Chapter 6
I quickly turned my head toward the source of the sound.
I had been so focused on the dragon that I hadn’t even noticed someone was there due to how completely silent he was.
He was nearly 190 cm tall, with dark skin.
His white hair was long and braided into a single plait, and every button of his clothing was fastened up to his neck.
He didn’t say a word, but the cold atmosphere surrounding him—and his vertically slit pupils like a snake’s—instinctively made me realize this man was the dragon in human form.
He looked at me with a blank expression and asked.
“Why are you here?”
His emotionless eyes scanned over me.
A strange chill ran down my spine, like I was facing a perfectly crafted doll that had suddenly started to move.
“I should be the one asking that. Where am I? I was clearly in the castle….”
“The castle? You mean Valfruga Castle?”
A strange light flickered in his blue eyes.
“Yes. Did you bring me here?”
“It may be yes, or it may be no.”
Your voice sounds exactly like him.
I swallowed the words that nearly escaped my throat.
It was better not to provoke him unnecessarily.
He strode toward me.
I wanted to step back and avoid him, but behind me was the massive body of the dragon, leaving me nowhere to retreat.
He stopped right in front of me, leaned down, and met my eye level.
Even his breath carried a coldness.
His gaze searched me like a snake flicking its tongue.
“What is your name?”
“Pellia Foldvish. Or rather, Valfruga now that I’m married.”
“That name hasn’t been used long enough to be considered yours. Don’t you have a name you’ve been called for much longer?”
I looked at his face, but still couldn’t read a single emotion.
Does he… know I’ve possessed this body?
Who exactly is he?
I instinctively took a step back, but lost my footing and stumbled. He quickly grabbed my arm.
“That doesn’t matter. If you want to be called that in the future, then so be it.”
Then he turned slightly, pulling me away from the dragon.
It only lasted a moment, but the coldness left on my arm made my whole body shiver.
He stepped back, as if showing he had no intention of harming me, and kept his distance.
Then he ran his hand along the massive, snow-mountain-like body of the dragon and said:
“Give me a name.”
“What? Your name?”
“Hurry. There isn’t much time.”
The situation, which didn’t exist in the original story, left me completely confused.
I couldn’t even tell if this was a dream or reality.
So I just said whatever came to mind.
Ever since I was little and raised a black puppy at the orphanage, I had given all the animals the same kind of names.
“Then… Blackie?”
“Pardon? Wait…!”
For the first time, an expression appeared on his face.
But at that moment, just like when I was dragged here, my consciousness blurred again.
When I opened my eyes, I was in my bedroom bed.
“Sister!”
As soon as I opened my eyes, Roos rushed into my arms with tearful eyes.
Seeing Roos’s face made me feel a little relieved.
What a strange dream.
“You suddenly collapsed, so I was so worried. The doctor said you were just asleep, but… have you been overworking yourself lately?”
“It’s nothing like that, don’t worry.”
I patted him to reassure him, but Roos looked extremely anxious and refused to leave my side.
“By the way, Roos. What time is it? How long have I been asleep?”
Roos glanced at me hesitantly.
“Roos?”
“…It’s been a full day since you fell asleep.”
“I see… huh?”
“And the time limit is about to end, sister.”
Oh no. I had planned to check whether Prug had secretly moved the jewels while I was asleep.
Roos, who was pressed closely beside me, whispered:
“Prug hasn’t done anything.”
How does he know that?
Because of the strange dream I had just had, I looked at Roos with suspicion.
“That’s what you were worried about, right?”
But his innocent smile was the same as always.
Well, Roos is smart enough to even be a male lead, and he already understands all my plans.
“Alright. Then all that’s left is to execute the plan.”
I grabbed Roos’s hand and grinned.
“You trust me, right?”
Roos nodded.
Roos and I headed to the office.
Prug had spread the news so thoroughly that the entire castle was packed with people.
“Madam, are you feeling alright?”
“Our lady is so delicate, what should we do?”
“Should we burn more wood?”
“But we don’t have money to buy firewood.”
Among the murmuring crowd, Prug stood alone with a smug expression.
“Now then, Madam. Time’s almost up. Have you prepared the ten million marks?”
He seemed certain I couldn’t possibly have the money.
Well, it must already be widely known in the castle that I had done nothing but laze around all week.
I slowly shook my head.
“Not yet. But I can easily earn about a million marks.”
“How can a girl like this be entrusted with managing the household! She says she can easily earn a million marks, everyone. Can you believe that?”
Prug shouted exaggeratedly to the crowd.
I remained calm and turned around.
“If you’re curious, I’ll show you how to earn a million marks right now. Everyone, follow me.”
At my confident attitude, the people murmured and followed.
“Madam, where are you going?”
“You can earn a million marks inside the castle?”
“There are less than 30 minutes left until the deadline!”
I led them toward Prug’s room.
At first, Prug had mocked me, but as we approached his quarters, his expression gradually stiffened. When he realized where I was headed, all the color drained from his face.
As I grabbed the doorknob, he stepped in front of me in panic.
“W-Wait! What do you think you’re doing?! Even if you’re the lady of the house, you can’t just enter my room!”
At that moment, Roos spoke.
“Prug. Move.”
“Duke!”
“Are you disobeying me? Move aside immediately.”
“N-No! I can’t! This is a bet the Madam lost in the first place! I don’t see how my room is relevant!”
As Prug struggled, the people who had been watching me in confusion began shifting their attention toward him.
“What could he be hiding in there?”
“But why is the Madam going into Prug’s room?”
“But isn’t Prug’s reaction strange too? There’s no reason to hide his room like that.”
Hearing the murmurs, Prug realized his mistake.
After glaring at me for a while, he slowly stepped aside.
“…I was only trying to protect my privacy. I hope everyone understands there’s nothing strange going on. And please don’t touch anything unnecessarily once you enter.”
Prug warned me.
“Don’t worry.”
There won’t be anything left to check anyway.
His room was just as filthy as before.
As my skirt caught on a pile of scattered papers, Prug panicked.
“W-Wait! Be careful! This is my room—!”
“Shut up.”
I pushed him aside and lifted the carpet.
The crowd watched in confusion, while Prug looked like he might faint at any moment.
“Wait! That’s—!”
He tried to stop me, but Roos had his men restrain him first.
“No! No! That’s mine! How dare a bastard orphan touch that!”
Ignoring his shouting, I lifted the wooden floorboard.
“Don’t!”
Inside the hidden space beneath it was a small box.
When I opened it, a dazzling glow spilled out—jewels.
Gasps of shock and awe spread through the crowd.
“That’s my property! My inherited wealth! How dare a woman like you—!”
Prug rambled desperately.
I rummaged through the box and pulled out a ring.
“Is this also your inheritance?”
Anyone loyal to the Valfruga family would recognize it immediately.
This ring bore the family seal—it belonged to the head of the house.
“That’s the former duke’s…!”
“I heard it disappeared after his accidental death. Why is that with Prug…?”
“What… what is going on?”
Prug elbowed his captors and tried to push through the crowd.
“Stop him from escaping!”
At my command, the people grabbed him again.
He struggled wildly, but the crowd, now realizing the truth, tightened their grip.
Eventually, Prug was forced to his knees in front of Roos and me.
His mouth was gagged with cloth, but his eyes burned with resentment as he glared at me.
Ignoring him, I handed the box to Roos.
“This isn’t Prug’s inheritance. It’s for you, Roos.”
Only then did the people fully understand what was happening.
“W-Wait! So Prug stole the duke’s belongings?!”
“That’s the only explanation! Why else would he hide it!”
“Then what are all those jewels piled up in there?!”
Roos answered their question.
“He secretly siphoned off the family’s assets. And the one who discovered it was my wife, Pellia.”
“The new lady discovered it?!”
“So all this time, while we were barely eating properly, he was hoarding wealth?!”
“With just those jewels we can finally eat!”
“Yes! That’s right!”
“A blessing…!”
Someone shouted:
“The Madam is a blessing! She’s this castle’s blessing!”
“Yes! Yes!”
“If it weren’t for her, we’d still be fooled by that frog-like bastard!”
Suddenly, someone raised both hands.
“Long live the blessed Madam!”
“Long live the blessed Madam!”
Overcome with joy, the people lifted me up and began tossing me in celebration.
“W-Wait…!”
“Three cheers for the Madam!”
“Long live the Madam! Long live! Long live!”
I tried to stop them, but it was no use.
After so long living in poverty, no words could describe the joy of finally discovering the source of their suffering—and reclaiming the hidden wealth.
Still, seeing everyone laughing and embracing each other warmed my heart.
A few days later, a formal investigation into Prug was conducted, and evidence of his crimes steadily surfaced.
Locked in prison, Prug first denied everything—then eventually confessed.
Instead of execution, he was stripped of everything and exiled.
He would never return to this territory again.
From the window, I looked down at his miserable figure as he left the castle alone.
And two days after officially taking over the household affairs…
I found myself facing a debt of one billion marks.
