(Erza's POV)
The balcony was cool under my bare feet. Dawn crept in thin strokes across the city—pale light pooling in the hollows between roofs until the whole place looked like a slumbering beast.
Sister Mary stood beside me, restless and smaller in the pale wash of morning than the steady woman I'd known.
Grandpa sat a little apart, eyes closed, drawing mana into his core with slow, patient breaths. He'd bled for Zani Cina; if he didn't recover soon, the cost would be ruinous, He will lose his threat levels. The thought sat heavy against my ribs.
We watched the city wake in silence for a long time. Finally, the question I had been holding inside me for days came out, blunt as a blade.
I had been wondering about Yuuta's past a lot, and when I saw his memories, they were far different from what Sister Mary had once told me. According to her, Yuuta was found in a slave market, adopted by the Queen, and later sent to Earth. Back then, I convinced myself of that story and believed it was real. Now, it felt like nothing but a hollow lie.
"Sister Mary, why did you lie to me?" I asked gently.
"About what, my queen?" she replied.
"On the first day, you said Yuuta was found at eight in the slave market. But his memory shows he was rescued at five by the Elf Kingdom. So why hide that from me? Is there any reason for that?"
Sister Mary's throat worked. For the first time, she looked fragile—no longer the unshakable nun, but a woman who had loved, feared, and carried secrets she had never meant for me to uncover.
"I am sorry I deceived you, my queen," she said softly. "I had my reasons."
"Tell me," I said. My voice cut through the silence. I wanted truth, not apologies.
She drew the words out like something difficult to swallow. "I heard of your legacy," she confessed at last. "How you punish those who betray. How dragons don't forgive. I was afraid that if you learned Yuuta's true history, you would come for Robert for revenge. I… I love him. I could not stand by and watch you killing my..." She paused.
Her fingers fumbled the hem of her sleeve. "I lied because I thought it might save him."
Something unclenched in me then. Anger, fierce and immediate, flared at the thought of Robert's cruelty; I could imagine shredding him without regret. And yet, looking at Sister Mary—the way her shoulders folded under the weight of that lie—I understood the mercy in her cowardice. A lie to protect someone she loved. An ugly grace.
For a moment I imagined standing in her place: the choice between telling me the whole truth and saving someone she loved. I could see how a lie would feel like mercy.
I let out a breath that the night had been holding. "You did what you thought right," I said, softer than I'd expected. "Love makes cowards of us all." Relief washed over her face like light.
I paused, feeling the moment settle between us. "Alright," I continued, and my voice took on the edge it always did when I wanted to be taken seriously. "I forgive you. But if you want me to forgive completely, tell me this: what is Yuuta's weakness?"
Her response was immediate—shock, a small, involuntary recoil as if I had asked her to tear out her heart. "His… weakness?" she echoed.
I allowed a small, teasing curl at my mouth so she would not misunderstand. "Not a secret to use against him," I added quickly, watching her closely.
"I want something harmless—something I can poke at him with later. A fear, an odd little habit. Nothing cruel. I only want to tease him, little by little, the way Yuuta do to me."
"Oh… so that is what you mean, my queen," Sister Mary said, tilting her head.
"Yes," I answered, my eyes drifting toward the sky where the first strands of sunlight were spilling across the horizon.
"I want to know. Yuuta always seemed fearless—he never flinched before me, nor before beasts. He carried himself as though nothing in this world could bend him. But I know… there must be something he hides. A secret weakness he doesn't want to show me."
Sister Mary pressed her lips together and then, quite suddenly, burst into laughter. "My queen… oh yes, he has flaws. Many flaws."
At once my tail betrayed me—wagging left and right like some overexcited pup. "What flaws?" I leaned in, too eager to hide it. "Tell me everything."
Still laughing, she said, "Yuuta is afraid of ghosts, my queen."
I froze. "Ghosts?" I repeated, almost offended at the absurdity.
"Yes, ghosts," she said with a firm nod, as though it were the most serious confession in the world. "And not just ghosts. He is terrified of cockroaches."
I blinked at her. "…Cockroaches? You mean those tiny insects that crunch under your teeth and taste rather decent roasted?"
Sister Mary choked on her laugh. "Yes, those very ones! When he was a child, he once found a cockroach inside his food. It scarred him for life. To this day, if he sees one, he shrieks louder than any lady."
For a long moment, silence stretched between us. And then—"Pft—hah!" My laugh ripped out of me so hard I had to clutch the balcony rail. My shoulders shook. "My mortal… my great, fearless mortal… undone by a cockroach! Truly, he is weak!"
Sister Mary grinned, but then leaned closer as though about to share a dangerous secret. "That is not all. Yuuta also has… a sleep-talking mouth."
I tilted my head. "A what?"
She whispered, "If you ask him a question around the third hour of night, he may answer you. Honestly. Even while he sleeps."
I went still, my mind already brimming with possibilities. Questions upon questions, stacked in neat rows like soldiers ready for battle. "I see," I said carefully, though inside I was nearly cackling. "I shall… test this."
I glanced at Sister Mary curiously. "Tell me, doesn't Yuuta hate any food? He always looks like he enjoys everything."
She covered her mouth with a light giggle. "No, my queen. In truth, Yuuta absolutely despises carrots."
"Carrots?" I frowned. "What are those?"
"They're a type of vegetable," she explained patiently. "Orange in color, shaped like a stick."
The image struck my memory, and I snapped my fingers. "Ah, yes! I recall seeing him pull something orange out of his burger when we visited the mall. So that was a carrot."
Sister Mary nodded, smiling knowingly. "Yes, he hates them that much."
I touched my chin thoughtfully. "In that case, perhaps I should prepare a meal for my mortal myself."
Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she teased, "Then may the heavens watch over Yuuta… for he will need to survive your cooking, my queen."
"Sure he need blessings from heaven." I said smirk on my lips.
Sister Mary sighed in defeat. "That is all, my queen."
But the smirk on my lips would not fade. Ghosts, cockroaches, Carrot and secrets spilled at three in the morning… Truly, Yuuta was the strangest treasure I had ever claimed.
Sister Mary's laughter drifted softly across the balcony, light and clear like morning bells. For a heartbeat, I only stood there, watching her smile. But underneath her calm expression, a quiet unease began to stir inside me.
This woman had raised Yuuta as if he were her own child. In this world ..no other world, that kind of devotion carried a price. Dragons, elves beings of pride and prejudice—rarely forgave such choices. If anyone ever chose to despise her for it, or worse, to harm her, she would bear that burden alone.
The thought pressed against my chest like a stone.
I stepped closer. Sister Mary turned her blindfolded face toward me, sensing my movement. My mana began to gather at my fingertips, a soft glow forming like a cluster of fireflies just before dawn.
"Sister Mary," I said, my voice firm but steady, "please, don't move."
She tilted her head, uncertain. "My queen?"
I raised my hand and pressed the glowing tips of my fingers gently to her forehead. Her breath caught in surprise, but she did not flinch.
"I, Erza Vely Konuari, Dragon Queen of the Atlantis Kingdom," I said, my voice carrying the weight of an oath, "place my mark upon you. Let all who see it know—whoever dares to harm this woman while I still draw breath shall stand as an enemy of Atlantis itself. This is my seal, given in recognition of her devotion and sacrifice toward my husband. From this moment, she stands under the protection of the Dragon Queen."
The golden symbol flared across her skin—bright as molten sunlight—before slowly fading into her flesh, like morning light sinking beneath the sea.
Sister Mary gasped. Her knees gave out beneath her, and she fell at my feet, clutching at the hem of my gown. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead to my leg. "Thank you, my queen… thank you. I do not deserve such grace."
I bent down and lifted her by the shoulders, pulling her gently back to her feet. "There is no need for gratitude," I said softly. The power in my voice remained, but it was gentled by something warmer. "You gave your life to protect my husband. It is only right that I shield you from the world's cruelty. This is not mercy—it is justice."
She trembled, her hands still shaking as she bowed her head. "I will never forget this kindness. Not in this life, nor the next."
"It is enough that you live without fear," I told her. A rare smile found its way to my lips. "Be happy, Sister Mary. And when I return to the Nova World…" I paused, feeling an unfamiliar warmth rise in my chest. "…do not forget to call me to your kingdom. I would not have you face the world alone."
Her smile, though wet with tears, shone like a candle in the dim light. "I will, my queen," she whispered. "I will surely call you."
The first light of morning spilled across the balcony then—golden, endless, and new. The long night of secrets and confessions had ended.
Now, as the sun rose, Sister Mary stood ready to walk her own path—one no longer shadowed by fear the path of Returning home.
And as for me, I have to hold my mortal close, for I did not know how he would survive the farewell of his godmother.
To be continue...