What Does That Evil Dragon Live For?

And after a few days, the day of St. Nicholas, which the children had been waiting for, dawned.

 

“Wow! New skates!”

 

“Kyaaaa! It’s really that porcelain doll! mother, father! Thank you!”

 

The mansion has been noisy since morning.

 

After breakfast, the children ran around screaming as they opened their gifts.

 

Having received the pony, Martin had already run out to the stable.

 

“We have to go to the temple in the afternoon. You must change into outdoor clothes by three o’clock. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Count Newt and his wife, who were quite cold to Elaine, smiled widely at the joy of their children.

 

They were grown men and women, they seemed to be only young children in the eyes of the Newt couple.

 

Since yesterday, the kitchen had been making chocolates and candies for the children, giving off a sweet smell, and all kinds of ribbons and ornaments decorating the house were reflecting the light, and even the weather was sunny.

 

It was a day where everyone seemed happy. Except for Elaine.

 

“Huftt….”

 

[You need to fix your sighing habit.] 

 

“I know.”

 

[Tsk. What are you sighing about today?] 

 

Elaine forced the corners of her mouth up, but she couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Because she already knew what was going to happen.

 

“It’s nothing, I just keep sighing even though I know it’s a bad habit.”

 

Elaine just smiled instead of explaining.

 

‘I just have to endure it for an hour anyway. If I don’t react, they will be bored and won’t be able to do more.’

 

Elaine took a few deep breaths as she picked up the breakfast tray, which didn’t even have chocolate crumbs on it.

 

‘I’ll bring this empty bowl to the kitchen and on the way back Martin, Damon and Ellie will catch me.’

 

‘Then they would brag about the gift they had received and tease me while eating chocolate in front of me.’

 

Even if I tried to ignore them and go back to my room, I couldn’t beat Martin’s hold on me. I have no choice but to endure it for an hour.

 

‘It would have been comforting to have Rabes with me, but Rabes was not the type to just sit and watch.’

 

So after thinking about it, she decided to leave Rabes in the room.

 

“I might have come up a little late. Stay in the room anyway. Okay?”

 

[If anyone sees it, People would think I’m always following you around.] 

 

It was true, So Elaine didn’t bother to argue.

 

‘Come to think of it, it was the first time I moved without Rabes since returning.’

 

‘I didn’t feel the weight of it even when Rabes sat on my shoulders, but today I felt empty on my shoulders.’

 

‘I can’t rely on the Lord Rabes forever. Be strong, Elaine!’ 

 

Elaine clenched her fists and bravely went down to the kitchen.

 

“Thank you for the meal.”

 

“Ah yes…”

 

The face of the kitchen maid who received the tray back was grim.

 

After L’Arch improved Elaine’s treatment, all the servants in the house showed awkward attitudes, as if they didn’t know how to treat Elaine.

 

Even now, they were looking at each other to see if they should offer Elaine the chocolate they were picking up and eating among themselves, or if they should just ignore it like before.

 

Elaine quickly turned around and came out of the kitchen because she knew they weren’t comfortable with her.

 

The sweet smell of chocolate made her salivate, but she didn’t want to be seen drooling in front of them.

 

And after a short walk, as expected, she met the Newt family’s bad guys who were waiting for her.

 

“Elaine! Let’s show each other gifts! I got a Porcelain doll from Lady Pelon’s doll shop that only sells 20! What about Elaine?”

 

Ellie asked viciously, blinking her eyes while hugging the porcelain doll.

 

‘In the past, I was blinded by the shocking beauty of that doll, but now I could pretend to be calm.’

 

“The doll is very pretty. You must be happy, Ellie.”

 

“Yes! I’m so happy, but what did Elaine get?”

 

“I got nothing.”

 

“Oh, what a pity.”

 

Ellie covered her mouth in an exaggerated manner and lowered her eyebrows. Then Damon, who was next to him, made a sarcastic remark.

 

“Since she is a child without a mother, there is no way she would have received a gift. Because you are so pathetic, why don’t you go out and beg for some candy?”

 

“That’s right! Today, the shopping mall is also handing out candy to the kids. Go there too!”

 

“Yes, yes! beggar children just waiting today to get a year’s worth of snacks. Go and beg for some candy with them.”

 

Even Martin chimed in and giggled.

 

In the past, I got angry at that word and shouted ‘I’m not a beggar!’, but instead I was teased as an ‘orphan beggar’ all day long.

 

But now she knew what to do to irritate them.

 

“Should I really try? Rumors may spread that Count Newt’s family doesn’t even have candy to give to his nephew.”

 

“What? Why don’t we have candy at home? They have been making a lot of candy and chocolate since yesterday!”

 

“Really? I’ve never received one so I don’t know. And people don’t even know If candy and chocolate are piled up in our house, why would a grown kid beg for candy? And that’s Count Newt’s nephew.”

 

Elaine shrugged and looked at the speechless bad guys.

 

Everyone was full of anger, but they didn’t know what to say, so they were only making strange sounds of “Yaakk!”

 

Elaine said with a smile as if she had no intention of doing anything as Ellie did.

 

“Then I will go out. As you said I need to get some snacks. Thanks for the good idea!”

 

It may have looked as heinous as Ellie, but it must have been enough to embarrass them.

 

Suddenly, Martin grabbed Elaine’s forearm.

 

“Are you crazy? Are you trying to disgrace my family?!”

 

Then he took some chocolate from his pocket and stuffed it into Elaine’s pocket.

 

“Eat this and get away from me!”

 

These weren’t leftover chocolates, they were “real” chocolates, carefully made and individually wrapped.

 

Unbelievable that such chocolate was in her pocket, Elaine looked in amazement at Martin’s and her pocket.

 

Then Martin’s face immediately became triumphant.

 

“I’m not surprised by this. Yes, be grateful to this Martin and save it.”

 

Elaine’s brow furrowed at the way he spoke, like he received a charter. She shouldn’t have let him get away with this.

 

“What are you talking about? Like you said, you want me to be satisfied with a few chocolates? If I go to the store, I can get my pocket full of chocolate.”

 

“What, what?”

 

“How many are these? one two…Hey, only four chocolates? That’s quite a generous offer.”

 

She looked at Martin with a pitiful face, and his face turned red as if it would explode at any moment.

 

“This can’t keep me from leaving. If you have a brain, don’t you know that it’s better to have a pocket full of chocolate than four chocolates?”

 

Suddenly, Damon pulled out more candies and chocolates from his pocket.

 

“Here! Take this too!”

 

Even so, the pockets of Elaine’s apron were not full.

 

And the youngest of the three, Ellie, had the biggest jar.

 

Ellie grabbed the bowl from the middle of the parlor table and gave it to Elaine. It was filled with chocolate and candy.

 

“This is enough, Elaine.”

 

“Yes! Don’t go out and disgrace our family!”

 

“It’s a little less, but it’s much better than the commoner’s shopping store chocolate!”

 

Elaine’s cousins had blood vessels on their necks as if they were risking their lives for the ‘family honor’.

 

Elaine sighed as if she had lost a lot and said without letting go of her sad expression until the end.

 

“Hmm…Since you guys took care of me like this, I can’t help it either. Then shall I accept it?”

 

Then he lifted the apron to make it like a bag, poured chocolate and candy Ellie had given her, and handed the empty bowl back to Ellie.

 

“I will regard these chocolates and candies as your pride, which regards the honor of our family as if it were your life.”

 

“Of course!”

 

“Then thank you, I’ll eat well. Happy St. Nicholas Day everyone!”

 

Elaine smiled brightly and walked past them and up the stairs.

 

They all looked at each other like, ‘Huh? This isn’t…?’

 

They think Elaine had to clench her teeth against the embarrassment she could feel behind her back.

 

Elaine ran upstairs, went into her room, closed the door, and then burst into laughter.

 

“Ahahaha!”

 

[What, What! Did you finally lose your mind?] 

 

Surprised, Rabes looked at Elaine with a weird expression, but Elaine couldn’t help but laugh. She couldn’t hold back her laughter.

 

* * *