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Chapter 19
‘I don’t want to go.’
Teiti forced his legs—frozen by emotion—to move with sheer logic.
It was because Daphne had summoned him.
‘I really don’t want to go.’
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking into a prison of his own accord.
No—actually, prison might be better. At least there weren’t any insane dragons there. You got three meals a day, some light exercise, and no constant threats from a lunatic dragon… that actually sounded great.
Maybe he should commit a crime and get himself thrown into prison. Then that deranged dragon wouldn’t be able to come after him.
‘Wow. I really have lost it.’
He’d run away from the mountains for the sake of freedom—and now he was about to throw that freedom away himself.
Teiti slapped his own cheeks twice and steeled himself.
“They say as long as you stay alert in a dragon’s lair, you’ll live.”
Tensing every muscle to withstand whatever abuse or torment awaited him, Teiti took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.
“Lady Daphne, I’m coming in.”
He opened the door and entered. The moment he did, he saw Daphne lying lazily on the sofa.
“You’re five minutes late.”
She pointed at the clock. Teiti forced his foggy mind to respond.
“Yes, ma’am. I mean, even though the teleportation array to the capital is down, and I had to take a carriage for two hours to get authorization, then go through identity verification again at the duke’s main gate, and then get searched once more before I could enter the annex… I’m still five minutes late, and I deserve death for it. My deepest apologies.”
“……”
Daphne began to wonder just how big this elf’s liver was—because only someone with an enormous one could talk like that to a dragon’s face.
If it had been any other dragon, he would’ve been decapitated by the words ‘I took a carriage’.
But Daphne, the “gentle” one, smiled sweetly.
“Bow your head.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Thud!
As Teiti slammed his forehead to the ground, Daphne sipped her coffee.
“Did you bring the mana stones?”
Last time they met, Daphne had punished Teiti by ordering him to bring a hundred mana stones infused with his own magic.
He’d refused at first—but quickly changed his mind. Elves before dragons weren’t in a position to say no.
“Yes, but I couldn’t bring as many as I—ah! Please don’t hit me! I mean, the supply of mana stones entering the capital has dropped sharply! They’re not easy to get anymore! Using lower-grade ones wouldn’t handle my magic properly, so I only brought the high-grade ones I could find. Why are you looking at me like that? It’s true!”
It did sound like an excuse, but the stones he brought were high-grade and brimming with magic. She decided to let it slide.
Daphne pulled the bundle of mana stones toward her and said,
“Next time, bring twice as many.”
“…I’ll try.”
Damn dragon. May your teeth break biting into one of those mana stones.
Teiti regretted not learning curse magic as he pressed his forehead harder against the floor.
Then—
“I have a problem.”
At that, Teiti’s eyes went wide.
A problem? That simple-minded dragon? There could only be one.
Her body still hadn’t recovered! Which meant… she was about to blame him!
Feeling a sudden sense of mortal danger, Teiti shot his head up, thumped his chest, and pleaded,
“Because I didn’t make the medicine in time? It’s not my fault! You know there’s never been a successful case of curing Black Butterfly disease! The progress I made is already amazing! If you kill me over this, that’s just—please, just this once, have mercy!”
“…What?”
“If you forgive me this time, I swear I’ll pour my very soul into making that medicine!”
“……”
Daphne blinked.
She’d only meant she wanted to talk about her worries—why was he on the verge of tears?
“I see. I understand your determination.”
“Thank you!”
“But that’s not the problem I was talking about.”
“My god…!”
Even after all that, she still wanted to kill him?!
This wicked dragon!
Teiti, clutching his neck protectively, realized that wouldn’t save him and slumped in resignation.
“I understand… I’ll accept my fate. Just kill me now—”
“I told you before there was an assassin who tried to kill Daphne Akion, yes?”
“Yes, you mean kill—wait, what?”
Teiti’s eyes widened.
“You’re not trying to kill me?”
“Why would I?”
“Oh!”
Saved! He was saved!
Unaware that everything had been a misunderstanding of his own making, Teiti jumped for joy simply because his head was still attached.
‘Even a crazy dragon won’t kill indiscriminately,’ he thought, slightly raising his opinion of her. (Though it was still in the negatives.)
“When I opened my eyes, it was during my funeral. I woke up in the coffin.”
“So… you resurrected.”
“……”
Well, technically true.
Daphne pushed aside the discomfort and continued.
“It’s been about two months since then. News must’ve spread that I defeated those bandits, so the assassin should be moving soon.”
The emperor’s order for the hero to slay the dragon overlapped suspiciously with the black mages’ attempt to assassinate the hero’s daughter—Daphne.
Something about it didn’t sit right.
She couldn’t meet the emperor right now, so her plan was to start by hunting down the assassin.
“That does make sense. But didn’t you suspect the assassin was a black mage?”
“I did.”
“That’s odd. The black mages practically worshipped Lord Sellus like a god—oh, right, they don’t know you were Lord Sellus in your past life. Hah, so the calamity of my past life is now the nemesis of the black mages? Feels poetic!”
“……”
“I’ve been reading a lot of niche novels lately, please ignore that. Sorry.”
Watching Daphne’s expression carefully, Teiti asked cautiously,
“So… what exactly do you need me to do?”
“Make it so I can enter the main mansion.”
“The main mansion? Of this estate?”
“Yes.”
Daphne frowned as she sensed the countless layers of wards surrounding the annex.
“I can’t imagine what’s in this annex to require so many barriers. The main mansion, meanwhile, has none—so the assassin is bound to appear there.”
“True, it’s suffocating here with all the wards.”
Teiti shrugged.
“But to use yourself as bait, my lady? Such dedication to a bit of fun! Truly, Lord Sellus, your passion knows no bounds!”
It’s not fun, you idiot.
Daphne held back the retort with a hand to her forehead.
“If we catch the assassin, we might learn something.”
“Right, that makes sense.”
“But it won’t answer everything.”
Daphne tilted her head back, staring up at the ceiling, and took a deep breath.
—I know all things in this world.
—Even that the great Sellus will soon become nothing more than a pitiful creature.
She remembered the words of the Great Sage who had once visited her.
‘If I find him, maybe I’ll finally understand why all this happened.’
Her eyes snapped open.
“Also, find out where the Great Sage is.”
“Oh! To think you’d say something that difficult as casually as sending me out for cabbages—truly amazing, Lady Daphne.”
“Do you want to be hit?”
“No, ma’am. Hehe.”
Scratching his head awkwardly, Teiti shuffled backward. Then, sniffing once, he continued,
“All right, I’ll look into it. But, if I’m running around gathering information, I’ll have less time for research, so I might not be able to supply your medicine as regularly—”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Teiti froze.
Those were the most dangerous words to hear from Daphne. He could almost see her grinning after causing some disaster, saying, ‘Haha, don’t worry about it!’
His heart started pounding nervously.
“I found you a disciple.”
“…What?”
“From now on, you’ll train that child to make my medicine.”
“What?!”
Of course. He knew it.
Teiti’s neck stiffened as he screamed,
“No, no! I’m an elf! A great elf! Well, maybe not great before Lady Daphne, but certainly greater than any human! And you want me to take a human disciple—”
“If that child learns to make my medicine properly, I’ll exempt you from making it.”
“What’s the child’s name? Why do I ask? Because they’ll be my beloved disciple, of course!”
Clapping his hands in glee, Teiti grinned ear to ear. Daphne shook her head. Spineless fool.
Still, she was relieved he’d accepted the girl—Viphera—so easily.
The former Daphne had treated the girl poorly; she wanted to make it up to her now.
“Good. Do your best.”
No need to mention that Viphera was slightly unhinged.
Daphne ignored Teiti’s beaming face with an effort.
***
“Anne! Come hold my lady’s hair over here!”
“I can’t! I’m fixing her dress!”
“Hair comes first!”
“I don’t have enough hands… Should we ask for more help?”
“From the lady herself? Who’d dare come?”
“Good point…”
Anne and Anna bustled around frantically, helping Daphne get ready.
Tonight was the night of the ball at Marquis Finch’s estate!
It was her first outing in half a year—so she had to look perfect, radiant, the most beautiful woman in the room!
Filled with determination, Anne and Anna failed to notice the dazed look on Daphne’s face as they chattered on.
“My lady, what did I say earlier?”
Daphne finally turned her head from the window, looking puzzled.
“When you get to the ballroom, never, ever, ever clench your fist. Understand?”
“…Do you think I’m some kind of legendary brawler?”
“If you get angry, breathe ten times! And if you’re still angry, leave the room!”
“……”
“And if you feel like cursing, what do you do?”
“Cover my mouth with a handkerchief. I got it.”
There was no point arguing.
Daphne gave up.
