Volume 8, Chapter 33 – The Taste of the Night Fairy

“Anastasia? This is Claire’s room, you know?”

Just as Fia was telling Claire about her relationship with the Eye tribe, Anastasia suddenly knocked on the door and appeared before Fia.

Unlike her usual maid outfit or green swordswoman attire, Anastasia now wore a simple yet exquisite white dress. Its light style suited the hot summer while also being loose enough to reveal Anastasia’s beautiful collarbone and snowy white shoulders, making her appear more pitifully beautiful than usual. Moreover, this dress looked less like something wearable in public and more like a nightgown worn just before sleeping. The presence of lace and ruffles added a unique sense of youth characteristic of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, making it even more alluring.

Although it was normal for girls to have some secrets, Anastasia’s guilty expression upon seeing Fia made her exceptionally suspicious. Anastasia’s reaction when Claire had called her earlier was already strange enough. Now, coming alone to Claire’s room late at night in a nightgown, with a nervous expression unable to meet Fia’s gaze—it inevitably stirred some unrealistic associations in Fia.

For instance, that Claire and Anastasia had formed a lily-colored relationship without her knowledge.

But if that were truly the case, Anastasia’s expression upon seeing her should have been panic, not hesitation like a girl confessing her feelings for the first time…

Fia comforted herself internally, yet in reality, she was so concerned she wanted to ask immediately. This feeling of being the only one left out tormented her endlessly.

“Ah, perfect timing. I asked Anastasia to come to my room. Little Fia hasn’t finished discussing serious matters yet. Can Anastasia wait a moment?”

“I-It’s fine. Serious matters come first.”

Answering timidly, Anastasia, her golden hair braided and draped over one shoulder, walked past Fia into the room. The way she walked while pulling at the hem of her white dress with one hand, along with the fragrant breeze of just having bathed that wafted toward Fia, made Fia, already concerned, even more so. Anastasia inherently possessed a motherly capacity for tolerance; now with her golden hair braided in such a feminine and charming style, it was impossible to look away from her.

Claire poured cold fruit wine for Anastasia, invited her to sit at the round table, and then, acting as if nothing had happened, looked at Fia, who had closed the door, and continued their previous conversation.

“So what Little Fia means is, when you were rescuing Estelle before, you discovered the Antler Chaos that had attacked you in the past beneath Estelle’s family estate. And not only do those Antler Chaos revere you as a deity, they’re also a massive race living underground, numbering around a hundred thousand? Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Just that part would certainly be a good thing…”

Fia verbally agreed, but her gaze kept drifting toward Anastasia beside her. Even without looking directly at Anastasia, Fia could catch a glimpse from the corner of her eye Anastasia’s snow-white legs exposed beneath her skirt. Having just come from the bathhouse, Anastasia’s skin, besides being fair, also had a warm pinkish hue, inviting flights of fancy.

Stop it, Dofilia.

This is serious business.

If Anastasia and Claire had that kind of relationship, they would have told you long ago. Stay calm. Ultimately, isn’t it a good thing that they get along well? That way, you won’t feel conflicted about Claire and become stiff in your interactions with Anastasia.

Ask about what’s happening after serious matters are finished!

Admonishing herself internally, Fia forcibly calmed down and recounted the conflict between Lucitine and Chaos.

First, hoodwinking the heavens and crossing the sea right under Lucitine’s nose to move the Chaos was extremely difficult. It would be hard to guarantee Lucitine wouldn’t discover them midway. Second, after the Chaos were actually moved, their silent disappearance would also arouse Lucitine’s vigilance and suspicion. An archrival she had fought for ten thousand years disappearing without a trace—that was the kind of terrifying thing that kept one tossing and turning at night.

With one hand on her chin, Claire frowned thoughtfully.

“Making an entire faction disappear without a trace—even though it’s underground, the distance between them is only dozens of kilometers. It’s impossible to do it without being noticed, right? We lack understanding of the undead’s abilities. If they have undead who can sense subtle vibrations in the earth, once they discover the Chaos supporting Little Fia have disappeared, all of Little Fia’s preparations would be for naught. Worse, the undead might see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and launch a decisive battle against Chaos. Then Little Fia would have no choice but to step in and stop it.”

“That’s why I came to discuss it with Claire. Does Claire have any large-scale transfer magic? Or other magic that could achieve the result?”

“I can’t help with that either. Long-distance teleportation like Little Fia’s is already beyond the standard. Transferring a lake over a kilometer deep along with tens of thousands of humanoid Chaos is completely unthinkable. Moreover, just teleporting them wouldn’t solve the problem of Lucitine suspecting the Chaos’s disappearance and launching a large-scale search. What if she finds the Eye’s new home near the Second Abyss? Then Little Fia’s efforts would have the opposite effect.”

Claire’s answer cast a momentary pall over the atmosphere. In the eyes of the undead, the Eye and the Chaos beneath the World Tree Continent were birds of a feather, moreover the archrival that had killed Lucitine over fifty times. There was simply no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides.

The silence was uncomfortable. Anastasia smiled wryly and interjected.

“Miss Claire has never seen the Eye, yet she trusts they won’t harm Her Highness. I thought Miss Claire would first question the Eye and have Her Highness side with the undead.”

“If it were a question of whether someone could be trusted, little Fia would definitely have tested them already. If they weren’t worth cooperating with, she’d already be standing with the undead. Even though little Fia is always a bit silly when it comes to feelings, she’s very organized and principled when handling serious matters. She won’t let personal emotions drag her around—she’s better than me in that regard. As for me… I’d probably only help my own people. I’m the type who can’t look at things objectively.”

“I’m still standing right here, you know, and you’re already calling me ‘silly’?”

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“Oh my, does Little Fia want to refute me?”

Claire widened her clear emerald eyes, their depths filled with a mischievous cunning. She moved her chair closer to Fia, one hand resting on her chest to accentuate her perfectly plump figure.

Just this action of moving closer brought the faint herbal scent clinging to her wafting into Fia’s face. Claire had also bathed, and her moist fragrance, similar to Anastasia’s bath soap yet distinct due to their different body chemistry, made Fia hold her breath, worried that if she appeared too greedy, Claire would think her a pervert.

But Claire’s behavior was even more perverted than Fia imagined.

The former simply put an arm around Fia’s shoulder, forcibly pressing Fia’s face against her nightgown-covered chest.

“As a married woman, you nearly succumbed to Lucitine’s temptation during the day. Don’t think I didn’t notice. After inspecting the earthquake, I quietly came back and kept an eye on Little Fia. Originally, I was worried about Little Fia’s safety. Who would have thought I’d come back to see Little Fia being all lovey-dovey with some strange woman? Little Fia is so popular. I’ve already grown old and faded and am no longer favored by Little Fia. Boohoo~”

“Uh…”

Fia’s body stiffened.

When Lucitine had embraced her during the day, she did feel a gaze watching her. She’d thought it was her imagination, but it turned out to be Claire.

With powerful undead guards like bone dragons around the palace, yet still able to slip into the palace unnoticed—truly worthy of being Claire…

No, that wasn’t the point. Claire’s action of pressing her face against her chest was undoubtedly jealousy!

Although having her mind filled with Claire’s warm fragrance was quite nice, the problem was Anastasia was right there.

Fia quickly tried to break free from Claire while defending herself.

“That was Lucitine’s unauthorized action. And didn’t I soon push… push her away? How could I ever dislike Claire!”

“That said, in the end, didn’t Little Fia still enjoy it?”

Saying this, Claire, as if displeased, not only didn’t release Fia but hugged her even tighter. The soft, delicate sensation against her cheek made Fia’s face flush crimson, to the point where her entire face was covered in Claire’s faint herbal scent. Fortunately, Claire’s shame point was also low; she couldn’t thoroughly tease Fia with Anastasia present. After pinching Fia’s nose, she let her go, then, while blushing and straightening her disheveled clothes, feigned fierceness and left some harsh words.

“If Little Fia hadn’t actively pushed her away, I would have definitely whipped Little Fia’s bottom hard tonight.”

No, no, Claire couldn’t do something like that.

Fia simply couldn’t imagine Claire turning into a sadist. Although Claire could be assertive at times, she was still far from being a sadist. Besides, how could Claire bear to hit her?

Of course, Fia wasn’t oblivious enough to say such things in front of Anastasia. She coughed loudly, pretending not to be embarrassed, and extremely stiffly pulled the conversation back on track, even though the tips of her pointed ears had touched Claire’s soft chest—Claire was just too close.

“Ahem! Getting back to serious matters: how to transfer the Chaos?”

“I… I have a suggestion.”

Blushing at the scene of Claire casually teasing Fia, Anastasia uncharacteristically timidly raised her right hand. Fia nodded, signaling Anastasia to continue.

“Since the two sides have constantly been in conflict, why not turn the tables—let Miss Lucitine follow our plan and gradually eliminate the Eye tribe people. This way, it can both conceal the Eye tribe’s transfer and reassure Miss Lucitine that the Eye tribe people have disappeared. I wonder if this method might be feasible…”

“Mm?” Fia’s eyes lit up, and she sat up straight. “Anastasia means, ordering the Eye tribe people to deliberately release bait to be eliminated by Lucitine, then they take the opportunity to transfer. This would both achieve the goal of transferring Chaos and make Lucitine believe the Chaos were indeed eliminated by her, losing the thought of large-scale searching for Chaos?”

“Yes, but how to control Miss Lucitine to follow our steps, and how to make her believe the Eye tribe people were indeed eliminated—these are problems. Also, if Miss Lucitine discovered them during the transfer process, things would be terrible. A kilometer-deep lake of Chaos sounds like a major undertaking.”

Anastasia’s expression was quite hesitant. She was worried she might have proposed a bad idea.

In contrast, Fia’s expression was quite bright.

“This direction has feasibility. As long as we subsequently think through the details and potential problems, it should work. Although it still doesn’t solve the fundamental problem, delaying the problem is better than letting both sides keep fighting.”

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Fia also worried that Lucitine might ask her for help, requesting her assistance in dealing with the Eye tribe people. Then she would truly be caught in a dilemma.

“Seems like we have a conclusion,” Claire suddenly stood up from beside Fia. She winked at Anastasia, as if encouraging her, then lightly patted Fia on the head. “Then Anastasia and Little Fia can chat. I’ll sleep in Little Fia’s room tonight. See you tomorrow morning. Make sure to properly connect emotionally~ Don’t let a whole night pass without any growth.”

“Huh?”

Claire’s unexpected action caught Fia off guard. Anastasia, as if knowing the inside story, became so nervous she pressed her legs together and tightly clasped her hands.

「What do you mean ‘huh’?」

Fia heard Claire’s exasperated voice in her mind.

「You two finally acknowledged each other. I thought Little Fia had wised up, but then I asked Anastasia and found out you’re still maintaining a distance. Saying things like you can only take a step forward after I’m officially married. If my curse never dispels, would Anastasia have to wait forever? Little Fia might be able to stand it, but I can’t. Since you’ve accepted Anastasia’s feelings, properly respond to her. Or can you just keep watching Anastasia fantasizing about you at night for solace? Don’t keep her waiting, idiot.」

「Hey—」

Before Fia could respond via [Message], Claire actively cut the connection. Then she shot Anastasia another encouraging look and lightly left the room.

Thump.

The door closed with a crisp sound.

“…”

“…”

Neither Fia nor Anastasia could utter a single word. Their bodies and expressions were exceptionally stiff, as if even moving their eyeballs seemed abrupt.

What was Claire doing?

She’d said she wanted to promote feelings before leaving. She and Anastasia weren’t children; everyone understood what came next. It would be strange if they weren’t embarrassed.

Fia couldn’t help but secretly glance at Anastasia. The latter, overcome with shyness, kept her head deeply bowed, not daring to look at Fia’s face at all. The tips of her pointed ears, peeking out from her golden hair, were red to the very ends, showing no trace of the former stern and serious Anastasia.

Thinking about it carefully, Anastasia had come here with considerable resolve.

Fia couldn’t help but marvel. Anastasia had knocked on Claire’s door, indicating she understood what was about to happen. Moreover, she had come here under the “surveillance” of Claire, the future queen. After bathing and changing, she walked step by step to the door and knocked on Claire’s room.

Even without thinking, Fia understood that this simple yet exquisite dress, the hairstyle braided after her bath—all were things Anastasia had prepared again and again, checked and rechecked. Perhaps after bathing, Anastasia had even from time to time sniffed her own skin, afraid of leaving even a trace of sweat. Knowing Anastasia so well, Fia could imagine her heart pounding before knocking on the door, so nervous her legs went weak.

She couldn’t possibly ignore her.

The room was so silent even breathing was barely audible. Correspondingly, the temperature rose rapidly.

Finally, as if unable to bear the deadly silent atmosphere any longer, Anastasia swallowed hard. Ignoring how embarrassingly red her face was, she hastily stood up, both hands still desperately pulling down on her white dress, not daring to look at Fia’s face.

“Mi… Miss Claire is too good at joking. I’ll go back to my room too. If Your Highness needs anything, please feel free to call me.”

You idiot.

Having made such a decision to step into the room, now you’re hesitating, afraid I’ll dislike you, actively leaving, treating me like a clueless fool.

Both Claire and Anastasia had paved the way to this extent; she couldn’t fail Anastasia’s feelings anymore. Ultimately, the reason she and Anastasia had always postponed going further was because she wasn’t yet married to Claire. Now, having gained Claire’s approval, there was nothing left to worry about.

Fia’s expression turned serious. She took the opportunity to stand up and grabbed Anastasia’s wrist.

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“Wait, Anastasia.”

“Uh—”

As if electrocuted, Anastasia’s whole body trembled. She instinctively wanted to break free from Fia’s hand, but quickly came to her senses and stopped, still not daring to look back at Fia’s eyes.

“Di… do you need something?”

At this point, wasn’t everything written on their faces?

Fia thought this, but didn’t say it. It would be too tactless.

Previously, Anastasia had always guided her forward. Now, let her guide Anastasia.

“Let’s sit down and chat first? Claire’s wine isn’t finished yet.”

Fia took the initiative to pull Anastasia back to their seats. She picked up the bottle Claire had left on the table, preparing to refill Anastasia’s glass, but midway noticed that the scent emanating from the bottle’s mouth was distinctly different from the fruit wine she had been drinking. This was red wine. Her expression shifted.

The alcohol content of the wine Claire had poured for Anastasia was too high.

Fia’s gaze lingered momentarily on the glass before Anastasia. The smooth, transparent glass held only a few drops of pale red wine. Anastasia had unknowingly drunk all the wine Claire had poured for her.

It was a wonder Anastasia could drink it all without a word.

Perhaps Anastasia, thinking about what was to come, felt her heart racing like a startled deer and simply hadn’t paid attention to the alcohol content.

Fia removed Claire’s wine bottle and replaced it with fruit wine of lower alcohol content, more palatable. She pushed the glass filled with amber fruit wine in front of Anastasia and sat down beside her.

Normally, sitting on the bed would be more appropriate, but Fia didn’t want Anastasia to be too nervous, so sitting at the table was better. She raised her fruit wine glass, preparing to take a light sip, but then noticed the glass in her hand was trembling incessantly. No matter how she tried to control her body, it wouldn’t stop.

She was nervous too.

Perhaps like Anastasia, even the tips of her pointed ears were completely red.

It wasn’t her first time; why was she so embarrassingly nervous?

“See, Your Highness is nervous too…”

A murmur suddenly came from beside her. Fia’s shoulders stiffened. Her attempt to feign composure rapidly softened. She put down the glass that kept rippling and instead looked up at Anastasia with a wry smile.

“Sorry, I wanted to be more mature.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me. It actually makes me less nervous,” Anastasia said with a smile, holding her glass. Under the lamplight and the influence of the alcohol, her cheeks had turned an enticing flushed red. “At first, I thought if Your Highness handled this better than me, I’d be so embarrassed. Seeing that you’re actually just like me, my nervousness eased a bit… Your Highness being nervous shows you really value me in your heart.”

“Isn’t that only natural?”

Fia pouted, looking quite displeased. If her chair were higher, letting her legs dangle, she would undoubtedly be kicking them lightly to express dissatisfaction.

Anastasia, on the other hand, gazed at her own reflection in the wine glass. As if needing to use alcohol to bolster her courage, she downed it in one gulp.

“In the past, I always felt satisfied just watching you from afar. I never thought I could reach this point. Especially after seeing you with Miss Claire, I felt even more that you and Miss Claire were a perfect match, made in heaven. No one was more suitable to be your partner than Miss Claire…”

“Alright, alright. Let’s not mention Claire at times like this.”

Not out of disrespect for Claire, but because it really ruined the mood.

Fia picked up the bottle again and shook it.

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“Another cup—mm?”

Before Fia could finish, Anastasia leaned against Fia’s shoulder. No, to be precise, just before leaning on her, she gently embraced Fia’s petite figure from the front. Fia couldn’t see Anastasia’s face, but just from the dreamy tone of her voice, she could tell Anastasia was pleading from the bottom of her heart.

No… just being in this room already showed Anastasia’s resolve.

“I… I want to be closer to you… I want to be able to hold you anytime like Miss Claire just did. I want to be bolder with you in front of others. I want to say I’m no longer just the servant who could only follow behind you. No… I should say, not just a servant. I’ve gained your recognition. I want to be the one to accompany you for life, after Miss Claire… Dofi, I… may I?”

This kind of speech, like a man seeking a woman’s consent, should come from me.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Their hearts had already been tested by time and hardship.

Responding to Anastasia’s fervent and pure feelings was Fia’s clear voice, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Of course you may.”

She gently pushed away Anastasia’s embrace and instead looked at Anastasia, whose lips were tightly pressed together. In the latter’s dazed, slightly teary azure eyes, her own reflection wavered faintly.

“Don’t cry…”

Reaching out to wipe the glistening tears from the corner of Anastasia’s eye, Fia stood up and actively embraced Anastasia in return for her feelings.

The orchid fragrance from Fia’s black hair seeped into Anastasia’s nostrils, while Anastasia’s warm, soft post-bath scent filled Fia’s mind. Reason gradually failed to keep up with the rising emotions and instinctive physical reactions. Cheek to cheek, and the increasingly powerful heartbeat in each other’s chests, both gradually took that step.

Before they knew it, they were on the bed. The lamp had gone out at some point. Neither Fia nor Anastasia cared that the night was secretly peeping at them through the window. Feelings more intense than ever passed between them. The air became full of affection and blazing hot, to the point where even the moon and stars shyly hid behind thin clouds.

The long, suffocating deep kiss ended, followed by their disordered yet excited breathing. Under the moonlight, Fia’s spread black hair mingled with Anastasia’s smooth golden locks. Fia, supporting herself with hands on either side of Anastasia, unconsciously touched her own lips.

Anastasia’s sweetness lingered.

She looked again at Anastasia’s flushed face in the night, wanting to ask if she could go further. But Anastasia’s body heat, and the intense feelings lingering between them, had already told Fia the answer.

Asking was unnecessary.

Not letting them stay apart for long, Anastasia wrapped her arms around Fia’s slender, smooth back and gently pulled her into an embrace. As if coveting Fia’s scent, she extended the tip of her tongue and licked Fia’s neck, making Fia shudder.

“Anastasia, I haven’t bathed yet…”

“Your Highness won’t have any strange smell. And I really like your scent… Ha… may I taste you?”

Anastasia’s azure eyes were filled with thick, blazing longing. Fia even felt that gaze might burn her, as if Anastasia’s look alone made her feel her cheeks and neck being touched.

Saying “taste” was too embarrassing.

She thought this, but didn’t refuse Anastasia. She didn’t have the courage to look at Anastasia’s face, just leaned against her chest and softly responded.

“Mm.”

The joy of receiving recognition instantly peaked. From this moment on, there was no longer any difference in status between them, nor any distinction between you and me. Hearts already long intertwined became one. Blush-inducing breaths and sweat filled the room.

The two girls in love finally forged an unbreakable bond. How wonderful, how wonderful.