Chapter 13

Despite Iola being such a good person, he was adamant about not remaining as Viretta’s fiancé. To make matters worse, he now gazed at her with a sincere and almost reverent expression.

"I’d really like to meet the person you love, Viretta. One day, would you introduce me to him so I can apologize for all of this?"

Viretta was not the type of person who could simply say, "Surprise! There is no one!"

It was frustrating. Iola was too precious a person to let go, yet his genuine and heartfelt intentions shackled her in a way. His unwavering belief in her, his innocent and sincere eyes, and his persistent consideration made it impossible for her to dismiss him lightly.

How could she possibly reject him with such an earnest look?

Wait, why am I panicking? she thought. If I said we’re going dragon hunting, we’ll hunt a dragon. And if I said there’s someone I love, well, I’ll just find someone before the engagement is annulled!

The journey will be long anyway. Surely, I’ll come across a decent man somewhere. Yes, that’s it. It’s a perfect and groundbreaking solution!

Viretta reassured herself with that thought and answered Iola with a bright smile, leaving out the finer details.

"Once we’ve hunted the dragon, I’ll introduce you. The one I love is like the sky to me, so meeting him isn’t easy."

In other words, he might exist in the world but was currently out of sight.

"Thank you for accepting so graciously, Viretta. You truly are remarkable. I’m so glad I met you. Please don’t reject this sincere compliment—it comes from a place of pure respect."

"Oh, uh, respect, right? Pure... respect. Sure... I mean, I was born to earn everyone’s admiration, so it’s fine!"

"Rest assured, I’ll wholeheartedly reject any notion of romantic interest so that I don’t burden you."

The rejection stung a bit.

"You don’t have to try so hard... hunting a dragon will be difficult enough."

"No, it’s something I must do."

"You really don’t have to go that far."

"I promise, no matter what, I won’t let myself harbor any romantic feelings."

"Uh... Iola, you don’t dislike me, right? I mean, in a platonic sense. It’s not because you hate me, is it?"

"No? No, not at all."

"Maybe you should remind me of that a bit more often..."

Iola’s determination not to let romantic feelings develop was so thorough and precise that it was almost painful.

Though Viretta had invented the story of being in love to justify breaking the engagement, hearing Iola firmly pledge his platonic intentions—always with that same pleasant smile—left a sour feeling in her stomach.

Despite her relief, she couldn’t help but feel a bit prickly, especially when Iola, still beaming, turned his attention to Lanken.

"But I understand why you’re concerned, Lanken. If I seemed like someone rushing headlong into a dragon hunt without preparation, I’m sure you’d be worried."

"Yeah. You’d come across as not quite in your right mind," Lanken muttered.

"Don’t worry. I’ve wanted to study dragons up close for the last six months."

"Study? Did you get hit on the head with a rock or something?"

Instead of calming Lanken’s fears, Iola’s words only fueled his growing unease.

"It’s for my thesis," Iola explained cheerfully.

"Ah. I was about to misunderstand you. So, you’re not just crazy—you’re totally out of your mind."

At this point, Lanken was certain of it: Iola wasn’t just a little off, he was certifiably insane. He imagined slamming a judge's gavel in his head, sealing the verdict.

"Thank you for the compliment. They say that to truly immerse oneself in a field of study, one must be a little crazy."

"That wasn’t a compliment."

"But I received the true meaning behind your words."

"There was no meaning to receive."

Viretta stepped in, nudging a buttered slice of bread into Lanken’s mouth before he could fully unleash his complaints.

Iola, ever polite, continued, "After choosing the topic of dragons for my natural science thesis, I’ve long wanted to study them firsthand. But no one was willing to accompany me."

"For good reason. Not everyone has your... enthusiasm," Viretta added with a slightly forced smile.

"Exactly. Everyone said it was absurd to approach such a dangerous creature for an academic paper. So, I left my desires as mere fantasies. But then, I met you, Viretta."

His eyes sparkled with a strange joy.

"It was a revelation. Meeting you changed the very foundation of my being."

Viretta stared at Iola, trying to decipher his radiant expression. That glow in his eyes, that unwavering optimism—it was like staring directly into the sun.

"You, who seem so delicate, declared you would slay a dragon to unite with the one you love. Yet here I was, clinging to my own safety while harboring such intense desires. It was shameful."

Iola let out a deep sigh, only to brighten up once again.

"And so, like you, I decided to face the dangers for my goal. Together, we’ll hunt this dragon—so I can complete my thesis, and you can annul our engagement."

"And before you graduate, you’ll graduate from life," Lanken muttered under his breath, finishing off his bread.

Viretta glanced over at Lanken, her mind racing. There was, of course, one glaring problem: she had no lover. But Iola didn’t know that, and he continued his confident declarations as if the facts were immutable.

"Anyway, I’ve prepared myself. I won’t recklessly embark on this journey without resolve," Iola declared firmly.

Viretta, who had no such resolve, and Lanken, who had been dragged into this mess against his will, both shifted uncomfortably. Sweat trickled down Viretta’s back, and Lanken’s lips almost slipped into cursing.

"Lanken, I think he’s badmouthing you," Viretta whispered.

"How are you taking his side already?!" Lanken protested, annoyed.

"Look at him. Someone with a face that clean-cut has to be a good person," Viretta replied, matter-of-factly.

Lanken sighed in resignation. "So, it’s the face you like, huh?"

"I just trust people who look that trustworthy," Viretta said with a grin.

Iola cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. "It’s wise to discuss our strategy thoroughly. After all, dragon hunting is not something mere mortals can typically accomplish."

"Ah, finally, someone who talks sense..." Lanken muttered, hoping for a change of heart.

But before he could hope too much, Viretta slammed her hand on the table, her pride suddenly flaring up. "Of course, we can do it! Viretta Medleridge never speaks lightly!"

"And what good does that do us?" Lanken sighed.

"Any ordinary person would flee at the sight of a dragon, but to me, it’s nothing!" Viretta declared with all the bravado she could muster.

Iola’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "That’s incredible. Truly inspiring."

Viretta puffed out her chest, feeling emboldened by Iola’s unwavering belief. "Dragons, monsters—none of them can stand against my brilliance. Trust me, Iola, you’ll have an extraordinary thesis, and we’ll annul our engagement after a glorious victory."

"Viretta..." Iola murmured, clearly moved by her words.

Lanken, watching the two of them, couldn’t help but slump forward, his head hitting the table with an audible thud.

Of course, it’s going this way, he thought. Every journey with Viretta was always like this—wild, unpredictable, and completely insane.

"So, why exactly do we have to hunt the dragon?" Lanken interrupted, his voice weary.

"Excuse me?" Viretta and Iola both turned to him, surprised.

"I get that you’re determined to meet a dragon, Iola. And I get that you’ve got some weird fixation on it for your thesis. But why does Viretta have to go along with it? Isn’t breaking the engagement enough of an accomplishment?"