Chapter 26: A Delicious Disturbance

Gern sat at a corner table, daintily savoring her fish-flavored shredded pork. The moment the blend of fish and spices exploded on her tongue, the single strand of hair atop the little dragon girl’s head shot upright. Her eyes narrowed blissfully, as if she were reluctantly chewing the morsel, hesitant to swallow it.

This was, without a doubt, the finest meal she had ever tasted. Her past consisted solely of black bread, or perhaps black bread accompanied by milk. Black bread, being the cheapest and most basic staple, had been her only option. In those days, Gern ate merely to sate her hunger, her demands for food never particularly high.

However, after sampling this dish, she felt her entire worldview shatter. A philosophical question inexplicably surfaced in her mind: ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The answer, it seemed, was to procure some fish-flavored shredded pork at the academy.

Snow, observing Gern’s expression from nearby, felt a mix of amusement and tenderness. It was clear from her reaction that this was Gern’s first encounter with such exquisite cuisine. Indeed, for a child of her tender age, simply filling her stomach was achievement enough.

Just then, Snow noticed a golden-haired girl slowly approaching. She raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Lilia, upon seeing a profoundly enigmatic figure seated beside Gern, paused, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. Nevertheless, she made a shushing gesture, then slowly approached Gern from behind and whispered softly,

“Little sister, your dish looks absolutely delicious.”

“Of course it is!”

Still lost in the bliss of her meal, Gern failed to notice anything amiss. It wasn’t until a pair of soft hands rested upon her body that she froze instantly, her pale golden dragon eyes slowly widening.

‘That voice… it’s so familiar.’

She slowly turned her head, her gaze shifting slightly, and caught sight of a strand of golden hair.

Gern’s pupils contracted into vertical slits. She trembled, maintaining her twisted posture, afraid to move an inch.

‘Ha… haha, no, it can’t be. I couldn’t be that unlucky. It’s just… just the hair color is the same.’

Gern tried to reassure herself, but tears were already welling up in her eyes. The arms behind her tightened their embrace, like a deadly python coiling around Gern’s delicate frame, making it difficult for her to breathe.

“Long time no see, little one.”

At that moment, the girl’s voice resounded again. It was a voice she knew well, and simultaneously, the one she most dreaded hearing. Gern felt completely numb, her mind reeling with fright, as if her soul were about to depart her body.

While Gern was consumed by terror, the other onlookers had different thoughts. Snow watched the golden-haired figure embracing Gern from behind, her violet eyes blinking once before a knowing smile spread across her face. A hint of nostalgia flickered in her gaze; this scene reminded her of the time she had pursued the Witch Society’s President. This moment mirrored that one perfectly.

To avoid disturbing their reunion, Snow offered Gern an encouraging look, then turned and departed.

Gern instantly felt as though her entire world had collapsed.

‘Miss Witch, it’s not what you think! Please come back, I’m scared alone!’

She desperately wanted to shout, but Snow had already vanished. Such a considerate Miss Witch truly left Gern moved to the point of wanting to cry, yet unable to shed a single tear.

“Hmm? Was that older sister your friend just now?”

It was only then that Lilia belatedly reacted, Snow’s departure had been so swift that she hadn’t even registered it.

Gern composed herself, attempting to appear unfazed, and whispered,

“That… that’s a friend of mine, someone I met during the assessment.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

Lilia’s eyes narrowed slightly. The woman’s attire was far from ordinary; one glance revealed her significant status. Moreover, her aura was terrifying. What purpose could such a powerful individual have in approaching the little dragon girl? Was she after the valuable materials from her dragon body, or was she after Gern herself? Lilia refused to believe that Snow had approached Gern without an ulterior motive.

She pondered for a moment, then asked,

“Do you know her well?”

“Fairly… fairly well, I suppose. At least she’s a good person.”

Gern, feeling the hands behind her tighten further, suppressed an urge to cry and spoke with a tremor. It was as if she were pleading, ‘See, she’s almost moved to tears, can’t you let her off the hook?’

However, Lilia only hugged her tighter, continuing to whisper into her ear.

“Little sister, when a girl is out and about, remember to protect yourself, and don’t easily trust anyone.”

“Especially you. The materials from a dragon’s body are incredibly precious. Even powerful individuals might covet your body, you know.”

Gern’s mouth twitched. She cared little for powerful individuals; Lilia herself was currently the most terrifying thing to Gern. Though Gern was utterly terrified of her, she still made an effort to nod in agreement.

Lilia released her embrace, quietly observing the little dragon girl before her. She felt the little dragon girl had grown considerably since their last meeting, appearing more graceful and slender. Her adult beauty would likely be no less than Lilia’s own.

For some inexplicable reason, Lilia was seized by an urge to tease Gern. Subtly, she pinched a breadcrumb, flicked it with her finger, and it landed precisely on Gern’s chest.

Gern, who had been too afraid to look up at Lilia, noticed something amiss. Just as she was about to reach for the breadcrumb, a voice whispered in her ear,

“Oh dear, little sister, you’ve got something dirty here. Let me help you clean it up.”

Before Gern could even refuse, those fair, delicate hands darted towards her chest.

“Eek!”

Caught completely off guard, those small hands successfully made contact with Gern’s chest. Instantly, an electric shock sensation coursed through her body. Gern instinctively shrieked, then, fearing attention from those around them, she desperately tried to cover it up.

An indescribable wave of shame washed over her, and Gern’s little face flushed crimson. She felt all strength drain from her body; had Lilia not been there to support her, Gern would have collapsed entirely. This was the first time anyone had ‘assaulted’ her there, and it felt utterly different from when she touched herself. That instinctive feeling of aversion intensified, and even her gaze towards Lilia held a hint of resentment.

Lilia met Gern’s gaze with an innocent expression, as if the entire incident had been a mere accident.

After glaring fiercely at Lilia, Gern defiantly moved to another seat.

Lilia followed, then Gern moved again. This continued for quite some time before the two finally settled down.

After an unknown period, Lilia, seated opposite Gern, suddenly spoke.

“Little sister, are you afraid of me?”

At this, Gern instinctively wanted to nod, but she forcefully stopped herself.

“No… not at all! Why would I be afraid of you? You saved me in the secret realm and gave me so many things. I should be thanking you!”

“Is that so…”

A flicker of dejection crossed Lilia’s watery blue eyes. Initially, she had thought Gern was simply afraid of humans in general. But after this latest interaction, she vaguely sensed that Gern was afraid of *her* specifically, not other humans. But why? She hadn’t done anything to the little dragon girl. Why would Gern be afraid of her?