Chapter 168: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (32)
Chapter 168: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (32)
Elsie had been waiting for Ian for several days.
It had been a forced march. Just thinking about the past few days made Elsie’s eyes grow weary with fatigue.
She had never been one to care much for her appearance, but for the last few days, she had been dragged to all sorts of places by Lupin.
They were shops she had never even seen before.
According to the Academy’s internal regulations, wearing anything other than the uniform was prohibited. Thus, Lupin had poured her efforts into a different direction.
Cosmetics, perfumes, hair care.
To be honest, Elsie herself couldn't tell how much she had changed over those few days. She absentmindedly brought a lock of her hair to her nose and gave it a sniff.
It smelled fresh.
That was a change clear enough for even Elsie to notice. She only hoped that this change would have a positive effect.
I hope Master likes it, Elsie thought, feeling a bit dejected despite herself.
She had known it since she was a child.
Compared to others her age, Elsie had an exceptionally small frame. This had persisted even after she stopped growing; her body showed no signs of developing further since her girlhood.
This was also why Elsie had been particularly bullied within the Lainella family, which was known for its many sturdy builds.
However, what mattered to a mage was mana, not physical stature. So, after entering the Academy, it wasn't something she had worried about much.
She figured she just had to punish anyone who looked down on her as a 'runt.' Whether she was tall or short, Elsie Lainella was still Elsie Lainella.
But first love changes everything. This held true for a girl’s worldview as well.
For the first time in a long while, Elsie resented her small stature.
Being a woman, she did have curves. In fact, compared to her frame, her lines were quite well-developed.
Key phrase: compared to her frame.
In reality, she could never have the kind of curves possessed by the Saintess or Delphine, who stayed by Ian’s side. Honestly, bodies like theirs made one wonder about genetic modification, regardless of their overall size.
Thinking about that made Elsie feel inexplicably anxious. She bit her lip and kicked the innocent ground repeatedly, but her heart refused to settle.
After a while, Elsie was startled by a sudden presence and looked up.
Ian was walking toward her from a distance.
It was his usual route. Around this time, he would head to a secluded forest clearing to train. This was information Lupin had obtained by even deploying people to track him.
It had only been a few days since she last saw his face. Yet, Elsie couldn't hide her joy, looking like a puppy meeting its master after years apart.
However, it didn't take more than a few seconds for her excitement to vanish.
Tuk.
A woman approached Ian, clinging to his arm.
She was a beauty with radiant blonde hair. Her blood-red eyes were so alluring they felt almost wicked.
That charming woman with porcelain skin was now pressing Ian’s arm firmly against her chest.
It was a perfectly natural approach. Because the movement was so fluid, Ian couldn't even find the chance to shake her off.
His surprised eyes turned toward the woman. Then, the woman—Delphine Yurdina—offered a greeting with a faint smile.
"Master, shall we talk for a moment, just the two of us?"
She spoke as if she had something urgent to discuss. Ian, who had stiffened for a moment, let out a sigh and scratched his head.
He looked like he had no choice.
However, Elsie particularly hated the sight of those two together.
As was well known, the relationship between Elsie and Delphine was exceptionally poor.
Weren't they the Academy’s most representative rivals, recognized by everyone?
This was a fact that both Elsie and Delphine acknowledged.
And yet, right before her eyes, Elsie was about to have her precious Master snatched away by that enemy. It would be strange if she didn't get worked up.
"Wh-who do you think you're clinging to?! I've been trying to be patient, you slut, but seriously...!"
The reaction to Elsie’s sudden outburst was swift.
First, Ian looked at Elsie with a surprised expression. It seemed he hadn't expected her to be waiting there.
Delphine initially looked a bit startled. But soon, her eyes narrowed, and a meaningful smile played on her lips.
Elsie walked over with a furious aura, glaring at Delphine.
She looked so angry that one could almost hear an imaginary growl.
"Hey, let go! Can't you see Master is uncomfortable?!"
It was a blatant excuse, but there was no excuse more effective than this.
Ian had his usual troubled expression, and that very look served as proof that Elsie’s words were true.
At that, Delphine obediently let go of Ian’s arm.
It was an uncharacteristic move for her. It made no sense for that incarnation of competitiveness to back down just because Elsie snapped at her once.
Naturally, Elsie’s wary gaze followed. Regardless, Delphine simply waved her hands as if surrendering.
"You're right, I was too rude. There is a certain etiquette a slave must maintain toward her Master..."
The moment Elsie saw Delphine’s smirk, she felt the hair on her neck stand up.
To anyone watching, she looked like a woman harboring a scheme.
But before Elsie could say anything, Delphine had already taken action.
Without hesitation, she knelt and bowed her head. Kissing the toe of Ian’s dirt-stained shoe, the woman spoke in a submissive voice.
"Master, please, punish this blasphemous slave..."
Elsie’s eyes widened at Delphine’s sudden preemptive strike.
Even as she bowed her head, Delphine was subtly pressing her thighs together. The curve of her slightly raised hips was emphasized through her uniform skirt.
Elsie reflexively compared her own meager body to Delphine’s curvaceous form, which possessed a honey-like allure.
According to her promise with Lupin, Elsie was supposed to act more confident today. The plan was to be coy while subtly giving Ian an opening.
But from the moment Delphine intervened, Elsie’s mind had gone blank.
She didn't want to lose to Delphine, of all people. Furthermore, she didn't want to be abandoned by her Master.
That desperate feeling commanded Elsie to cling to Ian.
Elsie decided to follow that instinct immediately.
"Wh-what are you saying, you bitch?! You're subtly squeezing your thighs and even sticking your butt out?! You just have a pointlessly big ass... Master! L-leave that pervert alone and please don't abandon Elsie... okay?"
Of course, the look Ian gave her was nothing short of skeptical.
Regardless, the bickering between Delphine and Elsie only grew more intense.
"What's wrong, Lainella? As you said, I committed an impoliteness toward Master, so I'm waiting for my punishment... Do you still lack the awareness that you belong to Master?"
"...Wh-what!"
Delphine’s provocation, whispered while her head was still bowed, reached Elsie’s ears instantly.
Elsie jumped in place as if she had been caught off guard.
In truth, the feelings Elsie harbored for Ian were affection, admiration, and love—not the same kind of feelings Delphine displayed.
But as Delphine intruded upon Elsie’s position, those feelings underwent a distortion. Elsie, too, naturally began to perceive Ian as 'Master.'
Only then could she win the competition against Delphine.
The criteria for that 'victory' were bizarre, but for Elsie, it was a match more important than anything else. Sparks flew in her eyes, which resembled blue sapphires.
"O-of course I belong to Master too! But do you think I don't know why you're sticking your butt out like that?! You lewd woman, trying to use Master to satisfy your own greed...!"
"If you don't like it, you should do it too."
However, Delphine’s voice in response to Elsie was perfectly calm.
Delphine, still bowing, flicked her blood-red eyes toward Elsie.
A sneer was etched on her lips.
"I'm quite confident in my body, you see. Especially my hips—they feel good to the touch, so I'm sure Master is satisfied. Ah, even last time..."
"...L-last time?!"
Delphine’s breathy voice grew increasingly damp and heavy. Hearing that, Elsie let out a horrified cry and swallowed hard.
Soon, Elsie’s pitiful gaze turned toward Ian.
Her eyes were desperate, pleading for him to say it was a lie, but Ian simply turned his head away without a word.
He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, his fingers twitching.
Elsie’s face fell into despair when the answer she hoped for didn't come. She looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
Delphine chuckled as if enjoying the sight and continued her story. As she spoke, she occasionally twitched and pressed her thighs together.
"...It was truly wonderful. If Master wishes, he can punish me as much as he likes. Ah, or perhaps having my head stepped on by his foot?"
Elsie trembled at that taunting, feverish voice.
To think the successor of the Yurdina family was such a lewd woman with such perverted tendencies.
This was an act of disloyalty toward the Imperial Household.
Until recently, Elsie had called the Princess 'that bitch' just for touching Ian, but at this moment, she felt like the most loyal subject in the Empire.
And more than that, her feminine instinct to protect the man she loved from that temptress took precedence.
Her eyelashes trembling, Elsie opened her eyes as if she had made a decision.
"M-Master! If you really want to give out a punishment, you can give it to me...!"
"Master, if you're going to hit someone, wouldn't it be better to hit someone who's worth the effort? Please, show mercy to this slave..."
Ian, who had been silently watching Delphine and Elsie for a long time, finally let out a deep sigh.
It meant his deliberation was over.
Elsie and Delphine weren't oblivious to this.
As the two women waited for Ian’s judgment in a state of tension—
Ian’s hand drew his hand axe like a bolt of lightning.
It happened before Delphine or Elsie could even react.
The incandescent hand axe slammed into the ground, and the mana it had been holding to its limit exploded.
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, a cloud of dust rose. The shockwave wasn't massive, but it was enough to trigger Delphine and Elsie’s fear.
"Kya, kyaaaaaaaaak!"
"U-ah, kyaaaaa!"
Though the two hated each other, their screams were remarkably similar.
The two, who had fallen onto the ground together, began to tremble while clutching their heads. Their shaking eyes testified that the scars in their hearts had not yet healed.
"I-I was wrong... p-please, anything but the axe... p-please, at least not the blade... I'll give you everything... h-hng... h-huuu..."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... E-Elsie will be a bedwetter... p-please, don't abandon me! Save me..."
Only after seeing that did Ian let out a weary sigh.
He placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head before immediately asking Delphine.
"Senior Delphine, so what were you trying to say?"
Delphine squeezed out the words in a trembling, stuttering voice.
"Th-that is... I heard recently that you were looking for a 'cave,' so I wanted to talk about that... h-hng, h-huuu... p-please, forgive me..."
Ian nodded as if that made sense. His gaze turned next to Elsie.
"And what is your business, Senior Elsie?"
"L-lately, Master hasn't been around... I-I didn't want to be abandoned... h-huuu, hng..."
Hearing that, Ian’s expression sank into a slightly bitter look. His golden eyes, filled with pity, looked down at Elsie.
Of course, that was only for a moment.
Having heard all their business at once, Ian finally showed a satisfied smile.
As he raised his hand, the axe flew back into his grip with a sharp whistle. He spoke to the two women, who were still shivering with fear.
"Since it's come to this, let's talk the three of us. There was something I wanted to share anyway... and we'll talk about 'rewards' and 'punishments' later."
As he spoke, Ian thought to himself.
I should have pulled out the hand axe sooner.
It seemed that whenever the two of them fought too much, a drastic remedy was necessary.