Chapter 95: Unexpected Rivalry
Lillith and Clara both stared at me for several seconds.
Then Clara rubbed her forehead.
"Great."
She then pointed at me.
"Now what exactly is crude oil?"
I couldn’t stop grinning.
"Think of it as a better version of coal."
Clara blinked.
"That’s it?"
"No."
I immediately shook my head.
"That’s the amazing part."
I proceeded to lean forward.
"It’s made up of lots of different things."
Both girls nodded.
"It can be processed into fuel."
More nodding.
"Or it can be refined into countless useful products."
Their expressions remained blank.
I sighed.
"Imagine if coal had a smarter, richer, and more useful cousin."
Clara looked slightly more interested.
Meanwhile Lillith looked completely uninterested but then after a short hesitation she spoke.
"That’s wonderful and so amazing."
She then pointed at Silvia.
"Now throw the stupid cat out."
I stared at her.
"No."
Lillith immediately slumped across the table dramatically.
A noise somewhere between a groan and a dying animal escaped her.
"Why not?"
"Because she’s coming with me."
Silvia immediately looked up.
Lillith froze and stared but I continued.
"When I head back to Aldric territory."
Lillith’s eyes widened.
"And after my week here is over, Finn, me, Silvia and a couple workers are heading to the Wild Lands."
The realization hit her immediately.
"You mean..."
I nodded.
"Day after tomorrow."
Lillith looked devastated.
"You’re leaving?"
"We did agree that I would stay around a week."
She dropped her forehead onto the table.
A muffled noise came from beneath her arms.
"Do you really have to?"
"Yes."
"No."
I sighed.
"Lillith."
She slowly lifted her head.
"You could just stay here forever."
I laughed.
"There is absolutely no chance of that."
She pouted.
I then pointed at Silvia.
"One of nature’s greatest treasures is waiting for me on the other side of the continent."
Then I grabbed Silvia beneath the arms and lifted her into the air.
"And the key to finding it is right here."
Silvia immediately started giggling.
Lillith’s eye twitched at the little Silvia in my hands and the sight made her infinitely more angrier.
Eventually I lowered Silvia back onto my lap.
My eyes drifted toward the rags she was wearing.
The clothing was barely holding together.
Some sections were little more than torn fabric.
I frowned.
Then looked toward the others.
"Actually."
"What now?" Clara asked.
"Can either of you get Silvia something more comfortable to wear?"
Lillith’s hand immediately shot into the air.
"I volunteer."
I turned toward her, the smile on her face was terrifying.
Absolutely terrifying, I knew that she had some sinister intentions behind her actions.
Silvia apparently thought so too.
The moment she saw it, tears immediately appeared in her eyes.
She grabbed onto my shirt.
"Please don’t let the scary lady take me!"
Lillith immediately stood up.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
Silvia practically climbed behind me.
I sighed.
"Clara?"
"Sure."
Then she blinked.
"Where are the clothes?"
I turned toward Lillith.
"Where are your old childhood clothes?"
Lillith looked horrified.
"Absolutely not."
I sighed.
"Lillith."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because."
She pointed at Silvia.
"That thieving cat is not touching my clothes."
For several moments I considered arguing but a much better idea appeared.
I smiled.
"Lillith."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"What?"
"If you’re this jealous over one little girl..."
I paused.
"There is absolutely no way we’re having any children together."
Critical hit.
Lillith froze, she was absolutely petrified and horrified at what I said.
The entire room became silent.
Even Clara looked impressed at me as few seconds passed.
Then—
"THAT’S DIFFERENT!"
Lillith pointed at me dramatically.
"Completely different!"
"How?"
"I would love our children!"
She placed a hand on her chest.
"I would cherish every single one of them!"
Then she pointed at Silvia.
"Unlike that stupid cat!"
I shook my head.
"Still doesn’t sound convincing."
Lillith looked personally betrayed as she then crossed her arms.
"Fine."
Victory.
"They’re in my wardrobe."
A short while later we arrived at Lillith’s room.
While I waited nearby, she aggressively dug through her wardrobe.
Several dresses were thrown onto the floor.
A couple shirts followed with a hat somehow ending up across the room.
Eventually she emerged holding a small outfit.
"There."
I took it and then immediately left before she could change her mind.
A few minutes later I arrived at Clara’s room.
Clara opened the door.
Took one look at the clothes and looked down at Silvia.
"I’ll dress her up."
She disappeared inside with Silvia, after around a couple minutes she returned.
Silvia emerged wearing a much cleaner outfit.
We both arrived back inside Lilliths room, the clothing fit surprisingly well.
Unfortunately Silvia had her own opinions on the cloths.
"It looks stupid."
Behind me I heard movement.
Fast movement.
I immediately turned and barely managed to catch Lillith before she launched herself at Silvia.
"LEON!"
"She’s a child!"
"She insulted my clothes!"
Silvia hid behind me grabbing onto one of my legs as Lillith attempted to get over me and grab her.
Then Silvia made the situation worse.
She grabbed one of the decorative gems sewn into the clothing.
Pulled and, plop.
The gem came off.
Silvia stared at it and then tossed it aside.
"It was poking me."
Lillith made a sound of pure frustration and anger that genuinely concerned me.
For several seconds I was forced to physically restrain her, but that didn’t go to well as I remembered she could become twenty times stronger than me with magic.
Because of this I had to use myself as a human shield covering Silvia as Lillith kept trying to find a way around me.
But luckily she calmed down eventually...well mostly.
Then I looked at Silvia.
"You should probably get some sleep."
Silvia looked up at me.
Then immediately grabbed my shirt.
"I want to sleep with Mister Leon."
Silence, absolute silence.
I slowly turned around.
Lillith was calm.
That calmness somehow looked more threatening than when she was angry.
"No."
The single word sent a chill down my spine.
Silvia immediately hid behind me again clutching one of my legs.
Lillith crossed her arms and in a now cold, slow and ruthless tone.
"This is where I absolutely draw the line."
"She’s just a child."
"No."
"She’s scared."
"No."
"She—"
"No."
Each successive no was even colder than the last.
I sighed.
Then crouched down beside Silvia, the small beastkin girl looked nervous.
"Silvia."
She looked up.
"Can you be really brave for the night?"
Her ears lowered.
"But—"
"I’ll still be here tomorrow, I promise."
Silvia hesitated.
Then finally nodded.
"...I’ll try."
I smiled.
"That’s all I’m asking."
She looked slightly happier and slowly released my shirt.
I stood up.
And for the first time all evening, Lillith looked pleased.
Not happy, though but pleased.
Which was probably the best I was going to get.
A few minutes later I walked Silvia back to her guest room.
The beastkin girl hesitated at the doorway.
Then looked back toward me.
"Goodnight, Mister Leon."
I smiled.
"Goodnight, Silvia."
She nodded and disappeared inside as door then slowly closed.
And the moment it did—
I felt two arms immediately wrap around my waist from behind.
"Mine."
"Lillith."
"All mine just as it should be."
I sighed.
Apparently the difficult part of the evening wasn’t over yet.
After returning to Lillith’s room, I found myself listening to what was probably the hundredth complaint about Silvia.
"That stupid cat is trying to steal you from me."
I sighed again as I pulled off my coat and set it aside.
"Lillith."
"What?"
"She’s ten."
"So."
I stared at her.
That wasn’t a response.
Unfortunately, Lillith seemed to think it was.
I rubbed my forehead.
"You’re overreacting."
The moment those words left my mouth, she froze.
Then she slowly turned toward me.
"Overreacting?"
"Yes."
"I am not overreacting."
"Lillith—"
"In fact."
She crossed her arms.
"I’m underreacting."
I couldn’t even begin to understand how she reached that conclusion.
"She’s a child."
"She’s a menace."
"She’s ten."
"That’s old enough to know what she’s doing."
I decided there was no winning this argument.
A few minutes later we climbed into bed.
The moment I laid down, Lillith immediately wrapped herself around me like some kind of oversized snake.
One arm.
Then another.
Then a leg.
"Don’t worry."
I stared at the ceiling.
"About what?"
"I’ll keep watch."
I already regretted asking.
"In case that thieving cat tries to steal you in the middle of the night."
"Lillith."
"What?"
"I’m genuinely worried about something."
She looked up.
"What?"
"If we ever have children—"
"When."
I sighed.
"When or if."
"When."
I ignored her this time.
"If we do, I’m genuinely worried you’ll end up fighting them over me like you are with Silvia."
Lillith immediately looked horrified.
"Absolutely not."
"Really?"
"Of course not."
She sounded genuinely offended.
"Our children would be perfect."
I raised an eyebrow.
"They would?"
"Naturally."
She nodded confidently.
"They’d all be half Leon."
Then her expression darkened.
"And would be nothing like that stupid cat."
I sighed.
"Goodnight, Lillith."
"Goodnight, darling."
Thankfully, that finally ended the conversation.
Not long afterward, I fell asleep.
——————-
The next morning, I woke up and immediately found Lillith staring directly at me.
"Good morning, Lillith."
Her face immediately brightened.
"Good morning, darling."
Then she nodded seriously.
"I have a report."
I stared.
"A report?"
"Yes."
She nodded again.
"There were no stupid cats attempting to infiltrate the room last night."
I buried my face in my hands.
"Wonderful."
"I know."
A while later, after getting dressed and eating a very quick snack, the two of us headed toward Silvia’s room.
I opened the door.
Then paused as I entered as the entire bed had been transformed.
Every pillow and blanket.
Had been piled into the middle of the mattress to form what looked like a miniature fortress.
Or more accurately a cave.
I couldn’t really tell.
"Silvia?"
Silence.
"Are you awake?"
The moment I finished speaking, movement appeared inside the blanket cave.
Then a white-haired blur launched out.
"Leon!"
The next thing I knew, Silvia had attached herself directly to my chest.
Immediately nuzzling into me.
Behind me, Lillith’s eye twitched.
"Oh no you don’t."
Before Silvia could react, Lillith grabbed her.
Unfortunately, Silvia reacted on instinct.
Small claws suddenly extended from her fingers.
They caught into my shirt and then.
Riiip.
Two large sections tore clean off as Lillith pulled her away.
Silence followed.
Both of them looked downward into me.
At my ruined shirt.
Then at each other.
Lillith simply stared at Silvia before she then began shaking her around furiously.
"LOOK WHAT YOU DID STUPID CAT!"
Silvia immediately started flailing.
"Waaah!"
"You stupid cat!"
"Waaah!"
I quickly stepped in.
"Lillith!"
I grabbed both her wrists.
Eventually she stopped.
Then I carefully took Silvia from her arms.
The beastkin girl immediately buried her face into my chest.
"Sorry..."
"It’s okay."
I gently patted her head.
Then looked toward Lillith.
Which was a mistake.
Because she looked absolutely furious.
"Leon."
"What?"
"That’s my chest."
I blinked.
"What?"
She pointed at Silvia.
"Your chest is for me to put my head on."
I stared.
"Only me."
I stared harder.
"It’s not ment for any stupid feral cats."
I decided it was too early for this conversation.
Instead I looked down.
"Silvia."
She peeked up.
"Are you hungry?"
Her ears immediately perked up.
Then she nodded enthusiastically.
Very enthusiastically.
Not long afterward, we arrived at the dining hall.
Clara was already there.
She sat quietly reading a book while eating breakfast.
Lillith looked at her.
Then tilted her head.
"You look like a retired old man."
Clara didn’t even look up and simply turned a page.
I admired her self-control.
A while later breakfast arrived and the moment it did Silvia immediately reached toward the bacon with both hands.
I caught her wrist.
"No."
Silvia looked confused.
"What?"
"The utensils."
She looked at the utensils and then turned back to look at me before she then simply opened her mouth like yesterday.
"Ahhh."
I sighed.
Besides me, Lillith looked horrified.
"The nerve!"
I ignored her.
Instead I picked up a piece of bacon with a fork and fed it to Silvia.
She happily ate it.
Lillith pointed dramatically.
"See?"
"See what?"
"She’s a incredibly stupid cat."
I rubbed my forehead.
"Lillith."
"What?"
"Stop calling her that."
"She is."
"She’s young."
Lillith immediately looked toward Silvia.
"How old are you?"
"Ten."
Lillith nodded.
"See?"
I stared.
"See what?"
"Practically grown."
I nearly choked.
"She’s ten."
Lillith groaned and collapsed backward into her chair.
Meanwhile I fed Silvia another piece of bacon.
The sight apparently pushed Lillith over the edge again.
She immediately leaned towards me, opening her mouth and pointed to it.
"Ahhh."
I stared.
"Seriously?"
"Ahhh."
Before I could answer, Silvia also opened her mouth.
"Ahhh."
Lillith narrowed her eyes.
Then said it louder.
"AHHH."
Silvia responded immediately.
"AHHH."
Lillith leaned closer.
"AAAHHHH."
Silvia refused to back down.
"AAAHHHH."
This continued back and forth between the two.
Louder and louder.
Until both of them were staring at each other while repeatedly demanding food from me.
Meanwhile Clara quietly lowered her book looking at me and then she looked at the two idiots in front of me.
"...You know."
I sighed.
"What?"
She flicked to another page.
"I think I’ve finally figured out why you’re always exhausted."
