Sweet Things (1)

“What’s this?”

Rurin lay sprawled on the table like laundry, asking her question. The only difference from laundry was that her legs moved back and forth.

I was doing some touch-ups in the restaurant. I suddenly had an idea for a new service.

I had prepared a special dish and thought I’d let a few friends try it. So I was swamped with preparations since morning. There wouldn’t be any business today, just a tasting event for the new dish.

“Rurin, stop sprawling around. I have something for you to do, so come down.”

“Something to do?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“What do you dislike now?”

“Your face is telling me you’re going to give me a bothersome task. So, no!”

How did she know it was going to be annoying? When did she start reading people’s faces? She’s picked up some useless skills.

Rurin was lying face down on the table. I said she looked like laundry because her legs and face were hanging off either side of the table.

I crouched down in front of Rurin’s face to meet her at eye level. She lifted her head from where it had been hanging.

“Stop saying things like that and go do it, princess.”

I was right in front of Rurin’s lips. They looked plump, though slightly pursed, showing her annoyance.

“Huh?”

Rurin closed her eyes as if expecting something, looking a bit shy. Her ears turned slightly red. She still had the habit of blushing when we hugged or kissed.

Maybe habits don’t really change?

That’s true.

After accepting that, I decided to tickle her instead of giving her the kiss she was expecting.

I suddenly reached out and tickled her sides mercilessly.

“Pffft! Hahaha! What, what’s this? No, hahaha, this isn’t it!”

Rurin started wriggling all over the table. Just as she was about to fall off, I lifted her back onto the table and continued tickling her.

“They say those who don’t work don’t get food! How can you ask for a kiss without doing a single errand!”

“Hahaha! Stop! It’s so ticklish, hahaha!”

“So, will you go?”

“You’re so mean! Hahaha, fine, fine!”

Honestly, she could have just escaped from my arms.

She could have even teleported. I still wonder why she let me tickle her.

Anyway, Rurin nodded.

“But! There has to be something in return when I come back! There must be!”

Oh? So that’s her goal?

“Here it is. It’s an invitation. Just deliver it. You don’t have to say anything unnecessary, just give them the invitation. Everything is written on it.”

Last time, I sent her to run errands at the market, and she sort of succeeded. She also brought Selly back with her as a bonus.

This is the second part of that.

The people who will receive this invitation already know about Rurin’s peculiarities.

“Huh? If there’s nothing for me, I won’t do it! I’ll just lie next to you! That’s the best thing ever!”

“Doing what you say is a bit much, but fine. I’ll give you something nice when you return.”

“Something nice? What is it? A hug? A kiss?”

“Have you ever heard of a sweet kiss that’s better than both?”

“A sweet kiss? Huh?”

Rurin’s eyes sparkled as she jumped off the table and landed lightly. She looked at me with eyes full of curiosity.

“Wh-what is that? I like kisses, but sweet? That’s not right. Sometimes it tastes like lip balm, though.”

“It’s a thing. If you’re curious, go do the errand.”

“I won’t fall for that!”

“Really?”

“No. I’ll fall for it. I’m just a poor dragon who always gets tricked by you.”

“Hey, don’t say things that could be misunderstood if anyone heard.”

I grabbed her dragon mouth and stretched it out. What nonsense is this?

“Owww! Anyway, do I just deliver this to those people?”

“Yes. You know where to go, right?”

“Of course. Hehe.”

“Just so you know, teleporting is banned. Magic is banned too. And hold back your aura.”

“You’ve said that so many times it’s stuck in my head! I know that much. You’re great, but you nag too much! Nagging…ouch! That hurts!”

She grumbled so much that I twisted my knuckles against her temple this time.

“Now, will you go?”

“Ughhh. I’m a sad dragon.”

Rurin said that as she trudged out of the restaurant.

A sweet kiss? What could that be?

Rurin’s eyes started spinning. Her head was filled with curiosity.

“Agh! What is that!”

She shouted to herself, but no answer came.

She likes sweet things.

Back when she knew nothing, El had once given her candy, and she had liked the taste ever since.

But!

A kiss combined with sweetness!

That’s cheating!

It’s cheating, but she’s curious.

Rurin’s mind was in a state of chaos and destruction with this thought.

“Huh? When did I get all the way down here?”

She looked back.

She saw a hill. In front of her was already Greek City. She hadn’t used teleportation.

Thinking so much about the “sweet kiss”, it felt like she had teleported to the city.

Well, it doesn’t matter. La la la~

Rurin inspected the invitation in her hand.

Her first stop was a familiar place. She didn’t want to go there because of someone annoying, but she had no choice.

Rurin hopped along and arrived at Elena’s clinic. It was unusually quiet.

Rurin banged the door open with a bang and shouted loudly.

“Come here!”

There were no patients inside the clinic.

Only Elena was there. Their eyes met, and Elena screamed in surprise.

“Ahhhh!”

This kind-hearted elf had a reason for screaming just from seeing Rurin.

Elena was holding a pinkish gem in her hand. With no patients around, she had been staring blankly at it.

She wasn’t usually fond of gems, but for some reason, she really liked this one because it was a gift.

However, she had promised not to let Rurin see it. That was why Elena was shocked and screamed.

Elena dropped the gem to the floor and kicked it into a corner, hoping Rurin wouldn’t notice.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you screaming like that?”

Rurin walked over, tilting her head in confusion. She stared at the elf, puzzled by her unusual behavior, her eyes gleaming like those of a predator in front of prey.

Meanwhile, Elena’s eyes were like those of a scared fawn, full of fear and alertness.

“Oh, no, no! I was just…just lost in thought!”

“I thought I saw something shining! It was a pretty color.”

“Ahhh! It’s healing magic! There’s a type that gives off that kind of glow!”

“Is that so? I don’t know much about healing magic.”

Rurin nodded as if she understood.

Rumble.

At that moment, the inner door opened.

A red-haired woman appeared. It was Sereina.

“Elena, no matter how I think about it, yours looks a bit bigger-”

“Ahhhhh!”

“Wh-whoa- mmm?”

Elena rushed at Sereina, daring to cover the dragon’s mouth.

This was something the old Elena would never have done, but recently, she had grown bolder, thanks to El.

You could say she was becoming a fearless elf.

Of course, it wasn’t arrogance. Elena’s nature wouldn’t allow that. She was still terrified of dragons and treated them with utmost respect. But this time was different because it was something El had asked her to do.

“What are you doing, Elena?”

Sereina mumbled with her mouth covered.

Sereina mumbled from behind the hand covering her mouth, while Elena started sweating nervously. It was a very awkward situation.

“What are you two doing? Looks fun!”

Rurin dashed over and covered Sereina’s ears. Then, she covered her eyes too.

“A dragon with no mouth, ears, or eyes! How funny! Hehe.”

“What’s so funny about that? You guys!”

Sereina forcefully removed Elena’s hands and flipped Rurin, throwing her aside.

“Hahaha!”

Rurin twisted in the air, laughing, and landed lightly on the ground.

“How dare you throw me like that… Wait, what?”

Rustle, rustle.

Because of the flip, the invitations El had given her fell to the floor. Rurin crouched down in shock, her face looking like she was about to cry.

“Why did they all fall?! It’s all your fault!”

Even as she angrily picked up the invitations, she didn’t forget to point accusingly at Sereina.

Sereina simply ignored the familiar scene and instead grabbed both of Elena’s ears with her hands.

“Why did you cover my mouth?!”

“N-no! It’s just that El told me to keep that a secret….”

Elena leaned in close to Sereina’s ears, while hers were being held, and whispered desperately.

Sereina’s expression briefly tightened before she shook her head.

“Hmph. Well, you do listen to that guy.”

Rurin picked up all the invitations, stood up, and spun around.

“What are you two doing, clinging to each other like that? Weirdos. Because of you, I dropped this. I’m leaving because I’m annoyed.”

Rurin walked out without looking back.

As Sereina watched Rurin’s back disappear completely from view, she looked dumbfounded and said,

“Huh? So, why did she even come?”

“Good question.”

Elena blinked, equally unsure of the answer.

“Oh!”

But soon she came to her senses and knelt down, looking for the precious gem she had kicked away. When she retrieved it from the corner of the table, her blonde hair was covered in dust.

“I found it! Hehehe.”

She said that while carefully brushing the dust off the gem, blowing on it as if it were more precious than her own hair.

“I forgot!”

As Elena sat on the floor cleaning the gem, Rurin reappeared.

“Ahhhhh!”

Elena swallowed her scream and threw the precious gem back into the corner of the table, looking at Rurin.

“Y-you came back again?”

She was smiling on the outside, but crying on the inside. The poor gem. Oh no.

Sereina saw the whole scene and clutched her stomach, thinking how Elena was putting on quite a show just to keep a secret.

“I forgot why I came back. Here, take this, elf.”

Rurin had been distracted by Sereina and forgot to deliver the invitation earlier, but she remembered while walking and rushed back. Now, she had completed her mission.

“But just now, I think I saw that pretty light again….”

“No! It’s because I got hurt and had to use healing magic.”

“Healing magic? Did that fool hurt you? Those Reds are always so violent. So violent.”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“What? That brat always has something to say.”

“Who are you calling a brat!”

The two dragons were about to start fighting, but Elena desperately grabbed onto Sereina’s leg.

With pleading eyes, she begged Sereina to hold back, as she understood the situation.

Elena then held the invitation in front of Rurin’s face, trying to change the subject.

“So, what is this?”

“I don’t know. It seems to be an invitation for some new dish they’re showcasing. Come to think of it, I’m busy!”

As if she had no time to waste fighting with Sereina, Rurin finally remembered the sweet kiss and dashed out of the clinic.