Chapter 85: Dragon Plush

The next day, the morning sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on the dress Iana was sewing for Lillian.  

The white crushed diamonds on the dress shimmered brilliantly in the light.  

Even the heavens seemed to admire Iana’s craftsmanship.

In just one short night, she had completed the design work and had finished more than half of the main part of the dress.  

Although time was extremely tight, Iana did not cut any corners.

The dress she designed was comparable to the Silver Feather Garments, and to those who liked it, Iana’s creation was even more impressive.  

At that moment, Iana was focused intently on sewing tiny, dazzling crushed diamonds onto the dress.  

Suddenly, a noise came from the next room.  

Lillian rubbed her sleepy eyes, still half-awake and without yet tying her twin ponytails.

Her long golden hair was messy, clearly a sign she hadn’t slept well the night before.  

She stumbled out of her bedroom, walking toward Iana.

“Ia… Iana, did you not sleep all night?”  

Lillian’s voice was sweet and melodious, like a nightingale’s song, but tinged with shock and disbelief.  

They had just returned from the First Trial of the Holy Trial, during which Iana had been seriously injured.

Even with Veronica’s healing, it seemed impossible for her to stay up all night like a normal person.  

Moreover, looking at Iana’s face, Lillian saw no trace of fatigue from lack of sleep.

She even began to wonder if Iana was some kind of non-human.  

“It’s fine. I’m very healthy, and if I don’t work through the night, there won’t be enough time.”  

Iana didn’t look back, instead concentrating on her task.

This work could not afford a single mistake.

Every crushed diamond had its rightful place; a slip of the hand and the perfection would be lost.  

And perfection was exactly what Iana sought.

Only by achieving flawless perfection could she add a sliver of hope to defeating Veronica and successfully inviting Ethelrina to Lillian’s birthday banquet.  

Lillian approached and saw silver-white fabric, threads, and design sketches scattered on the table.

She felt a pang of guilt—these were clearly her responsibilities, yet now Iana was doing it all.  

Lillian opened her mouth, but the guilt weighed too heavily on her tongue.

In the end, she managed only a single phrase: “Thank you.”  

“Mm.” Iana responded simply, as if she hadn’t quite heard her.  

A weak “thank you” was hardly enough to ease Lillian’s guilt.  

“I’ll make you some tea.” Lillian offered.  

“Ah.”  

Upon hearing Iana’s affirmative reply, Lillian went to the living room to find some leftover tea leaves.  

After a while, Lillian returned, carrying a cup of tea and set it down beside Iana.  

“Just put it there. I’ll drink it later.”  

After placing the tea on the table, Lillian watched Iana sewing the crushed diamonds with some awkwardness.

As time passed, she felt an increasing urge to share the burden.  

Suddenly, she remembered that Iana had mentioned last night that besides the dress, the birthday banquet also needed desserts.

Taking the initiative, she said, “I’ll make some desserts.”  

“Mm.” Iana gave a brief, inattentive response.

But as she thought about Lillian’s words, she suddenly exclaimed, “No.”  

Lillian actually wanted to make desserts?

Iana had taught her how to make pineapple buns for a long time, but Lillian’s attempts always ended up a bit burnt.  

It was only because Iana had eaten them that Ethelrina hadn’t been left with a bad impression.

And now Lillian dared to mention making desserts again?  

“You don’t need to trouble yourself with desserts. If you really want something to do, go outside and buy some balloons and streamers to decorate the room.”  

Iana stopped her work and looked at Lillian somewhat fearfully.

She truly did not want her in the kitchen anymore.  

“Alright.”  

Lillian was a little disappointed but also full of energy.

After all, Iana had assigned her a task, so she wouldn’t be idle.  

“Also, remember not to get anything too flashy with the streamers. Keep it simple and normal.”  

Iana planned to decorate Lillian’s home similarly to how they used to celebrate birthdays at the orphanage.  

After all, Ethelrina had also come from the Light Orphanage; perhaps such an arrangement would evoke some fond memories for her.  

“Got it.”  

Lillian nodded and went to her bedroom to change.

She tied her signature golden twin ponytails, put on a clean and neat white dress, and looked fresh and lively.  

“I’m heading out.” She waved at Iana cheerfully.  

Iana watched Lillian’s bouncy figure disappear down the hallway, a smile unconsciously curling at her lips.

She thought to herself, ‘If she hadn’t fallen for Ethelrina, she probably would be this lively every day.’  

After a brief moment of distraction, Iana returned her focus to sewing the crushed diamonds.

There was still some way to go before the dress was finished.

By her estimation, it would be completed around noon tomorrow, at which point Lillian could try it on.  

***

By noon, the sunlight outside was growing stronger.  

Iana rubbed her eyes.

Though the power of the Bloodstone ensured she didn’t have to worry about energy, long hours of eye use had left them sore.  

She stood up to loosen her stiff shoulders and noticed the tea on the table had gone cold.

Lifting the cup, she took a small sip.

Though cold, the fragrance of the tea still lingered pleasantly.  

“Not bad,” Iana muttered to herself.  

Just then, the front door of the villa suddenly opened, and Lillian burst in, breathless and carrying a large bundle of items.  

“Iana, look what I bought!” She excitedly displayed her haul—various streamers and balloons, along with a dragon plush.  

Iana’s eyes settled on the dragon plush, and she blinked in surprise, naturally thinking Lillian had bought it for Ethelrina.  

“Your birthday is the day after tomorrow. You don’t need to give Ethelrina a gift. On the contrary, she should be preparing one for you.”  

Lillian shook her head, cheeks flushing slightly.

“This isn’t for Ethelrina. It’s for you.”  

“For me?” Iana was a little caught off guard.  

Lillian nodded vigorously, her golden twin ponytails swinging like two battle hammers.  

“Yeah, I don’t know why, but the moment I saw this plush, you just popped into my head, so I bought it.”  

Blushing, Lillian shyly handed the dragon plush to Iana.

“Al-Although it’s not anything… expensive, I hope you’ll like it.”