Chapter 38: The Elven Healer and The Dragon Sword

[Luceille’s POV — The Elven Forest — Continuation]

It was a relief, a huge relief.

After everything that had happened since we entered the Northern Forest, the suspicious elves, the mysterious village, the ancient tree, the legendary sword, and the whole Master of the Dragon situation, I finally had something that actually mattered to me.

The elves were willing to treat my babies.

They hadn’t asked for money; they hadn’t demanded some impossible favor. They hadn’t even hesitated when I told them about the White Fox Beasts.

They had simply said they would help. And since I had discovered my babies were sick, the tightness in my chest loosened a little.

Ilum stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"We shall heal the Divine Fox Beasts, Master of Dragon. One of our healers will accompany you to your territory and examine them personally. He will remain there for as long as necessary."

My eyes immediately brightened.

"Really?"

Ilum nodded.

"We will do everything within our power to determine what is suppressing their mana and find a way to restore their natural circulation."

I almost wanted to hug him, then Ilum’s gaze shifted toward the ancient blade resting in my hand. His expression became solemn again.

"There is one more matter, Master of the Dragon."

Master of the Dragon.

I slowly looked at him.

"Yes?"

"I would respectfully request that you entrust the Divine Dragon’s blade to us for a short while."

I glanced down at the sword.

"The sword?"

"Yes."

Ilum bowed slightly deeper.

"It has remained dormant for centuries. Although it has recognized you as its master, its condition is far from what it once was. The blade has been buried beneath the roots of the ancient tree for generations. It needs to be cleansed of the accumulated impurities and restored before it can properly awaken."

I raised an eyebrow. "Restored?"

Ilum nodded.

"Our craftsmen and elders will purify the blade using the sacred waters of the forest. Once it is cleansed, it should be able to respond to your energy more easily."

I looked at the sword again. Honestly, it did look terrible; the legendary weapon of a Divine Dragon looked less like a legendary weapon and more like something someone had forgotten in their backyard for several hundred years.

A little cleaning probably wouldn’t hurt.

"Fine," I said, holding the sword out toward him, but before I could hand it over, another thought struck me: actually...there was a much bigger problem.

I looked back at Ilum.

"Wait."

He paused.

"Yes, Master?"

I sighed.

"This whole Master of the Dragon thing..."

I glanced around at the elves. Several of them were still staring at me with the kind of reverence usually reserved for gods, emperors, or people who had somehow invented unlimited vacation days.

I lowered my voice.

"You can’t keep calling me that everywhere."

Ilum blinked.

"Why not?"

"Because people will hear it, and I do not want any unnecessary attention. The Grand Duchess of Ashcroft is apparently the master of some legendary Divine Dragon; that is a completely unnecessary amount of attention."

I had already been trying to live quietly. I was supposed to stay away from the original plot. Stay away from the Crown Prince, stay away from Lily, and stay away from anything that could potentially make my life complicated.

And now I had somehow become the owner of a legendary dragon weapon. If word spread through the empire, I could already imagine the rumors.

The Grand Duchess has awakened an ancient Divine Dragon. The legendary weapon has chosen the Ashcroft Duchess. The Dragon’s Master has appeared.

And then nobles would start appearing at my manor. Then the Emperor would probably summon me, then the Church would probably become interested, and then someone would probably try to assassinate me.

I wanted my peaceful life, and I cannot let this happen. I looked directly at Ilum. "Please call me Luceille."

Silence.

Ilum stared at me as if I had just asked him to throw the ancient tree into a lake and hesitated.

"But...how can we call the Master of the Dragon simply by her name?"

I gave him a soft smile. "I, as the Master of the Dragon, am requesting this. I hope you will follow that request."

Ilum stared at me, then he glanced toward the other elves. The elves looked at one another, clearly unsure how they were supposed to respond.

Finally, Ilum sighed, and he lowered his head in a deep bow. "As the Master of the Dragon commands..."

He paused, and then, with great seriousness, he corrected himself.

"Lady Luceille orders."

I blinked.

That wasn’t exactly what I had meant, but... It was progress.

"Good enough."

Behind me, I could feel Cassian staring. I turned slightly; he was standing with his arms crossed, his ocean-blue eyes moving between me and Ilum. He hadn’t said a single word throughout the entire conversation.

But his expression... It was impossible to read. His gaze remained on me, then he looked toward Ilum and then back at me.

Finally, he spoke.

"You seem to have adapted rather quickly."

. . .

. . .

"Adapted to what?"

"Being called the Master of the Dragon."

I waved my hand dismissively. "I’m not accepting the job description. I only accepted the sword."

I ignored him and turned back toward Ilum. "Anyway, I’ll give you the sword."

I extended the ancient blade. Ilum carefully stepped forward and accepted it with both hands; the moment his fingers touched the hilt, a faint golden glow passed through the weapon.

The surrounding elves immediately lowered their heads. Ilum’s expression became solemn.

"We will treat it with the utmost respect."

I nodded.

Ilum stepped aside with the blade carefully held in his hands, then another elf approached. At first glance, I thought he was one of the younger villagers.

He looked surprisingly young, almost like a teenager by human standards.

His silver-green hair fell messily around his face, and his pointed ears were slightly longer than Ilum’s. His eyes were a bright shade of emerald, filled with curiosity rather than the solemn reverence everyone else seemed to have.

Most importantly...he looked way too excited.

Ilum gestured toward him. "This is Elyan. He is the finest healer among our people."

Elyan immediately stepped forward; his eyes practically sparkled as he bowed so quickly that his hair fell over his face.

"Lady Luceille! I am honored to accompany you!"

I blinked.

"You seem excited."

"I am!"

He straightened immediately. "I have never treated a Divine White Fox Beast before! I will be the first in generations to create such history."

. . .

. . .

I stared at him. He was excited like a child who had just been told they were going to see a dragon.

"You really like healing?"

Elyan nodded enthusiastically.

"I have spent years studying ancient healing techniques. White Fox Beasts are extremely rare, and their mana circulation is completely different from ordinary magical creatures."

His excitement increased with every word.

"If their mana is being suppressed rather than destroyed, then there may be something interfering with the natural flow. I want to examine their cores, their mana pathways, their connection with the surrounding environment—"

He suddenly stopped himself.

"...Forgive me."

I smiled.

"No, no. Continue."

He looked surprised. "You’re not annoyed?"

"Not at all. I think we’re going to get along."

Elyan’s face brightened. "Truly?"

"Absolutely."

I nodded.

"Because I have a lot of questions."

He smiled.

"And I have many theories."

Oh, this was going to be interesting. I looked toward Cassian. He was watching Elyan with the same expression he used whenever someone stood too close to me.

A very clear I am watching you expression.

I almost laughed, apparently; even the elves’ best healer wasn’t safe from my husband’s suspicion.

Ilum bowed once more.

"Lady Luceille, you need not worry. Elyan will accompany you to Ashcroft Manor and assist in treating the Divine Fox Beasts."

I nodded.

"Thank you, Ilum."

He smiled.

"We should be the ones thanking you; the dragon has waited for its master for generations, and now, she has finally arrived."

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I smiled awkwardly.

"Well..."

I glanced at Cassian, then at Elyan and then toward the path leading out of the village. "I guess we’d better get going."

I had come to the Northern Forest looking for a cure.

I was leaving with an elven healer, minus one ancient dragon sword, and with an entire hidden civilization apparently believing I was some legendary figure they had been waiting centuries to meet.

Honestly? At this point, I didn’t even have the energy to question it anymore.

I simply turned toward the forest. Cassian followed immediately, his hand finding mine as naturally as breathing.

Elyan hurried after us, and just like that, we left the hidden elven village behind.

I didn’t know what awaited us at Ashcroft Manor. I didn’t know whether Elyan could truly cure my babies, and I definitely didn’t know what would happen when that ancient sword was finally cleansed and returned to me.

But there was one thing I knew for certain.

My peaceful life had officially become a joke, but as long as my babies are okay, everything is fine.