My master is a weird one.
I first met him when he found me inside a treasure chest, in the middle of my century long sleep. I was elated when I first saw him, thinking he was somebody else I once knew.
He gave me the name Verdra, simply because I was vermilion, and a dragon. How simple-minded can he be?
Still, I liked the name.
At first, he thought I was a male. But after he found out I was a girl, his attitude toward me changed a little—probably out of consideration for that fact.
I acted recklessly to show him how amazing I really was— only to regret it instantly. I nearly died because of it, but my master saved me without a second thought, even though we had only just met moments earlier. He ended up severely injured because of my foolishness—
And yet, he forgave me.
There wasn't even a trace of resentment in his words, gestures, or voice.
That was when I knew—he was a sincere person. I could even say that, I fell in love with him right then and there. Perhaps… I'm also a simple-minded individual.
He told me about his past.
His old world.
His birth parents.
His crazy foster parents.
And his even crazier former elven comrade.
It was really hard to believe elves would do such cruel things. Elves were known for their serenity and love for peace. What they did to my master was just unimaginable from my perspective.
They even managed to turn someone as kind, sincere, and honest as him into someone filled with hatred toward them. It pushed him to the brink of mental breakdown a few times.
He started doubting everything— even me, the one who formed a contract with him. A contract where I offered all of myself to him.
I will never forgive anyone who dares make my master harbor even just a slightest doubt towards me—And I will never forgive anyone who treated him poorly.
Never.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I picked up the cloak Yuu made for me from the corner of the cave. After putting it back on, warmth spread through my entire body.
I really liked this warm sensation.
It felt as if I were being embraced by him.
He had never actually embraced me—in this human form—but if he ever did, maybe this was how it would feel.
Every time I tried to get close to him for affection, he would keep his distance, saying, "It's kinda— no, really embarrassing, don't you think?" Which was, in its own way, quite cute.
Lately, though, he had been more open with his affection. Like, rubbing my head, for instance. And also… rubbing my head. He really only rubs my head, doesn't he?
"Haaah…" I sighed softly. "I wish he were a little more assertive."
If he had more confidence, it would boost his attractiveness by 100%. I kissed him once to help stabilize his emotions, but even that didn't seem to raise his self-esteem at all.
What I couldn't quite understand about him was his actions and words were completely different things.
He often said extremely embarrassing lines without a hint of hesitation. Every time he did, it put me on edge.
He said he liked my long red hair. He called me cute. Beautiful. He even had the nerve to say he loved me all over—fully coated in sarcasm.
Even if it was just joking around, those words were far too embarrassing. And yet, he said them as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I often found myself completely at his mercy under his barrage of compliments and heartfelt words.
I wanted to see him get flustered, too.
The only times I'd seen him that flustered were when he first saw my human body… and when I kissed him.
Maybe I should do that again?
B-but… now that I always wear clothes, I've realized how embarrassing it is to be seen bare-skinned by a opposite gender. And to be honest, k-kissing him also takes a lot of courage.
"Haaah…" I sighed, again.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After he finished killing the Yeti Shogun, I approached him.
"...Koori no Tsurugi, meaning the sword of ice. Why is it Japanese, though? Because the Yeti was a shogun? And why does it create an ice arch every time I swing it? It's kinda annoying."
There he goes again, with his usual monologue.
I didn't understand a single thing he said. 'chorie not shrugging'? whatever that was.
Sometimes, he got excited over things I couldn't comprehend at all—waveleg, SSR, five-star pity, and many others. Maybe they were concepts from his old world?
Approaching him from behind, I asked him about our next move. "We're going down to the 4th floor, right? We worked really hard for it."
I was certain his answer would be yes. I was excited, too, about what awaited us below.
But apparently, he had other plans.
"No. Not yet," Yuu replied curtly, sheathing his newly acquired sword.
"Why!?" I protested. "I thought we were done with Yetis already."
"Come on… Calm down, just hear me out," he said, palm facing downward to soothe me. "Based on this dungeon's pattern so far, it's safe to assume the next floor's mobs are around Lv500, with a boss around Lv650. And that big door over there?" He pointed at the massive double doors at the end of the cave. "That's almost certainly a door leads to a boss floor."
"A boss…?" I tilted my head. "So, it'll be Lv650?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but it's likely."
"Hmmm… we're at Lv206 right now. That gap's too big," I mused.
"Exactly. I suggest we stay here and keep leveling until I hit my Lv cap. We can even push you higher—you've got a ridiculously high Lv limit, after all."
"But your Lv cap is only 252, right? Isn't that too low for a Lv600 plus monster?"
He'd told me the Yeti Shogun was Lv252. That was why he insisted on dealing the finishing blow himself—to raise his Lv limit.
"We're not in a hurry to leave this dungeon," he said. "And farming Currencies from Yetis have been profitable enough. We're fine staying here for a while."
"Uuuh… I'm getting tired of seeing Yetis to be honest," I groaned, slumping forward.
"Please bear with me just a bit longer." He placed his hand on my head. "I just want us to be safe. Seeing you get hurt like before—it hurts me, too. If possible, I want to be the one protecting you. But you're far more stronger than me, so I have no choice but to rely on you. Please… let this weak-willed individual keep relying on you."
His tone was gentle. Almost like a caring father.
My face grew hot.
This—this was exactly what I meant!
A surge of emotion welled up inside me, bursting out before I even realized what I was doing. My hands slid through the slit of his cloak, pulling him close as I buried my face against his chest, embracing him.
"V-Verdra? W-what are you doing?" He stammered, his body stiffening in surprise.
"Nothing," I replied softly, pressing closer.
I lifted my head just enough to look up at him with an upturned gaze, my voice turning spoiled—intentionally. "You… don't want me to?"
"P-please stop with this sudden close contact!" His thoughts slipped out loud to my mind. "You'll make my heart stop beating… and that face is so unfair."
Ah—his inner thoughts leaked out again.
How adorable.
"Hehehe…" I hugged him even tighter, unable to suppress the strange, giddy laugh bubbling out of me.
"V-Verdra?!" His voice cracked, flustered even more.
"Mnn…" I puffed out my cheeks slightly and looked up at him again. "You'll let me keep doing this on my own?"
His face turned bright red as his eyes darted left and right, clearly searching for an escape that didn't exist.
"…A-alright. H-here I go." He closed his eyes in embarrassment, as if bracing himself.
Slowly, hesitantly, he placed his hands behind my shoulders and crossed them there, pulling me into an awkward yet gentle embrace.
The moment his arms wrapped around me, warmth enveloped my body—far warmer than the Yeti cloak ever was.
I could feel his heartbeat, fast and unsteady, right beneath my ear.
So this is how it feels…
I liked it. No—I loved it.
"I love you…" I murmured, the words slipping out before I could stop myself.
"W-what was that, Verdra?" he asked nervously, clueless.
I straightened just a little, resting my chin on his shoulder as I replied playfully, "Nooothing."
"W-woah! Don't move so suddenly!" he yelped. "Your horn will pierce my chin!"
"Don't worry," I reassured him calmly. "It's all calculated."
"U-umm… Verdra?" His voice dropped, hesitant. "C-can we… put a stop to this?" He swallowed. "With how beautiful and charming you are… it's really hard to hold back, i-if you know what I mean…"
Why could he always say such embarrassing things so naturally?!
My face burned as I hid it against his shoulder, my voice coming out muffled. "Let me stay like this for a little longer."
"…O-okay."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Haaah…" Yuu let out a long sigh once we arrived at the 2nd floor's save zone. "Somehow, I feel more tired than usual."
He genuinely look tired.
why? The only worthy fight today was against the Yeti Shogun, and it ends as quick as it begins…
"What wro—more importantly!" I cut myself off as I suddenly remembered something crucial. "You owe me an expensive sweet!"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot, haha."
"How cruel!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he apologized playfully.
He ran his index finger through the air in front of him, and before long, something appeared in his palm out of thin air.
His unique power never failed to amaze me.
It came wrapped in something he called plastic wrapping, or whatever it was.
"Here." He handed it to me. "It costs 5000 Currencies. We'd need to kill 2 Yeti Shoguns or 3 regular Yetis just to afford one of these. Hope you like it."
"Wow! Then it has to be delicious if it's that expensive." I said with a beaming smile.
"What is this, though?" I asked, holding the wrapped sweet in front of my face.
"It's called mont blanc. Hm… is it Italian? Or French? Some kind of dessert, if I remember correctly." He rambled on with words I didn't really understand.
"Month blank?" I repeated, doing my best.
"It's mont blanc—well, the name isn't important. Just give it a try."
Just as I was about to tear the wrapping open, something crossed my mind.
…If I'm going to enjoy this, might as well enjoy it properly.
"Yuu, can you sit here?" I pointed at the edge of the fountain.
"Hm? Sure." He walked over and sat down on the buttress.
…I have to take initiative. I think… he'll never man up if I didn't.
After he settled there, still looking confused, I casually climbed onto his lap and sat down.
"Wha— V-Verdra?! What's wrong with you today?" he asked in a panic. "You're kinda scaring me…"
"I worked really hard today, you know?" I replied teasingly. "So you have to reward me properly."
"Bu-b-b-but—" He stammered badly, then let out a long sigh as he tried to calm himself. "Haaah…"
He suddenly wrapped his arms around my stomach from behind, pulling me closer.
This time, it was my turn to flinch.
"Wha—! Don't surprise me like that!" I exclaimed.
"You're sitting on a boy's lap, and expecting him to do nothing?" he scolded me. "That's a naive way of thinking. Too naive even."
I knew I wanted him to man up, but this is just… uhh…
I've heard saying about girls' heart were the most complicated things in the world—
I believe in that now,
…I can't even understand my own.
"I-I guess you're right… do whatever you like, then." I said, steadying myself as I finally ripped open the sweets' wrapping.
The moment it entered my mouth, sweetness spread across my tongue. It was soft, rich, and comforting—happiness itself melting into my senses.
I cupped my cheek with my free hand in delight.
"Mmmm… so this is the taste of happiness." I turned slightly and held it out to him. "Yuu, do you want some?"
"No, I'm good." He smiled warmly. "Seeing your happy face is sweet enough for me."
Urgh… what an unfair smile.
I could feel my cheeks growing hotter as I quickly focused back on eating.
But somehow, it tasted even sweeter than ever before.