“Shopping?” Lila repeated, the word sounding strange coming from Lady Aiko in such a serious tone.
“Yes, shopping…”
“Now, go. He needs to be prepared. The meeting is important.”
“He needs to look proper…”
“Also, tell him he’s going to get a haircut. His hair is nearly overgrown.”
Without waiting for a response, Aiko turned around and was on her way, her blue hair whipping around behind her.
“Get to it,” she added over her shoulder, her voice leaving no room for delay. “Notify me when he’s ready to leave.”
Lila stood frozen for a moment, her mind catching up with the odd request, but before she could dwell on it,
“Get to it,” Aiko added over her shoulder, her voice leaving no room for delay. “Notify me when he’s ready to leave.”
“Understood, ma’am.” Lila bowed her head slightly.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice called out, “Come on, Lila!” It was Beatrice.
She walked up to her, a mischievous look in her eyes. “You should go with Alister when he goes shopping. This could be your chance to bond with him a little, don’t you think?”
Lila’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. “I-It’s not like that, Beatrice!” she stammered, waving her hands frantically. “He’s just a friend!”
Beatrice smirked, crossing her arms. “Oh, really? You can’t fool me. I’ve seen the way you look at him. How you fidget whenever he’s around.”
“Stop it!” Lila muttered, her blush deepening. “It’s not like that. I’m just… respectful, that’s all.”
Beatrice raised an eyebrow, giving her a knowing look. “If you say so. But if you don’t take your chance now, you might regret it forever. He’s already really popular, Lila. It’s only a matter of time before other girls start coming after him.”
Lila’s expression softened slightly, her anxiety wavering as she considered her friend’s words.
“Or better yet,” Beatrice spoke again, lowering her voice to a whisper as she leaned into her ear, “there’s a rumor going around that his dragons can take on humanoid form. What if he ends up with one of them instead?”
Lila blinked, a surprised and thoughtful expression crossing her face. For a brief moment, the idea made her pause. Then, she shook her head, letting out a forced laugh. “No way. That’s just ridiculous.”
Beatrice shrugged, a playful grin still on her face. “You never know. Either way, you should go talk to him now. Don’t waste this chance.”
“Alright, fine,” Lila sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll go inform him.”
Lila stood frozen for a moment, her mind catching up with Beatrice’s odd words, but before she could dwell on them, she hurried off, realizing Lady Aiko wasn’t one to tolerate delays.
…
Meanwhile, Alister was in his living quarters, reclining in the bathroom, soaked neck-deep in a large bathtub filled with warm water. A small towel was draped over his face, the steam rising gently from the surface. He let out a long, contented sigh, sinking deeper into the soothing warmth of the water.
Raising the towel slightly, he turned his head toward the orange-tinted glass door of the bathroom.
Through the glass, he noticed the shadow of a person standing just outside—a familiar figure with a pair of horns and a tail.
Alister’s eyes narrowed slightly, a look of exasperation crossing his face.
“I would prefer it if you gave me some space, Cinder.”
“Go walk around a bit.”
“Understood, my lord.”
From the other side of the door, the figure, Cinder, walked away until her shadow was no longer visible.
Alister sighed once again, placing the towel back over his face. “Now it feels strangely awkward to talk to her,” he muttered to himself.
“I’m going to have to prep the next room over for her to stay in. Though… she could always use that space meant for dragons just beside the living room…”
He paused, his thoughts racing. “Although I doubt it’ll be able to contain her, considering her current size.” Alister let out a faint sigh, sinking himself more into the bathtub.
Cinder was now forced to stay by his side, or more specifically, the system didn’t let her return to the mindspace, stating she now possessed a “higher dimensional value” than his other summons. She also needed to fulfill her role as his sharpest fang. Alister simply thought she would be more like an assistant of sorts-he didn’t know the system literally meant she had to stay by his side.
This meant she was going to have to follow him around wherever he went.
Alister then placed a hand thoughtfully under his jaw, his fingers tapping lightly as he
thought deeply.
‘Maybe… I could get more prestige points from having her follow me around as a bodyguard.’
‘It might seem odd…’
But after a moment, he sighed. ‘Still, the system is making things more complicated than they need to be.’
With another sigh, he muttered, “I should finish up here and head out. Master Yuuto said I have a long day ahead… so I should get out of the bath soon…”
“After a few more minutes.”
…
Meanwhile, as Cinder roamed the vast living quarters, she took in her surroundings with a look of curiosity. The space was grand, much larger than she had anticipated, with high vaulted ceilings and smooth marble floors that reflected the flickering light from some beautiful carvings on the walls.
A few amazing art pieces could be found along the hallways, displaying scenes of battles, landscapes, and strange human festivals she had never seen before.
Her eyes landed on a peculiar piece of furniture-a strange, low, cushioned seat with a curved backrest. She raised an eyebrow, remarking aloud, “Humans always have the strangest
ideas.”
She continued her stroll, eventually arriving at a part of the building that caught her attention – a room filled with strange metallic contraptions and an odd collection of shiny surfaces. The smell of various ingredients hung faintly in the air.
“What is this place?” she mumbled, her tail swaying slightly behind her as she stepped inside.
Suddenly, Terra’s voice echoed in her mind. ‘It’s called a kitchen. I believe that’s what other humans refer to it as.’
Cinder narrowed her eyes in thought, responding mentally, ‘Since when did you become an expert in human architecture?’
Terra explained. ‘A pink-haired human female named Beatrice pointed it out to our lord when he was first shown around the estate. I merely remembered the term.’
Cinder mumbled, “I see…” as her gaze wandered across the countertops and hanging utensils. She stepped closer to one of the surfaces and picked up a glass cup, holding it up to the light to inspect its craftsmanship.
Terra’s voice echoed in her thoughts once more. ‘I must admit, humans do possess fine craftsmanship. This piece is rather elegant.’
Draven spoke up as well, ‘I must agree, although I fancy the weapons they make more.’
Cinder clicked her tongue, a faint smirk forming. “It’s probably knowledge they plundered from other races. They’re quick to claim things that aren’t their own.” Suddenly, Cinder heard a strange ding. She tensed slightly, her muscles coiling as she whipped her head around, scanning the room for the source of the noise.
“What was that?” she wondered aloud, her tail swaying from side to side.
Terra’s voice echoed in her thoughts as she said, ‘I believe it to be the sound indicating
someone wishes to gain entrance into our lord’s domain.’
“Entry?” Cinder raised an eyebrow. “Which human would be bold enough to make such a
request?”