Actually, seeing how obedient Celi was being, even Head Maid Laer looked positively thrilled.
(I gave you a chance, and you turned me into a stone statue?!)
Though Celi had personally undone the spell in the end, Xuefei still felt a twinge of guilt about it deep down. She simply had to give Celi some punishment…
Now that felt good.
Every day, she could subject Celi to the torturous rigors of noble education—a far cry from the etiquette of the Snake Demon Country in its difficulty. After all, the one she would be serving was none other than the Evil Dragon.
Moreover, under Laer’s “enthusiastic care,” Celi’s authority was considerably greater than that of an ordinary maid. In turn, her responsibilities had grown all the more weighty.
And if the Evil Dragon ever laid a dragon egg, Celi would need to tread even more carefully. At that point, her lessons wouldn’t stop at something as simple as delivering meals to Xuefei.
Lady Leia said, “So, now that you’re our maid, do you still have any lingering attachment to the Snake Demon Country?”
Head Maid Laer shot Celi a meaningful glance. Celi caught on immediately, stepping forward as if she had rehearsed the moment a dozen times over. She lowered her head, her long green hair spilling forward.
“I’ve been wrong all this time,” she said.
“I thought the gods were omnipotent. I arrogantly believed I could reshape the world as I saw fit. In truth, I was nothing more than their pawn.”
“It looks like Laer has told you everything, then.” Lady Leia rested her hand on the table. She reached for her tea but paused midway.
“Yes,” Celi replied. “She told me everything I needed to know…”
For instance, how her homeland would soon fall under the Evil Dragon’s influence. How her sister, Beili, would receive special care from the maids. From that day forward, at least the Snake Demon Country would be safe from invasion by other races.
She had also learned of the gods’ unsightly deeds and true nature, the rivalry between Xuefei and Lady Leia, and details about the Hero… about this world itself.
“By the way,” Lady Leia asked, “where did all that divine power you gathered end up?”
Lady Leia had suddenly taken an interest in the so-called War God’s power. After all, as time wore on, the gods who came to fight had only grown stronger. The War God had to be the fiercest fighter among them, didn’t she?
People like Celi had once believed the gods’ might was peerless—beyond the Three Realms, unbound by the five elements. But their performances had revealed otherwise: a motley crew, with chasms in combat prowess between them.
At that moment, Xuefei’s gaze grew evasive.
“I’m sorry, Evil Dragon Lord. I truly don’t know.” Celi bowed her head once more. She had no idea Xuefei had claimed her power. “After my defeat, it simply vanished, leaving only the Endless Treasure behind…”
“Is that right? So the War God’s power was merely a fragment of her overall strength?”
Xuefei had already confirmed as much for herself.
After absorbing that terrifying power, she had been astonished to discover that, while it undoubtedly contained a massive portion of the War God’s essence, there was no sign of a shattered godhead or soul fragment. In other words, the War God’s true body was likely still alive and well!
(What? Someone asking why she kept the divine power absorption from Leia? Xuefei’s response: She never asked, so why bring it up?)
Celi sneaked a sidelong glance at Xuefei just then. She remembered how, during the battle, the Dragon King’s consort—that is, Xuefei—had borrowed Alres’s power…
Theoretically, that portion of the War God’s strength had also been absorbed by Xuefei.
But speaking up now would be nothing short of meddling, and it might sow misunderstandings between the two affectionate Evil Dragons. Best not to meddle in their romance.
Laer spoke up at that point. “Lady Leia, I once communed with the gods myself. There is indeed an entity known as the War God.”
“Oh?”
“The War God is a deity wholly devoted to battle, no doubt—and likely among the absolute strongest of them.”
Xuefei rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
No wonder she was so formidable, a true standout among the gods. For her detached power alone to be that overwhelming was only natural. Still, Xuefei could feel her own strength had risen dramatically as a result.
Laer continued her explanation. “Her name is Dolores. Combat is her very nature. No one surpasses her in raw martial might—not even the Seven Main Gods.”
“Then, between Dolores and me right now… who is stronger?”
Laer froze at Lady Leia’s question.
Miss Evil Dragon was just thinking her words had put Laer in an awkward spot and was about to backtrack when Laer suddenly replied,
“I’m afraid… it’s you, my lady.”
Lady Leia’s lips curved into a smile. She narrowed her scarlet eyes ever so slightly, clearly delighted by the answer.
A few beads of sweat broke out on Xuefei’s forehead.
No way—Leia was stronger?!
The War God’s power ended up being a bit too much to handle. Had Leia suddenly gotten stronger? That didn’t make sense…
As expected, Laer was going all out to save face for Leia.
Still, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Leia commanded the power of several gods, so she was nothing like Celi, whose battle instincts left much to be desired. In the end, only a true duel would reveal who was stronger.
~~~
After issuing a few instructions, Laer led Celi out of the Tea Room.
A gentle breeze carrying the scent of flowers wafted in from outside the window, but it did not brush against Celi’s downcast face, heavy with dejection.
She parted her lips, as if wanting to say something to that elegant retreating figure, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she continued to trail cautiously after Laer, steeling herself for more maid training.
The sun peeked its small head out from behind the clouds, holding its breath as it watched the two silent girls.
Suddenly, Laer came to a halt.
“Do you have something you’d like to say to me, Celi?”
“Ah?”
The abrupt stop nearly sent Celi crashing into Laer’s arms. The Head Maid turned, her expression as cold as frost.
“Sorry, sorry~”
“It’s nothing, but please try to make your expression more natural. No more of those fake smiles, all right? That’s a required lesson for any maid…”
“As expected of Laer.”
Celi dipped her head slightly, her smile fading into sorrow, like a piece of agate dulled of its luster. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Laer’s eyes, clutching her broom tightly against her body as if she might curl into a ball at any moment.
“Laer, why are you so kind to me?”
“…” Laer made no reply, simply gazing at Celi.
“You didn’t really need to do all this, did you? You could have just killed me and offered my power to the Evil Dragon—no need to plead on my behalf, right?”
“That’s just the agreement we made in the carriage. You’re probably reading too much into it,” Laer replied indifferently, turning to continue on her way.
After all, there was plenty to get done today. She needed to hurry.
The agreement from the carriage, huh…
Celi gripped the Xuefei doll tighter, her emotions roiling out of control. Shimmering tears trembled in her eyes, and her feet rooted her to the spot, unable to take a single step.
Laer… you were always sincere.
Noticing the little snake demon frozen in place behind her, Laer started to call out her name. But when she saw a single tear splash onto the floor, she held her tongue and stepped forward instead…
“La-Laer?!”
More tears streamed down Celi’s cheeks. This time, though, they didn’t splatter onto the floor or carpet—they soaked into Head Maid Laer’s uniform.
“If you dirty the floor, you’ll have to take responsibility for it. Understand?”
“Wu wu…”
But Celi showed no sign of gratitude. Instead, she wept even harder, heedless of how thoroughly she’d drenched Laer’s chest.
This wasn’t the first time Celi had flung herself into Laer’s embrace.
“I’m so glad you made it out alive.”
“Wha—”
“Nothing…”
Laer gently stroked Celi’s head. In the empty corridor, their voices echoed softly, like a fine drizzle:
“If there’s something you want to say, you can always tell me later.”
“After all, the road ahead is still long. You’re only on your first day as a maid, aren’t you?”
