Dragon Life - Chapter 31.2

Chapter 31 – part 2

After that, we didn’t speak of anything. Even if someone tried to talk about something, everyone would fall silent immediately. I wonder if the death of that Earth Dragon weighed down on them to that extent.

By saying, ‘can I go now?,’ I left that room as if I was fleeing.

When I closed the door and stood still in place, I noticed someone’s presence at the side; as I turned towards it, for some reason the Captain was leaning against the wall. Confirming that I had left the room, he distances himself from the wall that supported him and stood right in front of me.

Did he come to pick me up?

… I wonder why. Just by being near him makes my heart feel at ease. He looks delicious as always, but recently I haven’t had that kind of feelings towards him.

“The contract, what is it supposed to be?”

Before I noticed, that was leaving my mouth.

“If I formed a contract, what would happen to me?”

“…Several generations of Earth Dragons have acquired great power. Their contractors as well, I have heard that they obtained enormous amounts of magical power and strength.”

“So that’s how they won those wars.”

He placed a hand to my cheek, lifting my lowered face. His pupils, carrying a worried tint, appear and disappear under his bangs. (1)

“What are you thinking of?”

“That’s why, it’s about the contract. If I was to form a contract with someone from this country, like the Prince, for example. Then, after winning, what? It’s said I can’t be apart from the contractor. Thus I cannot be apart from the Prince. If we did that, I wonder how we should go on living after that.”

That a bond is necessary to make the contract, could it be in consideration of the fact that we must live together with that human afterwards. Such a dependable rule. But if a wrong step is taken then the Earth Dragon and the human will both die. There’s no doubt this is a dangerous bridge to cross. (2)

“You want to contract with LeBlanche?”

“No, that’s not it…? Why are you getting angry?” (3)

“I’m not angry. But, Vito, you should just do want you want to do.”

That’s a lie. Somehow, his facial expression is stiff, and his voice is low.

I wonder, maybe he doesn’t like the idea of me contracting with the Prince? They seem to be childhood friends, what, he just doesn’t want me to take the Prince away from him? (4)

“Then the Vice-Captain, or Sir Lance.”

“…I don’t want to think of it.”

Wrinkles appear in between his eyebrows. As I say ‘then who would be good?,’ I end up laughing spontaneously. Because somehow, I become relaxed when talking to him; just by being by his side I feel relieved and at ease.

Really, why is he so kind. That’s all I think about lately.

“Captain, why are you so sweet to me.”

“Because I like you.”

“Is that so, — eh?”

At the reply I never expected my voice trembled. (5)

Eeehrrr, of course that’s a regular LIKE rather than LOVE. (6)

He had no longer a sullen look on, his mouth is drawn in an arc as if something is amusing. He’s making fun of me after all, I knew it.

But, he says in a very gentle voice.

“I like you, so I’m sweet towards you, I like you, so I want to treat you gently, I like you, so I want you to be by my side.”

I’m sure my face is being dyed of a bright-red, apple-like shade.

— Dododo, don’t go repeating ‘likelike’ like that! The Captain has been strange lately. Weird, his actions, speech and conduct are weird enough to think he has one or many screws loose! And besides I’m also bewildered at my own reactions.

He became audacious to this extent after he discovered I was a Dragon. I believe we wouldn’t be having this sort of interaction if he still thought I was human. It would end with me being the girl he is interested in. It’s natural he would be interested in me. Because I don’t have prejudice towards black and Dragons like the people of this world. If such a person existed he would obviously be interested. That’s the reason I can’t accept his words. Because, I’m different from the human beings of this world. It’s no good to have expectations of this.

“Tha, that’s no good. If you’re gentle to me, I will end up relying on you. I will become dependent.” (7)

“That would make me happy.”

I’m not fine with it!

I’d hate to come to rely on someone and become dependent of them, as if I had become weak.

You can’t live by yourself, you can go on living because there are other people to cooperate with. That’s the good point of humans, but unfortunately I’m a Dragon. Somehow I’ve been living alone by my own strength until now, and also have dealt with several sparks of danger by myself. (8) Rather than that, my feelings of wanting to be depended on are bigger. Because I can clearly tell, that even if I’m called manly, that by being relied on I can feel that I’m needed. (9)

— ‘Aah, it’s fine for me to exist over here.’ I can think that.

Since the two of us were caught in an awkward silence, the Captain laughed and said, ‘let’s return.’ After all, it seemed he did come to pick me up.

I’m honestly happy. Since the room is inside of this very castle, in fact I was worried, wondering if I could go back or not. He accompanied me back to Maribelle’s room, but sending him away with just that would be bad, so I decided to bring out some tea.

At first I wondered if tea wasn’t something expensive, but as it seems that the general public can acquire it by a cheap price then as a rule it’s not something difficult to obtain. As Maribelle likes fragant teas, or rather than that, she likes something closer to black tea, there are various kinds of black teas arranged on the shelf. She told me to drink from them as I like, so I’ll borrow from those. Furthermore, there are sweets. These confections are seriously delicious. There is something akin to candy within the biscuit’s dough and I can’t resist it. By the way, Maribelle is in the middle of work. I can’t deny that lately I’ve been feeling like a NEET. (10) I also feel like wanting to return to work, yet I’m maintaining the status quo since I don’t know what to do. What are the things I’m capable of doing right now, I wonder.

I’m glad I was taught how to behave like a proper lady for the time being. (11) As I calmly take my time to place these on the table, my tense mood relaxes.

…But, well, I’m hungry. It’s not hunger as a human, but hunger as a Dragon. Speaking of which, a lot of things have happened lately so I haven’t eaten any humans. But I think that under the current circumstances I should not go out to eat so, —should I decide on the nearest person?

“Captain, I’m hungry.”

When I say that as a joke, the Captain, who had been tasting the black tea in an elegant gesture, silently brought out his right arm, so I ended up laughing. How should I put it, even the manner in which he drinks black tea looks good. Just like an image in some painting.

When I said, ‘it’s a joke,’ I ended up making him worry, for he replied, ‘really?’ The fact that half of it was truth let’s keep it to myself.

Then, I was surprised to be asked about how often I eat humans. Do you normally ask such things? It’s like asking a girl what is the amount of rice she usually eats, but since he is such a matchless Dragon-lover I wonder if he’s asking out of curiosity. I answered obediently.

“I guess about three people a month, but if they were rich in magic power then just one or two would be enough.”

Better yet, if it’s the Captain I’m sure even a little would suffice, as his left arm satisfied me quite a lot.

At any rate, it’s ridiculous to talk about for how long I can make a food reservoir out of this person in front of me. (12)

“Have you eaten this month?”

“…Nope, I guess that it was just your blood and hair.”

“Then”

I’m telling you not to pull out your right arm! My previous self might have eaten it up with sparking eyes, but my current self doesn’t feel like doing that. I want to eat it, but feelings of guilt spring forward far stronger than that. And – he’s a person I don’t want to lose, I believe. Actually even if it was only one of his arms, the current me can’t eat it.
Good grief, I don’t understand how my mental state has changed at all.

I sigh at the Captain who still hasn’t retracted his right arm, yet his good will makes me happy.

So, I laugh.

“People can’t live without arms and legs, can they, and it’s also troublesome to replace them, so if you are going to give it to me, instead of your flesh — won’t you give me your blood?”

Blood will also increase again over time, and it is not an exaggeration to say that blood is the body’s energy source. It also left me quite satisfied when I got some the other day.

She I say that, this time he opens the collar of his uniform and bares his neck. I think the back of his neck is too white and thin for a man, but his Adam’s apple is properly there. …It’s erotic somehow.

····What? Wait a minute. Huh? N, No way, am I going to get it from his neck? Whawhawhawhat, like a vampire. — Well, you know, though I do have protruding fangs, you know, I am not a vampire, I’m a Dragon, in no way could I possibly suck the blood from your neck or something, because there’s no way!

Even though I was just planning on making a small cut on his arm and pouring it into a glass or something.

At some point he stood up and grabbed my arm, making me stand up from my chair,  but we have a height difference of about 20 cm.

“It’s impossible since you’re tall.”

Ah, I’m glad. With this I can take it from his arm without feelings of constrain. However, this time I’m being led by his arm as he walks to the bed, and sits down, then pats the place at his side with a ‘pon pon’ sound. …’Sit here,’ is what that means, I guess.

Even if you say ‘sit,’ I might reach better if I kneel on the bed. …It might be better if I give up on getting the blood from a different place. The Captain looks like he has an obstinate side or something.

Reluctantly I kneel next to him, and timidly place a hand on that neck.

The person himself is saying it’s fine. And besides now is not the time to be feeling embarrassed…! Probably.

“… Your neck, I might have to bite it.”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

— Oh I get it already. I’ll take it. Please let me have it.

Getting out of the way the bright green unruly hair that is stuck to his neck with my hand, I slowly bring my face closer.

As I was hesitating over if this is really OK, a hand attaches itself to the back of my head and brings me closer to the base of his neck. I transform my canines into a sharp form, and with a gnawing sound, I sink my teeth into his white skin. Arterial blood is richer in certain nutrients so I like it more, however since I don’t know about the human body’s structure, for the time being I take into my mouth this flowing blood.

Uugh, it’s very difficult to drink from the neck. The arm would have been better after all. Vampires are great, huh.

Blood is flowing, but it’s just two holes of about 5mm each. They get clogged soon. If I don’t attach my lips closely around the wounds without any gaps, and like milk suckling baby, desperately suck the blood out from the torn down blood vessels, then none comes out. While trying to prevent that his clothes become tainted by the blood flowing from his neck, I continue to drink until I become satisfied. A rich taste of iron. But to me it’s sweet, and on its path from my throat and through my whole body it overflows and permeates me with a pleasant feeling.

—It satisfies me.

He continued to gently stroke my hair.

Recently, since all he does is stroke my hair, I’ve been thinking ‘am I some kind of pet?’

Surely, doesn’t this feel like you’re feeding your pet leeches? (13)

As I thought of that, it is needless to say that I became depressed on my own.