At lunchtime, steaming bowls of stewed meat were brought to the table. The fairies gathered around eagerly, appetites fully awakened, and immediately dug in.
Samael glanced around. When his eyes landed on the empty seat at the end of the table, he frowned.
"Strange. Where's Melusine?"
"She was probably scared off by how rude I was earlier and went back to her room..."
Barghest, who had been eating enthusiastically, immediately set down her large bowl. She scratched her head, looking slightly awkward, with a hint of gloom and worry on her face.
"You're overthinking it. It's just in her nature. Dragonkind are generally solitary and prefer to be alone."
"I see. That's good, then. Still, it would be a shame for her to miss something this delicious. I'll take some food to Melusine."
Samael reassured her casually. Easygoing as ever, Barghest quickly accepted the explanation and even volunteered to help.
"No need. Just keep eating. I'll take it myself. Otherwise, by the time you come back, all the meat will be gone and you'll be stuck eating potatoes."
As he spoke, Samael turned to the cupboard, took out a set of tableware, and served a separate portion with a teasing smile.
Looking at the dark-red stewed meat rapidly disappearing from the serving bowl, revealing the chunks of potato underneath, Barghest immediately became serious and nodded as though facing a formidable enemy.
Leaving the dining room, Samael walked down the corridor to Melusine's room.
The door was wide open, and the room itself was empty.
After failing to find her there, Samael closed his eyes slightly and extended his awareness before lifting his gaze toward the roof.
"What are you doing up here?"
On the quiet, deserted rooftop, Melusine sat in a corner staring up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.
At the sound of his voice, her muscles tensed at once. Only after recognizing the newcomer did the draconic pressure around her ease slightly.
Lowering her eyes, she answered softly.
"Just checking whether it might rain today..."
"Liar."
Samael immediately exposed the excuse.
He set down the lunchbox and sat beside her with a faint smile.
Melusine tensed slightly at his approach, but soon relaxed again without showing much resistance.
Ever since her birth, she had vaguely remembered the figure who pulled her from the filth within the Swamp Dragon's Remains.
More importantly, she could smell something familiar on Samael.
They were both Dragonkind.
Perhaps they were among the very few descendants of dragon blood left in the world.
Having her thoughts seen through by someone who felt almost like an elder left Melusine looking like a child caught doing something wrong. Her fingers twisted anxiously at the hem of her clothes.
As Samael served the food, he asked casually.
"What's wrong? Did Barghest annoy you again by constantly pestering you for a fight?"
"No. No, it's my fault..."
"Then why do you keep avoiding her?"
"I don't understand. Why does Barghest always chase me around asking to fight? I really want to get along with her..."
"You like Barghest that much?"
"Mm! Because look, her hair is soft and fluffy, and it's so long and pretty. Whenever she eats, she always wrinkles her nose and sniffs first. She's adorable, just like a big dog!"
Under the Ancient Serpent's patient prompting, Melusine gradually opened up and confessed what had been bothering her.
By the end, the aloof, naturally cool dragon girl from moments before had completely vanished. She twisted the hem of her clothes between both hands while her golden eyes shone with intense longing.
Her frustrated little face practically screamed how miserable she was that she could not pet a certain humanoid canine and was instead constantly being chased around by her.
Seeing such childish sincerity beneath the aloof exterior was unexpectedly adorable.
Even Samael froze for a moment before feeling the urge to pinch Melusine's cheeks.
"Ah! I said something disrespectful to a warrior again. You're not allowed to tell anyone about this!"
Realizing she had let too much slip, Melusine blushed.
She fixed her foster parent with a stern look and tried to make the demand sound forceful.
Unfortunately, her lack of confidence made it sound much more like pouting.
"What's disrespectful about that? I like canines too. Petting them is relaxing and comfortable."
"Besides, Barghest probably wouldn't mind that kind of contact. She asks me to help brush her hair and scratch her back all the time."
Samael did not seem bothered in the slightest, and a nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
"Really? Barghest lets people pet her?"
Melusine immediately forgot about hiding her desire to pet Barghest and leaned forward eagerly, her golden eyes sparkling.
"Of course. I'll take you over and let you try later."
Samael thumped his chest and made the promise without hesitation.
"Mm... maybe not. Barghest always looks so fierce whenever she sees me. She must hate me..."
But almost immediately, Melusine wilted again.
"Haha, it's actually the opposite. That's how she shows closeness and recognition. Fighting is simply Barghest's way of expressing respect. If you seriously accept her challenge, it doesn't matter even if you lose. She mostly enjoys the fight itself."
"If you win, your relationship with her will naturally improve even more. That girl admires strength to an extreme degree. The stronger you are, the more she respects and worships you. Who knows? She might even lie down on the spot and let you do whatever you want."
Samael laughed as he explained, throwing in a few jokes along the way.
He also told Melusine how Barghest had reacted at the dining table.
The fairy girl froze for a moment.
Then she suddenly shot to her feet.
Two aqua-blue wrist blades sprang from her forearms, gleaming with a chilling edge, while her small, tense face filled with murderous determination.
The Ancient Serpent flinched.
"What are you doing?"
"Wait here for me. I'm going to cut her down, then I'll come right back."
Melusine's eyes burned with excitement, a faint flush rising across her cheeks as she prepared to leave immediately.
"Smack!"
Her glorious expedition was instantly crushed by a sharp flick to the forehead from her increasingly dark-faced foster parent.
"First, sparring is sparring. I never told you to actually cut her up. Friendship first, competition second. Stop when you've made your point!"
"Second, what I said was hypothetical. Even if you beat her flat on the ground, if you want to pet her, both of you still need time to get used to that kind of interaction."
"Third, do you really have to be this impatient? Barghest is still eating. Can't you at least finish the meal I went to all this trouble to bring you first?"
Under Samael's orderly reprimand, Melusine looked embarrassed.
She retracted the wrist blades, sat back down sheepishly, and began eating obediently.
Sure enough, every fairy is missing a few screws somewhere. I really need to watch how I phrase things around them.
After finally calming Melusine down, Samael noticed that she was eating absentmindedly, fiery sparks flashing through her eyes every now and then.
While silently complaining to himself, his expression suddenly turned serious.
"I do know a way for you to start petting Barghest right away. Want to hear it?"
The distracted Melusine instantly perked up.
"Really?"
Samael rolled his eyes at her and answered proudly.
"Obviously. I've raised plenty of canine creatures before. Every single one of them behaved perfectly under my care."
Melusine's eyes lit up, and she nodded rapidly like a chick pecking at grain.
"Mm! Tell me!"
"Listen carefully. First, you do this... then this... and after that, you do that... and that..."
After a round of whispered scheming, Melusine nodded again and again, brilliant light gleaming in her golden eyes.
***
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***