Yes, Lady Funina!

It's very fair.

“It’s just some trivial pain. Which of the Fool’s Enforcers isn’t like that?” Arecino sat on the sofa. Perhaps she was tired of crossing her legs, so she put down her long, slender legs encased in black trousers, and then… crossed the other leg over herself.

People who frequently cross their legs know that if you keep one leg crossed for a long time, it can easily become numb.

I suggest you change which leg you're crossing after a while.

“Indeed.” Richard couldn’t think of a reason to refute it. “In this respect, you are quite similar to me.”

They were all people burned by the raging fire.

“Rosalyn, she doesn’t think much of you, but she does acknowledge your strength. What have you done to her?” Arecino asked calmly.

She knew, of course, what Richard had done to the "Lady," since the Heart of the Wind God had been handed over to her in the first place.

She asked the question simply to hear what Richard had to say.

"It was just a minor disagreement, and we've already reconciled." Richard didn't do anything to the lady at the time; he simply asked her to calm down and listen to him.

"Are you very familiar with her? I saw you two coming back together from the winter solstice last time," Richard asked.

“She was the first executive officer I met. Although she always acted arrogantly when she visited the Hearth House, she always brought gifts for the children. I didn’t dislike her,” Arecino said.

Among the many Fool's Enforcers, there are probably only a few who are on good terms with her, but [Lady] is one of them.

"She's actually quite kind." Richard hadn't expected the lady to have this side to her.

“She was just very lonely,” Arecino replied. “By the way, I wanted to ask what power you used to suppress the [Crimson Moon] back then… what was it?”

“A special elemental force,” Richard said.

"How can we obtain it?" Arecino pressed.

As her bloodline deepened, Arecino also had a vague premonition that when the shadow climbed from her arm to her shoulder, and then down to her heart, her existence would likely undergo some kind of change.

Arecino wasn't sure if the change was good or bad, but she should prepare in advance regardless.

She did not intend to reject the power that fate had given her, but she hoped that when fate asked her to use this power to do something, she would not be completely powerless to resist.

“It will be very difficult for you to obtain this power,” Richard said.

Arecino's eyes flickered; the other party had only said it was difficult, but hadn't said it was definitely impossible.

"If it's convenient, could you tell me? Of course, I'll reciprocate your help accordingly." Arecino was never the type to think that others should help you.

They're not the kind of person who feels that a simple "thank you" is enough to repay all favors someone has done for them.

“Sure, but there’s no need for repayment. Back at the opera house, you and [the lady] were already a great help to me by bringing the ice crystals.” Richard said that there was no need to be so polite, since you were his student back then.

It is only natural for teachers to guide students.

Richard then explained to Arecino how to obtain this power, but while the method was there, actually achieving it was not just difficult, it was practically impossible.

Arecino's desire to harness this power is essentially equivalent to getting a man pregnant and giving birth.

I don't have the ability, nor the talent.

Arecino is very strong, but some things aren't about how strong you are. If your inherent hardware isn't compatible, even the best software won't help.

"So, according to you, it's unlikely that I can suppress the spread of the [Crimson Moon] power through external forces?" Arecino asked calmly, without showing any disappointment.

"It's not entirely impossible, though. Besides this power, there might be other forces in this world that can suppress the spread of bloodlines..."

Well, there probably are, but the probability of Alegino encountering one and being controlled by her is almost zero.

“Then how about we try a different approach? What if you were to wield this power to help me slow down the curse on my body? Would that work?” Arecino asked.

“It’s feasible, but it’s only a temporary solution.” Richard glanced at Arecino and felt that this should be her real purpose.

“It’s alright, can I ask you for a favor?” Arecino shook her head. She didn’t care whether it was a temporary fix or a cure; what she really cared about was…

Chapter 224 Arecino: Status? I don't care about that kind of thing.

"Since you want to do it, why not give it a try?"

Richard was actually quite confident in his ability to suppress the cursed power within Arecino. Back when he was still incomplete, he was able to suppress that power, so there was no reason why he couldn't do it now that he had become a complete dragon.

Although the curse power within the other party's body is now incomparable, no matter how much you strengthen yourself, you can't possibly be strong enough to contend with a complete authority, right?

If that were the case, then Arecino wouldn't have been seriously injured by Richard when he stood up for Frynn.

"Please." Arecino looked up at her surroundings. "Can we go to a room?"

After all, it wasn't convenient for her to do things in the living room; some things still needed to be kept secret.

Richard understood Arecino's concerns. Displaying power in the living room was indeed not a good idea. Although there were basically no people around his house who would bother him, the living room was still not as private as the bedroom.

“Okay, then let’s go to the guest room.” Richard nodded, but he didn’t let the other person into his master bedroom.

Although Richard allowed Arecino into his room back in the Hearth House, Arecino is now grown up and needs to be more discreet.

Moreover, Aregino and Richard were not on the same side. One was the executive officer of the Fools, and the other was the permanent secretary of the Fontaine City Hall. What kind of situation would it be for Richard to bring Aregino into his room?

Anyone who didn't know better would think Richard had been bribed by the Fools' Enforcers!

Arecino didn't really care about the master bedroom or the guest bedroom, but after Richard specifically mentioned it, she couldn't help but secretly remember it.

Upon entering the guest room, the decor was nothing special, but it was certainly much better than the bedroom in the original fireplace house.

Richard wasn't some ascetic; since he had the means, he was bound to enjoy himself.

"Let's get started without delay." Richard raised his hand, preparing to use a small portion of his authority to probe the strength within Arecino's body, only to find that she was... taking off her clothes?

"Wait, what are you doing?" Richard asked, watching Arecino unbutton her coat with a blank expression.

"Undress."

"Of course I know you're taking off your clothes. I'm asking you why you're taking your clothes off."

Li noticed that Arecino was acting strangely, even strangely so.

“How can we know if your strength is working if you don’t show your arms?” Arecino clearly had her reasons. “The specific feeling is definitely not as intuitive as seeing it directly.”

"Let's go on," Richard reluctantly accepted Arecino's explanation.

Then I watched helplessly as the other person slowly and deliberately unbuttoned the top of his white tuxedo, revealing a black tight-fitting shirt underneath.

Arecino casually hung her coat on a hanger and then began to unbutton her tight-fitting shirt, since it was long-sleeved and her arms were completely hidden if she didn't take it off.

Therefore, it is perfectly reasonable to take off the shirt.

Li realized that if it was just a shirt, rolling up the sleeves would be the same, but since Arecino did it this way, she must have her own reasons.

She's always been very opinionated, and who knows, maybe her arm is already deeply tainted by the curse? Even if you roll up her sleeves, you can't fully see the extent of the infection?

Richard thought this to himself, but his eyes were fixed on Arecino's actions without blinking. Don't misunderstand, he was looking at her from a doctor's perspective. As the saying goes, one should not shy away from seeing a doctor when one is ill; this was an extremely serious matter.

Wow... I didn't realize this girl was so talented!

Richard took a deep breath of the cold noodles.

Even when she was wearing a suit, it was clear that Arecino was quite well-endowed, but when she took off her coat and started unbuttoning her inner lining, Richard realized that he had underestimated her.

This power level is estimated to have surpassed that of Yae no Miko and is now approaching that of Navia.

This is because the tight-fitting shirt has a certain slimming effect. If the seal were completely broken, the evaluation would probably be raised even higher. Even if he couldn't challenge the two E-class masters, Clarinde and Ray Movie, he could still easily exchange blows with Navia, a D-class expert.

While Richard was thinking about these random things, Arecino had already quietly unbuttoned all the buttons on her black shirt.

Alejandro's fair skin was exposed to the air without reservation. Her whiteness was not the healthy whiteness of Clorinde, nor the pearly whiteness of Fucarus, but a luminous whiteness like moonlight.

However, they all have one thing in common: they look great and feel really good to the touch.

Although Arecino removed her inner lining, there was actually another layer underneath, but this layer was not the kind of underwear that ordinary ladies wear; rather, it was a more sporty style.

Moreover, the design concept is probably inspired by spiders. Both the openwork and the shape are similar to spider webs. The deep black in the crimson color contrasts sharply with the moon-white skin, making it very impactful.

Whether it was intentional or not, after unbuttoning her shirt, she slowly began to unbutton her cuffs, deliberately giving Richard some time to 'appreciate' her.

Of course, Richard would never assume malicious intent towards others, so he acted as if nothing had happened.

The two remained silent in the room, their unspoken understanding unspoken. Arecino quietly unbuttoned her clothes, her movements unhurried and patient, like a spider waiting for its prey.

Finally, the buttons were all undone. This time, Arecino didn't bother with anything fancy. Instead, she simply and neatly took off her inner lining, revealing her fair torso and her cursed arms.

Aregino didn't let Richard do it immediately. Instead, she stood up and hung the clothes on the hanger.

And it was this simple gesture of raising her hand that perfectly showcased her slender figure as a woman.

Those arms with their gradient black color did not diminish the beauty; instead, they added an extra touch of charm.

“We can begin now.” Alejandro did not sit back in the chair, but instead sat on the edge of the bed. Her explanation was that she might not be able to control the power within her body later, and the bed provided more space, making it easier to unleash her power.

Richard realized that even if your power went berserk, he could easily control you, let alone if you yourself went berserk. However, since the other party wanted to do so, Richard had no reason to stop him. He was a doctor and had to respect the patient's wishes.

He just didn't understand why they had suddenly started treating each other's illnesses when they were just discussing business and catching up.

Richard's gaze fell on Arecino's arm; the dark lines resembled burnt charcoal, and her arm looked like burning tinder.

Richard held Alegino's hand; it felt very soft, not as frightening as it looked. On the contrary, it was very smooth, like soft tofu, only a bit dark in color.

To be honest, he has gained a lot of strength compared to when he was a child, and his muscles are also more toned.

As for the hand shape, if we can set aside our bias against the color, it is a pair of delicate and beautiful hands that can fully satisfy the preferences of hand fetishists.

"How do you feel?" Arecino asked Richard, who was holding her hand.

“Well, it hasn’t started yet,” Richard replied, then realized he should get moving too, otherwise people might think he was there to take advantage of them.

Dr. Li never takes advantage of his patients.

"Oh, take your time." Arecino didn't rush him; instead, she squeezed Richard's hand a little harder.

She hadn't felt someone hold her hand in a long time, so she didn't mind Richard holding it for a little longer.

Richard held his breath and focused intently. Suppressing the bloodline power within Arecino should have been a very easy task for him, but now it seemed like a lot of trouble.

As Richard's power intruded, Arecino felt a long-lost sense of ease; the originally scorching fire became exceptionally docile under this power.

The feeling was like going from being cooked in an iron pot to soaking in a public bathhouse, feeling warm and comfortable all over.

Arecino is simply used to pain, but that doesn't mean she likes it. If pain could be avoided, who would willingly endure it all the time?

Alecino was actually better able to cope with pain, but unfortunately, she met Richard when she was six years old.

If she had never seen the light, she could have endured the darkness.

"How do you feel?" Richard noticed that the blackness on Arecino's arm was slowly fading at a rate imperceptible to the naked eye.

Richard was not satisfied with the speed, but this was not something he could decide alone; he also had to consider whether Arecino's body could withstand his strength.

“Very good,” Arecino said.

Li might have realized that this speed was a bit slow, but for Arecino, it was already very fast.

Before this, Arecino could barely suppress the spread of darkness. Just resisting the erosion was already so difficult, let alone making it recede.

Alecino hadn't originally asked Richard for help with this, but it actually worked unexpectedly, a case of serendipity.

"At this rate, it should only take a year for it to completely disappear," Arecino thought.

Then she discovered something else: her power didn't seem to decrease as the shadow that was eroding her arm faded. On the contrary, because the shadow faded, she was able to control her power more freely, and her strength even increased accordingly.

This is truly an unexpected delight.

She had estimated that if the shadow disappeared, the power it brought might also disappear, but the reality seemed to be different.

Arecino speculated that this might be related to Richard's power; the power that the shadow had lost was most likely replenished by Richard's power.

Whether Richard's power will disappear over time remains to be seen.

But… Richard seems a little dissatisfied? Arecino blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “You seem a little dissatisfied?”

“Too slow,” Richard replied.

According to his estimation, even if the power within Arecino was troublesome, progress should not have been so slow.

After thinking for a moment, Richard asked, "How are you feeling now?"

Arecino understood Richard's meaning, "It's still manageable, we can speed it up a bit."

"Then give me the other hand too." Richard decided to use both methods simultaneously, determined not to fail in suppressing the evil power within the other party.

Alejandro did as he was told, placing her other free hand into Richard's palm as well.

As Richard increased the frequency of his output, Arecino's originally expressionless face finally changed, and her cheeks became slightly flushed.