CH 5

Lathyrus ran and ran again.

Because of the unpaved road, she rolled on the ground with her uncomfortable legs. Still unable to get up and go back, Lathyrus constantly escaped into the deeper forest where she didn’t know the way.

‘Why is that dragon trying to kill me? What did I do wrong?!’

But when she looked back…

What could be wrong with her older sister, Erica?

It was possible to be killed by others without committing any wrongdoing.

In the old days, her sister and her family did, and this time it was her turn. There was no good reason for that monster to kill people.

As her uncomfortable left knee moved for a long time, the pain slowly began to spread. It was a pain that reminded her of the day when she fell on the boards of the broken stable and was trampled on by horses.

Still unable to stop, Lathyrus did her best to run away from the invisible dragon. Her face was scratched from the branches even though she fell and stumbled several times. However, it was impossible for Lathyrus to completely run away from its predators, as she was rejected even by human beings due to her weak body.

The moonlight broke through the cracks in the cracked branches of this densely shaded forest. However, the moonlight that had permeated the forest like dust disappeared with the wind that blew for a moment. No, it was covered.

‘No way…’

Feeling an instinctive eerie, Lathyrus slowly lifted her head.

『Peekaboo.』

The face of a huge dragon was sticking out through the trees. Even though she was a monster and not a human, she could clearly see her smiling expression with her mouth ripped open.

“Ah… Ah… Ahh!”

Lathyrus was already screaming.

『Oh, it’s not fun.』

The dragon suddenly returned to the form of a human woman and stood in front of the seated Lathyrus.

“You are too easy to catch and no fun to play hunting.”

“Uh, uh…Save me, save me…”

“Lisianthus doesn’t seem interested either, so I have to kill you quickly.”

Despite begging for her life, Akert scratched the back of her head with a dull expression on her face and took a step towards Lathyrus. The dragon’s expression showed no malice, but it was clear that she would kill her without hesitation.

‘I want to live.’

Lathyrus didn’t want to die. But she couldn’t figure out how to survive on her own. A human being who is only prey to dragons, especially a young girl who is ostracized by her lameness.

She found it difficult to even run away, so how can she escape this moment on her own? In order to survive, she had no choice but to get help.

But, who…?

Who would risk their lives and come to save her? Even if someone came to the rescue, it was obvious that the dragon would take their life together.

If so, who can save her?

Someone with the power to stop this dragon…

｢Do what you want.｣

At this point, only one person came to mind.

｢If this child dies, I will be free.｣

He doesn’t seem to have any interest in his own life or death, but…

It may not be human, but…

“Li, Lisianthus!”

Nevertheless, Lathyrus called the only existence that she could still think of.

~*~

Humans are infinitely small and foolish. The young girl, who kept coming and annoying him, seemed to have given him affection in her own way, but that was her own situation.

It was a short life that would disappear like dust if he closed his eyes for a while anyway. The difference was that she’ll die early…

– Lisianthus!

Did she get caught by Akert without missing an inch of his expectations? From afar, he heard a voice calling out to him desperately.

‘Am I the most foolish among the same human beings?’

Lisianthus closed his eyes. He had no intention of answering that call. Anyway, he thought that if Akert took out her heart, that annoying voice would end.

– Lisianthus! Help me! Help me! Li…Lisianthus.

Seeing that annoying voice did not stop, Akert seemed to enjoy watching humans beg for their lives. But that wasn’t the only thing that bothered Lisianthus. The beasts of the forest were hiding behind the trees and looking at Lisianthus.

There were many emotions in those eyes.

The earnest desire to save that girl, the hatred towards the dragon who turned away from that girl…

In the meantime, it was the animals, not the Lisianthus, that ate the food Lathyrus brought. 

Even though he never spoke properly, he only made friends with the girl.

– Lisianthus…!

Lisianthus’s straight brow furrowed.

“You are bothering me.”

The images of Lathyrus, who had been chattering about things that were not of interest to him, passed by.

｢Are your eyes okay? Are you in a lot of pain?｣

At first, he let the voices in one ear and out the other,

｢So I secretly spit on Chris’ drink and took revenge! Chris will never know, will he?｣

In his daily life, when he was forced to wake up from hibernation and everything was boring, the times when Lathyrus came and bothered him seemed to be quite interesting. In addition, for fear that a strange and suspicious person might get hungry, isn’t it quite unusual to come to share food that was not enough for her to eat herself?

It was quite tragic to see such a wonderful child die.

“…Yes, we should give a decent prize to the quirky kid.”

By all means, it was not that he became uncomfortable with that voice calling out to him. It was just a one-time reward given to a child who has done good deeds.

~*~

“Li-Lisian-!”

“Stop it.”

Tears finally flowed from Lathyrus’s eyes as she sang his name from her mouth.

“I left it because it was funny to see you struggle to survive, but I can’t do it because you’re pitiful.”

“Ugh…”

“Lisianthus is not coming to save you.”

“…”

“Do you have no intention of getting involved in the war of dragons hosted by God?”

She knew it, but now reality seems to have been accepted.

Lisianthus is…

The man she believed to treat her as a little girl, did not come to rescue her.

Broken hopes doubled her fear and misery.

“But… Save me… Save me…”

Now, the target for whom Lathyrus begs for her life is not the Lisianthus, but Akert in front of her.

“What can I do? Even if you ask for help, I can’t save you.”

“I, please…”

“If you are going to blame, blame God, not me.”

She somehow dragged the time and delayed her time of death, but now it seemed like it was over. Akert’s hand, which came closer, scratched the back of her head, it again scaled with large claws. It was a dragon’s foot.

This time she would really die.

Lathyrus closed her eyes, adapting to the death to come. However, Akert’s claws, which were approaching quickly, stopped before they could penetrate Lathyrus’s chest.

“What, you pretended not to care?”

Lathyrus opened her carefully closed eyes when she heard Akert talking to someone else.

With blurred vision, she could see the figure over Akert’s shoulder. Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, and Lathyrus’s eyes slowly cleared up and she could see who was standing behind her.

“Lisian…thus…”

~pls read only at pinkmuffintl~

Lisianthus only stood in the position of a bystander. However, Lathyrus could have expected that he, who had always guarded a grave, would not have taken a step. Her dead hope lifted her head again with his appearance.

“Let the child go, Akert.”

“What if I like it? Do you think I miss out on all the prey I’ve caught?”

“Of course. But are you okay?”

“What does that mean?”

“I might retaliate.”

“…”

There was silence at Lisianthus’ warning. In her stillness, Akert, who had gnawed her teeth, pressed Lathyrus’s neck hard.

“Ugh…!”

But Lisianthus’ warnings did not stop there.

“Even if you take the child’s heart, I’ll pluck the head from your body.”

“…”

“You can’t become a god anyway.”

Akert’s hand, which was strangling her neck, trembled, then it slowly loosened its strength.

‘Can’t become a god…?’

While panting for her breath, Lathyrus didn’t miss the conversation. It was all incomprehensible though.

“What can you do with that weak body? Aren’t you underestimating me?”

“Even if I’m weak, I’m not dead.”

“You’re just pretending to be strong!”

“If you want to know my strength, kill her and try it.”

Despite Lisianthus’ warning, Akert did not let Lathyrus’s throat go. But she had hesitation in her trembling hands as if they were about to grab hold of her at any moment.

“This is the last warning.”

“…”

“Find another dragon companion.”

“…”

“There is nothing good for you to touch my companion.”

However, in the end, Akert’s hand completely relaxed and Lathyrus fell to the ground.

“Pretending to be a naive person.”

“…”

“This cute little kid is lucky.”

Akert glanced at the Lathyrus who was caressing her neck, but apparently, she had no intention of harming her.

The gust of wind created by the flapping of its wings mercilessly slammed into the grass and branches. As the red dragon flew through the dark green leaves into the sky, a dazzling moonlight shone through the open trees.

As the threat to life disappeared, the fear gradually turned into a sense of relief. However, questions soon came to Lathyrus.

“Me…Why did you save me?”

She thanked Lisianthus, but his actions were not understandable.

“You didn’t care if I died.”

“True.”

“But why…”

“Think of it as a reward for handing out food.”

She knew for sure that he didn’t even eat that food…

“It will never happen twice. So, if you want to live, don’t come near me again.”

Lisianthius left Lathyrus and tried to turn around. However, she had something she hadn’t asked yet.

“What is your identity?”

Lisianthius was no ordinary man, she had guessed. Because no one will change after being a flower. Besides, the other dragon easily backed off at his warning. That was only possible if the man was stronger than the dragon earlier.

There was no one on the earth stronger than a dragon, so perhaps even Lisianthus…

“Are you a dragon?”

“…”

“Like that girl, are you a dragon too?”

Like the woman who tried to kill her and the dragon that destroyed her village and killed her sister.

Lathyrus looked anxiously at the lips of Lisianthus, who was staring at her with an expressionless face. She hoped the answer was no. But the world didn’t always turn out the way Lathyrus wanted.

“That’s right, kid.”

Lisianthus readily agreed. It didn’t matter how Lathyrus reacted. And even though Lathyrus knew in a way, she still felt betrayed.

‘A dragon…’

Had she known his identity from the beginning, she would not have come to visit him every day. Although she always annoyed him and told her to leave.

Also, he wouldn’t even eat the food she gave him.

…It looked like he had never eaten.

Lathyrus was afraid of Lisianthus, who she thought was beautiful even though he covered one of his eyes. It also seemed to overlap with the gray dragon that had destroyed her village.

No, maybe Lisianthus is the dragon.

Her eyes trembled as she looked at Lisianthus as the terrifying thoughts ran through her head endlessly.

“Are you scared?”

Lathyrus couldn’t say anything to his question that penetrated her. Instead, she got up with all her might.

“Hah…”

Lathyrus, who had taken slow steps backward, quickly turned around and ran. Lisianthus certainly saved her. However, he was of the same kind as the dragon who tried to kill her family and harm her.

So, he was a monster.

The monster never knows when it will turn around and kill itself. So she has to run away. She must also inform Madam Margot of this so that all the villagers can escape. She didn’t want to see so many people being slaughtered again.

Lathyrus, who was about to run away from the forest alone, went down to the village to save the others. She hated everyone who stood by her, and she hated Margot and Chris even more. But Lathyrus, who struggled to run, realized that the situation was wrong as she entered the tavern.

“Lathyrus Laurence!”

That night, it was the first time she saw Madame Margot on the first floor. And in the middle of the night, she looked angry…

“Mom! That girl beat me, scratched me, and released rats to torment me!!”

Lathyrus quickly understood the situation. Chris, who was hiding behind Madame Margot, smiled as he looked at Lathyrus.

It was clear that he would have exaggerated the situation before. She was always beaten by him.

It was a big deal for her this time, because Madame Margot, for nothing else, thought only about her son. Ironically, she also felt more frightened at this moment than when she was threatened by the red dragon.

Lathyrus opened her mouth to somehow excuse herself with her trembling voice.

“That’s not it, I…”

“Noisy! I raised an orphan who has nowhere to go, and you dare touch my son?!”

However, her excuses did not last to the end.

Smack-!

Lathyrus’s head turned to the other side from the strong grip.