The carriage moved slowly along the road.
Celia sat near the window, dressed in dark travel gear with the collar buttoned tightly and the sleeves cinched.
She even had a silk scarf tied around her neck, covering her almost to her chin.
She quietly watched the forest receding outside the window.
They had clearly joined a caravan.
Onyxia sat beside her, looking as languid as a cat basking in the sun.
She slowly observed Celia’s airtight attire, the corners of her lips curling upward.
Suddenly, she leaned in close, almost brushing against Celia’s ear, and chuckled in a breathy voice that only the two of them could hear.
“Why are you dressed so… dignified today? To be wrapped up so tightly, are you afraid of the wind blowing on you, or… are you hiding something?”
Celia’s body stiffened, but she did not turn around.
She continued to stare out the window, though the tips of her ears turned an uncontrollable, faint red.
She pursed her lips, determined to ignore the culprit.
Seeing her refusal to communicate, Onyxia’s smile deepened.
Instead of backing away, she reached out a finger and lightly brushed Celia’s silk scarf as if by accident.
She caught a glimpse of a tiny patch of skin where a very faint mark seemed to reside.
Celia jerked as if burned and turned her head to glare at Onyxia.
Her voice was extremely low, carrying the sound of gritted teeth.
“…That’s enough of you.”
She pulled at her tightly wrapped collar.
“I told you so many times, Arian was just curious about our people. There was nothing going on between us. But you, you purposefully went and last night…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Her ears were completely red, and she could only use her eyes to accuse the other of her obvious misdeeds—those ambiguous marks hidden under her clothes that were currently burning, reminding her of last night’s madness.
Onyxia didn’t reflect on her actions; instead, her smile widened.
Just as she was about to speak, a stifled laugh came from the side.
Both of them turned their heads at the same time.
They saw Ilyas hurriedly covering her mouth.
Realizing she was being watched, she immediately lowered her head, but her bright red ears and the uncontrollable upward curve of her lips showed that she was even a bit gloating.
Celia was suddenly fuming, and she immediately turned her spearhead.
“Iliya! You’re still laughing!”
She pointed to a red mark faintly visible near the edge of her silk scarf by her collarbone, her voice both angry and frantic.
“Here! And behind my shoulder! Do you dare say you weren’t the one who left these? I’m starting to doubt whether I’m the Dark Elf or if you two are. How are you even more… more unrestrained than those hyperactive guys in my tribe?”
“Did you two not notice how strange the look Arian gave me this morning was? She definitely heard! If she goes back to the Shadow Forest and tells this story to her sister as if it were some rare curiosity…”
Celia couldn’t even bear to imagine the scene.
“…Then the whole tribe will know that I, the dignified Celia, was pinned in a bathtub by you two… It’s over. I’ve suffered a social death.”
Seeing her rare breakdown, Onyxia’s expression finally softened a bit.
She reached out, pulled down Celia’s hands that were covering her face, and forced her to look up.
“Celia, I actually haven’t quite understood… Why are you so afraid of your tribe finding out? Is it because you feel… a passive, submissive posture doesn’t fit the image of a Dark Elf?”
Celia sniffled, the corners of her eyes still red.
“We Dark Elves… Although our relationships take many forms, strength and dominance are things carved into our very bones! From the dawn of the Dark Elves until now, there has never been someone like me…”
She bit her lip, her voice trembling.
“I was celibate for a full 60 years! The elders and friends in the tribe all looked at me strangely. Privately, they worried if something was wrong with me or if something had gone awry in my cultivation… And the result? The result is that I finally… No, I mean…”
She organized her words chaotically, eventually giving up in self-despair.
“The result is they’ll discover that not only am I abnormal, but I’m also a… a total bottom!”
She said the word with great difficulty, as if it took all her power.
“Do you know how embarrassing that is? When I was little, I bragged to all my playmates that once my Coming-of-age Ceremony was over, I would show my future partners what it truly meant to have the style of a Dark Elf… And now?”
She pointed at the marks on herself and then at the two culprits in front of her, saying in despair, “Now I’m being pinned to the bed and the bathtub by the two of you, a Beastman and a human loli… and I can’t do anything but meow! If word of this gets back, how am I supposed to be an Elf?”
A long while passed, and just as Onyxia thought she wouldn’t speak again, a murmur almost drowned out by the creaking of the wheels drifted over gloomily.
“…Actually… being on the bottom… it doesn’t… doesn’t feel too bad.”
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, carrying an awkward honesty.
“At least… I don’t have to put in the effort myself…”
“…But I hope… this stays between us. Don’t… don’t go spreading it around… especially don’t let my tribe know. Okay?”
“Fine, I promise you. This is a secret between the three of us,” Onyxia replied.
Ilyas also nodded immediately, even making a swearing gesture.
“I won’t tell anyone either, Celia.”
Celia’s tense shoulders finally relaxed, but the heat on her face had not faded.
She looked out the window again, trying to regain a bit of her usual composure.
The carriage fell silent for a moment, leaving only the sound of wheels rubbing against the road.
Onyxia, however, thought of something else.
“But Celia,” she suddenly spoke up, her tone full of curiosity, “there’s one thing I’m really curious about… Isn’t your recovery ability a bit too good?”
Celia turned to look at her in confusion.
Onyxia gestured.
“I mean… according to some records, although the Dark Elf Constitution is very good, their recovery speed shouldn’t be this fast. In that regard, they should be similar to ordinary people. But you…”
“Last night was clearly… well, very exhausting. Yet this morning, you’re already able to move as usual, with only a few marks left. This is different from what I know.”
Celia’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Records? What records? Where did you see such records about Dark Elf physiology?”
Her tone became alert.
After all, detailed information about the Dark Elf race rarely circulated in the outside world and was often filled with errors.
Onyxia pulled out a book.
“This right here. Sister Traka gave it to me when I left the group to chase after you.”