Chapter 146: The Price of Barbecue

Ellie Roth, her mouth brimming with roasted meat, widened her eyes, unable to resist the urge to chew. Though she was loath to admit it, the savory barbecue truly was delectable.

“Is it delicious?” Bai Yu asked with a gentle smile. She had, naturally, already sampled it herself; her only intention was to playfully tease Ellie Roth.

“It’s… merely acceptable,” Ellie Roth replied, her words defiant, yet her body betrayed her. Her jaws continued to work without pause.

“Is that so? In that case, I shall simply enjoy it all myself.” Bai Yu turned as if to depart, only for Ellie Roth to swiftly tug at the hem of her garment.

“W-wait… it’s still quite delicious, I suppose,” Ellie Roth murmured, her voice barely audible. After a grueling day of travel, her stomach truly was rumbling with hunger.

“And so? You’ve been consuming my provisions without offering any recompense, have you?” Bai Yu inquired, her hands settled on her hips, one clutching a skewer of roasted delicacies.

Ellie Roth’s cheeks flushed a deeper crimson. As the presumptive successor to the Charlotte Family, she had never before been addressed with such a tone. In her past, anything she desired to eat was meticulously prepared and presented by her Steward; this current predicament was utterly unprecedented.

“I… I am a member of the Charlotte Family…” Ellie Roth began, but before she could finish, Bai Yu pivoted to walk away. This place held no significance for whatever ‘family’ Ellie Roth might belong to.

Furthermore, Bai Yu had never even heard of Ellie Roth’s illustrious family. She had encountered countless ‘young ladies’ in her time; she certainly wasn’t about to tolerate a childish display of temper here.

“No, don’t go, please! What do you propose we do, then?” Ellie Roth hurried after her with small, quick steps. Despite her considerable height advantage over Bai Yu, she now kept her head bowed low.

Ellie Roth had truly thrown caution to the wind. After all, there was no one else present to witness her undignified plea to Bai Yu for a mere morsel of food.

“What indeed? Let me ponder for a moment…” Bai Yu mused, eyeing the young lady from a family she knew nothing about.

Bai Yu turned back, her gaze falling upon Ellie Roth’s exquisite features, and a mischievous notion suddenly sparked within her.

“Very well then, how about this?” Bai Yu declared with a triumphant gleam in her eye. “You give me a foot massage, and in return, I shall provide you with roasted meat to savor!” With that, she retrieved a chair from her wondrous item storage and promptly settled into it.

“What…? A foot massage?” Ellie Roth stood utterly stunned. Such a demand was entirely unprecedented in her experience; it was nothing short of an egregious insult to her, and by extension, to the esteemed Charlotte Family. She herself had never even received a foot massage, let alone been asked to perform such a demeaning act. How could she possibly comply?

Just as Ellie Roth teetered on the brink of an outburst, her gaze unexpectedly drifted downward, settling upon Bai Yu’s feet.

In that instant, her eyes became irrevocably fixated.

For reasons she couldn’t fathom, a peculiar thought suddenly bloomed in Ellie Roth’s mind at that very moment.

Her gaze then flickered to Bai Yu’s adorably delicate face and that perpetually unruly cowlick, prompting an involuntary swallow.

‘What was happening to her? What was the meaning of this unsettling sensation?’

Ellie Roth’s eyes remained transfixed on Bai Yu’s feet, adorned in dainty black leather shoes and pristine white ankle socks—an ensemble that rendered her utterly incapable of averting her gaze.

A sudden realization dawned upon her: perhaps she wasn’t entirely averse to giving Bai Yu a foot massage after all, provided it was *only* Bai Yu.

Moreover, with no one else to witness the act, it could hardly be construed as an insult to the esteemed Charlotte Family.

Following an arduous internal struggle, Ellie Roth finally mustered her courage, stepped forward, and knelt at Bai Yu’s feet.

This turn of events genuinely startled Bai Yu. Her original intent had merely been to playfully provoke Ellie Roth, offering her food just as she neared a fit of pique. She had certainly not anticipated Ellie Roth actually approaching to perform a foot massage.

‘A shiver of apprehension ran through Bai Yu. Surely, this individual wasn’t harboring some bizarre fetish, was she?’

Ellie Roth gently cradled Bai Yu’s diminutive feet. The small leather shoes themselves were impeccably clean, as though purified by some spiritual cleansing, utterly devoid of even a single speck of dust.

With delicate movements, she slipped off the dainty leather shoes, unveiling a perfectly sculpted arch encased in a pristine white sock.

The flawlessly formed ‘snow cream’—the foot itself—even exuded a faint, alluring fragrance, compelling Ellie Roth to draw ever nearer, almost to press her face against it.

Ellie Roth’s hands moved with feather-light touches across Bai Yu’s feet, eliciting a faint ticklish sensation in Bai Yu. Yet, she remained silent, remembering that this massage was her own request.

Ellie Roth’s slender fingers deftly slipped beneath the fabric of Bai Yu’s sock, meticulously peeling the small white garment from her foot, bit by delicate bit.

“Mmm…” Bai Yu’s cheeks burned crimson, words failing her. She could only surrender, allowing Ellie Roth to continue her ministrations.

Ellie Roth’s soft, delicate hands kneaded the arch and top of Bai Yu’s foot. The exquisite comfort was such that Bai Yu almost couldn’t suppress a soft murmur. Her toes twitched rhythmically, like glistening, plump grapes, tempting one to devour them whole.

With a gentle touch, Ellie Roth then redressed Bai Yu’s feet in her socks and shoes. Though it was her inaugural attempt, she performed the task with such innate talent and perfection that it seemed as if she were a seasoned attendant.

In Bai Yu’s perception, Ellie Roth’s eyes seemed to caress her feet as if they were precious, rare jewels. Her beautiful face drew ever nearer, attempting to diminish the distance between herself and Bai Yu’s small feet.

Ellie Roth approached the other foot with undiminished earnestness. Benefiting from the experience gained with the first, her technique was now even more refined, nearly coaxing a gasp from Bai Yu. At one point, Bai Yu’s small foot even inadvertently brushed Ellie Roth’s face in a clumsy kick.

“Oh dear, my apologies…” This time, a blush crept across Bai Yu’s own cheeks. Indeed, her previous actions had perhaps been a touch too provocative.

“It’s… it’s quite alright,” Ellie Roth responded, her voice somewhat dazed. Far from eliciting her displeasure, Bai Yu’s recent actions had instead ignited a… unique sensation within her, one she ‘had never encountered within the confines of her family.’ And now, it had inexplicably manifested in the presence of her sworn rival.

‘Could this be the true power of a nemesis? An attempt to lull me into lowering my guard through such an unorthodox method?’

Ellie Roth found herself deep in thought, constructing an intricate theory to rationalize the situation and, in doing so, convince herself of its validity.

‘This is merely a trial, a rigorous exchange with my nemesis. Every action serves the ultimate goal of her defeat! Yes, that must be it.’

Once Ellie Roth had concluded the foot massage, her face, now deeply flushed, finally settled at Bai Yu’s side, where she began to silently consume the roasted meat Bai Yu had prepared.

Bai Yu, too, remained lost in a quiet contemplation, rendering the night exceptionally still.

It was, furthermore, the first time Ellie Roth had ever experienced such profound and peaceful slumber. The sensation of relaxation far surpassed anything she had ever felt within the confines of her family estate.

Upon waking the following morning, Ellie Roth felt remarkably refreshed, whereas Bai Yu sported distinct dark circles beneath her eyes.

While these did little to mar her undeniably adorable countenance, Ellie Roth nonetheless found it peculiar.

“What troubles you? Did you not sleep soundly last night?”

Bai Yu shook her head gently.

“I was merely maintaining vigilance against any potential monstrous threats,” Bai Yu retorted, her voice tinged with a hint of indignation. “Unlike you, I’m not so utterly carefree as to simply drift off to sleep without a thought.”

Bai Yu averted her gaze. She certainly couldn’t confess that Ellie Roth’s foot massage had been so… *effective* that it had robbed her of sleep. Her heart still pounded from the unexpected soreness.

‘This time, Bai Yu had truly dug her own grave. She had merely intended to playfully vex Ellie Roth, yet had inadvertently brought this predicament upon herself.’

“Is that so? Indeed, it is prudent, for one can never truly ascertain the presence of other monsters or malevolent entities in such a place.”

Ellie Roth nodded in understanding.

“From now on, perhaps we should take turns standing watch through the night.”