Chapter 18

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Chapter 18: Is She Really Hypnotizing Me?

Waking up in a rush!

What happened last night?

The warm sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a dim, hazy glow.

Naya sat up, clutching the blanket in her hand, covering the curves in front of her. Yet, no matter how she tried, her hand couldn’t completely cover her proud figure. Beside the blanket, like the rising sun’s half-orb, under the dawn light, a clear red mark adorned Naya’s tender white skin.

The person who had been by her side was nowhere to be found, and Naya stared blankly ahead.

Memories of last night began to trickle back into her mind.

She lifted the blanket, still filled with her own fragrance, and glanced underneath. In an instant, her head turned into a steaming Thomas the Tank Engine.

Last night, she had intended to teach Iris a lesson.

But instead of slapping her butt, she ended up falling into her own trap.

[System! Didn’t you say you could help me suppress Iris’s hypnosis as long as you were there?]

Where was the system?

Where had it gone?

Oh, right. It was muted.

She turned the mute off.

[I said that as long as you stayed connected to me, I could interfere with Iris’s hypnosis. When you silenced my voice, it severed our consciousness link. How could I help you suppress her hypnosis?]

[Sorry, System, I completely forgot about you.]

The system was once again too frustrated to respond.

With a host like her, she’d probably forget to ask for money at a roundhouse because she was too pleased!

The system had seen everything clearly last night.

Bold declarations before undressing, nonsensical ramblings during, and complete silence afterward once she had her fill.

The long silence from the system made Naya feel deeply ashamed.

Last night, she really had forgotten all about the task the system had given her because she got too comfortable.

[B-but, it wasn’t all for nothing. At least I touched Iris’s butt. Rounding it up, that counts as slapping her, right?]

[How could something so simple turn out so complicated for you? Is attacking once really that hard for you? It’s one thing to lose your memory for five years, but now that you’ve regained it, why are you still the same? Can you toughen up already? Do you remember what you once were? You were a man! A hero!]

[I understand. I won’t mute you today. Tonight, let’s go all out hunting!]

Naya was scolded by the system, her shame deepening.

It was all Iris’s fault, her hypnosis was just too powerful.

That’s why she had forgotten what she was supposed to do.

Naya got out of bed and noticed a piece of paper on the nightstand, weighed down by a purple magic crystal.

Curious, she picked up the magic crystal.

Suddenly, Iris’s voice emanated from within the crystal.

“Naya, good morning. Since we stayed up late playing together last night, I didn’t have the heart to wake you up this morning. If you’re still tired, go ahead and get some more rest to recover your strength. Before I left, I woke up Illya and had the maids take care of her, so don’t worry about her. Love, Iris.”

What? What was that last part?

Play it again.

After listening to Iris’s cool, gentle voice several more times, Naya hugged the magic crystal and giggled foolishly.

[Host! This is all part of Iris’s manipulation, don’t fall for it!]

[Shut up, system. Don’t you dare doubt Iris’s love for me.]

[…]

If only the host could be as tough when talking to Iris as she was when talking back to the system, then maybe she wouldn’t be struggling so much.

But after being suppressed for five years, it’s understandable if her spirit’s been somewhat broken.

Besides, if killing Iris was that simple, there wouldn’t be so many failed systems before.

It shouldn’t lose hope.

Compared to the other heroes who crumbled the moment Iris touched them, Naya was still in a better position. She just hadn’t fully recalled her heroic heart yet.

Putting down the magic crystal, Naya stretched.

Even with the kiss marks scattered across her body, her silhouette was still captivatingly elegant.

After getting dressed, she sat in front of the mirror and glanced at her neck.

The red marks had already faded.

But there were still plenty on her body, though hidden beneath her clothes and not visible.

Her thighs…

Well, just put on some black stockings to cover those up.

Because there wasn’t much flesh on her arms, they didn’t have the same satisfying texture as other parts of her body, so Naya’s arms remained smooth and flawless.

Stepping out of the room and heading downstairs, she saw only Bella sweeping the floor. When Bella noticed her, she nodded slightly.

“Good morning, Miss Naya.”

“Good morning, Bella. Where’s Illya?”

“Flanna and Nitya are playing with her in the backyard.”

“Oh.”

“I’ll bring out breakfast for you now.”

“Mmm, just set it on the table. I’ll go check on Illya first.”

Naya walked to the backyard entrance.

The first thing she noticed was Nitya watering the flowers.

“Good morning, Miss Naya.”

“Morning, Nitya.”

Nitiya, a purple-scaled dragon, naturally had purple hair too. She wore a crown of small braids on top of her head, with long purple locks flowing down her back, giving her a dignified, noblewoman-like demeanor.

She was responsible for teaching Illya magic lessons.

Passing through the garden, Naya arrived at the play area where Illya could run wild. She could hear her before she even saw her.

“Flanna, take this! take this! Dragon’s Roar, rawr! Crow flying the plane! Tornado destroys the church!”

“Eh, weak! Come on, you’re so weak!”

Crossing the garden’s protective barrier, Naya saw Illya playing happily with Flanna.

They might seem like they were just playing, but in truth, Flanna was subtly teaching Illya some combat techniques as well.

Otherwise, Illya, being cooped up in the castle all the time, would truly turn into a useless dragon.

It wasn’t that mother and daughter were forbidden from leaving the castle, they just weren’t allowed to go beyond the influence of the castle’s protection. That is, the watchful eyes of the maids.

Naya stood at the garden’s edge, watching as Illya chased after Flanna with a big smile on her face, her little pink tail wagging as she ran.

“Mommy!”

The moment Naya appeared in Illya’s line of sight, the little dragon’s attention was instantly drawn to her.

She dropped Flanna and rushed over, her tail swinging excitedly.

Seeing the dirty Illya about to pounce on her, Naya quickly held her back by placing a hand on her head.

“Stop! Go wash up and change your clothes.”

When Naya had lost her memory, she had been terrible at fighting. So whenever Illya and Flanna played in the backyard, she stayed far away to avoid getting dirty.

That fear of getting dirty had carried over even after she regained her memories.

[Dragons really are barbaric. Look at your daughter, despite your teachings, she’s still so unruly, and it only takes a moment of inattention for her to get covered in mud.]

[System, will you die if you go a day without badmouthing dragons?]

“Okay ~”

Illya knew her mother’s habits, so she hadn’t planned on really throwing herself at Naya. She just wanted to tease her a little.

Naya looked over at Flanna.

What does a truly graceful maid look like?

Flanna was spotless, not a speck of dirt on her.

[System, speak! When Flanna plays with Illya, she never gets dirty. Illya just isn’t strong enough yet to stay so composed. But once she grows up, she’ll definitely be an elegant little princess.]

After finishing her inner dialogue with the system, Naya looked up at Flanna.

“Thank you for playing with Illya, Flanna. Please keep it up.”

“You’re the one who works hard, Miss Naya.”

Flanna smiled softly.

Playing with Illya was nothing compared to your nightly battles with Her Majesty the Queen.

Of course, Naya didn’t pick up on the deeper meaning behind Flanna’s words. She just held Illya’s hand and led her back inside to change clothes.

[These peaceful days won’t last forever. Six years old is a critical age for dragons. Illya will eventually face the same fate as Iris. She can’t stay under your protection forever. Iris is grooming her to be her successor. The child you’re carrying is meant to replace Illya.]

“Mommy?”

Suddenly, Illya stopped in her tracks and looked up at Naya with a puzzled expression.

“Hmm?”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing…”

Naya smiled, her eyes curving.

In the blink of an eye, Illya was almost six years old.

The dragon race grows so fast, even though they are an immortal species.

Five years ago, she had been just a tiny little thing, but now she was already up to Naya’s stomach.