"Another version of you didn't say that!"
Ethan Drake squinted slightly, looking at the Dark Elf girl in front of him, her face full of disdain. He chuckled softly, though the words that followed remained unspoken.
"Ethan~ No reward for me?"
Not wanting to discuss the unpleasant topic in front of Ethan Drake, Claire instead flashed a charming smile, pouting as she asked coquettishly.
"I've been so diligent, don't I deserve a reward?"
Claire was not a greedy person. Perhaps due to her past life, she had a slight tendency toward materialism, but she never asked Ethan Drake for anything. This was just a playful act between the two of them, a little intimate affection they shared.
She enjoyed this feeling of being close to Ethan, of acting spoiled.
It was something no other woman had!
No matter their status or power, they could never replace this unique bond!
It was hers alone, the most precious thing!
"A reward? What do you want?"
Ethan gently stroked her soft white hair, smiling as he asked.
"I…"
Claire hesitated, then as if recalling something, a barely noticeable blush appeared on her bronzed, delicate face. However, before she could speak, her eyes suddenly widened as she returned to reality, somewhat dazed.
For at some point, a necklace, faintly glowing, had already been placed around her neck.
A beautiful adornment for a beautiful person.
The petite Dark Elf girl looked stunning with this necklace, its material unclear, yet she felt her magic flowing more smoothly.
It must be a rare treasure.
Claire instinctively raised her head, meeting those deep black eyes.
She felt dizzy, as if she were about to lose herself within them.
"Take this as your reward, okay?"
Ethan Drake gently tidied the strands of white hair near her ear, smiling as he spoke.
Blessing of Prayer, a special epic equipment.
A coveted item among players, it had only just come into his possession. Yet he had immediately given it away.
Indeed, it was a reward—not for Claire's diligence, but for her earlier words.
As Ethan had said before, loyalty deserves more.
He valued loyalty.
"Um…"
Feeling the cool touch around her neck, the slight refreshment in her spirit, Claire's heart skipped a beat.
This must be some kind of rare treasure!
And he just… gave it to her?
She hadn't wanted anything as a reward. It was just playful banter!
She simply wanted Ethan Drake to hug her, pet her, praise her, that would have been enough.
If he kissed her forehead, that would make her so happy she might just pass out…
But unexpectedly, he had given her another precious gift.
She already owed him so much!
Perhaps it was nothing to Ethan, but to Claire, being rescued from that filthy, dark world and given a new life—those memories were worth cherishing for a lifetime.
Thinking of this, her vision became a bit blurred.
"Ethan, I didn't…"
But her words were silenced by a gentle finger against her lips.
"You're truly beautiful!"
Ethan Drake gazed at her, smiling as he spoke.
Time seemed to freeze.
A smiling man, a stunned Dark Elf girl.
She thought, this moment—she would never forget it for the rest of her life!
…
"Flare, it's been a month! Are you still going to hide out here?"
In the heart of Sunlight City, the imperial capital, Alfred, clad in knightly armor, looked somewhat helplessly at the massive, curled-up creature before him.
"My friend! Don't talk to me!"
The trembling creature shivered, then somehow extended a massive head, looking down at Alfred.
A dragon—a red dragon!
Meant to be the majestic protector of the empire, yet reduced to this humiliating state.
People might even mistake it for a worm.
"Flare, there have been rumors from the North about that presence, but is this really necessary?"
"Besides, it's been so long! Maybe he was just stretching his wings!"
"Can't you stop this?"
Alfred sighed as he spoke to his companion.
A significant event had indeed occurred a month ago, but there had been no lasting impact!
He couldn't understand why his companion had yet to recover from that state.
"No… No! My friend, I can feel it! He hasn't left! He definitely hasn't left!"
"Alright, alright! If he hasn't left, so be it. But why are you so scared? You're a dragon too!"
Alfred patted his friend's trembling scales.
"No… No… You can't compare him to a dragon! You don't understand how terrifying he is! He's calamity, despair, a nightmare—you just don't understand!"
The red dragon's face was filled with terror as it shook its head, clutching itself tightly, like a frightened woman.
"But he's just a dragon! Fine, fine! Do whatever you want, I'm leaving! I heard there's a popular tavern in Sunlight City, and I'm going for a drink…"
This? This?
He, the empire's only dragon knight, had a partner like this?
If others saw, it would be mortifying!
Maybe it was just his imagination, but lately, Alfred felt that even his guards had been giving him odd looks.
He sighed at the sight of the trembling dragon, then slowly walked away.