What Does That Evil Dragon Live For?

Elaine, who was laughing with tears in her eyes, was only able to calm down right before Rabes cast healing magic.

 

“Hahaha, I think this is the first time I’ve laughed like this.”

 

[you…Are you really okay?] 

 

“I’m fine, look at this!”

 

Elaine tucked the apron on the bed. 

 

Chocolates and candies spilled over the shabby gray blanket.

 

[What is this?] 

 

“Chocolate and candy. That’s what Martin, Damon, and Ellie gave me!”

 

[what? those demons? Didn’t you get poison?] 

 

“No. Should I just say that they fell for my trick?”

 

Elaine smiled and told him what had just happened.

 

However, what was pleasant to Elaine seems to have been unpleasant to Rabes.

 

[Did you just laugh like crazy because you were excited?] 

 

“In my previous life, I was teased for an hour as an orphan and beggar, but I couldn’t say a word back. But this time, I did! It’s a small victory for me.”

 

[Victory? hah…Should I call this stupid?] 

 

Rabes tapped the floor with his tail as if he didn’t like it. But whatever his reaction, Elaine was really happy.

 

The memory of St. Nicholas’ Day, which had been stained with misery, was painted over with exhilaration.

 

‘Unlike before, when I was saddened by the gifts other children received, from now on, whenever St. Nicholas Day returned, I would be able to remember the memories of today and chuckle to myself.’

 

* * * 

 

When Elaine was spending a peaceful afternoon eating chocolate, Elaine felt that today was the end of the day.

 

But St. Nicholas had one more surprise left for her.

 

It was dark outside and while Elaine was reading by the oil lamp, someone knocked on her door.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Elaine asked in a surprised voice.

 

She had told Emily not to come, so no one was looking for Elaine at this late hour.

 

Then an unexpected voice answered.

 

“it’s me.”

 

The moment the person outside the door answered, Rabes, who had been restless since before, glared at the door with sharp eyes. Elaine was equally surprised.

 

“L’Arch…?”

 

Elaine stood up with a bewildered face and opened the door, and Rabes gathered magic on the tip of his tail as if he was about to attack.

 

“What are you doing at this hour?”

 

Elaine asked in disbelief as L’Arch rolled her eyes and looked around the room.

 

L’Arch had never been in this room before.

 

“Since you haven’t been coming to me all these days, I have no choice but to come up.”

 

“What?”

 

For a moment, Elaine wondered if she had fallen into a strange world, not the past.

 

L’Arch who came to see her because she hadn’t gone to see him, such a L’Arch didn’t exist in the world Elaine knew.

 

“Is there something I…… Should do?”

 

Elaine really wanted to know if she had forgotten something, but L’Arch frowned slightly as if he thought Elaine was being sarcastic.

 

“You came to my room often until two months ago. Why don’t you come today?”

 

“You told me not to come there unnecessarily.”

 

It was already 10 years ago for Elaine, who was 26 years old, but she still remembers what he said coldly every time she visited.

 

“Don’t come to me unnecessarily. Because it’s annoying.”

 

Young Elaine would often return to L’Arch’s room as if she hadn’t heard such words but was always swallowing dry saliva in front of his door, nervous, wondering if this time he would kick her out, or if he would use cruel words to her.

 

But L’Arch never did that.

 

‘At the time, I believed it was a friendly side of Lark, but now I know it was outright indifference.’

 

‘So why is he saying this now?’

 

“It’s not the first time I’ve said something like that, but you always come to me before.”

 

Elaine was a bit taken aback by L’Arch’s nonchalant refutation.

 

But maybe it was a little too early to panic.

 

“Here, take it.”

 

“What is this?”

 

Elaine hesitantly took the gift from L’Arch.

 

“On Saint Nicholas’ Day, children should receive presents.”

 

It was quite a funny thing to say that L’Arch, who was only four years older than Elaine, said that. No, before that, it was absurd that L’Arch was giving her a gift at all.

 

“L’Arch…What do you want from me?”

 

Looking at L’Arch with suspicious eyes, L’Arch put on a rather puzzled expression.

 

“Do I have to bribe you to get what I want from you?”

 

It was an answer that left her speechless.

 

“Don’t roll that little brain for nothing, just do as you normally do.”

 

“Just do as you normally do?”

 

“Yes”

 

Elaine couldn’t fathom what was inside him.

 

‘what the hell does that mean?’

 

‘Do you mean to tell me to follow your backside or follow you around and be thirsty for your attention and affection, as I’ve always done?’ 

 

Even though Elaine was confused, L’Arch slowly approached and examined Elaine carefully. His gaze was so intense that she thought he was touching her.

 

“As I said before, you are a member of the Newt family. It means that I or my father are the ones to be responsible for.”

 

“Responsible…?”

 

From the beginning to the end, it seemed like she kept hearing only unexpected words, so she kept asking questions again and again.

 

Elaine felt like she was going to laugh at the fact that they were taking care of her. Because she knew how the responsibility Lark said was ended.

 

However, there was no way Lark knew Elaine’s thoughts or their future.

 

“Now, as the heir, I can give my opinion on the affairs of the family. I intend to tell my father about you sooner or later.”

 

“About me, what?”

 

“Your education, your social debut, or married…”

 

Elaine didn’t know what the hell to say. All three of the things L’Arch said right now, nothing happened in her previous life.

 

“So trust me and be patient. My father is still cold to you because of your dead mother, but in the end, he will follow my opinion.”

 

After finishing his words, L’Arch lightly stroked Elaine’s cheek with the tip of his long, white finger, then turned around and left the room.

 

Elaine froze in place, feeling goosebumps all over her body, from the cheek L’Arch had touched.

 

‘Strange. Why is Lark like that?’ It was only two months ago that I returned to the past.

 

Even if Elaine’s attitude changed, the attitude of her uncles and her cousins didn’t change.

 

Strangely, however, only L’Arch was changing. As if he knew that Elaine was trying to escape from him.

 

‘I’ll have to be careful. I can’t live on a leash from Lark as I did in my previous life!’ 

 

Elaine took a deep breath and tried to rub her pounding chest until she realized that she had a small gift box in her hand.

 

It was a gift box wrapped with a ribbon, something she had never received in her previous life.

 

Aside from being wary, Elaine carefully unwrapped the package, wondering what L’Arch might have given him 

 

[What is it?]

 

It was Rabes who showed curiosity first.

 

“It’s a ribbon.”

 

It was a red satin ribbon with a pearl at the end.

 

It looked like it was a ribbon made in the Principality of Jade, which was popular in the social world around this time, as it was tightly woven, shiny, and brightly colored.

 

It was a gift any girl from an aristocratic family would appreciate, but Elaine felt like it was reaffirming that L’Arch still didn’t care about her situation.

 

It’s a red ribbon.

 

If she goes out with a red ribbon on her head, she will be lucky if she doesn’t get slapped or beaten by her uncle or aunt, because it didn’t match with her shabby clothes.

 

Who would welcome the sight of a girl who could be called the dishonorable lady of the family, walking around with a ribbon bouncing around?

 

[…Do human girls like that?] 

 

“Maybe?”

 

[Do you like it?] 

 

“No. It doesn’t make me feel good.”

 

However, Rabes was rather pleased with those words.

 

[Yeah, there’s no way you, who was indifferent even after receiving my strength, could be happy with something like this.]

 

Elaine laughed involuntarily at the way he spoke as if he were proud of himself.

 

Rabes, more elated at the fact that he had made Elaine laugh, decided to do what he had been thinking about earlier.

 

[I’ll give you a present this time. It’s much better than what he gave you earlier.]

 

“A gift?”

 

Rabes, who didn’t even know what day St. Nicholas’ Day was until Elaine told him about it, said it proudly as if he had been preparing for it.

 

“But if there’s something they haven’t seen, I’ll be suspected of stealing it. So, I will only accept Rabes’s heart.”

 

[Don’t think of me on a human level, it’s only for humans to be obsessed with material things.] 

 

Her arrogant blue eyes looked at the red ribbon L’Arch had given her with contempt.

 

Then, suddenly, looking at Elaine, he added.

 

[Of course, I can give you anything you want, but…] 

 

“No. There is no such thing I want.”

 

[If there is anything you want, just tell me anytime. Even if it’s not Saint Natholis Day.] 

 

“Not Saint Natholis, but Saint Nicholas.….”

 

[The name of a long-dead human is not important! Now, are you ready to receive my gift?]

 

Elaine swallowed dryly as she recalled the story of Rabes, who turned back time because of her wish to ‘don’t destroy the empire’.

 

“I hope it has no effect on anyone else besides me.”

 

[What are you talking about?] 

 

Rabes, completely oblivious to Elaine’s uneasiness, retreated to a corner of the room and waggled his tail to gather his magic power.

 

* * *