Chapter 40: Dating

Ugh…

I decided to drink moderately, but more than that…

‘Are we really lovers now?’

My heart raced for a while after the humans left.

It was a drunken confession, but my master said, “I love Rico too!”

The flower petals fluttered with excitement.

Flap flap!

Miel danced around me in a celebratory dance.

Her transparent wings sparkled with a blue light.

It was cute to see her express her joy by waving her small antennae.

Cecilia also spread her fiery wings wide and flew around.

It was as if she was shooting off celebratory fireworks.

‘Hehe, thank you!’

My master was still standing next to me.

Instead of his cold expression, he still had a gentle smile on his face.

My heart raced again as I watched him.

“Master…!”

I wrote on the floor with my slightly trembling roots.

This time, I drew a lot of hearts!

“Huh? My Rico, why?”

The master gently stroked my petals.

‘Hehe.’

A cold hand ran down the petals and brushed against the stamens, causing a shiver to run through my body.

Pollen scattered slightly.

“Are we lovers now…?”

I asked, mustering up my courage.

My roots trembled slightly with tension.

“Lovers?”

The master asked back, seeming puzzled.

“Yes, you are my most cherished subordinate.”

“Huh…? That’s not it…”

“You are my only subordinate, so you are my most precious, like a lover.”

The master carefully touched each of my petals.

As if… he was tending to a plant…

‘Huh…?’

Something feels strange…

That’s not what I want…

“What I mean is… that… a relationship between lovers…”

“Yes, I really love you too. Hehe.”

The master smiled affectionately and stroked my petals.

For some reason, his touch made me feel a little sad.

Flap flap…

Miel’s wings also slowed down a little.

Cecilia’s fiery wings seemed to have darkened a bit.

She lowered her antennae and sat on my petals again.

“Master… do you know what a lover is?”

I asked cautiously, feeling a moment of doubt.

“Lovers? Well, that’s something humans do. It’s when two people like each other.”

The master spoke as if explaining something strange.

“That’s not it! Lovers… well… they love each other and get married…”

“Marriage? That’s an interesting human habit. It’s a ceremony where two people promise to live together for the rest of their lives. Isn’t it strange?”

‘Huh!’

Is this the kind of human you see?

Dragons from another world don’t date!?

“What’s wrong? Do you want to get married like humans?”

The master laughed as if he found my reaction amusing and asked.

“No… that’s… that’s right… but…”

In my confusion, my roots clumsily scratched the ground.

Something was strange.

The master didn’t seem to know what true love was.

“Master… Excuse me, but how old are you?”

I asked cautiously, my curiosity piqued.

“Um… I’m not sure exactly… Around 6,000? 7,000?”

‘Bam!’

The flower petals reeled back in shock.

Could this be the average for a dragon!?

And my master has been…

“All this time… been alone…?”

I asked cautiously, my roots trembling.

“Well… Nice came to visit sometimes, but most of the time I was alone.”

My master spoke calmly.

There was no loneliness in his voice.

‘A 7,000-year-old unicorn!’

I see…

If you’ve lived alone for 7,000 years, it’s only natural that you wouldn’t know love!

Then…!

“It’s okay! I’ll teach you, Master, what love is!”

Suddenly, I gained strength and carved large letters with my roots.

I also drew a picture of a flower in full bloom.

“Huh? Aren’t they so cute?”

It seemed like my Master still thought I was joking… But it’s okay!

I’ll teach you one by one from now on!

‘Then, let’s do it right away!’

What do humans do first when they become lovers?

Hmm…

Ah! That’s right!

A date!

A romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant!

‘But… I drink blood…’

The petals shriveled up slightly in thought.

When you say dinner, there are candles and fancy tableware…

I just suck blood with my roots…

Flap flap!

Miel must have noticed my worries as she approached me, waving her antennae.

Her transparent wings sparkled to express her position.

It seemed like she would take care of everything once I caught the monster.

‘Oh! Good!’

That’s right!

Miel, the romance expert!

I trust you!

‘Bulles! Bring me a fresh monster!’

Flutter!

At Miel’s fluttering wings, the Bugles scattered in an instant.

The Isis Flies flew high and began to scout, and the Ice and Snow Centipedes quickly crawled over the walls, looking for traces of the monsters.

The Frost Hoppers hopped and hopped along the ice walls.

Cecilia was still sitting quietly on my petals.

‘Yes! My daughter stays next to her mother!’

And Glesia… was sleeping in the corner.

Hey, you slacker…

Ugh… Yes, I have to save the best power of the Bugles…

Oh, but are there any monsters left in the labyrinth?

I’m sure they’ll find them.

…

“Kuuuuu!”

At that moment, the monsters’ cries could be heard from afar.

The Bugles’ movements became busier.

‘I think I found something!’

Soon after, Glesia…

Huh? Glesia!?

I don’t know when she woke up, but she came carrying a huge wolf.

It seemed like she had hunted so hard that she didn’t hear the word slacker this time.

『 ☆☆ Frost Werewolf LV102 』

Frost Werewolf? Wolf?

I just saw a Frost Wolf, but is it its evolved form?

I lightly stroked Glesia’s antenna with my roots.

Glesia took a proud pose and…

Whew!

‘Huk!’

After taking a bite of honey, she lay down in the corner again!

Hmm…

But that was good…!

‘Now, now!’

Flap flap!

Under Miel’s lead, they mobilized all the Bugles and began decorating the surroundings.

The Icicle Aranas hung sparkling ice crystals.

Like chandeliers!

The Frost Mosses scattered blue powder with their wingbeats.

Like soft lighting!

Miel and Cecilia danced elegantly in the air, creating an atmosphere.

‘Perfect! As expected of Miel!’

《Master! Would you like to dine with me?》

I drew a heart and wrote on it for my master, who was looking at this sight in wonder.

What do you think?

At this point, it’s no less than a high-class restaurant, right?

“Hmm? I don’t have to eat anything…”

‘Eh!’

The flower petals drooped for a moment.

Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen the master eat… He doesn’t eat at all…

But I shouldn’t give up!

《Still, at least the atmosphere…!》

“Yes, because I like being with you.”

The master sat down in front of me.

His silver hair sparkled in the light reflected off the ice crystals.

The master’s cold expression changed into a slightly curious look.

“Hoo… This is the guardian of Seolhanryeong.”

‘Oh! As expected of our Glessia!’

I was worried that there wouldn’t be any suitable monsters in the labyrinth, but this wolf must have been caught from the fence of the master’s house.

Glessia, you did a great job!

‘Finally, something romantic…’

However…

slurp…

slurp…

The sound of me sucking the wolf’s blood echoed throughout the hall.

And the way I stabbed him with my sharp roots…

Hmm…

rubbing.

‘Hehe…’

It was a pleasant rubbing, but the master was just enjoying the flower nectar as usual.

Ah… No matter how pretty the surroundings are…

This isn’t romantic at all…

‘This isn’t it…’

The first operation failed…

The flower petals drooped slightly.

I didn’t know that the first date would turn out like this…

There were always wonderful first date scenes in novels.

No, we shouldn’t give up yet!

We’re just getting started!

‘Then, this time, let’s take a walk!’

Lovers always talk while walking together!

We should also take a walk through the labyrinth…

《Master, let’s go see the labyrinth!》

“Really? Can I pull it out?”

《Yes!》

The roots grabbed the ground again, but Master grabbed my stem and pulled it out.

This time, I really didn’t feel anything and just quickly came out.

Has Master gotten the hang of it?

Or is it because I’ve gotten stronger?

It’s embarrassing because my entire body seems to be exposed like last time…

But more than that…

‘This… isn’t romantic at all!’

Hanging on to Master’s hand and wandering around the labyrinth is just…

like pulling out weeds and carrying them!

And the soil drips from the tips of the roots…

This is definitely not romantic!

“Aren’t these ice crystals pretty?”

Master held up his hand in front of me and showed me the ice crystals.

They are beautiful, but…

Ha…

The second plan also failed…

…

As a last resort…

‘Dance!’

This is something that always appears in romance fantasy novels!

The protagonist and the Northern Grand Duke always get closer while dancing together at balls!

Flower petals flutter, stems sway!

I tried to look as elegant as possible in front of my master.

Slowly turning my body, the petals fluttering…

the stamens fluttering…

This is definitely romantic…

“Phew!”

My master burst into laughter.

“What are you doing? You’re so cute~”

‘Eww…’

When I looked again, it was just like the dancing cactus doll I saw when I was human!

What kind of romantic!

Ha…

All three attempts failed.

The romantic meal ended up sucking blood,

the elegant walk became weed pulling, and

the romantic dance… just became a laughing stock.

Was this the date I thought I had with my lover?

This wasn’t the kind of romance I knew…

The petals slowly closed.

Was I stupid?

Trying to show human love to a dragon…

Ah… But I’m not human either…

Miel seemed to know my feelings as she drooped her wings and antennae.

Cecilia folded her fiery wings slightly and came over to sit on my petals.

It was as if she was saying, ‘It’s okay.’

Maybe… I’m rushing too much?

It might have been too much to try to tell my master, who had been alone for 7,000 years, about my love in such a short time.

Besides, it hasn’t been that long since I became a flower!

Still…

Being able to be with my master like this is a happiness I could never have imagined in my previous life.

Let’s go slowly.

At my master’s pace…

Thinking that, my heart felt much lighter.

A sweet scent spread between the flower petals.

This time, it was a scent filled with warm anticipation, not shame or disappointment.

“Everyone! Ta-da!!”

At that moment, Nis-sama’s bright voice, which I hadn’t heard in a long time, echoed throughout the hall.