(Ester POV)

Amelia and I had yet to return to the Blue Lotus Sect. The room I found myself in, alone with Amelia, was unlike any other. It was an ethereal space of frost and ice, bearing testament to her immense powers and her current state of mind.

Every surface shimmered with a veneer of frost. The walls, once adorned with delicate tapestries, were now encased in thick layers of ice, turning them into magnificent mosaics of crystalline patterns. Icicles, sharp and gleaming, hung from the ceiling like deadly chandeliers, refracting the room’s dim light into a spectrum of blues and whites. The floor beneath our feet was slick and ice-cold as if we were standing on the surface of a frozen pond, and every breath I took materialized in front of me, merging with the chilling mist that hung in the air.

The room definitely lacked warmth. Even the once roaring fireplace had fallen silent, with its flames encased in a block of ice, halting their fiery dance and leaving them as mere shadows of their former selves.

“So, explain to me what you were doing with that damn Pedro?” Amelia’s voice was frostier than the very room we occupied.

The already frigid air seemed to drop several more degrees, sending a shiver down my spine that had little to do with the cold. I hesitated momentarily, looking into Amelia’s piercing eyes that bore into mine with suspicion and anger.

“I… I’m investigating him!”

Amelia’s eyes scanned mine, searching for any hint of deceit. The palpable silence was broken only by the distant echo of dripping water, a reminder of the icy prison I was in.

“Don’t play games with me, Ester!” 

Slash!

In a swift, fluid motion, the gleaming edge of Amelia’s sword sliced through the air. Its cold blade mere inches from my cheek. I could feel the icy chill emanating from the weapon, contrasting sharply with the sudden warmth of the blood that rushed to my face. The blade had grazed my skin so closely that I could feel the sting from its passing, a whisper-thin line of cold that hinted at what could have been. My heart raced, realizing just how close I had come to being more than just intimidated. 

Damn, I need to think of something fast, or I’ll be leaving this room in a body bag. I need an excuse, and it needs to be a good one, something that will make Amelia forgive me. But what? C’mon, Ester, think! I can’t tell Amelia the whole truth… Wait a minute… That’s it! I don’t have to tell her everything, just enough to make her believe me. That’s right, good job, Ester.

“I wanted to play a trick on Pedro, make him pay for what he did to Ryujin!” 

“Hmmm, explain yourself better.” 

“After the false accusation he made against Ryujin, and how he got away with it… I was furious! I wanted to make him suffer. See him beg for mercy!”

Well, that’s only half true. I did want to see Pedro suffer, but not because of what he did to Ryujin. Oh well, whatever works.

“Hmmm, that makes sense. I was angry too…” 

Great, Ester, that was a smooth move. Much better than I had expected. I thought she would just say “okay” or something.

“Amelia-sama, have we resolved our misunderstanding?”

“Yes, but no. I need you for something else.” 

Oh no, what does she want now? I hope it’s not something too dangerous. I’m not ready to meet my maker just yet.

“Recently, I’ve realized I don’t have a chance with Ryujin. He sees me like a sister, so it’s practically impossible for him to see me as a romantic partner,” she confessed, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

“Yes, I understand.” 

I had a good idea where this was going.

“So, being the cunning fox that you are, I want you to help me win Ryujin over. If you do that, I’ll stop investigating your connection with Pedro. Even if you didn’t conspire with him to hurt Ryujin, just the mere fact that you colluded with Pedro is enough to strip you of your privileges, albeit temporarily. And you wouldn’t want that, would you?” 

“Of course, Amelia-sama. I’ll help you win over Ryujin’s heart.”

I didn’t have much of a choice. If Amelia accused me of conspiring with Pedro, it would be difficult to defend myself, and it would take some time before I could explain everything, and that could result in me losing my privileges. 

She called me a sly fox, but she’s the real fox here. Still, it’s better than losing my privileges, even if it’s just for a little while.