84. The Old Tsundere
The relationship between Lin Ke, the Grand Leader of the Merli United Kingdom, who was pushed into the spotlight, and her true master behind the scenes—Rose, the Blood Fairy—was far too complex. Initially, I simply thought the two had a “master-servant relationship,” but it wasn’t until recently that I began to understand the true intentions behind the Blood Fairy’s various behaviors towards Lin Ke.
Although it was due to circumstances beyond her control and Rose’s initiative that she became my fairy, this troublesome midget was now indeed my fairy, and her thoughts and feelings were something I had to guide.
So, while asking Kefir and Nilu to look after Lin Ke, I also explained to Lin Ke why Rose had such a poor attitude towards her just now. Then, I set off alone to find the bear midget who had run off in a huff.
At this moment, inside Lin Ke’s castle.
I didn’t have to put in much effort; I soon encountered Rose on the way to the depths of the castle, the path she took to “sleep.” At noon, due to her irregular schedule, this fairy was yawning and swaying as she walked. Her drowsy appearance clearly told me—[Rose was not angry because of Lin Ke’s actions.]
She wasn’t angry, and it made sense. If Rose was truly upset by Lin Ke’s “weakness,” would she be here yawning and getting ready for bed? She would have already given Lin Ke a thorough scolding and wouldn’t have let us intervene.
I quickened my pace and reached Rose’s side.
“Honestly, there’s no need to be so harsh on Lin Ke, right, Rose?”
Rose, who had already noticed my presence, didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she yawned, and as she walked, she leaned against my arm, resting her head on my waist.
It was surprising how tired she was, especially after just scolding Lin Ke. However, Rose’s behavior towards Lin Ke might not simply be a matter of “displeasure.”
In the next moment, with a tone of “wishing for better,” she clung to my arm and muttered, “What do you know, you pretty boy? If we don’t teach that idiot a lesson from time to time, she’ll just get dumber and dumber. Hmph, it’s such a waste of her excellent lineage.”
Along with Rose’s words, the script appeared.
[Rose is training Lin Ke.]
My earlier suspicions and speculations about the strange “interactions” between this master and servant relationship finally found a definitive answer at this moment.
If Rose’s attitude towards Lin Ke was merely that of treating a “somewhat useful” servant, then with all the foolish mistakes Lin Ke had made so far, Rose could have discarded her several times over. Yet, despite all the scoldings, Rose still assigned Lin Ke important responsibilities. This… clearly showed that Rose was training Lin Ke.
As for the methods, Rose’s way of “educating” Lin Ke was indeed somewhat rough and domineering. I had seen Lin Ke being pinned down and stepped on by Rose, but as an outsider with limited knowledge, I really had no right to comment. Finding a clueless orphan like Lin Ke in a trash-filled slum and then training her to become a capable “leader,” all while Lin Ke’s “bloodline” identity could attract unnecessary troubles…
Perhaps a slightly harsher “educational” approach was more appropriate. Only by allowing Lin Ke to grow quickly could she withstand the “dangers” of her bloodline and be worthy of her identity. And all of this was accomplished by Rose… this fairy who claimed, “My masters are all long gone,” yet still fulfilled her duties.
There was no need to look at the script; at this moment, I could already confirm Rose’s intentions. Phew… she really is a “bear midget.”
“But it doesn’t matter now. Anyway, it seems Lin Ke’s bloodline has already been ‘taken away.’ As the fairy of that kingdom, I can say I protected the last remnants of that bloodline until its end. My duty is complete, and I won’t care about any white-haired fairy matters in the future…”
Rose’s words sounded more like she was forcing herself to sound upbeat for my sake. So even without looking at the script, I could feel the regret and disappointment in this fairy’s heart at that moment.
I wasn’t too concerned about the somewhat NTR-sounding situation of “even though I’m the master now, Rose is still fulfilling her original duties.” Right now, I wanted to tell Rose that…
“In my opinion, although it’s still a bit forced, Lin Ke is already capable of handling things on her own. In terms of training, you’ve done an excellent job.”
I stopped and turned to Lin Ke.
Sure enough, what greeted me was a small, dejected face. Rose had completely lost her earlier confidence, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the “last bloodline being taken away” or because… her duties had ended so abruptly, leaving her feeling empty.
So, at this moment, I still had to take on the responsibilities of being a “master.”
“Now that Lin Ke’s bloodline is gone, there’s no need to dwell too much on it. Just consider it your ‘duty’ has come to an end, because the white-haired elves won’t trouble Lin Ke anymore. Instead of feeling frustrated, why not think about what comes next… what you should do from here on out.”
Rose didn’t respond immediately; instead, she… threw herself into my arms.
Her nails nearly clawed ten bloody marks into my arm, but unless I had a screw loose, I wouldn’t disturb a girl in the midst of venting her feelings at a time like this.
“The kingdom… it’s really gone now.”
“Yeah, because Lin Ke’s ‘bloodline’ has been taken away. If I haven’t discovered any other bloodlines, it seems we’re left with just those three princess sisters.”
“In that case, even if I stay here guarding the last remnants of this kingdom, it would be meaningless. Tch… those white-haired, long-eared ones, they all died off even before me. Did they think of me as a turtle…?”
Having said that, Lin Ke suddenly lifted her head.
Her gaze was already resolute.
“Since my duty has ended and there’s nothing I can do, then I shall fulfill the duty of a fairy as the new master. Pretty boy, you said… you want to deal with those three traitors, right? Then I’ll follow you. At least I still have some methods to deal with traitors, though they may be hard to implement, but with your wives, we can surely find an opportunity.”
【Rose plans to take revenge.】
The script emerged, but unfortunately, this little fairy’s intentions were disguised beneath her proud demeanor.
No matter what, she wouldn’t lose face; this fairy truly held onto that. Compared to Nilu calling her a “wild fairy,” it seemed that Rose might actually resemble a “qualified” fairy more than all the fairies around Kephiel and Nilu.
“As for Lin Ke, hmph, let her do as she pleases from now on~ Whether she lives or dies, that’s none of my business~”
【Rose plans to help Oghilid disrupt the death script.】
More scripts emerged, accompanied by Rose’s half-true, half-false complaints. Now that this fairy had come this far, I really couldn’t respond in a way that would disappoint her. After all, dealing with the death script seemed fraught with difficulties, but Rose, being knowledgeable about many matters concerning the white-haired elves, would undoubtedly bring hope to my script.
So…
“Have you decided? It seems that the irresistible force from before when you acknowledged me doesn’t count; we need to start over.”
After a pause, I asked, “Blood Fairy Yaser Rose, from now on, may I ask you to be my fairy?”
“Reluctantly, I suppose~ But my standards of living and quality are quite high~ Don’t you dare try to fool me with cheap trinkets, okay~ Pretty boy.”
The fairy before me licked her lips and smiled.
“First, to acknowledge the master, one must use a more elegant way of kissing~”
Spare me, what on earth does “an elegant way of kissing” even mean?!
——
Ladies and gentlemen, this volume’s main story ends here.
After this, there will be a .5 and some important side stories. Then, we’ll move on to the next volume.
Clearly, this book is nearing its conclusion, but it won’t wrap up in just one volume; at least a few more volumes will still be in store, haha~ I’m also digging the final big pit.
PS: The next volume will introduce new characters, so stay tuned and look forward to it!