Book 6: Chapter 32: Overfriendly - Even If I’m Reborn as a Cute Dragon Girl, I Will Still Make a Harem

BOOK 6: CHAPTER 32: OVERFRIENDLY

The curtain lifted, and a familiar figure entered the carriage.

It was Princess Estelle.

She wore a simple, muted-colored dress. Her long hair flowed freely over her shoulders.

Unlike her usual regal appearance, she wore very little makeup today—save for a touch of lavender eyeshadow that lent her a rare touch of sultriness. Yet, beneath it all, she couldn’t quite hide the exhaustion etched into her face.

She sat across from Lilith, her gaze avoiding her entirely.

“I don’t understand what you mean.” She spoke casually as if all her royal pride had been stripped away, leaving only an ordinary woman in its place.

“Haven’t I made it clear enough?” Lilith leaned back in her seat, resting her chin lazily on one hand. She stared at Estelle’s familiar yet strangely unfamiliar face for a moment before sneering. “Sneaking around in the middle of the night and tricking me into a carriage—are you really not afraid I’ll lose my temper?”

“We only wanted to invite Lady Lilith to dinner.”

“You call this an… invitation?” Lilith pointed to the floor beneath her feet.

The ride was pretty smooth, but occasionally bumpy.

“I heard my dear little sister is planning a banquet for you. If I didn’t use a little trickery, Lady Lilith might not have bothered accepting our invitation.” Her voice was calm, as if she saw no issue in what she was doing—borderline kidnapping someone.

Nevertheless, Lilith caught something off in her tone. “Please excuse me for asking this, but do you even know what’s happening in your imperial family right now?”

“What’s happening?” Estelle’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. “You mean how I—the so-called popular and promising talent—was the first to be eliminated in the second round of the tournament, while my little sister, despite her struggles later on, was the one who lasted until the end? I suppose that just makes me look even more pathetic and incompetent in comparison.”

Lilith blinked at her before asking, “And do you know why the tournament went wrong?”

Estelle was taken aback by her question. “Wasn’t it because the small world was unstable?” she asked.

Lilith studied her carefully, but could see that Estelle was not lying. It seemed like she was clueless, completely unaware of what had truly happened in that small world.

That meant Princess Estelle… or rather, her lineage had been completely sidelined from the imperial family’s inner circle. But that was to be expected.

If Lilith were the emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, she would have done the same—bury the truth and ensure as few people as possible knew about it. After all, the sudden reappearance of a demigod-level ancestor from the grave was far too bizarre.

More importantly, if word got out, it could plunge the entire continent into chaos.

That aside, Lilith knew that she no longer needed to be wary of Estelle or those associated with her. If she had known the full truth about the small world and invited Lilith in such a suspicious manner, Lilith would have been on high alert. She might have even grabbed Estelle on the spot, forcing her to reveal her true intentions.

But since she had come to invite Lilith despite knowing nothing, she was merely another pawn—kept in the dark and ultimately harmless.

“In that case, I’ll come with you,” Lilith said softly.

Let’s see what game you’re playing.

◆◇◆◇◆

The carriage finally came to a smooth stop.

Lilith lifted the curtains, her gaze sweeping over the ornate plaque hanging above the grand building before her.

“The Jadeite Palace? Sounds like a harem.”

“It is the harem,” Princess Estelle replied coolly. “The one who invited you is my mother, Imperial Consort Jadeite.”

“Imperial Consort Jadeite?” Lilith raised an eyebrow, her tone turning serious as she remarked, “That sounds really lame…”

“…That title was given by my father.”

“Your father has no taste.”

Princess Estelle pursed her lips as if silently agreeing. But… this was the palace.

“Some things are better left unsaid,” she warned, her gaze flicking toward the palace maids nearby, their heads bowed in quiet deference.

Lilith smirked. “Oh? But what if I insist on saying it? Will he have someone chop my head off?”

Estelle said nothing. Instead, she simply turned and headed inside. Lilith followed, walking under the warm glow of the palace lanterns.

The interior of the Jadeite Palace seemed to match its simple name, yet it was adorned with glittering, lavish decorations. The vermilion pillars were inlaid with gold patterns in an odd, almost gaudy manner. Under the candlelight, they gleamed so brightly it was nearly blinding.

Lilith couldn’t help but feel as if she had stumbled into a nightclub from her previous life.

The bead curtains swayed gently as they passed through them, their strands adorned with pearls so large that Lilith had to move cautiously to avoid getting knocked in the forehead.

Even the floor tiles beneath her feet appeared to be made of some kind of jade. She couldn’t help but wonder—if she were to slip and fall, would the owner of this place be more concerned about her or the floor?

Although the interior was undeniably luxurious, the extravagance felt forced, almost overdone.

In short… “It’s tacky.”

“…Keep that to yourself,” Princess Estelle muttered under her breath.

After passing through several bead curtains, Princess Estelle led Lilith into a spacious inner chamber.

A rich aroma filled the air. On a massive wooden dining table, an extravagant spread of delicacies had already been prepared. Many of the dishes had clearly been remade multiple times to ensure that whenever Lilith arrived, the food would still be steaming hot and vibrantly fresh.

“Oh me, oh my! You must be the famous Lady Lilith!” A woman suddenly appeared from the side of the room, dressed in an elaborate red royal gown.

It was evident that she took great care of herself and did not even seem like a mother. Her skin was fairer and smoother than that of many eighteen-year-old girls.

“Mother Consort.” Princess Estelle bowed respectfully.

Imperial Consort Jadeite—the most favored consort of the Holy Dragon Emperor until a week ago—paid no attention to Estelle’s greeting. Instead, she enthusiastically grabbed Lilith’s arm, acting all chummy like an overfriendly aunt who hadn’t seen her niece in years.

“Come, come, Lady Lilith! I’ve heard so much about you. Please, have a seat!”

Before Lilith could process what was happening, she was already being dragged into a chair.

Imperial Consort Jadeite wasted no time making herself comfortable and immediately started serving Lilith from the assortment of dishes.

“You must be starving, Lady Lilith! Come, try the delicacies prepared by our palace’s finest chefs. They’re all retired masters from the imperial kitchen so they’re just as skilled as the ones at the main palace!”

“This steamed Devil Eye Fish is as fresh as it can get! The imperial family has it delivered straight from the seaside using teleportation magic, caught and cooked on the same day.”

“And this Braised Purple Cloud Beef—oh, it’s a specialty from my hometown. Absolutely worth a try!”

“Ah, and this! Eight Treasures Jade Duck Gizzard is an unparalleled delicacy! Even the gods would give it a thumbs-up after tasting it. You haven’t truly lived until you have tried it!”

“And then there’s…”

She chattered non-stop, piling food into Lilith’s bowl at an alarming pace.

Within moments, the bowl in front of Lilith had transformed into a towering mountain of food, stacked so high that it wobbled ominously, threatening to collapse at any second.

“Come on, eat up! Why aren’t you eating?” Imperial Consort Jadeite asked, still piling food in Lilith’s bowl with her chopsticks.

Lilith was utterly confused at this point.

Wait… Who are you, lady? Do we even know each other enough for you to be putting food in my bowl with your chopsticks? What am I gonna do if you have some contagious disease?