Ch128: Continuing to Chat with the Countess

The Drakling opens her mouth... only to trail off before she can even begin. “Well...” Her brow furrows in thought as she turns to look out the window, emerald eyes aimlessly passing over colourful flowerbeds and beautifully trimmed trees.

There are justso manythings she could say about her girls, even avoiding the lewder subjects, that she honestly doesn’t know where to begin...

“They... They’re all pretty unique and different from each other.” Krvavy inwardly cringes at howbasicthat sounds.Of coursethey are different... Stifling a sigh, she turns back towards the Countess. “I mean... One is an Orc, one is a Human, one is an Elf, and one is a Dwarf.” For a moment, she considers adding Adeline onto that list as well. But...

The Halfling isn’t really one her girls. At least notyet.

“That is quite the diverse group.” A tinge of surprise hangs onto Rina’s response, her delicate brow raised up just a bit. “How did you come to meet each of them?”

“Oh...” It doesn’t exactly feel like a good idea to talk about rape, kidnapping, and enslavement over breakfast... Especially not whenKrvavy herselfis the one guilty of doing all that. “Uh... Pure chance, for the most part.” That isn’t alieby any means, even if it isn’t the most honest either. “I didn’t really make the best first impression with, well,anyof them. But... I... I’m just happy to have them in my life.”

The Countess’ expression subtly shifts as she listens to that socially awkward Drakling speak, the curious gleam never leaving her amethyst eyes. Her black painted lips curl up into a warm smile as she hears the yearning love that underlines those last few words.

Without saying anything herself, this elegant noblewoman gestures for Krvavy to continue, cutting another small piece off her waffle as she does so.

“I met the Orc first, before any of the others. And she... she has changed alotsince then.” The barbarian’s brow furrows just a bit. Krvavy can’t help but feel a little guilty over howevasiveshe is being. But it isn’t like she has much of a choice. It really doesn’t feel like the best idea to mention Khalia’s previously mindbroken state. Or how she ended up like that. “Nowadays she is... energetic, affectionate, and aggressive.Veryaggressive...”

Rina washes down her bite of breakfast with a sip of her crystal chalice. Countless questions no doubt hang on the Countess’ tongue, but she holds them back, patiently waiting for at least this thought to be finished.

“Don’t get me wrong, Idolike that.” Krvavy quickly clarifies. She doesn’t want to soundungrateful, especially with Rina’s earlier complaints about that icy maid – Vera – being pretty much the complete opposite of this. “Having such anactivepartner is beyond great. It’s just... she can be a bitmuchsometimes. Especially when she demands to be ‘put in her place’... See, she is a fair bit stronger than me. So that can get a bit... rough. And violent. So, as I’m sure you can guess, dealing with her can be quite the struggle. Fun, but... tiring, at times.”

The pink-skinned half-Elf slowly nods her head, before turning her almostscrutinizinggaze towards Krvavy. “Are you not going to use their names as you talk about ‘your girls’?”

The barbarian blankly blinks. It takes her a second to realize what Rina is talking about. She hasn’t actually said Khalia’s name aloud. Which... is maybe for the best? Not for Khalia, but forThea. There is a chance that Rina may recognize that bratty noble girl from what Krvavy has to say about her. And saying the names of all butoneof her girls would be suspicious. So... may as well keep this up.

“I... guess not, no.” Krvavy answers the Countess’ question with a bit of a shrug. “That feels... oddly personal? Like I’d be talking behind their backs. But if I don’t use their names...” She softly shakes her head. “It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“I suppose not.” Rina shrugs her own graceful shoulders. “The fact that they are all of different races should keep it fairly clear regardless of if their names are used or not. So please, continue.”

“Right, well... The next one I met was the Human. And how we met is actually kind of a funny story.” A smile plays at the Drakling’s lips, her emerald eyes twinkling like gleaming gems. “See, I found her in acage. A cage that was in the middle of a bandit camp. Now, I don’t really rememberhow manybandits there were... But it was easily more than a dozen. It’s just that pretty much all of them were drunk or asleep. So I didn’t exactly fight them fairly... And even then, they were pretty weak...”

Realizing that she is starting to get a little off topic, Krvavy shakes her head and gets back to talking aboutThea.

“Anyway... As you might expect, the girl was very,veryunhappy about being in that cage. So much so that she wasn’t even grateful that I had killed the bandits holding her captive. To put it lightly, she acted like a complete and utter bitch, rudelydemandingthat I free her and not even bothering to be polite despite the fact that I was theonlyliving person in... well, the whole area. She would have been absolutelyscrewedif I just left her there. But, man, am IgladI brought her home instead~...”

The barbarian’s stomach rumbles softly, encouraging her to actually eat some of her breakfast, but once that single big bite is swallowed down... she gets straight back to speaking abouther loves.

“That girlhasmellowed out quite a bit since then, but she does still have her moments.” A wistful sigh passes through Krvavy’s lips. “Not that I’m complaining~. I...reallylike her occasional bouts of bratty bitchiness~. At least when she isn’t acting too... I guessvitriolicwould one way to describe it? Still, a bit ofattitudecan be fun. It gives her a bit of abite. But most of all... she just looks socutewhen she scowls~. The way her eyebrows furrow~... the way her nose scrunches~... the way her lips press together~... Justseeingher like that makes me want to give her a kiss and a hug~. Toneverlet her go~.”

The Countess holds her purple handkerchief up, hiding her mouth as she justbarelystifles some soft laughter. “My oh my, you were not kidding when you gave me that warning of howpossessiveyou can be~.‘Bringing her home’,‘never letting her go’~? It almost sounds as if, rather than being her saviour, you instead became her new captor~! Albeit, a really ratherlovingone~.”

“Oh, uh...” Krvavy flushes with awkward embarrassment as she iskindacalled out there, even if not intentionally. “Well...”

“Do not worry, I understand.” This elegant noblewoman graciously spares the Drakling from having to explain that she actuallywasthat girl’s captor, for a time. “No need to try and convince me that your abduction of an already abducted girl was justified~.” A playful glimmer fills the Countess’ amethyst eyes, amusement underlining her teasing tone.

Krvavy’s heart flutters as Rina reaches out across the table, delicate fingers briefly brushing against the back of her hand.

“I can tell that youtrulydo care for her, which is all that matters.” Rina gently reassures, her voice soft but still serious. “Now, please, do continue on. I am quite curious about that Elf of yours. What kind is she?”

“Wood Elf. She is a Wood Elf.” The barbarian quickly answers, ignoring the red hue that is no doubt filling her pale face. A bit of warmth still lingers on her scales... “I met her while out hunting in the forest. Well,Iwas hunting. She was fighting a fire mage, and that commotion drew me in. She lost the fight, but that horrible bastard decided to gloat... which is when Ioh so bravelysnuck up behind him and chopped his skull open. After that...”

Krvavy hesitates, letting her words trail off into nothingness. Shedefinitelyisn’t going to say anything about that damned slave collar. She doesn’t want to eventhinkabout it...

“Well, there was a bit ofawkwardness, but it all worked out in the end. The Wood Elf, she... She is honestly an amazing woman. Better than I deserve...” The Drakling slowly exhales, wishing that Beryl – or reallyanyof her girls – were here right now, so that she could cuddle and hug them tight... “Not only is she sweet and caring, but she is brilliant and strong too. I... rely on her a lot. And not just... emotionally, or whatever, but in a literal sense. She is a great hunter, and even started a garden back home, so most of what we have to eat is because of her.”

“I cannot say that I have ever met a Wood Elf.” Rina idly states, scooping a spoonful of berries onto her plate. “Though that is not saying much. I have only ever met a single full-blooded Elf before, and they were simply a traveller passing by who was curious whyIwas ruling over these Human lands. They lost interest upon finding the answer, upon discovering that I am onlyhalfan Elf.”

“Wait.” A thought immediately pops into Krvavy’s mind. “Wouldn’t one of your parents...? Uh, wasn’t your mom...?”

“My mother was a full-blooded Moon Elf, yes.” A gentle smile fills the Countess’ face, though there is a degree of sorrow buried beneath it. “She died shortly after giving birth to me, so I never truly met her. My father always said that I took after her far more than I did him, that I was the spitting image of my mother. Ahh, but enough about that. I do not wish to dampen the mood, and you still have one woman to talk about. It would not be fair to forget about her. And, I must admit, I am curious how you met aDwarfof all people.”

“Right...” The barbarian bites back the urge to ask more about Rina, to learn more about this captivating Countess sitting across from her. Which isn’t easy. But neither is it hard. Not when she can talk abouther Inannainstead. “The Dwarf... Imighthave saved her from some sort of bandit attack? I... didn’t really stick around to see how that panned out, but... Well, once again I stumbled on some people fighting out in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t really see what was happening, on account of all the smoke, so like the reckless idiot that I am I just went right in. Walked straight into a battle between some Dwarves and some well-equipped bandits...”

Rina raises a single delicate eyebrow, clearly intrigued by the odd circumstances Krvavy keeps finding herself in.

“I only actually saw two living Dwarves in there. And I... killed one after he shot me here.” Krvavy taps the scar on the front of her left shoulder. “After that I kind of kidnapped the other? I wasn’t really thinking... Adrenaline and all that... But she didn’t really mind too much? She was far too reasonable... Honestly, I still feel a little bad about abducting her like that, but she might have died otherwise, so...”

“You really are quite the morally dubious hero, are you not~?” Rina playfully asks, slowly twirling her silver fork around. “‘Rescuing’ all these women, just to make themyours~?”

“Ina...” Krvavy justbarelycatches herself before saying Inanna’s name. For the most part. “The Dwarfactually came onto me. She was very polite and respectful, so I didn’t want to force her to do anything she didn’t want to. And she isn’t the best at expressing her feelings, so I didn’t think she was even interested in... that sort of thing. It was quite the surprise when she essentially cornered me anddemandedthat I act on my desire for her.”

“Hahaha~! I imagine she must have been quitefrustrated~!” The pink-skinned Elf joyously laughs, each sound that passes through her painted lips more beautiful than the last. “I only just met you last night, yet I already know that you arerather obviouswith your attraction~! You must have been ogling her day and night~!”

“Hey, if you saw her you wouldn’t blame me!” The Drakling returns, her face flushing as she quickly defends herself without really thinking. “Her tits aremassive! Way bigger than mine, and I’m twice her height! They’reridiculously huge!”

“Hahaha~!” Rina’s musical laughter simply grows louder as Krvavy digs herself a deeper hole.

Krvavy awkwardly slides a piece of waffle across her plate, soaking up the sugary liquid that the various berries left behind. Her cheeks burn ever brighter as she brings the food up to her mouth, wisely giving herself an excuse to not talk any more.

“You clearly have a great deal of lustandlove for those girls of yours~.” The Countess diplomatically states, though her playful smile makes the comment feel more than a little teasing. “It must behardfor you to be away from them, as you are now. So, if you do not mind me asking, what reason do you have to be in my city? It must be important, no?”

“Uh, this is just a shopping trip, really.” The barbarian shrugs her shoulders, still feeling a little uncomfortable after her embarrassing outburst. But at least Rina is willing to move past it... “I’m looking for a bunch of little things. I guess herbs and spices would probably be the most important ones on the list, but we also need some more seeds for the garden.”

“Oh? You did mention that your Wood Elf has a garden. I am curious what she, or the two of you, are growing in it? I do appreciate gardening quite a bit, as I am sure you could guess~.” Rina playfully gestures out the window, towards the grounds of lavish estate. “If more observationally. I am not exactly one to dig around in the dirt, if you could not tell~.”

The wink that follows that last comment causes Krvavy’s heart to skip a beat. “It’s nothing special, our garden.” She does her best to act casual. To ignore howtighther pants suddenly feel. “Just a bunch of stuff from... well, around the area. Like wild carrots and tubers. It’s all edible, but not as good as actual crops meant to be eaten. Well, I guess we have some potatoes too. But those are pretty new...”

“I see.” The pink-skinned woman slowly bobs her head in a nod. “Is there anything specific that your Wood Elf would like to grow?”

The barbarian takes a moment to think, before shaking her head. “Not really. She just wants me to get whatever seeds I can, as long as they grow something useful. Ideally something we can eat. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, some herbs... Whatever I can find, really.”

“Well, I do believe that I can help you with that.” A generous smile plays at Rina’s painted lips as she gazes across the table. “I can have a whole assortment of seeds made for you.”

“Oh, that’s...”

“Not a problem.” The Countess kindly states, cutting Krvavy off. “It really is not a problem. Do you not see the gardens I have all around my estate? The various greenhouses and nurseries? They are not all simply for show. Furthermore, I also sponsor over a dozen more practical gardens throughout the city, intended for use by the communities they are in. To have such an assortment of seeds packaged for you would be as simple as asking one of my subordinates to get it done, and it would cost me less than this meal we are eating. So please, consider it a gift. And if you are still not convinced, I should point out that many of the seeds we have in storagewillgo to waste without a use.”

“Alright.” The Drakling relents after a few moments, as she can’t really argue with that. Thiswillmake it a lot easier for her, after all.

The beautiful, pink-skinned noblewomanbeamsas the barbarian accepts her promise of a gift. “Good!” She happily declares. “Now–”

Dong.

A bell-like sound echoes throughout the room, causing the Countess’ smile to quickly twist into a frown. Slumping her shoulders slightly, she turns to look towards the door Krvavy came in from, glaring at a grandfather clock that stands right beside it.

Dong. Dong.

A pendulum rhythmically swings back and forth as that methodical chiming sound continues on eight times in total, marking the hour.

“How so very unfortunate.” Rina clicks her tongue in open annoyance. “While I wouldloveto sit around and chat with you all day, Krvavy, that is simply not an option. I do, unfortunately, have other obligations and duties that I must attend to. That said, I would like to extend an invitation: you are welcome to have dinner with me this evening, and to spend the night once more. Though I must warn you that my agenda today is... quite busy, so dinner will be late. Likely after seven o’clock...”

Krvavy takes a few seconds to respond, considering that offer. “I was hoping to leave the city and start heading back home today, but... I suppose that staying another night wouldn’t hurt.”

The Countess’ smile returns to her face as she gracefully stands up. “Splendid~!” She joyfully coos, before shifting into a rather professional tone. “Feel free to finish your breakfast and eat your fill. I will have Vera accompany you out once you are done.”

With that the beautiful Moon Elf heads off, pausing briefly to glance back over her shoulder, her amethyst eyes twinkling in the light. “Farewell for now, I will see you again this eve~!”

The Drakling hardly has a chance to say goodbye before the Countess steps out of sight. With a gentle shake of her head, Krvavy turns her gaze down towards her plate. Guess it doesn’t hurt to have alittle more... Wouldn’t want all this food to go to waste, after all.

Lifting the metal dome up, Krvavy takes another waffle.