The Villainess Has Proposed a Contract Marriage

61 – The Legend of the Wheel King

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A bright red and broad foot timidly stepped on the dirt road. The toenails were moderately thick, and the leg was short and stout. Whenever a thin ray of sunlight filtered through the leaves of the blue sky, the shiny scales sparkled brightly.

“Woo, woo…”

A sorrowful cry echoed, seeping into the ground. Unlike before, it had grown to the size of a child that could be easily carried on one’s back.

Its true identity was… undeniably the Bloody Dragon.

─Tina froze for a moment, gazing up at the sky with a bewildered expression.

How did this happen? She reminisced about the vague memories of the past.

Yes, this was definitely a disaster caused by curiosity and vigor.

About half a day had passed since the hunting game began, and Tina grasped Elpisia’s hand, pleading.

[Mom, can I go into the forest and play too? It’s too boring here.]

[No.]

[Why not?]

[It’s dangerous, and you might get lost.]

Elpisia firmly rejected her, like a strict guardian. But Tina was not one to back down easily.

[But… I’m stronger than Yurian. Yurian is playing over there, so I’ll be fine too.]

[That child is with the adults.]

[Grandfather said I’m stronger than those adults!]

[… Ah. Father is…]

It was enough to make Tina realize the difference in species, even if it was later. Informing her of reality at such a young age was not kind to her innocent heart.

[Sigh.]

However, considering her innocent heart, it was true that Tina was physically safe. She had let out a few fierce beasts, but compared to the semi-dragon, they were just ordinary monsters.

If worse came to worst, Harlte was there, so the worst-case scenario wouldn’t occur…

Thinking this way, Elpisia reluctantly agreed.

[You must return within an hour. If you keep this promise, I’ll allow it.]

[Of course! I might even come back earlier!]

[… Alright.]

[Thank you, Mom! I love you!]

Tina threw her arms around Elpisia.

The moment Elpisia was enveloped in the child’s soft and squishy touch, she was frozen in place. So, without even being able to give a proper sendoff, she watched as Tina left, her eyes fixed on her.

[Who does she take after, speaking such awkward words without a filter…]

In reality, Elpisia’s arch-nemesis was not Harlte, but Tina.

The sly Yurian and the introverted Glen kept their distance, while the awkward Eco did the same. On the other hand, Tina was like a puppy whose tail wagged like a storm.

Her lively and proactive attitude was something Elpisia struggled to handle, weighed down by her accumulated karma.

It was a kind of guilt.

Tina, unaware of Elpisia’s concerns, was peacefully strolling through the hunting grounds. She thought it would be fun to find Harlte, Yurian, or Glen.

But fate’s prank suddenly swooped in on her.

Puff…

[Umm… umm?]

White smoke began to rise from her entire body. And her body’s center began to tilt forward. Tina remembered this familiar sensation.

[Why… why now…?!]

Having doubts is only temporary.

Tina’s external appearance had perfectly transformed from a human figure to that of a dragon. Only her eye level seemed to have increased, suggesting she had grown quite a bit.

[Kkieeeng… Kkieeeng…]

Uh… what do I do? I’ll get scolded…!

She convinced Elpisia that way, and if she called Harute now, the story would eventually reach Elpisia’s ears.

That’s the one thing I hate. If I lose trust here, I won’t be able to play freely from now on.

Let’s endure for now.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened after her initial transformation. As time passed, she would return to her human form. Today, if she endured, she would regain her human appearance.

Tina’s policy was set that way, and she had reached her current situation by avoiding people’s eyes and crawling around.

“Moo…”

She couldn’t speak human language, which was pitiful. She expressed that feeling with a sorrowful cry around that time.

Pashak!

The thickets in front of her shook violently. A black figure jumped out from beyond the thickets, which had been quietly rustling.

“Kururur…”

That beast, a boar-like creature, had black fur that stood on end like a hedgehog and bloodshot eyes that seemed ferocious. Its steel-like hooves and the pair of horns growing on its face were intimidating.

Thud, thud!

The creature was demonstrating its strength, stamping its hooves on the ground. It seemed to have already entered combat mode.

Can’t back down.

Tina, a 11-year-old half-dragon, decided to teach the beast its place.

From before she was taken in by Harute, Tina had been drinking the blood of beasts as a substitute for food. This situation wasn’t laughable or scary to her.

“Kuu, kuuuuu…!”

She glared at the beast with her blue eyes, threatening it. She also showed off her sharp claws, implying that her hooves were also sturdy.

“Kururur…”

“Mooou…”

It was a tense standoff. As they engaged in a psychological battle, the time finally came to settle their ranks.

“Kuaang!”

“Kuuuut!”

As Tina stood on her hind legs like a bear, puffing out her chest, the boar’s eyes were filled with fear. Then, it turned around and fled in a panic, its body hair standing on end.

Tina’s eyes sparkled as she watched that scene.

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The dragon’s instinct, which made her lower her head when she was in dragon form, had awakened. Among those instincts, her hunting instinct had blossomed.

“Kraaang!”

There it goes!

Tina had already become accustomed to her four-legged gait and ran smoothly.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

As she ran, her heavy footsteps left marks on the ground, which would eventually become the starting point of a legendary legacy, the footprint of the divine dragon.

How long had it been since she started chasing that swift boar?

As she burst through the tall bushes, she heard a familiar voice.

“Wow!”

“Kkieeeng?!”

Thud!

The boy who faced Tina’s enormous body sat down.

Her golden hair, which seemed to have absorbed the morning sunlight, swayed gently, and her eyes, which had turned into a hunting ground, slowly blinked as if time had slowed down.

This was Yurian’s appearance from this morning. He couldn’t hide his astonishment and stared at Tina.

“What, what’s going on…! Why are you here… no, why did you turn into a dragon?!”

“Huu, huuu…”

“Damn, I can’t understand a thing.”

“Kieeeng?!”

Tina thought Yurian was being too much. Harute could understand everything, but it was frustrating that her friend Yurian couldn’t.

She had expected him to understand by now, considering he was a year older…

“Muuh?”

But something was off.

When they set out, Yurian was with his attendants, but now he was alone here. Maybe he got lost on the way. Even someone as clever as Yurian could struggle in this dense forest.

“Pieeng, piiik? Muuh, kyuut.”

“Eh… um… so…”

Tina asked why he was alone, but Yurian’s response was almost on par with a nonsensical answer.

“… You’ve grown a lot, Tina.”

“Kuuuut!”

“I guess I was wrong.”

Fortunately, Yurian had a keen sense of intuition.

Just then, the sound of horseshoes echoed from nearby. Moreover, the conversation between the two became clearer.

“Did you hear something around here?”

“Yeah, I did. It was a strange cry.”

“Exactly. I thought I was hearing things.”

In an instant, Yurian pushed Tina’s head down, making her crouch. Fortunately, the nearby bushes were dense and tall. If they crouched, they could hide until they passed by.

“Stay still until I signal, Tina.”

“Muuh…”

The tension was palpable, and her heart was racing.

She didn’t want to be discovered. Everyone at the orphanage had accepted her as a half-dragon, but she couldn’t guarantee others would do the same.

If rumors spread, she would be ostracized.

“Hmm… did they already leave? We need to make a move, either fight or flee.”

“Maybe someone already caught them.”

“… Yeah, just a minute…! This…?!”

Gasp!

Tina and Yurian’s backs stiffened, as if they had discovered something.

“Look at this footprint… have you seen anything like this?”

“What is this? I’ve never seen anything like this while hunting.”

“It’s leading this way?”

The men dismounted and walked exactly in the direction where Tina and Yurian were hiding. It was only a matter of time before they were discovered.

Even if Yurian was quite clever, he couldn’t perform a miracle to hide Tina’s enormous body.

“… Tina. I’m sorry, but I need you to trust me for now.”

“Uh-huh.”

Tina nodded her head. Since that gesture was interpretable, Yurian decided to put his plan into action.

Before long, a very short time passed, and the sound of footsteps echoed through the forest, piercing their eardrums.

“There are footprints leading here… Huh.”

“Why? What’s going on? I want to see… What, what’s this?!”

As the men slowly emerged from the forest, they froze in place, awestruck.

It was only natural, given the spectacle they had witnessed was too sacred.

It was as if they were watching a scene from a mythical founding legend, utterly surreal.

They couldn’t help but push back the words that had risen to their throats.

“…… My name is Ascalion Arteuria. As a member of the imperial family, I have made a contract with the divine dragon and blood.”

“Pfft.”

“You will acknowledge me as your master.”

“Uh-huh.”

A bright red light enveloped them, like a Möbius strip, and soon bound them together, eventually dispersing into the air as a crimson mist.

Next, Yurian turned to the two people who had witnessed the birth of a legend, looking tired.

“This is… unbelievable.”

“Your Highness, the Prince!”

“This, this is…! You’re the divine dragon?!”

The men’s reactions were truly stereotypical. Yurian simply whispered to himself.

“Hoo, this is… I didn’t want to be discovered yet.”

The two people in front of him were still middle-of-the-road nobles without a clear allegiance. Therefore, Yurian decided to brainwash them on the spot.

“You’ve discovered a secret that even my people don’t know.”

“Your Highness, what do you mean…?”

“Is it true that you’re the contractor of the divine dragon?”

Yurian looked at them as if they were saying something absurd.

“I’ll trust your eyes and ears, even if I’m suspicious.”

“A… Ah…!”

“This can’t be… We’ve witnessed the legend of the Four-Wheel King!”

It didn’t take Yurian 30 seconds to make the two men swear loyalty to him.

Of course, they agreed to take the incredible scene they had witnessed to their graves.

“Uh-huh…”

Fools, these people.

Tina felt a pang of sympathy for them.