Chapter 1: Bonbon Dreams

Charlotte was born as the second daughter of an impoverished noble family.

Her hair was a caramel brown so sweet it seemed as though it would melt on the tongue.

It was long and permed, impossible to manage whenever it rained.

Her eyes were a pale, hazy blue like the spring sky.

She grew up in the middle of seven siblings, neither especially doted on nor neglected.

She had two older brothers and one older sister.

Then there was the slightly mean younger brother right beneath her, along with the twin boy and girl she adored dearly.

The three eldest had already married, and so at fifteen years old, Charlotte’s heart fluttered at the thought that she would be next.

She could not make her debut in high society because the family lacked the money for it.

And the marriage partner chosen for her was the son of a merchant family ten years older than her.

He was the only son of the Anise Trading Company, a business rising so rapidly that it was said to be unstoppable throughout the castle town.

Charlotte married into the family with only the smallest dowry, and she was not treated particularly well there.

No, to tell the truth, she was treated terribly.

After all, her husband, Hubert Anise, kept a mistress outside the home and scarcely ever returned.

It went without saying how difficult life was for Charlotte, who had to live with her in-laws while her husband was absent.

Even so, Charlotte was fundamentally optimistic and somewhat airheaded, so she did not view her circumstances too pessimistically.

To begin with, noble marriages were never based on love or preference.

Because she had married, her family received financial support, and now her younger brother would likely be able to marry a girl from a respectable family as well.

Thinking of it that way, being shouted at by her mother-in-law and treated like a servant was not especially painful.

However, her misfortune did not end there.

One day, she had a dream.

Within a thick mist the color of hot milk, she walked across ground that crunched like nut-filled chocolate brownies until she arrived at an enormous lake.

As she stared at the water’s surface slipping beneath the mist, ripples formed at its center, and a creature she had never seen before emerged.

It had two horns and sharp fangs.

A large wolf-like mouth and four wings.

Its body was covered in scales that shifted colors like opals depending on the angle, and its eyes were filled with a deep intelligence like blue sapphires.

Charlotte did not know that this creature was what adventurers called a dragon.

‘What a beautiful creature.’

Sheltered and naïve, Charlotte merely sighed in admiration.

Strangely enough, she did not find it frightening.

Perhaps it was because the scene felt too unreal.

And so she remained there, captivated by the dragon.

How long had she stood there?

Suddenly, the dragon beat its wings once, and with that single flap, it swept away all the mist covering the area.

Then it effortlessly lifted its massive body from the lake and closed the distance between them in an instant.

Despite its enormous size, dragons were incredibly swift creatures.

It was said that they did not fly with the power of their wings, but through the magical power dwelling within their scales.

And indeed, magic resided within those scales.

With even a single one, a human could fly for several hours.

That was why even one dragon scale was worth enough money for someone to live comfortably for the rest of their life.

But of course, Charlotte knew nothing of that.

More than the unbelievable event unfolding before her eyes, she was simply entranced by the beauty of the creature before her.

“You are the one.”

A voice suddenly echoed inside Charlotte’s head.

It was a strange voice.

It sounded like countless human voices layered atop one another, impossibly deep.

‘Even when Great-Uncle caught a terrible cold, his voice never sounded like this.’

Charlotte somehow found herself thinking such a thing.

The dragon slowly tore away one of the scales near its neck.

Bright red blood burst forth.

It was different from human blood, thicker and more viscous.

Startled, Charlotte instinctively covered her mouth.

Then timidly, she reached out her hand.

Careful not to agitate the dragon, she gently placed her hand over the wound.

For some reason, she simply did not want to see the creature hurt.

However, even covering the wound with both hands did not heal it.

The blood continued to pour out steadily.

Overcome with sadness, Charlotte let a single tear fall.

“Human, do not concern yourself with it.
More importantly, take this.”

And so the dragon offered her the scale it held in its mouth.

A peacock-feather-like pattern shimmered across the opal-like surface.

The faintly glowing scale was accepted hesitantly by Charlotte.

“What should I do with this?”

When she asked, the dragon moved the smaller pair of its four wings ever so slightly.

A gentle breeze brushed against Charlotte’s cheek.

“Eat it and make it part of your body.”

The dragon’s instruction was entirely unexpected.

Charlotte instinctively stared at the scale in her hands.

Even though it was thin, it was still as large as her palm and did not seem easy to eat.

Moreover, she had received it with the same hands she had used to cover the wound, so it was stained with blood.

“Do I really have to eat it?”

Charlotte asked cautiously.

The scale certainly looked beautiful, but it did not seem very appetizing.

“Yes.”

She swallowed hard.

If “he” said so, then she felt she had to obey.

For some reason, Charlotte instinctively knew the dragon was male.

And not because she was afraid, but because she wanted to fulfill his wish, she placed the scale into her mouth.

‘How strange…
Neither the blood nor the scale tastes foul at all.
If anything, they’re sweet like sugar.’

Inside Charlotte’s mouth, the scale melted sweetly like a bonbon.

The blood was richer and more fragrant than the finest wine served during the Holy Night Festival.

And all the while, Charlotte never once took her eyes off the dragon before her.

No, she could not.

Her body felt light and fluffy, as though intoxicated, and it felt wonderful.

‘Ah, I want to stay with this creature forever.’

Even though she thought that, before she realized it, Charlotte had awakened from the dream.

Yet astonishingly, when Charlotte awoke from the dream, she was already carrying a child.