You’ve Seen My True Nature
His Majesty did not respond. Still, since we needed to return to the castle quickly, we left the place without further ceremony.
I was making my way back to the inn in a brisk walk, accompanied by my maids and knights. Lord Runken, whose path overlapped with ours for a while, was walking alongside me.
We were discussing what we should prioritize upon returning to the castle. Then, after a brief pause in conversation, Lord Runken spoke up, as if remembering something.
“By the way…”
“What is it?”
Time was precious now, so I replied while keeping up my pace. Lord Runken glanced at me, hesitated, then continued, sounding reluctant.
“Are you alright?”
“… Alright? In what sense?”
His vague wording made me stop in my tracks, and Lord Runken did the same.
We had already passed the main street and were in a quiet alley, away from people. Thankfully, stopping in the middle of a busy street would have caused trouble for the other pedestrians.
Lord Runken looked like he wanted to say something, then stared at me intently—no, more like observed me closely.
His gaze was as if confirming something, reminiscent of a doctor examining a patient. Puzzled, I tilted my head slightly, and he seemed to notice, his expression shifting in surprise.
“Forgive me, that was rude.”
“Is something wrong?”
“… No, as long as there are no changes in your condition, it’s fine.”
“?”
His words felt fragmented, making it hard to grasp the full picture. This was unusual for Lord Runken, who was normally so straightforward.
As I tilted my head again, he prompted,
“I’ll explain as we walk.”
“… Very well.”
Since I agreed, I nodded and resumed walking—not at the rushed pace from earlier, but more leisurely, with a sense of careful probing between us.
I kept glancing at him, curious about his odd behavior, and he must have felt my gaze pricking at him because he cleared his throat and said,
“You’ve seen my true nature.”
“My true nature… Ah, yes, I suppose I have.”
By “true nature,” he meant the fact that he was a dragon.
(Even though I saw it with my own eyes, it still doesn’t feel real…)
A person was… a dragon.
If someone told you that out of the blue, anyone would question their sanity.
It was the sort of absurd secret no one would believe.
And I had come to know it.
Just earlier—although it felt like ages ago due to the incident with His Majesty—less than an hour had likely passed.
Then it struck me.
(Come to think of it, when we talked about the rising temperature earlier, he mentioned oddly specific numbers…)
Could that be related to him being a dragon?
Are dragons cold-blooded? Reptiles?
My thoughts wandered aimlessly until Lord Runken’s next words interrupted them.
“Dragons are also known to be creatures that unsettle the hearts of humans.”
“… Because greedy people covet them, right?”
Dragons were messengers of the heavens, beings closest to the gods.
They were seen as auspicious, their very existence shrouded in mystery because they were thought to be mythical.
If it became public knowledge that dragons were real, things would quickly spiral out of control.
As I reflected on this, Lord Runken gave a wry smile.
“Well, that’s one interpretation. But dragons, you see, can induce mental instability in certain people of the opposite sex.”
“… Certain people?”
Yet another strange story.
I glanced at him, and Lord Runken, without hesitation, dropped a bombshell.
“Those other than their mate.”
(Mate!? That mate!?)
The instinctual partner recognized as one’s only counterpart—like red-crowned cranes, who famously pair for life.
Simultaneously, I remembered the rumors about Lord Runken.
That he was known as a “mind-breaker.”
Having regained memories of my past life, I had (privately) dubbed him “the heart-breaker machine.”
“Apparently, it’s a kind of defense mechanism. Dragons drive those of the opposite sex who aren’t their mate into instability… Though, the dragon bloodline is quite diluted, so you can take it with a grain of salt.”
“… I see…”
I definitely couldn’t ask, “So your previous fiancées lost their minds because of this?” I wasn’t so tactless as to probe that deeply.
“But the dragon form is different. That form has a particularly strong effect on those of the opposite sex. By tradition, dragons don’t reveal their true form to anyone except their mate.”
“And I happened to see it by chance.”
I picked up where he left off.
Kevin and Luke had also been there, but they were men.
(Ah… so that’s why Lord Runken was worried about me.)
He was checking to see if I’d lost my mind.
I recalled how he’d suffered from fiancées who self-harmed or even threatened suicide.
Considering that, it was only natural for him to be concerned about my condition after I accidentally witnessed his dragon form.
After a brief silence, I pressed my fingers to my lips thoughtfully.
“… Indeed.”
How many people could confidently say they were “sane”?
For all I knew, I might have already lost my mind.
Besides, what exactly defined sanity? The criteria were ambiguous at best.
Still, I didn’t feel like I’d changed dramatically from yesterday.
I wasn’t overcome with wild emotions when I looked at Lord Runken.
That was reason enough to say I was fine, wasn’t it?
I glanced at him, walking beside me, tilted my head, and smiled.
“At the very least, I don’t think I’ve changed much from usual.”
At my reply, Lord Runken let out a deep sigh of relief.
What do you think about this chapter?
