Chapter : 13
“Mmm! This orange juice is so delicious. Should we try the cookies Rian gave as a present too?”
Crunch, crunch.
After eating the cookies Rian had brought, Lulu’s cheeks puffed up like bread.
“Mmm! Delicious! Rian, you should eat too!”
Although Rian was the one who had given the gift, Lulu offered the cookies as if she were the hostess serving snacks.
But Rian didn’t answer.
Propping his chin in his hand, he seemed lost in thought.
Only when he finally noticed the cookie Lulu was holding out did he mutter,
“I can’t believe you can make up so quickly… you’re really simple.”
Huh? Was that a compliment or an insult?
Lulu’s eyebrows went up.
“Lulu doesn’t look simple though—? Big sis said Lulu’s eyelashes are super long and her face is really cute.”
“I’m not talking about your face. It’s a compliment, so just take it.”
“Oh!”
So it was a compliment. In that case—pass!
Lulu was just about to shove the cookie into her own mouth instead when—
“…Lulu. From now on, this is going to be a secret conversation.”
Suddenly, Rian stood up and locked Lulu’s bedroom door, stopping her mid-bite.
“A… secret conversation?”
“Yeah. A secret.”
Though the situation was abrupt, Rian’s expression was serious, as if he had been thinking about this for a long time.
Ba-dum!
It was like thunder and lightning exploded in Lulu’s head.
‘Wait, I’ve seen this in a storybook before!’
That’s right—
In fairy tales, there was always the “secret talk” scene that happened when the protagonist became close friends with someone.
‘…Lulu is finally the main character of a fairy tale…’
Huff, huff.
She put down the cookie she had been eating and stood up.
She was so excited her tiny nostrils were flaring.
“Tell me! Hurry!”
“First, take this robe.”
But instead of telling the secret, Rian handed her a robe.
“Huh? A fluffy fur robe?”
He even helped her put it on himself.
It was so big that it looked like the robe had swallowed her whole.
It was a beautiful dark blue robe made of fine fabric, trimmed with fox fur.
But the gifts didn’t stop there.
“These gloves are too luxurious for me. And this…”
“Huh?”
“And you wear this scarf.”
Then came fur boots, scarf, and hat.
Just like that, Lulu was being dressed up like a cute snowman.
Blink, blink.
Lulu’s eyes wavered in confusion.
“…Rian, are you going to walk around naked like a horned rabbit?”
“No. I just don’t need expensive clothes anymore. Actually, I’ve decided to live with my friends at the orphanage from now on.”
“What?!”
Lulu flinched in shock, but couldn’t move because of the scarf and robe wrapped tightly around her.
But still—
“Rian, you have a knight! You have family, so why go to an orphanage?!”
Even as a young dragon who didn’t know much about the world, she knew that much.
It wasn’t because Lulu was particularly smart—she was just a fairy tale maniac.
“My family is the Black Lake unit members, including you, Lulu. Velix is my family too, but… honestly, over the last four years, we’ve grown pretty distant.”
“Huh?”
“And going alone to the duke’s estate… that’d be cowardly for a captain.”
Had he decided this days ago?
“They’re my family too, so it’s weird for me to be treated specially just because I’m a noble.”
The way he spoke calmly carried a weight of determination.
‘Is this… the burden of a captain?’
Lulu felt a lump in her throat.
“…As expected of the captain. Lulu will work hard too.”
Her little fists trembled under the robe.
‘Even though Lulu’s the vice-captain of the Black Lake unit, she’s just been lazing around.’
Time for self-reflection!
“But my brother won’t allow it.”
“Even though you’re the captain?”
“Because I’m his family, he’ll obviously want me to return to the estate. That’s why I’m going to say my last goodbye to you and slip away secretly.”
Creak.
As if he was ready, Rian opened the window.
He even placed his bare foot on the window sill, ready to jump out.
“So, Lulu. As the vice-captain of the Black Lake unit, keep my plan to secretly leave a secret.”
“…Mm! Mm?”
Lulu looked like she’d agree to anything Rian asked, but she hesitated.
The knight cared about Rian so deeply he even searched for him in his dreams.
If Rian disappeared right after being found, what would happen to him?
‘If Lulu disappears without a word, big sis might be sad too.’
“No way!”
Imagining her sister crying snapped Lulu to her senses.
“Rian, don’t go!”
“…Lulu. You too.”
But Rian had already turned away.
‘What do I do?!’
She wanted to grab him right away, but the scarf and robe wrapped around her made it impossible to move.
In that case—
Roll—
‘I’ll roll!’
Lulu dove forward and rolled furiously toward the window.
Thud!
A pile of clothes crashed down as she hit the wall.
In that moment, she slipped her arm out of the robe and quickly unraveled the scarf before darting free.
“Rian, you’re not going.”
With that, she grabbed his wrist!
“Lulu…”
“No!”
Her firm refusal made Rian’s expression twist in frustration.
“But… if I go back to the estate like this, the orphanage kids might be thrown out again, or worse. Nobles are sly by nature, Lulu!”
Rian didn’t seem like he’d change his mind.
Lulu clung to his arm and thought hard.
He couldn’t go to the orphanage—
But he wanted to make sure his friends were okay.
“Oh!”
When a good idea popped into her head, her drooping twin tails perked right up.
“Rian, then how about this?”
She leaned toward his ear and whispered something.
Meanwhile—
“To think he’d volunteer to go to the orphanage… this Rian kid isn’t ordinary…”
Angela climbed the tower stairs with a complicated expression.
“Maybe it’s because he’s lived with those kids for four years. I mean, if it were me, and comrades I survived the battlefield with were going to an orphanage, I’d feel weird enjoying noble life alone too.”
She had actually known for a while that Rian felt awkward around Velix.
Whenever they met, the boy kept a certain distance or avoided unnecessary conversations with him.
Still, since Velix had asked her, she would try giving an order.
‘Would he really want to part with friends he’s spent four years on the streets with?’
Sometimes in life, you met people thicker than blood.
And sometimes, family could feel more like strangers.
‘Sigh, whatever. I’ll just try ordering him first.’
Though it bothered her, Angela’s priority was living peacefully in the tower with Lulu.
She’d help as much as she could, but if it came down to it, she’d throw both Velix and Rian out.
“Lulu, Rian, are you having fun?”
She opened Lulu’s door—
“Big sis… you’re here?”
Lulu greeted her with a strangely awkward smile.
Rian was nowhere in sight, and Lulu was sitting alone, back straight in a chair.
“Lulu, where’s Rian?”
“Rian? Lulu hasn’t seen him?”
Oh-ho.
Even telling lies now?
Angela folded her arms and smirked.
“Then what’s with the robe Rian gave you?”
“!”
The little hands clutching a book twitched in surprise.
‘Well, now what are you going to do, little salamander?’
Angela already knew it was a lie, but the little dragon’s mind must be racing to make an excuse.
And then—
“R-Rian suddenly just whoosh—disappeared! He left the robe behind!”
Unfortunately, Lulu was no natural-born liar.
Her pupils even trembled as if lying for the first time in her life.
‘Oh dear.’
If she had lied more convincingly, Angela might have played along for a few minutes.
But this was sloppy acting.
Big sis was disappointed.
“Lie.”
Angela whispered.
“It’s not a lie! Lulu was going to tell big sis but…”
“…”
“You just got here so fast? Hehe…”
“Lies must be punished. Velix, search Lulu’s room.”
“Yes.”
“Ahh!”
Velix suddenly entered Lulu’s room, making her jump in shock.
“Big sis! This is abuse of authority!”
“Where’d you even learn that phrase? From that something Lake place?”
“No! Lulu doesn’t abuse authority!”
“There’s nothing under the bed. I’ll check the wardrobe next.”
As Velix gave his quick report and opened the wardrobe door—
“Velix?”
“…”
“Velix, you okay?”
His huge back froze solid.
A moment later—
Velix turned with a troubled expression and revealed what was inside the wardrobe.
