Chapter 92: The Art of the Femme Fatale and the Scheming Hermit

Theodore’s unexpected betrayal deeply pained Theresia. She now understood with absolute clarity that the Old Patriarch must have given him additional, suggestive reminders.

The advantage she had gained by sacrificing her allure had been so easily dismantled.

She refused to accept it!

A stubborn spirit burned within Theresia. The Old Patriarch was far away on Dragon Island, but Theodore was right beside her.

Communication between the Old Patriarch and Theodore was highly inconvenient, whereas she could bother Theodore whenever she pleased.

With such a massive advantage, she refused to believe she would lose!

Her ‘Catch the Rich Guy’ plan remained unchanged. ‘Though his body might be graduated, his mind is still that of an innocent young man.’

‘So what if he knows I have other schemes?’

‘Did King You of Zhou not know that playing with the beacon fires was a fatal mistake?’

‘Did Lu Bu not realize Diao Chan was using a honey trap?!’

‘Did Li Longji not know his beloved daughter-in-law would be infamous for eternity?!’

‘Let Theodore witness just how much of a femme fatale a mother dragon, once a man, could be!’

‘This seduction, at the cost of all her integrity, was something this dragon-obsessed fool could never resist!’

****

The Old Patriarch nodded, thoroughly satisfied. “Very well. Since that so-called Pope wants you to stay in the City of Light for another month, then stay for another month. Gaining more experience is not a bad thing. You will depart after a month, and once you reach your destination, imperial officials will naturally make arrangements for you.”

He then encouraged Theodore, saying, “Next time, keep up the good work. Failure is a stepping stone to victory. Strive to ensure she truly completes her transformation and becomes a good dragon.”

Theodore puffed out his chest and held his head high, much like a soldier receiving an award from a superior officer, and declared loudly, “Yes! I will certainly learn from this experience and ensure she turns over a new leaf next time, becoming a good dragon!”

Flames danced in Theresia’s eyes. How dare this old dragon suggest she wasn’t ‘normal’ before!

‘Does laying dragon eggs make a dragon a ‘good dragon’?!’

‘What a twisted view of dragon life! Indeed, for such a shameless old dragon, I must ensure his later years are miserable.’

‘However, for now, when the enemy is strong and I am weak, I must feign weakness, allow them to relax their guard, and then accumulate strength to overcome them from below!’

‘Wait, accumulate strength.’

A flash of inspiration struck Theresia. She suddenly thought of an excellent idea.

“Old Patriarch, you’ve read the propaganda reports from the church, haven’t you?”

The Old Patriarch raised an eyebrow. “I have. Why do you ask?”

Theresia replied nonchalantly, “If you have no objections, then I’ll just play around as a Holy Dragon.”

The Old Patriarch paused for a full second, his mind filling with a horrifying image: the sacred City of Light being stained black by the wicked Theresia, who stood amidst the chaos, laughing maniacally in her black dragon form.

‘Could this be the first step towards the dragon race’s image collapsing?’

“Are you sure?”

While he wasn’t overly concerned with the human race’s political views on Theresia becoming a Holy Dragon, he was very mindful of his own image and that of Dragon Island.

‘What if it’s discovered that he raised this dragon from a young age? Wouldn’t his reputation be ruined in his later years?’

‘Perhaps he should strike first and expel this dragon from the dragon race?’

“Absolutely, yes. Think about it, the reputation of the entire black dragon race will undergo earth-shattering changes starting with me. I will become the Holy Light Church’s first true Holy Dragon! My name will echo across the continent, my image will shine in the hearts of every believer, and I will become the God of a new era!”

Theresia’s words grew increasingly outlandish, her excitement mounting. Theodore and the Old Patriarch watched her with increasingly subtle expressions.

“If you insist on doing this… very well.”

After a moment of silence, the Old Patriarch said, “Oh, by the way, Theresia, Dragon Island is currently undergoing a census and updating its population information. So, you’ve been temporarily expelled from the dragon race.”

Theresia: “?!”

****

Meanwhile, with Lola.

“Mother! Lola misses you so much!”

When the communication crystal activated, the Elf Queen was prepared to thoroughly interrogate her heartless daughter about her thoughtless remarks. Instead, she saw Lola on the other end, crying with earth-shattering sobs, tears uncontrollably splashing outwards, blurring the communication crystal.

The Elf Queen froze in place, swallowing the words she had prepared. What could be more impactful than this?

Lola had never been made to cry like this before.

Samuel, currently a tiny voice in Lola’s ear, thought the same.

He had no idea the potency of the eye drops he’d applied to her eyes was so immense.

She couldn’t even stop them now.

‘Not good, I overdid it!’ Samuel secretly thought.

As expected, after the initial shock subsided, the Elf Queen began to eye Lola suspiciously.

After all, just the day before, this carefree elf had publicly declared her happiness here and her lack of homesickness.

Lola took several deep breaths, gradually stemming her tears, and softly said, “I apologize, Mother. I was too emotional. It’s mainly because this is the first time I’ve been away from you for so long. I originally thought I wouldn’t mind such things, as an elf’s life is so much longer than a human’s. But seeing you again, I felt such an intense longing. My emotions simply burst forth.”

When the Elf Queen had coaxed Lola into leaving, she had sent a trusted subordinate, not communicated with Lola directly.

Upon hearing Lola’s heartfelt words, the Elf Queen couldn’t help but feel a pang of self-reproach, wondering if she had been too harsh on Lola. ‘She is still just a child, after all; perhaps I should have allowed her to come back for a while.’

The Elf Queen’s voice softened as she inquired, “It’s my fault too; I should have contacted you the moment I found you. Lola, how have you been lately?”

Hearing this, Samuel breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Good, I created enough of an impact on the Elf Queen that she didn’t detect anything unusual.’

“Not bad at all! I’ve been completely immersed in the research of magic-tech lately, Mother. Let me tell you, the Holy Light Church people are truly good!” Lola exclaimed excitedly. “Not only do they have all sorts of strange and wonderful technologies here, but they also have so many precious materials. Most importantly, whenever I accidentally fail an experiment and cause an explosion, they are incredibly generous, telling me it’s fine and allowing me to continue staying with them. I’ve already blown up a hundred laboratories this month!”

The smile on the Elf Queen’s face instantly froze.

Perhaps Lola’s return should be postponed for a while. After all, she was not just a mother but also the Elf Queen; she had a responsibility to the elves’ finances.

The Elf Queen casually inquired, “Is that so? Did the church say anything about it? Like, about the repair costs for the laboratories later on?”

Lola paused, then shook her head. “No, they didn’t say anything at all. They just said it was a necessary sacrifice for the progress of great magic-tech. That’s why I say they’re all good people.”

Despite knowing this was a deliberate move by the church to win over the elves, the Elf Queen’s favorability had indeed risen significantly. ‘They truly are good people, since she doesn’t even have to spend money.’

The Elf Queen softly asked, “By the way, Lola, how did you suddenly get from the labyrinth to the Holy Light Church’s territory? You didn’t encounter anything terrible, did you? If you did, you absolutely must tell Mama. I’ve already prepared the most skilled psychological therapists here. Even if you were cruelly treated, you must bravely face life!”

Lola looked bewildered, but seeing her mother’s genuine concern, she shook her head, deeply touched. “Don’t worry, Mother, Lola is super healthy right now!”

Meanwhile, the Elf Queen’s best friend and the primary provider of forbidden texts, Samuel, had seen through everything. ‘This severely corrupted elf must be suffering from delusions.’

However, to avoid polluting Lola’s pure emotions, Samuel decided to keep this truth hidden. Besides, this was the most crucial moment.

Little Samuel summoned a small speech manuscript and began reciting it into Lola’s ear.

Lola then began to translate, relaying Samuel’s carefully prepared content to her mother word for word.

The entire story of what transpired was vivid and captivating.

It emphatically described how Samuel had sacrificed himself for justice, how he had turned the tide, and how he had provided aid in their time of need.

The Elf Queen: “…”

She now understood completely.

‘I knew it,’ she thought. ‘Lola seemed strange from the very beginning.’

‘No, how dare two tech-obsessed hermits, who practically live in their labs, try to scheme against me?’

‘How audacious!’

There was a difference between one hermit and another!

The Elf Queen decided to show them the gap between a tech-focused hermit and a scheming hermit. It would begin with capsizing their little boat of friendship!

The Elf Queen was brimming with motivation!

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