Chapter 2: I almost got fooled!

Outside the dragon’s lair, Fratina stood alone, gazing at the desolate surroundings with a hint of confusion.

As the dragon’s servant, she should, in theory, be at its side, awaiting its commands.

But the area around her was nothing but barren grass and empty land, with no suitable place to stay.

Was she expected to spend her first night sleeping in the open, exposed to the elements?

With this thought, Fratina glanced westward.

The sun was sinking into the valley, and once night fell, the entire area would grow bitterly cold.

As a Hero, Fratina’s physical resilience was exceptional, but no one would choose to suffer unnecessarily.

Her gaze shifted to the nearby forest.

If she gathered some grass and branches from there, she might be able to build a simple shelter.

With this in mind, Fratina looked at the sword strapped to her waist.

Crafted by a master artisan, it was meant for slaying monsters and villains, yet now it would be reduced to cutting branches—a bittersweet irony.

*

Inside the lair, Lucia struggled to drag two large stones to block the entrance.

Her lair, carved into the mountainside, was spacious and adorned with exquisite furniture her predecessor had plundered.

Most of these items, taken from humans, were only usable in her human form.

At that moment, Lucia rummaged through her treasure hoard.

Having accepted her weakened state, she sought comfort in the treasures she had inherited.

As a wealthy dragon, her hoard was valuable enough to buy several cities, but it was mostly gold and jewels.

Even the weapons and artifacts meant to enhance strength were useless to her, given her current lack of power.

Finally, after nearly turning the hoard upside down, Lucia found something she could use.

It was a large cloak, capable of fully enveloping her human form, concealing her appearance and neutralizing her voice.

Unlike other artifacts that demanded immense magical energy, this cloak required none, usable even by a child.

Previously, Lucia had spent most of her time in this valley, with no need to interact with others, so the cloak had gathered dust in her hoard.

But for the current Lucia, it was invaluable.

Her strength was worlds apart from Fratina’s, and to maintain control, she needed to project an air of mystery.

After all, as her servant, Fratina would inevitably interact with her human form, which lacked any imposing presence.

Besides, Lucia preferred living as a human.

With this thought, she draped the cloak over herself.

As expected, a faint black mist enveloped her.

Eagerly, she rushed toward her bedroom to check her appearance.

But in her haste, she tripped over the cloak’s hem, tumbling forward.

A sharp pain shot through her, and with teary eyes, she struggled to her feet.

Forced to move more cautiously, she finally reached the mirror.

Looking at the shadowy figure shrouded beneath the hood, she breathed a sigh of relief.

This, at least, was more dignified than revealing her true face.

Then, it struck her—she had left Fratina outside the lair.

With a stir in her heart, Lucia made her way to the entrance.

At the clearing outside, Fratina, arms full of grass and branches, locked eyes with the cloaked Lucia, both staring in silence.

After a long pause, Fratina spoke tentatively.

“Dr—Master?”

She nearly blurted out “dragon” but caught herself in time.

“Hm.”

Lucia didn’t mind Fratina’s slip and showed no displeasure, instead eyeing the branches in her arms curiously.

“What are you collecting those for?”

“I was preparing to build a simple shelter outside.”

Lucia’s heart jolted at her words.

Good thing she’d come out to check—otherwise, leaving Fratina to sleep in a makeshift hut would surely breed resentment.

Living in luxury inside the lair while letting Fratina freeze outside? No one would accept that without complaint.

This could be a chance to ease the tension between them.

With that thought, Lucia spoke slowly.

“No need for that.”

Fratina froze, the branches slipping from her arms to the ground.

Did the dragon intend to make her sleep on the dirt, a deliberate show of dominance to remind her of her place?

She clenched her fists, but a glance at the tattoo on her hand filled her with a sense of powerlessness.

Just as she was about to comply, Lucia continued.

“You don’t need to stay outside. There are spare rooms in the lair—you can live there.”

Fratina’s eyes flickered with surprise and suspicion.

This was completely unexpected. Not only was the dragon not humiliating her, but was it trying to win her over?

Or was this another test?

She opened her mouth to refuse, but Lucia spoke again.

“And your clothes and armor—you can change into something new inside.”

Realizing her tone might seem too kind, Lucia quickly added, “As my servant, you can’t go around looking filthy. It’s unbecoming.”

Fratina recalled the dragon’s earlier command to uphold its dignity.

So, it was just about saving face.

This realization made Lucia’s orders slightly more understandable.

Though she still resented being forced into servitude, Fratina began to think the dragon wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

The moment this thought surfaced, she felt a surge of alarm.

She was the dragon’s coerced servant, yet she’d nearly fallen for its attempt to win her loyalty.

She silently vowed that once she found a way to break the contract, she would end the dragon herself.

After mentally reinforcing her resolve, Fratina nodded.

“As you command.”

She gave a stiff bow and followed Lucia into the cave.