Chapter 3: Everything is the evil dragon’s plan!

“M-Master… this, this is…”

Staring at the lavishly furnished room before her, Fratina was so stunned she could barely speak.

Ever since following the dragon into its lair, her eyes had been wide with disbelief.

This cave was less a dragon’s lair and more a grand palace.

The walls were meticulously carved, adorned with priceless decorations.

More astonishingly, beyond the vast space suited for a dragon, there were smaller rooms clearly designed for human habitation.

In fact, these rooms were even more refined than the dragon’s own quarters.

Now, standing at the doorway of one such room, Fratina peered inside, marveling at its furnishings.

No wonder some cultures revered dragons as symbols of wealth—this guest room alone surpassed the homes of human nobles and wealthy merchants.

Despite being long unoccupied, the room was remarkably clean, with barely a speck of dust.

Lucia stepped inside, scanning the surroundings before nodding in approval.

The disguise cloak not only masked her appearance and voice but also made her appear taller.

Seeing Fratina’s wide-eyed reaction to the room’s decor, Lucia felt a surge of satisfaction.

It seemed the room was very much to Fratina’s liking.

“Fratina, you’ll live here from now on. Is that alright?”

Snapped out of her daze by Lucia’s words, Fratina shook her head repeatedly.

“No… Master, for someone like me to live in a place like this feels a bit too…”

Lucia initially thought Fratina disliked the room, but upon hearing her words, she relaxed slightly.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Lucia spoke slowly.

“As my contracted servant, isn’t it fitting for you to live in a place like this?”

The question reminded Fratina of the contract she had made with Lucia.

Yes, she was bound to uphold the dragon’s dignity.

In human kingdoms, some elites dressed their servants in fine clothes to flaunt their status.

Realizing this, Fratina’s unease faded.

Then, Lucia approached a wardrobe and opened it.

Inside was a row of exquisite garments, their fine fabrics clearly worth a fortune.

To Fratina’s surprise, as she followed behind, every piece in the wardrobe was women’s clothing, including an array of beautiful dresses.

Unseen by Fratina, Lucia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She hadn’t misremembered—this room once belonged to a friend who hadn’t visited or contacted her in decades.

It was perfect for Fratina to use now.

With this in mind, Lucia said, “This room is yours from now on. You can wear any of the clothes in the wardrobe.”

She glanced at Fratina.

After their battle, the girl’s clothes were tattered, exposing large patches of pale skin.

Thankfully, this remote valley was devoid of prying eyes.

Noticing Lucia’s gaze, Fratina realized her state and lowered her head.

“Thank you… Master.”

Seeing Fratina reluctantly force out the word “Master” each time, Lucia felt a pang of awkwardness.

Having the protagonist of this world call her “Master” was more than she could comfortably handle.

“Um, Fratina, you don’t have to call me Master anymore.”

“Huh?”

Fratina froze, her eyes filled with surprise.

What was this dragon playing at? It had forced the contract on her, yet now it didn’t want to be called Master? What should she call it then?

“You can just call me… Lord Lucia from now on.”

Compared to the somewhat embarrassing “Master,” Lucia felt that “Lord” after her name sounded less subservient.

In human societies, free citizens often addressed nobles as “Lord” without implying servitude, merely respect.

Hearing this, Fratina silently repeated the name to herself.

It did feel easier to say than “Master.” She nodded.

“If that’s the case, I’ll call you Lord Lucia from now on.”

“Hm.”

Lucia felt a bit more at ease with the new title.

But she wasn’t naive enough to think this would fully win Fratina’s loyalty, so she didn’t let it go to her head.

“There’s a hot spring behind the mountain. You can bathe there and change into new clothes. Also, you’re not allowed in my bedroom without permission.”

After giving these instructions, Lucia turned and left the room.

Once the door closed, she let out a long breath.

Back in her own room, surrounded by its distinctly feminine decor, Lucia shook her head helplessly.

There was no way she could let Fratina see this room.

Her body was accustomed to resting in human form, so she had to rely on the authority from defeating Fratina to keep her obedient.

Initially, Lucia had considered freeing Fratina, but after realizing the state of her body, that idea was scrapped.

If she let Fratina go, with her current unknown condition, any adventurer who came to challenge her could make her the first dragon slain in decades.

Yet she couldn’t afford to antagonize Fratina too much, so she had to gradually mend their relationship.

Lucia’s first step was to use material comforts to win Fratina over.

She knew, however, that material goods alone wouldn’t sway someone like Fratina, a classic protagonist archetype.

She would need to do more.

So far, her plan seemed to be working—Fratina’s hostility appeared to have lessened slightly.

But Lucia wasn’t sure if Fratina was hiding her true feelings or if her strategy was genuinely effective, so she would need to observe further.

*

Meanwhile, Fratina picked a simple, form-fitting outfit from the wardrobe and sat on the room’s sofa.

As a Hero who had spent years traveling and fighting, Fratina had been constantly on the move since childhood.

In her early days, she had even stayed in cheap inns due to lack of funds.

After gaining fame, she earned plenty but spent most of it on weapons, potions, and other means to enhance her strength, caring little for personal luxury.

Even the nobles and wealthy patrons who hired her, despite their polite demeanor, had never offered her such lavish accommodations.

Leaning back on the sofa, Fratina felt the situation was almost unreal.

She had come to slay a dragon, yet after her defeat, not only was she spared, but she had become its servant and was now living in such luxury.

Her eyes snapped open.

No, this had to be part of the dragon’s scheme!

With that thought, she hurriedly stood, grabbed the clothes, and headed toward the hot spring behind the mountain.