The child seemed fascinated by the remark that they were alike, and their gaze couldn’t seem to leave Yerpi.

Yet their small, triangular ears were attentively turned toward the magician, clearly wanting to hear more.

Seeing this, the magician’s shoulders lifted slightly—apparently, he was quite pleased that the child had finally shown interest in him.

“Now that Dante has come down, let’s move elsewhere. This isn’t a conversation for the lobby.”

After relocating to his office, the serious discussion began in earnest.

Mercaudi resumed the explanation he hadn’t been able to finish earlier.

“It’s not certain, so I didn’t mention it properly before, but from the hair I found there, the analysis of the magical pattern….”

“Wait, you found hair?”

“Ah.”

At the duke’s question, the magician’s mouth snapped shut like a broken clamshell. Raymond’s glare toward Mercaudi burned fiercely.

“You took my wife’s hair and used it for experiments? Who gave you permission?”

“I, it was just something I found.”

“A magician just ‘found’ something?”

The duke growled, demanding a reasonable explanation. Frightened, Mercaudi quickly sent a plea for help toward his duchess.

Seeing his pitiful, almost ridiculous state, she stepped toward Raymond and gently embraced his arm.

“Let’s at least hear him out. It’s not for just anyone—it’s for Dante, after all.”

“…We’ll settle this later, Magician. You’ll have to give me a proper explanation then.”

Yielding to Yerpi’s plea, Raymond postponed his confrontation.

The magician let out a sigh, apparently relieved just by that. The duke shot him a sharp look.

Mercaudi straightened his posture, suddenly composed as if nothing had happened.

Seeing the duke’s interrogation momentarily subside, Yerpi asked,

“So, does this mean that my magical configuration being similar to Dante’s could help him?”

“Of course. Your Grace maintains a human form despite having a different magical orbit. If something were to happen to you, you’d likely appear far different from how you are now.”

If the differing magical orbit was the root of Dante’s condition, this was an odd contradiction. But the magician pointed to the duchess’s ability as a spice bearer.

“It was entirely thanks to Your Grace that we discovered Dante’s unique orbit. In my estimation, the fragrance of the spice seems to be aiding young Master Dante.”

Originally, Dante’s magical orbit should have remained invisible.

But ever since coming into contact with Yerpi, a layer of obstruction had peeled away from Dante, greatly aiding in the investigation.

“Therefore, I believe combining Your Grace’s ability with the fruit of the Great Tree might restore the young master to a normal state. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m certain it would show progress.”

A fruit capable of altering magical orbits, and a spice that stabilized the mind of dragon-blooded beings.

Formalizing these two elements into a magical stabilizer for Dante meant there was a real possibility of becoming human.

“Even if we obtain the fruit, it may take quite some time to create the stabilizer. Your Grace’s assistance will be greatly needed as well.”

As he said, the outcome couldn’t be perfectly predicted before attempting it. But given the urgency with which the magician had rushed here, it was clearly worth trying.

‘All dragon-blooded are affected by spices. The younger and mentally less stable the individual, the stronger the effect. But perhaps it’s not only the mind that’s influenced.’

Hadn’t yesterday’s incident shown exactly that? When the child’s body, inflamed by corrupted thoughts, had been soothed by the sweet scent of honey, cooling the fever.

Yerpi turned to Raymond and said,

“If it’s worth trying, we should try everything.”

He seemed to agree. Yet something clearly troubled him, and his expression was not at ease.

“Is something bothering you?”

“I don’t mind trying. But harvesting the fruit is another matter entirely.”

Crotelia was the largest ancient tree in this land, and the reason this Great Tree had grown so vast and spread its branches was due to the Guardian Spirit protecting the heart of autumn.

“There is a Guardian Spirit guarding Crotelia. From what I’ve heard, it’s the oldest spirit in Growen, one that has never undergone reincarnation.”

Meaning it had never once rampaged or been killed by another spirit. A spirit of such caliber would rival even the Seasonal Kings.

“Then how were the fruits used in research obtained?”

“Once every ten years, the Guardian Spirit enters a deep slumber. The last one was five years ago, so we’d have to wait another five. Any fruits we’d stockpiled have now dried up and been stored away, most already used up in research. What we need must be fresh fruit.”

“Another five years? That’s too late.”

Ultimately, it meant they’d have to go into the autumn domain and harvest the fruit directly while evading the Guardian Spirit’s watch.

And on top of that, another problem had just emerged.

“There’s an issue with the autumn domain. It was originally a spirit that only guarded the tree, but recently it’s become extremely aggressive—so much so that even minor spirits can’t enter the area where the roots spread. According to the local lord’s report, it may be entering reincarnation.”

In Growen, reincarnation meant dying from a rampage and being reborn as another life form. If this spirit truly was rampaging, that would be a serious problem.

“Given its immense size, the reincarnation process itself would be a catastrophe.”

The Great Tree, damaged by such an event, might never bear fruit again.

It was a matter requiring deep consideration. After long deliberation, Raymond finally spoke.

“Let’s make a plan.”

“Yes. I’ll return to the Mage Tower and think it through as well. If you need help, please use the Mirror Bird under the Mage Tower’s command.”

Mercaudi left behind a spirit resembling a crow.

Originally, one of a pair of birds would remain at the Mage Tower.

Dante continued to stare at the spot where the magician had departed for a long time.

Thus, the day ended and night fell.

Once the maids had finished preparing, Dante and Yerpi lay together in the warm bed.

The small dragon curled up against her waist, unusually quiet—deep in thought about something.

“Dante, are you awake?”

[No.]

Dante lifted his head and looked at Yerpi. His expression didn’t seem upset, but clearly, the magician’s visit had left him with much to ponder.

Instead of pressing further, Yerpi gently stroked the child’s head and body.

Seeming to enjoy the touch, Dante let out a soft, purring sound like a cat.

They were spending this peaceful time together when—

Beyond the dimly lit bedroom, lit only by a nightlight, a flicker—something streaked across the night sky and fell downward.

At first, she thought she’d imagined it, but as more and more lights began to fall, she realized.

“It’s a meteor shower.”

[Meteor shower? What’s that?]

“Come here. Let’s watch it together.”

Yerpi turned off all the lights in the room and carried Dante to the window.

Stars with glowing tails were falling from the dark night sky. The meteors grew more numerous and fell faster.

The sight of stars pouring down was truly magnificent.

She had seen a few shooting stars once or twice while living outside Growen, but such a heavy, prolonged rain of stars was something entirely new.

[Beautiful.]

“Yes. I don’t know about Growen, but in Kerast, there’s a custom to make a wish when a star falls. Would you like to make one, Dante?”

Facing the endless meteor shower, Dante remained silent.

As time passed, the stars gradually thinned out, and finally stopped. The now-calm night sky seemed unusually quiet, making the recent downpour of stars feel like a dream.

“Did you make a wish?”

[…No, I couldn’t. If I wished and it didn’t come true, I’d be sad.]

His voice grew softer, and her heart ached. Seeing his drooping tail, she gently rocked him.

Then Dante asked,

[Yerpi, do you think I can become human?]

“Of course. And I love you no matter what you look like.”

At the word “love,” Dante’s eyes widened, then quickly lowered his head.

[…This is the first time I’ve heard that.]

“From now on, you’ll hear it every day. I’ll always tell you.”

Though his eyes stayed fixed on the carpet, his ears perked up, attuned to Yerpi’s voice.

Gaining courage from her words, the small dragon finally confessed what he had been holding inside.

[Yerpi, the truth is… I don’t remember my mother’s face clearly. I’ve barely ever looked at her properly. I could see her portrait, but I don’t want to. Maybe that’s why… you feel like my mother. Being with you feels peaceful and warm. So…]

Hesitant as he voiced his heart—was it truly sincere? Or perhaps something more?

[I don’t mind if I never become human. As long as you’re by my side.]