Reborn As A Dragon Girl With A System

The past mortal realm, Devan side story…

"Devan! I am here again!" A young woman around twenty years of age walked up with a basket in her hands. 

"Mmm...  You know you do not need to do this." Devan replied. His white hair swayed in the breeze as his red eyes concentrated on the stone in front of him.

"Looks like you are almost done. Who is this, though?" The girl asked, ignoring Devan's words just now.

"As far as I know, it is supposed to be my birth mother. My mother and father, after they disappeared, had left a magic recording tool, and on it were images and a message from my birth father. In the recording, he apologized over and over about having to give me up at birth and that my mother was in such bad shape she refused to see anyone or eat. He said the reason why they sent me away was so that I could live happy and strong without worrying about if or when their enemies would attack. To be honest, I have no actual feelings for my father, but the woman who gave birth to me, I will always have a sentimental feeling for her. If what my father said is true, then she had done everything in order to protect me.  "I do not know where they are, nor do I care. This here is my tribute to her. " Devan did not stop what he was doing even as he explained things to the girl.

"Then I hope one day she will see it." The girl said as she placed the basket down next to her on the rock, she sat on. The girl may be human, but the eyes she looked at Devan with were filled with love. 

"It doesn't really matter. If I see them, I see them. If not, I don't. That is just how it is. No matter what happens, I will live a life that I wish for myself." Devan said as he finished the last chisel. He stepped back and looked at the woman who was smiling while holding a baby in her arms. This showed, in reality, whether Devan wanted to admit it or not, that he wished to see his mother at least once.

The girl looked at the statue and then at Devan and sighed. She wondered when he would ever be honest with his feelings.  She had always been one to act as if he does not care about the world, but she saw the true him. Ever since the day he had rescued her, she felt like the cold man who showed no emotion was actually deep down a very kind and gentle soul.

"Come eat. I am sure you have not eaten anything at all since you came here." The girl said as she quickly spread out a small blanket she had stored in her basket on the ground. 

Devan looked at the girl happily spreading the food out on the blanket and wondered what she saw him in to act the way she does. He had only saved her once, but since then, she had been like a bee buzzing around him. He had no idea when but he slowly got used to her company, but he did. What made him reluctant to speak half the time was that he had no idea what her name was, and at this point, after so many years, he did not dare ask since he was afraid of hurting her feelings. 

But seeing as they were always alone together, it really did not matter, and he had always referred to her as you. "You seem to enjoy this..."

"Mmm… Nothing makes me happier than seeing you eat." The girl replied with a bright smile that was warm like a summer day's sun.

Devan scratched his head and sat down on the blanket. He did not dare not eat what she made. He found it hard to say no to the girl when she smiled like that. He sat down and took the sandwich that was passed to him and ate it in silence. 

As the years passed, Devan had learned that the girl who was like a busy bee was named Lee. But he also noticed that the life span of humans was much much shorter than his own. Now Lee was reaching the end of her life span, while Devan still looked the same. One evening while they were sitting in front of the statue that Devan had created all those years ago. Lee was once again setting up a picnic.  "Devan, this is probably my last time coming here..." Lee's tired old voice looked up at the handsome man and smiled. Her age showed as the wrinkles on her face scrunched up.

"Do you regret staying by my side? You never got to marry, nor did you get to experience what it was like to have a family of your own." Devan asked. He had enjoyed her company, but he never truly understood what a relationship was. 

"These past eighty years were amazing. Even as I grew older, you stayed with me, not caring for my aging body. You are every bit of the man I expected you to be. Maybe one day in this life, you will find another and finally learn what love is. But I will die with no regrets since I got to be beside the man I love all the way until the end."

A year later, Devan dug a hole and buried Lee. Next to the statue of his mother, Lee chiseled a new statue of a young girl holding a picnic basket with a smile that was as warm as the sun on her face.  Once it was completed, he sat down on the rock that Lee always perched on and stared at the statue in a daze. Seven days and nights passed, and Devan still sat there, lost in thought. He was replaying the memories that he had with Lee over and over in his mind. His mind turned as he pondered as to why he felt as if a piece of him had been torn away. It was not until almost two weeks went by that he finally asked himself. "Was I in love?"