Chapter 74
“Ha.”
A sigh of disbelief escaped naturally.
Traveling with Lord?
Shanellica sat up straight from the spot where she had been lying. It felt as though she had been brutally exposed to the world of her own subconscious that she hadn’t realized existed.
Maybe I really can’t learn.
Shanellica covered her face with both hands. Undoubtedly, her cheeks must have flushed with absurdity. Even though she was alone in the empty room, she felt an overwhelming embarrassment toward herself.
I thought I had shaken it off, but apparently not. In her subconscious, she had naturally assumed she would be traveling with Lord. Or perhaps, she had even been looking forward to it a little? Rather than thinking she didn’t want to, the thought of being together still felt stronger.
Idiot. I said I would treat this life as a play. It’s a game, so I should enjoy it to the fullest. Where did all the resolve I built up over the past few days go?
Shanellica clenched her small fists tightly. She felt pathetic beyond endurance. Since meeting Lord again in front of the princess’s palace last time, she had been trying hard to think coldly. This young human girl with pale pink hair in front of her now was not “me” but merely a “fictional” character.
I’m a dragon. Not a human! I don’t need to consider things from a human perspective. I just need to enjoy the game.
So there’s no reason to be considerate toward Eleusis. It was he who liked me on his own terms; Shanellica only needs to decide whether to stay by his side or not.
She didn’t even need to lie and say she liked him immediately. Eleusis only asked her to stay nearby while he worked to win her heart. And…
“There’s no rule that says the game must end in six months.”
Shanellica’s eyes sparkled. If she was worried about Eleusis’s life, she could simply stay with him for a long time until he finishes it. So that he would have no idea whether the human “Shanellica” is real or fictional.
Not bad. This might even turn out to be the perfect game.
Eleusis is the king of a kingdom. Shanellica doesn’t need to prepare anything—she could comfortably spend about a hundred years by the king’s side.
Why am I only thinking of this now? Time is overflowing anyway!
After performing the Dragon Rite, she would meet Lord as promised. After that, she could resume the current game. Even if Lord, who had supposedly lost his memories, returned to his original self once, there’s no reason she couldn’t continue the game.
Lord only has half a year to be in the human world with her before becoming a dragon. After that, she could freely enjoy this life. Whether romance, marriage, or whatever else.
Yes, the game… let’s do it properly, human Shanellica.
Early in the morning, Eleusis opened his eyes. As usual, he washed up, had breakfast, and received the day’s schedule from his attendants.
The king’s days, repeated for years, were ordinarily mundane and unremarkable. But today, Eleusis felt very different from usual.
He hadn’t slept a wink all night. He tossed and turned with his eyes closed. It was the first time in his life that he couldn’t fall asleep because of too many thoughts.
Last night, Eleusis had confessed his feelings to Shanellica. His first-ever confession, made without any plan, hastily grasping the moment.
It couldn’t help but appear clumsy. But that was already in the past. Eleusis wasn’t worried about that part.
Despite giving his heart wholeheartedly, Shanellica had not responded. She had simply slipped away to her room, wishing him a good night, with a faint, awkward smile.
She hadn’t said yes or no, but contextually, it was a rejection.
Sleep was impossible. Not because he was hurt by rejection, but because the scene from last night kept circling in his mind.
Should he have waited and been more cautious? No, if he had, she might have left one day without a word.
As various thoughts tangled in his mind, morning eventually arrived.
Though the situation was negative, Eleusis had no intention of giving up on Shanellica. He hadn’t received a definitive answer yet. Moreover, she had already dealt with her previous fiancé.
He would do everything he could.
Just a few months ago, he couldn’t have imagined giving his heart to a woman. That Eleusis had resolved to confess meant he had no intention of ending it easily.
“……”
Yet, as morning broke, Eleusis felt the confidence he had held throughout the night shrink rapidly.
Breakfast finished, he would go to meet Shanellica. But his steps, which should have been light as feathers, felt unbearably heavy, as if shackled with iron.
Was it the premonition of rejection?
As a king, Eleusis was not used to being rejected. From the time he was a prince until he reached this position, he had hardly ever experienced refusal. If anything, he was the one who usually refused others.
And yet, it was so terrifying.
Even if he was decisively rejected, he had no intention of stepping back. While Shanellica remained in the palace, he would put forth his best effort. But being unaccustomed to it, the thought of rejection was incredibly daunting.
“Hoo…”
Eleusis took a deep breath.
Born into royalty, he had enjoyed more than others with less effort. He had been special.
But what he intended to do now was nothing special. Others had done it before, even if he hadn’t.
To strive and claim something, even if someone rejects you.
Eleusis steeled himself, ready to throw himself fully into that fierce process.
With his resolve set, Eleusis left his bedroom. Filled with thoughts of Shanellica, he walked past the palace staff lined along the corridors as usual.
Suddenly.
His legs, walking steadily, stopped reflexively. Eleusis closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. There was someone here who shouldn’t be.
“…Miss Shanel?”
He had thought so much that he wondered if he was seeing things. Eleusis questioned his own mental state.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
But it was not a hallucination. Shanellica smiled gently and bowed. Among the maids at the far end, she was the woman Eleusis had been thinking of all night.
“Would you like to… take a walk together?”
On a cloudy morning, a soft breeze rustled through the forest path. The sunlight was gentle, so it wasn’t too hot.
In the southern continent of Hures, the summer in the Kingdom of Camton lasted longer than in other countries. Summer was usually considered to last from April to October, with September being the peak of heat. Although it was August and still hot, the worst heat had not yet arrived.
Yet Eleusis felt that this moment was hotter than any summer he had ever experienced. Perhaps the tension coursing through his body made it feel that way.
Unexpectedly appearing, Shanellica leisurely led Eleusis along the forest path. Eleusis followed behind, hiding his anxious heart. Each fleeting glimpse of Shanellica’s face seemed so relaxed, unlike his own tense expression.
What did she want to say this early in the morning? Surely she wasn’t planning to leave immediately.
Contextually, it seemed like a rejection. But that calm expression confused Eleusis even more.
Still, he maintained a poker face, speaking to her as usual. Did she sleep well? Wasn’t walking early tiring? How was she feeling? He carefully asked each question.
“It’s peaceful.”
Shanellica, who had been walking while exchanging brief conversation, suddenly looked back. The hem of her light purple dress fluttered with the movement, and Eleusis saw a halo of white light behind her.
“This moment, being with Your Majesty.”
Her small, pale face and innocent smile were so dazzling it almost seemed blinding.
“…I’m glad, Miss Shanel, that you feel at ease.”
“Looking back, it seems I’ve always felt this way when by Your Majesty’s side.”
Eleusis’s shoulders stiffened with tension. It seemed she was finally going to answer about last night’s confession.
“So, as I said… I thought I’d stay a little longer.”
Her voice, slightly shy, continued softly. Eleusis, doubting his own ears, asked again.
“By my side… you mean?”
With a bashful smile, Shanellica answered.
“Just… to postpone leaving the palace for now.”
It wasn’t a rejection. Eleusis’s expression immediately brightened at the unexpected words.
“To be honest, I never imagined Your Majesty would take an interest in me. It’s a bit surprising. And I’m not sure if my heart will follow yours. But… would that be alright?”
Shanellica’s usual honesty hit transparently. Eleusis answered gladly.
“Of course! That was a wise decision, Miss Shanel.”
“And… I’m quite greedy, actually. Your Majesty has already found my weaknesses… Are you really okay with that? I intend to pursue everything I want and do everything I want.”
Then the man whose heart had been completely stolen answered confidently.
“I’m fine. Whatever it is, as long as Miss Shanel is by my side.”
Eleusis said this, with a smile as if he possessed the entire world.
“Then… can you grant me this first request?”
Shanellica’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.
