Evil Dragon, Without a Princess, I Had to Transform Myself!-Chapter 37 : I'm in Charge Here

This day, Elaphia didn't know how long she had been talking.
From her vague life before becoming a thrall to her first deception, from her first rebellion against Vlad to her most recent assassination mission, from warm feet to cold feet, from high noon to deep moonlight, until she was shivering slightly from the cold.
By the end, Elaphia suddenly realized she had been the only one talking, not knowing whether the Princess had been listening.
The dandelion girl's gaze sometimes fell on her, sometimes looked out the window.
But speaking in front of her was so pleasant that she didn't need to consider what she was saying at all, as if no matter how dark her past was, it couldn't taint her—her whole being seemed embraced by the sky.
Loranhir had been listening throughout. Her emotions shifted from initial nervousness, gradually transitioning to subtle anger, but more than anything, worry and fear.
The one who wanted to kill the Princess was a Vampire Grand Duke.
Loranhir gripped her holy sword but had no idea what to do. She wanted to protect the Princess, but aside from this fire poker in her hands, all she had was a group of Judgment Knights about to catch up.
...Perhaps she should try finding a master.
But who should she seek?
She didn't know.
"...That's all," Elaphia had finished speaking. "Thank you. I haven't talked with someone like this in a very long time."
"Alright, I understand everything now." Patunasankus glanced at the clock—it was getting late.
"Well then, I should leave soon. I can't keep troubling Your Highness," Elaphia stood up. "If I succeed, Your Highness won't need to worry about assassination attempts anymore."
"You won't succeed." Patunasankus shook her head.
In this moment, in her eyes, this girl named Elaphia who had even lost her surname, a lonely and frail girl, was like a mouse being toyed with by a cat before death.
She wouldn't succeed.
Patunasankus was very clear about this.
"I will succeed!" Elaphia retorted without hesitation, her crimson eyes glowing darkly in the night.
A moment later, as if finally realizing her behavior was somewhat improper, she bowed to the Princess.
"I'm sorry for my rudeness."
Elaphia apologized.
"I should be going now. Thank you for listening to me talk about so many boring things, Your Highness. You won't see me again. I'm truly sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"It's nothing. I was happy to listen," Patunasankus said. "However, I have a proposal I'd like to discuss..."
"What is it?" Elaphia asked.
Patunasankus suddenly moved closer, staring intently into Elaphia's eyes, her lips curving into a smile.
"Would you like to join us?" The girl extended her hand.
A radiant smile that seemed capable of blowing away all dark atmosphere.
"..."
In this world, one seemed to hear the sound of flowers falling every day.
But for flowers as gentle and ethereal as dandelions, Elaphia never saw their withering as a kind of death.
They simply realized in the wind's gentle call that they had once been winged angels, and so they bore pure white seeds.
Trying to break free from their stems, trying to fly, lightly floating away...
Why...?
There was a feeling like something stuck in her throat.
"Don't you mind?"
Elaphia asked.
"Don't you mind at all? Someone as dirty and ugly as me," she asked again, her lips trembling constantly. "I'm the one who personally pushed the Princess into danger. Once there's betrayal, there will be countless betrayals.
Do you also want to place your trust in me, then watch helplessly as I betray you?!"
"I already said this won't happen again," Patunasankus crossed her arms unhappily, with an aggressive tone. "How many times do I have to tell you? This won't happen again, this won't happen again, this won't happen again—have you heard enough?"
"..."
Elaphia was silent for a while, then her tone became urgent, as if desperately rejecting something.
"Besides, bringing me along will definitely cause the Princess a pile of trouble. I'm currently a trouble magnet going to cause trouble for the Grand Duke. I, I..."
"Just trust the Hero's abilities," Patunasankus said. "Besides, we're already grasshoppers on the same rope. Although I don't know why, doesn't Vlad want my life too?"
"What about the Hero? But the Hero will definitely object, right, right!" Elaphia turned her gaze to Loranhir, her tone anxious and hurried.
Loranhir had just straightened up to speak when she heard Patunasankus say, "I'm in charge here."
So she sat back down.
"Let's put it this way—I quite like you and want you to work for me," the evil dragon said expressionlessly, finally getting somewhat annoyed. "Will you come or not?"
"..." Elaphia's heart sank.
Elaphia still remembered the pain of torture, like shattered knife blades cutting inside her body.
After each failure, she would reassemble her shattered dignity like a battlefield scavenger, wanting to cry.
At those times she would look at the only iron window in the rat hole.
Yearning to fly like a bird, yearning for something to descend from heaven and change her life.
Later, she saw a dandelion.
Focused on the wind, dancing beautifully like flying flames.
That clear blue was the color of sky, as pure as the eyes gazing at her.
The Princess had something that was quietly stirring some soft sediment deep in her consciousness.
But Elaphia didn't understand what this really meant—her language had been buried in distant darkness.
"...Yes."
She grasped the Princess's hand.