Ch.339339. ····Not an Intruder.

“Ah, what on earth is this…?”

Just as I expected it to go berserk, the light suddenly faded, and I felt no change whatsoever.

When I flapped Robert’s wings and looked at Lucien, I saw her lying on the rock as an adult, no longer in the form of a little girl.

After covering her body with my cloak and holding her in my arms, I spoke.

“L-Lord Robert, what exactly is happening here?”

Somehow, Robert, who had transformed into human form, still had his mouth hanging open.

I raised my voice once more.

“Lord Robert!! Please come to your senses!!”

“This can’t be… is this really possible?”

“Look, shouldn’t we be discussing what’s possible together? Is Lucien really alright!?”

Robert rubbed his eyes with his fingers and slowly spoke.

“To stop a rampage during mating season by oneself… I’ve only heard that was possible in legends…”

Hah…

Dragons themselves are legendary creatures to humans, so what’s with this talk of even more far-fetched things?

I furrowed my brow and continued.

“Enough with the amazement. Is there any chance she’ll go berserk again?”

“…No. Can’t you see Lucien’s body? She has already become an adult dragon without going berserk.”

“There won’t be any problems, right?”

“Problems?”

“I’m asking if there’s any chance of issues arising because she didn’t go berserk.”

Robert wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand while continuing to stare at Lucien.

“No… But more importantly, where did you say you found Lucien, young master?”

“I found her in a cave at the edge of a cliff. When I opened a wooden box there, there was a dragon egg inside.”

“D-dragons don’t have a specific hatching time. How much sunlight they receive and how open the space is are the most important factors in hatching.”

“I know that from what Lord Kabla told me. But what does that have to do with Lucien stopping her rampage?”

Robert stroked his chin in wonder.

“I suspect Lucien is a dragon from my distant ancestors.”

“Distant ancestors? What’s your basis for that?”

“My father said that in ancient times, dragons had the ability to stop their own rampages. That alone is sufficient evidence now.”

So you’re saying that wooden box is thousands of years old?

I looked at Lucien sleeping soundly in my arms, then turned my gaze back to Robert.

“Anyway, ancestor or not, there’s no problem with Lucien, right?”

“Well, we’ll need to see when she wakes up for an accurate diagnosis, but in my current opinion, there’s nothing wrong at all.”

“Then how did she stop the rampage?”

“I don’t know exactly, but perhaps she stopped herself from going berserk because she was afraid Lord Selden Alphonse might get hurt, even slightly.”

I silently held Lucien tighter in my arms.

Her breathing gradually stabilized.

Thinking how fortunate it was that she was safe, I couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“Thank you, Lord Robert.”

“What did I do? If anything, I almost put Lord Selden Alphonse in danger by letting Lucien escape.”

“Not at all. Just by creating this wide open space, I know how much effort you’ve put in, Lord Robert.”

“…I’m grateful that you think so, Lord Selden Alphonse. And…”

Robert, trailing off, made a motion as if sealing his lips with his finger.

“I will keep the fact that Lucien stopped her rampage a secret for life.”

“What? Should other dragons not know that Lucien stopped her rampage?”

“It’s better to keep potential dangers secret.”

I gently stroked Lucien’s face with my palm.

Then I nodded firmly in determination.

“I understand. I now have one more reason to train hard from now on.”

*

“Please kill me! No! I’ll just die by myself!”

After laying Lucien down in an empty bedroom at the Lake estate, I came to the study to find Jawill Wilson already in a deep bow, his forehead touching the floor.

With a sigh, I sat down in a chair.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

“I heard that assassins infiltrated the Lake estate again. And it happened while you were with the princesses!”

“…What?”

“Ugh! You specifically instructed me to strengthen the estate’s defenses, but I failed miserably!”

I tilted my head and spoke.

“Where are the princesses now?”

“Ugh… They’re in your bedroom, young master! They’re already being guarded by knights, mercenaries, and guardian unit members!”

“Did the princesses say anything?”

“Ugh!”

“Hey! Stop groaning and get up to answer me!”

At that, Jawill Wilson raised his body, his face red from all the blood rushing to his head.

“I-I’m sorry! The princesses said they would speak with you when you arrived.”

Hah…

I think Lucien called me father. What excuse should I make?

Should I just tell the truth and explain everything?

I don’t want too many people knowing that Lucien is a dragon.

“…It wasn’t an intruder.”

“T-then what was it? Witnesses said you grabbed the assassin by the collar and headed into the forest to prevent harm to the princesses?”

I was carrying Lucien in my arms, but it seems the rumors got distorted.

Well, if someone saw from a distance, they might misunderstand.

They wouldn’t have thought I was carrying an assassin in my arms.

“It was Lucien.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said it was Lucien.”

“S-so you grabbed Lucien by the collar?! What on earth did Lucien do wrong to—”

This bastard…

I thought his perception had improved lately, but he’s back to square one.

This is why I shouldn’t even mentally compliment him.

I should send him outside for training right now, but I need to be patient.

This is the day Lucien safely overcame her rampage.

On such a good day, I don’t want to dirty my hands.

“Lucien suddenly broke into the bedroom just before going berserk.”

“So that’s why you grabbed her by the collar, young master?”

“…Do you really want to die? I just carried Lucien in my arms and fled outside. If she had started to rampage, everyone in the Lake estate could have been harmed.”

“I-I’m sorry. Some crazy person said you grabbed her by the collar, so… Then…”

Suddenly trailing off, Jawill Wilson planted both palms on my desk and strained his neck.

“W-what happened to our Lucien? Is she safe?!”

“…You’re asking rather quickly.”

“Please tell me! Is Lucien safe now?!”

“She’s fine.”

“…Is she really safe?”

“Yes, she’s resting now, so don’t disturb her. You can see her when she wakes up.”

“T-thank goodness.”

For a man, he sure cries a lot. Jawill Wilson looks at me with moist eyes.

“But if she went berserk, how come nothing happened to the Lake estate?”

“Lucien stopped her rampage by herself.”

“…Can she even do that?”

“It’s complicated to explain, but Lord Robert said dragons can sometimes stop their own rampages.”

“Is there any chance that stopping her own rampage could harm her body?”

Clearly, Jawill Wilson cares about Lucien as much as I do.

He was asking the exact same questions I had asked Robert.

“No, I don’t think we need to worry about that.”

“That’s such a relief. So Lucien can live without any worries now, right?”

“I believe so.”

Jawill Wilson sniffles, then suddenly stiffens and stares at me.

“T-then does that mean the princesses saw Lucien?”

“That’s the main problem. The princesses heard Lucien call me father.”

“…Should we pack our bags and flee before Emperor Malius leads the Imperial Knights to storm the Lake estate?”

Knock knock-!

As Jawill Wilson asks this, Pedericks enters the study.

He steps in with a surprisingly composed expression.

“The princesses are waiting.”

“…Why are you so calm?”

“Because I believe you would have certainly dealt with any assassins, young master. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right.”

“Then you should hurry to the princesses. They seemed quite worried.”

So Pedericks also believes it was an assassin.

With slumped shoulders, I stood up.

“Hah… I’ll go meet with the princesses now.”