I became the slime toy of the evil dragon girl?

The treehouse on the edge of the forest was more elegant than Ian had imagined.

Rather than a treehouse, it's more like an aerial garden formed by the intertwining of several ancient oak trees guided by natural magic.

Vines wove into railings, glowing moss adorned the tree trunks with soft light paths, and a few large leaves cleverly formed a roof that could both shelter from the rain and not completely block out the starry sky.

Mirabelle was kneeling in front of the low tea table in the center of the treehouse, carefully arranging a set of elven-style wooden tea utensils.

"Welcome to my humble abode, Your Excellency Ian." She looked up, her smile less professionally exaggerated than usual, and more genuinely warm.

"And Miss Lilith. Please have a seat."

Ian, held in Lilith's arms, jumped onto a specially made small chair with soft cushions next to the tea table, which Mirabelle had obviously prepared in advance.

Lilith sat on the other side, looking somewhat reserved, her silver eyes scanning her surroundings warily.

"Relax, Miss Shadow Fairy." Mirabelle pushed a cup of pale golden floral tea toward Lilith. "...If I wanted to harm you, I would have had countless opportunities the moment you stepped into this forest."

Ian suddenly thought of the [Ancient Will] on Mirabell's panel.

With a hint of probing and a pointed remark, she said, "Miss Mirabelle seems to know the forest very well?"

Mirabelle smiled, seemingly understanding the meaning behind Ian's words.

"After all, this used to be my home."

She picked up her cup of tea, gently blew on the steam to cool it down, and frankly delivered a straight shot.

"This is not a metaphor. Before I became Mirabelle Frosting, I was part of the consciousness of this sweet forest... without form, without thought, only instinct."

Ian was somewhat surprised; indeed, in a fantasy world, nothing is impossible to become a spirit...

"What happened next?" Lilith couldn't help but ask.

"An accident." Mirabelle's gaze fell on the swaying shadows of the trees outside the window. "Fifteen years ago, a half-elf girl was critically injured and on the verge of death. Before her consciousness dissipated, it resonated with the forest. And I, at that moment, 'awakened'."

She lightly stroked the rim of the teacup with her fingertips, her eyes gazing into the void, as if reminiscing.

"By leveraging that resonance, I grasped the dissipating fragment of her soul and merged it with her memories, her form, and everything else she left behind... When I opened my eyes again, I became Mirabelle, a half-elf orphan with memories of the forest."

The treehouse fell into a brief silence. In the distance came the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Ian hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "So you know all the secrets of the forest. I feel like you're behind everything. Did you scheme against Dragon Lord?"

"Yes, I spent a fortune bribing those nobles to send heroes to destroy the teleportation array," Mirabelle readily admitted. "I was powerless to stop the corruption plaguing the forest; I could only hope that Vivian, representing the power of the End, could resolve it, but I couldn't reach the dragon..."

She looked at Ian, a hint of anticipation in her eyes: "Until you appeared, Lord Ian, there is something about you that makes the forest 'cheer'."

Ian felt the starry sky magic within his body tremble slightly, and the golden light spots seemed to be summoned by something, their circulation speed increasing slightly.

"This is..." Ian indicated the unusual movement within his body.

"This is the forest responding to you," Mirabelle said softly. "I can feel it. You have the scent of the starry sky about you, a power that is extremely rare in Erathia, and legend has it that it is associated only with the oldest dragons and certain lost civilizations."

She put down her teacup and said earnestly, "This is also why I sought your cooperation. Not only because you are Lady Vivian's favorite, but also because you yourself are a 'variable'."

"variable?"

"For example, a variable that could change the current situation where the merchant guild established by half-elves is struggling in the human kingdoms..."

Mirabelle's smile turned slightly bitter.

"The Sugar Frosting Merchant Guild appears glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it is ostracized at every turn. The Human Merchant Guild Alliance sees me as an outcast and secretly suppresses me; nobles are only willing to buy my rare goods at low prices because they have not issued me a formal trade license; even the Adventurers' Guild often 'overlooks' the high-paying commissions I post."

"You want to use us to help your business establish a foothold in the human kingdom?" Ian asked.

"More than that." Mirabelle shook her head. "I want to establish a partnership that goes beyond just business. You develop within Dragon Territory, and I'll operate in the human world."

Ian pondered. Mirabelle's suggestion was quite good.

Her identity is unique; she is both a businesswoman and the consciousness of Sweet Forest.

After Sweet Forest moved to the vicinity of Dragon's Nest, Mirabelle should be considered one of their own now, right?

"It's not up to me to decide," Ian finally replied, "but I don't think Lady Vivian would refuse."

"That's enough." Mirabelle's smile became more genuine.

She magically produced several exquisite cards from her sleeve: "By the way, the 'Curtain of Dreams' theater troupe is having a three-day special performance in Honeydew Town. Consider it my apology for scheming against you~"

"A theater troupe?" Lilith seemed uninterested.

Mirabelle blinked: "The Dream Curtain is the most famous traveling theater troupe on the mainland."

She looked at Ian: "Their leader, Lorenzo, is an old friend of mine, a human nobleman who has deeply considered the possibility of different races coexisting, but who became a bard. I think you two will get along well."

Ian did become interested.

After arriving in this world, he only encountered monsters and fought, and knew very little about the true culture and society of the humans in this world.

If we can glimpse the views of humans and other races on dragons and the Monster Forest through drama, it would undoubtedly be a valuable opportunity.

Moreover, he also wanted to see Honeydew Town, that border town between humans and the outside world, with his own eyes.

"When do we set off?" Ian asked, his body pulsating with excitement.

Mirabelle pushed the tickets towards her: "I've already booked a private box for you on the second floor of the tavern, where you can see the theatrical performance in the square."

She then took out a small badge engraved with candy and green leaves: "This is the badge of the Sugar Frosting Merchants' Guild. Show it to any shop that displays the same design at the entrance, and you'll get help."

"Thank you," Ian said sincerely.

"You're welcome." Mirabelle rose to see her off. "Lord Ian, I hope the play... will offer you some inspiration."

As we left the treehouse, the sun was already beginning to set. The forest was bathed in a warm golden glow, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of grass, trees, and nectar.

Lilith carried Ian as they walked slowly through the woods. She asked softly, "Do you believe her? About what she said about being a forest consciousness."

Ian's light flickered: "What can't be believed?"

"What about cooperation?"

"We can try it cautiously," Ian replied. "It's a win-win situation."

"But she's too shrewd," Lilith frowned. "I'm worried she'll try to scheme against you."

"Then let's see who's better at scheming," Ian replied with a sly smile.

The slime in front of you comes from a world full of business tricks.

Lilith blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite.