"What are you thinking?!" Velteer demanded of Randon as soon as they managed to leave the court. They hid behind a building to rest for a moment. The dragoness was utterly confused by the young man's recent actions and couldn't help but press him for answers.
"You put yourself at risk to the point of making yourself an enemy of your own kingdom?"
"I don't care about patriotism. What I value is life and lineage. Hollow concepts like patriotism and birthplace have never mattered to me."
"...." Velteer was momentarily speechless, letting out a sigh.
"Your horn... can you hide it?"
"..." The dragoness squinted at Randon as if searching for a reason. Randon scratched the back of his head before replying.
"You need to live among humans, keeping your true identity hidden. Your horns are far too conspicuous. You can't just keep wearing a cloak all the time—it's too suspicious."
"My horns are a point of pride as a dragon. But if you insist, I suppose I'll do it." Velteer said, casting a spell that made her prominent black horns disappear, transforming her appearance into that of an extraordinarily beautiful, alluring woman.
"What do I do next?"
"Blend in."
"Hmm... interesting."
"From now on, your name is White. You're a twenty-three-year-old foreign woman, a skilled sorceress who trained in the wilderness away from people, hence why you know so little of the outside world. You met me by chance while I was preparing to fight the White Dragon Velteer, and we worked together. I then recruited you to be my dragon-hunting partner."
"Understood. From now on, I am a human woman named White. What comes next?"
"You'll have to learn how to live in human society. Today, I'll guide you step by step." Randon said as he handed her some banknotes. She accepted them with a puzzled expression and asked,
"What are these?"
"That's money."
"I thought you were going to give me gold, not these pieces of paper." The dragoness looked disappointed.
"These are much more convenient for purchases. Come on." Randon grabbed her arm and began a tour of the capital.
The capital city was vast, with an overwhelming number of shops lining the streets. Randon spent half the day explaining basic rules of human life to Velteer—things like needing to ask for the price of goods and pay for them, rather than taking them by force.
Humans didn't destroy each other's property in residential areas, nor did they throw giant fireballs to demolish homes. Damaging property was illegal, and one would be required to pay for the damage.
The thing that caught White's attention the most was the clothing and jewelry stores. She pressed her face against the display windows, filled with longing. But when she saw the price tags and compared them to the amount of money she had, she reeled back.
"Randon! I want that," White pleaded, her eyes sparkling. She looked like a completely different person from the proud, defiant dragoness he had first met. She seemed to have thrown all her dignity and pride into the river.
Randon raised an eyebrow in shock. The dragon's natural instinct to hoard valuable items clearly wasn't going away anytime soon. He had reached a conclusion—this was something she wouldn't easily give up.
"No."
"Why not?!"
"It's too extravagant."
"Please, all my treasures have been confiscated. I have nothing left to admire. I'm begging you—if you give it to me, I'll do anything."
"No," Randon remained firm, though White wasn't ready to give up. She clasped her hands and gave him a sweet, pleading look, but Randon remained unmoved. His heart was as tough as stone, unaffected even by her charms. Several men nearby looked on in admiration.
"To have such a stunning woman as a partner and still not give in—impressive."
"It's the first time I've seen a man put himself above a woman. Truly a rare sight."
"Well, give it time. Soon enough, he'll end up like the rest of us."
"Probably," the group of men concluded, before quickly turning their attention back to carrying shopping bags for the women who had dragged them along.
Until the very end, Randon refused to spend a large sum of money on jewelry or fashion. White clung to the shop window until he had to physically pull her away. Afterward, her enthusiasm for exploring the city had vanished.
'I don't even want to imagine what would happen if she discovered makeup,' Randon thought, swallowing hard.
"I want it... I want it... I want it," White muttered repeatedly, as if in a trance, her face and eyes dull and lifeless, almost like a zombie. Randon couldn't help feeling pity for her, so he led her into a restaurant, arranging for them to have a private booth where they could talk freely.
Once seated, a waiter brought them a menu.
"When you lived in the cave, how did you eat?" Randon asked.
"I want it... I want it," White continued to mumble.
"Hey, if you don't stop, I'll grope you in front of all these people," Randon threatened.
"Ah! Alright, I'll stop. Don't do that—it's too embarrassing," White shook her head furiously, her hair swaying as her cheeks puffed out adorably, tinged with pink.
"I used to get whatever I wanted. Now that I have to restrain myself, it feels awful. It's like I'm going against my nature."
"Can you answer my question now?" Randon asked, sounding like he was losing patience. White lowered her head slightly, her fingers tracing patterns on the table as she answered.
"I only ate once a month. I'd hunt large animals nearby, either roasting them or eating them raw. To conserve energy, I'd sleep in my treasure hoard, rarely going out, and let the wyverns handle most things."
"You were quite the lazy queen, huh?" Randon laughed, calling over the waiter to place their order. After a while, their first dish arrived—a large steak, brown and covered in rich black pepper sauce, with hints of butter, garlic, and a blend of three herbs. Black and white sesame seeds were sprinkled on top, giving it an appetizing appearance. The aroma alone made White's eyes widen.
"W-what is this feeling? Why does my appetite suddenly feel so intense?" White's hands trembled. She wanted to grab the steak immediately but hesitated, unsure if it was proper human behavior.
"You dragons are probably used to eating raw or simply cooked food. For you, eating is just about filling your belly. But for humans, we evolved eating into a form of entertainment, something to enhance our enjoyment," Randon explained as he picked up a knife and fork.
"Follow me," Randon instructed, and White nodded, copying his every move. He speared the steak with the fork and cut off a bite-sized piece, dipped it in the sauce, and slowly ate it.
White followed his every motion exactly. As soon as the piece of steak entered her mouth and touched her tongue, her silver eyes sparkled, and she smiled. The flavors—sweet, sour, spicy—filled her mouth, and she enjoyed every bite as her sharp teeth chewed the tender, perfectly cooked meat.
Randon smiled warmly, pleased that White seemed to be enjoying human food. When she noticed his smile, she blushed, clearing her throat loudly before mumbling, "It's not bad, but such a small piece won't fill a dragon's stomach."
"Heh, waiter," Randon gestured for the waiter to return. "Another fifty steaks like this one, please."
"Fifty steaks!" White's eyes sparkled.
"I have some business to take care of. Stay here and enjoy your steaks. Oh, and add ten orders of salad. White, don't just eat meat—make sure to eat your vegetables for your health."
"Mmm!" White nodded enthusiastically, quickly using her knife and fork to prepare her next bite of steak. Randon smiled slightly before leaving the booth, letting her savor the heavenly meal.
'Wow. I can't believe humans eat like this every day. Why did I burn down their homes and towns? I should have captured a few hundred humans to cook for me every day instead. What a fool I've been,' White thought to herself, feeling regret for her past actions.
If she hadn't decided to join Randon, she would have missed out on such wonderful food. She sighed heavily, feeling she had made the right choice by following him to the capital.
Then there was the salad. To a dragon, greens were no different from leaves—eating them wouldn't fill their stomach, and they tasted awful. However, after having the steak, she couldn't dismiss it. She carefully took a bite of the colorful vegetables covered in creamy white dressing.
The mild sweetness of the dressing, combined with the crisp freshness of the vegetables, made her eyes light up once again.
'Ah, this is amazing.'
After about twenty minutes, Randon returned, this time carrying a small black bag. White was too engrossed in her food to even notice him.
"White, it's time to go."
"No, I want to stay here. I want to stay in my treasure hoard."
"What nonsense are you talking about? If you keep acting up, I won't bring you here again."
"Ugh! F-fine." White relented, obedient for once. Randon paid for the meal before leading her to another location.
They walked along the stone-paved streets, crossing a water bridge into a residential area. White noticed many houses lined up in neat rows and thought to herself how small human dwellings were before they stopped in front of a particular house.
It was a large, three-story house, but the garden was overgrown, unkempt, and littered with dust and cobwebs. It looked more like an abandoned building—possibly even inhabited by hundreds of insects or stray animals.
White looked at the house as if her spirit had left her body. When Randon opened the door, she spun around to face him immediately.
"This is your home?! It's filthy!"
"Well, I was too busy playing with you for six months, so no one was here to maintain it. Don't worry, I can find someone to clean it up. Come on, let's bathe and freshen up. I also have a surprise for you." Randon gestured for her to enter. White cautiously stepped into the dusty home, looking around warily.
They walked through the house and entered a room—clean, unlike the rest of the place. It was large and spacious, with a television, bookshelves, and an attached bathroom. White had never seen a human home before, but she found it satisfactory.
"Here are your essentials—soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, towels. I got everything for you." Randon handed her a black bag. White accepted it, her expression puzzled, and headed into the bathroom, intending to figure things out as she went.
Randon smiled, chuckling quietly before turning his attention to a larger black bag.
"I'll make sure you're happy, White. After that, you'll have to do exactly what I desire."