Before I knew it, Wridra had made me take a seat. I then noticed a cup of steaming tea on the table and narrowed my eyes at her. Did the university’s rules mean nothing to her?
Wridra smiled, then returned her attention toward the book on the table.
She behaved as usual, but because of a strange change in the environment, she almost seemed different. Apparently, she had the power to make me forget that we were in Japan.
I wondered what kind of book she was reading and looked to find several books on mathematics featuring complex symbols. The table displayed a variety of academic books, including one with Structural Mechanics on the spine, war-related history books, and engineering books.
“Whoa, you’re reading all of these?” I asked. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to learn them all at once.”
“Nn-hm,” she said vaguely.
I couldn’t tell if that was supposed to be a yes or no, but I took that to mean she wouldn’t tell me. Instead, I followed Wridra’s gaze to figure out what she was reading by the movement of her eyes.
Her obsidian eyes moved from the top right to the bottom left. Before she even turned the page, her finger pointed toward another book. She flipped through that new book, found whatever she sought, and reached for another one. She was fast. But her movements were regular, and I could tell she was absorbing information at an alarming pace. Having known her for some time, I wasn’t shocked to learn she had such capabilities.
I gave up trying to decipher what she was doing and decided to hang out with her. Then I picked up an old book titled World History Changed by Japan.
We spent some time turning pages in silence until she finally said to me in a hushed tone, “I did not expect you to come here alone.”
I stared at her, unsure if she was talking to me at first. She was still engrossed in her books, and I might have imagined there was something different about her than usual. I paused, not wanting to interrupt whatever she was doing, and waited for her to continue talking.
“I will be leaving the party tomorrow. However, I will rejoin you once I finish attending to business,” said Wridra.
“Is this about your husband?” I asked.
Wridra’s gaze finally met mine. She had sharp, well-defined eyes, like those of a cat, and there was a hint of surprise in her expression. Her faint smile faded, and she slowly closed her book.
“Indeed,” she replied. “I must admit, I have been fretting about dealing with him. How unlike me.”
“It’s understandable. I’m sure he’s important to you, and it is a big deal—”
But I swallowed my words as I noticed the hint of danger in her gaze, and in the darkness, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of fear. Her lustrous black hair wavered as she seemed to snap out of it, then scoffed.
“That one is nothing like that. Our relationship differs completely from what you two have. He held me down by force, driven by his instinct to breed.”
She curled her lips as the dark look in her eyes remained, an intensity of a smoldering dragon about her. I had never seen her like this before. If Marie had been here, perhaps she wouldn’t have let herself show such a fearsome expression.
“Is he...stronger than you?” I asked.
“You may not think it possible, but he was. I have since birthed whelps and granted them my dragon cores. I would estimate that he is twice as strong in terms of raw power. Logically speaking, I would stand no chance. However...”
A warmth traveled in my hand as I looked down to find Wridra’s gloved hand holding it. Her body temperature was somewhat high, and I could feel heat spreading through the back of my hand. The sensation distracted me momentarily; then I noticed her brows furrowed.
“I have been harboring a boiling rage within me and often fantasize about ripping him to shreds with my teeth. However, I have begun to see things differently. If I had extended my hand back then, we could have ended up like you two. It pains me to think about,” she said.
Hearing her admit that it pained her in that uneasy tone made me realize she was speaking as a woman, not the great Arkdragon. She stood before branching paths, trying to find the correct answer.
“What do you want to do, Wridra?” I asked.
“I do not know. Plus, I understand nothing about him. I have not seen him, and he has not seen me, so I am at a loss.”
I nodded several times. There was something important I needed to say to her, something that would help her decide which path to take and guide her to a better outcome.
My mind returned to when I had dueled the hero candidate Zarish. Back then, she had gently warned me not to kill him while he was unconscious. Had it not been for her, I likely would have done something I’d have regretted to this day. I couldn’t emphasize enough how important that decision was for me. She knew what would happen and led me to the right path. It was time for me to repay the favor.
“Wridra, you’re a wonderful woman who everyone around loves. The best thing about you is that the more I talk to you, the more I realize how great you are. I just want you to know I think you’re amazing,” I said.
The obsidian eyes of Wridra held my gaze. She seemed to search for the meaning behind my words, but my message was simple and had nothing for her to figure out.
“You should talk to him,” I continued. “It wouldn’t take three days before he falls for you. No matter how strong an opponent may be, they are no longer an enemy once you get them on your side. If I’m wrong, I wouldn’t mind giving the cat version of yourself my favorite pillow.”
“No longer an enemy...” she repeated.
She didn’t recognize one thing that I―or rather, anyone other than her—did: her charm. Food and entertainment were her weaknesses, and it always made me happy seeing her so expressive whenever she enjoyed them. But I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
“I’m not sure how I should explain this feeling. I have a feeling you’d get upset if I said it’s cute, but I wouldn’t say it’s cool either... Oh, I know, I think ‘precious’ is the closest way to describe it,” I said.