"Heh heh heh..."
Lucrezia lowered her head, her shoulders twitching slightly as she let out a chilling, low laugh.
Suddenly, she snapped her head up.
A flicker of cunning flashed in those ruby-like eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled into an uncontrollably punchable smirk—one filled with equal parts mockery, indifference, and the triumph of a successful prank.
"Ara ara~"
"You puny small fry, why have you stopped drawing mana? Is it because you don't want to?"
"Or is it that... without my permission, you don't even know how to eat anymore?"
By the creek, the air suddenly fell silent.
Only the crackling of the campfire remained.
Lucrezia tilted her delicate little chin up, her eyes sparkling with an unprecedented light—it was the ecstasy of a serf finally turning the tables, the vindication of a long-suffering daughter-in-law finally becoming the matriarch.
She looked down at Leon, whose hand was still pressed against her lower abdomen with a look of utter bewilderment. The curve of her lips widened further until she finally let out a classic, blood-pressure-raising "bratty" laugh:
"Kukuku... What’s wrong? You despicable, shameless mana thief?"
"Didn't you enjoy sucking it out before? Didn't you treat me as a 'power bank' to be used whenever you pleased?"
The girl extended a pale, slender finger and arrogantly poked Leon's forehead:
"What? Now that you don't have my blessing, you can't even get a single drop of mana?"
Leon: "..."
He was indeed a bit surprised.
He hadn't expected that after her dragon lineage awakened, this girl's control over the mana in her body would improve to such an extent.
Interesting...
Leon narrowed his eyes.
In fact, he had already recovered 11.68% of his mana. While not a lot, it was enough that he didn't need to rely on Lucrezia as much as before.
He could easily push her aside, give a cold smirk, and show her what the "foundation of a crowned-rank mage" looked like, effectively slapping her in the face.
But...
Leon glanced at Vespa, who was standing nearby with her ears perked up. Her face was full of gossip, which then turned into a shocked realization, as if she were thinking, 'Am I also a part of your play?'
A trump card is only a trump card because no one knows about it.
Looking at Lucrezia’s "beg me, beg me" expression, a streak of mischief suddenly rose in Leon's heart.
Since you want to play, I'll play the part to the end.
And so.
The bewilderment on Leon’s face instantly transformed into a perfect blend of "panic" and "helplessness."
He withdrew his hand and let out a long, troubled sigh. His acting was over-the-top yet carried a hint of sincerity, and his tone immediately softened:
"Oh dear... this is a problem."
"Without Her Highness’s mana support, I’m just a useless man who’s all talk. In this wilderness, if we encounter any danger, who will protect the noble and lovely Princess?"
Boom!
This seemingly ordinary show of weakness sounded like a clap of thunder in the ears of the eavesdropping Vespa!
Pri... Princess?!
Vespa’s amber cat eyes widened like copper bells, and her breath hitched for a moment.
Wait! Could it be that I actually guessed right?!
I knew it! Even though this little brat has a terrible personality, she couldn't hide that noble aura!
She really is a member of the royal family?!
Vespa! You’re really going to hit the big time now!
If I pull this off, I won’t just have a stable job for the rest of my life; I might even end up as a court cat?!
Leon looked up and said in a very perfunctory, yet convincing tone:
"So, please, the great and generous Lucrezia, spare me a bite to eat?"
"Heh heh heh!"
These words clearly scratched Lucrezia’s itch perfectly.
She crossed her arms, and her non-existent tail seemed to point toward the heavens:
"Now that’s the proper attitude for a beggar! A small fry should have the self-awareness of a small fry!"
"Since you have pleaded so sincerely, this princess shall mercifully... gah!"
Before she could finish, Leon’s palm pressed against her again. With practiced skill, he applied a bit of pressure, his fingertip lightly pressing on a sensitive point.
"Nngh~"
Lucrezia, who had been acting so arrogant just a moment ago, instantly broke character.
As the gates were opened voluntarily, mana flooded into Leon’s body.
It seems that as long as she doesn't resist, I can still draw it?
That sense of soul-level fusion made her body go weak, and she collapsed directly into Leon’s arms. Her small face turned as red as a ripe tomato, though she didn't forget to mumble:
"G-gentle... don't suck so fast... you pervert..."
Gulp.
Vespa, watching the whole thing, swallowed hard.
Her worldview was currently undergoing an unprecedented assault.
Wh... What kind of play is this now?!
Is this the legendary "master-servant reversal"?
One second she was an arrogant queen, and the next she turned into a soft, squishy plaything?!
And that Leon... he was clearly rejected, yet he reversed the situation with just a few words? And the little girl looks like she’s enjoying it?!
Vespa covered her eyes, but the gaps between her fingers were wider than before:
So lewd! So shameless! To openly... replenish mana in broad daylight?!
I knew it! I really am a part of your play!
It’s over, it’s all over. Am I going to have to do this in the future too?
Vespa instinctively touched her flat stomach and then looked at Leon’s "wicked hand." She felt a chill run from her tailbone straight to the top of her head.
For the sake of a government post, for a stable career... do I, Vespa, really have to sacrifice myself to this perverted lolicon?!
No! I have to find a way! At least... at least let me get some benefits first!
Over the next few hours, the creek became a busy testing ground.
Leon took Lucrezia through a comprehensive "numerical test" of her new abilities after her awakening, while simultaneously continuing his crash-course teaching for Vespa.
Whether it was because Leon’s "abstract teaching method" had finally reached a tipping point, or because she was stimulated by the "genius" Lucrezia, the previously hopeless Vespa suddenly produced a weak flicker of fire from her fingertip.
Puff.
Though it was only the size of a lighter flame and would go out with a breeze, Vespa froze for three seconds before letting out a wild laugh that startled the entire forest:
"Wahahaha! I did it! I actually did it!"
"Do you see that?! This is talent! I really am a one-in-a-million magical prodigy! Tremble, mortals! From now on, call me Fire Lord Vespa!"
Ignoring the delirious cat, Leon looked at the test results in his hand and got a clear picture of Lucrezia’s new abilities.
First, her mana reserves had reached the 【Glorious】 level.
Second, she had awakened several skills:
【Ebon Might】: A powerful buff. It grants teammates "adaptive power." Simply put, it gives them exactly what they need—warriors get strength, thieves get agility, and mages get intelligence. Their primary attributes skyrocket, seemingly scaling with Lucrezia's mana capacity.
【Deep Breath】: Effectively a dragon’s breath. The longer it’s charged, the larger the area and the higher the damage. Most absurdly, this skill is "double-standard"—it deals magic damage to enemies but heals allies.
【Landslide】: Briefly alters the terrain, creating stone pillars or earthen spikes. A decent crowd-control ability.
And most importantly, she could now replenish Leon’s mana remotely. However, conversely, Lucrezia could now control her own mana; Leon could no longer just take it whenever he wanted.
In other words, if Leon wanted to draw mana in the future, he would have to depend on Lucrezia’s mood. He could no longer do as he pleased.
"Tch, that’s a bit of a hassle..." Leon sighed inwardly as he looked at the records, thinking of Lucrezia’s wretched personality.
It looks like I’ll need to find some new ways to handle her, or else she might cause trouble in the middle of a fight.
Still, to be fair.
After spending this time together, although the girl had a terrible personality—a mix of tsundere, eighth-grader syndrome, a poisonous tongue, and being extremely flat-chested (important note)—she was essentially just a brat who hadn't grown up yet.
But she was from the royal family after all; her genes and educational foundation were solid, and she was genuinely smart.
Not only was her learning ability strong, but her judgment of situations was becoming increasingly sharp. Most importantly, she learned from her mistakes, and her growth rate was staggering.
Thinking back, when I was her age, I was probably still playing in the mud...
Leon shook his head, a helpless yet indulgent smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
This was why he had never been too harsh on Lucrezia.
After all, if a young girl really became a calculating, cold-hearted political monster who only cared about profit, Leon would have to wonder if she had been possessed by some ancient being.
The way she was now—crying, shouting, occasionally acting stupid but full of life—felt like a real person.
And of course, she was easier to manipulate this way.
Rate on N.U.
