Celia felt like she was about to evaporate on the spot.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to say, “Actually, we just slept normally last night.”
But those words, just as they reached her lips, were blocked by the purple and red marks on her neck.
Normal sleep? Would normal sleep result in this?
She didn’t even believe it herself.
“A-Auntie…”
“Hmm?”
Madame looked at her, her gaze as gentle as spring water, her face full of kind and harmless affection.
Celia met those eyes, and all the prepared words got stuck in her throat.
What could she say?
Say, “Auntie, you’ve misunderstood. Actually, Onyxia was the one working hard last night. I was just lying underneath, enjoying the whole time”?
Wouldn’t that be admitting that something indeed happened last night?
And, and saying that out loud… it didn’t seem right either.
“I, I…”
She struggled for a long time, finally squeezing out just one sentence:
“I’m actually doing okay…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to bite off her own tongue.
Okay?
Okay with what?!
Doesn’t that equal an admission?!
Madame, seeing her practically burning up with embarrassment, understood perfectly.
Her face filled with a smile, and she didn’t press further.
She simply reached out and pushed the plate of food a little closer to Celia.
“That’s good then. Eat more.”
Celia lowered her head, mumbled an affirmation, and had no choice but to focus all her attention on the plate.
Madame, watching the two of them, casually changed the subject.
“By the way, do you have any plans for today?”
Onyxia looked up.
“Haven’t thought about it yet. Do you have any suggestions, Mother?”
“If there’s nothing urgent,” Madame said, her gaze returning to Celia’s face, “you could rest well at home for a day. The roses in the rear garden are blooming beautifully, and the weather is nice. It would be lovely to take a walk.”
She immediately added,
“Of course, if you don’t want to go out, staying in your room is fine too. No one will disturb you.”
Celia felt dizzy.
Was Madame really not doing this on purpose?
This was definitely on purpose, right?
She secretly glanced up at Madame.
Madame was holding a teacup, her eyes and brows wearing an expression of innocence identical to Onyxia’s.
Celia withdrew her gaze.
She was certain now.
They were definitely mother and daughter.
Every time Onyxia had worn her out in bed, or wanted to try some new trick, she would wear that exact same expression.
She took a deep breath and decided to stop thinking about this.
Focus on eating.
But just as she picked up a piece of bread and brought it to her mouth…
A knock sounded at the door.
Everyone looked up towards the entrance.
A young maid stood by the door, looking somewhat nervous.
She quickly walked to Madame’s side.
“Madame. There are two guests at the gate.”
Madame put down her teacup and looked up, her face full of confusion.
“Guests? What guests? I haven’t heard of any appointments recently.”
“Not ordinary guests, Madame. They are Dragonkin. Two of them. The one leading calls herself Olivia, and she has a maid with her.”
“They…”
The maid paused.
“…seem to be coming with some force.”
Olivia?
The Dragon Princess?
That Olivia?
The owner of the… stockings?
Celia froze completely in her seat, her mind going blank.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted downward, though she couldn’t see anything.
She knew perfectly well that in the System’s Item Warehouse, those three pairs of stockings were lying there quietly.
‘Not this, man. How could she find me? I haven’t even taken the stockings out; they’ve been in the System space the whole time. What does this mean? Is there a tracking spell on the stockings? No, if there was, the System would have mentioned it.’
‘I remember clearly the System wrote: Her Highness the Princess is very concerned about the whereabouts of her shed scales. It’s best not to let her know you took them, or the consequences…’
‘No, this is very wrong.’
A chill ran down Celia’s spine.
She now knew what the consequences were.
The consequence was that the person had come to her door, with a maid, coming with force, to settle accounts with her.
“Celia?”
Onyxia’s voice came from beside her.
“What’s wrong? Is there something off about that name? Do you know her?”
Celia snapped back to reality, meeting those purple eyes.
Know her?
Of course I know her.
There are three pairs of stockings made from her back scales lying in the System Warehouse.
Doesn’t that count as knowing her?
“I… I might know her.”
Onyxia looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Celia took a deep breath, her mind racing.
She couldn’t let anyone know about the stockings.
Absolutely could not let anyone know.
Otherwise, how could she ever face anyone again?
Wait, I didn’t even steal these stockings!
The System forced them on me!
“During my travels before…”
She tried to make her tone sound a bit more natural.
“…I met her once in passing.”
Onyxia looked at her, not speaking.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Celia nodded immediately, nodding so fast that even she thought it seemed fake.
But she couldn’t care about that anymore.
“I have to go see her.”
She said, starting to stand up.
“After all… I know her. She’s come to the door; hiding isn’t appropriate.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Onyxia stood up almost simultaneously.
“No need.”
Celia turned her head.
She tried to keep her tone level, to appear natural.
“You don’t know her. I’ll just go say hello. I’ll be back soon.”
Onyxia didn’t speak.
She just looked at her.
Those eyes were startlingly bright in the morning light, yet they made Celia inexplicably guilty.
“What’s wrong?”
Celia asked, trying hard to make her expression look normal.
“Your palms are sweating.”
Onyxia’s voice was very soft.
Celia instinctively hid her hands behind her back.
“No, they’re not.”
“Your face is pale.”
“Is it? Maybe I’m just tired from last night.”
“When you heard that name just now,” Onyxia took a step forward, closer to her, “you dropped your fork.”
“Celia, what is really wrong with you?”
Celia fell silent.
This matter, she couldn’t talk about it.
Couldn’t talk about it even if beaten to death.
“It’s nothing, really nothing. It’s just… I’ve met her before, so it was a bit surprising. I’ll go meet her once and come right back.”
As she spoke, she started to walk out.
Then her wrist was grabbed again.
“I’m going with you.”
It was the same sentence.
Celia looked back.
Onyxia stood there.
“Are you… afraid I’ll find out something?”
Celia’s heart skipped a beat.
“No.”
“Then why won’t you let me go?”
“Because…”
Celia was stuck.
Because why?
Because I don’t want you to know I’m a stocking thief?
Because it’s too embarrassing?
Because if you found out, even if I regained my sensitivity and re-established my “masculine” prowess, I might still be ridiculed forever over this?
Faint sounds of commotion came from the direction of the main hall.
That Dragon Princess wouldn’t have the patience to wait forever.
What if she barged right in?
What if she made a scene right in front of Madame?
What would Madame think?
What would Onyxia’s mother think of her?
‘Besides, Onyxia might know it wasn’t me who did it. At worst, I’ll just reveal it—I have a System? This damn System is useless anyway. That’s it, I don’t care anymore.’
Celia hesitated for a moment.
“Then let’s go together.”