Evil Dragon Chapter 40: Fluttering Heart?

Chapter 40: Fluttering Heart?

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kris

 

Just as Lin Nuo was getting increasingly confused by this series of questions, there came a light knock on the door, “Sir, last night’s Coo-Coo Delivery employee is waiting downstairs.”

Rennes frowned slightly but quickly regained his earlier indifferent expression. “They’ve come to pick you up.”

Lin Nuo nodded, unsurprised. In fact, Rennes wasn’t surprised either. The pigeon’s letter had been clear; it was only a request for Rennes to take care of Lin Nuo for the night.

Of course, Lin Nuo arranged it this way because he couldn’t spend all his time in this form, lingering around with Rennes— ah, not lingering! There was no lingering! During the day, he had to appear at the palace as the prince and continue his studies. Moreover, before he flew out of the palace yesterday, he had seen a lot of invitations recorded on his personal crystal, all requiring his attention.

Rennes showed no displeasure, merely getting up to change his clothes and picking up the two small gold coins from last night. Then he handed them, along with a caged Lin Nuo, to the pigeon, who was brimming with trepidation.

Lin Nuo thought Rennes might have a lot to tell the pigeon and was somewhat worried that if Rennes told the pigeon spirit about the mating phase, it would be awkward. Rennes said only one thing, “If he feels unwell, he should come back.” As he spoke, he tapped the silver cage with his fingers, sternly saying, “Understood?”

Lin Nuo instinctively nodded. Rennes’s intimidating appearance made the pigeon tremble and vigorously nod, devoid of the assertiveness from earlier. After getting in the carriage, Martin cautiously asked Lin Nuo, “Young Master, will you come back to see the knight again?”

Holding the gold coins, feeling a bit upset, Lin Nuo replied gloomily, “Uh, maybe not. I’ll see about that later.” 

He was somewhat worried now if the growth from this tiny weak dragon to a somewhat stronger dragon truly required finding a ‘desired partner’, as the ancient text suggested. Besides, this desired partner should at least be a person, right? He couldn’t possibly consider another little female dragon as a desired partner, could he?

Cough, it couldn’t be. Then, subconsciously, did he really consider Rennes as… At that thought, Lin Nuo’s cheeks flushed hot again. Some odd memories, unforgettable sensations, and many details from last night’s dream surged into his mind. This feeling even made Lin Nuo suspect he was about to breathe fire again. He hurriedly told Martin, “Stop the carriage just ahead. I’ll fly back from there.”

He didn’t want to set the carriage on fire. They were still a street away from the pre-arranged spot for Lin Nuo to get off and secretly fly back to the palace, so Martin was a bit surprised. But Martin wouldn’t disobey the young master’s orders. Therefore, he obediently stopped the carriage and opened the window for Lin Nuo to fly away quietly.

After flying about ten meters into the air, perhaps due to the particularly cool morning air, Lin Nuo felt a bit calmer. The vivid scenes in his mind temporarily faded away. Thank goodness, he was pretty normal. He must have had a short circuit in his brain due to poor air circulation, mistaking his feelings for Rennes. Rennes Clement was first and foremost an esteemed & virtuous paladin. Then he was a diligently responsible, almost strict teacher. He was cold and abstinent, but… But he kissed me in the underground cavern?

The memory of that kiss, the soft and lingering sensation on his lips, exploded in his mind.

“Ahwoo…” The little naughty dragon arched his back in pain again, facing the sky, and breathed out a burst of flames. This time, the flames were even brighter and more dazzling than the last time. Uh oh, this really was the mating season. And the desired partner was way off! 

—

While Lin Nuo agonized over his ‘wrong choice’, Rennes stood on the hexagonal balcony, leaning on the white stone railing, gazing attentively into the distant sky until a small red flame suddenly emerged in the blue sky.

Rennes turned back into the room, instructing the servants, “Prepare the horses; we’re going to the royal city.” 

—

Lin Nuo, after reverting to his human form, meticulously checked himself from head to toe in front of the mirror. He was worried whether or not the dragon’s mating season would affect his human form. From what he observed in the mirror, there didn’t seem to be anything to worry about. Everything seemed calm, and there were no unexpected incidents. 

Lin Nuo noticed that his skin seemed a bit fairer than before. But since he hadn’t paid much attention to his skin condition previously, he couldn’t be sure if this was just a perception or an actual change.

After changing clothes, he took a deep breath and switched back to the persona of His Highness the Little Prince, enduring a rather noisy morning. Apart from his scheduled classes, he had to make time for various visits and engagements with different nobles. Even in his free time, he had to constantly smile and respond with proper words to these nobles, each with their own agendas.

After smiling for so long, Lin Nuo felt like his face was stiffening. But in a way, it helped distract him from thinking about the ‘desired partner’ matter. When he finally found a moment to catch his breath, he slipped out of the palace and ran to the wild woods in the back garden with his sketchbook. He was concerned about the girl, Nana, who no one paid attention to. Despite not having any gifts for Nana from his trip, he had accumulated interesting stories and sketches that he could share with her.

Despite wandering around the woods and even venturing into the forest searching for Nana, Lin Nuo couldn’t find her. He wondered where the girl had gone. Was it because he hadn’t been around to play with her that she decided not to come?

Baffled, Lin Nuo returned to his suite and started his lunch. Besides meeting Nana, Lin Nuo also had a private invitation for the day—to watch Roy Clement’s drama rehearsal. 

Roy had sent an invitation the previous day, hoping that His Highness the Little Prince could attend the final rehearsal before the official performance. Amidst the myriad of invitations from noble families, this one didn’t stand out. Lin Nuo noticed it and promptly accepted, not just because he had promised Roy before, but also because the System popped up with an urgent message: [Important Plot Alert! Important Plot Alert! Roy Clement has officially invited the host! In the original storyline, the evil dragon deliberately played hot and cold with Roy, making Roy fall for him while causing him immense pain. Eventually, the evil dragon deceived Roy into inheriting his entire family fortune. To destroy evidence, the evil dragon even misled Roy into committing suicide. Rennes Clement swore to behead the evil dragon due to these actions. Please handle the relationship with Roy Clement properly. We recommend being honest with him and avoiding misunderstandings.]

Listening to the System’s briefing, Lin Nuo was shocked. He knew from the outline that the evil dragon killed Roy, but he hadn’t expected it to be done in such a contemptible way. Wasn’t that playing with someone’s feelings, manipulating them bit by bit into a corner?

Disgusted with the original owner of his body, Lin Nuo resolved to follow the System’s advice— Be honest with Roy and prevent any misunderstandings.

The rehearsal took place in a small theater in the palace. Unlike the grandeur of the main theater, this one was a modest dome-shaped structure hidden in a corner of the gardens. It had few seats inside, but the stage was beautifully designed, decorated with gilded sculptures on both sides and movable backdrop panels.

When Lin Nuo arrived at the theater, Roy was on stage. The golden-haired youth instantly spotted Lin Nuo’s presence, beaming a genuine smile and earning an encouraging gesture in return.

The play officially began. Roy was portraying one of the earliest knights in the story. He wore sparkling silver armor and wielded a longsword, following Heinrich through numerous dangers until they confronted the evil dragon. The knight demanded the dragon submit to Heinrich but was sternly refused. The arrogant dragon even attempted to engulf the humans in flames. Clement joined forces with Heinrich and decapitated the dragon.

As the dragon’s head fell, the narrator announced, “The legendary, fearsome dragon race was extinguished and never threatened Saros again. From then on, the magical creatures of Saros lost their leader, becoming scattered. With their magic dissipating, they could no longer contend with the great royal knights!”

At this point, the audience stood up applauding and cheering, “Glory to Saros!”

Lin Nuo, standing up sluggishly, clapping halfheartedly, was sweating profusely: That was too scary. I shouldn’t have come.

But after wiping off the sweat, pondering over the scenes and dialogue, he felt puzzled. The play claimed that the dragon race was extinct, but what about the dragons like himself? Were there some dragons that had survived? Was this all dramatization for effect, not reflecting reality? It contradicted what Lin Nuo had witnessed in his own experiences with magical creatures like goblins, pigeon spirits, and other flora and fauna spirits. They all seemed quite weak and harmless.

So, was what the play portrayed true? Lin Nuo felt like he was standing before a massive puzzle, unable to figure out where to start or what angle to approach it from. Worst of all, he was a part of that puzzle.

After the actors finished their bows, Lin Nuo was still lost in thought. It was only when Roy took off his silver armor, leaped down, and exclaimed, “Your Highness! I’m truly honored you came!” that Lin Nuo snapped back to reality, praising Roy’s brilliant performance.

Roy, accustomed to socializing and hearing all sorts of flattering words, couldn’t restrain his laughter when he heard Lin Nuo’s somewhat reserved praise. He kept asking Lin Nuo about his performance in various scenes. Fortunately, Lin Nuo had watched the entire play attentively, so he could answer Roy’s questions in detail. Being naturally earnest, Lin Nuo responded meticulously to Roy’s inquiries, portraying the image of an exemplary student.

Roy, who had always found Lin Nuo cute and lovely, couldn’t help but feel a ripple in his heart during this exchange. And whether it was an illusion or not, he seemed to find His Highness the Little Prince more charming today compared to their previous encounters.

Though there were no changes in Lin Nuo’s features, Roy noticed that His Highness’s eyes appeared more moist, the corners of his eyes seemed to carry a hint of red, and even his lips looked more vibrant than before. The most captivating part was the elusive scent surrounding His Highness, akin to the freshness of sunlight on green grass, both refreshing and irresistible.

Roy found himself increasingly unwilling to end the conversation.

It wasn’t until everyone else had left the theater, and the lights dimmed, that Lin Nuo, somewhat tired of talking, looked around and said, “It’s getting late; let’s go outside.”

They left the theater and stood in the courtyard under the night sky. The stars were shining brightly, and the ambient sounds of insects & the distant murmur of the fountain filled the air.

Stretching lazily, Lin Nuo raised his head, gazing at the starry sky. Memories of the dazzling sight in the underground cavern and the person who had held his hand by the lake flooded back. Lin Nuo wondered, Rennes, what are you doing right now?

On the other hand, Roy was completely captivated looking at His Highness under the starlight.

Perhaps the scenery was too beautiful, or perhaps Roy, who was always graceful and never rejected, was taken aback. The beautiful golden-haired youth circled around to face Lin Nuo, performed a dignified bow, and politely asked, “Your Highness, may I have the honor of dancing with you at the Summer Ball?”

Huh? Lin Nuo snapped out of his thoughts, blinked, and confirmed that he hadn’t misheard. During the seven days of the festival, there were dance parties every day, and everyone could join in without specific dance partners. So why was Roy asking? After a brief hesitation, Lin Nuo said, “Mr. Roy Clement, dance partners at the festival ball don’t need to be specified…” 

Roy lifted his head, a smiling expression on his face, and said, “In that case, if Your Highness has the time, please save a dance for me.” 

Roy’s request was presented with courtesy and elegance, making it hard to refuse. He had even phrased it in such a way that it was a non-intrusive request, even carrying a hint of compromise. 

Faced with this situation, Lin Nuo took a deep breath, bit his lip, and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Roy, but…I don’t have any plans to dance with you.”

Roy, unexpectedly rejected so decisively for the first time in his life, took a few seconds to react. He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, “Your Highness rejected me so quickly; it really hurts.”

Not knowing what to say at the moment, Lin Nuo just made a vague sound.

Roy, looking at the adorable and somewhat trembling little prince, sighed and said, “Well, I won’t make it difficult for you. But may I ask why Your Highness refused so decisively? Is it because… you don’t want to dance with another man? Or is there another reason?”

Lin Nuo scratched his head, thinking, How am I supposed to answer this? Should I say that I’m afraid if you dance with me, it might trigger the original plot, leading to your tragic death in my flames?

As Lin Nuo was hesitating to answer, the sound of steady footsteps echoed behind them in the courtyard. Accompanying the footsteps was a voice that Lin Nuo was very familiar with, always cold and indifferent, “Because His Highness the Prince has already promised me that he will only dance with me.”

 

 

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