"How did it come to this..."
"How did it come to this..."
Mélusine, who hadn't slept a wink all night, walked the streets of Camelot.
Her mind was in utter chaos right now.
The valiant king was actually a girl.
And this girl was in love with a dragon who had no idea she was a girl.
On top of that, this dragon, loved by his king, had spent the entire night with another woman.
It's so messy.
So strange.
My brain...
It's going to fry.
Just why did things turn out this way...
"Mélusine?"
The moment she heard that voice, Mélusine felt a chill run down her spine.
She turned around.
Ian was walking towards her from not far away.
"I found you."
"..."
Mélusine did not want to see this guy right now.
After hearing his words, she turned and bolted.
But—
It seemed she had underestimated Ian's physical prowess.
She hadn't run more than a few steps before the dragon caught her.
"Why are you running away from me?"
"..."
"I..."
Feeling the strong, powerful hand on her shoulder, Mélusine was speechless for a long moment.
She couldn't possibly say to him:
"Hey, buddy, I heard you and Morgan doing it in your room all night yesterday, and that's not cool," right?
"..."
Ian seemed to realize something.
He patted Mélusine's shoulder gently, and then said softly:
"It's alright."
"Even if you win today, I won't do what I did before."
"Mélusine doesn't like it, right—"
"Eh!"
Remembering the moment of her ultimate humiliation by Ian, Mélusine's face immediately turned red.
"Who's talking about that!"
"Don't be so full of yourself!"
"Besides—"
Mélusine glanced downwards, then bit her lip.
"You're not doing this because I don't like it, you're doing it because you've already..."
"Hm? What?"
"Nothing!"
Mélusine turned her face away.
She pushed Ian's hand off her shoulder, then asked softly:
"So what is it..."
"You..."
"What do you want with me?"
"I wanted to show you something—" Ian replied.
"If it's that thing you used to humiliate me, you don't need to show me!"
"It's not that."
"It's something else."
Ian took Mélusine's hand.
"Something you'll definitely like."
"Eh?"
Once again, Mélusine found herself slung over Ian's shoulder, her futile struggles useless as she was carried outside the walls of Camelot.
It was a road leading away from the city, stretching into the unknown distance.
They walked like this for quite a while.
Drip, drip.
Rain began to fall from the sky.
"Ian, you idiot!"
"It's raining!"
"Mm."
Ian gave Mélusine a nonchalant reply and continued to press on into the depths of the rain.
The only difference was, he placed her in a tree hollow where the rain couldn't reach, while he himself continued to run forward.
"What is this guy doing?"
A look of confusion appeared on Mélusine's face.
"Does he like being in the rain?"
As she thought this, Mélusine saw him stop in the distance, seemingly at the very edge of what she could see from the tree hollow.
"Watch closely, Mélusine!"
"What?"
The petite swordswoman was still pondering the meaning of his words when the answer was revealed in the next moment.
Ian, standing in the rain, reached his hand towards the sky.
In that instant, Mélusine felt the surrounding environment change.
He's gathering magical energy?
This premonition was quickly verified.
Sizzle—
Sizzle—
Intense heat radiated from Ian's back, and the moment it touched the rain, it was vaporized into dissipating steam.
Soon, the rain stopped.
A seven-colored light, like a bridge, spanned across the sky.
But it was much, much larger than an ordinary rainbow, so large that it felt like something that could only exist in a dream.
The beautiful scene was reflected in Mélusine's eyes, dyeing them a color like beautiful glass.
"Mélusine, do you see it—"
"Eh?"
Ian's call came again, waking Mélusine from the beautiful sight of the colossal rainbow.
She saw him waving at her.
In that moment, even with her mind a chaotic mess, Mélusine understood what was happening.
Wings grew from her back.
With a single push, she flew forward, landing in front of Ian.
"You... you brought me out here just to show me this?"
"Yeah."
Ian nodded.
"Mélusine, didn't you say you really like this?"
"So—"
"I figured out a way to make one for you."
As Ian spoke, his body was still radiating heat.
He looked so exhausted that it was hard just to watch.
"No, you..."
"You don't like it?" Ian stroked Mélusine's head.
"I'll make another one then."
"I like it, of course I like it!"
Mélusine stopped Ian, who was preparing to boil himself over again.
"I just said that casually... how did you remember."
"Because they were words Mélusine herself said—"
"So I remembered them."
Ian's expression was completely serious, making it impossible to think he was just saying it lightly.
But—
The more he acted like this, the more complicated Mélusine's feelings became.
And the voices she had heard last night grew clearer.
"Um—"
"Ian."
Mélusine asked softly.
"Were you drugged by Morgan?"
"Drugged?"
"Yes!"
Mélusine nodded repeatedly.
"The kind of drug where if you don't do this and that with her, you'll suddenly die."
"Or maybe she poisoned a certain place, and one touch makes you addicted and you can't stop going in and out."
"It could be a spell, too!"
"..."
Ian glanced at his own palm, then showed a look of confusion.
"I don't know."
"But I didn't feel anything."
"..."
Mélusine realized.
Oh, right.
This guy is a genuine dragon, just like me.
So-called drugs and magecraft probably have no effect on him.
Which means—
Ian and Morgan were actually willing participants?
That can't be right!*
With Artoria, isn't the situation more or less the same?
The only weird thing is that she's a "girl who needs to say she's cross-dressing."
Wait a second—
That means.
If...
If Ian and Artoria had a similar opportunity.
Could the two of them also get a similar result?
Then Artoria still has a chance, right?
Protect! I have to protect them fiercely!
Mélusine felt her thoughts suddenly become clear.
She made a fist with one hand and grabbed Ian with the other.
"Ian, let's go!"
"Go do what?"
"I'm going to teach you how to make Artoria happy!"