What Does That Evil Dragon Live For?

[Do you really have to do that?] 

 

“I guess that’s what nobles do. I heard that marriages among nobles are more about business than love.”

 

[But she looks closer to love than business, right?] 

 

Rabes said, pointing to Lorina.

 

Just as he said, Lorina had a bright smile on her face all day long. His expression was bright enough to contrast with L’Arch, who was expressionless or only smiled politely.

 

“Because Lorina likes L’Arch. Sometimes, there are people who are this lucky. Who gets to marry the person she loves.”

 

[Well, I’m not sure if that’s lucky or not. Because your cousin doesn’t seem to be interested in that girl at all.] 

 

Elaine could not refute Rabes’s words.

 

‘Lorina in my previous life was also very happy to marry L’Arch, but as time went by, she became distressed by the fact that no matter what she did, she could not win L’Arch’s love.’

 

Lorina, who had never been unable to have what she wanted, must have had a hard time accepting that fact and tried to find a reason why she couldn’t receive L’Arch’s love.

 

‘I don’t know why I became the reason for that.’ 

 

Lorina, who left the temple after the coming-of-age ceremony and immediately married L’Arch, began to mistreat Elaine, who was almost imprisoned in the temple.

 

It was Lorina who assigned Elaine to the most difficult volunteer work, a kitchen for the poor.

 

It was Lorina who instigated Rubaine to send Elaine to the descendants of perverted aristocrats.

 

It was so common that she insulted Elaine every time she visited the temple.

 

Elaine couldn’t understand why Lorina hated her so much.

 

The reason why Lorina didn’t receive L’Arch’s love had nothing to do with Elaine.

 

‘She must have thought that even the fact that I have a crush on L’Arch was interfering with her love, right?’ 

 

This means she took out her anger on Elaine.

 

Elaine was exasperated by the meanness of Lorina, who would have enjoyed a small sense of victory by tormenting Elaine, who was more miserable than her.

 

Maybe Lorina was miserable enough to have to deal with something like that, but it was not the victim’s responsibility to consider the perpetrator’s circumstances.

 

While Elaine was lost in those thoughts, someone caught her attention by tapping a silver spoon against a glass and a priest invited from the temple stepped forward to conduct the engagement ceremony.

 

‘It’s finally starting.’ 

 

Elaine straightened her posture and pretended to have a flat expression like her cousin.

 

‘In my previous life, I had been depressed all day when I heard that Lark had gotten engaged to Lorina, but I found it a bit surprising that I didn’t feel anything now.’

 

“In this beautiful season when all things bloom with life through the blessings of Bara, two young people here make a promise to the future. Mr. L’Arch of the Newt family and Lady Lorina of the Dardil family obey their wise and exemplary parents and grow up as righteous subjects of Bara from an early age…”

 

Even as the priest’s long congratulatory speech continued, L’Arch’s expression didn’t change. He had an expressionless and slightly bored face as if he was busy completing tasks that needed to be completed quickly.

 

However, Lorina was filled with joy, as if she believed that every phrase of the priest’s congratulatory speech was truly blessing her future.

 

It was the appearance of an innocent girl who believed she had become the main character in a fairy tale.

 

Elaine suddenly felt sorry for Lorina.

 

“What you said is right. It was too simplistic to think that Lorina was a lucky person.”

 

[Right? I don’t have foresight, but I know for sure that that girl’s future won’t go as she planned.]

 

Elaine quietly nodded and agreed with Rabes’s opinion. At the same time, she felt like she no longer knew what love between opposite sexes was.

 

“Okay, now let’s give each other promise rings.”

 

Following the priest’s instructions, L’Arch and Lorina put the engagement rings they had prepared in advance on each other’s fingers.

 

The diamond ring on Lorina’s finger sparkled so dazzlingly that it could be easily seen from afar, and the women around her envied Count Newt’s wealth, as they recited the diamond’s origin, type, and carat weight.

 

That was the end of the engagement ceremony itself.

 

What followed was a bit like a business briefing session between Count Newt and Count Dardil.

 

“I would like to thank you all for attending this event where my son L’Arch and Lady Lorina of Count Dardil promise the future. With this engagement, the Newt family and the Dardil family become closer business partners.”

 

Rubaine and Count Dardil rambled on about the business ventures the two families had formed, and those in attendance pricked up their ears and took a step forward, hoping to get that information.

 

“It’s really a marriage business.…”

 

Elaine shook her head and sighed without realizing it.

 

[Well, it has nothing to do with you, right?]

 

“That’s right.”

 

Even in the past life, this kind of engagement ceremony had nothing to do with Elaine, and in this life, it didn’t matter in a different way.

 

Because this time I’m not going to be sold like in my previous life.’ 

 

Elaine smiled briefly and placed a piece of chocolate cake on her plate.

 

‘I never thought I’d get to eat such delicious desserts while living in Newt’s, but it was something I would see for a long time.’

 

[You’ve been eating a lot since earlier.]

 

Elaine, who unconsciously revealed her appetite as it was her first time being able to eat so many desserts, became embarrassed and made an excuse.

 

“Sweet foods are rare in temples. I should eat a lot before joining the temple.”

 

[Do you like it? Those sticky, crumbly foods.] 

 

“You might get sick of it if you eat it every day, but it’s a taste that makes you happy if you eat it occasionally. Have you tried something like this, Lord Rabes?”

 

[It’s not that I can’t eat human food, but I wasn’t that interested. Because it’s much more delicious to take out the magic core of monsters and eat it.] 

 

Elaine laughed nervously at the mention of the unimaginable flavors of food(?). She tried to focus on the chocolate cake again, but she felt someone nudge her.

 

“It looks like you’re enjoying the party well?”

 

Lorina was full of ridicule.

 

Elaine was perplexed as to why the main character of the day, who was already busy, would come to her like this. But she didn’t want to cower in front of Lorina, so she deliberately took it more shamelessly.

 

“Thank you for your invitation. Thanks to you, I get to eat these delicious foods. Oh! Congratulations on your engagement.”

 

“Thank you for your congratulations. Now. Are you sure you know that L’Arch is my fiancé?”

 

“Huh? I’ve known that, It’s been a while since you two talked about getting engaged, right?”

 

Lorina’s expression hardened slightly at Elaine’s attitude as if she was asking the obvious.

 

“Even knowing that you still flirted with L’Arch?”

 

“Flirted? Me?”

 

“Do you think I don’t know that you go to L’Arch’s room every night and flirt with him?”

 

Elaine was a little embarrassed that Lorina knew that fact, but she didn’t want to be misunderstood as if she was flirting with L’Arch. Flirting, she had never thought of such a thing before.

 

“It is true that I visited L’Arch sometimes, but I had no impure intentions.”

 

“Ha! A grown girl goes to a man’s room at night without any impure intentions? Does that make sense?”

 

“Because that was the only time I could meet L’Arch. I just wanted to talk to someone.”

 

“Why did it have to be Mr. Lark!”

 

Elaine sighed at Lorina’s nervousness.

 

‘I know. Why did I try to rely on Lark? He was the coldest and cruelest of my cousins.…’

 

Elaine answered, pitying herself for her foolish past.

 

“I thought L’Arch was the only person I could communicate with in this house. By the end of last year, I knew for sure that I was mistaken. So you don’t have to worry anymore, Lorina.”

 

Elaine smiled with her chocolate-covered mouth. One would have thought she owed Lorina a favor, but both Lorina and Elaine had gone too far to be fond of each other.

 

“We’ll see, Elaine.”

 

“Don’t watch me, crack down on L’Arch. I don’t know why he suddenly wants to take care of me. I’m sure there must be something going on.”

 

“What?”

 

“I would really appreciate it if you could stop L’Arch from doing that, Lorina. You’re officially his fiance now, wouldn’t you be able to meddle that much?”

 

Lorina was speechless, not knowing what to say. She was listening to Elaine, whom she thought was her ‘love enemy’.

 

“Yes, I was planning on doing that even if you didn’t tell me!”

 

“Really? Thank you! Then I’ll just trust you.”

 

Elaine was smiling brightly at Lorina when Countess Dardil came to pick her up.

 

She frowned slightly at the fact that Lorina was talking to Elaine, but took Lorina away without losing her elegant attitude.

 

[Wow, you’re not normal either] 

 

“What?”

 

[I mean screwing over the other person.] 

 

“Me?”

 

[You were doing it without even realizing it? You have enough qualifications as a fighting chicken!] 

 

Elaine just blinked, not knowing what Rabes was talking about, but Rabes chuckled and slightly waggled his tail.

 

At the same time, the chocolate on Elaine’s lips completely disappeared, but Elaine didn’t notice anything as she put her fork back into the cake.

 

The fact that L’Arch’s gaze has been turned towards this direction ever since she was talking to Lorina, that Rabes noticed it, and the chocolate on Elaine’s lips disappeared, and at the same time, people gathered in front of Elaine and blocked L’Arch’s view.

 

* * *