Chapter 290: The Price of a Dress and the Snake Who Had No Money
Chapter 290: The Price of a Dress and the Snake Who Had No Money
Elyn’s POV
One would think the world was ending or perhaps something disastrous had happened with how quiet the room was after Azerion spoke, but nope. It was just Azerion being highly delusional.
The fox demons had gone completely still.
Velvetta blinked.
One of the attendants looked at another attendant.
That attendant looked at a third attendant.
The third attendant looked at the ceiling as if hoping divine intervention would arrive and explain what was happening.
It did not.
Zorathys gave Azerion a disgusted look.
"Tab?" he asked.
Azerion nodded.
I shook my head, almost covering my face in shame.
"Yes," Azerion said with another nod.
He didn’t even look the least bit embarrassed by what he had said. It was like he was absolutely certain he possessed a tab somewhere in this building.
Zorathys nodded thoughtfully.
Then he turned to the fox demons.
"How much is the dress?" he asked.
"Five hundred gabin," one of the attendants answered.
Zorathys slowly looked back at Azerion.
Then a lazy smile appeared on his face.
It was never a good sign when that happened.
"You are that rich?" he asked.
Azerion’s eyes widened but only for a moment.
Then he quickly straightened his back and crossed his arms.
"I... I have some money. Don’t underestimate me."
Zorathys looked him up and down.
The look was so thoroughly unimpressed that I almost felt bad for Azerion.
"I see."
The room somehow became quieter.
Even the fox demons looked interested now.
Apparently everyone enjoyed watching Zorathys torment children.
Or perhaps everyone simply enjoyed watching Azerion walk directly into traps.
Either way, nobody intervened.
Zorathys continued studying him.
I studied Zorathys instead.
Honestly, I didn’t know how he managed it.
The demon could somehow combine laziness, boredom, irritation, disgust, and arrogance into one expression and still look unfairly attractive while doing it.
How?
How was that possible?
Or...maybe it wasn’t.
Maybe I was just becoming increasingly biased when it came to him.
That was probably it.
Which was concerning.
Very concerning.
Extremely concerning.
No.
Nope.
Not thinking about that.
I mentally shoved the entire topic into a dark corner of my mind.
This was not the time.
Right now, Zorathys and Azerion were seconds away from another argument, and based on experience, I would probably end up being the unfortunate soul forced to mediate...again.
"You have money," Zorathys said.
Azerion nodded.
"I do."
Then Zorathys glanced at me.
Then back at Azerion.
"Can you even spell money?"
Azerion opened his mouth to speak but Aziren beat him to it.
"I can spell money," he announced proudly.
Zorathys released a tired sigh at that.
"Not now, Fire’s Spawn."
Aziren’s eyes lit up from the pet name.
His flames immediately danced higher. His smile somehow became wider.
"Okay."
I stared at him.
Why was he happy?
Why did being called Fire’s Spawn make him happy?
"Aziren is lucky," Thalira suddenly said beside me.
I turned toward her.
"What?"
Before she could answer, Brixton sighed softly.
"Yes."
I blinked.
Brixton rarely volunteered opinions.
"I’d really like to speak with the King too," he admitted. "And let him give me pet names."
I stared at him but then shook my head. Why was I not surprised?
Meanwhile, Zorathys and Azerion had resumed their argument.
"Of course I can spell money," Azerion huffed.
"But do you know what it is?" Zorathys asked.
"Of course I know what money is."
"Interesting."
Azerion narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you saying it like that?"
"Because I am fascinated."
"You shouldn’t be."
"And yet I am."
Azerion looked personally offended.
Zorathys continued.
"Then do you know what five hundred gabin is?"
Azerion froze at that. It was a slight movement bit apparently Zorathys noticed.
And um...well, probably everyone noticed.
Azerion immediately pointed a finger at him.
"I know exactly what five hundred gabin is."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"What is it then?"
Azerion opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out, he tried again.
"It is..."
The room waited.
"It is money."
Zorathys stared at him unimpressed while I covered my face in shame.
Velira made a choking sound.
Retheris nearly fell off his cushion laughing.
Even one of the fox attendants had to quickly look away.
Azerion glared at everyone.
"You all understood what I meant."
"No," Zorathys said.
"We really didn’t," Retheris added.
Azerion pointed accusingly at him.
"Nobody asked you."
Retheris grinned.
"Nobody asks me anything. I still talk."
Azerion groaned.
Zorathys ignored both of them.
"How exactly do you plan to pay for the dress?"
"I have savings."
"How much?"
Azerion hesitated.
That hesitation lasted exactly long enough.
Zorathys smiled.
The lazy smile became somehow even lazier.
"Ah."
"I have enough for the dress."
Zorathys nodded.
"Is that true or is this a situation where you simply want to prove how much of a man you are to the Queen despite having nothing to show for it?"
Azerion’s eyes immediately watered.
Oh no.
There it was.
The emotional damage.
"I’m a man," he declared.
"A snake," Zorathys corrected.
Azerion looked moments away from exploding.
"I’m a syrenthis demon, not just a snake."
"A syrenthis demon is still a snake especially to humans."
Azerion turned toward me so quickly I nearly jumped.
"Do you see me as a snake?"
Oh.
Wonderful.
I was involved now.
Technically...He was a snake.
A very large snake.
A snake with opinions too but like Zorathys said, he was still a snake.
Unfortunately, saying that out loud felt unwise.
Azerion looked genuinely distressed.
His eyes were watery and his lower lip trembled.
He looked like he was seconds away from declaring war on reality itself.
And um yes, this was wholly a time to intervene.
"Zorathys."
He groaned immediately.
"Firefly, I did nothing wrong."
"Still, you know Azerion has no money."
"He claimed he did."
"You know what I mean. And you know he is a syrenthis demon."
"I do. And syrenthis demons are snakes."
I closed my eyes briefly.
Of course.
Of course this was the argument he chose to focus on.
"And it’s not my fault," Zorathys continued, "that the little pest thought he could pay for a dress he couldn’t afford."