Wriothesely's POV
"Explain."
I sat across Neuvillette and Lady Furina, who was still trying her best to get out of this conversation.
She looked up at Neuvillette, poking his side.
"Your secret, your problem."
He sighed and looking me dead in the eyes, calmly said.
"I'm the Dragon Sovereign of Water."
Ah...
Yes, of course.
...
Like hell!
"What the f*ck?!" I couldn't help but curse.
Even Furina looked up at him completely baffled.
Perhaps she too expected him to say something at least a bit less shocking.
The theory about him being the only male melusine, perhaps.
Hell, even if he said he was the hydro archon I would have been less shocked.
"Neuvillette! Are you insane?!"
"Was it not you who urged me to reveal it, lady Furina?"
"Could you not have made up some nonsense?!"
Right.
For once in my life I completely agreed with her.
"It is not as if I ever did anything to cancel my identity anyway, Lady Furina. Even if I gave him a false answer, he would have most likely figured it out soon anyway."
Well, that's true.
But...
"I can assure you that never in my life would I have ever even thought in the direction of Dragon Sovereigns."
"Well, it seems that is a miscalculation on my part then."
And why the hell are you so calm about that?
"Hah..."
It does explain some things though.
No vision, yet power strong enough to seal the Primordial Sea.
And...
"So those times I had to drag you inside from the rain..."
A frown instantly surfaced between his brows as Lady Furina burst out laughing.
"Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry." She said teasingly.
Pfft!
"I do not fancy being Fontaine's walking weather report, but I cannot do much about it." He grumbled.
"Poor weeping dragon."
"I don't weep. I get overwhelmed." Neuvillette corrected the laughing archon.
But even his usual serious face couldn't get Lady Furina to stop laughing.
So.
A dragon, huh?
"Say, if I-"
"Uhm... Lady Furina?" A soft voice interrupted as a little head poked around the corner.
"What is it, my dear?"
"Could we have you for a moment?"
And odd she went, happy to be out of our conversation.
While Lady Furina quickly disappeared behind the corner, the little one didn't.
"Monsieur Neuvillette... You can't listen in this time. And no peaking."
She ran off after that like she had committed a crime and Neuvillette could only sigh.
"Do they think I'm some curious child?" He muttered.
"They probably compare you more to a worried parent, really."
"A parent?"
He looked utterly bewildered as if the word itself was foreign to him
That thought was probably written on my face because he quickly added:
"I know what parents are. I just don't understand why the girls would consider me as such."
This guy...
"You've been in Fontaine for how long?"
"400-500 years. Give or take."
"Have you ever once considered learning some common sense?"
Even an idiot could see that you act and think like an overprotective parent.
Should I help out a bit?
"What is your understanding of parents, Neuvillette?"
"I'm afraid I don't follow."
"What do you think of when you hear the words parent?"
"Someone who loves their children more than anything and goes above and beyond to make sure they are living well and happily."
Oh wow!
I doubt I have seen him speak so firmly and with so much conviction in court.
"Which of these do you not do for the melusines?"
"I don't really go above and beyond-"
"You offered to twist the laws if need be to return a favor when took care of them for half an hour at most." I pointed out.
He looks away, seemingly embarrassed, and occurs to me that perhaps he only now realizes the offer he made.
"Hey, no takebacks." I warned.
"I would never go back on a promise even if I did find it... unethical."
Unethical...
You are aware that you made the offer right?
"Back to the previous topic. What else is there that you don't do for the girls?"
"I don't, as you so kindly put it, bend the law for them."
"But would you?"
He flinched and it wasn't even subtle.
That's all the answer I need for that question.
"Any other reason that I can deny, Monsieur Chief Justice?" I asked mockingly.
This time, he remained silent.
So no more nonsense then?
"Do you know what Sigewinne talks most about?"
"I'm afraid I don't."
"You."
She constantly talks about you, you damn ancient lizard with zero common sense.
"Monsieur Neuvillette this... Monsieur Neuvillette that... Your Grace, look! I got a present from Monsieur Neuvillette! Monsieur Neuvillette is so kind. Monsieur Neuvillette is so caring. Monsieur Neuvillette is so gentle. You know your Grace, we melusines might not have parents, but Monsieur Neuvillette is the best we could ever ask for!"
Before everything that has happened the last few days her constant shower of praises annoyed me to an incredible extent, but after everything I witnessed, I can understand where she comes from.
"Hah... Neuvillette, just accept that you've grown to be a father figure to the melusines and get on with your life. It's not like anything will change. No one expects you to act any-"
My words died down when I looked up to see a small but very clear blush creeping up his neck.
"What the- Neuvillette?"
He somehow seemed a bit out of it, as if his mind had floated away.
"Neuvi- Fuck!"
I jumped up in fright when I saw a blue scaly tail wagging behind Neuvillette.
He looked surprised by my shout and as his eyes followed my line of sight, complete and utter shock filled his face.
His face went completely red with embarrassment as he stammered out an explanation.
"I- That- This conversation... It agitated my emotions and I- I apologise."
The scaly limb disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared, but I was left more shocked than when he told me he was a dragon.
It wasn't really because of the tail either.
It was more shocking to see Nuevillette so flustered.
"Hey, did I say something wro-"
"Shut up. Not another word of this. This never happened." He grumbled through his teeth, still refusing to look me in the eyes.
I knew when to take a step back and I definitely knew better than to test his limits at the moment.
Luckily for me, someone came to take the brunt of the poor Chief Justice's embarrassment in a timely manner.
"We're back. Huh? Hey, Neuvillette, what's wrong with you? Why are you so flustered and... Why the hell is the water floating?"
And the water did float.
Right into the unfortunate archon's face with considerable force.
Well, I suppose that's bad timing for you.
Sadly for the relieved Duke, he didn't get away unscathed either.
Soon after Furina, he too was awarded a cold blast of water in his face.