What Does That Evil Dragon Live For?

Since L’Arch had a coming-of-age ceremony last year, Elaine, who is shorter than her peers, may seem like a child, but it was embarrassing for Elaine, who was already 26 years old.

 

“You will grow taller now, so you don’t need five sets. I’d rather buy two sets of this and three sets one size larger than this!”

 

“huft…How much are you going to embarrass me?”

 

“What are you embarrassed about?”

 

Elaine wanted to ask if L’Arch was as embarrassed as she was for having his cousin reveal all the underwear she was going to wear, but it seemed to L’Arch that it was more embarrassing for Count Newt’s nephew to calculate the price.

 

“If you need anything, come here and order it under my father’s name. I will make a ledger.”

 

L’Arch told the merchant, who was looking at them happily, to create a ledger and have Elaine sign for the items she’d purchased today, then pay off the credit with cash on the spot.

 

“Did you see it? From now on, the family will pay for everything you buy here, so don’t worry about money while buying some underwear.”

 

“Does my uncle think the same?”

 

“You don’t have to worry. He decided to leave your business to me.”

 

Elaine was surprised and looked at L’Arch again, but L’Arch was calm as if nothing was strange.

 

However, L’Arch’s attitude was very unpleasant even for Rabes.

 

[What does he mean he’s in charge of your business?] 

 

“I don’t know…”

 

[If you think about it in connection with the fact that the damn family treats you as property,…I think he was saying that your uncle handed over your ownership to him.] 

 

“I really feel like I’m a property. If I think about it, it seems like it’s no different from my previous life.….”

 

Elaine whispered in a low voice so that L’Arch couldn’t hear and swallowed dry saliva.

 

Even before her return, Elaine was the Count Newt family’s property, and it is true that L’Arch’s opinion was strongly reflected in deciding Elaine’s future.

 

But L’Arch has never cared for Elaine like this.

 

Elaine, who found L’Arch’s change in attitude increasingly annoying, quickly shook her head.

 

‘I think I still care too much about L’Arch. Let’s get over it. We’re going to be strangers in a year anyway.’ 

 

Although she doesn’t know what item Rabes is looking for in the temple, Elaine thinks she would be able to find everything in a year or so and be free to leave.

 

When she thought about it like that, she started to feel that the current situation, where L’Arch was acting like he was Elaine’s protector, was just ridiculous.

 

‘You don’t have me at all, L’Arch. I’m not going to live and die by your words like I did in my previous life.’ 

 

Elaine thought deeply as if determined.

 

After finishing talking to the underwear store merchant about the credit account book or the ledger, L’Arch looked over the list of items to buy and said, “What’s next? Notebooks and writing utensils? As for notes, the ones from the Madela store are fine. let’s go.”

 

Unlike Elaine, who was somewhat reluctant, he even seemed a little excited.

 

However, at the Madela store, Elaine confirmed the identity of the strange anxiety she had been feeling earlier.

 

“L’Arch!”

 

This is because as soon as she crossed the threshold of the store, she heard Lorina’s voice calling L’Arch.

 

“What are you doing here? Elaine…?”

 

Lorina, who was welcoming L’Arch, opened her eyes wide when she saw Elaine coming in behind L’Arch.

 

“Elaine joined as a saint, so I’m here to buy the necessary items for her. I heard that Lady Dardil has also entered the Temple?”

 

“Ah yes…”

 

Lorina couldn’t take her eyes off Elaine while answering L’Arch’s question. In the end, it was her mother who had been pretending to be friendly instead of Lorina.

 

“L’Arch, are you taking care of all your cousin’s preparations?”

 

“I think I should take care of my younger siblings’ affairs. My mother is busy too.”

 

Countess Dardil nodded as if she understood. There was no way Countess Newt would take Elaine, who was no different from her ‘enemy’s daughter’.

 

“If time permits, I would like to talk more, but we have a lot of places to go.….”

 

“Oh, that’s right. Lorina?”

 

Lorina managed to smile when her mother nudged her.

 

“I hope to see you soon, L’Arch.”

 

“Of course, I will see you soon. There is an engagement in 2 weeks.”

 

“Yeah, that’s right.”

 

L’Arch looked bored as if he was talking about someone else’s business, but Lorina blushed at the word engagement. She looked shy and happy as if the discomfort or anxiety she had felt just now disappeared in an instant.

 

Then she shot Elaine a look that said, ‘I won!’

 

It was so funny that Elaine almost burst out laughing, but she didn’t know what kind of gossip she would hear if she did that in front of Madame Dardil, so she just smiled.

 

Of course, Lorina’s smile hardened there.

 

[Why is she so eager to start a fight whenever she sees you?] 

 

It seemed to Rabes that Lorina’s attitude was strange, but Elaine couldn’t figure out the reason, so she just shrugged her shoulders.

 

Anyway, after wandering around the shopping district with L’Arch for a while, Elaine was able to prepare everything without missing anything.

 

Elaine’s list of items, as well as a good quality leather luggage, ointment for wounds, cream for the face, a garter belt to hold up her stockings, leather shoes, socks, gloves, a scripture with a leather cover, stationery, letter envelopes, a paper knife, a paperweight, and handkerchiefs.

 

L’Arch, who was carrying all her luggage by himself, didn’t have enough hands, so even Elaine ended up having to carry a lot of paper bags.

 

“As expected, I should have brought a servant.”

 

“There was no need to buy this much in the first place, L’Arch.”

 

But L’Arch ignored Elaine’s words. 

 

As the afternoon sun began to set, I left the shopping street and L’Arch stopped in front of a store.

 

“Wait a moment in front of here.”

 

“uh? Yes.”

 

Unlike the two who always went in together, L’Arch went into the store alone, so Elaine waited in front of the store without thinking, thinking he might be buying something he needed.

 

As she was looking at the people passing by on the street without thinking, Rabes chimed next to her.

 

[Did you feel better today because that guy bought you this and that?] 

 

“Is there anything else to do other than like it? It’s something I wouldn’t have needed if I hadn’t joined the temple in the first place. It feels a bit unfair that I wasn’t able to do this in my previous life.”

 

[So, you’re not saying you’ll fall in love with that guy again, are you?] 

 

“Absolutely not. But why is that?”

 

[No, I’m just afraid you’ll do something stupid again.] 

 

“That won’t happen.”

 

[As I said last time, if there is anything you want, please tell me as much as you want. Because I can give you something much better than what you bought today.] 

 

Elaine laughed because it was somehow funny that Rabes was giving her firm instructions.

 

‘I was a little worried about where on earth the dragon, who is said to be unable to create something from nothing, would get such an item. But more than anything, I was happy that there was someone who cared about my life.’

 

Elaine was always anxious because there was no one like that in her previous life.

 

‘I didn’t have anyone to talk to about whether I was doing the right thing, whether I was making the wrong choice, or what I should do.’

 

So she had a lot of worries and thoughts, she was indecisive and put off making choices, she couldn’t let go of self-destructive unrequited love, and in the end, her life was helplessly taken from her.

 

‘If only one person had thought of me like this in my past life, I wouldn’t have lived like that.’ 

 

Elaine pretended to tidy up windblown hair and gently stroked Rabes’ head.

 

Even with that small touch, Rabes buried his nose in the back of Elaine’s neck and let out a warm breath.

 

* * * 

 

A small party was held at Count Newt’s mansion, a week before the saint’s initiation ceremony. It was L’Arch and Lorina’s engagement.

 

Initially, both families tried to announce their engagement with a bigger party, but it became a small party where only close acquaintances were invited because Lorina suddenly joined the temple as a saintess.

 

“In my previous life, their engagement was two years later than this, so I don’t know why it was moved forward.”

 

Elaine whispered as she sliced the raspberry pie in front of her.

 

It makes no sense to rush the engagement ceremony because Lorina has become a saintess.

 

‘Being a member of the Temple doesn’t mean you can’t have an engagement ceremony, and in my previous life, they had an engagement ceremony two years after I joined the temple.’

 

[but it must have been caused by a change in your behavior. But it won’t be a serious change because what’s going to happen has happened.] 

 

“Then I’m glad.”

 

The timing of the engagement was a surprise, but it was also unexpected that Elaine was invited to this event. It was even Lorina who invited Elaine.

 

‘I didn’t know what was going on, but I couldn’t refuse.’

 

Thanks to this, Elaine was just sitting in a corner of the party where no one was talking to her, chowing down on food she had never tried before.

 

[I don’t even understand this engagement ceremony. If you’re right for each other, why have a ceremony to ‘promise’ that in advance? In the first place, a wedding is a promise to be together until the two of you die. Making a promise after a promise, doesn’t this seem strange to you?] 

 

“They can’t get married right now, but they want to show the bond between their two families.”

 

* * *