Chapter 54

I couldn’t help but freeze at the genuine concern in her voice—it wasn’t teasing, it was real worry.

If Grandma Leseia was saying this…

It meant my Lair looked worse than an abandoned house to others.

…

Huh.

Was she shocked by how much effort I put into decorating and still got this review?

Or was she shocked that all my hard work amounted to nothing?

Whatever it was, I didn’t fully understand, but I felt a little sad as I slumped there.

That’s when Seorin noticed and quickly hugged me, explaining urgently:

“Hae-un, it’s not like that! You know… grandmas just want their grandkids to be in nice places!”

Okay, I get what she was trying to say—but honestly, the way Seorin phrased it made it sound like my Lair wasn’t good enough.

This realization hit me so hard that my lips pouted involuntarily, and I couldn’t hide my feelings anymore.

…

Everything felt awful.

As I slumped lifelessly in Seorin’s arms, Grandma Leseia—who had been looking around my Lair—turned back with a worried expression.

“If I’d known this, I should’ve come earlier. No matter how much you insisted on making it yourself, this… it’s not even safe…”

She stopped mid-sentence, closed her mouth, then elegantly closed her eyes before speaking again.

“Hae-un, is that you?”

Normally, I’d smile brightly and respond cheerfully—but instead, my body decided to go full-on “I’m upset” mode, drooping my tail pitifully.

I tried to act like I was okay, but…

“It’s too exhausting…”

My body kept sagging, and I felt limp, like a plastic bag floating uselessly in the wind.

Grandma Leseia approached cautiously, forcing a smile as she spoke to me.

“…Hae-un?”

The legendary dragon, bearer of absolute power and might, Philip Leseia herself…

Seeing her fumbling awkwardly was probably a first for everyone nearby—they were visibly stunned.

“The grandma meant it out of concern for your health… though, no, that’s not right.”

Realizing apologies would be better than excuses, Grandma Leseia gently stroked my head and apologized.

“I’m sorry. Can you forgive Grandma?”

At her question, I nodded slightly to show it was okay—even though my mood hadn’t improved, and I couldn’t stop sulking.

After a brief moment of thought, Grandma Leseia opened her arms and offered me something.

Thinking it best to follow her advice, I moved closer and hugged her.

A luxurious scent filled the air—a calming fragrance that made me blink slowly. As Grandma gently fixed my hair, she continued talking.

“Speaking of which, our little one… you haven’t eaten since I said I was coming, have you? Knowing you’d react like this, I brought lunch. Want to try a bite?”

I almost nodded instinctively, but then remembered it might seem like I only wanted to see her for food, so I shook my head instead.

“…”

Grandma looked genuinely shocked.

“Aren’t you eating? Is it because of what Grandma said earlier?”

I shook my head to deny it—but adults never listen properly, so she misinterpreted my reaction and rushed to explain.

“But you still need to eat! Look at how thin you are! It breaks Grandma’s heart seeing you like this… Can you eat just one spoonful for me?”

“That’s not—”

“Then half a spoonful? Just a little taste. This bento was specially made by the world’s best chef, so it’ll definitely be delicious!”

“…”

If I stayed silent, this cycle would repeat endlessly…

Reluctantly, I nodded.

Seeing this, Grandma sighed in relief.

“Thank you for listening to Grandma.”

“…Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s go eat!”

With that, she patted me, then carefully lifted me up as if I were something precious.

Just as I started feeling strange about the situation…

“Chae-a wants some too!”

Chae-a, who had been forgotten for a moment, tugged at Grandma’s clothes confidently.

“Chae-a eats lots of food!”

Noticing she’d momentarily overlooked Chae-a, Grandma quickly picked her up too and began patting her.

“You too, Chae-a, let’s go eat.”

“Yeah!”

“Good girl.”

Chae-a giggled happily at being lifted, laughing cutely.

Watching her laugh beside me, I gradually felt my mood lift, and I managed a small smile.

*

There was an absurd amount of food laid out in my Lair—so much it barely qualified as a bento.

Originally, we were supposed to eat in the guest room, but since Grandma felt bad about calling my Lair a ruin, she suggested eating here instead. Now, people crowded into my small Lair, sharing food despite the tight space.

Even with barely enough room to stand, surrounded by people showing interest in me felt kind of nice.

Suddenly, Grandma turned to what seemed like an association officer and casually asked:

“I’d like to purchase the land around Hae-un’s Lair, including hers. Does the Association have any plans to sell?”

= Sell it.

Though phrased as a question, the tone carried such pressure that the officer looked extremely flustered.

Apparently, catching them off guard like this wasn’t expected.

As I watched the confused officer, he hesitated before responding.

“I’m really sorry, but selling this land is… tricky. Due to central government support, it’s not 100% owned by the Association.”

“Hmm.”

Grandma smiled faintly, pretending to think, while those nearby quickly whispered among themselves. Soon, they all agreed: “We’ll sell.”

Watching this unfold, I blinked in confusion.

But Grandma reassured me by gently patting my head.

“If leasing works better, then let’s go with that.”

Her face relaxed immediately, suggesting leasing wouldn’t be a problem.

Still, I worried it might be too forceful…

But Grandma pinched my cheek playfully.

“Don’t worry too much. This is actually a great offer for them too.”

Relieved, I sighed as she continued to stroke my cheek.

Then, Grandma carefully picked up a sausage and handed it to me.

“Perseus told me you love sausages, so I went out and bought these especially for you.”

Such thoughtful effort behind every detail…

Unable to refuse, I took a careful bite, and Grandma beamed proudly.

“Good. Next, let’s try this…”

An endless assault of food.

Every bite felt like someone carefully deboning fish for me, making me feel incredibly apologetic.

After enduring several bites, I decided I couldn’t let this continue. Quickly grabbing a forkful of food, I offered it to Grandma.

“Please have some.”

Her entire body froze as she stared at me.

“Y-you’re offering this to Grandma?”

“Yes!”

Of course, it was only natural to share, so I tilted my head innocently. But Grandma looked deeply moved.

“Something I never experienced while raising Perseus… I’m experiencing now with Hae-un.”

“…?”

“Oh, you’re adorable!”

Grandma squeezed my cheeks affectionately, showering me with love, and I giggled happily.

Nearby, Perseus seemed embarrassed as he spoke to Grandma.

“It can’t be helped. Dragons are inherently individualistic, prioritizing themselves over others during the hatchling stage.”

“So? Didn’t Hae-un share?”

“…”

Caught without a reply, Perseus fell silent for a moment before turning his gaze toward me, seemingly expecting something.

Figuring he was hinting for food too—and remembering all his help—I shyly fed him a bite of sausage.

“Hmm. Reflecting on it, my younger self must’ve been wrong.”

“At least you realized eventually.”

Surprisingly, the atmosphere grew warm and cheerful.

Smiling at the scene, I noticed Chae-a sitting next to me, eyes tightly shut as she mimicked feeding me by saying “Ah.”

“She probably envied us sharing food.”

Finding her adorable, I began feeding her pieces of her favorite dishes.

Then Grandma asked me another question.

“Hae-un, would you allow Grandma to help decorate your Lair?”

“My Lair?”

“Yes. Hatchlings usually receive help from adults during this time.”

Whether true or not, I found it hard to outright refuse, so I nodded reluctantly.

“In that case, Grandma will do her best to make it beautiful.”

With that, she pulled out a black card from her pocket.

…

(And thus begins the transformation of Hae-un’s Lair!)

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