Chapter 230
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: Pretty, But Scary.
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"Hah..."
Hermann couldn't close his gaping mouth.
He'd already been dazed by the lavish treatment in the cabin after being more or less forcibly shoved onto the plane on a whim.
But humans are creatures of adaptation.
Over the hours of flight, his bewilderment had mostly faded.
He was, after all, a man once hailed as the world's greatest sculptor. In his prime, he'd experienced all sorts of luxurious receptions.
But this moment...
The sight that unfolded the instant they stepped off the plane was more than enough to leave Hermann slack-jawed once again.
Even Yuna Kyung, perched on Rimon's shoulder, was no exception.
"[...What the hell is this spectacle?]"
"What else? It's a welcome."
"[A welcome? This?]"
Yuna Kyung was dumbfounded.
She scanned the surroundings once more, her face growing even more perplexed, before asking,
"[This isn't some state visit for a head of state or anything, right?]"
It was a joking question, but for Yuna Kyung, it was 100% genuine bewilderment.
From the empty runway that had been cleared before their landing, to the lavish carpet rolled out across the airport.
Flanking it were honor guards in eye-catching green uniforms, flowers scattering through the air, and a line of limousines waiting at the end of the carpet.
This was treatment fit for a head of state from a major nation.
Rimon looked at Yuna Kyung with pity.
"Not a state guest, but we've got someone even more VIP than that right here."
"[Oh.]"
Yuna Kyung turned forward with fresh eyes.
And she stared blankly at the black-haired girl watching with a calm face, as if this level of welcome was routine.
She saw her so often that she'd forgotten, but Li Chingwei was the Black Dragon Princess.
As one of the seven leaders of the Seven Dragon Group, she was a true 'princess' who could receive state guest treatment anywhere in the world.
"[...I get why you dragged White Dragon Princess sis away by force now.]"
"Don't talk nonsense. You wanna see this airport burst at the seams?"
"[Fair enough.]"
Yuna Kyung reluctantly accepted.
Even with just Li Chingwei, who rarely did public activities among the Seven Dragon Society princesses, it was like this.
If the world-famous singer Aynsha had come along too, the airport might have been mobbed by fans and well-wishers alone.
"[When Princess sis or White Dragon Princess sis visited our country, nothing like this happened though...]"
"That was an unofficial visit."
"[So this is an official visit?]"
"Would I take this snail-paced thing otherwise? I'd just space-jump."
Rimon snorted.
No matter how state-of-the-art the plane, it was slower and less convenient than spatial movement.
The fact that Li Chingwei had bothered with a private jet meant she wanted this visit publicized.
As Rimon whispered with Yuna Kyung...
The woman in front of the honor guard—green long hair, red outfit with mysteriously high exposure—bowed politely to Li Chingwei.
"Barbara of the Green Dragon Clan greets the descendant of the Mighty Black Dragon God Lord."
"Nice to meet you, Barbara."
"As the person in charge of receiving the Black Dragon Princess, I apologize for the hasty preparations and any shortcomings in the welcome."
"No need. Preparing this much in a single day is impressive enough."
"You flatter me."
Yuna Kyung tilted her head.
Despite the polite words and demeanor, Barbara's gaze toward Li Chingwei felt oddly insolent.
As if resenting her for some undeserved grievance.
Still, as an elite representing the clan, Barbara continued courteously, gaze aside.
"The princess is waiting at headquarters. We've prepared separate vehicles for your entourage..."
But midway...
Barbara suddenly shut her mouth.
She narrowed her eyes, peering behind Li Chingwei, and asked softly,
"Pardon me, but are all those behind you part of the Black Dragon Princess's entourage?"
Her question was reasonable.
Hermann clearly wasn't Green Dragon Clan, and neither was Rimon with a bluebird on his shoulder.
They didn't look like attendants at all.
But Li Chingwei didn't answer.
She just smiled faintly and countered.
"If you know it's rude, then you know I have no obligation to answer, right?"
"...Forgive my impertinence."
"Don't worry about it. It's natural."
Li Chingwei calmly brushed off Barbara's question.
The Black Dragon Clan was used to suspicion from others.
But she didn't miss how Barbara's gaze had lingered unusually long on Rimon before asking.
'As expected.'
It was worth shoving the paperwork on the troubled Youin and stunned Wailing to come herself.
She muttered inwardly but didn't let on that she'd noticed.
She simply followed Barbara's lead into the limousine with Rimon and Hermann.
No immigration checks, of course.
Traffic control had cleared the roads ahead.
In the smoothly gliding limousine, surrounded by motorcycles and escort vehicles on empty streets, Yuna Kyung muttered blankly.
["Team Leader, aren't those guys like BOPE? Our country's PAB equivalent for high-level players.]"
'More like a step above PAB. Average levels similar, but their gear and training are on another level.'
["Assigning those guys as ceremonial escorts? Insane.]"
'This is standard.'
Rimon snorted.
Brazil was the Green Dragon Clan's homeland.
Here, they could do anything, and no one could oppose them.
Yuna Kyung muttered perplexedly at Rimon's mocking tone.
["...You talk like Brazil is the Green Dragon Clan's property or something.]"
'Not 'like.' It is.'
["Huh?"]
Rimon didn't explain further to the blinking Yuna Kyung.
He just frowned at the empty streets, as if something irked him deeply.
As Yuna Kyung eyed Rimon curiously, the limousine sped unimpeded down the deserted roads.
They arrived at their destination in under half an hour.
São Paulo, Brazil's largest city.
Right in the center stood a bizarre building where two towers twisted around each other in a double helix.
Barbara, who had exited first, bowed again before the striking, majestic structure.
"Welcome to the headquarters of Quetzalcoatl, the world's top pharmaceutical company."
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"Arbela of the Green Dragon Clan greets the descendant of the Mighty Black Dragon God Lord."
Quetzalcoatl's chief research director.
Arbela lifted the hem of her white coat gracefully, as if it were a dress, welcoming Li Chingwei and her group.
She continued politely.
"We've prepared a banquet with utmost care for the Black Dragon Princess. You must be tired from the long journey—please enjoy yourselves."
"[...?]"
Yuna Kyung blinked unwittingly.
The elegant tone and polite response felt oddly off, just like with Barbara.
"We can't refuse a banquet prepared for us as guests."
Whether Li Chingwei didn't notice the discomfort or not, she nodded calmly.
She followed Arbela's guidance to the banquet hall willingly.
["Wow."]
The moment they entered the banquet hall, Yuna Kyung gasped.
It wasn't an empty boast—they'd spared no expense. The hall was extravagantly decorated.
Beautiful red lanterns and silk draping from the ceiling, adorning all four walls.
Bronze horse statues standing tall everywhere.
Hundreds of dishes lined long tables flanking a green jade throne on the central dais.
Musicians plucking zithers, beating drums, and strumming pipas along the walls.
Dancers in revealing outfits weaving between tables.
For a moment, it was hard to tell if this was Quetzalcoatl's office or some imperial palace.
["They really went all out."]
Yuna Kyung marveled at pulling off such splendor in just over a day.
But she didn't notice.
Rimon frowning, Li Chingwei's subtle expression, even Hermann looking perplexed as they surveyed the hall.
"I tried decorating in the Zhonghua Seventy-Seven Federation style. What do you think?"
After a brief, odd perusal of her handiwork, Arbela—clearly proud—beamed.
Li Chingwei smiled back.
"A truly grand welcome."
"It's nothing special. As the princess's top aide, this is only proper."
Hermann's expression grew even stranger at Arbela's smugness.
Finally, unable to hold back, Rimon stepped forward to speak.
Or tried to.
Li Chingwei subtly raised a hand to stop him, signaling with her eyes.
'Hold it.'
'You're just gonna let this absurdity slide?'
'It's improper for guests to embarrass the host.'
'The host insulting guests like this is equally improper.'
Rimon scowled fiercely.
Unlike Yuna Kyung, he was familiar with such banquets—especially Zhonghua Seventy-Seven Federation customs—and knew how botched this was.
The single jade throne at the head was proof enough.
Intentional? An insult.
Unintentional? A blunder.
Either way, unacceptable for welcoming a fellow Seven Dragon Society princess.
'We're guests here with a request, not just visitors.'
But Li Chingwei conveyed her intent with her usual serene smile.
As if it was routine.
Or she'd rather swallow the insult than clash with the Green Dragon Clan over this.
Rimon stared at the composed Li Chingwei before reluctantly nodding.
'If you're that insistent, fine. I'll let it go.'
'Thank you for your consideration.'
'Not something to thank me for, nor you to be grateful about.'
With Rimon's tacit approval, Li Chingwei smiled brightly and took her seat opposite the throne.
The banquet began.
Fortunate or not, despite Rimon's scathing assessment, the mood flowed pleasantly.
The clueless Yuna Kyung pecked excitedly at food served by attendants, and Hermann marveled at rare delicacies he'd never tasted.
Li Chingwei praised the preparations and chatted just enough to keep Arbela grinning.
That made Rimon's solitary arms-crossed stance, ignoring the food, stand out more—but no one minded.
Such sights were common at Green Dragon Clan banquets.
But that was the end of the good vibes.
Screeech.
"The descendant of the Poison Green Dragon Medicine Lord, Lady Maya, arrives."
The door opened, Barbara's voice echoed, and the lively hall plunged into deathly silence.
Musicians stopped playing.
Dancers froze.
Servants went mute.
The entire hall stiffened, breaths held in terrified faces.
In that stifling quiet, she appeared.
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'Pretty...'
The first moment Yuna Kyung saw her.
She thought 'delicate.'
Slender enough to snap at a touch, melting like an ice sculpture at a breath.
Milky skin near-translucent pale, wasp-thin waist, porcelain features amplified by her pallor—it evoked fragility.
'...But scary.'
Then came 'danger.'
A chilling instinct, like facing a viper with jaws agape.
Especially those sharp eyes and swamp-dark green irises—they prickled her animal senses, raising goosebumps everywhere.
So Yuna Kyung held her breath unwittingly.
Frail yet perilous.
Beautiful yet sharp.
That eerie contradiction, paired with her sickly beauty, amplified her unique menace.
Like a flower more alluring for the deadly venom it held.
Gulp.
Clearly, Yuna Kyung wasn't alone.
If so, the musicians, dancers, and even Hermann wouldn't be swallowing dryly with tense faces.
Two exceptions.
Rimon, blank-faced, and smiling Li Chingwei.
Everyone else choked the tension itself silent as she stepped slowly into the hall.
Step. Step.
Her body light as a feather.
Yet her footsteps thundered in the hush—due to the silence, or her heavy aura?
Creating an enigmatic air, she crossed the hall and halted before the dais throne.
"..."
For some reason.
She paused, gazing fixedly at the throne.
Then swept her eyes over the hall before speaking after a brief silence.
"Barbara."
"Yes, Princess."
"Did you prepare this banquet?"
"Well..."
Barbara flinched, unable to answer properly.
Instead, Arbela stepped forward proudly.
"I did, Princess."
"The Black Dragon Princess's reception was Barbara's duty—why did you prepare the banquet, Arbela?"
"As you know, Princess, Barbara's no good at banquets. I stepped in to cover for my sister's clumsiness."
Quetzalcoatl's top researcher and the princess's aide—it was her duty, she claimed confidently.
Barbara grimaced bitterly.
She'd handled protocol flawlessly but hadn't thought to make the banquet this flashy.
"So you're fully responsible for this banquet?"
"Yes, Princess."
"Understood."
Maya nodded slowly at Arbela's bold reply.
And right then.
Slap!
Arbela's body spun sideways from the slap across her cheek.
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