Vivian (17)

Misfortune always comes without warning.

That day was no different.

On that day, the dark clouds were particularly thick.

As I was about to light a fire in the cold weather, we happened to run out of firewood.

“I have to go get wood again.”

“If you’re tired, just endure one day without it.”

“And then shiver from the cold?”

“If you can’t bear it, you can just stay in Helix’s arms.”

“No thanks, I’ll be back.”

I grabbed my axe and A-frame carrier and headed for the forest.

If I had listened to Excellia then, could I have prevented the tragedy?

I often vaguely wonder about it.

Thwack!!

Chopping down trees wasn’t easy even for me, a Dragon.

If I swung incorrectly, I could hurt myself, so strength alone wasn’t enough.

“This should be enough.”

I piled the logs onto the A-frame carrier and tied them with a rope.

It took almost thirty minutes to walk from the forest to the house.

“Heave-ho.”

I walked for a long time, carrying the logs.

The house I returned to was eerily quiet.

To an ominous degree.

“Excellia, I’m home.”

I opened the door and looked inside the house, but Excellia wasn’t there.

Did she go to the bathroom?

With an ominous feeling, I gulped.

“Excellia?”

I briefly drew upon my Magic to detect my surroundings.

At the same time, my expression stiffened.

“She’s gone.”

She’s not here.

Excellia is gone.

This wasn’t just a temporary absence; she had completely vanished from the vicinity.

Could it be that Vivian took Excellia while I was away?

My hands trembled with fear.

I thought our peaceful time had finally come to an end like this.

“That’s…”

It was a Magic Stone.

A very expensive item.

It was something we, who had left with nothing, couldn’t possibly possess.

Gulp, I grabbed the Magic Stone with trembling hands.

Then, I drew upon my Magic and infused it into the Magic Stone.

Wooong!!

At the same time, a voice began to emanate from the Magic Stone.

“Hello, Helix.”

“…!!”

I flinched my shoulders in surprise.

Though it was heavily mixed with static, there was no way I wouldn’t recognize it.

Vivian’s voice.

Vivian had found this place.

“I finally found you, but the Elf was leisurely playing while you went to work alone, didn’t you?”

“…”

“Well, as you’ve probably guessed, I have the Elf. But don’t worry. I didn’t kill her. It’s obvious you’d throw a fit.”

Relief and despair intertwined at her words.

It was a relief that Excellia wasn’t dead yet, but only a harsh path awaited my and her future.

“What happens next is up to you, Helix. When you’re ready, return to the Capital.”

“…”

With that, Vivian’s voice ceased.

My vision blurred with despair.

But thinking of Excellia, who must be trembling in fear, I couldn’t afford to be weak.

“I have to go…”

Wooong!!

I dispelled Polymorph, returning to my Dragon form.

It was time to reunite with Vivian.

*****

The Imperial Palace of the Empire.

Excellia opened her eyes to a splitting headache.

“Helix…”

Excellia called out the Dragon’s name first.

At the same time, she recalled her current situation.

“Could it be… the Empire?”

She remembered clearly.

The Empress and her personal guard had suddenly burst in, and a battle ensued.

Thinking she couldn’t win anyway, she had tried to escape from the spot and then rendezvous with Helix.

But the Empress must have used some trick, as she couldn’t resist the sudden overwhelming drowsiness…

“What exactly is her scheme…?”

It was a more luxurious room than she expected.

The clothes she was wearing were silk pajamas that noblewomen might wear.

There was no reason for the Empress of the Empire to treat her like this.

She had expected to be immediately hung in a torture chamber and subjected to all sorts of torment, but the Empress hadn’t done that.

“Could she still be thinking there’s room for negotiation with Helix…?”

“That’s right.”

Just then, the door opened and a maid entered.

A maid with black hair and golden eyes.

She was a woman Excellia had never seen before, yet she looked familiar for some reason.

Though their gender and height were clearly different…

She resembled him too much.

“Why are you staring so intently?”

“Because you resemble someone I know.”

The maid was silent for a moment, then spoke.

“Is that person you know a Dragon?”

“Yes. You resemble him as if you were siblings.”

“That’s why I was chosen as the Empress’s maid.”

“Just because you resemble Helix?”

“Yes. I don’t know Her Majesty’s exact intentions, but…”

Excellia pressed her temples, as if her throbbing head was causing her distress.

Was it a side effect of the drug used to put her to sleep?

Forcing herself to suppress a frown, Excellia asked the maid.

“Why am I here?”

“Because Her Majesty ordered the Elf-nim to be brought here.”

“I know that. What I mean is…”

“Are you wondering why you’re here instead of in the dungeon?”

“Yes.”

The maid sat down on a small chair placed beside the bed.

And then, without giving any answer, she just stared intently at Excellia.

A grumbling sound escaped Excellia at the persistent gaze.

“What is it?”

“I was just looking because you’re pretty. Elves truly are a race of beauty.”

“Surely you don’t have such tastes…?”

“Of course not. It’s just a pure observation.

The maid’s expression truly showed no particular emotion.

“But you’re not as beautiful as Her Majesty. I was just curious to see what kind of woman could steal a Dragon’s heart.”

“I’ve never compared myself to anyone based on looks, but I think I’m better than that woman.”

“…”

“And if I’m being precise, I didn’t steal it.”

At her words, a peculiar light flickered in the maid’s golden eyes.

“Did truly nothing happen with the Dragon?”

“Yes, unfortunately, that’s how it turned out.”

“Didn’t you also resolve yourself to make something happen? How can nothing happen when a man and woman have lived together for over a year?”

“I tried everything I could. But what can I do if he still didn’t fall for it? I didn’t know he’d be such a blockhead.”

“…”

The maid fell into thought, her expression complex.

Hope and worry crossed her eyes repeatedly.

“Her Majesty didn’t kill you because there was still something she needed to confirm.”

“What’s that?”

“Whether or not you’ve shared your body with the Dragon.”

“Ha, that woman is truly something.”

Excellia let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

Indeed, she had wondered why that devilish woman had kept her alive.

Was it to create a relaxed atmosphere to hear what she wanted to hear?

“What if I lie now?”

“She’s not foolish enough to be unable to discern that much.”

“Well, I suppose so. So, am I going to die at the Empress’s hands now?”

“She didn’t say anything like that.”

“Tsk.”

Excellia flopped back onto the bed.

“You might die, yet you’re sleepy? You’re fearless.”

“I just want to get some good sleep since I don’t know when I’ll die.”

“Well, alright. Get some good rest.”

With those words, the maid tried to leave.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

“What’s your name?”

“Stella, if you must know?”

“Stella, I’ll remember that.”

“Are you going to curse me when you die?”

“Of course not.”

Excellia turned over, facing away, and spoke in a small, almost inaudible voice.

“Because you’ve been looking after me all this time.”

“…”

The maid, Stella, looked at Excellia with complex eyes, then…

She let out a small sigh and offered her final advice.

“Beg Her Majesty for forgiveness.”

“…”

“Beg for forgiveness and promise that such a thing will never happen again.”

“I refuse.”

Even with her seemingly pathetic back, Excellia’s voice was firm.

“I won’t say that, even if I die.”

“Why…?”

“If I do that too, that woman will try to control Helix even more. I can’t let that happen.”

“Don’t speak so arrogantly. The Dragon was Her Majesty’s to begin with, not yours.”

“Even the maid says the same thing. The Dragon belongs to no one. He’s just a good person to the point of being foolish, and his taste in women is terribly bad.”

“…”

Stella eventually sighed, then…

“I’ve given my advice, don’t resent me later.”

Leaving only those words, she exited the room.

Excellia was once again left alone in the room.

She pulled the blanket over her head, taking time to compose herself.

She didn’t think she would survive.

That woman would kill her anyway.

She would definitely kill her.

Excellia hadn’t forgotten the murderous intent in those two eyes.

“That maid seems to think her mistress is a merciful person.”

Was she blind, or had she truly been treated well?

Her own situation was different, after all.

A fate where she was bound to die.

If so, at least…

She wanted to see him one more time.

*****

The journey back to the Empire Capital felt particularly long.

I cast Teleport spells consecutively, almost wasting Magic.

Sometimes, I flew with my own wings, barely arriving at the Empire Capital.

Perhaps they had anticipated my arrival, as the Empire’s anti-air Magic system wasn’t activated.

“Who goes there! This is Her Majesty’s sacred audience chamber!”

“It’s me.”

At that, the knights guarding the front of the audience chamber tilted their heads, then gasped in surprise and knelt.

“We greet the Holy Dragon!”

“Is Vivian inside?”

“Yes, she is, but…”

“I’m going in, move aside.”

At that, the knights hesitated and blocked my path.

“No one can enter until Her Majesty’s permission is granted.”

“Her Majesty called for me. So move.”

“However…”

Just as the struggle was unfolding, the black-haired maid opened the door and appeared.

“Her Majesty has granted an audience.”

“You, you’re that child from before.”

“Do you remember me…?”

Stella, her name was Stella, right?

The maid who was brought in because she resembled me so much.

Fortunately, Vivian had taken good care of her and kept her.

“Lead the way.”

“Yes, please follow me.”

Following the long path through the Imperial Palace, I finally stood before Vivian’s throne.

At the end of the endlessly stretching red path…

Vivian was waiting for me with arrogant eyes.

“Welcome, my Dragon.”

“Where is Excellia?”

“You’re looking for that woman the moment you see me? I’m hurt, you know?”

Vivian chuckled at me and descended from her seat.

Then, step by step, she approached me with threatening strides, like a predator hunting its prey.

“You should ask about your wife first. If you keep acting like that, you might provoke my jealousy again, you know?”

“…”

Vivian came right up to my nose, stretched out her arm, and gently caressed my cheek.

Her touch was quite tender and soft, but what filled her eyes was intense wrath.

“Now, I’ll hear your excuses first. Go on, try to convince me why I should keep that woman alive.”