Chapter 7: Liar

Aegon observed Irene with great interest, murmuring almost inaudibly, "Quite the quick change of face... but each one is beautiful."

Dragon Slayers have senses far beyond those of ordinary mages, so even though Aegon's voice was very soft, Irene could hear it clearly.

She did not feel ashamed or angry; instead, she smiled, with a hint of allure in her smile.

Four hundred years ago, when people spoke of her, they would mention the Dragon Queen of the Kingdom of Dragunov, the contract holder of the wise dragon Belserion!

But now, when people talk about her, they call her the Scarlet Despair, one of the Empire's Twin Pillars!

In reality, she looked no older than twenty-six or twenty-seven, with a mature charm that exceeded what her age suggested,

a fleeting glimpse of her was enough to leave a lasting impression.

Everyone has a love for beauty, and she was no exception.

Nowadays, few people remember the former Dragon Queen. When mentioning Irene, they refer to her as the "Scarlet Despair," feared and dreaded by all.

The word "beautiful" was indeed a bit novel to Irene.

'It seems, he's the first one to call me beautiful...'

Four hundred years ago, in the constant wars between humans and dragons, surviving was already a luxury. Even if she was incredibly beautiful, people always praised her for her bravery in fighting dragons and creating Dragon Slayer magic.

When she became one of the Empire's Twin Pillars, her cold and aloof demeanor, combined with her unparalleled scarlet magic, made people once again overlook her charm, which could captivate the masses.

Looking at Aegon, who was gazing at her with a smile, she felt a little dazed.

'It seems... turning into a dragon isn't so bad...'

At least after transforming into a dragon, her time seemed to stop, keeping her in the prime of her youth, at twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Seeing Irene staring at him, Aegon shrugged, "Maybe you thought I approached you because of your high-level attachment magic or your combat prowess, but with my current strength, there's no need for that. The first thing I noticed was a stunning beauty."

Irene's smile deepened. So, he's this straightforward, huh? She gently crossed her legs in over-the-knee high boots, propping her elbow on her thigh, lightly resting her chin on her hand.

She began to counterattack, smiling as she looked Aegon up and down, "Are you saying that you're interested in me?"

Aegon raised an eyebrow, wanting to say "you guessed right."

He nodded, "What if I said yes?"

Irene lazily leaned back on the sofa, unabashedly showing off her impressive figure, speaking in a languid tone, "Then so be it. After all, I'm no match for you."

Aegon glanced briefly at the breathtaking view, then quickly composed himself, "Although your words imply that even if I forced you, you wouldn't resist, I have no intention of forcing you. I don't like puppets that do whatever they're told."

Aegon sat down beside Irene, "Initially, I did come for your beauty and body, but what I liked more was your fearless gaze when we first met."

Irene listened intently, her beautiful eyes blinking at Aegon. After he sat down, she waved her hand, and two cups of steaming hot tea appeared in front of them.

Irene had to admit, Aegon was right.

Even if Aegon forced her, given his strength and his help in resolving her side effects, she would have agreed.

Her previous words had a hint of testing him.

During the two weeks of secluded practice on transformation magic, Irene didn't just focus solely on training. Occasionally, she observed Aegon to see his intentions, but apart from eating and sleeping, she couldn't gather much useful information.

Aegon took a sip of tea, "I do like you, but I'm not in such a rush. There's no need for you to hurry and test me."

In Irene's eyes, Aegon's image had completely changed. He was no longer the tyrannical black dragon from the Apocalypse, driven mad by rage, but a thoughtful and communicative person.

Suddenly, she felt a bit curious about Aegon. After gazing at Aegon's profile for a while, she asked, "What exactly do you want?"

Aegon pondered for a moment before replying, "It seems there's a saying in the Eastern Continent: 'With a clear mind, wield the power of the world; in drunkenness, rest on the knees of a beautiful woman.' I'm not very interested in the first half."

Saying this, he turned to look into Irene's eyes, "But the second half... I am very interested in."

Irene smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with charm, her nails gently caressing her thigh, "What? Want to try?"

Juliet, covering her mouth, whispered to Heine, "There's something between them."

Heine, with a look of dread, tugged at Juliet's sleeve, asking, "Do you want to die?"

In fact, Irene had never tried to be so seductive before, making her movements a bit stiff, but her natural beauty made Aegon chuckle,

"If you keep tempting me like this, I might actually lie down."

Irene quickly sat upright, pretending to nonchalantly pick up her tea and start sipping it.

...

Aegon didn't chat with Irene for long; soon after, Irene felt sleepy and went back to her room to sleep.

Back in her room, she changed into a pink silk camisole nightdress, her four braids already untied, standing in front of a full-length mirror, looking at her reflection, murmuring softly, "I... am very beautiful, aren't I?"

Irene was lost in thought, recalling her wolfing down food in front of Aegon and the way she had just tried to tempt him. A faint blush appeared on her face, perhaps for the first time in her life.

Irene quickly labeled Aegon with a new tag, "Lustful man."

She had to admit, Aegon's directness and covetousness stirred something within her. With enough power and having helped her, she didn't seem to have a reason to refuse.

However, having been betrayed by her beloved subjects, it was hard for her to easily trust anyone again...

Irene gazed at her reflection for a long time, then slowly shook her head, "Take it one step at a time..."

She turned indifferently, her face resuming that cold, high-and-mighty expression, lying down on her soft couch. Overcome by drowsiness, she soon fell asleep.

...

Opening the door to his room, Aegon found Irene sleeping soundly on the right side of the bed. Perhaps she had not slept for a long time; once asleep, she fell into a deep slumber.

Aegon stood by the bed, thinking for 0.25 seconds, "Well... no need to hesitate, I'm not a saint."

...

In the darkness, that beautiful face frowned slightly, warm breaths gently brushing against her face. She drowsily lifted her head, and it was only then that she realized she was lying in a warm embrace.

A flash of lightning seemed to strike through her mind. Forcing her sleep-heavy eyes open, she looked up and met a pair of eyes close at hand. In the faint light, she could just make out his eyelashes.

So much for not being in such a rush...

Only one thought remained in her mind — Liar!