Chapter 111
Chapter 111. The Dark Dragon and White Dragon
The feelings Leila harbored for Zilbagias were indescribable.
A mix of gratitude, respect, sympathy, pity, and remorse—positive and negative emotions intertwined, creating a complex pattern.
And all these feelings blended together, melting into a gooey mess,
Now forming her infatuation with Zilbagias.
It might be a kind of dependence. Or perhaps it was the thrill of sharing a secret. Leila herself couldn’t pinpoint the trigger.
Leila cherished Zilbagias.
Surely—he had become her hope.
After having her hopes of her father’s rescue shattered, it was Zilbagias who filled the gaping hole in her heart.
Now, there wasn’t a day that went by without her thinking of Zilbagias. When she was awake, she constantly contemplated how to support him, help him, care for him, and lighten his burdens.
No.
Even while she slept, even in her dreams.
Zilbagias frequently appeared. The nightmares that once tormented Leila vanished after parting with her father. Instead, she began to have peaceful dreams, like going out with a humanized version of her father and mother, flying with Zilbagias on his back, or just lounging in the sun.
That’s why Leila felt grateful for this day, this moment.
Sitting close together on a bench, sharing the same time without needing to talk— it warmed her heart.
When she mustered the courage to reveal her true feelings in a bold way, she saw how adorably flustered and embarrassed he became. It made her happier than anything. Though it was embarrassing to say, she felt glad she did. She realized her existence meant something significant to Zilbagias—
“I love you. I cherish you,” she thought—
Leila was filled with happiness.
“—Long time no see. How are you?”
…Yes. Until that irritating voice reached her ears.
It felt like cold water splashed on her face. Why was the voice of someone who once tormented her ringing in this place?
No. Even without turning around, she knew. That ominous presence was right behind her—
“Hmm, what a coincidence, Orphen.”
Immediately, Zilbagias donned the mask of an arrogant prince, responding defiantly.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t have a specific purpose, but I happened to see you, so I came to greet you.”
The sound of bare feet approached. A common trait of transformed dragons. It struck Leila as somewhat ridiculous, coming from someone who was used to wearing shoes.
Lo and behold, a dark large man appeared in view.
“…………”
Orphen looked down, and Leila shyly returned the gaze.
Zilbagias and Leila, cozily together in an intimate atmosphere, seemed to astonish Orphen, who wore a somewhat incredulous expression.
In response, Leila—
(…Was it like this before?)
Couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of anticlimax.
In the past,
She had perceived Orphen as an imposing rock mountain, like a dark cloud covering the sky.
But now, standing face to face, while he did exude strength, the difference wasn’t as hopelessly vast.
He was not a giant that could easily crush her but merely a big man.
That impression lingered.
Yet, feeling this way might be due to the warmth of Zilbagias embracing her. Leila’s body, once tensed with nerves, began to relax.
(This is all it was.)
The magic and knowledge passed down from her father, her love for Zilbagias, and above all, her confidence that she could fly on her own wings.
With these things nestled in her heart, Orphen became no longer an unreasonable calamity, but merely an identifiable threat.
—Words from powerful beings could be blessings or curses.
The scornful words hurled at her by the Dark Dragons, such as “useless” and “filthy traitor,” had wounded her pride.
But Zilbagias had brushed them all away.
He told her that she was a remarkable dragon, an amazing being.
Those words turned into a force that could not be summed up by mere confidence, solidifying her identity as the White Dragon.
“…………”
However, Leila intentionally bowed her head, diverting her gaze from Orphen.
She was no longer the Leila who could only cower and beg for favor; still, she decided it was wiser to remain silent and calm at this moment.
“…I see. A commendable mindset.”
Zilbagias responded haughtily, oozing annoyance at Orphen’s casual remark that he merely came to say hello.
He too felt discontent about being interrupted during an enjoyable time, or so Leila wanted to believe.
“Did you like our gift?”
While staring at Leila with a sticky gaze, Orphen carefully inquired.
“Ah, yes. I am very satisfied,”
Zilbagias casually replied, pulling Leila closer. Moreover, he placed a hand on her cheek, forcibly turning her face toward him.
“Ah—”
In close proximity, Zilbagias’s crimson eyes were shimmering— before she could even get lost in thought, his lips gently touched her cheek.
“…!!”
Leila felt a rush of heat, her porcelain-like skin turning vividly red in an instant.
“Just as you see. I am cherishing her daily,”
“Ha, haa…”
Orphen responded, half-dazed, with a look of bewilderment as if he were a cat tossed into a sea of stars, utterly clueless about what was happening.
Well, it was understandable.
The Dark Dragons who had handed over Leila to curry favor with the Demon Lord Prince had hoped to see the daughter of Faravgi treated even more pitiably and harshly.
It was well-known that the young Zilbagias had a penchant for exotic girls, known for destroying the ego of High Elves and keeping them as pets after severing their limbs.
They had been excited, expecting that Leila would endure unimaginable suffering, something they couldn’t even think of themselves—
But upon opening the lid, it turned out Leila wasn’t punished harshly in place of her father; rather, she seemed to be treated quite well and had even started flight training.
Having a free dragon at her disposal, she was now being nurtured as a combat asset— it was all rather anticlimactic.
Moreover, if she were being humiliated by being held captive in human form, that would have made it enjoyable to some degree—
(Why is she blushing!?)
Orphen, flabbergasted.
—How could she appear so pleased while being spoiled by the pet of her father’s enemy…!?
From Orphen’s perspective, they had wanted to see Leila suffer more— the reality was totally different from what they anticipated!
However, from the standpoint of the entire Dragon race, the Demon Lord Prince was pleased, seemingly ignoring the incident involving the attack on Faravgi, and with Leila being in their hands, they could expect a softening attitude toward dragons, making the overall political situation not bad at all.
Thus, the feeling of incompleteness surged.
—And Leila was nearly able to accurately read Orphen’s inner thoughts.
(…A hopeless person.)
She thought so. Despite being subjected to so much suffering and being the very enemy of her true parents, Leila didn’t harbor hatred towards Orphen.
Leila was fundamentally a kind-hearted girl. She understood the pain of harboring hatred and anger. That’s precisely why she felt pained for Zilbagias and desired to be a support for him—
In any case, she simply couldn’t grasp the notion of taking delight in tormenting others.
The Dark Dragons, who remained trapped in such despicable thoughts, appeared to her pure eyes as profoundly ugly and pitiful beings.
“…Leila is very fortunate, isn’t she? Blessed with a good master.”
Orphen shifted his gaze toward her, speaking with a sarcastic tone.
“—Yes.”
Without faltering, Leila replied.
And then, with a small chuckle, she added,
“…Thanks to you.”
Now she could say this.
She had tasted bitterness. Her mother was killed, and her father’s death was indirectly caused. While she claimed not to harbor hatred, she couldn’t deny the dark feelings lurking within.
—But it was also true that the Dark Dragons’ cruelty had led to her meeting Zilbagias.
This “thank you” carried that meaning.
“I’ve met the person of destiny.”
Leila stated as she nestled closer to Zilbagias.
—What lay ahead for the Dark Dragons, how they would fare, was uncertain.
She knew of Zilbagias’s ambitions. Throughout his plan, those Dark Dragons would be maneuvered into conflict with the Demon Race.
How much they would suffer along the way, how much blood would spill—
Ah.
Leila couldn’t care less.
She had no intention of taking special pleasure in tormenting them or igniting a flame of hatred and vengeance.
Conversely, no matter how much Orphen and his ilk suffered—
It was of no concern to Leila.
Whether they survived after their trials or died in vain, Leila would respond the same way.
“Is that so?” And that would be the end of it.
One thing was for certain.
No matter what Zilbagias did from here on, what plans he made, or the hardships he would bring upon the Dark Dragons—
Leila would wholeheartedly support him.
He had saved her from being utterly worthless. With the pride of a human hero in her heart, amidst isolation, he was biting his teeth and pushing onward, bleeding as he went—
How happy it would be if she could be a support for him.
Leila half-enraptured, envisioned this.
For Leila, who had lost everything, Zilbagias himself had become hope—
For him, she would gladly offer her own life.
No—she had already been offered.
By none other than the Dark Dragons themselves.
Leila had been presented—
“…Hehehe.”
It felt so hilariously funny from the bottom of her heart.
Leila chuckled softly.
“…!”
The Dark Dragon King Orphen, caught in her bottomless gaze, felt an ominous premonition sinking beneath his feet and an unknown eeriness.
He staggered back, overwhelmed— taking several steps away.
