“Ailaira, pour me some wine.”
“Master, you cannot drink yet.”
“Oh? Not only am I going to drink today, but I want you to feed me yourself!”
Ailaira: …
Andrea had clearly gotten carried away with her acting. She had completely merged with her character, immersed in the exhilarating feeling of ordering Ailaira around at will.
She even wished Kuchierkan would stay a little longer so she could enjoy this for a while more.
Andrea drank the grape juice from the goblet, making sounds of pure delight.
Her palm rested on Ailaira’s slender thigh, which was clad in white silk stockings, as she toyed with her wantonly.
It was not that she did not feel the faint sense of pressure emanating from Ailaira; her remaining rationality constantly warned her to show some restraint. Otherwise, once Kuchierkan left, a brutal reckoning would be waiting for her.
But… whatever. Let us drink and be merry for today!
Andrea laughed wildly, completely forgetting her previous sorrow. Ailaira ignored the dragon claws fumbling around on her leg, feeling somewhat speechless. How could a dragon’s emotions shift so rapidly? If Trinice had possessed a mindset like this back then, she would not have been on the verge of a personality split.
Yet, it was precisely Andrea’s somewhat lewd behavior that made Kuchierkan feel much more at ease. The guest even stopped eating and began to initiate conversation:
“Is your relationship with humanity good, Senior? I noticed the chef earlier was also a human.”
Hearing this, Andrea finally pulled her attention away from Ailaira. She glanced at Kuchierkan as if looking at an idiot.
“Humans are very exclusionary and discriminatory. Any members of Non-Human Races entering the Border must be under strict surveillance. Every human has the right to report you to the Gendarmerie. If you are caught, the best-case scenario is being deported back to your tribe; otherwise, you will be imprisoned in the Royal Capital’s Dungeon to await negotiations.”
“It has not been easy for me to develop while hiding my identity. Where would I find members of other races?”
Kuchierkan’s understanding of humans—or rather, the entire world—was quite limited. Hearing the severity of racial conflicts, she was surprised. “Ah? Has the outside world already reached such a state?”
Andrea suddenly yanked Ailaira’s arm, causing her to fall unexpectedly onto Andrea’s crossed legs. Like stroking a pet cat, Andrea gently smoothed Ailaira’s soft silver hair.
Ailaira did not resist; she obediently pressed her legs together and tilted her head up, leaning into Andrea’s palm.
The corners of Andrea’s mouth curved into a satisfied arc. She arched an eyebrow at Kuchierkan. “But as you can see, humans are also easy to break. Give them a few small favors, and they will be utterly devoted to you.”
“Take this little thing, for instance. I picked her up myself. Seeing that she had a bit of talent, I slowly began cultivating her. It will be convenient to use her to reach the core of human society in the future.”
This made Kuchierkan trust Andrea even more. However, to truly get her to let down her guard, one essential after-dinner dessert remained.
Kuchierkan crudely wiped her hands and mouth with the tablecloth and suddenly stood up, slapping the table. “Senior, my stomach is full. Is it time we got down to business!”
Andrea realized what was happening and assumed Kuchierkan wanted to retire for the night. Thus, the two spoke in unison:
“Your room is over…”
“Let us duel!”
Andrea was stunned. Her ‘cat-stroking’ hand froze. She subconsciously repeated, “A duel? With me?”
Kuchierkan thought Andrea was looking down on her strength.
The battle intent in her eyes burned even brighter. Her flaming golden eyes locked onto Andrea, her tone rising with excitement.
“Although I do not know why you still maintain an immature form, Senior, and your Magical Power is only at the Rank 4 level, based on the battle earlier today, your strength is truly unfathomable.”
“So, I want to take this opportunity to experience the gap between us firsthand.”
Out of her recognition of the Dragonkind’s immense power, Kuchierkan preferred to believe that during the battle with Ailaira, Andrea had been secretly acting from the shadows.
She assumed the so-called Witch was merely an actor pushed to the front. Being suppressed throughout the battle earlier today had made her feel frustrated, so now she wanted a true one-on-one fight with the mastermind to satisfy her warlike desires.
Andrea, meanwhile, looked helplessly at Ailaira, who was tidying her clothes nearby. She blinked frantically, pleading for help: ‘Stop worrying about your image! Save me!’
Ailaira felt the panic Andrea was projecting and gave her a kind, gentle smile. Andrea immediately felt a sense of impending doom.
‘No way, Ailaira, you wouldn’t really make me…’
“Of course, Master. I shall prepare a sparring ground for you both immediately.”
‘Stop! I’m really going to be sent flying by this Black Dragon!’
Although Andrea always acted bossy in front of Ailaira, she was very clear about her own strength. Even if she used End to seal Kuchierkan’s magic, she wasn’t currently strong enough to win based on physical power alone…
“However, considering the status of both parties, perhaps the duel should be set for tomorrow morning. That way, Kuchierkan can adjust her condition to its peak.”
Though it was only one night, she had to stall for as long as possible. Andrea hoped Ailaira had some kind of special medicine that could rapidly increase her strength. Thus, she immediately struck the pose of a senior and lectured Kuchierkan:
“Your aura is unstable right now. Even if I won, it would be an unfair victory. I will give you one night to prepare properly.”
Kuchierkan wanted to say that with her constitution, this level of fatigue was nothing, but seeing Andrea’s firm attitude, she had no choice but to suppress her impatience. At the same time, her anticipation for tomorrow morning’s duel grew.
“Very well.”
Afterward, Jody led Kuchierkan back to her room, while Andrea dragged Ailaira to her own room without stopping.
Once the door was locked, Andrea braced her arms on either side of Ailaira, her expression grim. “Do you want me to be beaten to death?”
Ailaira tilted her head slightly, her silver hair falling over Andrea’s arm. She said with great interest, “That sounds quite nice.”
“Like hell it is! If I die, your plan won’t succeed either!”
Andrea questioned Ailaira in a fit of rage, failing to notice that they were now alone. In the next moment, her body was thrown and tossed onto the bed. Andrea kicked off the covers, and before she could figure out what was happening, she saw Ailaira walking toward her while rotating her wrists.
Ailaira knelt on the bed. her indifferent gaze was like a cold instrument on an experimental table. A cruel smile crossed her lips. “You seemed to be having a lot of fun earlier, didn’t you?”
Andrea shivered, moving away from Ailaira, who was radiating an evil aura. “You bad woman, calm down… That was all acting! You’re the one who asked for it!”
“Oh? Then for the sake of our plan, why don’t you sacrifice yourself just a little bit more?”
Ailaira pulled an Alchemy Potion from her pocket. She uncorked it and brought it close to Andrea. The fragrance drifting from the bottle was a scent Andrea would never be able to forget for the rest of her life!
“This is an Alchemy Potion I specially manufactured based on the ingredients of that Perfume. As for the effects… it is targeted only at you, and it is even stronger.”
“In just one night, I can facilitate your Maturation to the point where you can rival Kuchierkan, or even surpass her physical strength.”
Hearing this, Andrea’s pupils constricted. In her eyes, the shadow of the Witch moved closer and closer until it completely consumed her. She screamed in despair:
“Don’t come over here!”