Chapter 26
. So Regrettable
Shanelika was completely overwhelmed. Ever since stepping into the dessert shop, where shelves were packed with colorful sweets, she had been in a state of shock.
“How can a place like this even exist?”
With her mouth agape and both hands covering it, she asked in a dazed tone. Derwin thought she looked incredibly adorable like that.
This must be heaven!
It felt as if every dessert in the world had been gathered here. From sweet, chocolate-scented drinks to all kinds of cakes, breads, candies, and baked confections.
Amid the fragrant mixture of flour and sugar, Shanelika, for the first time, seriously pondered the meaning of the word “happiness.” Then, she boldly came to a conclusion:
The way to live my life happily is to eat as many sweets as I can in the human world!
After becoming a holy dragon and meeting God, Shanelika had resolved to keep playing and enjoying herself. Her first goal was to try every sweet the human world had to offer; her second was to research and create desserts herself.
I want to make the best flavors ever!
It was the first time her nearly blank “dragon life plan” was being meaningfully filled.
“What should I do? There are so many things I want to eat…”
Her genuinely troubled face almost made Derwin laugh out loud, but he held it back.
“Take your time and try them one by one.”
“But how am I supposed to choose when I want to eat them all?”
“Today isn’t the only day. Anything you can’t eat now, you can pick out in advance and have ordered later.”
“Really? But… I kind of want to try everything here.”
“You can eat them all, and as many times as you’d like. Don’t worry about the cost.”
At that, Shanelika finally looked away from the desserts and turned her gaze to Derwin.
“I really…”
“…?”
“…really like you!”
With that, she threw her arms around Derwin’s waist and hugged him tightly. Not just lightly—she put real strength into her arms, as if brimming with affection.
What… just happened?
While Shanelika was beaming with joy, Derwin felt as if his mind had gone blank from the sudden gesture.
“Oh my.”
“They’re so sweet together.”
“I remember when my husband and I were like that.”
A few women in the shop began making envious remarks about them. Derwin was the one whose face turned red at their words.
It was strange. He had thought he should tell her to let go, to ask her what she was doing in public like this. But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, what he wanted right now was to hold this small woman close.
“Heehee. Then I’m going to start choosing now!”
Shanelika didn’t stay in his arms for long. Her attention was quickly stolen back by the dazzling array of desserts. She slipped from his embrace and trotted toward them.
…What a shame.
Derwin glanced down at the spot on his waist where her warmth had just been.
I wish it could’ve stayed warm a little longer.
Watching Shanelika pick out desserts with unconcealed delight, Derwin’s heart rippled like the waves.
“How can a whole day go by so fast? It feels like we just came out!”
As the sun began to set, Shanelika couldn’t hide her disappointment. She and Derwin had just left the dessert shop and were now strolling through a quiet park.
“We didn’t spend that long; we left after lunch.”
“Still… on days off, time just flies.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Yes. Very much.”
Despite having started after lunch, they had walked quite a bit—visiting a small museum with old relics on display, and several artists’ ateliers filled with things to see.
Shanelika had enjoyed it all: seeing traces of human history, watching the process of humans creating something new. Of course, the highlight of the day had been the dessert shop.
“You say you’re disappointed… but why are you smiling?”
Derwin asked, puzzled at her smile.
“Because today was so wonderful.”
Her eyes shone with joy as she spoke.
“Even the feeling of regret is nice. I think that ‘regret’ makes daily life in the human world sparkle more brightly.”
Dragons—and gods—live far longer than humans, to the point that “regret” isn’t a concept they experience as often.
“To avoid feeling regret, humans work hard at something again, right?”
Like the museum curator who was fired up about uncovering more historical facts from relics.
Like the atelier with beautiful, perfectly displayed dishes in front—but piles of broken ones in a corner.
Like the patissier at the dessert shop who wanted feedback on a new cake to make it better.
Humans constantly strive to overcome regret, and in doing so, they’ve driven the progress of their world.
To Shanelika’s dragon eyes, it was all fascinating.
“So, will you also work at something so you won’t have regrets, my lady?”
“Of course. There are so many things I want to see and do now. I’ll have to use my days off more wisely.”
Derwin had been surprised by her behavior today. He’d expected her to spend the outing like most noble ladies—lavishly spending money here and there. After all, she had once worked at a tavern for money, and still worked in the royal palace.
But instead, she had chosen the museum and the ateliers. She’d shown genuine curiosity about everything in the human world, asking the bored museum curator questions until his eyes lit up again, and showing appreciation for the creative process at the ateliers.
As for the dessert shop—Derwin had taken her there because he thought she’d enjoy it, and he’d been right. She had picked out treats with a happy face, and even said she wanted to make them herself someday.
“I’m curious how delicious I could make them if I tried! And honestly, buying these one by one is too expensive. Considering my salary at the palace, this is a luxury. If I want to share generously with everyone at the Cartel estate, it’s better to make them myself!”
What is she, really?
He had first thought she was crazy, but the more time passed, the more she drew him in—helplessly, irresistibly, as if binding his very soul.
“From now on, do whatever you want. I’ll help you.”
And he meant it.
“Instead of just helping, how about doing it together? Like today.”
“……”
“I enjoyed everything today, but my favorite part was that you were right there beside me. I don’t like being alone.”
It wasn’t just her looks—every word she spoke was beautiful. Derwin turned his head away. If he kept looking at her while feeling this pull, he might do something reckless.
“…Alright.”
“Thank you!”
Her bright, smiling voice reached his ears. Derwin clenched his fists tightly.
“Shall we go back to the estate now?”
“It would be best; the sun has set.”
“Just because the sun’s set doesn’t mean the day’s over…”
“Is there something you’d like to do?”
Hearing the regret in her voice again, he asked.
“Yes! Now that it’s dark, I remembered something I’ve always wanted to try!”
Derwin’s mood had dipped somewhat since earlier.
“Must we really do this here? Even now, we could just return to the estate—”
“If we’ve come all the way out, we should enjoy it to the end!”
After sunset, Shanelika had dragged him to none other than a large tavern. The thing she’d wanted to try was drinking.
When she had mentioned it, Derwin had suggested they drink at the estate, where there was plenty of good liquor. But Shanelika had shaken her head.
‘Huh? I want to drink outside! In a noisy place where people dance and shout! Somewhere much bigger and nicer than the Vista Inn where I used to serve!’
‘…Wouldn’t it be better to just drink with me at the estate?’
‘Wait, didn’t you just say you’d grant me anything I wanted? And that you’d do it together? …Did I hear wrong?’
Her sulky tone had left Derwin speechless.
‘It’s not that, but places like that can be dangerous…’
‘And would that be a problem with you here? You’re the royal princess’s bodyguard knight!’
‘……’
‘Just for tonight, be my bodyguard knight! The princess isn’t even here—it’s fine, right?’
In the end, Derwin couldn’t refuse and accompanied her to the tavern.
He had tried to find the most decent, quiet one, but it seemed Shanelika already knew the most popular tavern in the city.
‘Let’s go to Laila Tavern!’
Laila Tavern, the city’s largest, had four floors—from the basement to the third floor—and each could hold over fifty people. Yet nobles rarely visited, seeing it as part of the “peculiar world of commoners.”
Each floor had its own theme: the third floor for drinking, the second for live music, and the first for dancing.
Shanelika and Derwin were now on the top floor, the third. It was noisy—sounds from the first and second floors drifted up the stairs, and the third floor’s own crowd was boisterous enough to make him think every loud-voiced person in the country had gathered here.
“Wow! This beer is so good!”
“Is this your first time trying it?”
“I did sneak a sip or two while serving before. But this tastes richer and deeper than that!”
Wait—she’s had it before?
Derwin’s eyes narrowed slightly. Noticing the change, Shanelika quickly explained:
“Oh, I meant it’s not just about drinking—it’s about drinking outside, in this kind of atmosphere!”
“That’s not what you said earlier.”
“Well, to be precise… outside, with you.”
She took another sip, glancing at him sheepishly. Derwin felt his guard crumble again. Somehow, this woman had perfectly figured out how to weaken his resolve.
“Then shall we check out the other floors—”
“Shanel?”
Her words were interrupted by someone else. She knew the man sitting across from her wouldn’t call her by that name. So where had that voice come from?
“Shanel, it really is you?”
This time, the voice came clearly from her left. She turned her head—
—and there stood a very familiar silver-haired man.
“Captain Stern of the Knights?”
