Chapter 74

After finishing the swimming competition with Rugerico, Ariel decided to take a quiet walk outside the palace alone.

Roo was sipping fruit wine in the garden, talking to the flowers, while Ghost and Black were leaning against each other, asleep in the guest room.

As she stepped outside the palace, the main road stretched out before her, lined with shops on both sides.

Seeing various stores like weapon shops, clothing stores, and restaurants, it seemed the living environment of the Lizardmen wasn’t much different from that of humans.

Lizardmen freely strolled the streets, enjoying their daily pleasures.

Each wore unique outfits, with colorful ribbons on their heads or long tail decorations standing out.

In the market, lively shouts of Lizardmen merchants could be heard, and the stalls filled with fruits, meats, fish, and herbs emitted mouth-watering smells.

Ariel slowly walked through the market. The Lizardmen noticed her and began whispering.

“Is that elf the one?”

“Probably. She saved Prince Draco and handed out cakes to the children…”

“She’s fascinating. So pretty. Should we go say hello?”

“No. What if she dislikes us? Other races find Lizardmen repulsive.”

Despite the attention, Ariel silently walked on. She had experienced this in human villages before and didn’t pay it much mind.

Passing through the shopping district and exiting the market, a large lake came into view.

In the middle of the lake stood a majestic dragon statue, with cool, clear water gushing from its mouth.

And once again, young Lizardmen were swimming, laughing, and playing in the lake.

“Ah, it’s the elf lady!”

“Sister!”

Several young Lizardmen greeted Ariel.

“We enjoyed the cake earlier!”

“Do you have more?”

“Sister, swim with us!”

They were the same young Lizardmen Ariel had given cakes to on her way to the palace.

The children came out of the water and ran to Ariel.

“Sister! Do you like the water?”

“Sister, play with us.”

The tiny hands of the young Lizardmen tugged at Ariel’s arm.

“I’m fine.”

Ariel shook her head.

“I already went swimming.”

“Ah.”

“Sister, let go of my arm. Silly, I already went swimming.”

“You let go first.”

Still, the young Lizardmen didn’t want to leave Ariel’s side.

Feeling slightly annoyed, Ariel asked them,

“Want me to do something fun?”

“What is it?”

“Yes! Please do it!”

“It sounds fun!”

The excited young Lizardmen wagged their tails.

Ariel used her telekinesis to lift the children into the air.

“Whoa?”

“What’s this, I’m flying!”

“Wow!”

Then she moved them over the lake and dropped them into the water gently, so they wouldn’t get hurt.

“Ah!”

The young Lizardmen burst into laughter. They came out of the water and ran back to Ariel.

“Do it again! Again!”

“Me too! Throw me farther!”

“Fly me away!”

Ariel obliged.

With each gesture, the young Lizardmen flew through the air and splashed into the lake, only to come out and beg to be thrown even farther.

“Hahaha!”

“This is fun!”

The joyful laughter of the young Lizardmen echoed by the lakeside. They splashed around, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

“Again, again!”

“Farther!”

Ariel’s telekinesis magic seemed endless. Her mana was infinite, so she never tired.

With just a wave of her hand, the young Lizardmen soared through the sky and plunged into the lake.

If another mage had seen this, they would have been speechless.

Using telekinesis like this? So recklessly? Without running out of mana?!

But the Lizardmen knew little about magic and didn’t question the phenomenon.

They were simply amazed and delighted.

“Hey, Ariel…”

Then, someone hesitantly approached and spoke to her.

Ariel turned her head slightly. A tall Lizardman stood beside her.

She recognized him.

Though Lizardman faces were hard to distinguish, his attire identified him as the Lizardman prince she had met by the lakeside.

“Drakan?”

“…My name is Draco.”

“Draco.”

“Well, anyway. Thank you… for bringing me back to the kingdom while I was unconscious… It seems you used this magic to bring me here.”

Draco said, watching Ariel’s telekinesis magic.

His younger sister Lizania had described him as ‘floating in the air,’ and now he saw how apt that description was.

Even now, the young Lizardmen were floating in the air, flying into the lake.

*

Draco stood before Ariel, his mouth opening and closing.

He wanted to explain his earlier fainting and ask some questions, but his lips trembled, and no words came out.

In fact, when he saw Ariel playing with the young Lizardmen earlier, he wanted to run away.

He didn’t know how to face her.

But he decided to muster his courage. Running away wouldn’t change anything.

Just as he had asked his father directly, he decided to ask Ariel directly.

Why she had chosen his father over him, whether it was because he had fainted, or if entering Monarch Lake with his father was due to the king’s authority, or if Ariel had wanted it…

He had many questions to ask.

“……”

But standing before Ariel, his mind went blank.

Ariel’s eyes, staring at him, were as clear as the lake, and her slightly tilted head made Draco’s heart race again.

Draco’s face turned red, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“Are you okay?”

At Ariel’s question, Draco was startled.

He stammered in response.

“I, I’m fine. I’m not usually weak, but recently I overexerted myself, and suddenly my condition worsened… I usually exercise a lot and am very healthy…”

Draco’s words trailed off into incoherence.

He felt a deep sense of self-loathing.

Is this what I call an explanation? I’m so embarrassed I want to hide somewhere.

‘To think I’m such a pathetic man…’

But he couldn’t hide.

He had to face it head-on.

This moment might be the most important in Draco’s life.

“Ariel, I want to ask you something…”

Draco opened his mouth again.

“They say you entered Monarch Lake with my father… Is that true?”

“It’s true.”

Ariel answered too easily.

Draco felt a pang in his heart again, but he couldn’t back down now.

“Did you want to? Or… did my father force you?”

“I wanted to.”

“Ah…”

Draco felt his vision blur.

Not only because of Ariel’s answer, but also because he didn’t see the Grass Ring on her finger.

She had lost it while spinning in the lake, but Draco thought she had thrown it away.

This confirmed Ariel’s feelings.

“Ahem!”

Tears streamed down Draco’s cheeks.

Seeing this, Ariel looked puzzled and reached out to wipe his tears with her sleeve.

“I, I’m fine…”

Draco shook his head and quickly stepped back.

He didn’t want to be comforted by Ariel. It would only make him feel more miserable.

Draco looked at Ariel with tear-filled eyes.

“Ariel, one last question…”

“Yes.”

“Were you happy with my father in Monarch Lake…?”

“That’s…”

A smile slowly spread across Ariel’s lips.

“A secret.”

“……”

*

Ariel spent the day exploring the Lizardman Kingdom.

She carried young Lizardmen on her back, flew through the sky with Draco’s younger sister Lizania in her arms using telekinesis, and even joined a swimming competition at the lake near the plaza during the festival the king held at night.

There, Ariel showcased her spinning swimming technique.

Her rapid spins cutting through the water moved many Lizardmen.

The young Lizardmen tried to imitate her, spinning in the water, but they soon sank, unable to move forward.

“This is really hard!”

“You can’t do it. Only the elf sister can.”

Everyone laughed and enjoyed the festival.

For some reason, Draco was nowhere to be seen, but since he was always a bit eccentric, no one paid it much attention.

And the next morning.

Ariel’s group left the Lizardman Kingdom and headed for the Crin Frost Mountain Range in the north.

Crin Frost was the lair of a dragon named Elysion.

Elysion was presumed to be Rakia’s mother, and perhaps they could meet Rakia there.

Meanwhile, even after Ariel left the kingdom, Draco didn’t step out of his room.

He locked the door and spent time alone, unaware that Ariel had left the kingdom.

“……”

After a day of crying, getting angry, regretting, and despairing, Draco finally pulled himself together and got up from his bed.

He walked out of his room and went to see his father, Rugerico.

“Oh, Draco, are you feeling better?”

Rugerico, who was tying a ribbon on Lizania sitting on his lap, greeted Draco with a bright smile.

It was a smile so bright it was almost blinding.

‘He hasn’t smiled like that since mother passed away…’

Draco felt a lump in his throat, but he had already steeled himself.

“I have something to say, Father.”

“Go ahead.”

Draco’s expression was so serious that Rugerico sent Lizania back to her room.

“Sweetie, go play in your room.”

“Okay.”

Pat pat.

After Lizania left, Rugerico looked back at Draco.

“Speak your mind.”

“I’ll be direct. I will marry Lady Giana.”

“Giana? General Anorico’s daughter?”

“Yes.”

“Haha, you’ve been resisting all this time, but now you’ve come to your senses.”

A broad smile spread across Rugerico’s face.

“Good thinking. General Anorico is a strong and brave Lizardman. And his daughter Giana is also impeccable. Skilled in martial arts and quite beautiful for a Lizardman, isn’t she?”

‘And yet, Father chose a cute elf…!’

Draco bit his lip and nodded.

“Yes. Lady Giana and I don’t love each other yet, but I heard you and mother didn’t love each other at first either. It was an arranged marriage. But later, you fell in love, so maybe I’ll be lucky enough to fall in love with Giana too.”

“That’s right, you’ve really grown up. I’m so proud…”

“And.”

Draco interrupted Rugerico.

“Yesterday, I met Ariel and confirmed it myself. The relationship between Ariel and you is genuine. So I can gladly give up. I lost, and you won. So, I admit my defeat. Please make her happy. I will treat her like a mother. Of course, it won’t be easy… but I will accept it as the fate of the defeated.”

After finishing his words, Draco turned around. Tears fell to the ground.

“That’s all I have to say. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wait.”

Rugerico approached and grabbed Draco’s shoulder.

“Draco.”

“Speak.”

Rugerico asked in a bewildered tone.

“What nonsense are you talking about now?”

“I already know everything. If you’re thinking of pretending…”

“That elf is gone.”

“…What?”

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