"Tonight, we need to have a good chat!"
Catherine raised her hand and shouted. They had slept over together before, but the next day, her father had shown up with a group of knights surrounding Dahlia's house because she hadn't returned home. That time, she had been grounded for half a month.
"Alright." Elisa nodded, lifting her hand to gather her hair. She took a hemp rope from the cabinet and tied her hair back, revealing her pointed ears.
"Last time, Dahlia was scared out of her wits." Catherine said with a chuckle.
"How could I not be scared? The Duke himself showed up with a squad of knights, threatening to break into my house if I didn't release you." Dahlia said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah! I was startled that day too—I thought I'd been exposed." Elisa stretched lazily before walking over to another cabinet, pulling out plates and chopsticks.
"Uh... I didn't expect my father to react so strongly just because I stayed out for one night." Catherine scratched her cheek awkwardly and quickly stepped forward to help with the plates.
"Whose parents wouldn't worry if their daughter didn't come home all night?" Dahlia retorted with a slight huff, taking the plates from Catherine and pouring the food from the bamboo tubes onto them.
"Hehe... I got so caught up chatting with you two that I forgot to send someone home to let them know." Catherine stuck out her tongue playfully as she arranged the bowls and chopsticks.
Back then, she and Dahlia had spent the entire night listening to Elisa's thrilling stories. Those dangerous and exciting experiences had them completely hooked—after all, both of them had always been well-behaved girls who had never snuck into a noble's mansion in the dead of night.
"Alright, sit down and let's eat." Elisa said as she placed the kettle of freshly boiled water on the table. Then, she went to the cupboard and took out three small packets of milk tea—gifts from Miss Nicole. She'd received five packets in total and had been saving them.
After tearing open the packets and pouring the powder into ceramic cups, she added hot water. Instantly, a rich, creamy aroma filled the air, making Catherine and Dahlia's eyes light up with curiosity.
"Elisa, what kind of drink is this?" Dahlia asked curiously.
"Milk tea. Miss Nicole gave it to me. I heard one packet costs a silver coin." Elisa replied softly, pushing two cups toward them.
"Huh? That expensive?" Catherine exclaimed, surprised. She lifted her cup, sniffing the white beverage. The rich, milky aroma instantly captivated her.
"It's really delicious. You can't buy this milk tea outside. I heard it's only supplied to certain nobles." Elisa said, taking a bite of her steamed bun and pairing it with some vegetables.
"Only for nobles?" Dahlia frowned. With her sharp business instincts, she could tell this was another highly profitable venture.
"Mm, I only heard Miss Nicole mention it. Maybe next year, the production will increase a bit," Elisa said as she placed some braised pork onto Dahlia and Catherine's plates. "Hurry up and eat, then we can go wash up."
"Okay!" Catherine put down her cup— the freshly made milk tea was still too hot— and grabbed a steamed bun, eating it with the side dishes.
"..." Dahlia nodded silently, already considering whether she could arrange to supply this milk tea to the royal capital next year. Just the aroma alone would be enough to captivate those nobles.
With casual chatter, they finished dinner. Perhaps after having tasted the castle's gourmet food, the dishes from Drunken Night Restaurant no longer tempted them as much as before.
"I'll heat some water so we can wipe ourselves down." Elisa said, glancing outside at the darkened sky. Taking them to the public bathhouse now was impossible, especially with the weather this cold. Besides, skipping a bath for one night wouldn't hurt either.
"Okay!" Catherine responded, holding her cup of milk tea and sipping it slowly—clearly reluctant to finish it too quickly.
Dahlia nodded as well. Despite her love for cleanliness, she typically only bathed every other day during such cold winters.
"Let's go." Elisa said, carrying the kettle of hot water into the bathroom. She poured it into the large wooden basin and mixed in some of the cold water she had stored earlier, adjusting the temperature until it was comfortably warm, though still a bit hot to the touch.
The three girls quickly undressed, their cheeks flushing red as they shyly helped each other wipe down with towels, accompanied by occasional soft sounds that could easily stir the imagination.
Ten minutes later, freshly cleaned, the three of them nestled together under the blankets, holding each other close for warmth.
The bed was indeed a bit small—comfortable enough for two people, but with three, it felt a little cramped. Fortunately, all three girls had slender figures; otherwise, it might've been impossible to fit.
"Elisa, are you really planning to settle down here?" Dahlia suddenly asked.
"Mm-hmm. I've been saving up to buy a house..." Elisa replied softly.
"And... what if your identity gets exposed?" Catherine asked. Last time they'd visited, this topic hadn't come up.
Staring at the flickering candlelight nearby, Elisa smiled gently. "Well... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
She had thought about this question before, but the answer always eluded her. Maybe she was simply too tired—too attached to her current life—to dare imagine what might happen if her identity was exposed.
"Elisa, you could seek Lord Lucas's help. I'm sure he'd protect you," Catherine said naturally. "After all, he's already sheltered so many beastkins. He'd definitely protect you as well."
"Maybe..." Elisa's emerald-green eyes narrowed slightly, as if she could see that black-haired, black-eyed nobleman smiling within the flickering candlelight.
She, too, longed to live openly in Sedona City—no more dyeing her hair, no more binding her hair tightly to hide her pointed ears. Yet, taking that final step... was the hardest part.
"How about I talk to him for you?" Catherine propped her head up with her hand, her voice gentle. "Lord Lucas would definitely be willing to protect a beautiful elf like you."
"Uh..." Elisa was stunned for a moment. Her emerald eyes flickered with amusement as she teased, "Catherine, you're acting a little different, you know."
"Huh? How am I different?" Catherine blinked in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
"Catherine, have you fallen for Lord Lucas? Otherwise, with your usual personality, you wouldn't say something like that."
Elisa turned over, propping her head up with her hand as well. Looking at Catherine across Dahlia, she chuckled softly. "You've only just met Lord Lucas, yet you already trust that he'd protect me. Come on, admit it—have you fallen for him?"
"Ah? I... of course not!" Catherine's cheeks flushed red. She frowned slightly, puzzled. "I don't know... It's just that he feels kind of special, I guess."
"Catherine, if you've really fallen for Lord Lucas, then you need to be careful." Dahlia said seriously, gazing at the two delicate profiles in front of her.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.