Free Web NovelChapter 1662: Cat Vs Mouse
"To the Terra Empire. Victor and I found a path leading inside, so we’re heading there to deal with the Terra people."
The moment Lyirrs heard those words, her movements halted.
Her brown eyes shifted toward him, sharp and stunned for a brief second before she quickly looked away again.
Clearly, this was the first time she had heard about it. More than that... she was hearing it from him instead of Her Majesty.
That fact alone irritated her far more than she wanted to admit.
For several seconds, only the faint sound of metal scraping against metal echoed through the room. Lyirrs silently stared at the dismantled mechanical parts spread across the table before finally speaking in a careful voice.
"How exactly did you even find a path there?"
Aether grinned instantly.
"It’s a trade secret~"
Lyirrs’s lips twitched faintly.
"Of course it is."
She shook her head and returned to her work, picking up another metallic component without sparing him another glance, acting as though she no longer cared about the conversation.
Aether narrowed his eyes slightly at her reaction.
’That’s it?’
Honestly, he expected more panic... or at least some dramatic outrage.
Instead, she simply went quiet.
He glanced toward Drakhairs, only to find the older dragon giving a weak, exhausted smile, looking equally confused by both his daughter’s silence and Aether’s strange amusement.
Then, after a long pause, Lyirrs suddenly spoke again without looking up.
"How long will you be gone?"
This time, her voice came softer.
Aether scratched the back of his neck.
"We honestly don’t know. Maybe weeks... maybe months..." He paused before casually adding,
"Could even become years."
The moment those words left his mouth, Lyirrs’s hand froze.
Clank...
The tool slipped from her fingers and hit the metal floor with a sharp sound that echoed throughout the lab.
She slowly turned toward him, genuine shock visible on her face now.
"Years...?"
Her brows tightened immediately afterwards.
"Then what about everything here? What happens if he isn’t around for that long?"
He smiled lazily before walking closer toward her.
"Well..." he said lightly, "who else would handle things other than his wives and... trusted people?"
He deliberately dragged out the final words while looking directly into her eyes.
Lyirrs blinked once.
"Trusted people..." she quietly repeated under her breath.
A faint smile appeared on her lips for only a second before disappearing again. She lowered her gaze, pretending to focus on the table, though her fingers had already stopped moving entirely.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke again.
"Did His Majesty... not want to tell me personally?"
Her voice came quieter now.
"Have I somehow disappointed him?"
Even Drakhairs’s expression changed slightly after hearing it.
After all, Lyirrs knew her place.
She was not his wife... She understood that much clearly.
Still...
Compared to the other dragons, she believed she stood closer to him than most.
Not because of titles or authority, but because of trust.
Yet now she was hearing such important news from Aether of all people.
That irritating man standing there with that smug expression on his face.
Honestly, she did not even know what she was supposed to feel right now.
Drakhairs stepped forward with a sigh, "Lyirrs, it’s not tha—"
But before he could finish, Aether casually raised a hand, stopping him quietly.
The grin on his face widened as he leaned slightly closer toward Lyirrs.
"Well, well... what do we have here?"
His voice carried shameless amusement.
"Is this little dragon genuinely upset because her master didn’t personally come to inform her?"
He tilted his head innocently.
"That’s surprisingly adorable~"
Lyirrs stared at him with a completely deadpan face, though the faint redness creeping near the tips of her ears betrayed her far more than her expression did.
"I am not upset, okay?" she replied immediately.
Then she paused.
"I just... I thought... I...."
"You what?"
Aether’s grin widened instantly, looking even more infuriating in Lyirrs’s eyes under the flickering lab light.
Lyirrs gritted her teeth so hard her jaw slightly trembled.
"If that’s all you came here to say, then leave. I still have work to do."
She forcefully pushed another metallic plate into place, clearly trying to ignore him.
Unfortunately for her, Aether only looked more entertained.
"Oh my~" he whispered dramatically. "You seriously look like an abandoned puppy whose master suddenly vanished from her life... how tragic~"
Lyirrs continued working without responding.
But a visible vein slowly appeared on her forehead.
Drakhairs quietly covered part of his face with one hand.
Aether, meanwhile, noticed it immediately.
And naturally... he continued.
"Look at you already holding back tears," he sighed with fake sympathy while placing a hand over his chest. "Don’t worry. There’s no reason to cry. I know that heartless bastard has absolutely no idea how to treat the people around him, but still... no need to crrryy~, dear dragon~"
"..."
Clank.
Another tool slammed onto the table slightly harder this time.
A second vein appeared near Lyirrs’s temple.
Yet Aether continued dancing on the edge of death with absolute confidence.
"That shameless, motherfucker bastard seriously used you like a tool and didn’t even bother saying goodbye personally?" Aether sniffed dramatically. "Sniff... sniff... Wait... are you actually crying?"
"...grrr."
A low growl escaped from Lyirrs’s throat, and another vein popped.
Even Drakhairs instinctively took half a step backwards.
Still smiling, Aether casually patted his own chest.
"But don’t worry about that cold-hearted bastard anymore," he declared proudly.
"This handsome, great Aether is more than willing to welcome you into my side with open arms."
Lyirrs immediately turned away from him.
Only for him to suddenly appear right beside her again.
He leaned toward her ear with an exaggerated whisper.
"I would never treat you like that, heartless emperor of yours. Seriously, that fucking asshole doesn’t understand women at all."
"Y-Yo-Mr. Aether..." Drakhairs muttered cautiously.
But the man ignored him completely.
Aether glanced around the dark workshop before dramatically sighing again.
"Look at this place. Barely any light, endless work, piles of metal everywhere..." He shook his head in disappointment.
"You’re practically suffering in a cave. Cruelll~
Truly cruel~"
Lyirrs’s fingers tightened around the welding tool in her hand.
The metal underneath her grip started creaking.
Trying her absolute best to ignore him, she immediately moved toward the left side of the table.
Aether instantly followed her there too.
"I, however," he continued proudly, "offer excellent working conditions."
He raised one finger.
"Three meals a day."
Second finger.
"Double salary."
Third finger.
"A healthy environment."
Then he grinned brightly.
"And work from home~"
"..."
Lyirrs’s eye twitched violently.
Aether spread both arms dramatically like some heavenly being descending to recruit followers.
"What a beautiful offer, right? Come on now..." he said with a smug smile.
"Come to your new master~"
And... that’s it.
Crack!
The welding tool in Lyirrs’s hand shattered from the sheer pressure of her grip.
The room instantly went silent.
Then slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned her head toward Aether.
Her face was filled with bulging veins and terrifying fury.
"That’s it."
"You fucker. I am going to beat the living hell out of you so thoroughly that you never dare speak about my Emperor like that ever again!"
The floor beneath her feet creaked as she lunged directly toward Aether without hesitation.
But before she could reach him, Drakhairs immediately moved and grabbed her from behind with both arms.
"Lyirrs! Stop!"
"LET ME GO, FATHER!"
She struggled violently while glaring at Aether like an enraged dragon ready to tear flesh apart.
"This time I’m seriously going to wipe that fucking smirk off his face!"
Meanwhile...
Aether simply stood there with his hands in his pockets.
"Heheh~"
Aether giggled wickedly, thoroughly enjoying every second of her suffering.
"Oh my~ Did the little dragon get angry because her master disappeared without even saying goodbye?" He dramatically held his chest.
"How cruel... so cruuuueeell~"
"Fuck... FUCK YOU!"
Lyirrs’s furious scream echoed throughout the lab as she pointed directly at him while still struggling against her father’s grip.
Meanwhile, Aether only chuckled harder.
He even nodded proudly with a victorious expression, as though her rage itself had somehow recharged his soul.
Drakhairs, however, stood there with the exhausted expression of a man questioning every decision that had led him to this exact moment.
Honestly...
What exactly was he even doing here?
He understood Aether was deliberately provoking Lyirrs.
That much was painfully obvious.
But why?
That was the strange part.
Even Aether himself probably did not fully understand the reason.
Maybe it was because Lyirrs always acted so disciplined and obedient in front of Victor, making him curious about what kind of person hid underneath that composed exterior.
Or perhaps...
Perhaps Aether simply enjoyed seeing a side of Lyirrs that would never appear before the Dragon Emperor himself.
After all, she thought she was speaking to Aether right now. freewёbnoνel.com
Not Victor.
If the truth ever came out one day...
Just imagining the expression on her face made Aether inwardly grin.
Shock? Horror? Embarrassment?
Maybe all three together.
Honestly, the thought alone sounded thrilling.
Eventually, after tormenting her enough to satisfy himself, Aether casually turned around and walked toward the exit of the laboratory.
Seeing him finally leave, Lyirrs stopped struggling, and Drakhairs carefully loosened his grip on her.
"Come on, dear," he sighed tiredly while rubbing his forehead. "You’re not a child anymore. Falling for such obvious provocation..."
Lyirrs immediately turned toward him with an annoyed frown.
"Provocation?"
"That man was insulting our Emperor right in front of me, and you expected me to stay calm?"
"Well..." Drakhairs awkwardly coughed. "He is His Majesty’s friend, isn’t he?"
"Ah? So what?"
Lyirrs stomped her foot angrily against the metallic floor.
"Who gave him the right to speak about His Majesty like that behind his back? It’s disgusting."
Her face remained filled with irritation as she crossed her arms tightly.
"He acts shamelessly and says whatever comes into his head without respecting anyone."
Drakhairs could only smile weakly.
After all...
Technically, Aether had only been insulting himself.
How exactly was he supposed to explain that?
’How could I even tell her?’ Drakhairs thought with a heavy sigh.
Victor had specifically warned him not to reveal the truth until the right time came.
Which placed him in a horrible position.
Because if things continued like this...
His daughter might genuinely destroy her own chances before she even realises what was happening.
"M-Maybe..." Drakhairs spoke carefully, "You should try respecting him a little more."
Lyirrs slowly turned toward him.
"Respect?" she repeated in disbelief.
Then she looked at her father as though he had completely lost his mind.
"Him?"
The sheer disgust on her face almost made Drakhairs cough blood.
"Do you even know what he did during my visit to the Aurora Empire?" she continued furiously. "That asshole spent the entire night fucking the Archpriestess and Saintess without mercy!"
Drakhairs instantly looked away with an awkward smile.
"H-Haha... c-come on now. It’s not exactly wrong to have multiple wives, right? Even His Majesty ha—"
"Father."
Lyirrs immediately cut him off with a sharp glare.
"Please do not compare that bastard with MY Emperor."
"Our Majesty, the Mighty Dragon Emperor, is nothing like him."
There was genuine admiration in her eyes as she spoke.
"He respects women. He listens to them. When he first came to rule, he trusted Empress Raven enough to let her govern the Empire without hesitation."
"Tell me honestly... how many rulers would do something like that?"
Drakhairs remained silent.
"He trusted a woman with authority, believes them" Lyirrs continued. "And he trusted me enough to teach her."
She placed a hand over her chest unconsciously.
"Not you. Not other noble dragons but... Me."
A faint warmth appeared in her eyes while speaking about it.
"That alone says everything about his character... and the depth of his wisdom."
"Even you rejected my mother and ran aw..."
"Cough! Cough!"
Drakhairs nearly choked on air itself before hurriedly cutting her off with a panicked expression.
"L-Let’s not discuss my past right now."
Lyirrs snorted loudly.
"Look at that." She crossed her arms while glaring at her father. "This is exactly why I hate it when men act arrogantly and look down on women’s feelings."
Drakhairs instantly shrank under her stare like a guilty criminal standing before judgment.
"In fact, Father," she continued irritably, "why are you even tolerating the nonsense that bastard said earlier? You should’ve warned him properly. That was completely disrespectful and disgusting."
The veins on her forehead still had not disappeared.
"If that asshole were still standing here right now," she growled, "I would personally cut his tongue out for speaking about His Majesty like that. Arrh!!"
Drakhairs weakly rubbed his forehead.
"Are you sure," he muttered carefully, "you’re not directing your frustration toward the wrong person?"
The moment those words landed, Lyirrs visibly froze.
Her gaze slowly lowered.
The fierce anger in her eyes weakened, replaced by something far more complicated.
Drakhairs softly sighed.
As her father, how could he possibly not understand what was truly bothering her?
"I understand why you’re upset," he said gently. "His Majesty leaving without informing you directly hurt you deeply."
Lyirrs silently clenched her fingers.
"But taking that frustration out on someone else is still wrong," Drakhairs added while shaking his head slightly.
"I... I know."
For the first time since the conversation began, her anger finally crumbled apart.
"I’m sorry, Father," she muttered softly. "I don’t know what came over me."
Her expression turned gloomy.
"It’s just... I felt frustrated that His Majesty didn’t come to see me himself."
Sure, Aether’s teasing words had annoyed her.
But what truly hurt her was something else entirely.
She had learned such important news from a third person.
Not from her Emperor.
That fact alone left a painful heaviness inside her chest that she could not explain properly.
Drakhairs looked at his daughter quietly before gently patting her shoulder.
’What am I supposed to do with these two?’ he wondered inwardly with exhaustion.
"Father..."
"Hmm?"
Lyirrs hesitated for several seconds before finally speaking again.
"Am I... doing my best?"
The sudden self-doubt in her voice made Drakhairs’s expression soften instantly.
He smiled warmly.
"Of course you are, dear."
"If not for your preparations and inventions, who knows how many lives we would’ve lost during the war waves already?"
Lyirrs nodded slowly.
Yet instead of becoming happier, her expression only became more uncertain.
"T-Then..." Her fingers tightened slightly around her sleeve. "Why didn’t he tell me directly? Look for me... why?"
Her voice became quieter.
"Am I still not doing enough for him to notice me?"
Drakhairs immediately opened his mouth, ready to reassure her that His Majesty already recognised all her hard work.
That Victor trusted her more than most people realised.
That she mattered far more than she believed.
But before he could say anything...
A gentle voice suddenly echoed right beside Lyirrs’s ear.
"I am very proud of you, Lyirrs."
!!
Lyirrs’s entire body flinched violently.
That familiar voice instantly shattered every wall around her heart.
She immediately turned around, her eyes already turning watery from instinctive happiness.
"Your Majes—"
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"Hello~"
Aether stood there with a shameless grin, winking at her while making a peace sign with his fingers.
"..."
The emotional warmth on Lyirrs’s face instantly died.
Her expression turned sour so fast it was honestly impressive.
"You asshole!"
She immediately rubbed her eyes aggressively before he could notice the lingering tears.
"Didn’t you leave already?!"
Aether giggled without shame.
"Oh my~ Look how devastated you are because your beloved master abandoned you."
He folded his arms with a thoughtful expression before nodding seriously to himself.
"That settles it. You should definitely come with me instead. I’ll personally take very good care of you~"
"...Father."
"Yes, dear."
"Give me the burner."
"Yes, dear."
This time, Drakhairs did not hesitate even slightly.
After all...
Before being a Supreme General, he was still a father.
And at this moment, his daughter’s wounded pride mattered more to him than protecting the Emperor from consequences he clearly deserved.
"Oi! Oi! Why are you two suddenly cooperating?!"
Aether shouted in alarm the moment he saw Drakhairs calmly handing over the brightly burning industrial burner to Lyirrs.
The woman slowly grabbed it.
A dangerous smile spread across her face.
The furnace flames reflected inside her eyes like a dragon preparing arson.
Aether’s instincts immediately screamed.
"Shit!"
"DON’T RUN AWAY, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!"
The next second, Lyirrs charged after him across the lab while swinging the burner like a wrathful executioner.
Aether immediately bolted toward the exit at full speed.
"THIS IS ATTEMPTED MURDER!"
"COME BACK HERE!"
"I TAKE BACK THE JOB OFFER!"
Metal tables rattled violently as both of them disappeared deeper into the corridors, one screaming in fury while the other screamed in survival.
Meanwhile, Drakhairs simply stood there quietly, watching his daughter chase his Emperor through the halls like two unruly children.
And honestly...
They somehow looked like they were having fun.
A tired but gentle smile slowly appeared on his face.
Sometimes...
He truly could not understand His Majesty at all.
