Chapter 66
Artson rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.
I was wrong to bring up the name of that Elise or whatever. Even though I know how much Lani hates that human!
Artson swallowed dryly while looking at Lani’s one eye, which had lost its form due to divine power.
Artson knew that if Lani exploded here, an enormous amount of poison that even he couldn’t handle would flow out.
Anyway, all dragons, including himself, are alike in not being able to control their tempers. It’s because the environment where they don’t have to endure has lasted too long.
“C-Calm down. Okay? What I have to say is not about that priest, but about that priest’s daughter.”
Lani fumbled her empty eye, then let out a long breath and jerked her chin toward Artson. It meant to say more.
“T-That child was cursed by the previous leader, right? But this time, they said the power of the ghosts is a bit lacking. So, to recover all the power of the previous leader, they tried to kill the child.”
“……So?”
“But the assassin disappeared.”
“What?”
“I-It’s not that he disappeared from the archduke’s house. They said his trail cut off in an unexpected place.”
“That…….”
“Isn’t it strange? But that’s not the end. There’s something even stranger.”
Artson leaned forward and his eyes sparkled.
“That child joined the imperial subjugation squad and defeated three black mages. And completely resisting the aura of death at that.”
“…….”
As the information slowly came in, Lani’s mind gradually cleared. The boiling anger gradually subsided.
“Now you’re interested? Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it fun?”
Lani felt a bit annoyed by Artson’s teasing, but she had calmed down a lot compared to before, reaching a level where she could think normally.
Of course, for him, normal thinking wasn’t necessarily correct, but anyway.
“What’s the rest of the story? It can’t end there, right?”
“According to the ghosts, it seems like that child used the power of the curse.”
“That can’t be. The curse is literally like chains embedded in the body. It only binds, you can’t use it.”
“Right. So I thought it didn’t make sense, but I didn’t tell them. It’s fun watching them flounder!”
“Yeah. Good job.”
Lani smirked and stroked Artson’s head.
While doing so, she thinks.
That damn bitch who made my eye like this, Elise.
Elise is already dead, so revenge on her is impossible, but if her daughter is still alive and breathing, then it’s a different story.
“I should go out once.”
Lani’s green pupils gleamed eerily.
***
After a long time, Taiti, who had a proper meal in a decent space, took a bath, and put on clean clothes, crossed the hallway with excited, humming steps.
Until yesterday, he was sleeping rough on the mountain path, but today he can sleep in a fluffy bed! Just imagining it made his body feel languid.
‘I should light some incense and sleep.’
Giggling and planning his bedtime, Taiti soon stopped in front of a certain door.
It was the door to Daphne’s bedroom.
Earlier, he felt a bit upset and sulky as if his position was taken by Shio, but since Daphne personally said that Taiti’s position is firm, all those feelings have disappeared now.
So, he came to give what he originally intended to give to Daphne.
“Lady Daphne. Are you sleeping? If not, I came to give you some mana stones.”
The mana stone distribution rights that he unexpectedly recovered because the black mages suddenly disappeared.
Since the subjugation squad went to the mine to find the black mages, Taiti was also able to obtain some high-grade mana stones.
Since he infused all of them with his own mana, they should have sufficient value as Daphne’s mana supply candies.
He was excited at the thought of receiving praise, but there was no answer from inside the room.
“Hmm. Must be sleeping.”
Well, I can come tomorrow morning.
Thinking that, Taiti turned his feet. No, he tried to turn.
“Come in.”
Daphne’s voice held his feet. Taiti tilted his body in a circle and opened the door. As soon as he did, he saw Daphne sitting on the balcony, and he approached her closely.
“What is it. Why did you answer so late…… Uh, why is your face like that? It’s extremely pale? Like you’re on the verge of death? It wouldn’t be strange if you died right now?”
Daphne’s face, sitting on the balcony chair, was literally stark white. Not just pale, but ashen.
She was clearly fine until this afternoon? Taiti’s eyes shook wildly.
“Shut up…… My head is ringing, so close your mouth.”
Daphne frowned while holding her forehead.
“Did you bring mana stones?”
“Uh…… Yes. How did you know?”
“If not that, there’s no reason for you to come find me in the middle of the night. Put them down and go. I need to recover my energy by eating them.”
“…….”
The original Taiti would have turned around saying ‘Oh, you’re telling me to leave? Exciting!’ but today’s Taiti thought he had gained some recognition from Daphne, so he couldn’t back down easily.
After pondering for a moment, instead of putting down the mana stones, he sat down opposite Daphne.
“Did something happen?”
“No.”
“That was too quick an answer.”
Taiti narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.
“Ah, why. What happened. Huh?”
“Huh is informal.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Daphne stared at Taiti, who was grinning and scratching the back of his head, then clicked her tongue.
The reason Daphne was so worn out now was one thing.
-Even if you’re useless, a child is still okay.
-No matter what mistake you make, no matter what lie you tell, I promise to keep you by my side.
It was because of Heros’s words.
No, can you declare that? Do you know what I’m hiding? If you had said you wouldn’t forgive from the beginning, I could have left shamelessly without feeling guilty, but saying that makes me feel guilty!
Daphne let out another sigh and tilted her head back. Then, she suddenly asked Taiti.
“Slave. Do you have a family?”
At the abrupt question, Taiti tilted his head.
“I do have a family?”
He continued while folding his fingers one by one.
“Father is there, mother is there. Ah, I have a brother too. Though I don’t want to acknowledge him as a brother. Come to think of it, what are they doing now. It’s been fifty years since I last contacted them.”
Parents are alive, and even a brother—a perfect example of a fine family. Daphne tapped the table with her fingers and suddenly asked.
“What if you found out that your brother told you a very, very big lie?”
“Huh? Why? Did my brother hide something from me again? Ah, that crazy bastard!”
“I said if, you bastard.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Taiti, who shrank again, this time seriously pondered the answer to Daphne’s question.
“Well…… Actually, my brother has hidden and lied to me a lot. I don’t think I’d get very angry over most things, but if it’s a big one, I’d get angry, right?”
“Then would you cut ties?”
“Huh? If I cut ties over something like that, I’d have no family now.”
Daphne’s expression became subtle.
“Then.”
After rolling the words in her mouth for a moment, Daphne cautiously opened her lips.
“Even if another soul entered your brother’s body?”
Taiti’s expression hardened in an instant.
“lady Daphne.”
He abruptly stood up and approached Daphne closely.
“Are you trying to tell the humans?”
Seeing Daphne’s eyes shaking, Taiti grabbed the back of his neck. Ah, has this dragon gone mad, for real?!
“I figured out long ago that this isn’t just a simple amusement?”
Honestly, Daphne’s current body isn’t suitable for amusement.
At first, he thought it was just for fun, but as time went on, he thought there must be some hidden reason. Then, after hearing about the black mages, he judged that something was off.
But whatever it was, since it’s the path the dragon is taking, he wanted to support it as an elf. That’s also why he volunteered to be a slave. But what’s with this state now?
Taiti’s eyes narrowed.
“No matter what, there’s a limit. Are you going to mix in with humans and play family or something? Snap out of it. Tell the hero the truth? If you do that,lady Daphne, you’ll really die.”
“…….”
“Ah, and! Even if I concede a hundred times and you play family? The hero accepts it? Then what about the great dragon title? Are you going to throw it away? If so, make me a dragon! I’ll be the dragon! I don’t need family or anything!”
I don’t need family or anything.
Daphne smiled bitterly.
“You can say that because you’ve never not had one.”
“That…….”
“No, never mind.”
Cutting off Taiti who was about to say something again, Daphne glared with wide eyes once more.
The reason she wanted to reveal her identity was perhaps because she wanted to hear ‘It’s okay.’
Even if you’re a disaster, it’s okay. It’s okay that you took that body. Even so, we’re family, something like that.
But.
‘It can never happen.’
Hearing Taiti’s objective judgment, Daphne finally realized reality.
The hope she wished for could never come true.
“You’re right. I won’t confess my identity. If they find out, it’ll be harder for them.”
“Uh…… Hmm.”
“The worry itself was just my greed. I need to eliminate my conscience and insert shamelessness.”
Daphne recited the words Shio had said before and smirked. Then, Taiti’s complexion turned slightly pale. He realized that his words might have hurt Daphne.
“Th-That, sorry. I think my words were a bit harsh.”
“Your blabbering mouth has been noisy for more than a day or two. Never mind.”
After flicking Taiti’s dejected face with her finger, Daphne took a deep breath and spread her arms wide.
“I feel stuffy.”
The night is dark. It’s lonely because it’s dark. It always reminds me that I’m alone, so it’s just tormenting.
But now it’s okay. At least for the short time I experience in this body, I don’t have to be lonely.
So, at least while in this body,
“I need to quickly beat up the ghosts and dragons to relieve this stuffiness.”
Exterminate the ghosts to avenge my friend’s family, who became my family,
Beat up the dragons to end my revenge.
And when that revenge ends…….
‘Let’s go back.’
Then everything will be resolved.
Daphne truly thought that.
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By Anna 💓
