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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Dressed-Up Evil Dragon
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After hatching from the egg, this was the first nap I'd enjoyed with a truly peaceful mind.
Armifera, the Mercenary King who had sent me here, had placed her holy power in my hand, and it was so incredibly warm.
The gentle sunlight made my entire body feel languid, as if it were thoroughly purifying me.
When I woke from that honey-sweet sleep...
"Chicken shit smell..."
The sweet afterglow of sleep vanished in an instant before the feast of chickens spread out before my eyes.
The fishy stench of chicken droppings wasn't even in the inherited memories, leaving even the mighty Evil Dragon speechless.
However, the chickens were far smarter than their birdbrained reputation suggested.
These pitiful creatures had fled to the far corner of the coop, cowed by the Evil Dragon's presence.
They had sensed just how extraordinary I was.
As I was reevaluating the chickens...
"Oh? You're awake!"
A child's voice drew near.
A fluffy white cloud suddenly popped up in front of me.
Beyond the chicken wire, a little girl with silver hair fluttering in the crimson sunset glow came into view.
The Evil Dragon spoke the moment he saw her.
"Precocious brat."
Nibelria asked Dether, who had come with her.
"What's a precocious brat?"
"No idea. Dragons sure use some tough words, huh."
Dether propped her chin on one hand, looking troubled, before speaking up.
"But, Miss, did you know? Lizard meat is supposed to be really tasty. Slice it thin, tenderize it, coat it in breadcrumbs, and..."
She spoke sweetly to her precious young lady.
But to that cheeky little lizard runt daring to spout such nonsense, she shot a murderous glare.
"Whoa, sounds delicious!"
Nibelria clapped her hands in delight.
Then her eyes met the Evil Dragon's.
"......"
"......"
The standoff between Nibelria and the Evil Dragon ended quickly.
Gulp.
"...Sounds really delicious."
Nibelria recalled the lizards she'd hunted and devoured with her brave cat skills in her past life as a feline.
"Eek!"
The Evil Dragon hurriedly scratched at the collar around his neck with his front paw.
Thankfully, the Evil Dragon was rescued without being eaten.
Armifera, who had followed behind, hoisted Evil Dragon Ater up like a puppy.
But she couldn't hold him close like before.
"...Gotta wash you first, huh?"
She took him to the nearest bathroom and scrubbed him down with warm water, fancy soap, and even scented oils.
"Uuuu..."
The Evil Dragon's eyes fluttered shut under the meltingly gentle touch, letting out occasional dazed noises.
Once he was squeaky clean, Evil Dragon Ater was even dressed up.
Armifera forced a dress from one of her childhood porcelain dolls onto his front paws and topped his head with a ribbon-adorned hat.
"So cute!"
Reminiscing about old times, Armifera beamed.
"There sure are a lot of precocious brats around here..."
His plump front paw irritably fiddled with the ribbon around his neck.
But for all his grumbling, his wagging tail betrayed utter contentment.
However...
"...Oh my."
She hadn't expected to meet the Saintess looking like this.
Muniel, cradled in her daughter's arms, was struck speechless at the sight of the prettily dolled-up Evil Dragon Ater.
Even the unflappable Holy Knight spat out his tea.
"...Precocious brats."
Still, the Evil Dragon kept the ribboned hat on.
"Grandma and Grandpa will check if the Evil Dragon is dangerous or not."
"What if he is? Hmm..."
Nibelria hoped the adults would wrap up their talk with the Evil Dragon soon.
That way, she could decide whether she could eat that lizard—no, the Evil Dragon—or not.
But their conversation dragged on for days.
Growing tired of waiting, Nibelria went about her usual routine.
Sleeping soundly, attending kindergarten, then working to save money.
Today, she was cleaning the stables with Solles and Arep.
'I wonder if it'd taste good?'
Nibelria swept the stable floor vigorously with a broom woven from dried bramble branches.
Today's Nibelria was perfectly outfitted.
Durable overalls made of tough fabric, boots covering her chubby calves, hair tied up under a brimmed hat.
With a cooling handkerchief magic tool around her neck that lasted eight hours, she was the picture of a stable girl.
"Horses! Just wait a bit longer!"
Nibelria called out to the horses craning their necks to watch her.
"I'll play with you after cleaning. Good horses wait quietly!"
The horses obediently pulled their heads back, as if by magic.
But they soon peeked out again, watching Nibelria's every move.
Venti, with his golden coat like a ripe wheat field, watched endlessly with worried eyes, fretting if she'd fall.
"The horses really like Nibelria."
Solles muttered in wonder as he loaded hay onto the cart.
"They've always followed Nini well."
"Miss is like the queen of animals."
Arep, carrying hay alongside, said with admiration.
The boy now saw it as natural for his boss to have many subordinates.
It was a bit upsetting that he wasn't her only one, but she'd said marriage was just with him.
So he accepted it.
Bosses were supposed to have lots of underlings, after all.
"But she's the lowest in our family hierarchy."
And Nibelria herself accepted it without complaint.
At the top of the Dayamor Family hierarchy was Seletrina.
This was an eternal, unchanging truth. Thanks to her, the Dayamors had reached an unprecedented peak.
"Next is Father. He's the family head and marquess."
"But I think the Saintess and Holy Knight are stronger..."
Arep couldn't quite get it.
The Dayamor Family he'd seen seemed swayed by Muniel and Ardores.
"Well, yeah."
Solles didn't deny it.
"But since they've both stepped back from the front lines, they let Father do as he pleases."
"......"
"So family hierarchy and family business hierarchy are different."
"Family and family business are different?"
"They are."
Solles answering like that looked not like a kind ten-year-old brother, but a cold, sharp-minded noble.
'Noble...'
The nobles Arep had vaguely imagined from orphanage prejudices were like this.
Monsters who saw people not as people, but only chased their own gain—cruel and rotten.
Or bad people like that.
"...Brother."
Arep clenched his chilled fingertips tightly in his palm.
"Solles Brother."
"Yeah?"
But Solles, and everyone in the Dayamor Family, was nothing like what he'd imagined.
The Degladis Family was the same.
"I like you, Brother. I respect you."
"Out of nowhere?"
Solles blushed at the sudden words, hesitating before admitting honestly, "I like you too."
Only then did Arep's heart ease.
"What? What?"
Nibelria dragged her broom over.
"What do you like?"
"Arep says he likes me."
Solles grinned.
Nibelria shot Arep a bratty glare.
"Arep!"
"Yes, Miss."
"I told you no cheating!"
Doing it again?
Nibelria tossed the broom aside and hugged his arm fiercely.
It was a cute move since she didn't know how to cross her arms yet, but she was seriously mad right now.
"...Pardon?"
Arep, who hadn't expected to be accused of cheating again, looked to Solles in injustice.
But Solles just found the situation hilarious.
He ignored Arep's desperate plea for help.
"No way Nini is worried I'll cheat with Arep?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm..."
Mischief sparking, Solles draped an arm over Arep's shoulder.
Then pressed their cheeks together.
Nibelria stomped her feet.
"Eee! Don't! Stop it!"
She wedged herself between them, demanding they separate.
Thankfully, Solles's prank ended quickly.
He wasn't one for teasing anyway, and pushing it might make Nibelria hate him.
That could never happen.
"Bad brother! You're bad!"
"Sorry. Forgive me, okay?"
"No!"
"Then when will you?"
"Hmm..."
Nibelria thought a moment before answering.
"After a snack."
"Got it."
Now it was Arep's turn.
Tense, Arep rattled off his prepared non-excuse excuses while Solles was being scolded.
"I-I like you the most, Miss. I want to become a cool knight and stay by your side forever. But if other people or cats like me..."
He trailed off, unsure what to do about that.
"Arep."
Nibelria gave him helpful advice.
"If anyone dares say they like you from now on?"
"Yes."
"Hit 'em."
"Pardon?"
"Beat 'em!"
"Violence should always be a last resort."
Kaleo looked at Nibelria with a complicated expression after hearing about the stable incident.
"Hitting doesn't solve everything."
"Hitting solves almost everything."
Armifera, rolling around on the office sofa, chimed in.
Kaleo glared sharply at his wild rose of a sister. Eek—Armifera sat up and bolted.
"Daddy."
Nibelria spoke up.
"Isn't hitting a good way?"
"No."
"Why? Nini went around hitting stuff."
Back in her cat days, Nibelria's sharp, swift punches worked anywhere.
"...What did you hit?"
Did she really punch someone while I wasn't looking?
Unaware of the details, Kaleo broke out in cold sweat.
