The Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica is one of the four major nations that dominate the continent, situated on the eastern side and encompassing a vast expanse of territory.
Due to the extensive lands under its control, the central government, led by the king, struggled to manage all administrative responsibilities. To address this, the king appointed individuals to govern various regions on his behalf.
These appointed leaders would eventually pass their responsibilities down to their descendants, forming the foundation of noble families—each inheriting lands to oversee, with the king's approval.
This tradition persisted for centuries, with large tracts of land changing hands among noble families as some rose to prominence while others fell from grace.
Such is the nature of existence; nothing exists indefinitely.
This also applied to the royal family.
The plague that struck them was quick and devastating, leading to the gradual demise of the royal family until the king's death marked the end of the Lugunican bloodline.
Initially, there was widespread fear and uncertainty: what would happen now that those in absolute power had nearly all perished? Who would lead the nation? What would become of the covenant with the dragon?
Fortunately, their concerns were alleviated when the dragon tablet, bestowed by the deity revered by the kingdom, the Divine Dragon Volcanica, provided guidance during those chaotic times.
Five women were chosen by the divine dragon as dragon maidens, capable of renewing the covenant with the dragon and leading the kingdom.
Each of these five women harbored their own ambitions, plans, and visions for the future direction of the kingdom.
Thus, following the royal selection, where the candidates were identified and began competing, they would undoubtedly work diligently to garner support for their respective causes.
Right?
In the Mansion of Margrave Mathers, owned by the noble Roswaal L Mathers of the Mathers family, who governs the western lands of the kingdom, one of these candidates resided.
The first light of dawn filtered into the room, casting a warm glow that highlighted the queen-sized bed and the opulent furnishings, showcasing their elegance.
Yet, the woman seemed oblivious to her surroundings. It was as if her mind had erased the entire space, leaving only her presence within it.
Long luxurious silver hair that would sparkle in the sunlight, and her skin was flawless and smooth, unmarred by any imperfections. Her striking amethyst eyes had the power to captivate anyone.
However, those enchanting eyes, instead of radiating warmth and hope, appeared dull and empty, as if they were lost—like a pearl that had lost its luster.
She remained laying on her bed for a while, rooted to the spot, her expression downcast and sorrowful. It was a look that seemed out of place on her otherwise beautiful face.
Trapped in her sadness, she lingered there until the sunlight streaming in touched her face, momentarily blinding her.
"Oh, the sun is up," she remarked, her voice lacking any enthusiasm. The silver tones that usually characterized her speech sounded hollow.
Emilia turned her gaze toward the door of her room, staring at it as if anticipating something to occur—something that happened almost every day—but nothing came.
With a vacant expression, she shifted her focus to the window, where she could see the sun casting its warmth over the front yard through the blinds.
Her room was situated on the second floor of Roswaal's mansion, positioned to give her a clear view of the front yard and garden, just as she had requested.
But now? She couldn't care less.
"Subaru always said, "You should be thankful for seeing the sun each morning, as you never know when it might be your last day."
Emilia reflected on those words while her fingers traced the necklace around her neck. The piece was crafted from silver, featuring a pendant made of a light green crystal.
Her thumbs repeatedly caressed the pendant, a familiar gesture she performed daily, but never with this level of intensity.
It felt as though she was anticipating something important, something she had grown accustomed to, yet, as she feared, it never arrived.
"Puck, I'd like to visit the garden today. Will you join me?" she inquired, her fingers gliding over the crystal.
"..."
"After breakfast, I'm going to study. I've been neglecting it for a while now. Everyone has high expectations of me, and I want to fulfill my dream."
"…"
"What should I have for dinner? Subaru mentioned making something called 'hamburgers.' What do you think?"
"…"
"I'm going to talk with minor spirits tonight. It's been a while since I did it."
"…"
"I'm going to do some stargazing tonight. Subaru always brought a quill and paper to sketch the stars, creating funny animals and shapes by connecting them. Do you think I should do the same?"
"…"
Despite the silence, Emilia continued to chatter about her disorganized plans for the day, seemingly unfazed by the lack of response.
Perhaps she was hoping for a reply? That if she spoke enough, Puck would eventually respond?
Eventually, she fell quiet, realizing she wouldn't hear anything from him.
Emilia stopped her gentle caress and clenched the crystal tightly, her fist trembling in place.
"Puck," she said, her tone carrying an unusual edge—anger.
"When you woke me up from that ice, you promised to always be by my side, to hold my hand whenever I felt down. You even repeated that promise when we made our contract." She started, her voice beginning to tremble.
"So why, Puck? Why won't you show yourself? When I need you the most, you're nowhere to be found, why?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper, yet the anger was unmistakable, her words cracking intermittently.
"You promised! You promised me! Before and after you we made our contract! So why?! Why won't you come out? Why?!"
Her grip on the pendant tightened, her fingers pressing harder against the crystal. It would have shattered under her elven strength if it weren't a crystal that contained a Great Spirit.
"You lied! You lied about everything! If you really meant what you have said, you wouldn't have abandoned me like this! You wouldn't have broken your promise! Liar! You're a big, bad liar! I hate you!"
Emilia's expression hardened, her teeth clenched tightly. For the first time she could remember, she felt an intense hatred towards someone—especially her father.
She took the necklace from around her neck, twisted it tightly in her hands, preparing to throw it with all her elven strength—
But then she paused, feeling all her rage and anger dissipate in an instant. Exhaustion washed over her. She opened her palm and gazed at the necklace.
"Puck," she whispered. "I miss you so much. I'm so sorry if I did something wrong. Please come back."
Two drops of water landed on the necklace, and in that moment, Emilia realized she had been crying all along. When did it start? She couldn't recall, nor did it matter as she clutched the necklace tightly to her chest.
She sobbed softly, tuning out the world around her while her tears cascaded down. A wet path formed on her cheeks as she poured out her emotions.
Time seemed to blur as she cried—was it minutes or hours? She continued, her chest soaked with tears and her eyes swollen and red. The only sound in the now brightly lit room was her quiet sniffles, her gaze fixed on the necklace.
Since her argument with Subaru and her departure from the capital, Puck hadn't come out from his crystal at all—not even once.
At first, she thought he might just be tired or sulking after the incident in the capital, especially since he had been in a foul mood after she was insulted in front of everyone.
But the days turned into a week with no sign of him, her calls and attempts to summon him went unanswered for reasons she couldn't understand.
Had she made a mistake? Had she upset him somehow? She always aimed to be a wonderful daughter, consistently adhering to everything he said.
So why was he acting this way towards her? Was this her punishment?
If it was, then why the silence?
Why was he being so cruel to her?
Irregardless, the boredom, betrayal, loneliness, and sadness all reached a tipping point, causing her to pour her heart out.
She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, staring at the crystal, until the sound of a knock on the door pulled her back to reality.
Her heart leaped at the sound, a flicker of joy igniting within her. There had always been someone who would come to her door each morning at her request.
It was none other than—
"Emilia-sama? Morning has arrived. I've prepared breakfast for you."
Instantly, Emilia's excitement deflated. The spark of joy faded as she recognized it was Ram at the door.
'Right, he's not here…' she thought with a hint of sadness. Natsuki Subaru, the new butler at the mansion and her first true friend, was the one who always woke her up and let her know breakfast was ready.
With a sense of lethargy, she rose from her bed and made her way to the dressing table. She looked disheveled; her hair was wild and untamed, and her face bore the signs of fatigue and gloom.
When was the last time she had looked in the mirror? She couldn't recall. Her days with Puck felt like a blur, filled with tending to the homes in her elf village, scavenging for food, or trading with travelers—if they didn't flee at the sight of her. Until they got to this mansion, she couldn't recall the time she saw her reflection, if ever.
Her gaze fell upon the hairbrush resting on the table. If Puck had been awake, he would have chosen her hairstyle for the day, a cherished ritual she adored, especially when his tiny paws would gently stroke and style her hair.
"Emilia-sama?" Ram's voice broke through her thoughts, and Emilia realized she hadn't responded.
"Yes, Ram. I'm awake. I'll come down shortly," she replied.
"As you wish," Ram said, her footsteps gradually fading away until they were gone. Emilia then picked up the hairbrush.
Since Puck usually styled her hair, she had no idea what look to go for, so she decided to simply brush it out to remove the tangles.
"This looks better," she murmured as she examined her reflection. Her hair was now straight and much neater, though it still lacked any real style.
It was then that she noticed she was still wearing the yellow nightgown she always had on.
"Oh, Puck always told me to change first before doing my hair. Silly me," she said to herself, pausing as if waiting for a response before heading to the wardrobe. She selected a white dress with purple accents, a choice made by Puck, who had said she looked like an angel in it.
As she exited her room and went to the dining room, the mansion felt empty, lonely, and sad. The lively energy that was there seemed to have ceased.
Upon entering the dining room, which was empty as predictable, she sank into her chair and sat in complete silence, waiting without uttering a word.
Eventually, Ram appeared from the kitchen, pushing a serving cart until she reached Emilia's side.
"Here is your breakfast, Emilia-sama," Ram said with a stoic expression, placing the dishes on the table.
The meal consisted of egs, susages, beacon, and a salada—a traditional breakfast in this mansion.
Emilia remained quiet, ignoring Ram and instead gazing off to the side, anticipating something.
Typically, Subaru would be the one to serve her breakfast and then join her at the table by sitting next to her, only for Ram to come along and pull him away, calling him a "Disgusting Pervert" as usual.
With a sigh, she picked up her silverware and began to eat. The food was mediocre; the susages were slightly cold, the egs lacked seasoning, and she had never been fond of vegetables to begin with.
She longed for Rem's cooking and Subaru's creative culinary ideas. He would always collaborate with Rem to create bizarre yet delicious dishes, and she missed those dearly.
Deep down, she knew the blame lay with her.
After Subaru's incident in the capital and his duel with Julius, she had been at a loss regarding how to handle him.
While she was grateful he defended her, she was also horrified by his actions toward Julius. And how close he was to murdering someone. She understood he needed to face repercussions for what he had done.
Then Roswaal suggested that she could keep him in the capital as a form of punishment, so he can understand his mistake.
He also recommended that Rem stay with him to monitor his behavior and prevent any further trouble, which she agreed to.
But now? She found herself regretting that decision with every fiber of her being. Ever since Subaru entered her life, she had felt joy and entertainment. She had found a friend—someone who genuinely cared for her.
What were once dull days transformed into moments of fun and excitement, especially with all the antics he would get up to. The pranks he played on Ram were especially the best, even though he knew that would lead to more chores as punishment.
But now, that joy was absent.
The mansion felt different—quieter, more subdued, and isolated. It was as if she were trapped in a bubble, with nothing to occupy her time except studying.
It was even lonelier than before; she used to have Puck by her side, but now, he was no longer with her. She felt more isolated than ever.
"Ram," she called, catching the maid's attention. "When will Roswaal come back?"
"Ram doesn't know. Roswaal-sama only mentioned he would be away for a few days," Ram replied calmly.
After returning from the capital, Roswaal had quickly left the mansion on urgent business related to the royal selection.
As much of an airhead as she was, she quickly recognized the clown for his eccentricity, yet his presence was preferable to the loneliness she was currently going through.
As for Ram, the maid had mostly kept to herself, focusing on her tasks of cleaning and tending to the plants outside, without sparing time to talk with Emilia.
Suddenly, a knock echoed through the mansion, amplified by the spell Roswaal had placed to ensure it could be heard throughout.
"Emilia-sama, please wait here. Ram will check the front door," she said with a bow before leaving Emilia alone.
Minutes ticked by as Emilia continued to eat. Once she finished, she set her fork down and was about to rise when she heard voices outside.
Though she couldn't make out the words, she moved closer to the dining room door, straining her elven hearing until she could catch snippets of the conversation.
"Crusch…Army…Help…Subaru…" Emilia was too stunned to listen to the rest; she stepped away from the door in disbelief.
Her eyes widened as she recognized the voice—it was feminine and belonged to someone she knew well: Rem.
The last word she heard from Rem struck her, "Subaru."
If Rem, the one she had left behind with Subaru, was here, it could only mean one thing.
'Subaru! You're finally back!' Emilia's heart leaped with joy at the thought. No longer would she feel lonely. No longer would this suffocating boredom and idleness continue. He would wake her up for breakfast like he used to, whip up delicious meals as he always did, and sit beside her just like before.
All her loneliness, sadness, and even Puck's absence would be resolved with Subaru's return!
Subaru will fix everything!
With a radiant smile that could outshine the sun, she left the dining room and made her way to the foyer, where she saw the twin maids engaged in hush conversation.
"Rem!" she called out, catching the maid's attention.
"Ah, Emilia-sama. It's good to see you doing well," Rem replied, bowing slightly in greeting.
Though they had grown closer, Rem still adhered to her training as a maid, showing proper respect to her superiors.
"Yes yes. By the way, have you seen Subaru? I've missed that dunderhead sooooo much! We have a lot to catch up on!" she exclaimed cheerfully.
'Subaru! I can't wait to see you again!' she thought with excitement.
Ram and Rem exchanged glances before looking back at her.
"Um, Emilia-sama, Rem doesn't think that's possible at the moment," Rem said hesitantly, trying not to dampen Emilia's good mood.
Emilia's heart sank at those words. "W-what do you mean? Is he not with you?!"
Rem shook her head. "No, Subaru-kun is safe and sound. And he hasn't got into much trouble, just as you hoped, Emilia-sama."
A wave of relief washed over Emilia; she couldn't imagine what she would do if he weren't there with her. "Then where is he?"
"Subaru-kun is at Alarm Village, coordinating an evacuation there as we speak"
"An evacuation? What's going on? Is there a Mabeast horde or something?" she inquired, her concern growing as she remembered reading that Mabeasts could occasionally gather in massive groups, or hordes, that could reach into the hundreds.
What Rem said next was even more alarming than she had anticipated, causing her heart to sink in fear.
"Rem wishes that was the case, but unfortunately, it's not. The Witch cult is here, and they're after you."