He's not a Lizard but a Dragon 11 - 20
Chapter 11 - Transmigrator Michika and Her Son After a Year [⅓]
Six months had passed since Cedric started being an adventurer.
…..in other words, it had been almost a year since I met him. Time went by really fast.
During those six months, there were some changes.
The most noticeable change was Cedric’s appearance.
The boy who had been properly nourished during his growth period grew rapidly like a bamboo shoot.
He used to be 150 cm, just a little bit taller than me. But now, he was probably around 170 cm. His growth period was still until a few more years, so he probably would grow up more.
His delicate and graceful beauty was still there, but his jawline got sharper, which made him look more masculine. It enhanced his good look even further.
Cedric was climbing the stairs to adulthood, and shining even brighter.
When I took Cedric to the town to go shopping or eating out, people often looked at us.
…..and then, they would stare at me, as if saying ‘why was he together with that plain woman?’.
Yeah, envy me as you like. He was my proud son. While they were thinking as such, I would rather puffed up my chest with a triumphant look.
That particular son of mine was working hard as an adventurer. He seemed to not to accepting quests in faraway places, as he diligently came home on the day he received the quest. However, since he brought home a fair amount of money, I was honestly wondering what kind of job he was doing. Cedric said that the content of his work was confidential, thus he couldn’t tell me.
…. I was hoping he didn’t do anything dangerous.
Cedric didn’t seem to be in a party, and didn’t tell me about anyone on his work. As a Mother, I was a little worried about his social skill.
Today as well, I heard the sound of the front door opening right after I came home. The light footsteps continued to creep closer to the kitchen, where I was.
“Welcome back, Ced….ahh!”
He held me tight in his embrace the moment he stepped into the kitchen.
I could smell the scent that I was familiar with when we slept together, and also a light scent of sweat. After hugging me so tight, he let me go and put on a lovely smile on his face.
“I’m back, Michika.”
“Why do you always need to hug me?”
I felt that these days, Cedric was behaving more like a spoiled kid. Whenever he was home, he was always sticking close to me, hugging me, and following me around. I was wondering what was going on, but when I thought about how Cedric was separated from his parents since he was young, I didn’t push him away since he might be filling the gap for those affections.
“…..do you hate it when I act spoiled?”
Cedric said in a sad tone, pulling down his brows. If he showed me such a look…. I couldn’t even say no. After all, I was weak towards my adorable son.
“I don’t hate it, but..”
“I felt lonely since I couldn’t see Michika.”
Nothing changed even since before he started to do adventurer’s job. I was always out until night since the first time we met.
“Come here, you baby.” [1]
I reached out to Cedric and touched his cheeks. And then, I pinched them.
“Mifeeka.”
“Mother is worried for you. At this rate, you won’t be able to leave my side forever, you know?”
“I am okhay staying wifh Mifeeka fowefer.”
Cedric was still talking without any emotion even when I pinched his cheeks. His facial muscles were working harder than before, but they were basically dull. And in front anyone other than me, he went completely emotionless. Work a little harder, wouldn’t you? Cedric’s facial muscles….
“We can’t stay together forever. A son is supposed to leave his mother side one day.”
I told him, and released my hands from Cedric’s cheeks.
Right, Cedric would be independent in the near future and bring his wife here. He would soon overcome his mother complex’s phase and wouldn’t trouble his future wife over it.
…..though, there was a possibility of us living together for a long time if he barely looked for his mate.
However, I tried not to think too much about that possibility.
I felt more at ease if he was more prepared for the time when we would be separated.
“…. I am fine being with Michika forever.”
Cedric said, hugging me again and burying his face to my nape.
Thinking that there was nothing I could do about it, I ran my fingers through his beautiful white hair. Some leaves and grass were tangled on his hair. Just where did he go today?
I picked some grass that was stuck in Cedric’s hair with my fingertips.
“….hmmm?”
Huh? This grass didn’t grow around here…. it was Nileni grass.
The shortest route to this grass habitat should take ten days even using a horse-drawn carriage.
It would be faster to use teleportation magic, but beastkin wasn’t able to use it, and only a handful of humans could actually use teleportation magic. Besides, teleportation magic could only move one person…
“Ced, you can’t find this grass unless you went to Argus, right?”
“What are you talking about, Michika?”
Listening to my words, Cedric looked up. I couldn’t read the expression hidden within his emotionless face.
“……where did you go today?”
“It’s confidential, Michika.”
Saying that, Cedric put on a beautiful smile on his face.
……just what was Ced hiding from me?
T/N
[1] she said 寂しがり (Sabishigari) which means someone that tends to feel lonely/ got lonely easily. I just can’t find the equivalent of it so I changed it to “baby” since basically she just said that to show how weak his mentality is.
Chapter 12 - Transmigrator Michika and Her Son After a Year [⅔]
Today was the day after I found Nileni grass on Cedric’s hair.
I left home right after I saw Cedric’s off to work.
Today, I took a day off from work. And what I was going to do was…
……I knew that I shouldn’t do it, but I wanted to know what Cedric was doing for work.
I was merely going to the adventurer’s guild, where Cedric received his work, and asked about the details of it.
Even if I told myself it was only that, my chest throbbed with pain.
Digging up someone’s secret was no excuse.
However, if my son was involved in something suspicious, I couldn’t pretend to be oblivious.
If Cedric was doing something dangerous and ended up losing his life, it would be too late to regret.
I walked along the familiar path at a quick pace, and bowed to the guard by the gate as usual, entering the town. And then, I headed to the adventurer’s guild, which employed Cedric. The adventurer’s guild was a large building with an inn and a tavern, just right by the main street.
I only went to the guild on the first day Cedric started to work. They probably wouldn’t remember me anymore, as the guild had surges of people coming in and out.
I arrived at the guild and nervously opened the door. Those brawny men who already started drinking from daytime turned their gazes to me. I was scared from their gaze for a moment, but they quickly became absorbed in chatting and drinking without paying further attention to me, who was looking plain and already past my prime age.
Even though I had ‘Complete Protection’, I was still scared of men. I was relieved that they soon lost interest in me.
I went to the counter and reached out to the girl with glasses at the reception desk.
“Excuse me..”
“Yes! What can I help you with? Do you want to register?”
The girl with light brown hair and freckles across her cheeks asked with a bright smile.
“No, I don’t want to register…”
“Oh, alright. I haven’t seen you around here, so I thought you would like to register.”
I showed her an ambiguous smile as a reply.
Since I was hiding my ‘Complete Protection’, I worked as a freelance adventurer…. or rather a gatherer. So, I didn’t belong to any guild.
“Then, are you a requester?”
“No, I’m not. I am acquainted with Cedric who is registered here… I am just wondering what kind of work he is doing.”
The moment I mentioned 'Cedric’, her expression turned cold.
“Again? Are you also following Cedric around? I can’t tell you personal information regarding an adventurer who is affiliated to the guild!”
The girl turned his face away, as she said in anger.
…….again? Cedric was being stalked by someone to that point?!
Since he was too beautiful, it wouldn’t be weird that someone would go as far as stalking him. But he didn’t say anything at home!
“But, I’m really his relative!”
“Everyone also said that.”
Glaring at me, the girl just ignored everything I said. We started to gather people’s attention too. I felt that I couldn’t to endure their gazes anymore.
Since there was nothing I could do, perhaps I should just go home. Right when I took a deep sigh…
“Michika, what are you doing here?”
I heard the voice that I didn’t want to hear the most.
Turning around, I saw Cedric standing behind me with his brow furrowed, showing his displeasure.
“Ced….”
“Michika, it’s dangerous to come to a place like this. People are crude here.”
“Ced, I’m fine because I’m an adult. You know that I’ve been living alone for a long time, right?”
To be exact, I was fine because I had 'Complete Protection’.
“I am worried about you.”
Cedric came approaching with anger on his face, and hugged me strongly. A small commotion rose from the surroundings. Why did Cedric hug me?! It wasn’t the place to act like this!
“Nobody here did something bad to Michika, right?”
Cedric spoke while pressing my head against his chest. His voice sounded terrifying, as if it crept to the ground
“Hiie! I didn’t think that she is really Cedric’s relative! I thought she would be the usual annoying stalker…”
The girl at the reception desk shrieked in response to Cedric’s words. She was clearly frightened.
“Ced, Ced! No one did anything to me!”
As I loosen the restraint of this kid’s arms, I desperately looked up to his beautiful face. Just then, Cedric bent down in worry.
“Really? You are fine?”
“Yeah, I am.”
I nodded multiple times, and Cedric gently smiled towards me as he felt relieved.
“No way. Cedric is showing emotion…”
The receptionist girl muttered, feeling taken aback, as the surroundings stirred up in shock.
……well, of course you were surprised. Even when I introduced him to my business partner, he was still expressionless.
“Lana, I finished the quest. I’m going home now.”
Cedric said, and threw a bag filled with something to the receptionist gir-, miss Lana.
“You are still as fast as ever. Just how on earth…”
“Get my reward fast.”
“Yess!!”
When Cedric glared at her, Miss Lana cowered and quickly moved away from the counter.
My son was surprisingly acting tough outside our home.
“By the way, Michika. Why did you come here?”
As he held my shoulders with his manly arms, Cedric who smiled gently at me, didn’t seem to smile at all deep inside his eyes…
Chapter 13 - Transmigrator Michika and Her Son After a Year [3/3]
“Why are you here Michika?”
This time, Cedric whispered close to my ear. As I froze from the sudden feeling of his breath on my ear, he let out a faint smile for some reason.
“Because I am worried. I don’t know what kind of work Ced is doing. Since we are family, of course I would be worried, right?”
As my tone unintentionally turned stronger, Cedric gazed at me with a bitter look. Maybe… I just wanted to hide in a strong facade from my guilt. It felt like there was a heavy lead stuck on my chest.
“You don’t trust me…”
“It-it’s not like that-”
“Really?”
As Cedric repeated his question, I was stuck in my tongue. If I really trusted him, I wouldn’t have tried to pry into his job. That was the exact reason I felt the guilt.
However, it was true that I was worried about Cedric.
To be worried about my family, or to trust my family. Which one should I choose?
“Ced…”
I looked up at him, lost for words. He returned my gaze silently. Cedric reached out his fair and lovely hand, and brushed my cheek a few times before he held me close again. And then, he patted my back like he was comforting me. At this rate, nobody could guess which one of us was the parent.
“I don’t know about Michika’s work either.”
“Ced…”
“I am worrying about you every single day…”
I was taken aback by Cedric’s words. We both held the same feelings.
I knew for sure that I was ‘safe’. However, it wasn’t the same for Cedric. He never asked much despite always worrying about me…
“Ced, can I ask you only these? You are not doing something dangerous, right? Or get involved in any kind of crime?”
“I don’t do either of them.”
“I see…”
I tensed down in Cedric’s embrace.
Cedric trusted me… So I would also try to trust my son.
“I’m sorry, Ced. I won’t ask you until you want to talk about it yourself. I also won’t do this anymore.”
“I will also wait until you want to tell me about your work, Michika.”
We looked at each other and gently smiled as the tension finally loosen.
“Umm… if both of you still want to talk, we can provide you a room upstairs and you can continue your talk there.”
Miss Lana nervously spoke out to us, who had been occupying the counter.
The gaze from our surroundings was pricking, as there were people lining behind us at the counter. Looking at that, my cheeks turned hot. We seemed to cause a lot of commotion.
“It’s fine already.”
Cedric said, and…..held me up with ease, which was quite surprising.
I was getting flustered by the feeling of being held up. This was the first time I was held up like a princess, but this position was quite unstable, that I felt really uneasy. I promptly put my arms around Cedric’s neck, and I could surprisingly feel his firm muscles.
It was the truth that beastkin was stronger than human. Even I couldn’t feel Cedric, who held me up like this stagger for a bit.
“Ced, why are you holding me up?!”
“It’s a punishment for not trusting me.”
“Punishment?!”
“Please reflect on yourself if you are feeling embarrassed.”
“Ced..!”
Cedric smiled sarcastically as he saw me lowering my brows.
I didn’t remember raising such a mean child! But I was in the wrong this time….
“Let’s go home, Michika.”
Cedric left the guild, still holding me up. Curious gazes of those adventurers stuck to our backs, and those who saw us after we walked out to the street… were staring with jealousy, which mainly from women.
A ridiculously plain woman who was being held up by a peerless beauty was of course attracting attention.
…..this is certainly an embarrassing punishment.
“Ced…. I’m embarrassed.”
“You reap what you sow.”
Though Cedric said it in an aloof tone, the corner of his mouth was slightly rising up. I could see that he was amused.
I buried my face in Cedric’s chest to escape from the surrounding gazes. Then, he rubbed his cheeks to the top of my head. The scales rubbing onto me made some loud noises.
“I love you, Michika.”
Then, I could feel his soft lips kissing the top of my head as he whispered that bewitchingly. I was shaken by his excessive doting.
“Your mother complex is just too much!”
I shouted, but Cedric stared at me looking puzzled.
That expression was really cute, but I wanted him to save this kind of doting to his lover.
If he behaved like this towards his mother, his bride might never come!
I wonder if I raised him the wrong way… Did I pamper him too much? Should I be a bit colder?
Though I thought so, if I treated him coldly, he would make a sad face and I wouldn’t be able to keep that act up.
I was bound to continue spoiling him. Although, I felt that we couldn’t stay this way…
Chapter 14 - A Guild Staff Monologue (Lana)
One afternoon when the sun spread its warm rays.
A beautiful boy resembling an angel opened the door to the adventurer’s guild ‘Black Horse Dream’.
Pure white hair like a snowfall, glossy fair skin, and crimson eyes with a noble sparkle like jewels. White glistening scales were scattered on his cheeks and arms. His face looked unbelievably beautiful as if God had sculpted it with all his might.
Everyone was captivated by him, regardless of age and gender. Today, I came to know that overwhelming beauty had nothing to do with gender for the first time in my life.
I was Lana, a low-rank employee of this guild.
“I want to register in this guild.”
The beautiful boy said coldly, with his also beautiful voice. He was with his companion only for that day. My memory was a bit hazy since I was distracted by his beauty.
“Ye- yes. Please tell me your name….”
“Cedric.”
He said his name bluntly, without moving any of his facial muscles. Somehow, I felt that he treasured that name.
Though I looked like a human, I was a quarter mouse. Therefore, I instinctively cowered from Cedric, a reptilian predator who seemed to be cold.
…………but, that feeling faded as I met him every day.
Today as well, Cedric came to the guild early in the morning. The way he did his work was changing. Or rather… it turned to be something unique that others couldn’t imitate.
Cedric took about a month from accepting the quests to completing it. He went to far places, accepting several difficult quests a day, and finished them by the evening of the same day. A number of adventurers were tailing on Cedric to find out how he did it, but they always lost him on the way.
The common theory that spread within the guild was, since he was of Lizard species, he transformed himself into a lizard and got teleported by a human magician by teleport magic.
Yeah. Beastkin could take the form of their species. He could transform into a four-legged beast.
Teleport magic could only fundamentally teleport one person. But, if he was the size of a luggage, it was possible. The transformation of a lizard shouldn’t be too big, so he was able to be carried along.
……though, I didn’t know about the truth.
“Lana, what kind of quests do you have today?”
“Hmmm…. how about these ones?”
Cedric was always few of words.
He looked through the sheets of papers that I presented, picked two of them and returned the rest to me. As always, he picked the quests with high difficulty level. I looked at the remaining quests, feeling astonished.
“I’m going, then.”
“P-please take care!”
Involuntarily cheering on Cedric as he left the guild, he narrowed his eyes a bit and waved his hand lightly before leaving. Just looking at that little gesture, my chest felt tightened.
I…. might be in love with him, who was ten years younger than me.
I didn’t have an instinct to seek for my fated mate like a pureblood beastkin. However, his attitude made me understand that Cedric didn’t feel that I was destined to him.
I knew I had no chance even if I fell in love with him.
But… perhaps it was okay to not let go of this feeling until I saw him liking someone else.
It had been half a year since Cedric commuted to this guild. He grew taller, and became more masculine as days passed. I could only be fascinated by Cedric’s growth.
That day, Cedric came in the morning and left the guild with two quests as usual. But a few hours later…
That woman came.
She was a petite woman with long beautiful black hair in a ponytail. She seemed harmless, and looked a little bit older than me. After looking around a bit, she walked towards me with a nervous look.
“E-excuse me.”
“Yes! What can I help you with? Would you like to register?”
As I asked her with a bright customer service smile, she looked relieved and opened her mouth.
“No, I don’t want to register….”
“Oh, alright. I haven’t seen you around here, so I thought you’d like to register. Then, you are an inquirer?”
“No, I’m not. I am acquainted with Cedric who is registered here… I am just wondering what he does for work.”
…….this kind of people ‘again’?
I took a deep sigh in my mind.
Cedric was as beautiful as a goddess. Countless women had fallen for him…no, there were also men in some cases.
They frequently came just to be a nuisance, demanding us information about Cedric. I immediately assumed that she was one of them.
“Again? Are you also following Cedric around? I can’t tell you personal details of an adventurer who is registered in the guild!”
“B-but, I am really a relative!”
“Everyone also said so.”
As I kept turning her down, I lost my patience with this persistent woman.
The adventurers in the guild were also looking towards here with the gaze that said, ‘again?’. Just when I was about to ask them to send her away…
“Michika? What are you doing here?”
Cedric appeared. He seemed to have completed the quests already, as he brought a bag that seemed to contain loot. He walked straight to the woman he called Michika, and after exchanging a few words…
He gently hugged her as if he was handling something precious.
I understood just by looking at his beautiful side profile, and his attitude that looked more gentle than usual.
Ahh…. he was in love with this Michika.
It was the decisive moment when my love ended.
After that, Cedric threatened everyone, and they both thoroughly showed off their intimacy. Miss Michika didn’t look like she was in love with Cedric, but at least…. Cedric obviously looked crazy about her.
……My next love was surely there, somewhere.
As I gazed at Cedric’s back, who left the guild while holding up Miss Michika like a princess, I looked up to the distance, alone.
A/N
That is how Lana sees those two.
I think she will occasionally appear later…
Chapter 15 - A Son and His Work [⅓] (Cedric)
“Lana, what kind of quests do you have today?“
Today as well, I headed to the guild and spoke out to Lana, the guild staff that I frequented.
She was a human woman who was always earnest and quick at her hand. She seemed to be a quarter rat, since her body was small and she always moved in a rush, resembling a small animal like rats.
"Well, about that… uhm…”
Lana was looking up at me with those big eyes behind her glasses, hesitating. As I tilted my head wondering what it was, she looked like she was about to cry.
“I am sorry….. about yesterday. I treated Miss Michika terribly…”
She then apologized to me with a thin voice.
Ah…. it was about that.
I didn’t like that she was rude to Michika. For that reason, I spoiled Michika right after we got home. So today, my mood was rather good.
I laid on her lap on the couch and got my ears cleaned, and then I put Michika’s small and delicate body on my lap while we drank tea together….
“I’m sorry about today.”
Michika, who said that while lowering her eyebrows looked very lovely that I was struggling deep inside. Although, I tried to keep my calm with the utmost effort. It was such a wonderful afternoon.
My love was getting deeper. But, Michika didn’t seem to notice at all.
Michika truly saw me only as her ‘son’.
I wanted her to be more conscious of me as a man. I wanted to go along with this greed and make her notice about this heat I was feeling.
I wanted to earn the privilege of touching her as a ‘man’, not as her 'son’. I wanted her to love me.
…. although I thought so, I loved spending these calm days, that felt warm just like Michika.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind it.”
Replying to Lana, I promptly put on a smile as I remembered those blissful moments I spent with Michika yesterday. Lana was taken aback… and seemed to almost crying right after.
“Miss Michika is the one that Cedric loves, right? Though… she looks a lot older.”
I tilted my head over what Lana just said.
Michika was certainly fourteen years older than me.
But, that age difference wouldn’t hinder my love for Michika.
Although… it was a hindrance that Michika wasn’t aware of me because of that age difference. But, I would try to resolve that as well.
“I love Michika regardless of our age.”
“Ugh!”
Lana fell to the counter with her face bright red as she heard my words.
What was wrong…? If she had a cold, she should get off early. If common cold spread inside the guild and caused it to be closed, it would be a great loss to both the adventurers and the guild.
I took two out of ten quests forms that Lana, who was still shaking, gave me, and left the guild.
Today, I took a magic beast subjugation quest in a village about ten days away by horse-drawn carriage and giant serpent extermination that lived in a mountain one week away by foot.
Both of them were certified as 'A’ level difficulty…. which wasn’t something that should be done alone like this.
However, with the accumulating achievements that proved that I could fulfill the quests without any problem, the guild started to transfer this kind of quest to me.
As I left the guild and walked to the main street, I noticed that I was being followed in a distance.
There were many humans following after me for some reason.
This presence… were they adventurers who tried to find out how I did my 'work’?
They hid their presence well, but it was easy to tell that they were professionals considering the significantly consistent distance that they kept.
I took a breath.
And rushed through the crowd.
Using the passerby to create a blind spot, I picked up my pace.
If they were novice adventurers or someone who was attracted to me, I could slip off easily. But today, those guys were following my movements carefully and kept the same distance even inside the crowds.
What a pain….
Clicking my tongue, I glanced around for a suitable back alley. The one that could hide me from those guys just for a few seconds. I found a good alley just a few meters ahead, and leapt there.
My sight suddenly swayed.
And I…. wasn’t standing on a back alley in the town, but on a grass field. If only I didn’t make any mistake while setting the coordinates, I should have arrived near the village for the quest.
Those guys were probably taken aback seeing the empty alleyway right now. Perhaps they were looking in every corner of the alley to find me.
'Beastkin’ couldn’t use magic.
Beastkin, unlike humans, lacked the ability to store magic in their bodies.
Though, there were exceptions. Like foxes, which could use magic by storing up magic in their tails.
I, who was able to use magic….. wasn’t a beastkin.
I was the descendant of an ancient dragon called the ancient race.
They possessed two forms, a dragon and a human.
A household that controlled the magic system, different from the magic people used in this era.
The name of that race was 'dragonkin’.
That was my true race.
A/N
Ced thinks Michika is dense.
But Ced himself is ignorant about people who are attracted to him.
Chapter 16 - A Son and His Work [⅔] (Cedric)
Looking around the grassland, I let my mana crept on the ground to check the coordinates. Only then that I felt relieved that I had arrived near the village without any problems. But even so, there was still quite a distance to the village, as I was in hurry to escape from being chased.
It would be quicker to use teleport again or fly in a dragon form, though.
However, I couldn’t take the risk of being seen and get myself exposed as a dragonkin. I didn’t have any intention to fall into slavery again.
As I stepped on the soft red clay soil that was covered with grass, the image of my younger self was crossing my mind…
I… who was caught by a slave trader that day….
Dragonkin was a scarce race that was said to be unreal even now.
Stronger than beastkin, and possessed tremendous magic that couldn’t be compared to humans, a single dragonkin could easily erase the whole town if there existed one. They could change their form from a human to a dragon, and their breath mercilessly reduced their opponent into ashes.
The strongest race that was said to be the pinnacle of species. That was dragonkin.
However, dragonkin were weak in their reproduction, even when their individual strengths were strong.
Female dragonkin could only give birth to one child all their life. And even if the males were to take brides from another race, the born child rarely had the characteristics of dragonkin.
Slowly, throughout the years, dragonkin had their number reduced.
As the number of dragonkin had decreased, we started to get aimed by other races who wanted to obtain our scarcity and power despite the risk.
There was no race that could rival the power of dragonkin. Thus, in most cases, we could easily defeat those enemies.
However, no matter how strong we were, there were times that we weren’t able to do anything if we got ambushed or being played dirty.
Right. Just like the day my family was assailed.
Eight years ago. I lived with my parents in a mountain, quite far from the human village.
Our livelihood couldn’t be said to be self-sufficient. But, my days were calm and gentle. It was a memory of the distant days that I could only remember in fragments now.
My father, who had the same white hair and crimson eyes as me, was a man who was bad at expressing his emotions. He was clumsy in his own way but was always kind. My mother was a woman with dark hair and golden eyes and had a gentle atmosphere. I remembered her being sickly.
We were close to each other, living a quiet life.
“Bad things will happen if we get known as dragonkin. So, just say that you are a lizard when someone asks for your race.”
Mother always told me that.
However, my parents were beautiful enough to be noticed even if they weren’t dragonkin.
That night, a young girl came visiting our hut.
“I am really sorry, but I got lost.”
The girl said that she was trying to head to the town across this mountain. But she got lost and ended up here.
If she was an adult of another race, my parents would have been wary.
However, she looked young and harmless.
My parents believed the girl’s words, gave her a meal, and let her stay overnight in my room, as we didn’t have anything fancy like a guest room.
“Thank you so much.”
She said as she showed a delightful look on her face. Yet, none of us realized that it was fake.
At midnight, I was woken up from my sleep… as I felt something…
It was the feeling of cold metal touching my neck. Opening my eyes over that unfamiliar sensation, I saw the girl’s emotionless face in dim light.
“Big sis….?”
“Keep quiet, and don’t move… I’m sorry.”
After that soft apology, she pulled my body up against my will. I couldn’t resist even if I wanted to, and I couldn’t scream either. I remembered that I was extremely baffled with that situation.
She put on that cursed submission collar when I was asleep…. I didn’t have any idea at that time.
Bewildered, the girl pulled me to my parents’ bedroom. My feet moved, disregarding my will as if it was natural for me to obey her.
As the door opened, my parents, who already sensed our presence, were staring at us.
“Don’t resist… or I’ll kill this child.”
The girl said coldly, pressing a knife to my throat. Then, she threw two collars towards my parents.
“Put these on.”
“You bastard….!”
As my father showed resistance, the girl lightly thrust the knife to my neck. A tingling pain spread as the knife pierced my skin. I inadvertently felt scared as warm blood flew through my skin.
No matter how strong dragonkin was, there was no chance if my throat was getting slit without being able to resist.
“Don’t even think to threaten me.”
As the girl and my father glared at each other, my mother only watched them, looking frightened.
Eventually, my father gave up and picked up the collar that had fallen on the floor. He hesitated for a while… but both of them ended up putting it on as Mother prompted him.
Some footsteps resounded as people broke into our house, while I was watching this scene being dumbfounded. My family was then apprehended by the slave trader.
“You will release my sister right?”
“What a hard worker. I will release her as promised. They really are beautiful lizards. Well done, you spot them well.”
The girl and the slave trader were talking about something. However, I was distracted by the sight of my proud dragonkin parents being made to serve the slave trader.
And a few days later…. I was bought by that woman.
A pain spread in my chest as I remembered the past.
If only we didn’t give shelter to that little girl. If only I wasn’t negligent. If only my parents could resist without caring about me.
Numerous feelings were muddled together… however, it was already something from the past.
Or so I thought.
Chapter 17 - A Son and His Work [3/3] (Cedric)
Our reunion was too abrupt.
As soon as I arrived at the village, I went to the requester, the village chief.
This quest should be the one to subjugate a magic beast. The buildings in the village showed signs of severe damage, and crops in the fields had been plundered and withered away.
The village didn’t seem to be well off either before the magic beast came out. The villagers in this sparsely populated village wore shabby looking attire, or nicely speaking, simple attire.
Some people looked at me with curiosity from inside their wooden house, also a few passersby. In a remote village, outsiders stood out. However, I was even more standing out since I didn’t look like an adventurer.
As I knocked on the door of a building that looked relatively well-off in this village, a maid opened the door for me.
“Ah…”
The maid let out a voice the moment she saw me.
She was the girl from that night.
After years passed, her features had changed into that of an adult woman. But she was definitely the girl from that night. She also recognized me, as it was obvious from her face that was turning pale.
Father, Mother.
I felt anger bubbling up in my head as I recalled the scene of them being dragged and taken to the slave trader. My throat instantly dried up as I swallowed my saliva.
The woman was staring at me with her shoulders intensely trembling. She propped herself on the door with her horribly chaffed hands, which stood out like a sore thumb.
I wanted to kill this woman right away. That feeling overflew in my heart.
Michika, Michika, Michika.
I called out the name of my dearest inside my head.
If I killed her, Michika would surely be sad.
As I was reminded of her, who was so gentle, I was able to piece together my reasoning that was shattered.
“I am….. going back. Another adventurer will come soon.”
After staring at each other for a while, that was what I eventually said.
Then, as I was about to turn my back on that woman… her chaffed hand grabbed my clothes.
“I’m sorry….. I can’t ask you to forgive me for that night. But this village is done for if we wait for another adventurer! I don’t mind if you kill me, so please…”
She said, looking at me desperately.
I was the ‘fastest’ one to come to this place from the time the quest was submitted.
I didn’t think that another adventurer who accepted this quest would come to this place using the scarce teleport magic. The trip itself was a whole ten days. And if they weren’t skillful, they would spend more time coming here.
In the meantime, if the village was once again attacked by the magic beast and their food got plundered, this woman might starve to death.
If the food devoured by the beast wasn’t enough, it was possible for her to be eaten by the magic beast even before she died from starvation.
Also, if I told everyone, “I won’t help this village because of this woman.” and went back home, she might be stoned to death by the villagers even before the magic beast appeared.
This woman would still die….. even if I didn’t do it by my own hands.
I stared at the woman, having such dark thoughts.
“My sister was caught by the slave trader. That girl was only four, I had no choice…”
That woman desperately added. How selfish she was.
No matter what reason, she still “sacrificed” us in exchange.
“I was seven at that time…..”
Her eyes widened as she heard my words, drops of tears spilled down from her eyes.
“In exchange for your sister, I became a slave. I also lost my mother and father.”
“Uhh..”
Letting go of my clothes, the woman fell to the floor.
Looking at that woman, I….
* * *
“Welcome back. You are a bit late today?”
Michika greeted me as I returned to the mansion. As soon as she saw me, she lowered her eyebrows in worry as she noticed something.
I intended to keep up my emotionless face, but Michika was sharp regarding the subtleties of my feelings.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes…..”
I nodded, replying to Michika honestly.
Michika then pulled my hand and led me to the living room, putting me down on the large couch.
“Ced, I’ll prepare you hot milk. Do you want it sweet or not?”
“Sweet….”
“Alright.”
Michika smiled softly and went to the kitchen. Just looking at that smile made me feel at ease. After a while, Michika came back with two cups of hot milk.
“Here, Ced.”
“Thank you so much, Michika.”
I blew on the hot milk that I just received and drank it after it was colder. Then, a gentle sweetness spread inside my mouth.
Michika sat next to me and drank her hot milk without asking me anything.
“I couldn’t kill her.”
I sighed and muttered after finishing my hot milk. Michika glanced at me with wonder. There were deep creases between her brows.
“Can I ask what happened….?”
“Before that…. can I get a hug?”
“What a spoiled child…”
Michika had an ‘it couldn’t be helped’ look, and opened her arms wide.
As I reached out and held her, I could smell a gentle scent of herbs coming from her petite body. She must be visiting many chemist’s shops today. This was the scent of my dearest Michika.
She was warm and soft. Everything about Michika was gentle and lovely.
Tears came down my cheeks, wetting Michika’s nape. Yet, Michika gently caressed my back without saying anything.
T/N
Whatt Ced?? You didn’t kill her? I would honestly. Kinda disappointed but Ced is a soft boi
Chapter 18 - Transmigrator Michika Cried With Her Son
Holding Cedric in my arms, I gently stroked his white hair over and over again.The tears wetting my neck were a little cold, but I didn’t mind it for a bit when I thought about how painful it was for him to be crying like this.
“Michika….”
“Yes?”
“You are warm.”
Cedric tightened his hold on me. His cold body was getting slightly warm as it met with my warm body. I thought it was comforting for him, so I also held Cedric tight.
Cedric’s breath that touched my skin was tickling me a little. But he held me even tighter when I moved, as if he wouldn’t allow me to leave.
“Ced!”
“You are still comforting me, right?”
He whispered sweetly, while his beautiful fingertips repeatedly stroked my back. Wasn’t that touch a little too tender? Before I knew it, his tears seemed to have stopped, and he looked fine already since he had the energy to tease his mother.
“If you are fine already, let go of me, okay?”
“I am not fine!”
Though his voice was that lively……?
I didn’t think he would be spoiled like this when he grew up, but maybe it was fine to stay like this for a little more.
I hugged Cedric, who had stopped teasing me, and waited for him to speak.
After thirty minutes….. Cedric told me what happened today…
About how he met the woman who made him fall into slavery during his quest.
He thought about abandoning her, but he couldn’t.
I froze in place with my newly brewed tea, as Cedric stated those devastating facts indifferently.
“I thought Michika would be sad if I left her….. So I couldn’t do it.”
Saying that, Cedric held the cup of tea with both his hands and blew it softly to cool. He had a cat tongue. Was the phrase ‘cat tongue’ appropriate for lizards?
“Can you praise me for it?”
Cedric asked, staring at me with his pale cheeks slightly tinted pink.
Cedric was astounding, to be able to help someone that he abbhored and did terrible things to him.
This should be something that was worthy of praise. Yet I….
If the one who hurt me, my husband, was on the verge of dying….
Would I help him?
I couldn’t really say that I would. I might even gladly abandon him. Because, I wasn’t such an admirable person.
I…. didn’t have the right to praise Cedric.
“What’s the matter, Michika?”
Cedric tilted his head. At the sight of his innocence, my heart ached.
“I’m sorry, Ced……”
My mouth got twisted. I tried to hold it in, but tears quickly pooled in my eyes and trailed down my cheeks. Cedric was surprised seeing me like this, but he drew his face closer and started to lick my tears with his cold tongue.
“Ced?”
“You are crying….”
Was it his way to comfort me? Again and again, my tears were wiped off by Cedric’s tongue and lips.
“It’s ticklish.”
When I pushed his face away, Cedric swelled his cheeks in dissatisfaction. Seeing his face, I unconsciously showed a smile.
Wiping off my tears with my palm, I faced Cedric.
“Sorry for crying so suddenly. I have someone that I hate… and I don’t think I would help him like Ced did. I am just so petty.”
Cedric’s crimson eyes got widened. I wanted to be a strong mother in front of this child, but I realized that it was quite difficult.
…… Would he feel being lied to seeing me like this?
“Michika has someone that she hates? Did they hurt Michika?”
“Yes…. But it’s in the past already.”
Although, I still couldn’t forget the memories of those days.
It was painful, it was scary, and I hated it. And even more than that, it was …… saddening.
I didn’t know why the man that I loved so much had turned to that. Every time I woke up in the morning, I hoped he would return to his former self. Yet it was the opposite every single time.
“Uhghh…..”
I didn’t want to cry, but as my tears overflowed again, I covered my face with both my hands.
I really didn’t want to be like the tragic heroine by crying like this.
It was from years ago already, I wonder why I still hadn’t overcome those days….
It was shameful and also painful to show this kind of appearance in front of Cedric, who was getting over his tragic past.
“Michika, please don’t cry.”
Following that gentle voice, a soft and reassuring body enveloped mine.
I could feel Cedric’s body temperature.
I snuggled up as if I was depending on him, and he held me gently. Our roles were reversed now.
“Michika…. do you wish to kill that person?”
I lifted my face over his cold words.
My gaze met with his crimson eyes that were filled with obscure darkness. His pretty face was devoid of expression, as if he was a bisque doll.
“Ce….d….”
I called his name, stammering a bit. Then, I lovingly caressed his cheeks many times.
“If it was me, I could put up with it. And I could forgive someone as time passes. But I can’t tolerate anyone who hurt Michika.”
If it was the past me who was still suffering, I would have nodded my head immediately to his words.
However, my husband was not in this world, and I was living peacefully now.
“It’s fine. That guy…. is not here anymore.”
As I said so, Cedric’s facial expression loosen and he held me close again.
Chapter 19 - A Son and His Mother After Two Years (Cedric)
Two years had passed since I started living with Michika.
I already got used to my work in the guild, and I thought I also had quite become the breadwinner.
Now that I had turned 16, my body had grown from that of a child to a man… and I was proud of that.
But Michika still wasn’t aware of me as a man.
Like when we were reading books on the couch. Michika suddenly leaned her body against me. Once I listened to it carefully, I heard the constant breathing of someone falling asleep.
“Michika? Are you asleep?”
I called out and took a glance, and Michika, who leaned on my shoulder was asleep with her vulnerable face.
I carefully lowered Michika’s body on my lap as to not wake her up. Then, I took the book in Michika’s hand and put it on top of a desk, before proceeding to caress Michika’s pretty black hair.
Michika’s hair, which she usually put up in a ponytail, was down. She looked more innocent this way, as it made her look younger.
Michika fell into a deep sleep as usual. Her job required her to be active, as she needed to take a trip to the mountain and back to the town. Yet, her body was this petite. No wonder she was exhausted.
Even if I told her to take a day off, Michika wouldn’t listen. She seemed to like working.
“Michika”
Whispering her name, I traced her pink lips with my finger. She furrowed her brows a little, but showing no signs of getting up at all.
Michika was wearing a shirt and pants like a man today. Her shirt was tugged open, showing old burns on her soft stomach.
Michika’s had some old wounds on her body.
She said that she got it from collecting herbs, but it was obvious that they were purposely inflicted wounds.
Michika once said she had someone that she ‘hated’.
That person was certainly the one who hurt Michika.
Michika showed a sign of being scared of adult men. Although she tried to hide it, I noticed that she was behaving strangely whenever she passed by a man in the city or when she was called by them.
The one who inflicted these wounds was a man. [1]
I wanted to be a ‘man’ that Michika could be aware of. However, my grown-up body might scare Michika away. I was filled with such anxiety.
I reached Michika’s pale stomach, which didn’t get tanned during the day, and traced her wounds with my finger. I could feel the rough skin on my fingertips.
Unlike beastkin and dragonkin, humans were weak creatures. But still, just how violent he was to leave such deep wounds?
Was that man…. Michika’s lover?
Why couldn’t he cherish such a gentle person like Michika? I was disgusted by him. I wanted to kill him.
Michika said that he wasn’t here anymore. However, if there was a chance that he still lived in this world….
I will cut him into pieces….
“Ngh…”
Michika tossed, and her shirt rolled up even more.
I suddenly felt giddy as I could see more of her bare skin in front of me.
I wanted to touch her, lick her, and make her moan in a sweet voice.
I wonder how her voice sounded when she moaned in my embrace.
Gobbling down my reasoning to my desires, I reached out to Michika.
Slap!
I slapped Michika’s exposed belly softly.
“Ah!”
“Michika, your stomach is fully exposed. You’ll catch a cold, you know.”
I said to Michika, who squealed in surprise as she got up. Embarrassed at the sight of her stomach, she quickly tucked her shirt into her pants.
“Thank you, Ced. But there’s a nicer option like covering me with a blanket from upstairs, you know? You don’t have to hit my stomach…”
“You will sleep here if I bring you a blanket, right?”
Michika looked at me like a child with teary eyes.
That gesture was the most adorable thing I have seen in the world. I thought I might have a disease, since I loved everything about Michika.
“It’s already time to sleep. So let’s go to bed.”
I said, holding up Michika’s body.
“Ced! Ced! I can walk by myself!”
“You might sleep on the couch again, so I will take you there…”
“At this rate, I don’t even know which of us is the mother!”
“I will sing you a lullaby, so please sleep properly.”
“Ced, you are not as adorable as you used to…”
I was stuck in my words as I heard that.
Michika was so dense these days that her words pricked me a little.
What Michika wanted from me was my childhood. If I deviated from it, she might even hate me before I could make her aware of me.
“Am I, not adorable…?”
When I gazed at Michika dispiritedly, Michika’s cheeks became slightly red.
The look on her face gave me a certain expectation.
“Oh my god, what’s with that dejected face? How sly! You are adorable! My son is the most adorable son in the world!”
I felt weak when I saw Michika said that with sparkles in her eyes.
Well, as long as she didn’t hate me…. It’s good enough…
By the way, I was still sleeping on the same bed as Michika.
Although she told me to go to sleep alone, I had no intention to give it up.
A/N
He is now 16 (*´ェ`*)
Next time, will about the 16-year-old Cedric from the viewpoint of Michika.
T/N
[1] Japanese is a bit of gender-neutral language… and the sentence structure makes it rarely mentions the subject (I, you, she, he, they) in a sentence (that sometimes I am confused who’s doing what, lol)
So, up until now, Cedric never knew the gender of “that someone” that Michika hates. It’s an error on my part too, though. I shouldn’t use he/him in earlier chapters….
Chapter 20 - Transmigrator Michika and Her Son After 2 Years
“Michika…”
Today, Cedric was asking me for a welcome hug when he returned from work.
His hands looked bigger than they used to be. Two years had passed since we first met, and I felt both moved and confused seeing Cedric gradually grew up into an adult each day.
Looking at his hands, I became hesitant to hug him.
“Michika?”
Cedric tilted his head in puzzlement. He looked so adorable while waiting for me with his arms open.
His face made me feel guilty, so I jumped to his chest as usual.
I could feel his firm body catching me, as he wrapped me with his strong arms.
Ced slowly turning into a ‘man’ as time passed…
“Welcome back, Ced. How was it today?”
“I’m back Michika. Nothing happened today”
He greeted me and rubbed his cheeks to the top of my head as usual. I could feel his rough scales on me, but I was already used to it. When I looked at Cedric’s tail, he swung it to right and left. My expression naturally loosened as I was observing him.
I was scared of men, but strangely, I wasn’t scared of Cedric becoming an adult.
Maybe because his hands were always so gentle that I consider him to never hurt me…?
I was glad that my adorable son is a good man.
I was filled with happiness since he surely would treat his wife right.
Just by imagining being apart with Cedric, I felt a bit-, no, I felt really sad. But we wouldn’t live together anymore when his wife appeared.
Maybe I should adopt another child when Cedric left. Though, I wasn’t able to formally adopt a child.
“Michika, what’s today’s menu?”
“Since Ced wants omurice [1], I asked the maid to prepare the fried rice. I’ll wrap it with eggs now.”
“I will help, then.”
Cedric’s face was getting brighter the moment he heard that today’s menu was his favorite omurice.
He then followed me while shaking his tail around. Aww, my son was the cutest in the world.
When we arrived in the kitchen, he familiarly opened the fridge and took out 6 eggs. Since Cedric liked thick omurice, he always used a lot of eggs.
He cracked the eggs into the bowl adeptly and began to beat it. I was preparing the frying pan while taking a glance at Cedric.
Life was really unexpected, for me to cook alongside a good-looking guy who I couldn’t even find in my previous world.
Ced really had become a fine man.
After he turned 16, he grew even taller. Perhaps he was around 180 cm now.
His arms and legs were long and graceful, and even though he was an adventurer, his skin was still pale and beautiful.
The scales on his cheeks and arms occasionally shed, so I was helping him with that, but his bare skin that I touched at that time felt so smooth. His scales were also shiny and always glittery.
It went without saying that he was beautiful. A peerless beauty without a single flaw no matter from which angle I looked.
If such a kid was in the same class as me, I would definitely fall in love with him.
My husband was also good looking, but Cedric was on a different level.
In the previous world, if I was admiring someone like this, my husband would have hit me. Ah- I somehow remembered something unpleasant.
“What’s the matter, Michika?”
Cedric, who had his cheeks dyed in cherry blossoms color, called out to me as he noticed that I was staring at him. It was kind of embarrassing that I was caught admiring him. My face spontaneously turned hot.
“I just…. got fascinated because Ced is so cool…”
When I said so, Cedric’s face turned bright red. He looked flustered for some reason, but why?
“Have I become more manly?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Enough to make Michika love me?”
I tilted my head over Cedric’s words.
“Ced, you know that I love you, right? You are my proud son, after all.”
As I said so, Cedric widened his eyes and sighed as if he was discouraged.
I wonder if I said something wrong…
“Give me the egg now.”
“Here…”
Cedric handed me the beaten egg, shaking his tail left and right dispiritedly.
Maybe his question from before meant as a man and woman?
Such an idea was overwhelming.
But that certainly wouldn’t happen. Because Cedric and I were 14 years apart.
And first of all, I wasn’t his mate. At least he never told me so up until now.
Yeah, I shouldn’t think too much about it.
I was just being too sensitive. Cedric wouldn’t think of me as such.
Also, I had enough of romantic relationship…
Because, I already knew how harsh, painful, and sorrowful it was.
T/N
[1] Japanese omelet? Idk how to say it. Just a bowl of fried rice wrapped in eggs in the shape of an omelet…
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