Dante leaped up high once more, then quickly landed on the wall, straightening his back and began snarling toward Yerpi.

Was the child possibly hurt?

Yerpi raised both hands, showing her palms to calm Dante down.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry for startling you.”

At her words, Dante’s wide, dilated eyes gradually narrowed slightly.

…Uuung.

It was a gaze assessing the unfamiliar person before him.

He still growled, but didn’t seem about to panic as he had earlier.

Seizing the moment, Yerpi apologized again.

“I was sorry before too. I didn’t know you were already using the chair.”

At that, Dante tilted his head curiously, then suddenly made a cute “Oong” sound as if remembering something.

Yet, still seemingly not fully appeased, he snorted with a huff through his nose.

Wagging his tail as if forgiving her just this once, Dante turned to leap down from the wall.

It was clear he would vanish immediately upon landing on the ground.

Urgently, Yerpi called out to him.

“Wait a moment. Can’t we talk?”

[……?]

At Yerpi’s question, Dante paused mid-descent, looking at her with an odd expression.

She continued, watching Dante’s face, which now wore a look of utter bewilderment.

“You can talk, can’t you?”

He clearly heard her, but seemed to need time to grasp the meaning.

For a moment, not even blinking, Dante suddenly leapt higher than before, flapping his tiny wings vigorously.

Haaahh!

Then he turned and snarled at Yerpi again.

“Wait!”

This time, she didn’t even get a chance to attempt conversation.

Dante jumped down in the opposite direction from where Yerpi stood, and without looking back, quickly disappeared.

“Ah… He’s gone.”

Yerpi sighed. But lamenting the loss wouldn’t change anything.

‘Others probably don’t know that Dante can speak.’

If she’d known that, she would’ve approached more carefully. That was regrettable.

Yerpi had first learned that Dante could speak within her dreams.

In the original story, Yerpi wandered the castle and witnessed a maid talking to herself.

Back then, she’d simply assumed the maid was murmuring while holding a doll, but now, thinking back, the maid had actually been holding Dante, not a doll.

‘I wonder if he’s okay. He seemed really frightened.’

There must have been a clear reason why he’d been hiding his ability to speak. Would she find out when they met again?

Her worries deepened.

Meanwhile, something caught Yerpi’s eye—the empty spot on the wall where Dante had been crouched.

The low wall was level with Yerpi’s eyes. On top of it lay several small seeds, like those from a fruit.

Looking closer, she noticed even more seeds scattered on the ground.

“Did Dante eat these?”

The seeds were dry, stripped clean of flesh, resembling bones left after a hearty meal.

Yerpi picked up one of the seeds from the wall.

Externally, they looked like some kind of peach. Finding out exactly what they were might prove helpful.

‘Let’s find out.’

After placing the seed into the hidden pocket of her dress, Yerpi reluctantly turned away from the wall.

Since she’d unintentionally startled him again, it would probably take quite some time before she could find Dante once more.

‘I hope he doesn’t come to hate me.’

Would he accept her apology next time they met?

She hoped so.

A breeze blew. A gentle wind, carrying the scent of abundant skies and wildflowers, brushed softly against Yerpi’s nape.

***

The west wing of Growen Castle.

Deepest within, the basement.

Even in that dark, damp place, Dante was curled tightly into a corner.

How long had he been huddled there?

Thud. Thud.

Dante’s ears twitched in response to footsteps descending the stairs.

But this time, he didn’t panic.

Only one person ever came this far to find him.

Black shoes stopped in front of Dante. Meidi placed the basket she was carrying on the ground and put her hands on her hips as she asked.

“Why are you digging holes again?”

[It’s not like that.]

A dull telepathic voice tickled inside Meidi’s mind.

After uttering that single sentence, Dante crawled toward the basket Meidi had set down.

Inside were several peaches, their skins flushed with color.

The six or so peaches varied in size and bore bruises in many places, making their condition poor.

Yet Meidi didn’t believe Dante’s words.

“What do you mean ‘it’s not like that’? Don’t tell me you went out again today without permission? Did you cause an accident again?”

At the continued interrogation, Dante trembled, then used his short little legs to mime covering his ears.

Realizing Dante had indeed caused trouble, Meidi grabbed the small dragon by the back of his neck and lifted him up.

[It hurts!]

“Are you going to keep quiet? I told you not to go out on your own. People all hate the young master, don’t they? They find him disgusting, so to avoid being scorned, you must stay here. Why don’t you listen to me?”

At the barrage of scolding, Dante stopped struggling and let his ears droop limply.

Thoroughly deflated, he sulkily apologized.

[…Sorry.]

“Good. Now, what kind of accident did you cause?”

[It’s not my fault. She already knew!]

“She? Who’s she?”

At the continued questioning, Dante tightly sealed his mouth shut.

Meidi, apparently irritated by Dante’s stubbornness today, shook the neck she was holding fiercely.

“Why do you act so selfishly? There’s no one else who treats you kindly except me!”

[Ow, ow, it hurts! I’ll talk. I’ll tell you!]

Tears forming in his eyes under the rough grip, Dante twisted his head away.

Then, Meidi, irritated, roughly set Dante down and crossed her arms.

“Well then, what is it?”

[Well… There’s this woman called the Grand Duchess. The one who came from beyond the barrier.]

Meidi’s gaze sharpened at the unexpected words.

“Speak.”

[She knew I can talk. It’s strange… Ow!]

Unable to contain herself any longer, Meidi grabbed Dante’s throat and lifted him up.

“What did you just say?”

[It hurts! I didn’t tell her!]

This time, breaking free from Meidi’s grasp, Dante shouted from the corner.

“Are you saying you lied? That you approached her first or something…?”

[No! I was eating a peach when she came and asked if I could talk!]

As Meidi’s eyes grew colder, Dante’s sense of injustice only grew stronger.

Finally realizing the young dragon was speaking truthfully, Meidi simply stared at him with a blank, expressionless face.

[It’s true…]

“Fine. Just stay put in the west wing and behave. Don’t wander off on your own.”

[Hmm.]

Fearing another outburst of violence, Dante retreated to a far corner, cautiously watching the maid’s expression.

But then, thinking it was better than nothing that she believed him now, he relaxed and curled his tail contentedly.

Dante and Meidi’s relationship had lasted for a full four years now.

It was Meidi who had first approached Dante, who had always been lonely.

At first, Dante had been wary of her, but soon, unable to resist the warmth and kindness people offered, he opened his heart.

It was only after they’d grown completely close that he began to think their relationship was a little strange.

But that was something he could ignore if he just closed his eyes.

Avoiding Meidi’s gaze, which now looked deep in serious thought, Dante quietly moved and soon dragged the fruit-filled basket back to his corner.

Soon, crunch. crunch. A small sound accompanied the little dragon’s smile.

‘Delicious.’

Though bruised and imperfect, Meidi was the only one who brought him such fruit.

As he ate, he suddenly recalled what had happened earlier that day.

‘She apologized, saying she was sorry.’

The woman’s words—apologizing for startling him, saying it wasn’t intentional—seemed sincere.

Most of all, the scent emanating from the woman called the Grand Duchess was overwhelmingly sweet and fragrant.

‘I wanted to keep smelling it.’

How sweet would it feel to be held in her arms? How warm would it be?

In truth, Dante had disobeyed Meidi and secretly gone out to watch the Grand Duchess.

Her gentle, moist voice. Her smile, pale as snow yet soft—just gazing at her made time slip by unnoticed.

As Dante recalled the Grand Duchess’s image, he murmured unconsciously.

[…Could it be she really wants to talk with me?]

At that, Meidi, who had been biting her fingernail and deep in thought, turned her gaze toward Dante.

Then, she burst into laughter.

“Ah, ahaha! Ah, my stomach hurts. I can’t believe I’m hearing such nonsense. Really.”

Laughing so hard she wiped away tears, Meidi then suddenly became serious, as if she’d never laughed at all.

“Impossible. Please, stop saying such ridiculous things. Why would Her Grace ever look kindly upon you?”