Enya’s expression stiffened slightly.
“This…”
If anyone else had asked, she could have answered casually or even made up some scandalous rumors about herself; Enya could talk nonsense with her eyes closed.
But now it was her own daughter, Estelle, asking this question.
Even for Enya, it was difficult to describe what kind of person “Enya” was at a moment’s notice.
This was a question that required careful thought before an answer could be given.
Just as Enya was pondering how to respond, Estelle broke the silence first. The girl tilted her head back slightly and raised her voice.
“She’s amazing. She’s a Sword Saint, she’s killed a Dragon, and she’s traveled to many places. You should have heard of her, Predecessor.”
After Enya left the Duke of Florenad’s house, she had done many things, but usually under a pseudonym. After all, her wings hadn’t fully grown yet back then, and many people coveted her. However, the battle with Pandrake was the most widely circulated story, even though rumors of her death spread everywhere because of it. Some even held festivals in her memory…
Estelle seemed to remember that the Predecessor before her was part of the Dragon Tribe. Was it inappropriate to say this in front of her?
‘I shouldn’t have spoken from the start.’
She lowered her head and said in a slightly muffled voice, “I’m sorry…”
“No, I don’t mind. If you want to hear it, I’ll tell you,” Enya said, stroking Estelle’s head. Seeing her daughter still gloomy and silent, she pulled her directly into a hug.
Estelle’s face was buried in that fragrant softness, leaving her momentarily dazed. A strange feeling rose in her heart.
‘Why does this hug smell so much like Aunt Phil?’
*Cough, cough…*
Enya cleared her throat. This caught the attention of Estelle, who was currently wondering about the “Aunt-like Predecessor.”
Enya released Estelle, keeping a distance of 1 meter between them. She turned slightly, revealing the curves of her back and hips.
Estelle looked behind Enya and saw a large bulge slowly forming near her lower back.
Immediately after, something began to move under the gray Long Robe.
Estelle’s gaze shifted down, catching sight of the tip of a black tail peeking out.
At that moment, Enya threw off her gray Long Robe, revealing the exquisite black dress underneath.
Enya’s fair, tender back was exposed, featuring a pair of small Dragon Wings.
They actually looked quite cute.
Between her hair, a pair of beautiful Dragon Horns also emerged.
These horns grew in segments; though black, each joint shimmered with silver. The tips transitioned in a gradient from black to dark red, and finally to a golden-red.
Enya opened her golden-red Dragon Eyes, though her face remained disguised by the Mask of a Thousand Faces.
This ensured she wouldn’t be recognized. After all, Estelle looked almost identical to her. Rosily was at least a color-swapped version with slight differences.
The Dragon Princess was very young; she could even pass for a Sister. Enya’s physical age was only in her 20s. She wore a peaceful smile as she spoke to Estelle.
“There is a difference between the Dragon Tribe and Dragons.”
“A difference?”
“Dragons are actually the ancestors of the Dragon Tribe.”
“Eh?”
Estelle fell into thought.
‘So, my mom killed the Predecessor’s ancestor? But the Predecessor said it was fine… This is so hard to understand.’
Estelle turned her gaze back to Enya and asked curiously, “Can I touch them?”
“Of course.”
Enya agreed without hesitation, nodding.
After receiving permission, Estelle walked up to Enya and reached out her small hand to touch the Dragon Wings.
The wings were composed of bone and membrane; pinching or stroking them didn’t provoke much of a reaction from Enya, but the base of the wings was somewhat sensitive.
When her daughter touched them, she couldn’t help but fold the wings inward.
Estelle looked amazed.
‘They’re wings…’
Estelle carefully examined the membrane of the Dragon Wings.
She discovered that the patterns on them looked like Magic Symbols, covering the entire wing.
Was this how those heavy Draconic Beasts were able to fly?
Next, Estelle reached out and grabbed the Dragon Horns on Enya’s head.
They felt hard and somewhat heavy.
Estelle detected that the horns seemed to influence the surrounding Magic Power.
“So amazing,” the girl’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Amazing?”
Enya smiled helplessly upon hearing this.
Though she no longer cared whether she was human or Dragon, it felt strange to hear her daughter call this form amazing.
However, looking at her daughter’s bright eyes, Enya’s mood improved significantly.
She leaned down so Estelle wouldn’t have to keep her hands raised.
At the same time, she asked, “Want to touch my tail too?”
“Yes.”
Estelle nodded.
She didn’t know the meaning of being polite; since the Predecessor had asked if she wanted to touch it, she definitely did! The impatient girl immediately reached out and grabbed Enya’s tail.
This time, Enya didn’t treat her like she had treated Nina—using her tail like a cat toy—but instead allowed Estelle’s hand to clasp onto it.
After Estelle’s small hand grabbed the Dragon Tail, her mouth hung open, and her entire attention was captured by it.
The pitch-black Dragon Scales shimmered faintly in the moonlight like a treasure, radiating a unique luster.
Estelle first tested the hardness; the scales were hard, but the white underside was slightly softer. The closer she got to the base of the tail, the softer it became.
Enya turned her head, watching Estelle’s hands roaming up and down her tail. Suddenly, she saw her daughter’s hand reaching toward her dress. Enya couldn’t help but cough to warn her: ‘Don’t do that to your mother.’
But how could Estelle understand such a hint? Fortunately, seeing that her daughter had no intention of stopping, Enya pulled her body away in advance.
Estelle felt a bit disappointed when the Dragon Tail was pulled from her hand. She had originally wanted to see if it had a scent.
Enya reached out and lightly tapped Estelle’s head, giving her a warning glare with furrowed brows. “You girl… how can you touch it like that?”
“Ugh…”
Estelle wondered if she had done something wrong again. ‘But the Predecessor told me I could touch it?’
After a moment, Enya spoke again. “Estelle, do you know the legend that says Humans and all other races actually originate from the Primal Behemoths?”
“Primal Behemoths?”
Estelle seemed to have heard of this, but she couldn’t remember where. She felt she had seen it in that notebook. Seeing her interest, Enya explained.
“Primal Behemoths—the original giant Magical Beasts. They have faded from the view of intelligent life but once stood above all living things. Legends say they possessed god-like power. They appear in all sorts of myths; some were evil, some were lawful, and some were kind. Once, only they existed in the World. Then, something happened, they left this World, and we were born. Many Historical Scholars have a theory that the birth of intelligent life came from the fall of the Behemoths. When a whale falls, 10,000 things flourish.”
Enya was simply explaining the theory to Estelle; it had never been proven by any evidence. The era when the Primal Behemoths were active was The Third Era of this World, which consisted of ancient history from tens of millions of years ago, almost impossible to explore.
“Today’s Dragons are a type of Behemoth that has survived to this day, but they are no longer the original versions. They were split into many parts. These fragments differentiated into several groups, one of which is the Dragon Tribe. That is why I say Dragons are the ancestors of the Dragon Tribe.”
These two sentences Enya spoke had already been proven. Estelle listened intently. Even after Enya stopped talking, she continued to think and absorb this knowledge.
Meanwhile, Enya took advantage of the warm atmosphere to return to the question Estelle had asked: did she know Enya?
Of course she did. How could Enya not know Enya? But a person’s self-perception has limits; she wanted to see herself from another’s perspective to understand what kind of person she really was.
“As for Enya… just as you said, she is an incredible person.”
Estelle waited expectantly for Enya to continue. Enya’s face flushed slightly. She felt ashamed praising herself, so she simply gave up on saying nice things about herself!
She turned around, wagging her tail as she spoke. “However, as a person… she’s actually quite terrible. I’ve heard many women were heartlessly abandoned by her. She promised so many things and left people waiting for her, yet she acted like she forgot and went on living her own life. It’s absolutely hateful! If she hadn’t gone looking for that Dragon, maybe everything would be different. She could have fulfilled those promises. Maybe she would even have a beautiful family by now?”
Enya looked up at the starry sky, her eyes flickering with melancholy.
At this point, the emotions in Estelle’s eyes shifted in an instant, moving from nine parts expectation and one part tension to the current seven parts disappointment mixed with two parts sadness and one part resentment.
The girl lowered her head and whispered in a low voice, “So it’s all the Dragon’s fault…”
Enya quickly looked away. ‘Your mom is actually a Dragon too.’
I know why, but I wish she could be honest with her daughters