...Following the death of the first leader, another Red Dragon succeeded to the leadership, which soon became hereditary...
I put the book down after reading up to this point. From then on, it was nothing but the history of the South.
'Is this the end?'
The Red Dragon, the war with the wolf that stole the heart, and even the reason for the severance from the human world.
Only then did I understand why the dragons had so readily believed that I was human. It was because of the part where it was written that the wolf had sold its heart to human schemes.
'I think you thought I was a human who happened to have that heart.'
So that's why he's being so nice to me. I nodded, thinking of Hopper.
'Anyway, I've roughly sorted out the details of the legend, but I haven't found any major clues.'
I searched the study again. It was to find another clue.
However, they were all just similar content.
I closed the book and let out a sigh.
How on earth did this happen? Is the 'Eve' I possessed really the reincarnation of the wolf that stole his heart?
'But if that were the case, the Eve in the book couldn't have died from Rachel's fire, because you can't kill a mate with a dragon's red heart. Besides, it's even more impossible if it's the heart of the strongest, like Noelier.'
Just as I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the connection might be, I felt a gaze staring intently at me, so I turned my head.
“Rachel?”
Rachel was staring intently at me, who was sitting opposite her, though I didn't know when she had arrived.
"...It's been quite a while. You seemed too focused, so I just waited."
Saying that, Rachel glanced at the book in my hand.
The book I was reading, and the books piled high next to it, were all related to legends.
"Sorry. I forgot that you guys came with me."
I pushed the book to the side and stood up from my seat.
“What about Zion?”
Rachel silently pointed her finger at a spot.
At the end of the small finger pointing was Zion, fast asleep, unaware of the world, his face buried in a book.
"He must have been really tired. And I was just..."
Rachel yawned heavily, unable to continue speaking. Her eyes were heavy with drowsiness.
"Yeah, let's go rest."
I woke Zion up with Rachel. Zion, who had been making a tearful face, unable to wake up from sleep, slowly got up.
Then he kept grabbing my trouser leg and whining.
“I want to sleep more..."
"Yeah, so let's go to the room and sleep."
"I'm going to sleep now..."
He was particularly grumpy today.
While I was wondering what to do about this, Hopper, who had been waiting in the distance, approached.
"Shall I give you a piggyback ride?"
"Huh? Oh, it's fine."
I hurriedly pulled Zion toward me. However, Zion, acting as if he would sell his soul for sleep, clung to Hopper.
"It's okay."
As I fidgeted nervously, Hopper chuckled kindly and carried Zion on his back. He seemed to regard Zion as a cute grandson.
"Sister, sister..."
Just then, Rachel tugged at the hem of my clothes. When I lowered my head, Rachel was rubbing her eyes with a sleepy face.
"You're sleepy?"
"Uh... I want to sleep with you, older sister."
Perhaps because she was sleepy, her tone was full of childishness.
"I will guide you."
Hopper, having lightly lifted Zion onto his back, turned around and moved forward.
I followed him while stroking Rachel's head.
But... even after walking for a long time, it didn't end.
"It is such a large place, so you will have to go a little further."
Hopper spoke as if asking for understanding.
'It feels like I've stepped into a comic book world.'
As I walked around without resting, a cartoon production company with a mouse as its mascot naturally came to mind.
I mean, a comic set against the backdrop of a castle with a huge flag towering and fireworks exploding in the background.
It looked exactly like it was modeled after that castle.
The interior was no different. Befitting the South, the pillars supporting the castle were adorned with paintings of dragons. If you looked up along the pillars, you could see the ceiling.
Sparkling sunlight poured into the castle. The chandelier right beneath the ceiling absorbed the sunlight and shone even more dazzlingly.
“This way.”
Hopper checked to make sure we were following him well whenever we moved. He seemed worried that we might get lost.
We walked side by side down the long, endless hallway. We didn't run into a single person the entire way to the room.
It would take a lot of attendants to manage a place this big. I tilted my head at the sudden thought.
"You may rest over here. We have prepared everything you might need, but please do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything else."
Hopper laid Zion down on one of the beds, bowed politely, and left the room.
I followed suit and bowed in an awkward posture, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief only after the door closed.
Since we had come for Rachel's nap, this place seemed to be Rachel's room.
One entire side was a window. Outside, I could see lush greenery and flowers in full bloom. It suddenly hit me that I was in the South.
"Sister..."
Just then, Rachel called out to me in an anxious voice. Rachel, who had settled down beside Zion before I knew it, opened her arms as if asking to be hugged.
I went over to Rachel and settled down next to her. Rachel squirmed and snuggled into my side.
Then, the sleeping Zion turned his body and pressed his chubby cheek against Rachel's back. He was still wandering in a dream. It seemed like an instinctive action.
I patted Rachel's back and looked up at the luxurious ceiling. Before long, I heard the sound of breathing.
Hearing that sound, drowsiness washed over me as well. It seemed I was very exhausted, too, due to the whirlwind of events.
I blinked slowly and dozed off along with the children.
***
Blink.
A red pupil was revealed between the closed eyelids.
Rachel quietly sat up. Eve and Zion were sleeping soundly.
Rachel quietly got out of bed so as not to wake the two of them.
Rachel stood in the middle of the room and looked around. She didn't particularly like it, but it seemed to be decorated nicely in its own way.
'Still, it's a newlywed room, so something feels lacking.'
Rachel walked away, thinking she should decorate the room a bit more. Her destination was next to Zion, who was still lost in his dreams.
"Zion"
"Mmm..."
"Wake up."
Rachel slowly shook Zion's shoulder. Zion, who had been rubbing his cheek against the bedsheet, slowly sat up.
"Ruby, why...?"
"Come over here. This isn't your room."
“Hmm? Then?”
Rachel silently waved her hand. It meant for him to come this way.
"Ruby, wait a minute, aren't you coming with me?"
"She's really tired. Let's let her sleep here for now."
"I'm tired too..."
Zion pouted. Still half-asleep, he was whining quite a bit. Rachel gently stroked Zion's head, warming him up.
"There is a warmer place than here."
"Really?"
"Yes. Let's go there. When she wakes up, she'll come to where we are."
Zion quietly followed Rachel.
Warm! I love it!
Zion was a wolf true to its instincts. In a different sense than Eve.
Rachel looked at Eve, who was sleeping soundly, before the door closed.
As her older sister said, Rachel did not have nightmares.
So I hope you, too, only have sweet dreams here, and that my wish is conveyed.
Rachel closed the door with a small smile.
***
I had a dream.
The scenes were all jumbled up, so I couldn't remember clearly, but I guessed it was one of the books I had read in a past life.
Of course, the genre was a heavily MSG-laden, female-dominant, male-submissive novel.
I woke up from the dream at the end of a scene where the male protagonist desperately clung to the female protagonist, pleading that he belonged to his master.
'What happens after that is important, but of all times, it has to be at a time like this...'
I frowned and buried my face in the pillow.
Let's sleep a little more. We'll sleep and then read the next part. Let's fall asleep again! Hurry!
I burrowed under the covers, dawdling. But sleep had already fled.
Ah. I had a good dream for the first time in a while... I fumbled beside me with a sense of regret. But all I could feel was the bed sheet.
That's strange. I'm sure I slept with Zion and Rachel.
I opened my eyes slightly.
Even with my eyes half-closed, the darkened room came into view at a glance.
Huh?
I was staring blankly at the ceiling when a familiar voice called me.
"Eve."
I turned my head toward where the sound came from.
Noelier was sitting at a small tea table next to the wide window.
He smiled affectionately at me.
“Are you awake?”
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