Episode 35
Even though her hair was now an ordinary brown instead of its former glistening golden hue, he still felt disoriented and unsteady around her.
This moment was no exception. Just the thought of being alone with Erina in his office made him tense.
Tense? If Mitzu or Hael were here, they would undoubtedly laugh themselves silly.
“Dylan?”
“Yes?”
“Am I just supposed to stand here like this?”
Erina asked, tilting her head.
Lost in his own thoughts, Dylan hadn’t realized that he had left Erina standing in the middle of his office.
He quickly masked his embarrassment with a smile.
“No, of course not. Please, have a seat. Oh, would you like some tea? It’s a bit late, but I can prepare some.”
“No, thank you! The children might wake up, so I should hurry back.”
“Ah, yes, the children.”
Dylan murmured, trailing off.
Yes, that was it. The reason he always became so small and foolish around Erina was because of those troublesome niece and nephews.
Until they grew up, he was stuck in a vulnerable position. That was why. It had to be. There couldn’t be any other reason.
But even as he reaffirmed his resolve, Dylan found himself brushing his lips against Erina’s hair, which shimmered under the moonlight.
“It’s beautiful.”
He murmured without thinking, the words slipping out before they could be filtered by his brain.
Of course, it was.
The brief flash of her golden hair before it returned to brown had been mesmerizing. Even if it weren’t a dragon’s hair, anyone would be captivated by its brilliance.
“What?!”
Erina, the recipient of Dylan’s unintentional praise, was caught off guard, her embarrassment palpable.
She thought back to his earlier words when he had arrived in the Sylvian Empire—that her natural hair color was dangerous.
If Dylan, who had seen her hair often, was this affected, what would happen if his subordinates saw it? They might want it for themselves and even try to take it.
“Dragons really do love shiny things.”
She mused, realizing this once again.
“My apologies for my inappropriate behavior. It’s been a while since I last saw your hair.”
Dylan said, trying to regain his composure.
A week counts as a long time? Erina found his comment odd but decided to let it go.
“I see.”
“It’s truly unfortunate that you have to hide it with magic.”
Dylan said, his voice tinged with regret as he lowered his gaze to mask the desire in his eyes. Internally, he vowed that no one else would ever see her hair.
Completely unaware of Dylan’s selfish thoughts, Erina looked at him and thought how considerate he was for using magic to prevent any potential accidents while caring for the children.
“They enjoy studying more than I expected. Especially Resen—he memorized the alphabet in a single day and is now learning to write!”
She said, opening up to him.
“Is that so?”
“Yes! Lia seems more inclined toward numbers, and Poi has a surprising talent for physical activities.”
“That’s great.”
Dylan replied, feigning interest with a nod.
Encouraged by his reaction, Erina excitedly shared her plans for the children.
“So, next time I visit the bookstore, I plan to pick books suited to their interests. Resen would enjoy fairy tales, Lia would like insect encyclopedias and math puzzle books, and Poi needs more foundational material to build on his current progress.”
“That sounds good.”
Dylan said, his response still lacking sincerity.
But Erina, buoyed by his apparent approval, continued, her enthusiasm visible in her lively gestures. It was a different kind of satisfaction than when she sold mushrooms.
“Are you planning to go buy the books immediately?”
“Yes! I think they’ll finish reading what they have by tomorrow, so the sooner, the better.”
“I’d have liked to help choose the books, but unfortunately, I’m too busy this week,” Dylan said regretfully.
“Oh, it’s okay! You already accompanied me last time. I can manage on my own.”
Erina reassured him.
“I can’t let you go alone. Let me think… Ah! How about you go with my assistant?”
Dylan suggested, smiling brightly as if he had come up with a brilliant solution.
Erina, momentarily dazzled by his radiant smile, snapped back to reality at the mention of ‘assistant.’
“Your assistant?”
“Yes, Mitzu. You’ve met him before, right?”
Erina hesitated before nodding. She recalled their brief encounter, during which Mitzu barely acknowledged her.
The idea of accompanying someone so dismissive made her uneasy.
Still, Dylan remained firm in his suggestion, paying no mind to her reluctance.
This time, there was no need to make a separate trip to the bookstore owner, nor any worry about unsavory individuals causing trouble.
Moreover, the likelihood of Mitzu showing any interest in Erina, with her brown hair, was close to zero, so that wasn’t an issue either.
“Um, do I really have to go with your assistant?”
Erina asked, indirectly expressing her reluctance.
Dylan, fully aware of her feelings, smiled brightly and nodded.
“I’m just a bit concerned. The children are still young, and you’ve only been to that area once before, haven’t you? If something were to happen while I’m unable to accompany you…”
Dylan looked at her with a worried expression, the same one he wore when recalling the tragic fate of his late brother and sister-in-law.
His concern for the children’s safety was clear, and Erina understood. Knowing that their safety was more important than her discomfort, she didn’t argue further.
“All right, I’ll go with your assistant.”
“Thank you. I’ll inform her of the plan.”
“Okay. Is the magic complete now?”
Erina asked, lifting a strand of her hair.
Dylan, startled by her question, straightened his posture.
Now that she mentioned it, the reason she had come to his office in the first place was to deal with her hair color.
He had been so engrossed in their conversation that he had completely forgotten.
“Yes, yes! You’re all set now. You’ll only need to come back next week.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. Erina, next time, would you be all right meeting in the greenhouse in the garden?”
Erina tilted her head in thought. She remembered the greenhouse from when Dylan had shown her around the estate. Made entirely of glass, it was filled with a dazzling array of flowers, a breathtaking sight.
She didn’t mind visiting the greenhouse itself, but the glass walls posed a concern. What if someone spotted them while he was using magic, just as he had today?
“The greenhouse sounds nice, but what if someone sees you casting magic?”
“Don’t worry. I’m quite skilled with concealment magic. No one will see us,” Dylan reassured her.
“Oh, okay then. That’s fine with me.”
“Great. Let’s meet in the greenhouse next week. Have a good night.”
Dylan offered a small smile as he opened the door for her.
Erina waved lightly before heading upstairs.
***
“Dyyyylaaaan!”
“Dyyyylaaaan!”
As soon as Erina disappeared down the hallway, Mitzu and Hael appeared, their faces practically shouting mischief.
Dylan, his expression now completely blank, turned to face them.
The two of them, clearly itching to pick a fight, looked at him with exaggerated suspicion.
“What were you doing with that human woman at this late hour?!”
“This late hour?!”1As you all noticed, Hael just repeats Mitzu’s last words without context whatsoever 🤣
“With concealment magic, no less?”
“No less?”
Expecting this to happen, the moment Erina entered his office, Dylan had cast a concealment barrier.
Without it, these meddlesome creatures would’ve caught wind of their meeting in no time.
“Parent-teacher conference.”
Dylan replied curtly.
