Chapter : 37
Of course, she nonchalantly picked her ear.
“I can’t handle this anymore, so if you want to serve someone, then serve yourselves.”
‘Unni’s getting shy!’
What a strange sight!
When Lulu stared at her, Angela, feeling oddly embarrassed, picked a fight with her.
“What are you looking at, salamander?”
“Your face is as red as a tomato. Unni turned into a tomato!”
“Be quiet.”
“Why? Among all the vegetables, tomatoes are Lulu’s favorite food. Does Unni hate tomatoes?”
Using the conversation as an excuse, Lulu squirmed her way onto her sister’s chair.
Her tiny bottom claimed a spot, and suddenly the air above felt rather fresh.
‘Now that the mission’s over, there are people all around!’
Her legs dangled in midair when—
“Even if it’s just for three days, to me and my daughter, it’ll be precious time.”
The lively mood froze over.
It was because of Asceline, who, after dropping words like a bomb, still smiled as if resigned.
“Why only three days?”
When Belix, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, she rolled up her sleeve and showed her arm.
“They cast black magic on me.”
On her white arm, a complex magic formula was drawn.
Angela, leaning closer to examine it carefully, clicked her tongue.
“Damn old man. If only he’d used this talent for something good.”
“…He said if we don’t return, we might die.”
“That’s right. This spell, called ‘Shadow Assassination,’ even if the caster is far away, once mana is poured into it, the formula turns into poison and seeps into the skin.”
Listening quietly, Del’s face instantly turned pale.
“S-so, you mean my wife and daughter could be poisoned to death?”
Angela wanted to say something reassuring, but instead she sighed, clearly lacking confidence.
“…Black magic is already difficult to undo, but this one is more complex than usual. I thought it seemed too easy to dispel, but he went and used one of the nastier kinds.”
Meanwhile.
‘Formula?’
When the adults’ faces grew serious, Lulu lifted her head.
She perked up her ears and focused on the conversation, but the only word she could understand was “formula.”
Living with Angela, a mage, she was familiar with formulas.
‘Formula? On the arm?’
Lulu stretched on tiptoes to see Asceline’s arm.
But with her plump little sausage-like legs, she couldn’t see.
Just then—
“…Oh-ho?”
Lulu’s body floated up.
It was Belix, lifting her.
“Thank youu!”
“It’s not a good thing, so just watch quietly.”
“Got it.”
Nodding quickly, Lulu pouted her lips and whispered.
“Thank youuu.”
“I meant be quiet while looking, not answer me loudly.”
Still, thanks to him, Lulu was able to see the formula drawn on Asceline’s arm.
But those ruby eyes, full of curiosity, froze in shock.
‘I once accidentally erased one of those on little Unni!’
Cold sweat rolled down her round forehead.
The poor baby dragon didn’t know.
That the adults were racking their brains to figure out how to erase it!
All she remembered was that the last time she did, the staff had scolded her fiercely.
‘I must never get caught. If they find out… Unni will scold me…!’
“Hmm.”
Her trembling eyes turned away from Asceline’s arm.
Belix, puzzled, asked,
“What? Now that you’ve seen it, does it look scary?”
“…Yeah. Lulu doesn’t understand what adults are saying…”
I need to get out of here fast!
“Put me down, pleeease.”
The moment her feet touched the ground, she was ready to dash away—
“Um, that…”
Her eyes met Daisy’s, who had been about to raise her hand.
‘N-no way?!’
That’s right.
Lulu wasn’t the only one who knew her secret slip-up.
If Daisy told, Lulu was done for!
‘I can’t let that happen!’
“Lulu?”
As Lulu was about to run to her room, she dashed toward Daisy instead.
Then, narrowing her eyes fiercely—
Tap.
She placed her tiny hand on Daisy’s arm.
‘No betrayal.’
Yes.
‘Lulu saved Daisy Unni before. Even though Lulu got scolded… Little Unni must save Lulu too!’
Though her triangular eyes burned with determination, her chubby cheeks trembled with fear of scolding.
“What is it, Daisy?”
“Ah…”
Did she understand Lulu’s message?
“It’s nothing. Just… nothing.”
Daisy kept Lulu’s secret.
‘Phew, I really almost got scolded!’
Finally, Lulu’s tiny hand let go of her arm.
Relieved, Lulu nestled back into Angela’s arms and soon dozed off with a soft snore.
That night.
“U… Unni. Lulu didn’t cause trouble…”
Having stolen all of her sister’s blanket, Lulu frowned in her sleep, buried deep in the covers.
“…Unni, it wasn’t Lulu who stole your fried egg. It was Lulu’s left hand that moved on its own…”
Gasp.
Her sleepy eyes flew wide open.
“A scary dream…!”
Her heart pounded.
In the dream, she had coveted her sister’s fried egg and got scolded terribly…
‘What a terrifying dream!’
Shivers ran down her spine.
Lulu glanced nervously around the room.
Suddenly, the dark dawn felt frightening.
“Unni, wake up… h-huh.”
Her hand, about to wake the sleeping Angela, froze. She realized it was her sister who had scolded her in the dream.
“…You can’t touch the whiskers of a sleeping lion…”
The trembling child chose a backup plan: wake Boseok instead!
“Boseok, Boseok, can you hear me?”
—Snoooore.
But Boseok was in a deep sleep.
Left all alone, Lulu climbed down from the bed, tiptoed, and opened the door.
‘I’m scared, so I’ll stay with the Moon instead.’
Beyond the wide common room window, the bright night sky sparkled with stars and the moon.
Lulu climbed onto the sofa.
She clasped her little hands together and rubbed them quickly.
“Moon, stars. Lulu is really scared right now. Could you please hurry and show me the sun?”
Just then—
Clatter!
“M-m-monster!”
Startled by the sudden sound of the door, Lulu screamed.
She didn’t even think to run. The poor dragon buried her face in a cushion as big as her head.
Her body and butt were still exposed on the sofa, but she believed if she blocked her own sight, she was hidden.
“Was your name Lulu, the one the princess is looking after?”
But it wasn’t a monster.
When she lifted her head at the gentle voice, she saw a middle-aged woman who looked just as startled—
It was Daisy’s mother, Asceline.
‘…If I don’t greet her, I’ll be a bad dragon!’
Forgetting her fear, Lulu bowed her head deeply.
“Hello, Auntie Asceline!”
“Yes, hello.”
Asceline, too, seemed relieved upon seeing Lulu.
“Um, but….”
“Yes?”
“Sorry to ask, but… those wings on your back… what are they?”
Though her face looked a little flustered.
“Wings?”
Blinking in confusion, Lulu hadn’t realized.
The wings should’ve been well hidden by Boseok’s power—
“Eek?!”
She spun around and spotted them. Her back grew cold.
‘…I’ve been found out.’
Yes.
Since Boseok was asleep, his control weakened, and Lulu, startled, had unconsciously spread her wings.
‘I-I’m doomed!’
But then a lightbulb flicked on in her little head.
‘As long as she doesn’t find out I’m a dragon, it’s fine, right?’
A brilliant idea!
Playing with her wings, Lulu grinned.
“…Auntie, these are angel wings!”
“But they have no feathers, and they’re covered in rough scales like a crocodile’s…”
As expected of an adult—smarter than Lulu!
But—
“That’s because Lulu is a crocodile angel!”
Pleased with her quick thinking, the little dragon twirled around.
“I see…”
Auntie Asceline nodded.
“Yes!”
Lulu, genius dragon!
“But normally, wouldn’t you call that a dragon?”
“Eep!”
At her cautious guess, Lulu realized she was exposed, buried her face into the cushion, and shook all over.
This was an emergency.
Everyone who had discovered her secret before had come to see dragons in a new, positive light after she helped them.
But Lulu hadn’t done anything for Auntie Asceline…!
‘Th-then… she’ll think dragons are bad….’
Now wasn’t the time to hide.
