Chapter 4: How do you satisfy us?

In truth, Charis couldn’t be blamed for stripping clothes so ruthlessly.
Aisha’s outfit was so tightly wrapped that without some force, there was no way to get to anything edible.

Charis swallowed nervously, eyeing the scattered pink, white, and black garments on the ground.
She vaguely recalled that Aisha’s inner layers were girlish pink and white, while the black skintight top and short skirt were her outerwear.

“Caught Charis? She’s a dragon!”

Aisha’s first glance at Charis sent her hand darting to her waist for a dagger.
But her weapons were gone—everything valuable was tucked away in Charis’s pockets.

“Relax, Aisha. Charis is already caught.
See? This is Ophelia’s ice chain.”

Luline displayed the icy chain binding Charis’s neck.
Only then did Aisha lower her guard, but she quickly noticed her clothes were all out of place!

“My clothes… who did this! This lady won’t let her off!”

Aisha hurriedly gathered her undergarments to put them on.
Her violet eyes blazed with fury, locking onto Charis as if sensing her guilt!

‘I’m done for. This one doesn’t seem as easy to deal with as the saintess!’

Charis’s heart pounded.
Aisha, the assassin, clearly held some status—ordinary people didn’t call themselves “lady”!
As for her temperament, it was obvious: either refined and elegant or fiery and vengeful.
Right now, Aisha was definitely the latter!

“Charis did it. I was her victim too, Aisha.”

Luline’s tone softened, giving Aisha a knowing look.

“You! You’ve got some nerve!”
Aisha pointed at Charis, her slender finger trembling as if she were on the verge of losing it.

Luline quickly grabbed Charis’s shoulders, pinning her in place to prevent any escape.

“I… I confess! Don’t get mad—I can explain!”

“Shut it, vile dragon! I don’t need your explanations. Just wait!”

Aisha’s face was pure vengeance, her movements swift as she slipped into her tight-fitting clothes.
Despite her impressive figure, she deliberately concealed it.

But now wasn’t the time to ponder tight outfits.
Charis watched disaster loom as Aisha radiated thick, red anger—almost tangible!

‘What’s that behind her? A magical aura? Some kind of spell?’

Charis was clueless about this world’s power system and had no idea what Aisha might do next.

Fully dressed, Aisha crouched down, her deep violet eyes level with Charis’s.
They seemed to hold a bottomless malice, like an abyss.

“You’re Charis, right?”

“Uh… what do you want?”

“Open your mouth!”

“I can… ah!”

Aisha’s single hand gripped Charis’s mouth, forcing it open with a squeeze!
Her pink tongue and white teeth were exposed.

“Vile dragon Charis, guess what I’m about to do?”

“No, please spare me this once! I swear I’ll change!”

Charis struggled to control her mouth, terrified of what Aisha might do.
This wasn’t the saintess—she wasn’t one to negotiate!

“Change… heh. If Ophelia hadn’t spared you, I’d have cut off this tail already.”

Aisha grabbed Charis’s large tail, squeezing its meaty texture.
Charis flushed, letting out a low groan as she breathed heavily.

For dragons, the tail was as sensitive as their horns for expressing emotions, especially in young dragons with underdeveloped scales.

“What are you going to do… I really didn’t mean it.
I was just hungry and had no choice but to approach you.”

Charis didn’t dare lose her temper.
She could handle Ophelia’s cheek-pinching, but Aisha was different.
Those fierce violet eyes weren’t joking—dragons had a keen sense for danger.

“Hungry? Fine, greedy dragon Charis.
Tonight, we’ll feast on you. Wonder what dragon meat tastes like?”

Aisha’s face leaned closer.
Charis’s heart tightened, shrinking back with nowhere to go—Luline’s ample chest pressed against the back of her head.

‘If I die cushioned by the saintess’s soft pillows, seeing them all exposed wasn’t a total loss! At worst, Talos the Demon King goes down with me.’

Charis steeled herself for her final words.

“I’m not tasty… really. If you’re going to eat me, at least fatten me up first so you don’t lose out.”

“What? Haha! Are you pitching how to cook yourself? What an amusing dragon.”

Aisha’s expression shifted to exasperated amusement.
Charis felt cornered—would her fate lead to a cooking pot?

“Aisha, you’ve scared her enough. Did the curse reveal anything?”

“Huh?”

Charis gasped, looking up at Luline’s calm face.

‘The saintess was covering for me? I was cursed?’

“Indeed, she’s not lying. Her magical essence didn’t fluctuate.
She’s just a hungry young dragon scavenging for food.”

Aisha’s earlier rage softened, and she studied Charis with a hint of a smile.

“You were… testing me?”
Charis couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh? I thought your head was only full of survival and food.
Not begging for mercy at a time like this?”
Aisha’s interest piqued.

“Of course I want to live. And eat.”

Charis let out a huge sigh of relief, but Aisha’s attitude was still odd.
She couldn’t help staring at her.

“Wondering why I’m not exploding with rage and letting you off?”

“Yeah.”

“You got lucky.
If you hadn’t loosened my clothes in time, my assassin’s bindings might’ve strangled me to death when I was injured.
This outfit needs some improvements—it’s useless when I’m hurt.”

Aisha patted her “flat” chest.
The outfit’s quirks were beyond Charis’s understanding.
All she knew was she’d accidentally done a good deed and hadn’t harmed Aisha.

“So… can you let me go?”
Charis tried her luck.

“Go? Don’t kid yourself.
I might forgive you, but will my companions?
Having a noble lady and a holy saintess exposed in the wild—is that something to brag about, Charis?”

Aisha teased with a rhetorical question.
Charis was speechless—she knew she had no chance.

Tap, tap, tap!

Hurried footsteps approached from outside the crater.
Ophelia returned with spare clothes and gear, leaping agilely to the crater’s bottom.

“Everyone’s awake—great.
Luline, here’s your clothes.”

“Thanks!”

Luline released Charis.
The hero’s party quickly tidied their appearances.
Then, the three stood in a row, sizing up Charis, who sat on the ground like a cornered duck.

“Aisha, did you scan her?
What’s with this dragon? Can she be tamed?”
Ophelia asked Aisha, who grinned in response.

“She was hungry and targeted us, but there’s no real malice.
Dragons are so rare, and a humanoid young dragon left alone out here?
A chance to study a dragon up close is priceless.”

Aisha seemed keen on Charis’s value.
Charis trembled under their gazes, feeling Talos’s “half-day escape” promise wasn’t as simple as claimed.

“Don’t forget, she violated our rights.
By kingdom law, we’re obligated to bring her back for trial.”

Luline proposed, while Aisha rested her chin in thought, seemingly wanting to keep Charis for herself.

“Charis.”

“Ah… I’m here!”

“Want to face a trial with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death?
A demon on a human court—you know the outcome.
Plus, dragons are treasure troves, and a cute little thing like you is in high demand.”

“I don’t want that! What do I do?”

“Simple. You messed up, so you apologize.
How will you make it up to us, enough to satisfy everyone?”

Aisha’s words were casual, but she pulled out a bottle of black liquid from behind her.
Strange, heart-shaped bubbles fizzed inside!

‘No way! What’s she planning to do to me? Does my answer even matter?’

Charis felt her dragon life was about to lose something precious.