1 In Which She Was Invited

Lisa gave her bag a light pat in order to better hear the chiming sound of the money she had earned for the day. When she realized that she had more than enough, a grin of happiness and pride spread across her face.

She slipped out of her high heels and into shoes, and she adjusted the outfit she was performing in.

Her dress had a second layer underneath it. The velvet on the outside contrasted well with the silk on the inside. During the performance, she cinched the dress around her waist, which concealed the silk that was worn underneath, and brought the dress's length down to her thighs. 

The majority of the time, she wore clothes that were too loosse on her, but when she wanted to attract attention, she would wear gowns that were too tight and short in length, which accentuated her hourglass form.

"We made a lot, Mona. Thanks the Heavens," Liza replied, the joy in her voice echoing the delight in her heart.

"Oh, absolutely. Oh, sure, it is Mistress Liza. This evening's meal is going to be really mouthwatering," Mona said. As if imagining her food,, she added, "I can smell it already." She then wiped her mouth clean of the drool that did not exist in her mouth. Her four-inch legs seemed as if they were dancing on Lisa's shoulder, which was a clear indication that she was quite happy.

"Oh, I can imagine Mona. Lisa's words caused her mouth to swim as she remarked, "With these coins, we will eat our way through every delicacy in that excellent restaurant we came upon yesterday, especially their specialty Crème Brûlée."

"Miss!" Someone yelled, and then another. "Miss!"

When Liza glanced around, she noticed a man with white hair and guard armor running toward them. He was approaching quickly.

"Mona, who do you believe he is calling right now?" Lisa inquired with a sense of wonder before opening her pouch and secretly counting the items contained within it.

"Looks like he's calling us. But we have no idea why he would call us! Mona pondered.

After hearing that, Liza glared at Mona with narrowed eyes and turned to face her. Mona's head was flicked, and she was questioned with the statement, "You didn't take anything from him, did you, Mona?"

Mona's response, which was full of indignation and was accompanied by a head shake, was "Absolutely not, Mistress Lisa."

Lisa laughed, and then she turned her attention back to the soldier when she noticed that his face lacked any kind of expression, which made her laugh even harder.

She appeared to be considered for a bit before murmuring, "Tall and buff yet seems like he knows nothing." Do you believe that he is capable of making any woman happy?

The wrinkles on Mona's nose make it very evident that she is not. When she saw the man's scarred arms, she hushed Master Lisa, "Mistress Lisa, his arms are scary...."

What if I were to break in two because of his carelessness? The whole idea made Mona tremble with fear.

They noticed a chill emanating from the soldier with white hair as he stood in front of them. They were also able to have a closer look at him, during which they noticed that he had numerous scars as well, including some on his face.

A reassuring smile appeared on Lisa's face. A man's integrity can be inferred from the fact that he chooses to preserve his scars despite the fact that scar-removal creams are readily available.

"Miss, Master John has instructed me to come here and extend an invitation to you to travel on the dragon ship. Do you accept it?" When he stated that, Lisa's stream of thinking was interrupted.

"An invite?" Lisa inquired with her eyes bulging out of their sockets and her jaw hanging open. "On that ship the size of a dragon?"

"Who is this John, the Master?" Mona asked.

He replied with the utmost gravity and reverence, "Master John is the Captain of the Dragon Ship and General of the Fire Dragon Tribe."

"Okay… Who would you be, if I may ask, dear sir? Lisa pursued the inquiry further. Why would a General be interested in meeting someone like her, who works as a street performer?

"I am Hennessy, Master John soldier."

The question was, "Are you also his butler?" Mona questioned before giggling in an attempt to be humorously endearing. "Can you tell me whether or not your Master John is wealthy?"

Hennessy's tone of the speech was stiff and official as he responded, saying instead, "We will pay you a handsome amount."

"What is the purpose of sending us this invitation?" Lisa inquired with obvious distrust in her voice.

"You were invited because of your musical ability," it says on the invitation. You will provide your musical talents while working for us, and the crew will enjoy listening to them. "The pixie is also invited for her dance," Hennessy stated in a chilly tone of voice.

"Ah! You people were interested in seeing a special performance? That's going to put a dent in your pocket!" Mona responded. Her pixie eyes shone brightly and avidly as they glistened. "Well, you guys could easily afford it!" 

Lisa responded before Hennessy could answer Mona's remark by saying, "Before accepting, I would like to meet your Master John."

Hennessy remarked to the woman, "This way, Miss," as she followed him to the ship.

It did not take Lisa and Mona very long to get to the spacecraft docking location once they left the ship. Lisa observed that the crew was putting supplies into the cargo hold.

Lisa's attention was drawn to the individual seated in the wheelchair. His long, white hair floated around in the air as he spoke. 

Even while seated in a wheelchair, the man gives the sense of being rather tall. 

This suggests that he is actually tall. Lisa's eye was immediately drawn to the pair of crimson horns that were perched atop his head like a crown. 

The horns were crimson, just like his eyes, which matched their color perfectly.

'What's the deal with the blankets covering his legs?' Lisa was thinking. 

Even after she had moved a few steps away from him and was now standing in front of him, she continued to look at him in an inquisitive manner.

The man looked at her briefly before examining her in great detail from head to toe. After that, he turned his attention to the lower half of her body and frowned as if he didn't like what he saw there.

It was impossible for anyone to respect what he was doing, and this includes Lisa, who was generally a laid-back individual. No one would ever appreciate what he was doing.

She peered up at herself from below. Lisa's arms were completely encircled by her performance outfit. Yes, it had been used before, but it was thoroughly sanitized. Is that all right?

Hennessy welcomed Master John in a polite manner and remarked, "The violinist requested to meet you before she would accept our invitation."

"Who told you that I would agree? I wanted to meet the man who wants me for my music," Lisa remarked, curling one corner of her lips upward. "I wanted to meet the man who wants me for my music." This dude was giving her a little bit of a headache.

"What's keeping you, Violinist? Why haven't you accepted our invitation?" John's question revealed the obvious displeasure he was feeling.

"Call me Lisa," she boldly stated, without exhibiting the slightest bit of respect to this John. "I will not be disrespected."

Mona pulled at Lisa's hair as she spoke, giving the impression that she was trying to convey to her that whatever it was that she was doing was a poor choice.

John retorted in a chilly tone, "Fine, Lisa."

Lisa furrowed her brow. She was meant to be even more irritated by the way he said her name, but for some reason, the harsh quality of his voice made her relish hearing her name on his lips. It was honestly... not that terrible.

She was at a loss for words and could not help but stare at him in confusion. Although Lisa found the sensation peculiar, she did not give it much thought because her attention was drawn elsewhere.

Because I am not interested in the money, I have not yet accepted your offer. Whatever it is that you or your butler have to provide, it will never be enough. Unless... I come across anything special..." Lisa's voice stopped off as she indicated John's neck with her finger. "I would like that."

"What in the world?" John expressed his displeasure by asking a question. She even had the nerve to point at him. 

'What is wrong with her?' He thought to himself. However, he let his curiosity get the better of him. He followed the direction in which she was pointing and discovered the red dragon scale necklace that was dangling from his neck on a red string.

"Are you referring to this in any way?" John asked while maintaining his grip on the pendant.

Lisa's grin was as bright as the sun as she animatedly nodded her head in the manner of a chicken scratching the ground.

The first thing that John said was a flat, "No."

"Why, no?" Lisa asked, her smile evaporated.

John retorted with a sneer, "It's for my bride when I find what I'm looking for." 

"Bride? If that's the case, I'll be your wife! Lisa offered her help right away, acting as if it were of no consequence.