Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Dragon Causing Trouble and Roaming Around
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"Owner...?"
I called out to her cautiously, and a trembling hand reached toward me.
"Lua...? Is that really you, Lua?"
"Meeeng...."
A soft hand approached and stretched my cheek, producing a cute sound.
My tail drooped, and she stroked it before confirming it was real and pulling me into a tight hug.
"It's really you, Lua...!"
The owner's eyes reddened as she patted my back.
"I was so worried...! What on earth have you been up to, showing up now...!!"
"Eung...?"
A reprimand mixed with all sorts of emotions washed over me, along with her quivering touch.
"Suddenly...! Suddenly vanishing for three whole days—do you know how worried I was?!"
Three days.
In the time it took me to slip into subspace and come right back out, far more time had passed than I'd imagined.
I never dreamed things would turn out like this when I'd just set off to hunt that anomaly moments ago.
Which meant the owner had been agonizing over me the entire three days I hadn't returned.
"I'm sorry..."
With my tail hanging limp and me looking all dejected, she checked me over from head to toe.
"No injuries anywhere? You didn't get hit?"
Apart from the blue blood from that rat anomaly staining me, I was in pristine condition.
"...Thank goodness. Really..."
"I won't do it again..."
As I conveyed my genuine remorse for the unintended disappearance, she gathered her emotions and smiled.
"...Got it. Let's wash your face first."
Mi-ra Owner scooped me up like a baby and headed to the store's bathroom.
"Epuuph!!"
Splash—cold water scrubbed my face until it was crisp and clean.
"Don't go around with stains on that pretty face of yours, you dummy."
This was total baby treatment.
Not that I wasn't acting a bit babyish!
"Keung hae king!"
"Keung!"
After she blew my nose for me once, I blinked and gazed at the owner in the mirror.
She was beautiful no matter when I looked at her.
In other words, my one and only guardian.
...The sole person who bothered to look after an accident-prone dragon like me.
"Lua?"
"Ehehe... I like Owner..."
I rubbed my cheek against her shoulder to show my affection.
"Sigh... Lua, after making me worry myself sick, now you wanna act all cute?"
She let out a sigh like there was no helping me, but the careful upturn of her lips and the gentle pat on my back were overflowing with warmth.
"Hungry, right? Now that you're washed up, let's have a burger."
"Gyaarung! Burger!"
"Just wait a sec. I'll make it quick."
I left the bathroom and plopped down in my usual seat. Gently shaking my head, I listened to the pleasant sounds coming from the kitchen.
Having breakfast with the owner around 8 a.m. like this every day was our natural routine.
...Which conversely meant she'd eaten alone at this hour for the three days I was gone.
From now on, I had to tell her before going anywhere.
No matter how strong I was, from her perspective, I was just a little girl.
Vroom—! Just as I resolved myself and waited for the burger, a familiar motorcycle roared in, and the shop door swung open.
"I'm here, granddaughter. Checked the Han River area last night, but no sign of Lua... huh?"
"Meng?"
Appearing with a bitter tone in his voice, Grandpa locked eyes with the dragon sitting in the corner seat instead of the owner.
"You, you?!"
With my chin propped up and tail wagging in greeting, Grandpa's face mixed shock and fury as he pulled out his premium filial piety stick.
"You punk! Do you have any idea how worried my granddaughter was about you!!"
"Kyahung?!"
Crack—! He walloped my head.
It didn't hurt, but that stick always soured my mood no matter what.
"She said you vanished in broad daylight three days ago, so I turned Yongsan-gu upside down looking for you!"
Grandpa jabbed a finger at his cyberpunk motorcycle parked out front, huffing indignantly.
"Vanishing without a trace like that...! How worried I—! Khm! You rotten anomaly, always making people fret!"
"Grandfather?"
"...Ah, nothing's wrong, granddaughter! Loo.ks. Goo.d., Lua!"
Mid-nag, he startled at the sound of the commotion and awkwardly played it off when the owner appeared.
Once she vanished back into the kitchen, Grandpa wiped his sweat and let out a deep sigh.
"Phew... You're one lucky punk. So, what'd you do to disappear for three days straight?"
"Caught an anomaly... and saved the people it had trapped while I was at it."
"...An anomaly and people?"
At my mention of saving people, something seemed to click for Grandpa. He pulled out his phone and showed me a news article.
"No way... this your handiwork?"
"Oh! Everyone got out safe!"
The news confirmed it—the people I'd saved. I nodded.
Taking a closer look, there was even an interview from one of the missing: a mysterious girl had appeared and taken down the anomaly.
The comments were more focused on that "mysterious girl" than the article itself.
"Am I popular now?"
"Is that what matters, you punk!"
"Kkihing! Why'd you hit me!"
To steer the conversation back on track, Grandpa lightly bonked my head with the filial piety stick.
"Anyway, I get it's you. So how'd you save them?"
How I'd saved the people?
Just burned 'em... beat 'em... tore 'em...?
"...Huh."
I described the process simply, and Grandpa let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"Oh right! That anomaly mentioned something about the Anomaly Association—Grandpa, know anything?"
"Huh? Anomaly Association?"
Come to think of it, yeah, it had said that.
Tried recruiting me and all, so it seemed kinda legit.
"...Hm, sorry, no clue."
"Yeah? It told me to join up."
His expression turned grave at "Anomaly Association," and he groaned, deep in thought.
"......No way you said yes?"
His eyes sharpened suspiciously at me.
"Nah? They weren't even giving burgers, so I passed."
"...A refusal totally on brand for you."
I emphasized there was no reason to join without burgers, and Grandpa—familiar with my straightforward thinking—accepted it without question.
"Khm, got it. I'll look into the Anomaly Association separately."
Grandpa nodded, promised to investigate, and pulled out a notebook to jot something down.
"Made you wait long, Lua? Let's eat burgers. Got one for Grandfather too."
"Burger!"
"...Yeah, thanks, granddaughter."
Just as an awkward silence was settling in, Mi-ra Owner timed it perfectly and set the finished burgers on the table.
We all took our seats and dug in without hesitation.
"I'll eat well! Yaum!"
Grabbing my kid-sized burger with both hands and taking a huge bite, juices dribbled out.
"Eat more ladylike, Lua."
"Always...! It's so good...! Weung...."
The owner pulled out a napkin and gently wiped my mouth, so with my eyes crinkling cutely, I chomped away.
Mi-ra Owner and Grandpa could've nagged more but held back.
...Because to us, this moment of peace was more precious than anything.
"I'll handle cleanup."
With the harmonious breakfast over, Grandpa grabbed the empty trays and headed to the kitchen.
The store fell quiet.
The owner, who had been watching me silently, spoke up cautiously.
"...Lua."
The intensely serious vibe made me sit up straight.
Gulp. I swallowed nervously, wondering if she'd finally tired of my accident-prone self.
"Wanna live with me?"
Unbelievable words reached my ears.
"No more living outside. Come live at my place."
"...!!!"
Mi-ra Owner's offer was so sweet and irresistible.
"Really? Yes! I wanna live together!"
Before I knew it, I was standing on my chair, tail swishing excitedly.
Live with Mi-ra Owner?
This was an angelic temptation I absolutely couldn't refuse!
"Bodyguard and maid Lua...! Uheong!"
Hey, I had a solid thirty years of solo living experience under my belt.
I sucked at cooking, but housework? I could handle that easy!
"Pfft... Not hiring you as staff—just live together. I'll do the chores, so relax."
"Ming...?! Really?"
"Yeah. Lua... just grow up well."
Her hand stroking my head nearly brought tears to my eyes.
This compassion...! A true angel's heart!
Clang—!
At that moment, Grandpa—who'd been washing dishes in the kitchen—bolted into the lobby, head craned back as he yelled.
"Wa-wait a sec! What're you saying, granddaughter!!"
For some reason, he had a pot upside down on his head. Even losing his cool, he tried to talk her out of it.
"I'm gonna live with Lua from now on. Can't have her vanishing like this again."
"Aigoo...! No way! Even so, living with an anomaly...!"
"...Lua's an anomaly?"
Her eyes chilled in an instant at Grandpa calling the cute dragon an anomaly.
"N-no, I mean... Isn't living alone already too much for you...?"
"Far from too much—you know better than anyone it's overflowing."
"Still, Lua's not human—she's an anomaly..."
"...Anomaly?"
"No... I mean... a different species from humans..."
Grandpa's aggressive persuasion kept falling flat.
"I get you suspecting Lua, but hasn't she earned some trust by now?"
"Right!"
I raised my hand beside her, backing up her speech.
"Plus, it's getting colder soon. Letting Lua keep sleeping outside feels wrong."
"Right!!"
...Unlike her worries, sleeping outside was no big deal for me.
But!! Now that she'd said it, it was a problem from here on out.
Anyway!
"Eheung! Etchu! Kkiiing...."
I faked a sneeze to play up the "it's cold outside" angle and amp up my pitiful image.
"No... I mean..."
With no comeback left, Grandpa flapped his mouth before going silent.
"...Y-yeah. Fine. I concede... I lose."
"Thanks, Grandfather."
He finally approved the cohabitation.
"Ehehe! Grandfather's the best!"
I jumped gratefully on my chair toward the permissive grandpa.
"Please take care of me from now on!!?"
"Lua?! Dangerous!"
Clunk! The wobbling chair leg lost balance, and I tumbled right into the owner's arms.
Poof!
A soft wave of perfume tickled my nose.
"......"
The relaxing scent loosened me up. Cautiously lifting my head, I met her fierce glare.
...Huh?
"Haa... Lua, are you seriously gonna keep causing accidents like this?!!"
"Piyak!? S-sorry!!"
In the end, the dragon girl who'd caused an accident, come home, and gotten all excited got thoroughly scolded by the owner.
"No jumping on chairs!"
"Nooo..."
"Hands up proper?"
"Hik?! Sorry!!"
Punished dragon...
"Haa... Lua, stand in the corner for three minutes as punishment. Gotta check stock—Grandfather, watch her for me."
"Got it."
The owner handed supervision to Grandpa and headed to the kitchen for opening prep.
"......Sigh, you punk."
Left alone in the lobby, Grandpa slowly approached, matched my eye level, and rummaged in his pocket.
I'd braced for a whack from the filial piety stick, but surprisingly, out came a convenience store burger.
"...Meng?!"
A burger from there?
"Felt bad about dropping the last one, so I got another. Meant to give it three days ago, but got delayed."
Hand lowered, I took the burger and looked up at Grandpa cautiously.
He'd been thinking about this?
Maybe Grandpa wasn't such a bad guy after a—
Crack—!
"Kyawung!"
"Punk! Hands not proper!"
"...Wh-what!? Kkiheong!?"
"You rascal! Hands up proper!"
Spotting my hand drop, Grandpa whipped out the filial piety stick and bonked my head.
"This is why you gave me the burger!?"
"Tsk tsk! Your fault for dropping it!"
"Grandpa!!"
Daring to lure me with a burger!
Sneaky!! Kwek!
"Take your punishment for worrying my granddaughter!"
Grandpa exploited my distraction to assert dominance, but...
"...Grandfather?"
"Huh? G-granddaughter?!"
"Why're you hitting our Lua?"
"Th-this punk dropped her hands, so I was disci—!"
"You too—hands up and stand. Now."
"Y-yeah..."
Under the owner's radiating killing intent, he ended up punished right beside me.
Hmph! Tricking me like that!
...Still, thanks for the burger.
For real.