I must have written the wrong address. Was it returned, then? The distance from Sorrent, where I am, to the capital of Tezeba, however, takes about five days to get back and forth, even with the fastest delivery service.

What happened? Surely, I put the dragon in a cage and secured its lock so it won’t open. Even if it was unlocked…

Noah looked down and observed the thin fluttering wings of the baby dragon. 

This thing can hardly walk properly, how much more fly? It seemed something had gone wrong, and the package was returned before it even arrived in the capital.

Still, she wondered how the baby dragon entered her house. Maybe the door was open, she thought. Worn out, Park Noah tried to clear her mind with the mind-boggling questions and kindly patted the dragon’s head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you return to your rightful mother.”

After rummaging her warehouse, Noah brought out an expensive, quality cage that is larger, softer, and stronger. She also grabbed a bottle, washed it clean, and filled it with warm milk to ease the baby dragon’s hunger and quench its thirst on the way.

“Yes, is this the post office?”

She turned the telephone on and connected to the post office and applied for a premium express delivery service with an especially doubled amount. The shipping map this time was confirmed correctly:

The capital, Tezeba, No. 35 in Ezet, the Countess Valtalere.

“Keee!”

The cage shook as the dragon twisted and turned inside. Noah was clueless.

“Baby! Just a little! Hang in there!”

The dragon wailed.

“This time, we’ll be in the capital in two days! Understand?”

Tears welled up in the baby dragon’s dark, red eyes. Her heart sank at the sight. Noah hesitated for a while but eventually opened the lid of the cage slightly.

“This is something I treasure, and I am giving it to you.”

She placed her nightcap on the dragon’s head, handed it the bottle, and closed the cage.

Goodbye, my limited edition nightcap. Goodbye, sweet child who almost disrupted my peaceful life. Go to your mother and grow up full of love!

*

The next morning, Noah woke up in high spirits, satisfied. The dragon gone; peace and quiet remain. She hummed her way to the kitchen and prepared for herself a cup of tea. Today will be another day of peace, she thought, almost skipping in delight.

Until a clonk was heard from the window. There she caught the little dragon, sneaking its way in.

Again, the dragon was wrapped up and sent. It wasn’t until the third time that she realized that the damn little dragon had no intention of leaving her.

I don’t think I will go to the hostess myself. I don’t know what this dragon did, but he must have destroyed the cage and flown all the way to this place!

By that time, Noah, who was sweet at first, became more hostile toward the dragon. “Hey, dragon.” She called the little dragon who had settled down in front of the fireplace.

The smart creature pretended not to hear her call, now that he knew he’d be tied up to the cage again.

The dragon had grown immensely for just a couple of days. Only yesterday, it had already worn out its forearms; the wings also changed from vinyl-like film to steel-glass-like rigid wings.

Do dragons grow this fast? she asked herself.

The witch became more anxious.

According to the novel, when a dragon reaches the incubation period, it begins to develop an attachment to human beings. Among them, he finds his favorite human and does what he calls ‘inscription’. Imprinting is an essential process for dragons, beings of other worlds, to exist properly on earth.

Obviously, from what she had read, the heroine, Lenia, makes a personal vow with the dragon within a month after hatching the dragon. And the dragon, imprinting on the host, humanizes itself as a boy.

A month. Actually, it’s enough time to send him back or whatever. But why am I so anxious?

Today, there was one thing entirely different from the last five days.

“Hey!”

A child with black curly hair and dark red eyes walked toward her. He was a little boy who, about two or three years old.

What on earth?