Evil Dragon, Without a Princess, I Had to Transform Myself!-Chapter 32 : The All-Capable Hero

The Duchess sat across from Patunasankus at the dining table, her right hand supporting her cheek, saying nothing. She really enjoyed watching the princess eat, and just watching was enough to make her feel satisfied.
Only after Patunasankus had finished wiping her lips with a handkerchief did the Duchess finally speak leisurely, "Your Highness, do you still remember the missing girls we specifically went to bring back after you returned?"
Patunasankus nodded hesitantly.
Honestly, she had completely forgotten about those people.
The evil dragon didn't care about the life and death of mortals.
It was none of her business.
Patunasankus chewed on her egg tart, the sweetness of the dessert making her eyes narrow involuntarily.
These humans really knew how to enjoy themselves.
"Those girls who had just been freed from their waxed state certainly took quite a bit of effort for me to handle. Each one was neurotic after experiencing that trauma, but they've been gradually getting better these past two days," the Duchess continued.
Patunasankus didn't know why the  Duchess was telling her this, her cheeks remaining puffed up.
"But now there's a problem," the Duchess became troubled at this point.
"I don't want them to know that the ferocious beast was Evelyn. Even if I donate in my name, goodwill without reason would only make people suspicious of Evelyn. Evelyn did indeed harm them, even if it wasn't intentional, but I must provide compensation.
"But I can't give compensation in mine and Evelyn's names," the Duchess shook her head. "Please consider this my selfishness, Your Highness—a mother's selfishness. So I'd like to ask Your Highness for a favor."
"What is it?"
Patunasankus had finished enjoying her dessert, and her mouth stopped moving.
"Could Your Highness visit them in your name to comfort them? I'll provide all the necessary money. And they know it was Your Highness who broke the spell and saved them, so they've been eagerly wanting to have an audience with you these past few days. What does Your Highness think?" the Duchess asked.
It was indeed a very reasonable proposal, and at first hearing, Patunasankus felt she had no reason to refuse.
It was just showing her face to comfort them and then handing out some money—a simple matter.
But she refused.
The evil dragon didn't want others to think she was a warm-hearted dragon, not at all.
How could an evil dragon indulging in base pleasures do something beneficial to humans? No, absolutely not.
Patunasankus didn't care about mortals' life and death, much less their feelings toward her. It was enough for them to fear the evil dragon from afar.
Thinking this, Patunasankus's eyes showed clear disdain.
For a moment, the Duchess felt the princess before her seemed somewhat unfamiliar, but attributed it to the illusion of not having seen her for several years.
Patunasankus snorted lightly, then said, "Leave it to me, I'll handle it."
Having just said what she intended to say, the evil dragon fell silent.
She had really planned to refuse, but the words about to burst from her throat seemed to have been unconsciously switched by someone, replaced with an affirmative answer.
She wasn't a warm-hearted dragon!
Patunasankus was very self-aware.
Let the evil dragon bear the infamy—anyway, she had always been that kind of dragon, and a bit more wouldn't matter.
Dragon fire would make them behave anyway.
But this matter somewhat concerned Latifa's reputation...
If she coldly refused, who knew what these ungrateful humans would say about the princess.
How annoying.
If only she could breathe fire and roast them all—that would be so much easier.
Patunasankus thought, but could only think.
The evil dragon uniquely didn't want her actions to taint Latifa's reputation.
Never.
"Oh, Your Highness, that's wonderful. If it's not too much trouble," the Duchess was delighted, coming forward to take the princess's hand. This matter could finally be completely settled.
"It's nothing, nothing, just a small..."
Before Patunasankus could finish her polite words, she saw someone burst into the entrance hall.
That person didn't even knock, was breathing heavily, carried a strong smell of blood, and was holding a blood-covered person in their arms. Obviously, it was all her blood, and at first glance, she looked like she was breathing in more than breathing out, as if she might pass away at any moment.
It was Loranhir and Elaphia.
"Let me tell you, I've never had anyone die in my arms in my entire life. Getting blood splattered all over me is one thing, but don't you dare die in my arms!"
Loranhir cursed as she carried Elaphia into the Duchess's mansion.
"There's really a pile of troubles. If you die in my arms, how would I dare hug the princess again?!"
Loranhir burst through the door. The first thing she saw was the Duchess, who looked confused and then turned pale, followed by the princess, who was tilting her head with her ahoge swaying, looking curious.
"Just picked her up, still somewhat warm."
Having said that, Loranhir wanted to slap herself.
She didn't know why she always said such inappropriate things when nervous.
Fortunately, the only two people in the entrance hall—one was completely dazed and not listening at all, and the other heard but didn't understand at all.
Loranhir quickly placed Elaphia on the ground and sought help from the people in the mansion.
Patunasankus walked forward and took a look.
Pale complexion, eyes tightly closed, wounds covered with claw marks, large and small, looking like scratches from human fingernails. A few relatively intact areas of skin still showed signs of burns—traces left by the sun. The injuries from the ferocious beast a few days ago had healed, but new scars had been added to the same locations.
"How pitiful," the evil dragon muttered.
Then she gently pressed on Elaphia's wounds, not using much force, but stimulating the nerves slightly without worsening the injuries.
She did it on purpose, and she was professional at it.
"Ugh… I..." Elaphia whimpered in pain, instinctively wanting to curse at the hero, but seeing the princess through her hazy vision, she immediately closed her mouth again.
"Very good, still breathing," the evil dragon nodded with satisfaction.
At this point, the Duchess finally snapped back to reality.
"Hold on, I'll call a light cleric immediately. Craig! Craig! Where is everyone?" The duchess ran toward the inner rooms.
Patunasankus noticed someone tugging at the hem of her dress. She looked down.
It was Elaphia. Her lips were moving slightly, as if trying to say something. Patunasankus leaned her ear close to her lips.
"Healing magic… I'll die..." Elaphia said weakly.
Despite her pitiful appearance, she was only severely injured and weak, not actually about to die. But if a cleric cast healing light on a vampire thrall, she really would die.
Just give her time to heal naturally.
"You owe me an explanation," the evil dragon said.
Elaphia nodded, her eyes showing unspoken difficulties.
Patunasankus stood up and called out to the Duchess.
"Please wait, Duchess. Leave this kind of injury to the hero to handle. She can manage it."
Without thinking, the evil dragon immediately passed the buck.
The Duchess hesitated for a moment, then had a sudden realization.
"So the Hero also knows healing divine magic? Truly worthy of being a hero—simply an all-capable existence. In that case, I can rest assured leaving it to the hero."
Loranhir: "...?"