Chapter 4:

Above the Courtyard

When Lilies Dream of Fire


I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, half-convinced it was just another… dream.

"…"

Yet the creature still hovered in the sky above, impossible to ignore.

— Wait… this is actually real?

Blue as the sea, long and serpentine, its sharp, bat-like wings sliced through the air. Its head and tail bore a reptilian grace, lined with jagged spikes that glimmered in the sunlight. It was enormous, easily the length of a small passenger plane. Each flap churned the air into violent gusts that battered the garden below.

Despite its breathtaking appearance, the creature lacked the grandiose presence of a true dragon. Its form was similar, long, scaled, and powerful, but with differences that marked it distinct. The wings sprouted from its shoulders, not its back, and it had only two legs instead of four.

This was a... 

Wyvern.

And here I was, barely an hour into this bizarre new world, standing utterly exposed beneath one.

As if one near-death experience hadn’t been enough.

I gulped, staring at the beast above. Yet, strangely, there was no commotion in the household.

No panicked screams.
No hurried footsteps.

Nothing.

— Wait, what about the kind old man outside?!

I hurriedly shifted my attention to the garden below.

"?"

The elderly gardener remained unfazed, calm and composed, continuing his work as though nothing were happening.

Was he not scared? Not even a little? Or had he already accepted his fate?

Powerless as I was, I couldn’t just stand by. I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted with every ounce of breath I had left.

“Old man! Run! Run for it!”

Despite my desperate plea, he merely tilted his head in bewilderment.

“What’s wrong, young Master? Is something the matter?”

“What’s wrong with me?! Can’t you see?! A wyvern is flying above you! It’s coming to kill us!”

He glanced up briefly, then smiled gently.

“Ah, it seems Duke Vandrelis has finally returned. What wonderful news, hoho.”

“Th-tha-that wyvern is ours?!” I asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Yes,” he nodded. “That wyvern you see up there belongs to the Vandrelis family. Have you perhaps forgotten already, young Master?”

— This place is crazy. What's next, giant titans?!

The wyvern then shifted its trajectory towards the centre of the garden, where a perfectly circular hedge resembled a landing pad, identical to a helicopter zone. Slowly, it began to descend, allowing a clear view of its striking appearance.

Strapped to its body was a sleek, rectangular carriage with dark-tinted windows, mounted like a high-fantasy sky gondola.

Was this the standard form of air travel in this world?

— Well, I was kind of expecting a cool guy riding bareback…

With a heavy thud, the beast landed in the garden’s centre. Maids and butlers quickly assembled into a neat semicircle, like a ceremonial guard of honour.

A capsule-shaped door hissed open, extending downward into a set of mechanical steps.

From within emerged a middle-aged man with slicked-back blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a regal blue suit with matching trousers and a flowing cape, crimson inside, deep navy outside, fastened at the shoulders with golden clasps. Polished black boots completed the look, and in one hand, he held an ebony cane topped with a golden globe.

Every step radiated an overwhelming aura, a pressure so intense it felt as though I might be forced to kneel

This was Duke Vandrelis, my supposed... father.

— No way! It's over nine-thou—no, it’s immense! Absolutely immense!

The duke’s gaze caught mine. His sharp eyes, devoid of emotion, made me instinctively jerk back. Flustered, I offered a reflexive bow.

He acknowledged it with a mere glance, then turned toward the grand doors, walking directly inside.

— Was he… coming to see me?

"!"

A knock echoed behind me.

The door creaked open, and Clara and Tessa, the very maids I had dismissed earlier, rushed in. They found me clinging to the railing like a half-drowned cat.

“Master, are you alright?! You shouldn’t be out of bed. Please don’t push yourself!” Clara exclaimed, panic lacing her voice. She draped my arm over her shoulder and guided me back to the bed.

I glanced at Tessa, wary of the hostility she had shown earlier.

"..."

But now, it was gone. Her expression was softened, quiet, almost distant, weighed down by a silent shame. She turned away, eyes lowered, her earlier coldness dissipated as though awakening from a trance.

I sank into the plush bed, warmth wrapping around me, dull aches ebbing slowly.

“Right then, would you like something to eat, Master?”

“Or perhaps… do you need…” Clara adjusted her spectacles with flustered grace, “Help with relieving yourself?”

From under the bed, she retrieved an absurdly ornate chamber pot.

Embarrassed, I waved frantically. “N-no! That’s fine! I can manage on my own! I’m hungry. If you could bring something warm, like a broth, I’d appreciate it, ah-ha-ha…”

“O-of course, if that is what you prefer…” Clara’s voice wavered, still processing the sudden shift in my demeanour.

With graceful synchrony, the maids bowed and exited.

— Maybe I really do need to lie down. This bed is just too comf—

"..."

An hour later...

"!"

The door swung open just enough to startle me from deep slumber.

It was time to eat. Or so I thought.

Standing there was someone I did not expect.

A boy, maybe a year or two older than me, with tousled red hair, wearing a noble’s embroidered tunic and stark white trousers. His expression twisted into a devilish grin, one worn by someone who delighted in cruelty.

“It seems you have woken up, you dirty-blooded peasant,” he said with theatrical disdain.

“Uhm…”

“What’s wrong, peasant? Cat got your tongue?”

“I… I don’t even know who you are.”

Sen Kumo
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