“Please tell me in detail what you were doing from around April 10 to April 17. Lady, you’d better stop eating. You eat more of that piece of junk than you eat a proper meal.”

“What do you mean by a piece of junk? It’s a handmade butter cookie that’s sold as a limited edition at the most famous Queen of Cookies bakery in the city.”

“The lady should not eat only butter cookies, but a proper meal. Don’t you think you won’t have dinner again if you have a full stomach?”

“Yes…” Noah muttered, glancing at the room while Kyle Leonard went on to reprimand her.

Last night, Noah held the child in her arms as she fell asleep, but when she awoke early in the morning, she found that the child had disappeared. She immediately rushed down to the living room and was greeted with a sight that crushed her heart into pieces: the little kid was sleeping soundly on the couch. It was obvious that he couldn’t climb into the crib.

“…Lady, what’s wrong with you?”

“What? Oh, nothing. Where were we?”

“I haven’t done anything yet. I keep getting sidetracked, but it’s time for an interrogation. Please be honest.” The man across her answered without a hint of sympathy. Noah nodded timidly.

Kyle Leonard, the investigator-slash-butler, finally decided Park Noah had recovered enough to answer questions, so as soon as she finished devouring her breakfast, he sat her down and began his interrogation.

“So, you went downtown the week before last Monday?”

“Yes, I heard the limited edition pajamas came out at a rather low price.”

“What’s the name of the store?”

“Frill Happy Night’s Wardrobe.” 

Kyle Leonard looked at her dumbfounded as she answered his question with such confidence. He muttered, with a slightly embarrassed face, “Frill Happy Night…”

And as if to rescue the embarrassed Kyle Leonard, the kettle seethed. Kyle immediately stood up and rushed to the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief. He poured two cups of cocoa, one for the witch and the other for the baby dragon. The sweet aroma of chocolate saturated the entire house. 

Kyle returned with two cups of cocoa in his hands, handing one cup to Noah. “Drink this. Don’t fill your stomach with unhealthy food.” 

He then turned to the child who was crouching on the couch, and gave him the other cup. The child had already woken up and was flipping through the pages of a photobook, which Kyle Leonard had bought yesterday.

Dozens of questions occupied the witch’s mind. She kept asking the child what’s wrong but he remains silent throughout. He must have felt sorry for seeping her mana out, but Noah isn’t convinced that it is the reason.

Kyle Leonard situated himself back across Park Noah to continue his interrogation. “Let’s start over. So where and what were you doing the week before last Wednesday?” 

“It’s just weird…”

“Lady!” Eventually, Kyle Leonard flew into a rage at her lack of cooperation. On the other hand, Park Noah remained deep in her thoughts. 

A dragon imprint.

Marking with a dragon was an entirely different matter with keeping an abandoned child company. Once imprinted, it is impossible to ignore. Both must be together for life. Therefore, the issue was not simply about letting the dragon go because he had a designated owner, but whether Park Noah could handle the future and its consequences.

Lenia, the heroine, in contrast, is aware of the consequences that would transpire once she is imprinted by the dragon. Moreover, she is allied by the country’s strongest men, including Kyle Leonard. 

Then, in the end, they are forced to say goodbye to their families and beloved. How the heroine has lived since then remains a mystery, but her character is designed to withstand any circumstances; she would have adapted well.

Reflecting on Lenia’s life as written in the original plot, life with the dragon will not be as peaceful as it is now, and the witch, Park Noah, questions herself whether she is prepared to take responsibility for the unexpected turn of events.

Even adopting a pet requires extreme determination and causes distress, what more if she would adopt a dragon child?

Yet, despite her desires for a life without chaos, Park Noah cannot bear to look at the child becoming weak. Starting yesterday, it seems the child hadn’t taken enough of her mana, and had stopped growing. Park Noah measured his height it by eye and discovered that it was the same height as it was three days ago. 

“Have you had any recent contact with Adrian Rossinell?”

Park Noah was so lost in thought that she could barely make sense of Kyle’s questions. “Uh, who?”

“Adrian Rossinell.” Kyle looked at her with a frown, his forehead creasing. He repeats himself.

“Who’s that?”

“…No, you don’t seem to know it.” His annoyance quickly subsided. Then, he snapped his pocketbook shut and massaged his forehead, seemingly exhausted. “I think you are very distracted. That’s it for today. Let’s go grocery shopping. I have to leave early today because I have work at the Sorrent branch.”

“Yes…”

“We’re out of food, so let’s fill it up. I have listed everything I need to buy here.”

“Yes…”

Kyle Leonard appeared to have no doubts about the witch. In the end, he followed Park Noah to the market, and after they finished grocery shopping, he handed her everything they bought and said, “It’s time for my work.”