Chapter 114
“You may not remember, but it is exceedingly rare for a dragon to shed tears.”
“I-Is that so?”
“It is. They cannot be forced out, either…. That tear was one I shed a thousand years ago.”
“…!”
A tear preserved for a thousand years!
‘That’s an insanely rare item! This!’
It almost felt like a waste to use it as an ingredient for an Elixir. Was it really all right to dissolve something so precious into a potion?
“Don’t feel burdened. I am giving it to you—and you alone.”
I feel very burdened, actually.
“Ever since Rubellica stepped down from the throne, we decided we would no longer interfere in worldly affairs. However, the matter of a Purifier cannot simply be ignored. So I will help you.”
Overwhelmed by my ancestor’s gracious words, I bowed deeply without fail.
“Thank you so much…!”
“And one more thing.”
“…?”
I lifted my head slightly. When our eyes met, Ortemius smiled at me gently.
‘W-Wow.’
My heart gave a heavy thud before I could stop it.
If our fox ever found out that I’d felt my heart flutter for even a second looking at my ancestor’s face… I’d never hear the end of it.
“I will give you a new name.”
“A name…?”
I blinked, eyes widening at the unexpected declaration.
My ancestor reached out and stroked my hair as he continued.
“Charites. From now on, use this as your surname.”
‘Charites…?’
Perhaps the confusion showed on my face, because Ortemius added an explanation.
“It is an ancient word meaning ‘joy.’ It is also another divine aspect of the Three Goddesses who watch over you.”
Faced with this unfamiliar tale, I blinked and asked again.
“Another… divine aspect?”
“The Triune Goddess governs time, life, and fate. But beyond that, she possesses countless other authorities. Depending on which power she manifests, she can take on thousands of forms. She does not uphold this world for nothing.”
My goodness.
As expected, they were overpowered goddesses!
“However, as beings of a higher plane, there are limits to how much they can intervene in the material world… which is why they send down a blessed child. That would be you, Purifier.”
“…!”
No wonder he was the ancestor—he knew quite a lot about Purifiers.
I stared at him with shining eyes, hoping to hear more, but Ortemius merely shifted the subject with effortless grace and offered no further details.
‘Why…!’
“If you use that name, the Triune Goddess will be pleased as well. Say it proudly. You are ‘Muriel Charites.’”
“…….”
Pushing aside my disappointment, I repeated the name silently to myself.
‘Muriel Charites….’
It sounded grand. Distinguished. It had a pleasant resonance.
And it was one of a kind. Who in this world would dare use the name of a god?
It was a name only I could bear—because the goddesses favored me…!
I loved it instantly. Smiling brightly, I expressed my gratitude.
“I love it! Thank you, Lord Ortemius!”
“Call me uncle.”
…Still?
“Masterrr~!”
The moment I returned to the glass greenhouse, the kindergartener who had been waiting for her guardian—no, Ninabel—leapt straight into my arms.
Patting Ninabel lightly, I looked up at the golden butterfly drifting toward me.
The spirit of light, Soleil, floated lazily to a stop before speaking.
“Hehe, Ninabel and I had quite a lovely chat. It was a delightful time. You seem to be a good contractor, Muriel.”
…Do I?
Having treated Ninabel like a logic-driven T who didn’t understand an F’s feelings, I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“Then we should be going. If we stay too long, Rubellica will grow lonely. Until next time, Muriel. Ninabel.”
The golden butterfly that had been circling us fluttered away and settled lightly atop Ortemi—uncle’s hand.
I didn’t know the details, but it seemed they were close companions.
Before leaving, Uncle Orte added a few more words.
“Rubellica has always liked people like you. A thousand years ago and now.”
‘Oh…?’
My ears perked up at that.
“When the opportunity arises, you should meet Rubellica as well. I’m certain Rubellica would be pleased.”
“O-Okay! Thank you so much!”
I answered at once, unable to hide my excitement. Uncle Orte smiled benevolently and patted my shoulder.
“Then I shall take my leave. I look forward to next year as well.”
“…?”
Next year…?
Don’t tell me he plans to make me pick out presents for him again next year!
‘No…! I can’t take any more…!’
Ignoring my silent scream, the Dragon of Time departed the imperial palace.
“This is the ‘Dragon’s Tear.’”
After all that effort to obtain such a rare item, I showed it to Lycian as well.
“Hmm….”
He stared at the golden, teardrop-shaped jewel for a few minutes before promptly losing interest.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled against me, putting on a pitiful act.
“Muriel, did you have fun playing without me? I was waiting here all lonely….”
I’d grown so used to this kind of scheming that I barely reacted.
Pressing my palm firmly against his cheek, I pushed his face away.
“Yeah, I had a great time. Lord Orte even bought me something delicious. It was so good.”
For the record, the spicy food had been manageable. Muriel’s tongue and stomach weren’t as weak as I’d expected.
“…‘Lord Orte’? Since when did you two get close enough for nicknames?”
Flames flickered in Lycian’s eyes as he glared at me. His voice carried a chilling edge.
‘Are you seriously jealous of your ancestor right now?’
I stared at him, dumbfounded.
“He told me to call him that comfortably.”
Technically, he’d told me to call him ‘uncle.’
I left that part out. No matter how I thought about it, that title did far too much damage to the dignity of the founding dragon….
At my explanation, Lycian’s gaze turned even more dangerous as he pressed the issue aggressively.
“Muriel, do you like that giant reptile more than your cute little fox? I’m this adorable, you know.”
“…….”
You’re descended from that reptile, you know.
“This won’t do. We need to get married as soon as possible. To think you’d look at someone else while leaving me behind.”
“L-Look at someone else? What kind of insane nonsense is that…!”
At this point, I was genuinely speechless, my head starting to throb.
‘This bastard… maybe he needs a good flick to the forehead to come to his senses?’
I almost did it. Instead, I pinched one of his cheeks and asked,
“What about you? What did you do while I was gone? I heard the Crown Prince came by earlier….”
“…….”
The playful mood vanished in an instant, replaced by silence.
As I slowly loosened my grip on his cheek, Lycian let out a heavy sigh and answered.
“We didn’t talk about much. Just… he said it would be nice if you and my sister-in-law got along.”
“…?”
“Delphinia doesn’t engage in social activities at all. She doesn’t make close acquaintances. Even at official events, she just shows her face briefly and leaves.”
I blinked.
So… the Crown Prince had been worried about his wife, who was always alone?
“Do whatever you want, Muriel. If you think you’ll get along with her, it’s fine to grow close.”
“Hmm….”
I wasn’t sure if we’d get along perfectly, but she did seem kind.
‘Well, we’ll be seeing each other for a long time… it’d be nice to be close. We’re family, technically.’
I nodded to myself, convinced, when Lycian brushed his fingers lightly against the back of my neck and asked in a low voice,
“By the way, Muriel… aren’t you forgetting something?”
I flinched and instinctively scooted away from him.
‘W-What is with this bewitching aura? Like some Gumiho disguised as a man.’
If I let my guard down, it felt like he’d suck the life right out of me. Or devour me whole without leaving even bones behind.
“You said when you came back, you’d hug me, pet me, do all sorts of things for me.”
…Did I? He’d made so many of these ridiculous demands that I couldn’t even remember.
Glancing outside at the darkening sky, I opened my mouth.
“Shouldn’t we eat dinner now? Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m not. You said you already ate something delicious. You can’t be that hungry either.”
I subtly edged away in my seat and feigned innocence.
“What? I’m starving. We need dinner right now.”
“You’re lying….”
“I-I’m not!”
We bickered back and forth for a while before I finally went, ‘Ugh, whatever!’ and just did it.
Peck!
I kissed him lightly, like a bird tapping with its beak. Lycian’s eyes widened in shock.
Taking advantage of his frozen state, I bolted for the door.
“Marian! Chelsea! P-Please prepare dinner!”
But before they could even respond, a loud BANG! rang out from behind me.
‘W-What the—?’
Startled, I pressed my back against the door and turned around.
The marble table that had been perfectly fine moments ago… was now shattered under Lycian’s hand…!
‘You’ve got to be kidding me….’
Clinging to the door, trembling, I watched as Lycian let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
Then he looked at me with a conflicted expression.
“I’m sorry for startling you. I lost control for a moment….”
“…….”
And what did the table ever do to deserve that?
In any case, we ate dinner first. Though throughout the entire meal, I had to endure Lycian’s intense gaze fixed squarely on me.
The next morning.
I woke up late—well past nine.
All because of a certain shameless fox who’d tormented me until late at night.
‘I was going to wake up early!’
Wicked fox. Seductive fox.
After washing up and eating breakfast, I opened the Secret Door around ten and stepped into the subspace.
‘All the other ingredients are ready. I just need to harvest Glasir’s ninth fruit.’
Had the ninth fruit ripened yet?
The last time I checked, there had only been seven….
I hurried over to where Glasir was planted to check—
“…?”
‘W-What is this?’
I froze, instinctively taking a step back.
“What’s wrong, Muriel?”
“Master~ what is it?”
Even the slaves following behind me flinched and stopped in their tracks.
And no wonder—
‘W-What the hell is this?!’