Chapter 82
“Lady Chanel, congratulations!”
“We knew it would happen, but you’re really going to be Her Majesty the Queen soon.”
The day after the hunting competition, the maids came to see Chanellica and made a tremendous fuss. News that Chanellica had accepted the King’s proposal during the hunt had spread across the palace in an instant.
“……”
Chanellica excused herself from lunch and sent the maids away early, saying she needed to rest because she had overexerted herself yesterday.
Once the maids left, she immediately crawled back into bed and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.
She hadn’t been awake for more than a few hours, yet she already felt tired. Sunlight poured through the window — warm, dazzling autumn sunshine that was almost offensive to look at. Unlike her hollow mood.
“Haaah…”
Even the sunlight annoyed her. She pulled the blanket over her head. Maybe the darkness would calm her down — but instead, she felt suffocated and hot.
What is wrong with me?
Everything was going exactly as she had planned and desired. So why did she feel so strange? It was as if her mind and heart were acting separately.
Annoying.
When Eleusis proposed to her yesterday, her very first thought had been — “Ah… this is a bit fast.”
For some time now, Eleusis had been bringing up marriage consistently. And every time he did, Chanellica welcomed the topic with open arms. Her plan had always been: as “human Chanellica,” find a perfect human man, live a long and happy life with him, and end her little “playtime” on a satisfying note.
So when he sent her baked sweets the other day — clearly implying, “I’ll be proposing soon,” — she’d even made sure to hint the next day that she understood his meaning, and thanked him for it. She had fully expected to receive a proposal at any moment.
But once she actually did receive it, she couldn’t help but think it was too soon. Even though she was the one who had always responded so eagerly whenever he mentioned marriage.
The very next thought that flashed through her head was of Lord — watching the scene from behind.
It wasn’t discomfort she felt. It was a sense of liberation.
Being one step closer to marrying Eleusis made the human Derwin in her memories feel utterly irrelevant.
“You don’t have to answer right now. I would be overjoyed if you accepted immediately, but if you feel it’s too soon, you can take your time.”
When she didn’t answer for a long while, Eleusis whispered that nervously. The once-composed king suddenly fidgeting made her tense as well.
“No. Your Majesty’s proposal — I will gladly accept.”
Heart light and drunk on that feeling of freedom, Chanellica declared her acceptance boldly on the spot.
Immediately, the entire mountain of Siret erupted into cheers.
It was perfect. Everything was perfect.
So why did she wake up feeling like this?
Her emotions had swung so violently she could no longer get a grasp on herself. Everything was going her way — she only needed to prepare to be queen and live happily ever after. So why was she so unsettled? Had the freedom she felt from shedding her past as human Derwin turned into futility overnight?
Whatever. I need sleep.
She felt stifled, but maybe if she slept deeply, she could sort these feelings out.
She closed her eyes. Silence pressed against her ears.
Just as she was about to drift off—
—You’re not seriously thinking of marrying a human, are you?
Her eyes flew open.
That familiar voice echoed directly in her head. Her pupils darted wildly in the darkness under the blanket.
No… I must have imagined it.
Startled, she held her breath and stayed still.
Silence.
Maybe it was a dream?
Convinced she had been mistaken, she sighed and closed her eyes again.
—Hatchling.
Fwip.
She threw the blanket off so violently dust flew up. She swept her messy hair back and looked around the room.
No one.
Which meant — Lord was outside the room, speaking via telepathy.
As a mere hatchling, Chanellica couldn’t clearly distinguish telepathy from sound without seeing the person.
What do you think you’re doing…? I can’t even use telepathy!
She was about to protest when she realized — she wasn’t under any spell.
She got out of bed and stomped to the door. The moment she opened it, Derwin stood there — with two maids beside him.
“Lady Chanel? Did you need something…?”
The maids were startled to see her suddenly appear in such disheveled state.
She couldn’t glare at them with witnesses watching, nor could she speak openly.
She briefly glanced at Derwin, then said to the maids,
“I’m thirsty. I want something very cold to drink. Juice — with ice floating in it.”
“Ice? That can only be fetched from His Majesty’s kitchen…”
“Yes. I tried some before when His Majesty gave me some. And now I really want it.”
The two maids exchanged troubled looks, then nodded.
“It won’t be quick. It’ll take a while to bring. Is that alright?”
“I’ll wait.”
“We’ll hurry.”
Chanellica pretended to go back inside and began closing the door — but stopped. The maids disappeared down the hall. Only Derwin remained. She had a brief window before others returned.
“What do you think you’re doing, making noise like that? You woke me up.”
She spoke through the almost-closed door.
“Sending me messages without warning is extremely irritating. And only you can use Dragonspeech. Remember? I’m still a hatchling. I can’t use magic.”
Her voice trembled with anger.
—You can now.
Telepathy again. He must have cast the spell in the meantime.
“What? What shady thing are you trying to say that you won’t speak out loud?”
—If you prefer, I’ll enter your room and speak with a human mouth.
“I don’t want to talk to you at all.”
—Then shall I speak loudly enough for everyone to hear?
…What is with that attitude?
She instantly sensed — she couldn’t just complain casually this time. Even though it was telepathy, his tone carried a level of displeasure she wasn’t used to from him.
—As your Lord, I ask to confirm what was declared yesterday regarding your marriage.
Why do you care?
She instinctively asked herself that — but instead of saying it, she slammed the door and retreated to her bed, crawling back under the blanket. She wanted to be as far away from Lord as possible.
—Does that mean I may enter the room?
—No. Stay there. I’ll answer via telepathy.
She lay face down under the blanket. Being forced into conversation like this annoyed her deeply. But since he insisted he was speaking as Lord, she had to respond. Whatever pointless thing he was trying to pick a fight over, she’d get it over with.
—Why did you accept the king’s proposal?
“Hah.”
She let out a laugh of disbelief. That was what he was worked up about?
—Because I’m going to marry him. Obviously.
—Are you planning to torture the human who treats you kindly? Give him false hope?
Ah. So he truly doesn’t understand.
Well, I never explained my plans to him.
He must have thought — of course she wouldn’t actually marry. She’ll leave once she becomes a full dragon.
Still, it was amusing. For someone like Lord, why did he suddenly care about such trivial human matters?
—I’m not giving him false hope. I really will marry him.
—There isn’t much time until your Ascension as a divine dragon.
—True. But even after Ascension, I’ll stay here as human Chanellica. I’ll live happily with His Majesty for a long, long time — and then end my play.
Silence.
The telepathic presence in her head vanished abruptly.
Chanellica flung off her blanket.
The room was silent. Her mind was silent.
Why did the sudden quiet feel so uncomfortable?
There was no way the conversation had ended there. The uneasy tension made goosebumps rise along her arms when—
—Who gave you permission?
She froze.
She had to replay the voice in her head. Did he really just say that?
That was something one only said when one cared.
Something utterly unfitting for someone who supposedly stood beside her only as a protector.
—I gave myself permission.
She snapped back immediately — and he replied without pause.
—You are under a misconception, child. You are not playing a game here. You are temporarily stranded in the human world because you had no choice.
—That doesn’t matter. Once I ascend and return, I’ll just resume my play. Like you.
—A hatchling cannot play. And resuming it is nonsense.
*—Fine, maybe the wording is strange. But I can do it. It’s rare for a hatchling to be out like this at all. Even if this ‘isn’t playtime,’ I’m already living like it. I’ll leave for a few days, ascend, and return — and then it will be official play. Just like you — you lost your memory and resumed your play. Why can’t I, when I remember everything?
Her thoughts flowed calmly and logically through telepathy.
—I do not permit it.
The cold response threw her off.
Permit?
Permit? Why do I need your permission to play?
—A hatchling is under the Lord’s jurisdiction. Continuing your play is not permitted.
His tone was uncharacteristically firm — even authoritarian.
She felt like her lunch was climbing back up her throat.
—Why do I need your permission? I’m not saying I’ll do it as a hatchling. I’ll do it as a full dragon after Ascension.
—No is no.
Ridiculous. Absolutely absurd.
She let out a long sigh at the ceiling.
*—Right now, you’re saying I can’t resume play because I’m a hatchling. Fine. Even if this isn’t official play and I’m ‘under your protection’ — once I ascend, I am a dragon. A divine dragon. You have no right to stop me from leaving for play. Not as Lord — nor as mate.”
She still had no idea why he was being unreasonable — but she didn’t have to tolerate it.
—Whatever you’re trying to pull, don’t wave authority around without a valid reason. It’s not a good look.
—…Did you not say you would meet God after Ascension? After meeting Him, you cannot continue living as a human.
She snapped her gaze toward the door.
She could picture him standing right behind it.
Ah. So you’re finally bringing that up?
