Chapter 391

Chapter 391

For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Episode 391: Nidavellir (2)

“Welcome. The Jarl welcomes the guests.”

“Ugh…”

Faye reflexively flinched at the head steward’s subtle disdain. A conditioned response born from long years of contempt.

‘…No. I’m not the same as before. I acted so superior to my junior; I can’t back down here.’

Faye gritted her teeth and frowned, forcibly straightening her stooped back.

‘I have to speak. I am a direct descendant of the Yareunshade family. How dare a head steward disregard the Jarl’s authority?’

It was the moment Faye was internally resolving herself to speak…

“GAAAAAAAH!!!!”

“Hic!”

An overwhelming force. It was impossible to tell where such a volume of sound came from that slender body.

As if magic was imbued in it, a shockwave spread out from Yandel, scattering their hair and the hem of their clothes.

Faye, startled by Yandel’s cry without realizing it, stamped her feet.

‘Th-this won’t do… more than that, what was that just now…?’

An energy that stimulated the primal fear of living beings. Even knowing it wasn’t directed at her, Faye knew this feeling of her fine hairs standing on end all too well.

Dragon Fear.

Her lover, who was slowly ceasing to be human. Yandel’s rage was engulfing the lobby.

The head steward, who had been polite but somewhat arrogant just moments before, had already collapsed.

The dwarf’s characteristically thick legs couldn’t support his own weight, causing him to kneel, and his always stiff neck hung low.

Seeing the head steward gasping for breath, she realized.

The surroundings had become so quiet that even mere breathing sounded this loud.

The owner of the heavy silence opened his mouth.

“Was I that amusing?”

A voice closer to a predator’s growl than speech. But to her, it was the most beloved voice, and Faye turned around.

Yandel’s pupils, already elongated vertically like a dragon’s, were dominating the world.

A threatening gaze that made not only the head steward but also the other stewards around, and even Baru, who had guided them here, tremble.

But to Faye, it looked a little different.

‘Ah… so cool.’

The saying “like father, like son” must be used in times like this.

Since ancient times, dwarves were dragons’ errand boys, and this was even shown in the Subakdo.

…Still, isn’t this going too far?

“Heok… kkeueuk…”

The head steward was wheezing, unable to breathe properly. Seeing his face turn blue, it seemed he was truly on the verge of suffocating.

She was pissed off at the way he treated Faye, but not angry enough to kill someone.

The heat that flared up for a moment cooled down at a similar speed to when it had risen.

But that didn’t mean the anger had subsided. It had simply become a cold fury.

“Was I that amusing?”

A voice so harsh that even he was surprised. At this, the head steward, who had been grasping his neck and struggling to breathe, began to slam his head against the floor.

Thump! Thump!

“I-I apologize for my rudeness… Please, have mercy…”

“Mercy?”

He paused, quietly looking down at the head steward. It didn’t feel like he genuinely thought he was wrong, but rather that his survival instinct was telling him to apologize for now.

It was only natural. He probably didn’t have the leeway to think about anything else in this situation.

He had no intention of saying anything about that… but now was the time to set an example. So that he wouldn’t dare to treat Faye carelessly again, even out of fear.

That’s why he used dragonization.

Creak.

A gruesome sound of something breaking and reassembling echoed from within his body.

Curved horns sprouted from his forehead, and scales rose on his skin. But it didn’t end there.

Thanks to becoming closer to his origin by obtaining the Dragon Heart, his dragonization had also been strengthened.

Thud.

The wings that unfolded from his back cast a dark shadow, and the thick tail strongly struck the floor as if to express displeasure.

Lastly, he spread the overwhelming pressure of the further enhanced Dragon Fear widely around, not just at the head steward.

“Why should I show mercy? What reason do I have to tolerate the arrogance of a wretch who dared to insult my woman in front of me?”

“That is…”

Eyes trembling like aspen leaves. What was contained within them was clear despair.

Right. Even you think there’s no reason to forgive you, don’t you?

It was the moment one corner of his naturally raised lips twisted crookedly that Faye stepped forward.

“J-Junior? Let’s stop there. Okay?”

“Senior Faye…”

A voice that softened considerably because he couldn’t direct his anger at Faye. He frowned for a moment, wondering why she was protecting someone who had slighted her.

‘How far are you going to go?! Finish it appropriately, appropriately!’

Faye, with her back to the stewards, mouthed words only he could see.

She was right. He had come on strong as an example, but if he wasn’t going to kill him, he had to end it at an appropriate level.

And now was the perfect time to end it in a presentable way.

Wasn’t it always a beautiful maiden who calmed an enraged dragon?

Well, Faye wasn’t a maiden anymore!

He indicated with his eyes that he understood, while growling with his mouth.

“But Senior Faye, you heard what that bastard was spouting. It’s already bad enough that other dwarves look down on you. Do you expect me to tolerate even the head steward acting this way?”

“Yeah, I know. You’re worried about me, right? You must have been angry that I was being ignored, too.”

“Then…!”

“But, Junior. This is ‘my home.’ I don’t want to see blood in my home after so long.”

“……”

Oh. That was good.

Treat her as befitting the daughter of this household. Otherwise, she’d gladly see blood… wasn’t that the meaning?

To think she’d retort like that to the head steward, who treated Faye like a guest and didn’t acknowledge her as a member of the Yareunshade family.

Maybe she would have resolved it well on her own even if he hadn’t helped separately.

…Actually, rather than helping, this was closer to him being pissed off and just going for it.

Anyway, Faye laid the groundwork well, so now it’s his turn to play along.

He glanced at the head steward once, then slowly looked around.

All the stewards who had lined up to greet them were either trembling with fear or looking at Faye with desperate expressions.

And lastly, he looked straight into Faye’s eyes again and let out a deep sigh.

“Haa… alright. If that’s what Senior Faye wants, I’ll stop here.”

“Thank you, Junior.”

Faye, with a small smile, stood on tiptoe. She began to gently stroke his head as if praising a child.

He thought this was going a bit too far… but feeling her particularly prominent chest pressing firmly against him during the close contact, he decided to let it slide.

He released the dragonization and withdrew the fear that had been dominating the surroundings.

At the same time, gazes of astonishment poured towards Faye. It must have been surprising that she calmed him down with just a few words.

Though there were those who didn’t have the leeway for that.

“Hee-eok…”

The head steward, now seemingly able to breathe a little, inhaled sharply. Faye, ignoring the head steward as if she hadn’t seen him, asked the nearest maid.

“No need for guidance. We’ll all be staying in my room anyway. Just get the bedding separately.”

“L-Lady, that is…”

“Why? Don’t tell me you’ve tidied up my room?”

Faye, whose usual crumpled appearance was nowhere to be seen, stood up straight. But upon closer inspection, her clenched fist was white with strain.

Faye was trying her best in her own way.

However… from the maid’s perspective of dealing with Faye, it probably looked like she was contemplating whether to beat her up if things went wrong.

The terrified maid shook her head vigorously and exclaimed.

“N-no, that’s not it! We haven’t touched anything inside! But… the… it hasn’t been cleaned at all…”

“What? Was that it? Don’t worry. Clean magic isn’t that difficult.”

“Magic…”

The maid muttered blankly. It was true that Clean was a common magic, but it still had a difficulty level comparable to lower-grade magic.

In other words, only a formal magician who had shed the apprentice title could use it without any burden.

To the dwarves, who were far removed from magic, it must have sounded like a story from another world.

Was it then that she realized that the Faye before her was not the timid child she knew, but a genius who had learned at the continent’s best educational institution?

The maid, who briefly wore a bewildered expression, bowed deeply.

“As you wish, Lady. If you need anything, please call for me at any time.”

“I will. Oh, right! Where is Father right now? I should greet him first.”

“The Jarl is in his bedroom.”

“Bedroom?”

“Yes. His condition has deteriorated rapidly recently, and he hadn’t slept for several days, but he finally managed to fall asleep just before you arrived, Lady.”

“…His condition must be very bad. Let me know when he wakes up later.”

“I will do so.”

Faye nodded at the maid’s polite reply. She took a few steps forward and then smiled slyly at their group.

“Welcome to my home!”

It was the first time he had seen such a noble, young, ladylike smile from her.

“Hueeee… I thought I was going to die from the tension…”

“……”

But as soon as she entered the room, she melted down again.

Yeah. That’s our Faye.