* * *

“Hello.”

“Hello!”

Serena rolled her eyes as the breathtakingly beautiful woman and the unbearably cute little child greeted her.

The wavy, vibrant red hair particularly caught her attention.

The woman, who looked to be in her late 20s, was beautiful, and the child who looked exactly like a younger version of her was quite adorable.

Serena touched the corner of her lips as the child raised one hand high in a cool greeting.

It was to hide her surprise.

Nevertheless, her surprise was apparently quite evident.

Drukan, who was nearby, bowed his head with an awkward expression, embarrassed.

“I apologize for the suddenness, Lady Serena.”

He spoke to me while blocking the two as if protecting them.

“This is… my wife ‘Tiavias’ and daughter ‘Riphia’ whom I wanted to introduce to you before.”

“…I see.”

Serena turned her head slightly with a dazed expression.

Then she looked at the woman again, then the child, and finally at Drukan.

‘Tiavias?’

Serena thought.

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

She carefully pretended to clean her ear, but quickly lowered her hand, considering her dignity.

‘The… evil dragon Tiavias?’

Serena shook her head lightly.

‘Wasn’t that dragon supposed to be dead?’

The hero, Drukan, had defeated… the ‘Evil Dragon Tiavias’ which gave him the title of ‘Dragon Slayer’.

‘But why is she appearing here alive as the hero’s wife….’

Serena’s mouth puckered like a clam.

Was there such a setting?

I don’t know.

Since Drukan wasn’t the main character, stories about him were only highlighted as if he were a supporting character.

‘In the novel, he was always shown staying by the female protagonist’s side.’

Ah, come to think of it, his daughter Riphi was originally supposed to die.

The female protagonist’s role was originally to free the soul of the dead daughter who’s bound to Drukan.

Riphi survived because I returned the herb.

‘…It’s good that she lived.’

Look at how lovable she is, seeing her peeking out curiously from behind her parents’ legs with bright eyes.

The corners of Serena’s lips curved slightly.

“Thanks to your generosity before, Lady Serena, that my daughter could be safe.”

“Yes, that’s fortunate.”

It doesn’t feel good to think that such a child would have died.

“Wow, how is someone like you alive?”

The evil dragon, Tiavias, wearing a glamorous, tight-fitting dress with a plunging neckline, walked up and grabbed Serena’s chin while speaking.

Since she was a head taller than her, Serena ended up looking up at her with her chin suddenly grabbed.

“What is this…”

“Tia!”

Drukan, who usually had an expressionless face, rushed to her in panic.

“Tia, Lady Serena is my employer and the Duchess. Please don’t.”

Drukan said, almost pleadingly.

Serena reflexively rolled her eyes towards Drukan.

His expression was so completely broken and at a loss that she wanted to ask, ‘Who are you?’

Drukan was typically known for his expressionless face and few words, which made him difficult to approach.

Of course, he would silently follow orders when given.

However, when Serena tried to drive him away, he would clench his mouth and endure until she listened.

Tiavias glanced sideways once, and then finally released her hand from Serena’s chin as Drukan said.

Without saying a word, Tiavias naturally sat on the sofa in the office, crossed her legs, and gestured to the opposite seat with her chin.

“Me too, Mommy!”

“Go ahead.”

As Tiavias seated the child next to her, the child, who looked about 7 years old with chubby cheeks, awkwardly crossed her legs like her mother.

Of course, with her short, chubby legs, she couldn’t cross them as elegantly as her mother.

And of course, Serena didn’t have the guts to defy the evil dragon, so she obediently sat opposite them.

“I heard you fixed my husband’s arm.”

She referred to Drukan as her husband without any hesitation.

“Tia, it’s the Duchess.”

“Right, Duchess.”

When Drukan pointed it out, Tiavias nodded quite arrogantly.

“As expected, you’re excellent, Tia.”

Drukan wagged his tail.

‘…How exactly is that excellent?’

Serena thought that while she didn’t consider herself particularly sociable, Tiavias seemed even less so.

“I know.”

Tiavias replied quite proudly to Drukan’s words.

‘Hmm, this must be the result of improper education.’

Serena, who had grown up in a misguided education herself, thought as she looked at Tiavias with pitying eyes.

“I’ll bring some tea, Lady Serena.”

Drukan slightly bowed to me and went outside.

‘…Is this allowed?’

How could he bring them and then leave everything to me?

Serena looked at the evil dragon in front of her with a disgruntled expression.

“……”

“Don’t be so scared, I have no intention of threatening you. Duchess.”

Hearing the polite title with the impolite speech, Serena nodded.

“R-right.”

Serena answered carefully.

She was worried that if the dragon became displeased, the mansion might fly away.

“You seem to know me.”

“Know?”

At Tiavias’s words, Riphia, who was next to her, tilted her head and repeated exactly what she said.

The corners of Serena’s mouth loosened slightly. It was quite cute.

‘Hmm, I used to not like children much…’

But that child was somehow extremely cute.

“No, I… met you for the first time today, madam.”

Serena answered politely after a moment of consideration.

“Hmm, I am indeed Drukan’s wife.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Serena quietly nodded, though she didn’t quite understand why Tiavias seemed proud of that fact.

“But for someone who doesn’t know me, you’re trembling quite a bit.”

She said with a rather seductive smile on her lips, her legs crossed and her chin resting on her hand.

Serena lightly scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

“Drukan said he saw a great darkness in you…”

Tiavias said, looking Serena up and down.

She continued speaking, not hiding her annoyance as though she was helping unwillingly only because of her husband’s request.

“I’ve never seen a human like you before either. It’s amazing you’re still alive, with your insides so rotten and decayed.”

“Pardon?”

Serena asked back with a puzzled expression.

She thought it was a strange thing to say suddenly.

“I’m not particularly rotten or decayed…? I’m living quite well, although I do experience some stress.”

Serena said with a puzzled look.

At this, Tiavias’s smile deepened.

“You say you’re living well?”

“Yes… While I have a bit more work than I expected for the easy life I dreamed of, I don’t have any particularly troubling issues…”

“I see, so humans can only survive by brainwashing themselves like this. How curious.”

Tiavias said, slightly raising one corner of her mouth.

It was just a simple smile, but it was so captivating that Serena unconsciously rolled her eyes.

She watched Tiavias carefully.

Even though she was just being looked at, she felt as if her entire inner self was being read.

“Hmm, have you picked up anything interesting recently?”

“Recently as in when…”

“Any time within your memory will do.”

It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but because her behavior and attitude were so unapproachable, Serena lightly shook her head.

“You’re saying you haven’t picked up anything?”

Tiavias asked again, doubtful.

“Yes, apart from getting a pet rabbit, there’s nothing in particular…”

“A pet rabbit?”

“Yes. It’s a black rabbit named Nyx…”

Serena looked around to show it, but Nyx was nowhere to be seen.

‘Did it go somewhere strange again?’

She made a puzzled expression and then looked back at Tiavias.

“It’s not here right now.”

Nyx disappearing was actually quite a frequent occurrence, so Serena shrugged.

“The rabbit you’re talking about… Could it be that monster hiding in your shadow?”

“…Pardon?”

Serena, who didn’t immediately understand Tiavias’s words, asked back with a slight shudder.

‘What’s with this suddenly creepy story?’

Serena felt a chill run down her spine as she took a deep breath.

“Are you unable to understand what I’m saying, or are you pretending not to understand?”

She leaned her body slightly, resting her chin on her hand on the armrest, and slowly opened her mouth again.

“I asked if the monster hiding in your shadow is the ‘talking rabbit’ you mentioned.”