Chapter 41

In the grand, lavishly decorated party hall, cheerful music played as countless people chatted animatedly.

Though at first glance it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary…

A closer inspection revealed an odd mismatch of elements.

An elegant Gothic-style party venue, with trot music blaring, filled with people who looked to be between their teens and thirties.

Nothing seemed to sync properly, but none of that seemed to bother Chae-a in the slightest.

She started energetically dancing right next to me.

“Heehee~”

Watching Chae-a’s happy smile made me feel good too. As I was gently petting her head while she danced cutely…

A dignified voice called out from afar.

“Hae-un and Chae-a have arrived.”

The voice sounded incredibly noble, yet carried an excited tone that felt rather peculiar. Looking up, I saw a woman with snow-white hair similar to mine smiling at us.

“Never seen her before…but she feels oddly familiar.”

Should I describe it as comforting? Or perhaps giving off a sense of familiarity?

As I pondered how to express this inexplicable sense of goodwill…

The elder dragon council suddenly turned their gaze toward me like a horror movie scene, muttering “It’s Hae-un” over and over.

“?!”

Confused by their reaction, I glanced around only to see them quickly surrounding me just like earlier with the other dragons…

“Please calm yourselves, elders.”

At the words of the white-haired woman, they all returned to their original positions, clearing their throats.

I found this whole situation quite fascinating as I tightly held onto Han Arin and Chae-a’s hands. Then the woman who had calmed the dragons motioned for us to come closer.

“Come here, children.”

At Perseus’ nod and retreat, it became clear he wanted just me and Chae-a to go. Taking Chae-a’s hand, we approached and were warmly embraced by the white-haired woman.

“…So warm…”

Even more so than when we were in the lair, I felt psychologically at ease. Never having experienced this feeling before…

I noticed Chae-a dozing off against her shoulder.

“…Shy Chae-a falling asleep in a stranger’s arms?”

As I marveled at this, she smiled kindly at me.

“I am Leseia of the ancient lineage, carrying the blood of the Primordial Dragon. You may call me Grandma Leseia.”

Can I really call such an incredible being “grandma”?

Regardless of her appearance, as a Primordial Dragon she must be an extraordinary existence…

Still hesitating about whether it was appropriate, I tentatively called out…

“Ha, Grand…mum..?”

Ah! My short tongue caused a slip of the tongue!

Deciding to incorporate tongue stretching exercises into my nightly routine as I endured my embarrassment…

Grandma Leseia looked very pleased with my attempt.

“Yes, grandma is fine.”

Her extremely kind and gentle nature easily overlooked my small mistake. Feeling grateful despite my slight embarrassment…

Just then, Chae-a woke up saying “Kakka?” causing Grandma Leseia to look puzzled.

“Chae-a loves kakka! So much!”

Chae-a began earnestly explaining her love for snacks. Worried Grandma might not approve of the sudden topic change…

But instead, she found it endearing, laughing softly and petting Chae-a’s head.

After chatting for a while…

Chae-a suddenly placed her hand on her stomach and blinked.

Wondering why, I watched as…

Gurgle

Chae-a’s stomach let out a loud growl. Apparently she came hungry after skipping breakfast, planning to eat a lot at the party.

Thinking I should feed her plenty soon, I giggled…

“Could you be hungry?”

At Grandma Leseia’s question, her previously calm demeanor shifted as she fixed a serious gaze on us.

Not sure what was going on, I tried to dismiss it…

Until Chae-a piped up while clutching her stomach.

“Yup. Chae-a’s tummy is gurgling.”

“Then we must get food immediately…”

But Chae-a’s next words shocked Grandma Leseia.

“Yup! When my tummy gurgles, it hurts, so I want to eat lots!”

Repeating what she’d told others earlier about hunger causing pain, said with bright cheerfulness…

Grandma Leseia clutched her forehead with her hand, eyes tightly shut, looking like she might faint.

While I worried about her condition, Chae-a obliviously continued.

“But it’s okay! Chae-a is good at starving and can last 3 days without food!”

“Eh…?”

“And if you dig through trash bins, you can find lots of food! If you’re hungry, tell me and I’ll teach you how to find food!”

With that, several elder dragons including Grandma Leseia collapsed into their chairs, apparently overcome with dizziness.

“Let’s end today’s meeting here. The children need to eat first.”

With that declaration, Grandma Leseia snapped her fingers and ordered food to be brought immediately.

As numerous golems bustled about delivering food, I blinked in surprise…

Chae-a proudly declared:

“Chae-a is amazing, isn’t she?”

Apparently she’d been seeking praise. As I praised her by petting her head in place of Grandma…

Grandma Leseia spoke calmly.

“If you need more, just say so. No matter what, Grandma will make sure you have food.”

“That’s okay. Chae-a is good at finding food too!”

With that satisfied expression, Chae-a looked at me as if to say “Right?”

Unable to disappoint her, I hesitantly nodded. Grandma took a deep breath before asking me…

“Did you skip meals too, Hae-un?”

Afraid of causing another commotion…

I quickly shook my head.

“Nope, didn’t skip!”

Relieved, Grandma’s expression softened significantly.

“That’s good.”

“But Hae-un said she ate green slime in prison! She said it tasted bad!”

“…”

Next to me, Chae-a cheerfully recounted recent events while I gulped nervously watching Grandma’s changing expressions…

Still unaware of the situation, Chae-a spotted the food and grinned.

“Here, Grandma, try this!”

Imitating my earlier tone, she picked up some food and offered it to Grandma Leseia, who accepted it with a somewhat bitter smile.

“Thank you.”

As Grandma contemplated while eating…

Chae-a turned to me, offering food with a bright smile.

“Hae-un should eat lots too! Chae-a is happy when Hae-un is full!”

“Thank you.”

“Yup!”

Touched by Chae-a’s concern for me, I unconsciously wagged my tail…

Which drew chuckles from nearby.

Looking around, I saw the elder dragons watching us fondly.

“…”

This level of attention was rather embarrassing. As my face heated up…

Grandma Leseia called over Perseus while petting our heads.

“Child, let’s have a word.”

Perseus bowed respectfully and approached. Curious about their conversation…

Grandma carefully set us down and continued smiling kindly.

“Grandma will be back after a short chat. Go greet the other elders.”

“Okay!”

With that, she patted our heads and left with Perseus. Though I felt a bit lonely, there were still things to do…

Holding Chae-a’s hand, we approached the nearest elder dragon.

“Whoof.”

Approaching, a young-looking dragon couple gasped, covering their mouths before enthusiastically petting my head.

“While random head-petting from strangers is a bit embarrassing…”

There was something uniquely familiar and comforting about the scent, like a special warmth from grandparents…

As I tried to settle my wagging tail…

One of the elders asked me:

“Perseus mentioned you like ice cream, Hae-un?”

Could Spirit Master uncle have told him?

Assuming that was likely, I nodded. The elder smiled kindly before making an unexpected offer.

“I’ll buy you an ice cream shop. Eat as much as you like whenever you want.”

“…?”

A shop, not just ice cream… Must’ve been a slip of the tongue?

As I tilted my head wondering…

A nearby golem approached with some documents, prompting me to quickly shake my head.

“No thank you!”

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