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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Part 4. The Romance Targets Are Slowly Getting Involved

The Monster Forest, located at the western edge of the continent, was a place where human footsteps did not tread.

While dangerous monsters dwelled there, the bigger reason humans avoided it was the forest’s true master.

That master was a Red Dragon who had existed there since before the empire’s founding—a being of unfathomable age.

“Dragon-nim, did you know about this?”

A rabbit-like monster spoke, placing the fruits it had been carrying in its mouth before the dragon.

At some point, the weaker monsters within the forest’s survival-of-the-fittest ecosystem began seeing the one who protected them as him, often visiting his nest.

At first, they were terrified, only stealing glances. But as he remained silent and still, they gradually ventured into the dragon’s nest, bringing food and chattering away as they pleased.

“I heard from some crow monsters who came to the forest looking for a new home—a saintess has appeared after a hundred years.”

He narrowed his eyes, looking at the talkative little monster before him. A hundred years was a short time, practically “recent,” to a dragon who had lived millennia.

A new agent of the goddess has already appeared? he thought, letting out a small puff of air. The slightly pushed-back monster rolled away but quickly trotted back to continue the story.

“From the humans’ rumors, they say she’s so beautiful among all the saintesses that she’s practically the goddess’s incarnation.”

‘A woman…? Saintesses usually receive revelations before they’re born… How interesting.’

The dragon stretched languidly as he thought. It’s been a while. I should spread my wings and fly into the sky to find an amusing spectacle.

* * *

‘Am I already going senile?’

The Red Dragon, having used Polymorph after a long while, felt a severe emptiness.

Shifting between his draconic and human forms consumed a massive amount of mana, and the resulting depletion felt like intense hunger—something he’d forgotten to consider.

‘I forgot to steadily replenish my mana. I am going senile.’

Fortunately, the dragon had landed in a secluded alleyway in the capital. He leaned against a wall, focusing to gather mana.

However, mana originated from nature, and gathering it in the heart of the capital, with no forests nearby, was no easy task.

As he sat with his eyes closed, a faint, delicious scent drifted from somewhere. Unconsciously muttering about hunger, he opened his eyes to the smell growing closer and saw a pale hand holding food before him.

‘Finally, something to eat. The human form is so inconvenient in every way.’

He snatched it and devoured it ravenously. Only after his hunger was somewhat sated, his energy slightly returning, did he look at the owner of that pale hand and speak.

“You are my benefactor. I consider it an honor. Repaying a favor is a rare thing for me. So, what is your name?”

“It’s alright, it was nothing really… Well then.”

He didn’t particularly like humans, but it had been centuries since he’d encountered a kind one.

As the woman tried to leave without even telling her name, despite his offer to repay her, he instinctively grabbed her hand.

‘Oh ho. No wonder she didn’t smell repulsive like most humans.’

Earlier, he’d been too famished to notice, but the energy flowing from the hand he now held felt both familiar and nostalgic.

“Ngh… that hurts.”

“My apologies. An instinct of mine slipped out.”

He released her hand with a meaningful smile. She quickly slipped away down the alley, much like the rabbit monster that visited his nest.

By nightfall, the dragon, having replenished some mana, followed the lingering traces of her energy out of the alley. He detected it growing oddly stronger.

‘Hmm? It’s getting stronger from here.’

It felt slightly strange, but chalking it up to his imagination, he continued following her energy trail. After some wandering, he flew to a small estate.

And inside a particular second-floor room where the energy felt most potent, there she was, rolling around on her bed.

* * *

The moment her eyes met the man’s outside the window, Edith screamed without thinking.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

Her startled shriek echoed in the room, but the man outside merely smiled leisurely and entered through the window. Seeing it open by itself without him touching it made her panic even more.

“Surely you didn’t need to be that startled… Good thing I cast a sound-blocking spell. Otherwise, people would have rushed here at the sound of your voice.”

The man spoke as if it were nothing, casually taking a seat in a chair in the room. He rested his chin lazily on his hand and watched Edith. His composure was unnerving.

“You didn’t give me your name, so I came to find you. I repay my debts.”

The youthful voice, repaying a debt…

The suspicious man’s words reminded Edith of the man she’d found collapsed in the alley during the day.

But he hadn’t felt like this back then. Now, flying around and using something like magic, he seemed like a completely different being.

“How on earth did you know and find your way here?”

Was it a game error? The information window above his head only showed a question mark, offering no clues. Unable to identify him, Edith tensed, inching toward the edge of the bed before cautiously asking.