C 73
How did the story lead to such a strange ending?
"Just because <Adopted> is the death of the dragon's head, it doesn't have to be the death of the dragon's head and the fate of the family, right?"
When I opened my mouth, Erno Etham naturally opened the box. Inside was a golden key.
"It's the key to the family treasure. Only the patriarch can have it."
"Why...?"
Then why am I the owner?
"I'm still five years old... No, am I ten years old...?"
"My precious daughter will become the youngest matriarch in history."
Do you think that's important now? When I looked at Duke Miriel with trembling eyes, the duke crossed his arms and snorted.
However, he didn't seem to have any intention of stopping the situation.
"You swindling bastard."
"Grandpa...?"
When I called him, Duke Miriel stomped as if he had been waiting and opened his mouth fiercely.
"Your father pretended to be so sincere to receive the duchy! However, as soon as I handed over the duchy, he wrote the paperwork to hand it over to you immediately!"
When I opened my mouth, Erno Etham casually stroked my cheek.
"I've been working as the patriarch for about half a year."
He said casually.
"So I gave you half of my property. Of course, the family property also passed to you. I thought there would be a shortage of resorts, so I bought some islands while you were resting, and I thought it would be troublesome to go far, so I occupied some land in the south."
"......"
I couldn't immediately understand Erno Etham's words and had to process them several times.
Oh, of course, just because I contemplated it over and over doesn't mean I understood it.
"Ah, you've become a matriarch, but the real work will be done by me and the former patriarch. I'll get the necessary permission from you later."
I couldn't understand anything even if he repeated it over and over with a kind expression.
"I wasn't even in Dad's family register..."
I couldn't even join the family due to Duke Collin, and if you look at it coldly, I'm a suin lizard that should belong to another family, how the hell did I become the head of this family?
There were so many things I wanted to say. Erno Etham listened to me silently and smiled broadly.
"I solved everything on my own."
"......"
Duke Collin is still alive, isn't he? His expression was so bright that I felt fear.
"Grandpa... Are you okay?"
"Haha, if I'm okay? I opened my eyes and cut my nose! If I wanted to hand it over to you, shouldn't I at least wait until you become an adult?"
No, is that a problem now?
The Etham family will be led by a lizard?!
I heard that Duke Miriel is very proud of the Etham family, isn't that right?
"Not me... I'm an insignificant hybrid lizard... why...?"
Did they do drugs as a group?
Or are they sick?
Embarrassed, I rolled my eyes and protested softly.
"Who."
Duke Miriel's face immediately turned fierce. Anger could be felt in his hardened face.
"Who dared to tell you that you're an insignificant lizard?!"
"No, no one said that...!"
Surprised, I responded reflexively. Silian, who was next to him, was also smiling cheerfully.
"I won't punish you if you say it, so will you tell me? I'll just scold you a bit."
Who could have said that when I had just woken up?
It's just that I really thought that.
"A lizard with wings..."
I was speechless for a moment at the sudden fluttering of wings. The reality I had been ignoring returned slightly.
"Why are you a lizard in the first place?"
Callan Etham chuckled and asked in response. He crossed his arms and looked at me as if he were frustrated.
"Didn't you wake up and see yourself?"
After blinking a couple of times, I nodded.
"Father, didn't you tell her?"
"No, I thought it would be good to take it slow."
"Oh, I see."
Callan Etham smiled as he rested his chin on the table. Then he shook his head and opened his mouth.
"You're not a lizard."
"Yes, I'm not a lizard..."
"You're a dragon."
"Uh-huh, I'm a dra-... huh?"
Feeling a tap on the back of my head, I opened my mouth and turned my head.
"You're a dragon."
"Why...?"
Why am I a dragon?
I should be an insignificant lizard the size of your palm. I thought I was just a mutant lizard.
But lizards don't have wings.
No, isn't it more likely for a lizard to have wings than for me to be a dragon?
"Lie."
Am I not a lizard?
There's no way I could be such a large and terrifying creature.
Seeing my pupils tremble slightly, Callan Etham stepped forward. He held me and hugged me gently.
"The only dragon lineage left in the world is the Etham family. And according to ancient texts left by the dragons, the probability of a dragon from the Etham family lineage being born is extremely low."
Before I knew it, a big kid held me high in the sky and smiled.
"It means you're our fortune, Eirin."
My eyes trembled finely.
"Me...?"
"Yes, you."
Callan drew me tightly into his arms. I felt bewildered. I was always the one playing the troublemaker.
"Callan."
"Yes..."
Callan Etham responded wearily, perhaps thinking he was being bothered by Erno Etham's call.
"Eirin must be surprised, so put her down."
"... he's really greedy."
Callan muttered quietly but placed me in the seat of honor.
"Daughter."
"Yes."
"Let's have some dessert first."
He said, bringing the grape-filled tart to my mouth. The tart even looked refreshing.
With the food in front of me, I didn't want to think about anything else.
I opened my mouth, and Erno Etham put the tart into my mouth.
As I bit and chewed, the sweet, refreshing aroma filled my mouth.
"Yum..."
My body shivered from how delicious it was.
"It's delicious!"
When I excitedly responded with a murmur, he piled the tarts onto my plate.
After eating dessert and drinks, my stomach felt full. I sighed with a sense of fullness.
"I really enjoyed the meal!"
"You look good when you eat well."
Duke Miriel stroked my hair.
"I have work to attend to, so I'm leaving."
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye."
"Then we'll go too. There are many things I want to say, and many things you'll want to hear."
"Yes."
Erno Etham naturally embraced me.
"We'll have dinner together tomorrow, Eirin."
"Yes, that's fine."
"Me too!"
"Yes!"
After dealing with Silian and Callan one last time, we left the dining room.
Throughout the entire way back to the room, Erno Etham remained silent. And I didn't say anything either.
"A dragon..."
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't believe it.
[—And they won't need an illustrated book of lizards like that.]
[—......]
[—We won't need it?]
[—My mistress, she's probably not an ordinary lizard.]
[—... She's not a lizard?]
[—No.]
Suddenly, what Lucilion had said earlier flashed through my mind.
"Could Lucilion have known?"
That I'm not a lizard.
So why didn't he tell me? Doubts kept piling up.
"Am I a dragon?"
When I thought about it, I couldn't believe it.
Certainly, lizards don't have these strange colors. But suddenly, a dragon?
The soles of my feet were similar too.
Round and flat.
Yes, like a monitor lizard...
"Dad, I might actually be a monitor lizard."
"While you were sleeping, I kidnapped the Komodo family on the southern continent... No, I brought them and had them check you, but they said no."
"......"
"Why, do you hate being a dragon?"
I shook my head at Erno Etham's question. The race isn't a big issue, but...
"Or..."
Erno Etham chuckled.
"It's okay."
He shrugged slightly as if it were nothing.
"Then you're just my daughter. Of course, I was planning to give you the position from the beginning."
"What?"
"Originally, I was planning to give it to you on your birthday five years ago. It's not because you're a dragon."
He said it so emphatically that it felt like all my anxious doubts had dissipated.
"So anything is fine, do what you want to do."
