Chapter 04
“This will be your room.”
The butler, Cuddles, opened the door. The room was decorated in a soft sky-blue wallpaper. It wasn’t extravagant, but just looking at it made her feel mentally and physically at ease—it was clean and comfortable.
“Please rest for now. I’ll come fetch you at dinnertime.”
Cuddles gave a respectful bow and slowly exited the room. He seemed more polite than when she first arrived—probably due to the influence of this house’s master.
“Sigh…”
Soon, only Chanellica was left in the room. The first thing that caught her eye was the snow-white bed. A primal instinct stirred inside her—she had to lie down on it.
“Wow, I feel alive again!”
Throwing herself onto the bed, Chanellica relished the soft feel of the blankets. When she lived in a dreary dragon lair, things like this were completely unnecessary. But for humans, tactile sensations like this were extremely important. Just the soft texture alone improved her mood.
She laid back and let all the tension drain from her body. Though she was mentally happy to finally be in the human world, it seemed her body had been under a great deal of stress. As her muscles relaxed, she felt her energy drain away in the most satisfying way.
“My dragon body adapted quickly—this human body won’t take long either.”
Talking to herself had become a habit after spending so many years alone in the dark dragon lair.
Thinking positively, Chanellica closed her eyes in hopes of getting some sleep.
But just a few seconds later, her eyes drifted back toward the ceiling.
“…He didn’t get mad?”
The thought suddenly occurred to her.
Right before she left Speecher Island via teleportation, her friend Chel had warned her.
“You’re not going to gain anything by going out and meeting the Lord. You might even get forcibly sent back!”
Chanellica had ignored that. After all, the Dragon Lord had broken a promise to her—he had no right to be angry at her, the victim.
Still, it was strange that he wasn’t even the slightest bit upset.
Chanellica tilted her head in confusion.
For dragons, the hatchling period is the most vulnerable and sensitive time. Though dragons are the most powerful species, this is when they are at their weakest—both mentally and physically.
Hatchlings spend 200 years developing their incomplete dragon hearts. During this time, they eat well, learn the dragon language (Draconic), receive knowledge from elders, and study all things in the world. They are also fiercely protected by all elder dragons. Even within Speecher Island, they can’t go wherever they please. At most, they’re allowed to explore near their lairs under supervision.
Chanellica—or rather, Asha—was now 199 years old, a hatchling with just one year left until she became an elder dragon.
It was natural that hatchlings weren’t allowed to roam freely outside. With her dragon heart still incomplete and unable to use magic, venturing outside was extremely dangerous.
Chel had tried to stop her until the very end. But Asha, determined to escape her boring lair, couldn’t be stopped. The polymorph magic that transformed her into a human and the teleportation magic that brought her here were all cast by her friend Chel, who was already an elder dragon. As a hatchling, Asha still couldn’t use magic.
Dragons can cast polymorph on themselves to transform into any humanoid form they wish. They can’t change their gender, but everything else can be tailored to their preference.
However, polymorph spells cast by other dragons are different. Each dragon has unique traits in their original form, and when another dragon casts the spell, the transformation reflects those original traits. Also, unlike self-cast polymorphs, which can be undone at will, those cast by another can only be undone by the caster.
“If something dangerous happens out there, you’ll just die as a human. You won’t be able to return to your dragon form, and you won’t be able to use magic. Think carefully—this isn’t a playful outing. You’re going on an adventure, risking your life!”
“But I’ll see the Lord soon anyway, won’t I?”
“Even so! The human world is dangerous for hatchlings!”
Chel had been anxious right up until Asha left. A hatchling going out into the human world in disguise was utterly unacceptable in dragon society. Chel had only helped her under protest after losing a bet to Asha. But it was still an incredibly risky venture.
“So if he knew I came recklessly like this, he should’ve been angry… Is he just letting it slide because he feels guilty?”
Chanellica pondered. Her bonded partner was always full of mystery.
“Whatever! I’m tired. I’ll just sleep.”
She closed her eyes again—but even then, sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind kept racing.
But seriously, it’s weird. He’s using honorifics with me—just because I’m living in this human form? Or is he sticking to the personality settings of my human form?
In her memory, the Dragon Lord was the embodiment of arrogance, completely devoid of manners. Yet his current behavior couldn’t be more different.
Come to think of it, it was also strange that he said he couldn’t help her meet the gods.
Why? Why couldn’t the Lord do that? He’s the only one who can.
Suddenly, Chanellica sat up in bed.
Something’s off. Something’s definitely not right!
Later, at the Cartel Estate
“Brother!”
Pherdin burst into the room, panting. But Derwin, the master of the Cartel estate, didn’t even glance at him as he calmly said:
“I’m not deaf. Come in quietly.”
“You let a woman into the mansion? Claiming she’s your fiancée?”
“Mm.”
Derwin rubbed his forehead out of habit. Maybe he should’ve tried harder to keep this noisy sibling in the dark.
“She’s just staying briefly.”
“That’s not like you at all. Letting someone like that stay—even briefly? Are you trying to get yourself into trouble again?”
“You make it sound like something horrible happened.”
“You mean it wasn’t horrible? Don’t you remember that girl who called herself your girlfriend and wasted all that money under your name? Do you know how much she blew through?”
As if it was that much.
Derwin swallowed the words before they came out. It wasn’t something he should say in front of Pherdin, who treated every coin like a bar of gold.
“Send her back quickly. If this gets out, it won’t look good.”
Pherdin warned him. It wasn’t just about the money—he had other concerns too.
“What if it does get out?”
Derwin casually finished his cold coffee. His relaxed demeanor only fueled Pherdin’s frustration.
“What if it does? What if the Princess finds out?”
“If she finds out?”
Pherdin hesitated. He’d spoken out of concern, but Derwin seemed uninterested in the implications. He simply set down his cup.
“Brother… are you really doing this?”
“I told you—there’s nothing going on between the Princess and me.”
“That’s what you think.”
“And my opinion doesn’t matter?”
“In this kingdom, hers matters more than yours.”
Derwin remained unfazed. Pherdin, annoyed, swept back his navy-blue hair from his eyes.
“Sigh…”
He knew this pattern well. If he mentioned the Princess any more, he’d be kicked out of the room.
“So how long is she staying? You let her use a guest room—you won’t kick her out right away, right?”
Pherdin plopped down on the gray sofa and continued in a sulky tone.
“According to Cuddles, she somehow found out you’d secretly gone to the Baren Kingdom? And she just waltzed in, claiming that boldly. Who the hell spread that—”
He froze mid-sentence.
Derwin, who said nothing and quietly poured hot water into his teacup, was suddenly suspicious.
“Brother… I just want to check… You didn’t really teach her our language, did you?”
Derwin focused only on his teacup. Pherdin’s eyes narrowed, then he leapt to his feet.
“Brother!”
Derwin frowned at the loud voice echoing through the room.
“Quiet down.”
“She’s not really your fiancée, right?”
“She’s not.”
Pherdin immediately sat back down.
“Right? Of course not. But seriously—how can you stand being in the same house with someone so full of lies? Just the thought gives me goosebumps.”
“More than that…”
Derwin thought of “that woman” he met earlier today. The small, cherry-like lips that had spoken so matter-of-factly, eyes wide open.
Dragon. Those lips had spoken that word.
“She seems… pitiable.”
“…What?”
Pherdin looked like he’d heard something outrageous.
“She’ll be staying here for a while.”
“What?! Are you insane?”
“She’s someone with a broken heart. People like that often have nowhere else to go.”
He meant it. Losing one’s grip on reality often stems from unbearable emotional pain.
A dragon—a majestic being of legend.
Stories about dragons were everywhere. But they were all ancient records, dismissed as myths. Giant terrifying creatures with magic rivaling the gods. They may have once existed, according to old accounts, but no one can prove it.
If she had just pretended to be a fiancée, maybe he wouldn’t have cared. But she talked about being a dragon—mentioning Speecher Island, the sacred bond, and play rituals—terms he’d never heard before.
So he humored her. Derwin knew too well what could happen if you blatantly denied the beliefs of someone mentally fragile.
And honestly, he just couldn’t coldly throw out someone in such a state.
“Brother! What if she’s scheming something?!”
“I’ll handle it. You stay out of it.”
Leaving the shouting Pherdin behind, Derwin stood up. He felt no urge to dig into her background.
If anything, he thought, it might be better to find her a doctor.
