Chapter 106
After the sad love story that makes your heart ache, there’s a tale that all lovers who enter the lake end up dying.
“I guess my brain automatically deleted that part because the ending is way too much of a horror story…”
Until now, whenever I thought of the lake legend, I only remembered the first part—the love story between the Blue Dragon and a human.
That was why I intended to share just that part with Vermillion.
So I called it a romantic legend…
But once I met Estelle’s eyes, it suddenly came back to me.
“If I say it like that, he’ll misunderstand…!”
And that included the scary part I had forgotten…!
‘I thought he was just shy because he’d never met me before since he’d been quiet… but to throw a bomb like that…’
My head was spinning, trying to figure out how to handle this.
But first, I had to clear up Vermillion’s misunderstanding.
It’s best to look good in front of a character you’re targeting, after all.
I lifted my head from talking with Estelle and looked at Vermillion.
Then, desperately, I shook my head at him as he gave me a strange look.
“Th-There… is that part, but that’s not what I meant to say?”
“…I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true!”
I shouted.
“I just wanted to tell the part where the Blue Dragon had a rabbit-like human lover, but because of the difference in their species, the lover died first. The dragon fell into sadness and entered the lake to wait for the lover’s reincarnation, falling into a deep sleep!”
Ugh! I didn’t want to explain it in such an ungraceful way!
I had rushed it, trying desperately to clear the misunderstanding, and ended up spilling it all at once like a sink full of water being drained!
“…It’s ruined.”
My plan to tell it like a grandmother reading a fairy tale was gone…!
I buried my face in my hands.
Estelle was looking at me like, “What’s wrong with you?”, but I couldn’t raise my head.
Then it happened.
“Pff…”
Huh? What’s that sound?
I lifted my head slightly toward the sound.
And there was Vermillion, his face bright red.
Why was he like that?
Why was he holding one hand over his mouth and the other over his stomach?
I blinked, not understanding his behavior.
Then it happened.
“Puhahaha!”
A huge laugh burst from Vermillion’s mouth, breaking through his hand.
Seeing him laugh made an inexplicable embarrassment shoot to the top of my head.
“…What! Why are you laughing all of a sudden?!”
I grabbed my skirt, shouting at Vermillion as if to shake off the awkwardness spreading through me.
“Hahaha! Heh… ahem… puhah!”
Perhaps because I had shouted loudly, leaving deep folds in my skirt, Vermillion, clutching his stomach, coughed awkwardly as if trying to hold back his laughter.
But it was only temporary.
He soon laughed again, unable to contain it.
‘No, why are you laughing so hard? I didn’t even say anything inappropriate. This is humiliating!’
Seeing Vermillion in front of me laughing endlessly, my embarrassment didn’t go away despite shouting loudly.
If anything, the feeling of shame spread through my entire body, heating me up.
With my head throbbing, I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly.
I couldn’t think of what to say, but I wanted to say anything to stop his laughter.
After what felt like ages, Vermillion’s laughter gradually subsided.
He lifted his hands from his stomach and poked at his eyes.
Apparently, he had laughed until tears came out.
“Phew. Laughing is exhausting. Ouch, my stomach.”
“…What was so funny?”
“The thing you said! It’s funny. Isn’t it?”
My words were funny?
Hah! Me!
Even if I summarize quickly to explain, I included all the crucial information.
And yet, he finds it funny! This is too much!
‘O-Of course, my perfect, cool summary might feel off compared to the part Estelle mentioned where people die, so I can understand the confusion…’
But still.
That’s not a laughing matter!
Even if Vermillion is a dragon superior to humans, someone’s life was at stake!
‘Yeah, yeah, he’s a dragon, so he wouldn’t laugh at that… wait, then what is he laughing at? Could it be…?’
It wasn’t my summary, it wasn’t the horror story… only one thing remained.
The Blue Dragon’s love story.
The moment I realized that, I raised my head.
I glared at Vermillion with wide eyes.
‘Funny? That heart-wrenching, desperate love story is funny to you, a dragon?!’
He’s a dragon, and this is a dragon story, yet this is too much.
It’s a tale that should only be heard with tears for a fellow being, yet he finds it funny.
‘No, even ignoring species, it’s a story that should be treated with respect. You shouldn’t laugh at something tragic!’
Vermillion… when I first met him in the game, I thought he was a good dragon.
Through the monitor, he was kind and helpful. I didn’t love him, but I liked the character!
This is betrayal!
I twitched my lips, glaring at Vermillion, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and turned my head the other way.
I didn’t dare confront a dragon directly; better to ignore him.
Vermillion raised his eyebrows in a parabolic arc and approached me.
“Krhh. Ah, sorry, sorry. I just laughed a lot after you told the story. It wasn’t polite, right?”
Hmph! Apologizing won’t help.
Eyebrows arched or not, his mouth still trembled in a smile.
Ignoring him, I stood close to Estelle and fussed with her clothes.
“Ah, really. I said I’m sorry.”
I turned my back, treating Vermillion as if he didn’t exist, but I felt him subtly approaching.
He quickly came right next to me, hands behind his back, bowing slightly.
‘Cowardly face attack!’
Vermillion must know how handsome he is.
That’s why he could shamelessly apologize while bringing his face close.
Ordinary people would have forgiven him instantly for that look.
‘But not me. I’ve built immunity to that level of looks.’
Reluctantly, I had to admit—he really is handsome.
Basa, with a divine face and purifying eyes, Welpion, Claude whose beauty amazes, and Estelle, growing up cutely but now maturing day by day.
Even with Vermillion’s stunning, sensual appearance, after seeing nearly a year’s worth of overwhelmingly beautiful faces, I wasn’t affected.
‘Sorry, Vermillion, but I don’t fall for looks that easily.’
I snorted inwardly.
While adjusting Estelle’s clothes, I subtly turned my head the other way, avoiding him.
But soon, I jumped in surprise.
“…!”
When I turned my head, Vermillion’s face was already in front of me.
Even closer than before.
“Huh!”
I frantically covered my left cheek and stepped back.
Because if I’d been any closer, it would have been a disaster.
Our lips almost touching…
A very big disaster.
