READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 101
I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable looking at Roxanne, regardless of my disdain for her.
If it got out that I wasn’t an Ancient Dragon, her reaction would be painfully predictable.
“She’d probably go off on me for daring to insult her.”
Forgetting that she was the one who had jumped to conclusions, she’d try to kill me for impersonating a dragon.
Sure, I regretted my harsh words, but staying silent would have made no difference.
“Seriously, it’s so unfair.”
She made a misunderstanding, but I was the one being held accountable.
Just by facing her, I was giving her the chance to expose me, and Roxanne would hold my fate in her hands.
Despite desperately praying she wouldn’t show up, I still found myself in this mess.
“Um, Boss…?”
Isabella returned.
My heart sank at her anxious demeanor.
“Um, I really want to meet you somehow…”
Isabella looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.
I had been too shortsighted.
Even if I had to turn her away, I should do it myself; sending my subordinates could lead to trouble.
It was like a shrimp getting caught in a whale fight—this was just her misfortune.
“…Let her in.”
“Uh, yes!”
Isabella’s face lit up as she left the Boss Room.
Like she’d been waiting right behind the door, Roxanne entered in just three seconds.
I involuntarily swallowed hard. I wasn’t quite ready for this, damn it.
As Isabella closed the door, it left only the two of us inside.
Once the presence of others disappeared, Roxanne immediately knelt and bowed her head.
“I greet my Ancestor. Please forgive my rudeness over the past…”
I was momentarily stunned, and it was hard to look kindly at this situation.
To behave so drastically without regard for my wishes was not just inconsiderate; it was an act that forced me to accept her as a bad person.
She had knelt and abandoned her pride as a dragon; I understood that.
But I didn’t care; this situation was way too uncomfortable for me.
Why should I feel guilty when I hadn’t done anything wrong?
“Get up.”
Roxanne hesitantly raised her face.
“I said to get up.”
Only then did Roxanne stand up slowly.
She let out a deep sigh as if it were a habit.
It was true that there was still some lingering bitterness, but it had cooled down a lot.
I wasn’t emotionally overwhelmed enough to lash out like before.
“Though that doesn’t mean I’m ready to have a conversation.”
It wasn’t an emotional decision, but a practical one.
Once my identity was revealed, her attitude would turn upside down; why should I give her room for that?
“Um, Ancestor?”
Roxanne glanced at me anxiously.
Her once domineering gaze had vanished, replaced by timid eyes.
I was confused about whether this was the Roxanne I knew.
“And how should I alleviate your anger…?”
I was on the verge of saying, “Couldn’t you just leave?” but stopped short.
Even if my anger dissipated, it was only natural to avoid meeting someone who held my life in their hands.
“I don’t know if this will be comforting, but there’s a relic in the lair.”
I was taken aback for a moment.
A relic? The one I knew about?
I was aware that Roxanne had one of the five existing relics.
“Are you saying you want to give that to me right now?”
I kept silent, fearing I might reveal my thoughts.
“Of course, I’m not thinking of solving this with just tangible rewards. I hope to soothe your anger, even a little…”
Accepting a relic would easily diminish my dignity.
Besides that, I had to consider the possibility that she might doubt my identity.
“This could be a test.”
If I accepted it too readily, she might start believing I wasn’t an Ancient Dragon.
Considering my life was at stake, I realized it was wise to be suspicious.
I decided I would need to keep her on her toes a bit longer.
“Do you think I’m that easy to fool?”
“No? No, that’s not it…”
“Well then.”
“I just wanted you to ease your anger a little… I have no other intentions.”
She looked up at me occasionally while staring at the ground.
The initiative had clearly shifted to me.
“Let’s hear what you want. Ultimately, what do you want to say?”
“Ah, Ancestor’s generous spirit—”
“Skip the pleasantries and get to the point.”
My mind was already running simulations.
If she asked if I was really an Ancient Dragon, I could use the ancient language, the one I knew well.
If she asked something else, I could say I’d forgotten it.
I was reminded again how convenient the undead’s amnesia was.
“Personally, I’m curious… You served as a hero of the empire, didn’t you?”
To Roxanne, I, who was mistaken as an Ancient Dragon, was once Lucas.
I had been interpreting Roxanne’s way of thinking for a while.
An Ancient Dragon, perhaps for amusement, had pretended to be a hero.
And somehow, it led to them being executed, which I felt she might want to ask about.
Why did an Ancient Dragon die to insignificant beings, after all?
“I don’t remember.”
I intentionally brushed this topic aside.
Roxanne let out a small “Ah…” of realization.
“If you intend to annihilate humans, don’t.”
I mentioned it out of concern, and Roxanne flinched.
Clearly, that was her line of thinking.
If she assumed humans were the ones who killed my ancestor, I could see why she’d think that.
I didn’t provide any specific reasons.
Roxanne likely knew I held no ill will towards humans.
“I wonder if your reason for dying to humans might be…”
“…because I cared for humans?”
“…Yes.”
“I don’t know that either. I’ve lost my memory; how could I possibly know?”
Roxanne nodded gloomily.
The amnesia of the undead truly was an all-purpose setting.
If I only said I lost part of my memory, I could evade any unfavorable questions, while affirming the ones in my favor.
“Is that so.”
Roxanne absentmindedly nodded her head.
As I looked at her, a question popped into my mind.
“You must be aware that you turned the Old Ones into enemies. It seems you acted without fear of the consequences; am I correct?”
“That’s right.”
I knew, but it was truly reckless.
Roxanne must have sensed the kind of being the Old Ones were.
What on earth was she thinking?
“Now that you know I’m your Ancestor, I couldn’t just sit back. I still have no regrets. If there’s any regret, it’s how I acted so rudely towards you…”
“Rudely? You tried to kill me multiple times.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Roxanne shrank back, her shoulders drooping.
Just from looking, she reeked of arrogance, and her personality was incredibly proud.
But seeing Roxanne humbled like this just felt jarring.
“It’s always been hard to control my emotions. As you said, I must still be a hatchling. My body may be grown, but I still have a child’s heart.”
As she spoke, Roxanne was subtly gauging my reaction.
She hesitated, opening and closing her lips repeatedly, as if struggling to find the words.
“In fact, I haven’t undergone the Rite of Passage yet.”
The Rite of Passage? Like a coming-of-age ceremony, I guessed?
It seemed like it was something you had to complete to be acknowledged as a true adult or something like that.
“Could I ask for your guidance on it?”
“…?”
“I want to learn from you, Ancestor. I’d like to be recognized as an adult.”
It sounded like dragons had to undergo a Rite of Passage.
It appeared that Roxanne, as the only dragon remaining in this world, was after that ceremony.
“What kind of guidance did you mean?”
“Well, isn’t it up to you to decide?”
Roxanne blinked at me, genuinely seeming to not understand.
“…The Rite of Passage too?”
“Yes.”
That meant I could teach her however I wanted and assign her tasks at my leisure.
Knowing all these setups, I had a rough idea of a dragon’s duties and virtues.
“I’ll think about it.”
I gave a vague answer for now.
If I ended up floundering around being a teacher, my true colors would soon be exposed.
“Um, more than anything else…”
Roxanne fidgeted with her fingers, looking hesitant.
After a while, she finally ventured to speak.
“Do you, Ancestor, wish for the continuation of our kind?”
Normally, the undead despised the living, but Roxanne thought I was different.
Since I had defended humans, she must be considering whether I cared for our kind as well.
I needed to express that sentiment if I wanted to facilitate our relationship.
“I do wish for it.”
Almost immediately, Roxanne’s expression changed dramatically.
A moment’s shock passed; to my astonishment, it turned a deep shade of pink.
…Did the acknowledgment of kinship cause that transformation?
“I’ll make it happen. I’ll find some way to accomplish it.”
Some way?
Before I could ask, Roxanne bowed again.
“Then, I’ll come find you soon. I’ll bring the relic and seek your guidance, and later… well, for the sake of our kind…”
With that, she hurriedly left.
Left alone, I blankly stared at the open door.
“…What just happened?”