened against the back of the lab door, Andrea held her breath.
She was five meters from the Ice Cabinet where the potion was stored, but though the path looked clear, it was actually lined with formations to detect living things.
Hmph, all this intel was earned bit by bit with my own body!
Andrea lifted her chin in pride.
To avoid slipping, she quietly removed her shoes and socks, placing them aside.
Her pale bare feet touched the Ice-Cold Floor, sending a chill through her, but the urge to outdo Ailaira gave her the strength to overcome it.
Once she adapted, Andrea tiptoed to the tiles ahead, her lithe body twisting in the air, her incredible flexibility letting her keep a dancer’s poise even with her head pressed to her tense toes.
She moved like a dancer twirling across a crystalline lake, landing lightly before the Ice Cabinet and ending with a pirouette.
Perhaps she herself didn’t realize her own talent in this area, simply basking in the thrill of imminent victory.
Excitement flickered in Andrea’s eyes as her hand reached for the cabinet—but suddenly froze.
Even in the dark, her dragon eyes could clearly spot the trap behind the Ice Cabinet: a contraption of sticks and string, attached to a bell.
Had she opened it without noticing, the magically amplified bell would have instantly alerted the entire Chapel.
Andrea let out a shaky breath, muttering softly, “Truly a devious woman!”
Up front it’s all magic for security, but the last lock is the oldest, most disarming trap there is!?
Hakia, you really don’t give a dragon a moment’s rest!
“Heh, but in the end, it’s still my victory!”
Andrea extended her claws, deftly nudging the stick away to disarm the trap, then finally opened the Ice Cabinet.
Chilled air rushed out, her breath turning white.
Andrea took from within the very first sample of the perfume series that Ailaira had ever created—the most potent version.
She cradled it like a treasure, already imagining the sight of Ailaira begging her for mercy.
“Tonight, just wash up and wait, wicked woman!”
Not long after, the Chapel’s main door slowly opened.
A carriage pulled into the courtyard.
As usual, Jody came to open the door for Ailaira, but hesitated to wake her mistress, who was napping inside.
These days, Ailaira’s shoulders were burdened with resolving lingering issues of the Green Family, restarting the ranch and dealing with all sorts of production paperwork, and expanding the lineup of Alchemy Potions to open up the city’s Magic Market.
So many problems piled up on her.
Though Jody had offered to help, Ailaira seemed obsessed with handling her own affairs—never delegating, always insisting on handling every step herself before considering it complete.
Just as Jody was hesitating over whether to wake her, Ailaira opened her eyes herself.
Her misty eyes seemed to be veiled in the cool light of the moon.
With gloved hand covering her parted lips, she gently steadied her exhausted body and stepped down from the carriage.
“Jody, help me prepare an outfit for tomorrow night’s banquet. It’ll be my first formal appearance since returning—I can’t be careless.”
Unlike her little sister who lacked any feminine touch, Ailaira always pursued glamour in appearance.
Whether in her male form or now, as a woman with more accentuated curves, she insisted on perfection in attire and makeup.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ailaira forced herself to say, “Prepare one in her size as well.”
“I understand, Miss. Shall I prepare your bathwater?”
Ailaira simply raised a hand and cast a Cleanse Spell, declining Jody’s offer, then dragged her tired body into the Chapel.
Her room, closest to the Research Laboratory, had once been meant for servants, but Ailaira didn’t care for such formalities—so long as she could rest a bit, it was enough.
But the moment Ailaira entered her room this time, she immediately sensed she wasn’t alone.
A rich fragrance filled the air, and the bedding on the bed trembled as if Pandora’s Box itself was waiting to be opened by Ailaira.