The dragon watched her with gentle eyes. “If you can speak with such energy now, that alone makes the effort of cooking worthwhile,” he said.
Hilda came to enjoy spending time with the dragon. It made her feel quite strongly that she wasn’t alone.
She had lived many years in isolation. In light of her personal history, she had been prepared to live her whole life alone.
But things had changed.
Now she had the dragon. Though he claimed to loathe humans, he was kind to her alone.
It felt to Hilda like she’d gained a family.
The seasons changed, and spring came.
One day, Hilda noticed a single flower had been laid before her house. Along with the flower was a gold coin in an envelope.
“It’s already that time of year.” Flower and coin in hand, Hilda returned to the hut.
Looking at what Hilda held, the dragon asked her, “Where did those come from?”
“I don’t know. Every year in spring, someone leaves them in front of the house.”
“A gold coin and a flower?”
“Yes.”
“It must be a gift from someone.”
“I would assume that. But I have no idea who sends it.”
Just one gold coin was worth enough to cover half a year’s worth of food. This annual coin was a key component of how she had been able to survive her circumstances.
The dragon’s gaze fell not on the coin but on the flower as he said, “I sense an indescribable affection in that flower.”
“Do you think?”
“Yes, there’s no mistaking it. Fallen though I may be, I am still a dragon. I’m sensitive to the goodwill of men. There may be a man with feelings for you in the village nearby.”
“That’s impossible. He would know I’m an outcast. Besides…the flower is one thing, but a villager would never be able to get that sum of money.”
Hilda opened the window and tossed out the flower, which fluttered away on a passing breeze.
The dragon had a wounded look as he said, “Should you be throwing it away like that?”
“It’s fine. A flower from a stranger just feels creepy… I’m sure whoever it is must be a coward. They can’t even talk to a young woman.”
The gold coin lay alone on the table.
A year had passed since she started living with the dragon.
That night, the dragon took her for a walk in the woods. The forest was pitch-black at this late hour, but the dragon cast a spell on Hilda that enabled her to see in the dark. The dragon took her hand and pulled her along as they walked. Aware of the dragon acting differently from usual, Hilda asked, “Why are we in the forest at night?”
“There’s something I want to show you,” he responded.
They went along an animal trail. The sound of twigs cracking underfoot rang through the stillness of the night. There was a chilly note in the air.
They must have walked for about an hour.
After they passed through a curtain of tangled vines, the landscape opened up.
Hilda’s breath caught.
“Amazing.”
Ahead of them was a forest clearing full of flowers in full bloom. Mysteriously, the plants were faintly sparkling in the darkness. The carpet of flowers was like a blanket descended from heaven, from which a sweet scent wafted. Nocturnal butterflies fluttered about in the air, wings glowing faintly like little fairies.
It was a glowing garden.
“I found this place when I was searching for medicinal herbs,” the dragon said.
“I’ve never seen such a lovely sight before.” Hilda smiled and breathed a sigh.
The dragon gazed at her. In his eyes was none of the hatred from their first meeting. “Your smiles comfort my wounded heart. They make me remember the nostalgic emotions of the past.”
“Nostalgic emotions?”
“It makes me remember my family—the one I had on my Eden island.”
Hilda was startled. The word family stabbed into her heart like a needle. “You think of me as your family, too?”
“Of course I do,” the dragon said. “I don’t think I’ll leave the kingdom. I have neither family waiting for me outside nor a place I can return to. I would like to comfort the person who saved me.” He then added, “Well, that’s only if you also acknowledge me as family, though.”
With a conflicted expression on her face, Hilda said, “Yes… I’ve thought of you as family for a while, but I was scared to acknowledge it.”
“Why?”
Hilda trembled. “Because my family was frightening…”
The dragon didn’t ask what had happened. “I don’t think I’ll be like them. I care for you.”
“Yes, I know that. We’ve lived together for a whole year, after all.” The dark expression had left her face. “We’re family, even though we’re different species with no blood in common.”
“Yes. Being with you puts me at ease.”
“Me too… But…,” Hilda added, gazing at the dragon, “If we’re family, then I want you to be in your own form.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want you to be in dragon form.”
He was using a spell to adopt the appearance of a human, but he was fundamentally a dragon.
“It would be a disaster if humans saw me.”
“We’re in the middle of the forest at night. We’ve walked around here a number of times before, but we’ve never run into anyone even once, have we?”
“That’s true, but…” The dragon gave Hilda a timid look. “I don’t want you to hate me. You wouldn’t want to see such an ugly sight.”
The dragon’s original form was quite pitiful.
But Hilda said, “How silly. There’s no reason to worry over that.”
Her words made an impression on the dragon. “Thank you.”
Then the creature undid his spell.
Instantly, the shape of the tall young man gave way.
What appeared was an ugly monster, with a shredded wing and a cloudy eye. He had no scales but countless scars running over his skin; a timid person would faint just from the sight of his body. But despite his unusual appearance, the look in the dragon’s eye was weak. As he watched Hilda, he seemed somehow guilty.
But she returned his gaze with a smile, touched the dragon’s claws, and said, “You’re very beautiful.”
The dragon’s tension melted away.
After that, the dragon and the girl snuggled close in the garden.
She wished the night would never dawn.