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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Unconditional Love
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Anyway, only after getting an earful about how violence shouldn't be thrown around carelessly—and how the stronger you are, the more consideration and yielding you should show—could Nibelria finally regain her freedom.
"……."
Nibelria tilted her head as she stepped out of the study.
"What's wrong? Feeling down after the scolding?"
Armifera, who had been waiting outside the door, flashed a grin and asked.
Nibelria bent her knees to meet her aunt's eyes at her level, then shook her head firmly side to side.
"That's my girl— a true daughter of our house."
"Hey, Aunt."
"Yeah?"
"So when should I hit people?"
Hmm. Armifera crossed her arms, pretending to mull it over.
Her instinct was to say, "Hit 'em all! My nickname's not 'Phera' for nothing," but...
"It's best not to hit anyone if you can help it."
In the end, she gave the proper, rational, educational answer.
And Nibelria shared her own take on it.
"You know, you really shouldn't hit people. It hurts. And my actions might make others suffer."
"Exactly. You get it, don't you?"
"Actually, there's this thing..."
Nibelria told her about how innocent kindergarten teachers had to apologize to the Magic Tower Lord because of her reckless behavior.
Armifera listened quietly before asking,
"You like Arep that much?"
"Yeah."
She nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Nini loves Arep."
"Oh my."
My little niece is awfully precocious.
Armifera nearly burst out laughing at the thought of her four-year-old niece experiencing a love she herself had never properly known.
But Nibelria was utterly serious.
So, as her aunt, Armifera put on a serious expression of her own instead of wounding the girl's feelings, and listened attentively.
"But Arep doesn't remember it..."
"Why not?"
"Nini's a cat, you see? And Arep's a wolf. Nini remembers, but Arep doesn't. He doesn't even remember loving Nini. It's sad..."
Nibelria's eyebrows and mouth corners drooped all the way to the floor.
"That's sad."
Armifera responded with sympathy.
But inwardly...
'What is she talking about?'
Was it just a child's imaginative play?
Unfortunately, Nibelria's tremendous secret remained guarded once more.
But since her niece said so, Armifera felt obligated as an aunt to protect the child's innocence. She decided to believe her.
"Hmm, so have you confessed your love to Arep?"
"I do it every time we meet."
Staring into his eyes every time.
Tapping his forehead.
Rubbing against his body.
Hugging him tight to mark him with her scent.
"I tell him Arep belongs to Nini, and mark him real good!"
"Nothing's cooler than a girl who takes the initiative."
"But what good does it do? Arep always has wandering eyes. He's such a flirt."
"I'm so relieved I don't own any shares in your vocabulary."
Her brother was in for some hard times.
Armifera chuckled inwardly when she spotted someone in her line of sight.
"Nini."
Armifera grinned and pointed with her finger.
"Look over there."
There stood Arep in front of Nibelria's door.
Arep spotted Nibelria right then, too.
"Miss!"
Arep came running, clutching a small basket in his arms.
A sweet aroma wafted from the basket, covered by a white cloth.
"Chocolate cookies!"
Nibelria's little nose twitched as she beamed.
"I waited to eat them with you, Miss."
"Why didn't you eat first? You must be hungry."
Armifera asked, feigning ignorance.
"Aren't you starving too, Arep?"
"B-But..."
Arep hesitated, his face turning bright red.
He stole a glance at Nibelria, and the moment their eyes met, his ears and neck flushed crimson.
'Look at these two.'
Armifera, watching delightedly from the side, felt laughter bubbling up.
She bit her lip to keep from ruining the mood.
"Eating with you, Miss... it, it tastes better..."
"Me too! They taste better when I eat with Arep!"
"That's why I waited..."
"Heehee! Arep!"
Nibelria dove straight into Arep's arms.
Armifera deftly caught the basket Nibelria had flung aside as Arep staggered back.
"Arep! Arep!"
The name rang out full of energy, brimming with emotion.
I like you. I like you so much.
I'm sad you don't remember me. It really upsets me.
But it's okay.
Because I'll remember for you.
So, I'll keep liking you just the same.
"I like you! I love you!"
"……."
"Say it back!"
Of course, there was no sign of Nibelria's fiery temper mellowing anytime soon, but Armifera didn't think that was a bad thing.
At least for these little lovebirds.
"I-I like you too..."
Because Arep's face was that of the happiest eight-year-old boy in the world right now.
Tears welled up in Arep's reddened eyes.
Unconditional love soaked in like sweet rain, overflowing until it spilled out as tears.
Nibelria enjoyed chocolate cookies as a snack with Arep.
Suddenly, while staring at a big chocolate chip embedded in one, Nibelria remembered something she'd forgotten.
"Aunt. So when can we eat the lizard?"
"You mean the dragon?"
Armifera was growing fonder of Nibelria by the minute.
That guts to treat the world's fiercest evil dragon like a mere lizard was undoubtedly Dayamor blood.
Conveniently, Armifera had news to share on the matter.
"You know your aunt sent that as a birthday gift, right?"
"Yeah. The useless one that got all smashed."
"It wasn't useless. It was still a dragon."
"What can a dragon even do?"
"Protect you."
"Nini's already strong! And Arep protects me!"
Right? Nibelria tilted her head toward Arep beside her.
Arep swallowed the cookie in his mouth, nodded vigorously, and replied with a resolute expression.
"Yes. I'll protect you!"
"See?"
Nibelria puffed out her chubby cheeks triumphantly toward the sky.
Armifera brushed a crumb from Nibelria's mouth.
"Must be nice having such a reliable knight."
"Nini's a reliable boss too."
"I know, I know. But the dragon wants to protect you too."
"Hmm, but Nini doesn't really..."
Her face plainly showed she wasn't keen, rejecting firmly.
But since the evil dragon had personally asked to see Nibelria, she shrugged exaggeratedly and agreed.
"Ugh, this popularity of mine."
Everyone likes me too much.
No helping it. Nibelria shook her head.
At that moment, a flicker of unease crossed Arep's face.
'Miss has too many subordinates. Of course she likes me the most, but what if more people—or dragons—keep showing up wanting to meet her?'
Hiding his confused feelings, Arep took hold of Nibelria's hand.
Holding hands like this when moving around had become second nature.
They arrived at Muniel's room.
"No, not that one—don't you have something a deeper red? My obsidian scales deserve a shade richer than blood."
"Want the dress I wore as a maiden? It's dyed in real human blood."
"...Are you sure you're a real saintess?"
There, the Evil Dragon Ater was picking out outfits with Muniel.
The evil dragon wore a garish yellow dress and had a ribbon adorned with white flowers tied in her hair.
"……."
"……."
Nibelria and Arep said nothing.
Even to children's eyes, this was a bit much.
"Oh, you've arrived."
Sensing the children, the evil dragon Ater fluttered over, skirt billowing.
She landed lightly on the floor like a feather and slowly circled Nibelria and Arep.
Her skirt fluttered with each step.
"What curious and wondrous creatures, together."
The evil dragon's moist nose bridge lightly brushed the hands clasped between the two children.
The flower decorating her head was a white gardenia.
"The one who remembers, and the one who..."
"Ater."
Muniel's voice interjected softly.
"...Hmph."
The evil dragon snorted, her tail swishing grandly.
"Anyway, it seems you don't need my help just yet."
She muttered something cryptic, then nestled into Armifera's arms.
Curled up comfortably like a puppy, she yawned wide enough to show her sharp fangs.
Armifera scratched her chin, and she let out an undignified "urrr."
"Still, just in case."
With that, she yanked a scale from her body with her teeth.
"Ack!"
A pained cry escaped as she pulled it free, the scale's edge stained with dark red blood and bits of flesh.
It was the kind of sight that would make most children scream or gasp in horror.
"Ugh..."
Like Arep right now.
But Nibelria, who had crunched lizards with her sharp cat fangs in her past life, wasn't particularly scared.
Instead, she felt curious.
The evil dragon Ater licked at the throbbing spot and chirped pitifully.
"It's a scale infused with a dragon's blessing. Carry it, and it'll protect you."
"Ehh, that's such a hassle..."
"I just bled pulling it out for you. The least you could do is say 'thank you'?"
"But your dress looks pretty? Nini wants to wear one too!"
"Cheeky thing, but you've got good taste."
Her mood lifted, the evil dragon explained the scale's powers.
