Chapter 24: The Morning After

Eileen opened her eyes, gazing at Faltis, who was incredibly close.

Faltis was remarkably quiet in her sleep, captivating Eileen’s gaze. ‘If only she were always like this,’ Eileen thought wistfully.

Eileen knew with absolute certainty that for her to live a semblance of a normal life in Faltis’s presence, there always had to be others around.

At least in front of outsiders, Faltis would behave a little more normally, displaying the majestic authority befitting the Golden Dragon Queen.

This was precisely why Eileen never overly resisted Faltis in private.

Eileen also understood that Faltis was usually exhausted… but it seemed she herself was just as weary.

‘How could her body possibly withstand Faltis’s draconic onslaught?’ she wondered.

Eileen sat up, her eyes falling upon her reflection in a distant mirror. She was wearing nothing at all.

Startled, Eileen quickly snatched a corner of the blanket, pulling it over herself.

‘Damn Faltis!’

Eileen noticed the teeth marks on her neck; the woman had truly bitten her.

And it wasn’t just her neck; Faltis’s lingering traces were evident on her chest and even the insides of her thighs.

Eileen buried her face in the blanket, mortified. ‘Damn it, my face must be crimson,’ she thought.

She had never even touched a girl before, let alone held hands. Why had things turned out this way? Could she truly be…

Moreover, her body had been thoroughly explored by Faltis, who now knew every sensitive spot. Although Eileen had tried her best to remain conscious, the sheer intensity of the stimulation was dangerously addictive.

‘No, wait!’ Eileen suddenly remembered what Faltis had said yesterday.

Faltis had placed a flower in the room, a bloom that would stir a dragon’s desires. Therefore, all of this was Faltis’s fault, not her own!

‘Right! It’s definitely the fault of that flower and Faltis!’

Eileen quickly arrived at the ‘truth’ of the matter. How could she possibly be such a lewd dragon—no, human?

Eileen stretched out her arms, shaking them before indulging in a long, languid stretch.

‘Huh? Wait a minute!’

Eileen gazed at her arms. Strangely, there was no pain anywhere in her body. Based on her previous calculations, such soreness should have lasted for at least a week.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Eileen’s gaze returned to Faltis, who was sound asleep, cradling her own silver tail.

It seemed Faltis must have healed her. ‘At least you have some conscience,’ Eileen mused.

‘But… if you’re going to cuddle, could you please pull my tail out of your nightgown!’

Who had taught her to press a tail against bare skin? And those damned, delightful mounds were still relentlessly pressing against Eileen’s tail.

‘Forget it… as long as you’re happy,’ she decided.

This time, Eileen didn’t actively retract her tail.

Eileen sat on the edge of the bed, perusing the documents Faltis had given her.

Yesterday, she hadn’t even had a chance to look at them before being severely ‘punished.’

Eileen held the documents in her left hand, while her right hand brushed the stray silver strands from her eyes, tucking them behind her ear.

However, there wasn’t much to see in the documents. They merely stated the need for help, the location, and some information about the sender.

Even the name of the client was omitted. There was no recipient either, likely to prevent the information from falling into the wrong hands.

If someone had found this on the street, they would probably have dismissed it as a child’s prank and thrown it away.

“Am I to act as a dragon slayer?” Eileen bit her finger. Her armor, and even Durandal, had been destroyed.

“I’ll have to choose new weapons, and… a dragon slayer must have at least one companion to look out for them.” This was an explicit rule.

It had been established after Kassim slew a dragon alone, though Eileen wasn’t entirely sure what purpose the rule served.

“It seems I have no choice but to go,” Eileen murmured, suddenly feeling two soft, ample mounds press against her back.

“You’re awake?” Eileen paused, realizing something was missing, and quickly added, “Lady Faltis.”

Faltis merely hummed softly, as if to say, ‘You dodged a bullet this time.’

Eileen sighed in relief. ‘Please, spare me in the early morning,’ she thought.

“If Lady Faltis were to go, wouldn’t the problem be solved quickly? How would I ever grow then?” Eileen said tactfully.

“Such sweet words,” Faltis purred, placing a finger on Eileen’s lips. “Don’t worry, I have other matters to attend to. As for a companion, just find anyone you like. I trust your judgment.”

“I will not fail to live up to Lady Faltis’s expectations.”

Faltis smiled faintly. “Your tail feels very cool. I quite enjoyed your performance today.”

She rose from the bed and sat before the dressing table.

“Just a moment, Lady Faltis,” Eileen quickly grabbed the maid uniform beside her.

As she prepared to change, she noticed Faltis was still staring at her.

“What is it?” Faltis’s lips curved into a slight arc.

Eileen took a deep breath. “Nothing.”

‘A dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water,’ she thought. Faltis had already seen everything, so just this once…

Alas, Eileen had overestimated herself. The blanket seemed glued to her body, refusing to budge.

“How long must I wait, Eileen?” Faltis, clad only in a nightgown, sat on the chair with her legs crossed, watching Eileen.

“My apologies, Lady Faltis, could you please turn your head for just a moment?” Eileen requested.

“Why? You weren’t like this yesterday. Are you suddenly shy now?” Faltis watched Eileen with amusement.

“Yesterday! It was all that flower’s fault! Never mind!” Eileen bit her lip in exasperation, her hand pressing the edge of the blanket, slowly moving it downwards.

Soon, the soft, pink outline became visible.

It was at this moment that Faltis turned away.

‘A perfect opportunity!’

The rustling of clothes filled the air. Eileen didn’t even care if her uniform was on backward; she just needed to get it on.

Eileen held a small hair tie between her teeth, then raised her hands to the back of her elegant neck, gathering her long silver hair and securing it with the tie.

After tidying her clothes, she approached Faltis.

“I apologize for the wait, Lady Faltis,” Eileen said, lowering her head.

“You didn’t have to rush, really. I hadn’t had my fill yet. I prefer you to be a little more… elegant,” Faltis’s words left Eileen utterly bewildered.

She looked up.

Her face instantly flushed crimson, even the tips of her ears turning red.

She saw it: a mirror stood before Faltis, clearly reflecting her entire being from where she had just stood. But then again, how could a dressing table not have a mirror?