“Hello, Nigel.”

“Yes, hello.”

“I knew it! I knew you two would end up together!”

“Thank you.”

On the way to the second-year lounge, everyone they encountered had something to say to Nigel.

To be precise, to Noah Beselion’s fiancée, not Nigel Ars.

Nigel greeted those who spoke to her with a smile, suppressing the boiling feeling inside.

Bang!

The lounge door opened with a loud noise that could tear one’s ears.

Students studying with their heads wrapped up were startled and looked at the entrance. Realizing Nigel was the cause of the commotion, they calmly turned their heads back.

Nigel’s destination was certain, so there was no hesitation in her steps.

“Nigel! It’s so disappointing to hear about your engagement only through news articles!”

Yenika, who was neatly cutting out engagement photos from mountains of articles and scrapbooking only the parts with Nigel, ran to the real person.

Nigel stroked the pink hair and sat down.

Then she roughly placed her books and writing materials on the table.

With each thud as the books piled high, the faces of Noah and Allen across from her darkened in inverse proportion to the size of the books.

Nigel didn’t complain to the two. Rather, she kindly explained until they understood the problems they didn’t know.

However, the look in her eyes as she gazed at Noah and Allen was far from kind. Cold and terrifying purple eyes that seemed ready to swallow the two whole were facing them.

In the end, Allen and Noah raised the white flag after just 30 minutes of studying.

“…Sorry.”

“I apologize.”

“What are you sorry for.”

Having claimed victory, Nigel slightly relaxed the force in her eyes. Then she leisurely crossed her arms and legs.

“That…”

Allen cautiously raised his hand and pointed to the mountain of articles piled in front of Yenika.

“So you know?”

Nigel grabbed a handful of newspapers and rolled them up. Then she hit both of their heads once.

“Was it necessary to have an engagement more grand than the Crown Prince’s?”

One hit to Noah with the hand wearing the diamond ring.

“Was it your plan to have every newspaper in the Arenium Empire report on it?”

One hit to Allen with the hand holding the article from the Evans Trading Company’s subsidiary newspaper.

“At this rate, even the remote Tillin will hear about me.”

Nigel dropped the bundle of newspapers with a thud.

[Nigel Ars, Who Is This Cinderella Who Put on Glass Slippers Overnight?] [Has the Alliance Between Dien and Beselion Broken? At the Center Is Nigel Ars…] [Shock, What Captured Noah Beselion’s Heart Was Neither Money Nor Status, But Love, Nigel Ars!]

The widely spread newspapers were full of sensational headlines as always. And without exception, the name Nigel Ars was written in the boldest and largest font.

Moreover, numerous articles featured clear photos of Nigel and Noah’s kiss on the front page.

Thanks to this, Nigel became Sienna’s most famous celebrity overnight, surpassing even Yenika.

She had spent the entire weekend making excuses to Lifnei and Zeronin, unable to study, and when she returned to Sienna, her best friend and fiancé had spread manure all over the empire.

She didn’t want to cause any worry in Tillin, but at this rate, news of her engagement might have already reached there.

Nigel crumpled up the engagement photo that was so well taken it looked like their lips that barely touched were actually touching.

“…From now on, if you’re going to do something like this, you must tell me first.”

Allen and Noah quickly nodded at the voice so low it almost touched the ground.

At this moment, the slime-cum-dragon that had been sleeping quietly on Nigel’s shoulder woke up.

−Ni… gel A, rs. Human! Your name is written here! Here too, no, there too!

Due to the slime’s characteristic of changing body according to emotions, the dragon’s transparent slime body turned yellow in shock and bounced around between the tables.

−I learned from the old human. This paper is made and viewed by humans to share information. So many human names…! As expected of the human I chose!

This time it turned green, signifying joy, as if proud of Nigel.

Allen, who was particularly interested in the dragon, spoke with sparkling eyes.

“What did Nigel’s dragon… no, slime say?”

“It’s envious that my name is all over the newspapers.”

“Wow, it can already read? It’s really smart.”

At Allen’s praise, the slime stopped bouncing on the table and smirked arrogantly.

−Indeed, this rich human has good eyes, just like with the treasure room.

“…It says thanks for the compliment.”

Nigel swallowed her embarrassment and spoke.

The dragon easily accepted and quickly learned everything, but its manners showed no signs of improving.

Though it could easily speak to others, it only allowed Nigel to hear its voice, and even avoided touching other people’s bodies.

Nigel thought it was because it was still young and sensitive, but she couldn’t help worrying.

She hadn’t even made a contract with this child yet, but if by any chance its identity was discovered by the temple and she was separated from the dragon. She had no idea how to handle the pain the dragon would suffer then.

The warm sensation on her palm felt unbearably heavy.

At this moment, Allen’s trembling hand carefully approached the dragon’s head.

And the dragon, in a good mood, allowed Allen’s touch.

Allen’s expression brightened instantly.

And he extended his hand that had touched the dragon’s skin towards Yenika and Noah, smiling smugly.

See?

That face, which seemed to say, looked exactly like the dragon’s face, not even two months old.

−Human, but why are you pressing lips with the big human?

At this moment, the dragon’s attention was caught by something it shouldn’t be interested in.

Noah also tilted his head curiously at the divine beast’s bouncing behavior in front of their photo. The gentle curve of Noah’s lips was strangely lewd, as if he had guessed what the dragon had said.

Nigel ignored this and opened her mouth, pretending not to have seen it.

“…It’s a sign of intimacy.”

−Hmm, then shouldn’t you press lips with me too for it to make sense?

The dragon blinked its eyes, which looked like two black beans planted in its face, with pure expectation.

“…No, that’s okay.”

−C-Could it be… that you’re more intimate with this big human than me? The old human told me before. Humans promise their hearts with expensive jewels. Didn’t the big human put a large jewel on your finger in another picture?

The slime’s body instantly turned blue, the color of sadness, and curled up small as it saw the sparkling ring on Nigel’s ring finger.

‘How on earth am I supposed to handle this.’

That’s right, those two were the problem, insisting on pushing it to the end, saying that the temple would be wary if they showed a close relationship with the Beselion family, when they should have been satisfied with a kiss on the cheek.

Nigel opened her mouth, hiding her bewilderment.

“No, the kisses and jewels, everything you see is just for show.”

−For show…?

Nigel nodded vigorously to the slime that slightly raised its head.

“Yes, when the relationship is very solid like ours, it’s not necessary. It’s just cumbersome etiquette that humans created to prove and show off their relationship to others.

Nigel said, glaring at Allen and Noah. The dragon’s eyes, which had blinked a couple of times pondering the words, regained their vigor once again.

−T-That’s right! Our relationship is as solid as a rock, so we don’t need to show it to other humans! I personally chose you, and you accepted me!

“You’re really smart.”

Nigel stroked the slime, now overwhelmingly green. Unable to contain its joy, the slime escaped Nigel’s palm and paraded around the table once.

The slime, enjoying the glares it was receiving from all four people, returned to Nigel and once again faintly took on the blue hue of sadness.

“What’s wrong?”

The slime didn’t climb onto Nigel’s outstretched hand, just staring at her intently.

−…Even so, I’m in a position where I can’t make a contract with you, human. Even if our relationship is strong, I can’t give you jewels like that big human, or put up a barrier for you like that rich human, or cut out your photos prettily like that pink human.

“…”

−In the end, if we can’t make a contract, I’ll be taken away from you by the priests without being able to do anything for you.

Nigel opened her mouth but couldn’t say anything.

She hadn’t deliberately told the young dragon, but it already knew everything.

Why Nigel had gotten engaged, and even why she had to part with Nigel.

As Nigel glared at the pile of articles that had started this whole affair, a thought suddenly and intensely flashed through her mind.

Why didn’t I think of this?

She was dumbfounded by her own stupidity. Nigel composed herself and looked straight at the dragon.

As their eyes met, she extended her hand to the dragon.

“My name is Nigel Ars. Nigel Ars, with the name my father gave me and my mother’s surname.”

The dragon’s eyes blinked in confusion.

“And your name is Rus. It means friendship in the ancient language.”

At that moment, the dragon’s body began to glow brightly.