Second Reunion (2)

Vivian ran like mad.

Her dignity as Imperial Nobility-now was not the time to care about such things.

Helix was there.

He, whom she had longed for so much, was here.

That fact made Vivian’s heart swell.

“Helix…! Helix…!”

The lord’s mansion.

According to the maid, Helix was here.

Fortunately, Vivian had disguised her identity, so she was a guest at this mansion.

After a simple identity check, Vivian entered immediately.

“Where is he…?”

Vivian raised her Magic and searched for Helix’s Magic.

Was he on the upper floor of the mansion?

Right up there, he was.

“Lady, I apologize, but there is a distinguished guest here, and the master has instructed that no one be allowed in.”

“Yes, but I’m allowed, aren’t I?”

At that moment, Vivian’s eyes glowed red.

Simultaneously, the maid’s expression became hazy, as if she were intoxicated by a drug.

Vivian had subdued her instantly with a simple mental Magic.

“Yes, you are allowed…”

“Good, then do your duty.”

Vivian finally arrived at the door to Helix’s room, her heart trembling.

But once she stood before the door, her courage failed her.

What if he coldly rejected her right away?

After a myriad of thoughts, Vivian finally knocked on the door.

Knock-knock!

“Yes, I’m coming out.

It wasn’t Helix’s voice.

Had she perhaps come to the wrong room?

But she had definitely felt his Magic.

“Kid?”

“Uh, well…”

Vivian’s gaze was fixed behind the man.

He was definitely inside.

“Vilkes, what’s wrong?”

“This kid seems to be looking for us.”

Then, a familiar voice was heard.

It was a bit younger, but it was definitely his voice.

“I don’t know her. So it must be someone you know.”

“Someone I know?”

Gulp.

Vivian unconsciously swallowed.

What kind of expression would Helix make when he faced her?

With a heart mixed with tension and worry, Vivian finally confronted him.

“…”

“He-Helix…”

Bewilderment colored the Dragon’s eyes as he faced her.

But that was only for a moment.

Helix turned his gaze to the man beside him.

“Vilkes, I’ll be out for a moment.”

“No, I’ll go out.”

The man took a coat without hesitation and calmly stepped outside.

Now, only the Dragon and she remained in the room.

“For now, come in.”

“Okay…”

Fortunately, he didn’t immediately kick her out.

She had expected him to explode with anger and show hatred right to her face…

As expected, he was still gentle.

“I’ll brew some tea.”

“Mhm.”

Helix silently put water in the kettle.

Even in the past, he would sometimes brew tea for her when she suffered from headaches.

Though he himself had no particular preferences other than meat and alcohol.

“Drink it. You like this, don’t you?”

“Thank you…”

Chamomile tea.

Tea that has a calming effect on the mind.

It was also the only tea the Dragon knew how to brew properly.

“I expected it, but Vivian also has her memories.”

“The Saint also has her memories…?”

“Yes, she wandered around for several months looking for me.”

Vivian unconsciously clenched her fists.

She couldn’t believe the Saint had beaten her to it.

Perhaps the reason he greeted her relatively calmly was that this wasn’t their first reunion.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been looking for you.”

“Alone?”

“No. I also borrowed the power of the Empire’s intelligence agency…”

Vivian paused mid-sentence and subtly glanced at the Dragon.

Because he hadn’t looked favorably upon her ambition for power.

However, contrary to her worries, his expression remained calm.

“You used Geas.”

“That’s right…”

“Well, you are more skilled than I am when it comes to that.”

“I’m sorry…”

“What is there to be sorry for? You must have done it to survive there.”

The Dragon’s tone was quite gentle, but it offered Vivian no comfort at all.

She wished he would at least pour out his emotions like fire, to release his pent-up feelings…

But now, he was acting detached, like a priest who had attained enlightenment.

“Vivian.”

“Mhm.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh…?”

Vivian’s mouth gaped open at his sudden apology.

She had been wondering how to ask for his forgiveness.

Yet, for some reason, he was the one apologizing to her first.

“The things that happened in our previous life, I think some of it was my fault too.”

“…”

“I made Vivian anxious. And I wavered, even if only for a moment.”

“Helix…”

“Vivian’s extreme change might also be partly because I was indecisive.”

Vivian was speechless for a moment.

She couldn’t even grasp how to respond.

“Helix isn’t bad…”

“…”

“It’s just because I’m inadequate… I was consumed by my inferiority complex… and because of that, I tormented you.”

“…”

“I’m sorry… *sob*… You did everything for me… but I…”

The root cause of all the problems that had occurred was Vivian’s inferiority complex.

She loved the Dragon, but…

At the same time, she cursed herself for not being worthy of such a Dragon.

But perhaps it was absurd for someone who couldn’t even love herself to truly love another.

“Vivian, I still remember. The times we said things we shouldn’t have to each other. The times we hated each other.”

“Huh…?”

“We couldn’t understand each other. Even after spending decades together.”

“That’s….!”

“Was it because we didn’t try hard enough? I don’t think so.”

At the Dragon’s detached gaze, Vivian felt her heart plummet.

She finally realized.

Helix’s apology wasn’t an olive branch to return to the past.

This was more like cleaning a messy room…

It was closer to an act of clearing out the emotional garbage.

“It wasn’t that we didn’t try hard enough. We just weren’t compatible from the start.”

“No…! What kind of nonsense is that!! I don’t accept that kind of talk about people being compatible or not!”

“Vivian, let’s just let each other go now.”

“Is it because of that Elf and the Saint…? Fine! Then take them as concubines! I’ll accept everything, so please…!”

It was the best concession Vivian could make, but…

Even so, Helix merely shook his head silently.

‘It’s wrong…’

Vivian’s vision blurred with despair.

Her Dragon had already finished sorting out his feelings.

The Saint and the Elf were not the issue now.

This was simply a knot that had to be untied solely between the Dragon and Vivian.

As long as she couldn’t untie it, she had no choice but severance.

“Vivian, I’m sorry, but I didn’t let you in here to negotiate.”

“…”

“I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think this is right. It might be painful now… but this is the way for both of us to live.”

At that, Vivian mumbled in a small voice.

“No…”

“What…?”

“No…! I said no..!”

Vivian jumped up and crawled over the table towards the Dragon.

Then she buried her head in his arms and threw a tantrum like a child.

“*Sob*… No! I’m not ready for a world without you…!!”

“Vivian…”

“What… *sob*… do you mean it’s for both of us… *hic*… Why don’t you just stab me with a knife and tell me to die…?!”

Vivian screamed.

And Helix looked down at her, bewildered.

The size difference between the two was so great that it looked as if a younger sister was throwing a tantrum and pestering her older brother.

“*Sob*… I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Helix…”

“…”

“In my frustration, I said things I shouldn’t have… *hic*… I should have apologized right away… but I became petty and couldn’t even do that… *hic*…”

There had been several opportunities to avoid the worst-case scenario.

But her petty pride made her miss those chances…

And left indelible wounds on each other.

“*Sob*… So… please don’t say such things… You can live without me… but I can’t…”

Vivian let go of her last shred of pride.

The desire to become a great being, a woman worthy of him, she now discarded.

Reaching the Dragon was absurd from the start.

She should have just been grateful for his existence and done her best…

Her arrogance, believing she could reach the Dragon, ultimately ruined everything.

“*Sob*… The Saint… you forgave the Saint, didn’t you…? Even though she was the woman who killed you, the woman who didn’t cherish you, you forgave her…”

“…”

“Give me a chance too… Please… *sob*…”

At that, the Dragon let out a deep sigh and…

Finally opened his tightly closed mouth.

“I haven’t forgiven Camille yet either.”

“…”

“Camille, you, both of you are mistaken. I’m not a Dragon with such a good personality. I’m an incredibly petty and narrow-minded Dragon.”

“Helix…”

“But I don’t know why everyone sees me as such a merciful being. I’m not at all prepared for that.”

At the Dragon’s heartfelt grumbling, Vivian regained a glimmer of hope.

As expected, her Dragon was gentle, as he always was.

He rarely harbored ill will towards something he had once loved.

There was still a chance.

A chance to atone to him.

“*Sob*… Helix, why do you need the Saint’s power…?”

“You know why, don’t you? Because we have to fight the Termites.”

“My power… isn’t my power needed…?”

“It’s better than nothing, I suppose.”

In other words, it couldn’t compare to the Saint’s.

A maddening jealousy raged within Vivian’s chest, but.

Now was not the time to show it.

“U-use me… like the Saint.”

“…”

“Use all my magical abilities and the Empire’s army to your heart’s content. The more forces we have against the Termites, the better, right?”

However, the Dragon shook his head.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why…?”

“Vivian, your presence would make Camille waver.”

“Make her waver, what do you mean by that…?”

“It’s better to see it directly than to hear it in words.”

At the same time, Helix cast Polymorph and returned to the form of a small Dragon.

And then, a sacred aura swirled around the Dragon, beginning to envelop it.

Woowoong!!

And the Dragon began to change, taking on a new form.

That form was not one Vivian was familiar with.

Although it took on a small form due to spatial constraints…

It was the Dragon’s new appearance, newly clad in scales shaped like pure white armor.

The radiant form of the White Dragon, emitting brilliant light, was not merely beautiful but sacred.

“Surely, that form…”

The jealousy boiling within Vivian’s chest erupted like a volcano.

It was because she instinctively realized what that form signified.

“Surely that’s, the Saint’s power…?”

Helix, having undone his Polymorph, replied indifferently.

“Yes. You know well.”

“…”

“To fight the Termites, a powerful army is necessary, but ultimately, the most important thing is me. After all, it’s meaningless if we can’t catch the top-tier individuals. I have to be strong.”

“That countermeasure is that White Dragon form…?”

“Yes, this is a form I borrowed Camille’s divine power for. What’s left now is just consuming the very small remaining amount.”

Vivian barely managed to suppress herself from unconsciously grinding her teeth.

Vivian, having spent her entire life with him, also possessed her own knowledge of Dragons.

That was the Dragon’s true form, passed down in legends.

The Dragon’s authority to borrow the power of a strongly resonating soul and amplify its own power.

The fact that the Saint succeeded in that meant…

It meant their bond had deepened to that extent.

Unlike herself, whose entire world seemed to be falling apart right now.

“Of course, Camille is still clumsy. It’s hard to say how much help she’ll be in actual combat right now.”

“…”

“But that’s something I can compensate for. Even if it’s lacking for now, it’s definitely useful. But Vivian isn’t like that.”

At that, Vivian couldn’t say anything, only her lips parted.

The Saint, whom she had always looked down upon as inferior…

To think she was a more valuable existence to him than herself.

She could never accept it.