Standing under the showerhead, Velyan looked up with interest at the nozzle spraying hot water. She had never seen anything like this before.
A faucet that poured hot water with a simple twist, things that heated up without magic, boxes that cooled food down, and a device that washed clothes automatically—none of these things seemed to require magic to run.
Although they couldn't be used in battle, they were incredibly convenient for daily life—even more convenient than magic.
With that thought, she crouched down and pressed a pump bottle. A dollop of liquid squeezed onto her hand. It smelled wonderful... even more fragrant than any perfume humans produced.
The little girl had told her this was called body wash, and that lathering it on her body during a bath would make her smell nice.
Hesitating for a moment, Velyan carefully avoided her unhealed wounds and gently lathered the body wash over herself.
“It really is fragrant... Where on earth did these things come from?” She stood under the showerhead and thoroughly rinsed her body. Mmh... taking a bath felt wonderful.
After a while, she walked over to the mirror, still dripping wet, and carefully examined herself. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly.
So by human standards of beauty... I actually look very pretty...
No! What am I thinking?! I'm a dragon!
...
By the fishery, Loviki and Chen Mian had been sitting there for an hour.
The fishing rod was made of a tree branch reinforced with mana by Chen Mian, the line was reinforced hemp string, and the hook was molded directly from metal. Although it looked rough, it was perfectly usable for fishing.
Suddenly, she pulled her rod back sharply. A silvery-white fish burst from the water and landed on the grassy bank with a wet thud. She bent down to unhook the fish and placed it in her bucket, which already contained five fish.
She turned her head, the smugness on her face impossible to hide. “How about that? Pretty impressive, right?”
“Impressive,” Chen Mian said, leaning back in the shade of a tree without even looking up.
“...That was way too half-hearted.”
“Let me rephrase then.” Chen Mian put down his fishing rod and turned his head to look at her. “You're much better than the first time you went fishing.”
Loviki froze for a second, then awkwardly defended herself, “Th-that was an accident! I wasn't familiar with the environment back then!”
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Loviki felt a sudden wave of annoyance. She crouched down and began poking at the fish in the bucket, splashing water everywhere.
After a moment, she blurted out out of nowhere, “You fed Flora cake this morning!”
“Hmm?” Chen Mian turned his head to look at her.
“I saw you,” Loviki said, still staring down at the fish in the bucket, her voice carrying an air of feigned indifference. “You wiped the cream off the corner of her mouth with your finger and then ate it.”
Chen Mian stared at her for two seconds. “...Didn't you have your eyes closed from sleepiness when you came downstairs?”
“I saw it before that!”
The air fell silent for a moment.
Chen Mian set up his fishing rod again. “Should I do it out of sight next time?”
“No!” Loviki snapped her head up, her ruby-red eyes glaring at him. “I mean... y-you've never done anything like that before!”
“Yes, I haven't done that before.”
“...” Loviki opened her mouth, but found herself at a loss for words. The suffocating tightness in her chest only grew more pronounced.
“Whatever.” She turned her head away and cast her line back into the lake, the bobber floating up and down on the water's surface.
Chen Mian watched her profile for a moment. Loviki's lips were slightly downcurved, and her grip on the fishing rod was noticeably tighter than before.
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the lake.
After another quiet moment, Loviki's voice sounded again, much softer this time. “So... what is your relationship with Flora now?”
“What do you think?”
“...If I knew, would I be asking you?” Loviki's voice carried a trace of irritation. She yanked her rod up sharply before casting it right back in. “Louise definitely knows too... I'm the only one who doesn't. You're all keeping secrets from me.”
Chen Mian turned his head to look at her. “So, are you jealous?”
With a clatter, the fishing rod slipped from Loviki's hand and hit the ground. She quickly scrambled to pick it up, trying to act nonchalant. “I-I am not! Who would be jealous... and even if I were, I'd be jealous of Flora!”
“Understood, you're not,” Chen Mian said, glancing at her before returning his gaze to the bobber.
Loviki let out a sigh of relief, but her heart felt even heavier now, like punching a bag of feathers.
Staring at the lake, she remained quiet for a long time before speaking up again. “Anyway, I'm only staying here temporarily. A royal marriage alliance isn't that easy to escape. Even if I run, the Lawrence Family can't. I'll have to face it eventually.”
“Do you want to go back and marry that prince?” Chen Mian turned his head, his expression calm as he looked at her.
“...I-I don't have a choice,” Loviki mumbled, her lips twitching in a slightly petulant manner.
“If you want to go, then go.”
Loviki froze, nearly dropping her fishing rod again. “...W-what did you say?”
“I said, if you want to go, then go.” Chen Mian looked back at the lake.
“You—!” Loviki opened her mouth, but the words ‘Do you want me to leave that badly?’ lodged in her throat, refusing to come out.
She lowered her head, a wave of grievance washing over her. Staring at the five fish in the bucket, her voice dropped to a whisper. “...So everything you said before was a lie?”
“What did I say?”
“You told me to do what I want to do, and that you wouldn't let anyone take me away.” Loviki suddenly whipped her head up, her eyes rimmed with red.
“I meant it.” Chen Mian nodded earnestly, reaching out to gently wipe the corner of her eye. “But do you actually want to go? I'll go with you. As for marrying some prince... absolutely not.”
Loviki stared at him blankly, then turned her head back to the lake. “...But you said that so coldly just now. You clearly didn't mean it that way. You did it on purpose, didn't you?”
“Yeah, on purpose,” Chen Mian said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“...You really are...” She stopped halfway, suddenly unable to continue. Only after a long silence did she whisper, “Don't do that again.”
“Okay.”
“...Keep your word.”
“I will.”
“Is the way I talk really annoying?” Loviki suddenly asked in a small voice.
“Not at all.”
“Oh... I see.” Loviki stared at the bobber, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly. The heavy feeling in her chest seemed to have dissipated.
She looked back at the lake, quietly holding her fishing rod. Though her eyes were fixed on the bobber, she wasn't actually watching the water.
He just said he would accompany me to the Royal Capital... and why did he say he wouldn't let me marry...
Loviki looked down at the fish in the bucket. Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, taking quite some time to settle down, though her lips unconsciously curled into a smile.
She stole a sidelong glance at Chen Mian.
At this moment, Chen Mian was leaning back in the shade of the tree, focused on his fishing without looking her way.
Loviki withdrew her gaze. After a moment, she spoke up again, her voice a bit more cheerful than before. “So, you being so cold earlier means you were unhappy?”
“Was I cold?” Chen Mian turned his head and met her eyes, his expression unchanging.
“Yes! You were definitely unhappy!”
“Yeah, you're right,” Chen Mian said, looking back at the lake.
She quickly turned away, pretending to study the bobber intently, though her face had already flushed crimson. “...W-why were you unhappy?”
Rate on N.U.
