The Dragon's Obsession with Water is Difficult

Episode 10

‘Yeah, it was the smell I encountered when I went to see doctor Cesare for the anemia medicine not long ago.’

[What kind of tea is it?]
“[Huh? What…?]
[That powder. It has a sweet scent.]
[Ah, um, it’s nothing, miss. It’s just an herbal remedy. Please don’t touch it carelessly.]
He hid the bottle containing the powder with a startled expression.

Upon closer inspection, all the tea cups had traces of the powder.

Could it be…

I poured water into one of the cups.

At first glance, the powder looked like sugar, but as it touched the water, its color changed to a murky hue.

The Hieren tea also had a reddish color, and since it was brewed in the kettle and poured into the cups beforehand, Nella wouldn’t have noticed this change.

Initially, the sweet scent turned into a pungent aroma as time passed.

Finally, it was the distinct smell of Dregus that I was sensitive to.

[This seems to be Dregus root powder.]
[Dregus root powder?]
According to Ludwig’s words, Dregus root had a strong toxicity compared to its fruits or flowers, making it a herbal remedy that required caution when using.

The powdered root, when brewed and consumed, was initially odorless but gradually emitted its fragrance over time.

[I heard it’s difficult for ordinary people to obtain this herb since it’s challenging to handle. How on earth…]
I murmured in response to Ludwig’s words.

[If it’s the doctor, it shouldn’t be difficult to acquire, I suppose.]
“Who on earth would do such a thing?!”

As the enraged grandfather shouted, Cesare, who had been hunched over, looked visibly shaken.

“Dregus root powder is not something ordinary people can obtain. However, a member of the family like a doctor can acquire it for medical purposes.”

At my words, Cesare could no longer control his trembling body.

“Doctor Cesare, now it’s your turn to answer.”

“M-Madam, it’s a misunderstanding! I have been loyal to the family my whole life…”

“Should I bring the white powder that I saw in your office recently?”

“….!”

Upon my words, Father sent one of his subordinates to the office of the doctor.

As Cesare watched his subordinate rush away, his face turned pale as ash.

And then it happened.

“C-ck…!”

Cesare suddenly grabbed his own neck and rose into the air.

He struggled as if suffocating under a whip-like stream of water, writhing in pain.

“If you don’t confess, I will subject you to unimaginable, excruciating agony that you have never experienced before. It will be a living hell beyond your wildest imagination.”

The crimson eyes of Tercon Drenihan shimmered with such terror that one would flinch upon meeting them.

“Cough!”

Cesare suffered in agony as if he had reached his limit.

He thrashed his body, trying to escape with his legs floating in the air, but it was futile.

“C-ck… I-I will sp-speak! I will speak!”

After uttering those words, he was released and fell to the ground, gasping for breath.

“Huah… I-I was just… following orders! Huah… I have committed a deadly sin, blinded by greed…!”

Begging for his life, Cesare knelt on the ground with a terrified face.

“Reveal who gave you the orders. Your life will be determined accordingly, so choose your words carefully.”

“Th-that is…”

Cesare, perhaps returning from the brink of death, immediately opened his mouth.

No, he tried to.

Suddenly, his face turned pale, and if it weren’t for the agonizing coughing fit, his complexion would have turned blue.

“Cough, kuh-choke!”

Pale to the point of looking sickly, Cesare vomited blood and collapsed to the side without even having time to touch his hand.

“….H-He’s dead!”

“….!”

Upon rushing over to check, it was clear that he wasn’t breathing.

“Could it be… he was under a forbidden curse…”

Father muttered with narrowed eyes, speaking softly.

A forbidden curse.

If one attempted to utter certain forbidden words, a curse would spread through the body, leading to death.

The curse that afflicted Cesare seemed to be in the form of the name of the person who gave him the instructions.

Considering how he didn’t even realize he was under a curse and was about to speak hastily, he probably didn’t know he was cursed himself…

Seeing the cold figure of doctor Cesare, who had taken the secret to his grave, sent shivers down my spine.

Who on earth could it be?

At the same time, a slight trembling began.

If it weren’t for Ludwig, the one lying there would have been Cesare, but… me.

As my breath grew short in the remaining memories like a trauma, I felt warmth in my hand.

“Ludwig?”

Did my trembling appearance seem pitiful?

He simply held my hand without saying a word, and strangely enough, the trembling subsided.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I think so.”

I gestured my gratitude with my eyes and withdrew my hand.

There were many people’s gazes here.

It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious in a place where rumors could spread even if they were nonexistent.

For some reason, Ludwig touched my hand as if he was disappointed.

“Young lady!”

At that moment, Nella, who had been restrained, ran up to me and burst into tears.

“Young lady, are you okay? You don’t have any aftereffects, do you?”

Whether Nella knew or didn’t know that I had just returned from the battlefield, her concern was overwhelming.

I smiled and reassured Nella.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry for now, I’ll get a proper examination later…”

My gaze turned to Nella’s knees.

There was bloodstains, as if she had been scraped against the floor during the struggle earlier.

I commanded the servant next to me, “Take Nella and provide her with treatment.”

“Young lady, it’s nothing serious.”

“I’m worried too. Understand my feelings as well, Nella.”

In response to my firm voice, Nella soon formed a faint smile and acquiesced.

“Then I’ll go receive treatment and come back soon.”

Supported by the servant, Nella headed towards the mansion.

While watching her retreating figure, I heard a familiar voice from beside me.

“Sierra.”

“Grandfather.”

He had a pensive expression as he looked at Cesare’s body, which was being attended to.

“It’s truly fortunate that you’re unharmed.”

He then turned to Ludwig, who was standing next to him, and spoke, “I am truly grateful to the Duke Karsian.”

“No, I only did what I could.”

“This incident will never be forgotten in Drenihan. Now, I must resolve this situation here… Sierra, see off the guests and come back.”

Pointing to Ludwig, my grandfather said.

* * *

One by one, the guests started to leave, and there were only a few carriages left.

I escorted Ludwig to where the carriage was waiting.

If there was something that concerned me inwardly, it was his golden-edged mask.

It looked like it had been forcefully thrown away earlier, as the gold was clearly visible.

I wondered if the suppressing effect that restrained his powers still remained.

“Ludwig, that mask…”

As I spoke with a remorseful voice, Ludwig paused for a moment and looked deeply at the golden-edged mask in his hands.

“It’s fine. I no longer need the mask.”

“What?”

“I won’t wear the mask anymore, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Ludwig no longer wore the mask.

In the original work, the decisive moment when he took off the mask was his bond with Jenna.

Since the moment an adept who could restrain his rampage appeared, the mask became unnecessary.

“But why now…?”

It was the moment when I looked up at Ludwig with a puzzled face.

“Wait, there’s a leaf on your face…”

As Ludwig’s hand approached, about to touch my cheek, I unknowingly slapped his hand away.

Thunk-!

“……!”

Ludwig’s golden eye met my gaze in mid-air.

“……”

Amidst the fleeting silence, Ludwig murmured.

“Am I frightening?”

Unexpectedly, Ludwig had an anxious expression.

“Other people’s gaze doesn’t seem to matter, but for some reason, I don’t want to be hated by you, Young lady.”

As our agitated gazes collided, I momentarily lost my words.

“……”

As the silence stretched, Ludwig spoke softly.

“Well, since you saw me in that state back then….”

He was referring to the moment when he had almost lost control.

“That, that’s not it.”

I spoke with a trembling voice, and Ludwig lifted his head.

“…There’s no reason to hate you. You’re the one who saved me.”

“Then…”

“It’s just embarrassing. I cried with tears and snot all over my face in front of you!”

I blurted out my inner thoughts.

Yes, it was from the moment I noticed the clear liquid I had splattered on Ludwig’s collar.

“On your shirt… There’s a clear mark of my face!”

I must be completely red-faced right now.

There was no other possibility.

If you saw distinct marks of eyes, nose, and mouth on a pristine white shirt.

“…Hahaha.”

He suddenly burst into laughter.

Then, for some reason, he glanced at his own shirt and laughed even louder.

“H-Here, give me the shirt! I’ll give you a new one!”

In response to my words, Ludwig held out his hand with the buttons.

“Right here? If the Young lady wants it, I can give it to you right away.”

“……!”

Taking advantage of my surprise, a calm smile had already formed at the corner of Ludwig’s mouth.

“Don’t worry about the shirt. It might even become a piece of artwork with these marks.”

A piece of artwork!

I forcefully suppressed the desire to immediately take off the shirt and hide this embarrassing moment.

“Well, you did save my life, so I feel like I should do something in return. Do you have any wishes…?”

I had received too much help to just let him go like this.

“Yes, I do.”

I raised my head curiously in response to Ludwig’s prompt reply.

“What wish is it?”

Considering how confident he seemed about it, it probably wouldn’t be something ordinary to ask for.

Still, I had the confidence that I could fulfill any request he made.

There was nothing impossible with Drenihan’s wealth.

Ludwig looked at me for a moment and then gave an unexpected answer.

“I would like you to be my partner at the upcoming Karison reception.”

“Partner?”

Was that the only repayment for saving his life?

“If that’s the wish you want, then of course. But are you sure that’s all?”

I was prepared to offer him my own gigantic gold mine in my name.

“That’s all I need, Sierra.”

“Huh? What did you just say…?”

I raised my head in surprise and asked again.

“Did you call my name just now?”

“Yes, I did.”

He had always called me by the dry title of “Young Lady,” so it felt strange to hear him call my name.

More than that, my name sounded incredibly sweet in his youthful voice.

Well, he called me with such a gentle smile, after all.

If someone saw us, they would mistakenly think that he liked me.

It’s a strange day in many ways, indeed.

Is this a dream or something?

If it’s not, then…

“I’ll come to pick you up soon, Sierra.”

But Ludwig called my name again as if driving a wedge and boarded the carriage.

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