Chapter 180: Gap (5)
"Hmm, no matter how hard I try, I don't recognize that name."
Despite Behad's answer, Lian didn’t seem particularly surprised or flustered.
‘…Well, it did seem like the name Menoruka was made up on the spot anyway.’
That’s why he thought it unlikely that she would have used the name Menoruka when she was younger.
Even if she had used it back then, if it were merely a passing encounter from long ago, it wasn’t unreasonable for Behad not to remember.
"I see."
Lian nodded calmly.
"Actually, not too long ago, I happened to meet someone who was asking for help, and she described someone she was looking for. But the more I listened, the more it sounded like—"
"Behad."
"…like you, Lord Behad. So I thought I’d ask, just in case."
Lian briefly recounted how he had met Menoruka by chance, how she had come alone all the way to the capital because of a childhood promise.
He also briefly explained her purpose for coming to the capital and the characteristics she had mentioned about the ‘person she had promised to.’
Of course, he never once mentioned that she was a dragon—specifically, a Wyrmling.
There was no need to cause unnecessary confusion.
"Hmm… someone who looks like me?"
Behad still tilted his head, rubbing his chin.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"More importantly, how old did she seem? And what did she look like?"
"She looked about our age, or perhaps a bit younger. As for her appearance…"
Lian cleared his throat softly.
"…I don’t know how to put it exactly. She was incredibly beautiful. I’ve rarely seen someone so beautiful in my life."
Behad's expression subtly shifted at Lian's words.
"……"
"……"
Yuran and Cecilia also showed slight changes in expression.
Yuran crunched the ice in her cup with a loud crack.
Cecilia quietly stirred her teacup with a straw for no reason.
"Hmm. A stunning beauty, huh…"
Behad seemed to think deeply for a moment, then nodded as if concluding something.
"Wait, now that I think about it, I’m probably the one she made that promise with."
"…You're dead."
Mercedes muttered in a low, chilling voice.
She flinched momentarily and glanced toward Allen.
"Hahaha."
Allen just laughed, as if he found it all amusing.
Seeing his reaction, Mercedes quietly let out a breath of relief.
"Ahem."
Behad let out a small cough.
"Well… jokes aside, I really don’t remember anything. Lian Gwendil, if you say she was that beautiful even as a child, then there’s no way I would’ve forgotten."
He spoke with a cheerful smile, but Lian didn’t miss the subtle flicker of something passing across his expression.
At that moment, Mercedes, who had been quietly sipping her tea beside them, suddenly spoke up.
Her voice, as always, was cold and indifferent—but there was a sharp thorn hidden within.
"…You should just drop it."
Everyone turned to look at her at her abrupt remark.
Mercedes looked straight at Lian and asked,
"You said that woman was beautiful, right? Exceptionally so?"
"Yes, that’s right."
When Lian nodded, Mercedes let out a dry snort.
That scoff was directed squarely at her younger brother, Behad.
She was someone who firmly believed that among all the nicknames her brother had accumulated, lech was the most fitting.
"In that case, there’s absolutely no way that guy wouldn’t remember. If he doesn’t remember, then it’s certain they never met to begin with."
She shook her head and muttered.
"Behad’s always had a particular tendency since he was a kid. If someone stood out even a little—especially if she was a girl—he was ridiculously kind to her. And if she was a beauty, it went without saying."
She shrugged.
She thought it was amusing, but to others, she looked nothing short of scornful.
"Actually, now that I think about it, it’s more likely he wouldn’t remember. There were so many girls he treated that way, his memory’s probably all jumbled. There must’ve been quite a number of them."
At her scathing comment, Behad’s expression stiffened into an awkward smile.
"Haha, sister, come on… If you say it like that, what does that make your poor, innocent brother? I was just a kind person to everyone as a kid, not just to girls."
"Oh really? So you're denying it?"
Mercedes asked back with a mocking tone.
"Do you even remember the names of the girls you’ve met? From what I can tell, you probably didn’t even know most of their names to begin with… Just a little kindness, and you’d charm them into following you around, only to forget all about them the moment you turned away. Wasn’t that your specialty? It happened more than just once or twice."
"That’s not—!"
"You made so many young ladies cry, I don’t even dare count them anymore."
Behad tried to explain himself, but Mercedes cut him off without hesitation, as if she had no need to hear him out.
Then she turned to Yuran and Cecilia in turn and gave a warning.
"That’s why the two of you should be careful, too. I’m not just saying this—he might try to subtly flirt with you when you least expect it."
Her gaze lingered on them for a moment.
"Because you’re both beautiful."
"…Sister, do you really see me as some kind of woman-obsessed freak? One who’d hit on a friend’s acquaintance without a second thought?"
Behad looked genuinely shocked, but Mercedes just gave a small scoff.
"You have any idea how many years I had to suffer along with you?"
Then she turned back to Yuran and Cecilia.
"Anyway, if he ever bothers you, just let me know. I’ll make sure to knock some sense into him."
There was not a trace of jest in Mercedes' voice—only sincerity.
Allen seemed unsure how to respond and just gave a faint, awkward smile.
Lian also looked away, pretending not to notice Behad’s silent plea for help, feeling somewhat responsible for where the conversation had gone.
"Sure. I will."
Cecilia replied in a flat tone.
But Yuran’s response was a little different.
She gave a calm, confident smile and shook her head.
"Mm, I appreciate your concern. But that’s a worry you need not worry about."
Her voice was so composed and resolute that her confidence came off as oddly striking.
"Hmm?"
At her unexpected reply, Mercedes raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…Did something already happen, by any chance? Did this guy already try to hit on you and get rejected?"
"No, that is not the case. We only exchanged words for the first time today."
Yuran still replied with a calm and composed demeanor.
"Then what’s the reason?"
Mercedes' eyes filled with curiosity.
She examined Yuran for a moment, then nodded as if she had reached her own conclusion.
"Ah… come to think of it, I heard that Garusol is more open when it comes to romance and marriage compared to us. In that case, perhaps you’re already married or have a lover, or maybe a fiancé. If that’s true, then I suppose this guy’s lame flirting wouldn’t even register to you."
It was, in a way, a perfectly reasonable deduction.
Yuran was beautiful even from a woman’s perspective, and her presence carried a calm, dignified aura.
It was more than enough to make someone assume she was already married or engaged.
But Yuran shook her head once again.
"You are mistaken. I am not yet married. Nor do I have someone I am promised to in the future. As for romance… it is embarrassing, but I have never experienced it, not even once."
Yuran gently set down her teacup.
And then, as if commenting on how pleasant the weather was today, she continued in a completely ordinary and matter-of-fact tone.
"But I have made one decision."
"A decision?"
"Indeed. A decision about my future partner."
Eventually, Yuran’s gaze naturally turned to Lian.
There was no hesitation or pretense in her eyes.
Only pure, unwavering resolve.
"If Lian Gwendil is willing, I would like to marry him."
For a moment, a frozen silence fell over the table.
"Pffft!"
Then, tea sprayed out of Lian’s mouth like a fountain.
Plop.
"Ah, the tea…"
Startled more by the cold droplets than the damp and chilly air, Windy May muttered in surprise.
The musty, moldy stench unique to underground waterways, mixed with the soft echo of dripping water, filled the space.
In such a place, Windy May moved cautiously, carefully scanning her surroundings.
She was heading once again to the spot where the mysterious cocoon Lian had mentioned had been discovered.
"Hmm… something really does feel off."
She murmured to herself and crouched down, starting to examine the floor.
As Lian had testified, and as written in the report, traces of a fierce battle remained, along with unidentifiable debris scattered throughout.
But upon closer inspection, something felt unnatural.
There were clear signs that someone had deliberately removed key clues.
The Holy Sun Church, perhaps.
Windy May carefully brushed the debris on the ground with her fingers.
Along with a fine powder, a sticky mucus-like substance that hadn’t yet dried clung to her skin.
But that alone told her nothing.
All the important evidence was gone.
No, those bastards wouldn’t be able to do it this perfectly. If someone did…
The masked woman.
It could only be her.
"…Tsk."
Clicking her tongue softly, Windy May rose to her feet.
Then, from within her coat, she pulled out an artifact of strange design.
It was something she had used long ago when dealing with Winter Essence and Summer Essence.
A special magic tool crafted solely to detect the traces—the residual aura—of dragons.
Wooooong…
With a low hum, the various crystals embedded on the surface of the artifact began to glow faintly and floated into the air.
Concentrating her mana into the hand holding the artifact, Windy May slowly swept the area.
"Hmm… just as expected. The surroundings are saturated with dragon aura."
The artifact responded strongly, just as she had predicted.
But most of it was a familiar presence.
Yuran, was it.
Perhaps it was due to the rampage of the half-dragon woman in this area.
Her aura was so overwhelming that detecting any other traces had become incredibly difficult.
To put it another way…
Just like how a strong perfume can mask all other scents, her presence had covered up many of the remaining traces.
"…That wild dragon girl made this a lot more annoying."
Windy May grumbled quietly to herself.
However, her expression showed not the slightest hint of impatience.
She hadn’t expected this to be easy to begin with.
"……"
Adjusting the artifact’s settings ever so slightly, Windy May continued her search, slowly shifting positions.
How much time passed like that?
At a certain point, her movements came to an abrupt stop.
At her fingertips, the artifact now emitted a clearer, stronger glow and began to vibrate subtly.
"Aha…"
A soft chuckle escaped Windy May’s lips.
She looked toward the spot the artifact was pointing to and muttered quietly.
"Another jackpot, huh."
Then, she muttered again, this time in disbelief.
"…Was taking care of a student always this hard?"
The artifact’s reading was crystal clear.
Aside from Yuran’s half-dragon aura, there was another distinct trace—a residue left behind by a different dragon.
Lian’s prediction had hit the mark exactly.
"……"
She soon realized that the very spot she was standing on was precisely where Lian had first injured that unidentified cocoon.
"In that case…"
Let’s dig it up, shall we?
Windy May looked toward the point indicated by the artifact and quietly murmured.