NOVEL NEXT Chapter 139: It's Done
"You're here, Boss, nyahh!" Lyrielle's bright voice rang through the fresh air as she waved both arms from the entrance of the newly finished workshop, her cat ears twitching with excitement and her long tail flicking happily behind her.
Axelius, walking side-by-side with Tarn, looked around the property with a small nod, eyes scanning the clean path, the new wooden walls, and the trimmed grass that had once been wild and overgrown.
"It actually only took two days!" Lyrielle said proudly, her hands on her hips and chest puffed out.
"Today, we just finished cleaning the outside—there were so many tall grasses, nyah! Too tall for my liking!" she added with a dramatic shiver, then spun around, pointing at a neat little patch of soil beside the building where small flowers had just started blooming. "My friends planted flowers too! I hope you don't mind that, nyah!"
Axelius shrugged casually, "Do whatever you want outside. Just keep the inside clean."
Lyrielle smiled wide, swaying on her heels, then leaned to the side, peeking behind Axelius curiously. "Is that your broth—" she started, but her eyes suddenly locked onto a figure behind Axelius and her entire mood changed like a flipped coin.
Her tail shot straight up, ears flattened, and her face twisted into a dramatic, angry scowl.
"You?!" she hissed, and in a blink, she dashed forward, pushing past Tarn and grabbing onto Axelius's arm like a wild storm. "What are you doing here, nyah?!"
Before Axelius could even react, she yanked his arm down, and his face ended up buried awkwardly in her chest as she protectively hugged his head with one arm and pointed accusingly at the figure behind him with the other.
"What are you planning to do to my boss, nyah?!" as her tail swished aggressively and her eyes narrowed in full cat-like fury.
Axelius his voice muffled against her, muttered, "I… can't… breathe."
Tarn blinked, confused, then sighed, rubbing his temples as he muttered under his breath, "It's too early for this."
Axelius pushed himself away from Lyrielle's grip, stumbling a little as he finally freed his arm, and Millie quickly stepped forward to catch him, gently helping him stand straight.
He turned, ready to scold Lyrielle for the sudden and unnecessary ambush, but paused when he noticed that Lyrielle and Tarn had already started arguing a few steps away.
He sighed loudly, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
Just as he was about to walk toward them, he caught a glance at Millie beside him. Her face was red, cheeks flushed, and she was smiling softly to herself.
"What?" he asked, frowning. "Why is your face red?"
Millie tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling with a mix of pride and something else, then looked up at him a little shyly. "It's just that... my young master is growing."
Axelius narrowed his eyes, blinking slowly as his brain tried to process the meaning of her words. "What the fuck are you trying to say?" he asked with a deep scowl.
But Millie only giggled quietly, her head lowering politely as she stepped back, her smile still present like she wasn't going to explain at all. Axelius frowned even more and decided to just ignore her completely before his mood turned worse.
He looked toward his newly built workshop again, the sight of it calming him. A grin slowly spread across his lips as he took a step forward, arms crossed proudly. "Hehehee... sadly Owen can't see this," he muttered with a small laugh. "But this... this is the start of my legend."
That proud grin, however, disappeared quickly as Lyrielle's loud voice broke through the moment.
"I said—don't touch that wall, nyah! It's newly painted!" she shouted, stomping her foot as her tail flicked like a whip behind her.
Tarn, standing beside the workshop door with a small cloth in hand, looked at her with a calm, tired expression. "I wasn't going to touch it. I was just showing the angle's wrong on the hinge. You didn't place it right."
"Whaaaat?! How dare you nyah! I worked all night on that hinge, and it works perfectly!" she yelled, pointing at him like he just insulted her ancestors.
"You hammered it in crooked," Tarn replied flatly.
"It's called style, nyah!"
"It's called bad carpentry."
Lyrielle's mouth dropped open as if he'd just cursed at her. "You... you dwarf! You short-tempered hammer freak!"
Axelius finally had enough. He stomped forward, his boots crunching lightly on the gravel path as he faced both Lyrielle and Tarn with a glare that made the air feel colder.
"Enough," he said sharply, his voice cutting through their bickering like a blade.
Lyrielle froze mid-gesture, her finger still pointing at Tarn, while Tarn simply blinked at Axelius with a neutral expression.
Axelius crossed his arms and spoke firmly, tone colder than usual. "No loud noise in my property. I don't care if you two know each other, if you're childhood friends, or if you're long-lost siblings—this is my land, my workshop. Keep your drama out of it."
His eyes narrowed. "You can argue all day outside the gates if you want, but not here. Not on my time."
Lyrielle's ears drooped, her tail swaying lower as her shoulders sank. She crossed her arms and pouted, muttering under her breath as she looked away.
"Hmph… How strict Nyaah," she grumbled, poking at the ground with her boot.
Tarn said nothing. He simply nodded once at Axelius, then turned to walk back inside, muttering something about fixing the hinge properly later.
Millie, still quietly standing near the doorway, covered her mouth, trying not to laugh as she watched Lyrielle sulk.
He took one last glance at the workshop before turning to Millie. "Let's check inside. I want to see what they've finished."
Millie nodded. "Yes, young master."
Inside the workshop, Axelius walked past the tables and tools, his eyes scanning the room while his arms were crossed. The place was well-made—stone floor, wide space, clean glass windows, and a high roof with proper beams. But even with everything looking good, he still sighed.
"Out of all the people, why do they have to know each other?" he muttered with clear annoyance.
Millie, walking behind him as always, smiled softly. "Actually, young master," she said gently, "I heard a bit of their story before."
Axelius looked back at her, frowning. "What story?"
Millie clasped her hands. "Miss Lyrielle once helped save Tarn's party from a monster ambush. It was two years ago, I think. She brought potions and chased off the beast with some kind of enchanted bell. That's how they met."
"Huh…" Axelius muttered, slowing his steps.
"But Tarn," Millie continued, "he's not really... how do I say it—he's not the type who talks much, especially around girls. Kind of aloof."
Axelius raised an eyebrow. "So she saved him and he didn't say thank you?"
Millie nodded. "Or maybe he did, but not in a way she expected. She probably misunderstood. She thinks he's ungrateful or disrespectful. That's why she always snaps when she sees him."