Evening.
Dad came home.
And he brought countless beastmen with him.
“Daaaad!!”
“Oh my, my daughter!”
I sprinted across the dirt and successfully jumped into my dad’s arms.
He ruffled my hair and kissed my cheek.
“Hehe.”
“My dear daughter, did you wait for me?”
“Yes! I waited for you!”
I couldn’t even describe how much I had been yearning for him.
I wanted to see him as soon as possible, and honestly, the house felt a little lonely without him.
Of course, my sisters and mom were with me, but still, they couldn’t fill the space that Dad left behind.
I hugged him tightly in his arms.
“Mino, I still have some work left to do. Can you let go for a moment?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Treat Bell’s family as honored guests.”
I was startled when I saw Dad smiling warmly.
Honored guests?
It was surprising that a dragon was welcoming former beastman slaves as honored guests.
“Really?”
“Of course. They are the family of my daughter’s friend. The friend of royalty is a VIP.”
Even the emperor of the mighty empire, the demon king of the underworld, the president of the technologically advanced republic, and the king of the proud kingdom had never received such an esteemed title.
But my friends? They were all considered honored guests.
Didn’t that make me an incredibly special person?
I felt a little embarrassed and let out a sheepish laugh, but honestly, I didn’t mind the feeling.
Bell’s family had suffered so much. It was only right that they were treated with the utmost respect.
“Your Majesty.”
“Elder, you may speak comfortably now.”
“I shall do so once all matters are settled.”
Elder Surt bowed slightly with a solemn expression.
The man who was always quick to anger was gone, replaced by a calm and resolute figure.
‘…Wow, so cool.’
I should try doing that when I grow up.
With that thought, my eyes turned to the woman cradled in Elder Hader’s arms.
Blue hair.
An exceptional beauty.
The moment I saw her, I knew.
‘…It’s her!’
Bell had definitely taken after her mother.
A beauty on par with my own mom.
Of course, my mom was the most beautiful, but Bell’s mother was still quite stunning.
She was unconscious, but it seemed like she had passed the critical stage.
“Is Bell’s mother going to be okay?”
“Yes, she’ll be fine. The urgent treatment is done; she just needs to recover slowly.”
“That’s a relief.”
At Elder Hader’s command, the attendants brought a stretcher, gently placed Bell’s mother on it, and carried her away.
“I need to tell Bell right away!”
“Yes, she should regain consciousness by tomorrow, so you can visit her then.”
“Okay!”
I ran back to the room where Mom, my sisters, and Bell were waiting.
Then, I told Bell the good news—that her family was safe.
“Bell, this is amazing news.”
“……”
“Congratulations, puppy.”
“…Thank you…”
“Bell, don’t cry. You’ll make your aunt sad too.”
“…I’m not crying…”
Tears welled up in Bell’s eyes as Yuli, Emilia, and Mom congratulated her.
“Bell, I’m really happy for you.”
“…Baby dragon…!”
At my words, Bell could no longer hold back her tears and sobbed uncontrollably.
“Thank you…! hic… I thought I’d never see them again…”
“I was so scared… I couldn’t even sleep…”
How terrifying must that underground prison have been for this little child?
Her older sister and mother couldn’t even speak properly, and her father—whom she had been separated from as a baby—was just a blurry memory.
And in that horrifying place, Bell had to stay strong all on her own.
My heart ached for her.
But today would be the last day for sorrow.
Tomorrow, her mother would wake up, and her family would finally be together again.
I had no doubt about that.
So, I held Bell tightly in my arms.
“May your future be filled with blessings.”
I whispered those words in my heart, wishing for Bell’s happiness.
* *
The Next Morning.
“Big sis…!!”
“Bell!”
I was witnessing the tearful reunion of Bell’s family with my own eyes.
Neither my dad, mom, nor sisters came along.
They believed their presence as dragons might make things uncomfortable.
The only reason I was here was simple.
“Baby dragon, you have to come too! You helped!”
“Me too? Wouldn’t I just be in the way?”
“No way! You’re our savior!”
Calling me her savior, Bell had insisted that I meet her family, dragging me to the reunion.
“…Dad…?”
“Bell, do you remember me?”
Bell’s father asked her in a trembling voice.
“…I’m sorry…”
Lowering her head, Bell hesitantly glanced at me while apologizing.
Her father flinched slightly but soon smiled gently, reaching out to pat her head.
“It’s okay. It’s only natural. We were separated when you were just a baby.”
“…Please take care of me…”
Bell let out a small smile as she lowered her head toward her father, seeming to enjoy the warmth of his hand on her head.
Her father nodded before turning his gaze toward me.
“Hello.”
“…Ah, are you by any chance—”
“I’m Bell’s friend.”
I quickly cut him off.
If I told him I’m actually the princess of this country, he might just faint on the spot.
Even so, he seemed to have a vague idea of my true identity, as his smile turned a little stiff.
Meanwhile, Bell’s older sister, seemingly unaware of who I was, reached out and ruffled my hair.
Their father’s face froze in shock.
I chuckled and gestured to him that it was fine.
“How old are you, little one?”
“I just turned one!”
“Really?!”
Bell’s sister was utterly shocked.
“Wow, you’re so smart! I’m fifteen!”
“Aha~”
That means she was imprisoned when she was just nine years old?
If Bell was separated from her father shortly after birth, that timeline made sense.
Just thinking about a young girl being forced into labor and suffering torment in that horrible place made my blood boil.
“My name is Ran! Nice to meet you!”
“Yes, big sis! I’m Mino!”
“Mino! That’s such a pretty name.”
Even after enduring such horrific experiences, Ran greeted me with a bright and pure smile.
I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, a sorrow that I could do nothing about.
‘…When I become king, I’ll wipe the Empire off the map.’
As I made this vow, I suddenly felt something soft and damp press against my cheek.
“…Bell?”
“Mmm! You can’t get mad!”
“Ot.”
I must have been frowning without realizing it.
Quickly smoothing my expression, I turned to Bell’s father, who had likely been startled by the sight of an angry dragon, and apologized.
“I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”
“No, it’s alright.”
Even though he spoke casually, he didn’t seem entirely comfortable.
I gave an awkward smile before unfolding the map my dad had given me, showing the way to the VIP treatment room.
My job was to guide them there, where Bell’s mother was staying.
‘Alright, let’s do this!’
And so, back to the present.
“…Oh, huh!?”
“Mother.”
“…Oh, ah, h-hello.”
Bell’s mother, despite her weak body, was breaking out into a cold sweat as she struggled to show proper etiquette toward me.
I quickly stopped her.
“Oh, no! You need to rest, please!”
“…Thank you…”
“You can speak informally to me, really! I’m just Bell’s friend.”
When I smiled at her, she seemed to relax a little and lay back down comfortably on the bed.
“You must still be in pain, right?”
“…Yes, a little. No, I mean… just a little…”
“I see.”
The Empire must have really tormented her.
Although my dad had treated her injuries, she seemed to have sustained internal wounds.
[Skill: Blessing of Salvation activated!]
Without hesitation, I used my skill to heal her.
Golden light shimmered in the air, and in an instant, the internal injuries Bell’s mother had suffered disappeared.
“…Oh, I-I don’t hurt anymore?”
“Alright then, I’ll be on my way!”
I smiled and quietly left the room.
From this point on, it was their time together.
I wouldn’t interfere with the joy of their family reunion.
‘…I’ll ask Bell later how it went.’
Feeling satisfied with myself, I walked away with light steps.
Inside the room, I could hear cries of relief and happiness.
“My love…!”
“We… we’ve finally met again, Yura…!”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, my love… I couldn’t even protect the children…”
“Mom… don’t cry…!!”
The sounds of sorrow and joy echoed for a long time.
After finishing my task and returning to my room, I found the head maid and my mother busily packing.
“Mom, where are we going?”
I asked cautiously as my mom picked up some outfits and held them up to me.
“Ah, Mino! Hmm, does this one look better, or this one?”
“Your Highness, I think the pink one suits you best.”
“No, no, doesn’t the white one look better?” Hmm…
“…Oh, you’re right. White it is.”
“Right?”
Why did I suddenly feel like I had become a dress-up doll?
“…Uh, Mom. Where are we going?”
I asked again, and this time, she finally answered.
“Oh, we’re going to visit your grandparents!”
“…Huh?”
Wait.
Didn’t the history books say that my grandparents passed away over 2,300 years ago?
“We got a letter recently. They want to see their granddaughter.”
“So I figured, it’s been a while—I should visit my mother too.”
Oh.
So we’re talking about my maternal grandparents.
“Don’t you want to see your dad getting all nervous in front of other dragons?”
“Fufu.”
“…Gasp!”
“You want to see it, don’t you?”
“…Yes!!”
The Dragon Lord, cowering in front of other dragons?
How many dragons in the world could witness such a sight?
I could never pass up something this fun.
“I wanna go!”
“Then help me and Hazel pack, okay?”
“Yes!”
“Great, now sit on the bed and cheer us on.”
“…Oh!?”
Is that really helping?
And so, I ended up doing a cheerleading routine on the bed.
Yay?