Chapter 60
“But didn’t the black dragon surely die, defeated by Yggdrasil?”
“That’s uncertain. It’s a founding myth, after all. Even His Highness the Prince’s Idelin is a descendant of the silver Yggdrasil who founded the empire. It wouldn’t be strange if a successor to the black dragon Pegadrasil were alive.”
“Oh my, goodness.”
“If that story is true, does it mean the black dragon is alive? Along with that dragon’s owner?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s so frightening, isn’t it? That’s why I said earlier that the dragon’s owner my relative child met was definitely a bad person.”
She should have made a fuss along with the noble ladies. Though she knew it in her head, the facial acting she had always been able to do easily wasn’t working well.
…So this is what you were aiming for.
Somehow, she had thought the three noble ladies’ conversational skills were extraordinary. Having never mixed with noble women, she had simply dismissed it, thinking they were all like this. But that wasn’t the case. Revenant had clearly targeted and invited only particularly loose-lipped ladies to this gathering.
To reveal the existence of the black dragon here and have that rumor spread widely.
“That terrifying black dragon might even now be hiding its identity somewhere, planning revenge to shake the foundations of the empire, its enemy.”
“Even if a black dragon exists, it’s from long ago. The empire’s history spans over 1,500 years, what revenge would it seek now?”
That’s absurd, Sian muttered, forcing a laugh. Revenant rested her chin lightly on the table, wearing a languid smile.
“If there’s nothing to worry about, why would a dragon’s owner live alone without relying on the Temple or family?”
“That’s true…”
“Oh my, how frightening…”
The simple-minded noble ladies were aghast at the existence of the black dragon. The situation seemed to be unfolding, unfortunately, according to Revenant’s expectations. Sian inwardly bit her lip while hiding her expression by drinking tea.
Sian had to admit she had acted carelessly in dealing with Revenant. While she had been fully prepared for Revenant to pick a fight, she hadn’t expected her to expose her secret.
If one were to meticulously trace the events, it wouldn’t be advantageous for Revenant to reveal the past in any way either.
Near the imperial family, which started based on the dragon legend, the presence of someone with a dragon hunter background who had erased their past and infiltrated would not be received positively in any way.
There was a reason Revenant had created a small private gathering targeting ladies who didn’t directly engage in state affairs, rather than a public venue.
In public settings, factual relationships and truth are extremely important. If someone had talked about the existence of a black dragon in the noble assembly, people would have first tried to verify if it was true, and when and where it had happened.
But “rumors” that start small like this have always been the same. Regardless of factual accuracy, they spread far and wide, chasing only sensational sensations.
Just like how everyone believes the imperial brothers are on bad terms, even though the relationship between Hendrick and Carl isn’t actually that poor.
People found dramatic conflicts more interesting than harmony and peace, as long as it didn’t directly relate to them.
…I need to resolve the facts here as convincingly as possible.
Sian steeled herself as she put down her teacup.
“You said it was a story about a distant relative child, right? But there’s something I still don’t understand. How did that child know about the black dragon? If the person they were with was the black dragon’s owner and had other intentions, they would have kept their identity completely hidden.”
“They happened to see it, they say. On a moonless night. The red beast’s eyes glowing vividly in the darkness.”
“And they survived an encounter with such a terrifying black dragon to relay such a story to you, unnie?”
For the first time, Revenant didn’t answer immediately and hesitated. Sian tilted her head, not giving her more time to think.
“It’s strange. If I were the black dragon’s owner, I would have eliminated such a young child to leave no evidence. How did an ordinary child survive such a fearsome dragon?”
Because Sian had spoken in a bright tone as if without deep thought, the silence that fell over the gathering was all the more chilling. The noble ladies, unaccustomed to fighting and killing, shuddered slightly, trembling at the eeriness.
“Lady, your words are too scary with such a bright face…”
“Oh my, I’m sorry if I frightened you. I quite like these kinds of stories, so I got excited without realizing.”
“Believing or not believing is up to the individual. Of course, I don’t know how that relative child survived the black dragon’s hands, but it’s just a story I heard anyway.”
Taking advantage of the momentary break in flow, Revenant shrugged.
“Surely I wouldn’t lie? Especially about a black dragon, which is a terrifying villain that brought great chaos to the world, I wouldn’t dare about such an existence.”
“Even if it’s not a lie, shouldn’t you be careful with stories of such unclear origin? Especially since it’s such a terrifying story, as you say.”
“My, my, it’s just a story for fun, but you’re being so uptight, Lady.”
Revenant burst into loud, open laughter.
Fun? Sian knew she had brought this up to provoke her, but her eyes still sharpened involuntarily.
“The black dragon was the archenemy of the founding dragon Yggdrasil… It doesn’t seem like something to bring up for fun, unnie.”
“…Is that so? Well, since Lady’s fiancé is the owner of Idelin, a direct descendant of Yggdrasil, it might be an extremely unpleasant story for you.”
The noble ladies merely sipped their tea silently, watching the exchange between Revenant and Sian.
“Don’t take it so sensitively, lovely Lady. It’s not like you’re the black dragon’s owner, right?”
Revenant smiled, narrowing her eyes.
“Imagining it, that would be quite troublesome. If the owner of Idelin, Yggdrasil’s direct descendant, and the owner of the black dragon, Pegadrasil’s direct descendant and archenemy, were engaged.”
…Damn it. Sian couldn’t help but chew and swallow a curse between her teeth.
“Um… Mrs. Carter. Even if our gathering is small-scale, this is still the Lady’s first gathering as His Highness’s fiancée, and the atmosphere seems to be getting too heavy.”
“That’s right. Let’s talk about something more pleasant.”
Rose Anderson and Katie Sands, who had been quiet until now, unable to find the right timing or words to speak, put down their teacups and tried to stop Revenant.
“I’m sorry if I ruined the mood. Meeting the Lady of Idelin’s owner just reminded me.”
“I find it quite interesting. If the black dragon really is alive, could it perhaps be the one who assassinated the Dragon King?”
“Oh my, Mrs. Lutice, what a frightening thing to say!”
Rose Anderson, timid despite her stature, exclaimed in shock. Sian chewed curses inwardly again, while a deep smile blossomed on Revenant’s face.
“But think about it? They say His Highness presented mysterious evidence from the Dragon’s Temple at the noble assembly, which is as good as a declaration of innocence from the Dragon’s Temple. Then who could have assassinated the Dragon King?”
“But we don’t even know if the black dragon really exists. And we don’t know for sure if that black dragon is a descendant of Pegadrasil either.”
Sian tried carefully to dismiss Lutice’s opinion, but even Rose Anderson and Katie Sands, who had been uncomfortable with the topic of the black dragon, seemed intrigued by Mrs. Lutice’s opinion.
“Mrs. Carter’s distant relative child saw it, didn’t they? Oh my, it must be true then. Come to think of it, who else but a black dragon would dare assassinate the Dragon King?”
“Goodness…”
With Lutice’s single remark, the atmosphere among the gathering had already settled on the black dragon being undoubtedly the Dragon King’s assassin.
…These gullible ladies.
Sian inwardly bit her lip hard on the inside of her mouth. There was nothing certain, yet their fuss was truly at its peak.
“It’s too early for certainties, ladies. I think we should be a bit careful about that part.”
Though she knew full well this was the flow Revenant had aimed for, Revenant put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.
“If the black dragon really exists and is related to this Dragon King assassination, that’s for the high-ranking officials to investigate and find out.”
“Oh my, no matter what, how would those people know about the story your relative child saw? These things need to become rumors. Only then will people outside become alert and look into it. How much commotion is there still inside and outside the empire over the unresolved Dragon King assassination story?”
“That’s right, we can’t even hold parties because of it… There’s just no joy in living these days.”
“I hope they catch the culprit soon with some kind of clue. So we can return to normal life.”
The noble ladies grumbled in unison.
‘I have nothing to do with that evil black dragon, Pegadrasil.’
“…”
‘Just because humans have the same hair and eye color doesn’t mean they’re all blood relatives.’
“I know. I know better than anyone else.”
Sian chewed her lip and responded to the unjust plea.
“…? What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Max, who was escorting her, widened his eyes at Sian’s muttering. Though she hurriedly brushed it off, her mood wasn’t as good as when she left the palace.
A descendant of Pegadrasil. She had planned to spread such rumors from the start by setting up this gathering.
Her steps felt heavy as she recalled each conversation from the tea party one by one. She had thought too lightly of Revenant. Sian thoroughly regretted her misjudgment.
Who would have thought she’d plan to spread rumors about the black dragon?
Sian had tried several times to impress upon the noble ladies that this wasn’t a matter to be easily discussed, but it was futile.
The ladies, thirsting for sensational entertainment with all parties and large gatherings banned due to the Dragon King’s assassination, would surely gossip about the black dragon to their husbands and servants as soon as they got home.
Still, it’s an existence that has never once been revealed. Even if rumors spread, baseless gossip with no proper source would soon die down. If she just keeps quiet and lays low as she has done until now, as if dead or nonexistent.
“Lady.”
