Chapter 31: A Lesson in Teasing

“How could that be?” Faltis put away her weapon. “I just wanted to see if you’d gotten used to your new weapon, that’s all.”

Eileen didn’t believe a word of Faltis’s nonsense. She probably just had an itch to test Eileen’s capabilities.

Still, Eileen wasn’t about to call her out. “The weapon fits perfectly, Lady Faltis. Thank you.”

With a flick of Eileen’s wrist, Durandal vanished into thin air, transforming into a golden bracelet that adorned her arm.

“Isn’t it pretty?” Eileen dangled the bracelet in front of Faltis, clearly delighted with it.

“It seems you’ve completely adjusted to this body now,” Faltis teased.

Faltis certainly knew how to pour cold water on her enthusiasm. “Forget about my past!” Eileen retorted.

Faltis took Eileen’s hand, their fingers intertwining.

“Lady Faltis?” This was in public! Usually, when they made such a gesture, Eileen wasn’t far from being in bed.

“Do you like me that much?” She pulled Eileen’s hand, stopping them both.

Eileen glanced at Faltis’s wrist, her expression momentarily stunned.

On Faltis’s wrist, a bracelet identical to her own shimmered.

“No! This is a misunderstanding… Wait!” Eileen watched Faltis’s mischievous smile. ‘Damn, I fell into her trap. This was all a setup.’

Eileen decided to throw caution to the wind. “Yes, I like Lady Faltis very much. And you, Lady Faltis? Do you like me?”

Eileen had no idea where she found the audacity to utter such embarrassing words at that moment.

“Of course, my adorable little maid.” Faltis cradled Eileen’s face in her palm.

Eileen felt a peculiar coolness. ‘Her hand shouldn’t be this cold…’

“Now that the weapon issue is resolved, you can ask Setia to handle the armor and Dragon Slayer identity matters,” Faltis said, expertly changing the subject.

“Understood, I’ll do that.” Eileen nodded, her face burning. She certainly wasn’t in the mood to think much else.

Eileen stood by the window of her room. The high vantage point offered a view of many places.

Golden Dragon Guards patrolled the territory, and occasionally, a few giant dragons soared through the sky.

These creatures, once considered walking first and second-class merits in Eileen’s eyes, now included her among their ranks.

She gazed into the distance, discerning faint lights in the far-off darkness.

That was the watchtower. Eileen raised her hand, wanting to grasp that flickering glow.

“Knock, knock, knock!” A sudden knocking echoed from Eileen’s door.

“Eh?!” Eileen gasped, startled, and clenched her fist.

By the time her fist relaxed, the shimmering faint light had vanished.

“…Sigh.”

Eileen turned around. “Who is it?”

“Eileen, did you need something from me?” Setia’s voice came from outside the door.

Eileen opened the door. “Come in.”

As Eileen closed the door, Setia visibly relaxed. “Eileen, it’s quite late. Is there something important you needed to discuss?”

After all, Eileen was almost impossible to find once night fell. Where she went, however, remained a mystery.

“Lady Faltis said you could handle the Dragon Slayer identity?” Eileen asked, curious. How was that even possible?

To become a Dragon Slayer required a series of procedures and assessments.

Setting aside the preliminary steps, the most crucial requirement was participation in slaying a dragon.

“Ah… I can indeed manage that. Why?” Setia’s expression was obscured by her bangs, making it impossible to discern.

“How is it done?” Eileen voiced her confusion. “How can a dragon acquire a Dragon Slayer badge issued by humans?”

“Ehehe, that’s something I can’t tell you. After all, only I can do it, and you’re not allowed to snatch it from me, Eileen! Otherwise, I’ll really be useless!” Setia’s tone carried a hint of inferiority and bitterness.

Eileen walked over to Setia, taking her hand. “There’s still so much I don’t understand that I need to learn from you…”

“See! You’re just like them, Eileen! Once you’ve learned everything I know, once you’ve squeezed all the value out of me, you can just discard me!” Setia suddenly blurted out.

“Huh?” Eileen was momentarily bewildered.

Ask Eileen to fight, and she excelled. Ask her to be a maid, and she was… barely competent. But ask her to comfort someone? Sorry, she couldn’t do it.

Yet, she had no choice. Even if she wasn’t good at it, she had to brave through and comfort her. “No, no, no! I won’t ask then. Besides, I have many shortcomings myself, and I need your help with many things…”

“Alright, alright.” Setia placed a finger on Eileen’s lips. “I’m happy that you care about me so much.”

“Then what you just said…”

“I just thought you were cute and wanted to tease you,” Setia explained. “After all, you’re the only one I can really talk to.”

Setia sat on Eileen’s bed, hugging her knees. “Eileen, you’re not angry, are you?”

Eileen immediately pounced on Setia. “Angry! How dare you trick me!”

“It seems… I messed up again,” Setia’s voice held a hint of disappointment. “I thought our relationship…”

“So, I’m going to teach you a lesson!” Eileen’s hands moved to Setia’s armpits.

“Hahaha! Stop! I’m sorry!”

One could only say that Faltis had taught her well. Because Faltis often did this to Eileen, Eileen had secretly picked up a few tricks.

“Let’s see if you dare to tease me next time!” Eileen’s tone was fierce, but her beautiful little face looked incredibly cute.

“Then next time I won’t…”

“If you don’t dare, it’s even worse!”

How to put it? While being with Faltis was relaxing, due to the difference in status and strength, Eileen still felt a certain awe (?).

In any case, she felt somewhat constrained.

However, with Setia, she was completely at ease. Since they were both maids, in the same position, there was naturally no pressure.

“Is that so?” Setia lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling through the gaps in her bangs. “Thank you…”

“Huh?!”

Setia felt the world suddenly brighten. A pair of slender hands gently brushed her bangs aside. “Isn’t this adorable? Why hide it?”

Those pure, flawless black eyes, like obsidian, emitted a mesmerizing glow, and her rosy cheeks looked incredibly cute.

Yet, despite all this, Setia had always kept herself hidden.

Setia quickly covered her bangs with her hand. ‘Cute? What a joke…’