“Luden came in and gazed at me quietly. Watching me care for Igol, he approached and smiled softly.
“I was going to suggest we eat out, but that’ll be difficult.”
“Igol won’t let me go.”
I looked at Igol with loving eyes. Luden watched me, then carefully picked up Igol. Igol opened its eyes and stared at Luden with a resentful gaze.
“Mom’s tired.”
At Luden’s words, Igol’s energy deflated.
“You need to go sleep over there.”
At Luden’s stern words, Igol wagged its tail, but its charm didn’t work on Luden.
Luden placed Igol inside the small house. It was a space made for Igol.
“I want to eat with Igol.”
“Understood.”
Luden readily nodded and kissed my cheek.
“What’s this?”
“A lunch kiss.”
He spoke plainly, but heat lingered in his words. I checked that Igol was sleeping and accepted his kiss.
Igol yawned.
Sunlight illuminated this place.
The affection that started with a kiss led to lovemaking. Accepting Luden, I gasped for breath.
With Igol here, the desire in my heart grew larger.
Even if I separated from Luden later, I wanted to have his child. Even if Luden wasn’t by my side, I wanted to raise a child between him and me with love.
I felt like I was becoming addicted to the burning heat. But regrettably, Luden was thorough with contraception today as well.
That disappointed me a little.
“Annelia, has something you wish for appeared?”
At Anan’s words, I smiled brightly.
“I want to have a child.”
Anan laughed.
“You cherish Luden. Without affection, you wouldn’t want a child either.”
At Anan’s words, my face flushed. Then Anan extended her hand to me.
“Thank you for cherishing my son.”
“Not at all.”
“I really want to attend the wedding.”
Anan coughed. Ah, I shouldn’t talk with Anan any longer. Her health might take a turn for the worse.
“I’ll be going now.”
“When my condition improves, let’s talk again.”
“Of course.”
I kissed the back of Anan’s hand and left.
I wanted to seriously tell Luden that I wanted to have a child, to ask him how he felt about not using contraception.
So I went to his study to meet him and talk. But all the knights had withdrawn.
‘Is Andre here?’
Andre was the knight commander, but he also carried out secret missions ordered by Luden. So when reporting secret business, even the knights withdrew.
But the door is open.
I hesitated, then decided to come back later. I didn’t want to appear while Luden was having a secret conversation with Andre.
But then.
“A child might appear soon.”
Andre’s words stopped me in my tracks.
“What do you mean by that?”
Luden spoke coldly. No, he spoke in his original voice. He always spoke so gently to me that I had forgotten his original voice all this time.
Recalling him when we first met, I now found that image unfamiliar.
“You two get along so well, won’t a child come?”
At Andre’s words, Luden’s voice rose even higher.
“I’m using contraception.”
“What? Why would you need to?”
“I won’t have children.”
At Luden’s words, my heart seemed to sink.
“You won’t have children with Lady Annelia?”
“That’s right.”
Luden spoke firmly. At those words, my heart felt torn to shreds.
I quickly stepped back.
I wish I hadn’t heard that.
Quietly, without anyone knowing, I left the study and returned to my room. Igol seemed to have woken up and was looking at me.
We have a contract marriage. We could divorce at any time. Even if he treats me affectionately, even if he returns after completing his knight training, our relationship would end.
Come to think of it, in the original story, Luden didn’t have children with Annelia either.
‘That’s right.’
I don’t know why he won’t have children, but I was scared to ask. I didn’t know what answer he would give.
On the other hand, he had children with the female lead, Lorina. And he had them shortly after dating Lorina and married her right away.
“Haa.”
Why am I thinking about this?
At least now I know that Luden doesn’t want to have children with me.
I should just laugh it off.
My lips were twitching. My heart hurt and I wanted to cry, but no tears came out.
* * *
A massive being was circling in the sky above. She had come to find the newly born hatchling, but the area around the mansion was covered with a barrier, so she couldn’t enter carelessly. The troubled dragon had no choice but to cross over to a nearby mountain and transform into a human.
“The Charlot family.”
Was it a coincidence? She recalled Marquis Charlot, whom she had befriended in her childhood.
To think he’s that man’s descendant. How did it end up flowing there?
She took out from her pocket a seal that her old friend Marquis Charlot had given her. He had told her to come visit anytime with this seal.
The seal had “Sella” written on it. Below it was drawn the Charlot family crest, and Sella was her name as a dragon.
First, I should go to the Charlot Marquis family and ask them to return the hatchling.
With that thought, she walked toward the Charlot family mansion. Knights blocked her at the entrance.
“Who are you?”
“I’m called Sella.”
When she showed them the seal, the knights murmured among themselves. It was definitely the Charlot Marquis family’s seal. However, this seal was one used in the past. Now the seal’s design had changed subtly.
“What’s going on?”
Andre walked over with heavy steps.
“Well, this person came with this.”
“Hmm?”
Andre looked at the seal and then at Sella. Then, just in case, he asked.
“Are you a dragon?”
“That’s right.”
“Ah, so you’re the famous Lady Sella. I heard a lot about you from the great-great-grandfather Marquis when I was young.”
Andre remembered that Luden’s grandfather had been close friends with a dragon. Andre quickly let Sella inside the gate.
“But what brings you here?”
“The hatchling is here.”
It was an unexpected statement. Andre recalled the yellow lizard that Annelia had brought recently. It flew around, acted cute, and understood human speech well—it was indeed an extraordinary being.
“It should be in the lady’s room. Would you like to see Marquis Charlot first?”
“I should do that first.”
Among dragons, many do as they please. But Sella wasn’t that kind of dragon. She knew human etiquette and followed it well.
Arriving at Luden’s study, Sella caught her breath for a moment. Her golden eyes sparkled.
“What is it?”
When Andre knocked, a voice came from inside.
“Lady Sella has arrived.”
Then a small sound came from inside. Luden prepared himself and opened the door wide to greet Sella.
“Oh my, he’s really handsome.”
My friend was handsome too, but his grandson seemed even more beautiful.
“I’m honored.”
“My hatchling is here.”
“You mean Igol?”
At Sella’s words, Luden frowned. To think that Igol, whom Annelia was raising with affection, was a hatchling. And Igol’s parent had appeared.
“You already gave it a name?”
Sella pressed her forehead with both hands.
“I was prepared for imprinting, but to think you even gave it a name…!”
“Is there a problem?”
“Once a dragon is called by a name, it keeps that name for life.”
Sella looked ready to cry.
“It’s too late. Shall we go to the room where Igol is?”
At Luden’s words, Sella sniffled and nodded.
“Alright.”
She followed Luden closely. Annelia had said she was going for a short walk with Igol, so she should be back by now.
“Igol is really cute.”
Lella exclaimed in admiration. Now Igol didn’t guard against Lella when she approached. We held a small twig and repeatedly placed it near Igol then moved it far away so Igol could play. Then Igol excitedly moved on all fours in the direction the twig moved, trying to catch it.
Some time seemed to have passed.
I returned to the room with Igol and Lella. There was still much to study regarding the Charlot family.
I needed to do this so I could talk more with Luden about the family.
Even though this was a place I wouldn’t stay long, I still wanted to do my best.
Of course, my heart still hurt.
When I opened the door and entered, a beautiful blonde woman was standing with Luden.
Who is she? For Luden to bring a woman here?
Realizing I was tense, I smiled bitterly.
“My son!”
As soon as she spotted Igol, she rushed over. Then Igol hid behind me and stared at her intently.
“Feel my energy.”
Energy could be felt from her. It was the same energy that came from Igol. Perhaps Igol felt that energy too, as it cautiously approached her.
“Are you Igol’s parent?”
At my question, she looked me over.
“Ah, right. But, goodness!”
She looked me over and widened her eyes.
“How can such energy come from a human body?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“To think you don’t know at all.”
She grasped my hand.
“You have so much magic power that it’s overflowing.”
What is she talking about now?
“My name is Sella, Igol’s mother and a gold dragon.”
A dragon! I had suspected Igol might be a dragon, but I didn’t think it would really be true.
“Can you feel my energy?”
“It’s the same energy as Igol’s.”
“How can a human…”
Rather than looking down on humans, her eyes showed curiosity about me.
“You were the first to see Igol. When the person who’s imprinted on isn’t the mother but someone else, they tend to follow that person quite a lot.”
Sella pondered.
“Can I stay here until my son accepts my energy and recognizes me as his parent?”
At her words, I looked at Luden. Luden shrugged and said.
“It’s fine for you to stay here.”
“Thank you. I want to do something in return for saving my son.”
Sella looked at me. What I want isn’t much.
“Can you heal people?”
“It’s possible. However, I can’t extend lifespans. Even if I cure an illness, they’ll live according to their own life force and then die.”
Still, living healthily without pain is what’s important.
“Annelia, surely not?”
Luden widened his eyes and looked at me. I nodded lightly and told Sella.
“Please heal Lady Anan.”
In the original novel, Anan never received treatment from a dragon, but so what? This kind of thing can be changed slightly.
Luden’s eyes wavered. He bit his lip, looking completely caught off guard.
Sella looked at me with interested eyes.
“You’re not making a wish for yourself.”
“I don’t particularly want anything.”
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Ravingcrow1118
At this point, I just want to see how this story ends. The simplicity of the characters going, “Oh! The flying lizard really is a dragon,” is exhausting.