Chapter 48
“Miss Chanel.”
“……”
“Miss Chanel?”
“Ah. What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Eleusis smiled warmly. Chanelika let out an “Ah” sound, looking embarrassed.
Chanelika was sitting at the king’s office, at the tea table. It had become such a routine now. Spending an hour each day here, chatting with Eleusis, was something she had gotten used to.
“I’m sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“There’s no need to apologize. There are days like this, and then there are days like that.”
Eleusis took a sip of tea with a relaxed demeanor. Indeed, today, Chanelika was different from usual.
Normally, when Chanelika came here, she was chatty and energetic. She seemed to enjoy talking, often trying to maintain control of the conversation to avoid being interrupted. Watching her chatter so happily was pleasant, and sometimes Eleusis would just listen, allowing her to take the lead.
But today, from the moment Chanelika entered, she seemed lost in thought. The conversation didn’t flow as easily. It seemed like she couldn’t even focus on what the other person was saying.
After trying to engage her in conversation for a while, Eleusis finally watched her quietly while sipping tea.
What could she possibly be thinking with that little head of hers?
“If you have something to say, please speak up! I’ll focus now.”
Chanelika patted her cheeks, trying to steady herself, and her attempt to snap out of it was rather cute.
“Feel free to relax. This tea time is meant to be a break for both of us, not just for me.”
After saying that, Eleusis pulled out a poetry book from the table and began reading.
How considerate.
Chanelika felt the thoughtfulness in Eleusis’s words and actions. She knew that returning to the office in this state would get her nowhere. In fact, she had only managed to complete half of her work earlier in the morning.
Seeing that Eleusis had immersed herself in the book, Chanelika naturally drifted into her own world.
Chanelika wasn’t in a good state.
Last night, Derwin had said he wasn’t a dragon. It wasn’t new information, as he often said that. But last night’s words had shaken the belief Chanelika had always held strong.
There was no gap in his memory.
She couldn’t figure out what was happening. Chanelika didn’t know all there was to know about dragon magic or the games they played. But she knew the basics. And within that “basic” knowledge was the undeniable fact that a dragon who had played games for 199 years would not have memory loss.
A dragon playing games could set a polymorphed human body to age like a normal human. But they didn’t age as pure humans did. Instead, they subtly altered their appearance with polymorph magic at appropriate intervals. Without that, they would remain in the form of the original polymorphed body.
Yet, Derwin said he had memories from his childhood up until now.
Chanelika considered the possibility that everything Derwin had said was true. If his memories were intact from when he was polymorphed as a child, he wouldn’t have grown into the adult form he currently had. He would have remained in a child’s body. Even if he lost his memories after becoming a child, he would not be able to change his appearance, as he could no longer use polymorph magic after memory loss.
So the only plausible explanation was that Derwin lost his memory after he took his current form. Without magic, his appearance would have remained the same.
But the fact that he claimed to have all his memories from childhood was absurd. It didn’t make sense that memories from before his current appearance could exist.
Was there something else I don’t know?
Chanelika’s anxiety began from that thought. Her intuition told her that Derwin was the Dragon Lord. But what if he wasn’t? It felt like the last piece of the puzzle was completely the wrong piece.
What if, truly, his words were true? What if he wasn’t the Lord?
She felt dizzy. Whether or not he was the Dragon Lord, Chanelika liked Derwin as the human he was. But aside from that, she couldn’t accept the possibility that her intuition was wrong. Furthermore, if Derwin wasn’t the Lord, there was the issue that he had shared far too many stories about dragons with a normal human.
No, he must be the Lord. He never talked about the past, did he? If he weren’t the Lord, he would have freely shared everything.
Maybe that was the silver lining. Despite her anxiety, Chanelika reassured herself once more that her thoughts were correct.
Chanelika had asked Derwin to tell her about his childhood memories, but he hadn’t been able to speak easily about it.
That was when the first conflict arose between the two who had always been close.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Please, now.”
Chanelika insisted, her impatience growing. She had been anxious ever since she heard Stern mention Derwin’s reluctance to talk about his past. She had believed it would be something trivial, that he would eventually open up.
But Derwin remained silent. Normally, Chanelika would have backed off, but the thought that her judgment might be wrong and Stern’s words kept echoing in her mind.
“If it’s true that you have no memory gaps, why won’t you tell me?”
Staring at Chanelika with a stern face, Derwin finally asked.
“Are you just now thinking that I might not be a dragon? Is that why you’re trying to pry into my past and memories?”
When Chanelika heard this, she almost responded immediately. She still believed Derwin was the Lord, but it didn’t matter if he wasn’t. She just wanted the questions cleared up.
But no words came out. It was hard for her to say those soft words when her feelings had already been hurt. He refused to speak even when she asked him about his memories.
That’s when Stern’s words about Derwin never revealing his past kept coming to mind. It was an issue of trust.
“I don’t understand why you’re refusing to speak to me. What are you hiding? Do you not trust me?”
“Do you really need to hear that from me, Lady, especially when I don’t want to say it?”
The conversation ended with a crack in the trust between them. Chanelika returned to her room in silence.
Even when they left for work this morning, they had exchanged only a simple greeting, without further conversation.
Now, two things were troubling Chanelika’s mind. The anxiety over the possibility that her judgment was wrong, and the issue of trust with Derwin.
“Ha.”
A deep sigh escaped her lips. If Derwin remained silent, there was nothing Chanelika could do.
For the first time, the atmosphere between them was uncomfortable. The truth she wanted to know could wait until months later, when Derwin would transform into the Dragon Lord. But in this moment, her heart felt heavy. It felt like the gears that had always meshed perfectly together were starting to slip and grind since yesterday.
“Miss Chanel. Do you like music?”
Eleusis, who had been reading the poetry book, suddenly looked up and asked. His gaze was directed toward the tea and dessert in front of Chanelika. Usually, she would be indulging in the treats, but today, she didn’t touch them. Instead, a heavy, contemplative air surrounded her, continually emanating from Chanelika.
At the sudden question, Chanelika’s focus snapped back to reality. Before she could answer, Eleusis spoke again.
“When I have too many thoughts, I play an instrument.”
“……”
“If you don’t mind, would you come with me for a while?”
Without waiting for a response, Eleusis got up from his seat and gestured toward the door. Chanelika, somewhat dazed, stood up and followed him down the hallway.
The two walked side by side, and soon they arrived at a door not far from the emperor’s office. Unlike the rest of the building, the door was strikingly decorated with gold.
“This is the King’s private hobby room.”
Chanelika couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the unexpected words. It was a faint laugh compared to usual.
“What’s that?”
“It’s true. I named it that.”
“It’s an interesting name.”
“Would you like to see this interesting place?”
With a simple wave of his hand, the large golden door opened. Chanelika, following Eleusis, took a step into the room.
The large room, decorated with emerald-colored wallpaper and red carpets, was filled with instruments. There were huge instruments that seemed large enough for two people, and smaller instruments carefully displayed on shelves.
But that wasn’t all. The central wall had a magnificent mural and a large stage, and tables scattered around were piled with what looked like sheet music on parchment.
“Wow.”
Chanelika couldn’t help but exclaim. Everything was new to her. She had never seen such things in the Cartel mansion or when exploring the outside world.
“How do you like the scene of someone indulging in a refined hobby?”
“There’s a lot I’ve never seen before. It’s fascinating.”
“That’s to be expected. These are old instruments only used by royalty. They’re not only expensive but rare as well.”
As Chanelika’s gaze moved from one instrument to another, she noticed more and more details.
“Are all these instruments playable?”
“Of course.”
As Chanelika’s eyes gradually regained their liveliness, Eleusis smiled with satisfaction.
I’m glad I brought her here.
“Miss Chanel, would you mind sitting in that chair for a moment?”
At Eleusis’s words, Chanelika hesitated. The golden chair, so ornate it looked unfit for anyone but the King, seemed intimidating.
“You can sit. It’s a chair for someone who listens to my hobbies.”
Eleusis’s considerate words made Chanelika feel at ease, and she sat without further hesitation.
The small figure of the woman seated in the golden chair seemed perfectly at home, despite its opulence. Eleusis’s calm blue eyes held a strange look as he observed her. It felt peculiar to see someone finally sit in the chair he had always left empty.
“Let me perform a small recital for you.”
“A recital?”
“Yes, for my thoughtful companion, who has so many things on her mind today.”
Eleusis smiled warmly.
