"Thank you, but let's skip swimming... I need to conserve energy." Aya took the coffee milk Ellie handed to her and handed it back to Chirp, who had run over to see her wake up. She glanced at the blond girl who had just poured a whole bottle of milk down her throat quite dramatically.

Her hair was still wet, did she run over? She seemed a bit out of breath. It looked like she had just gone to get two bottles of drinks after getting out of the water. A drop of water rolled down her cheek, following the edge of her face, running down her neck, and flowing into the wonderful curve of her chest with every swallow.

Drinking milk is said to be good for development... Should she go back and suggest to Miss Tiran to cultivate this habit a little bit as well?

Aya couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, I can hear you, you know." Tiran warned unhappily through the contract.

"I'm really sorry, I absolutely didn't mean to offend Miss Tiran. In fact, I prefer a more modest chest, just a slight curve is really desirable and the feel is great, modest chests are the best!" Aya apologized at lightning speed.

"...Aya, your shamelessness seems to be increasing, huh? You can say such things without any psychological burden." Tiran fell silent for a while, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Well, it's not like anyone else can hear us in the contract..." Aya said awkwardly.

"Hehe... it tastes good, Mom, aren't you going to drink it?" Chirp, after drinking half the bottle, let out a small breath and then held the bottle out to Aya.

"I'll pass, you go ahead and drink it." Aya didn't take the bottle, starting to reconsider whether she should continue staying here.

Though there hadn't been any major issues so far, it was still too close for comfort. It would be better to stay away, especially knowing Mimi's whereabouts. In this situation, it might be better to cross the courtyard lawn from the ground to the castle gate near the walls.

"Ellie, let's go." Holding Chirp's hand, Aya prepared to leave the pool.

"Huh? Are we leaving already? How about waiting a bit longer?" Ellie seemed a bit flustered, gesturing nonsensically and speaking hesitantly.

"Why? Weren't you just saying that it was a bit embarrassing for me to stay by the side?" Aya blinked, puzzled.

"Because! Because! Um, that!" The girl became flustered, and after thinking for quite some time due to her anxiousness, she simply closed her eyes, rushed forward, and hugged Aya's legs.

Caught off guard by Ellie's actions, Aya almost lost her balance and fell to the ground. But because it was Ellie, she couldn't bring herself to push her away without mercy, though a sense of foreboding was growing stronger.

"I'm sorry, senior Aya! But this is Mimi's request, and she said she won't harm you, so please wait here for a while!"

"Ellie, are you plotting against me?!" No wonder she offered drinks and suggested swimming together, was she just trying to buy time? So, the reason for asking irrelevant questions earlier was to delay and inform someone elsewhere... like in the changing room, then delay and inform while she napped?

"Because Mimi personally asked us for help and said to inform her if we see you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, next time I'll treat you to dinner at the lighthouse as an apology!" The maid closed her eyes out of fear, but she kept a tight hold on Aya's legs like a koala, her soft chest pressed against Aya's legs. Unfortunately, Aya wasn't in the mood to enjoy this moment.

As a princess's maid in the castle, Ellie, though lacking in fighting skills, had learned some self-defense techniques from the instructors. Now, she was using them.

Although Aya could break free, doing so might harm Ellie.

"Oh no, big trouble. Aya, I see Mimi quickly approaching your location. She's serious." Aya had no choice.

"Ellie, if you don't let go, I'll have to resort to drastic measures." With no response from the girl, her body trembled.

Oh, how could I do this to such a pitiful girl!

"Two hundred meters in a straight line to the gate," announced the princess on the control side radar.

"I'm really sorry, Ellie! Next time, it will be my treat to apologize!" With no room for hesitation, Aya gritted her teeth and unceremoniously pulled the back strap of Ellie's swimsuit, resulting in a silent piece of thin fabric falling to the ground. Feeling the warm and soft skin of Ellie's legs, Aya was immediately liberated, lifting Chirp and running outside without hesitation.

"Mom did a bad thing, huh..."

"Aya, you're such a beast..."

Chirp, held under Aya's arm, and the princess on the contract side both made subtle sounds of surprise.

"This was unavoidable!" Aya vehemently argued.

At the entrance of the swimming pool, Aya kicked open the heavy door with a drift, making a dramatic entrance as she rushed out.

"I've found you, sneaky cat!"

"What kind of address is that?!"

As she emerged from the pool, Mimi also arrived on the scene. At first glance, she spotted Aya holding Chirp, her originally azure eyes instantly turning crimson. Flames formed by real red magic snakes began to wrap around her from a distance, fiercely moving towards Aya.

Earth barrier, wind wall?

Aya instinctively tried to cast an intermediate defense spell to block the attack, but realized that Magic seemed to be prohibited by the rules, so she had to dodge instead.

Standing tall with Chirp held high above her head, Aya tensed her body upright. The two fire snakes passed almost touching her chest and back, just inches away from touching the Dragon Scales.

Of course, it wasn't that Mimi lacked aim, Aya just allowed some of her Dragon Scales to press the flames away with gusts of wind.

When she was given the sealed collar in the past, she could use her Dragon Scales perfectly. It was a natural talent, part of her physical abilities. It’s not cheating, right?

The fire snakes flew out straight for a while after grazing Aya's body, but losing control, they fell to the ground and melted the stone bricks instantly.

"Gee... Are you trying to kill me with that power?! What if Chirp got hurt?!"

"If you can't protect Chirp, you're done for after the game's over."

After elegantly landing following a round of fire attacks, Mimi lifted her skirt to draw her favorite metal whip from the leather holster tightly bound to her thigh.

"Are you serious about that remark?" Aya wiped nonexistent sweat off her forehead in disbelief, and after setting Chirp down, she suddenly squatted down to Chirp's level, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, and said earnestly,

"Chirp, promise Mom one thing: we won't play with Miss Mimi anymore, she's not a good person."

"Chirp! Got it!" Chirp raised her right hand to accept.

"Hey! Don't do this!" Shocked by the sudden request, Mimi's swirling crimson flames dimmed slightly.