Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

140 – A Dragon is Tenacious

Meanwhile, the banquet was long finished, and

other nobles were all

returning to their own homes.

There was only one person who

was unable to leave,

restlessly pacing about.

“Ugh…Master, where are you…”

Jenison’s valet, and before

Jenison appeared at the banquet,

a person who was whisked away by

people of the Royal Castle to another place.

It was Ella.

“Ugh… Why am I here…”

Avoiding prying eyes,

she huddled in a corner.

Unlike the maid’s uniform

she usually wore,

a beautiful dress

adorned her body.

A dress that looked expensive at first glance.

It was only natural that this

was not hers,

but a dress given to her

through the Emperor.

To a commoner and valet

like her, it was far too

extravagant a garment.

She, too, knew that this dress was too much for her.

But what could she do?

She was told she absolutely had to wear this and appear at the banquet.

‘W-W-What?!’

“Oh my, didn’t you hear everything?”

“Ah…no, no, why would I be at a banquet…?”

At first, she refused adamantly.

There was no way she

could attend a banquet.

From the start, she was

a commoner, and

just hearing about a place

overflowing with such grace,

what kind of trouble would

someone like her stir up

if they dared to enter?

However, the Royal Palace’s head maid was even more unwavering than she thought.

“No, Lady Ella.

You are His Majesty’s guest, after all.”

“Eh, I… what…?!”

“The gifting of this dress, it holds such a meaning.”

“…”

“It is more of a request than a plea, to wear this for the sake of your own dignity.”

“Th-that’s…”

“I shall assist you with changing.”

Hearing it put like that,

how could she refuse?

Besides, her

young master had

mentioned it once before.

“Y-yes… please…”

“Excellent.”

In the end, all she

could do was

quietly resign herself to this,

and that remained true

even as she was

practically dragged

towards the banquet hall.

“W-wait, no matter how I think about it…!”

“Have confidence!”

And so, she

entered the banquet hall…

People paid her less attention

than she had anticipated.

And her with a face that was,

at a glance, quite striking.

‘Sigh… now that it’s come to this… I must remain as hidden as possible…’

It would have been a scene

to make the Head Maid,

who had so painstakingly adorned her,

gnash her teeth, but

she, too, had her own valid reasons.

Working in the Duke’s household,

she had heard it

a few times.

That there were many nobles

who toyed with commoners as they pleased.

And this place was entirely filled with nobles,

while she, in this ballroom,

was likely the only commoner.

In that case, wasn’t it obvious

how things would proceed from here?

Not to toot my own horn, but

I’ve never thought myself ugly…

‘…I’ll find a place

where there are no people, or look for Young Master…’

But regrettably,

she and Jennison failed to meet.

Because her

dressing took longer than expected,

he had already

left the ballroom.

How was she to find

someone not even present?

It wasn’t as if she knew

anyone here, either.

All she could do was spend

the time as quietly as possible.

‘…This is boring.’

Though, of course, the time

wasn’t exactly productive.

Anyway, like that…

Time trickled on, ceaselessly.

Now that the tedious banquet was finally over,

she found herself adrift, unsure of where to return.

“Where has Master disappeared to again…!”

With no clue as to her master’s whereabouts,

she couldn’t simply rest, not as his attendant.

And more than anything,

even if she went back to her room now,

she wouldn’t be able to relax, consumed with worry for her master.

Ultimately, she chose to wait here, endlessly.

Even if it took an hour, or

even two.

“Still, if he comes back too late…”

“…Ah, here you are.”

“…?”

It was a man

who approached her.

A man swathed head to toe in black.

An ominous attire that

invited immediate revulsion,

a disquieting sight to behold.

“Who… are you?”

“Matches the investigated description, at least…”

“…?”

“Is your name Ellain?”

She’d been told never to give

her real name to someone who asked

so bluntly…

“…Yes.”

Yet, she chose

to speak her name.

Because she’d heard the word “investigated” slip from his lips just now.

In any case, she reasoned,

he must already know of her.

“…Who is this, who is this person anyway…?”

“Excellent, found you so quickly.”

“…?”

“Follow, I’ll guide you to where your young master is.”

“…!”

“It would be a boon for our side as well, should that young master of yours awaken early.”

*

*Krrrk─*

A sound similar to the one from before reverberates.

The difference being,

that the sound isn’t coming from the eyeballs.

My hand, which until just now

was neatly embedded in those pupils,

twisted suddenly to the side.

Simultaneously with the

golden ring of the crimson orb rolling away.

“…!”

[Ho ho, not even a scream.]

The golden ring, which I had just

slightly dented with my hand,

had returned without a trace

in an instant, and

at the same time, the

ring’s size began to grow larger and larger.

Like a full moon on a full night.

[My apologies, about saying you’d suffer less pain.]

A voice, impossible to discern

whether it belongs to a woman or a man,

echoes in this small space,

and at the same time, the crimson

flower buds that had been facing me

from my side bloomed wide open.

Not towards me, but towards the sky.

[Red evening primroses only bloom when welcoming the moon.]

“…”

[Ordinarily…a separate ritual would be necessary…]

“…”

[However, your current physical state is sufficient.]

“…”

[Since my child’s power has entered your body.]

*Krrrk─*

A chilling sound echoes once more.

This time, not from my hand,

but from my very eyes.

A golden hand bursts forth,

tearing through the sphere.

Small and slender,

like a woman’s hand.

And an arm of a color

utterly beyond the common.

That arm now,

was rending that sphere apart.

As a chrysalis might,

shedding its shell.

‘…My child’s power is in me? In my body?’

I had to think.

Never stopping midway.

Always considering the next move, and the move after that.

To live,

to survive.

And now, the only path

remaining to me

was that.

For still, mana was absent.

[Heh heh, it’s no use.]

Splurch─ Crackle─

Another arm erupted beside hers.

An arm almost identical

to the one that appeared before.

[Because this isn’t reality.]

“….”

[Mana, that they call the world’s blessing, could never exist here.]

..I’d dimly suspected as much.

I was clearly, slowly,

losing consciousness, and

only a place divorced from reality

could harbor such a repulsive scene.

Still, I hadn’t expected

to feel no mana at all.

Besides, judging from that

notification window that just popped up,

it seemed even the status window was unusable.

Variables, too, wouldn’t

form so readily.

Which is to say,

[Though it’s not reality…it’s been so long since I’ve moved my body.]

I, alone,

must survive

that b*tch.

Even discerning colors is

exceedingly difficult,

the floor a handsbreadth of

unseen,

within this disgustingly humid, stagnant water.

[Well, I suppose now I can move in reality too.]

“….”

A crimson sphere is aimed at me.

Along with a golden orb

slowly being crushed.

[Don’t be so frightened, you won’t die like this.]

“..What?”

Madness.

If I let her

consume my reason like this,

the result is obvious, even without seeing it.

[Quite literally, you will continue to live within me.]

“….”

[Commending your hard work… why that expression?]

“Fucking hell, that’s some creepy shit.”

[…Such foul language for a child.]

“Just one question, you lunatic.”

[Very well. I shall grant you that much mercy.]

“Why… me?”

Why me, though?

A question I’d pondered and pondered,

dozens of times, scores of times,

hundreds of times, thousands of times.

Why I was dragged

into this world.

Why that so-called moon god, whom I’ve never seen or heard of,

chose me,

to become the vessel for their body.

And why to me,

was this sorry excuse for a prank committed?

I was consumed by curiosity.

Driven mad by it.

What if,

truly,

by some chance,

there was a justifiable reason

for singling me out?

What if my bad luck

wasn’t the reason?

What if all my pain until now wasn’t due to,

“Just being unlucky,” but,

“There was an unavoidable reason”?

Then I—

[Hmm? I haven’t exactly singled you out though?]

“….”

[Isn’t your self-esteem a tad too high?]

“….”

[In this vast dimension, how could I possibly choose only you—]

“..Heh..Heheheheh.”

Fuck, would you now.

You goddamn b*tch.

I’ve decided.

No matter what happens after.

I’m going to kill that b*tch right here, right now.

“..Right, it should’ve been like this from the start..?”

[..Hm?]

The moment her head was

about to emerge,

and, the moment I was

about to pounce on her.

Something at my neck began to shine.

[..Impossible, how could you get this far?]

“..What is this.”

[There’s no way interference is possible here?]

At that moment, a murky light

began to spread, and at the same time

I had the illusion of ashes scattering.

“I even entered your mental world, where couldn’t I go.”

[…And you?]

“Farewell, for now. This one’s under my contract.”

[…Krrgh, have it your way. The fruit is not yet ripe, in any case.]

“…Still the same shithead way of talking, you b*tch.”

Someone said.

It was said dragons have

an intense attachment to that which is theirs.

It seemed this much was true.