The Burdensome Pact
The kiss was more burdensome than I’d expected—chuup…♥ It pressed against my lips, softer and moister than sponge cake. Plush yet springy, it gently trapped my mouth. Like pudding, it gave a subtle, secret tug before releasing me.
“……?!”
The contact was warm and comforting, yet I froze solid. I had braced myself for artificial respiration, but I never imagined she would initiate the kiss first.
—Chuuut……
The jelly-like softness withdrew, leaving behind a faint, sweet fragrance. A thin silver thread stretched between our lips before finally breaking. That was it. I had kissed Sofia.
Her lips had felt like marshmallows—soft, chewy, and far more addictive than I’d anticipated. The only flaw was the lingering trace of mint at the tip of my nose. ‘I hadn’t even lowered my head completely yet, so how…?’
Confusion swirled in my mind. Kissing Sofia was shocking enough, but the subtle scent of mint kept teasing my senses. The taste of our first kiss reminded me of biting into sweet chocolate right after brushing my teeth.
“Haa, Breeder? You are my benefactor. To think you would make such a noble dessert for me…! And that kiss just now was merely a small token of my gratitude.”
“S-Sofia?! Are you all right?!”
By the time I regained my senses, Sofia had already risen from her seat. She gazed down at me with her sun-like golden eyes sparkling with affection, looking every bit like a saint who had received divine grace. Her expression carried the gentle benevolence of the Holy Mother.
“Of course. I am perfectly fine.”
“Then why did you collapse earlier?”
“That was… ahem. The taste was so heavenly that I briefly lost myself. Even I never expected to faint.”
“Haa, as long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters. Truly……”
I felt ten years older. I’d thought something terrible had happened. Forget the mint smell—if she was awake, everything was fine. I’d nearly earned the dubious achievement of poisoning two dragons with mint chocolate.
“Oh my, look at this…! To leave such a precious thing unattended and collapse?”
—Clatter!
As if reading my thoughts, Sofia immediately reached for the cake plate resting precariously on the stone table the moment she came to her senses. She looked down at the mint chocolate chip cake that had made her lose consciousness with a dreamy expression. Her touch was as careful as if she were handling a sacred relic. She even set aside Diora’s portion separately, treating it with the utmost reverence. Perhaps she valued it more than her own life.
“Breeder? I’m sorry. To lose consciousness from being so moved by your sincere cooking… That was truly unbecoming of a dragon.”
Holding one plate of cake, Sofia stood beside me. Her face remained solemn, as though she had been entrusted with a holy artifact. She resembled a saint welcoming a hero foretold by divine revelation.
—Rustle…!
Then, right before my eyes, she dropped to one knee.
“M-Miss?! Are you really all right? Please, stand up!”
I instinctively bent down and shouted. The situation was far too sudden. A dragon kneeling before a human?!
“Haa, to think these hands could create something so noble……”
Paying no heed to my protests, Sofia pulled my right hand toward her and rubbed it against her cheek. She looked just like a cat acting spoiled toward its owner. No wonder she had reached the ‘Worship’ stage. Unlike with Derke, Sofia’s reaction was distinctly different—almost as if she were truly serving her master. For a moment, it felt as though our roles had reversed. She even pressed a light kiss to the back of my hand.
“Chu, Breeder? Right now, I am more sincere and happier than I have ever been. So please, set aside any unnecessary worries.”
“Still, my dessert might have been defective, so you should rest first—”
“Don’t say such things! The mint chocolate you made is clearly a gift from the Primordial Dragon.”
“Huh……?”
What did the Primordial Dragon have to do with this? Her serious gaze told me she wasn’t joking. Had the mint contained some kind of drug? I hadn’t expected her to become this obsessed with mint chocolate. At this point, I was starting to suspect hallucinations.
‘Well, at least I succeeded in winning Sofia over, so it doesn’t matter, right?’
“It brought me greater joy and fulfillment than the first time I ever tasted mint through peppermint candy! If it weren’t for you, Breeder, I never would have experienced such emotion.”
Sofia’s golden eyes sparkled like a dragon’s lair filled with gold. She looked genuinely moved.
“I am truly honored to have met someone with such skill. Without you, I would have spent my days in boredom, never knowing this feeling……”
“A-Ah, well…… If you enjoyed it, then I’m honored.”
I decided to play along for now. I hadn’t expected her to like it this much. It felt like dealing with a devout follower of mint chocolate.
—Squeeze…!
At the same time, Sofia tightly clasped my hand. She had already set the cake plate down and was now looking up at me with an earnest expression.
“Breeder? I’m truly sorry to ask this, but… could you make this dessert for me once a month from now on? I’ll provide any ingredients or compensation you need.”
“Pardon? Once a month?”
I hadn’t expected this situation, but the condition was surprisingly generous. She wasn’t asking for it every day, and she was even offering payment. The terms were far more lenient than I’d feared. I’d worried she might demand daily servings, but once a month? For someone obsessed with mint chocolate, it was a surprisingly modest request. I had assumed maintaining a powerful backer would require regular tribute, yet her condition was quite reasonable.
“Yes. Once a month. I wish to savor this spiritually rich stimulation in moderation.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that? Moderation?”
“If I grow numb to such stimulating flavors, I fear there will be nothing left to look forward to in life. Even now, I’m tempted to devour even Diora’s share all at once.”
“Ah, I see. Understood.”
It was a wise decision, very much like Sofia. Resisting the temptation before her was impressive enough, but to think ahead to the distant future… Perhaps such extraordinary self-control came from living through countless ages as a dragon.
“And I’m not asking for this empty-handed. Aside from compensation, I will fully support you in every way possible regarding academy life from now on.”
“S-Sofia?! Do you truly mean that?”
The offer was so overwhelming and moving that my voice trembled. It felt as though all my efforts for mint chocolate were finally being rewarded.
“Of course. I can swear it right here and now.”
Music to my ears. The moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived. At last, I had gained the powerful backing I so desperately needed.
‘From now on, even the dragons won’t be able to look down on me or treat me carelessly—’
—Rustle…!
“Now then, Breeder? Let us form a contract.”
“Huh? Miss……?”
“I have become someone who cannot live without the dessert you made……”
Just as I thought I only needed to deal with the unconscious Diora, Sofia suddenly cut off my thoughts and drew close. She stepped forward until our noses nearly touched. It seemed as though our lips might meet again at any moment.
“Wait a second. A contract? Surely you don’t mean……”
“Yes. As you know, a dragon’s pact.”
“What? Why so suddenly?”
“I have already become unable to live without mint chocolate. So I wish to make a more certain promise with you. Would that be all right……?”
Sofia looked at me with pleading eyes, seeking permission. The sight of a dragon asking a human for a pact was unsettling. Though this was the moment I had longed for, I couldn’t easily agree. After all……
“I… As you know, Sofia, I have already formed a pact with Derke. How could I form a second one?”
“Hehe, it’s fine. There’s no rule stating a pact must be made with only one dragon.”
“Really? Is that true?”
“Yes. Of course, as long as the previous pact wasn’t a pure vow of love. Surely… you didn’t form that kind of contract with Derke, who is only a first-year, right?”
Sofia’s eyes suddenly filled with unease. She pressed closer, as if urging me to answer. I had no choice but to step back. I was worried she might try to kiss me again without warning.
“Why are you avoiding me? Answer me.”
Sofia followed, closing the distance. Her face carried an inexplicable anxiety—the fear that she might not be able to claim me.
“N-No, it’s nothing like that! It’s true that we formed a precious, if not grand, contract.”
“Haa, if that’s the case, then I’m relieved. I was worried for nothing.”
“By the way, Sofia? What do you plan to do about Miss Diora? If we leave her like this……”
—Grab!
My attempt to steer the conversation away from the pact was in vain. Sofia cupped my face with both hands and held it firmly in place. I could feel the warmth of her palms against my cheeks.
“Please don’t run from me. You are more precious to me than anything……”
“Miss, even so, in this situation……”
“Now, don’t reject me. Please form a pact with me.”
My real reason for avoiding the pact was different. While Derke’s situation was one concern, forming a dragon’s pact required a kiss. But as I had noticed earlier, the scent of mint chocolate still lingered on Sofia’s lips.
‘Damn it, if this continues, a system message will appear…… What if she tries to kiss me to form the pact right now?’
If I refused, I would lose the empty slot.
“Please don’t reject me. Spend your life with me……”
Before I could voice my anxiety, Sofia spoke of the pact again and drew even closer. She approached me, cornered in the nook, leading with her gentle bosom.
—Tap, tap, tap…!
Just then, the sound of nimble footsteps echoed.
“Seniors!!!”
“Haat? W-Who……?”
A girl with a long ponytail burst through the cliffside entrance in the cave wall, shouting urgently. Her movements were as fluid as a cat burglar’s.
“Emergency!! This is an emergency──!!!”
Her voice was so loud that the cave reverberated with a deep hum.
“…T-Tina?! What’s going on all of a sudden? I distinctly told you not to enter without permission.”
Sofia quickly pulled away from me and turned her head. The person who had entered the cave was none other than the third-year representative, Tina. She had been keeping watch outside on Diora’s orders.
“That’s not important right now! Vice Principal Benetric is heading this way!!”
“Vice Principal Benetric……? Is that true?”
“Yes! If we stay here, we’ll definitely be caught! We need to leave immediately! If the vice principal finds us, we’ll be punished for sure──!!”
“Haa? How on earth did she find this place……?!”
The situation had suddenly become urgent. Something was clearly wrong, but thanks to Tina, I had been saved. At least I had avoided a full mint-chocolate kiss with Sofia. Still, why would the vice principal herself come here?