“I’m not apologizing!”
Richard declared firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
Granny Raya was old now.
When she cast a sharp, angry glance at Richard, the wrinkles on her face deepened.
Richard couldn’t help but recall the times in his childhood when he’d been punished by Granny Raya’s stick.
The memory made him shudder involuntarily.
But right was right, and wrong was wrong.
After Aurina went missing, they’d followed her tracks and questioned people along the way.
Eventually, they found someone who had guided her—apparently, she’d headed straight for the orphanage.
That part was fine.
But just moments ago, Aurina had truly kidnapped an assassin and threatened Richard.
Even though… her brain didn’t quite work like most people’s.
It was possible that during Richard’s “education” sessions, he’d been too forceful, resulting in a few cognitive mix-ups.
Still, right was right, and wrong was wrong.
“She just held an assassin hostage and thought he was my relative and tried to—”
Richard said, one foot pressing down on the assassin to prevent any sudden moves.
Granny Raya cut in.
“And where were you, you brat, when they were holding me hostage?”
“Objectively, Aurina did save everyone,” Richard admitted, “but subjectively, she probably didn’t mean to. That needs to be treated separately. An apology? Out of the question. No way I’m apologizing.”
Granny Raya snapped, “You’ve been reading too many law books and scriptures ever since you joined the Hand of Tyr Knights! Completely scrambled your brain!”
“I saw her with my own eyes—this sweet little girl running into the orphanage, risking her life.”
“Exactly! Exactly!”
Aurina nodded furiously, the pain in her skull making her feel even more cunning and wicked—like a treacherous red dragon whose schemes could bring down even the greatest dragonslayers.
She said proudly, “I could tell something was wrong right away, so I rushed in to save Richard’s mom! Desbeast, you almost lost your mother, y’know? If not for me! Richard, you should be bowing to me—at least for saving your dear old mom.”
Richard lifted the visor of his helmet, his face twitching, expressionless as he stared at her.
“She scared me! I’m still just a kid!”
Aurina chanted in a high-pitched “little girl” voice, throwing in spellcasting gestures for flair—then leaned her head against Granny Raya’s chest like a cat, bumping and nuzzling her affectionately.
Granny Raya looked utterly melted.
She raised her hand and jabbed her finger toward Richard.
“This little dragon saved your life, you know!”
“But—”
“But what?! Now that you’ve grown up, gotten powerful, slain a dragon, become a big-shot hero, you won’t listen to your granny anymore? I’ve treated you like my own son! Don’t forget, when you were tiny, I even changed your diapers!”
Richard had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Just then, Sophia, who had finally calmed down, entered the room and overheard the conversation. She covered her mouth and smiled.
“Wait a minute,” Richard turned toward Sophia.
“The assassin with the knife in his neck—can you save him? He’s willing to testify, but the dangerous one under my foot tried to silence him.”
Sophia looked down at the man bleeding heavily beneath Richard’s boot.
Her face turned pale, sweat beading on her forehead.
She raised her hand, a green glow flashing through her fingers, and sealed the wound to stop the bleeding.
“All right,” she said softly. “I’ll try, darling.”
As she left, Granny Raya resumed scolding Richard, jabbing her finger toward his face.
“That girl was quick-witted and brave! Just look at my neck!”
She stretched it out to show him.
The wound carved by a sharp blade had already healed—thanks to Sophia—but the dried blood still stained her neck.
“When those thugs had a knife to my throat, it was she who had the smarts to pretend she was there to kidnap me too. That trick saved my life!”
“Yup, yup!”
Aurina nodded vigorously.
Granny Raya’s version of events was sounding more and more like the truth.
As the supreme red dragon queen with wisdom surpassing all mortals, how could she possibly mistake an assassin for Richard’s family?
The assassin under Richard’s boot opened his eyes, shooting Aurina a glare filled with hatred.
“Never thought the Nightingale, veteran of countless battles and deceivers, would fall for the tricks of a little girl like you.”
Aurina nodded again, quite pleased.
Even the enemy acknowledged her performance—clearly, she’d been too deep in character.
“Yes, yes, it was all part of my brilliant plan!”
Aurina raised her right hand and pointed at Richard, placing her left hand on her hip as she stood beside Granny Raya, joining her in condemning him.
“And you still had the nerve to hit me! I saved your mom! You almost became an orphan!”
“Apologize to this little girl!”
Granny Raya ordered.
Out of Granny Raya’s sight, Aurina stuck her tongue out at Richard in defiance.
Richard pointed at her.
“But she—”
Aurina immediately retracted her tongue and chanted, “I’m just a kid~!”
Granny Raya glanced back at Richard and said, “Give her a proper apology. This is your fault.”
“No.”
Richard stood firm.
“I will thank her for saving the orphanage, but I won’t apologize. Right is right, wrong is wrong—unless she passes the Test of Truth.”
Granny Raya was so furious she smacked him hard on the shoulder armor.
“What’s wrong with your brain, child?! Are you seriously lumping this adorable little girl in with those thugs?!”
Richard stiffened his neck and said nothing.
“It’s just honesty. Honesty isn’t an interrogation.”
“Fine, bring it on!”
Aurina folded her arms confidently.
“I’ve got nothing to hide!”
Richard muttered a few words under his breath.
A light-blue sphere of magic—like a bubble of glowing jelly—spread from him, enveloping the three people and one dragon.
“Only answer yes or no,” Richard said.
“Let’s start with the test questions from the Honesty Field manual. I’m a man. Aurina, are you a man or a woman?”
Aurina answered without hesitation.
“Man!”
“That was an obvious lie… so, why—huh?”
Richard’s brain stalled for a moment.
He blinked at Aurina.
“Why didn’t the Honesty Field change color? Did it malfunction? Granny Raya, you try it.”
Granny Raya rolled her eyes at him.
“I’m a man.”
Immediately, the Honesty Field flared red, blinking rapidly before gradually returning to blue.
That was when Aurina finally realized what it meant.
Her tail stiffened, and her heart began to pound.
This foolish bug actually possessed such a terrifying ability?
No wonder he was the strongest little insect—he was already beginning to uncover the first corner of her grand conspiracy!
“Strange, looks like it’s working fine.”
Richard turned to Aurina.
“Aurina, are you male or female?”
When in doubt—chant a little spell.
“I’m still just a little girl~!”
Aurina declared without hesitation.
The jelly-like Honesty Field instantly turned red and began blinking again.
Damn it! Even the “little girl spell” didn’t work this time!
As expected of the strongest little insect.
You can’t use the same move twice.
That must be it.
Aurina began to seriously consider escape.
Richard and Granny Raya both stared at her, perplexed.
Granny Raya, with her worldly experience, finally said, “I’ve seen boys who were born looking like girls. I didn’t think you were one of them.”
“Ah—yes, yes, yes!”
Aurina nodded frantically.
“Male! I’m male! Definitely male!”
As she spoke, her dragon tail beneath her dress swished back and forth.
The Honesty Field shifted from red back to blue.
The assassin, who had heard everything, widened his eyes in disbelief.
“No way… this can’t be. Hahaha! We all got outwitted by this baby dragon, hahaha!”
Richard frowned and asked darkly, “What’s so funny?”
“Ahahaha! So stupid! No wonder you weren’t worried in the slightest, even while carrying around such a priceless treasure.”
“So that’s it—the offspring of the Dread Dragon isn’t female… but male. Just imagine the expressions on the nobles’ faces when they find out. The schemers, the plotters… oh, it’ll be glorious!”
The assassin burst into maniacal laughter, only stopping when the motion tugged at the wound in his nether regions, forcing a pained silence.
“Completely irrational,” Richard muttered.
Aurina, however, had a new opinion.
Among the three humans and one dragon present, this assassin might actually be the smartest—besides herself, of course.
With a flick of her tail, she smacked him unconscious.
“This little bug has no right to listen in on our conversation.”
Granny Raya crouched down, peering closely at Aurina’s face.
“So you’re a boy? You really can’t tell at all.”
Aurina puffed up with pride and nodded.
“Mm-hmm!”
“No way,” Richard said.
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
When Aurina had hatched from the egg, maybe others hadn’t noticed, but Richard had a clear view from his angle.
At the doorway, Sophia was standing with her mouth agape.
Aurina raised her right hand and pointed directly at Richard, her fingertip so close that the ridges of her fingerprint were visible.
“Gah! How dare you assume my gender! I’m telling you—I’m male!”
The Honesty Field didn’t change color.
Richard and Granny Raya exchanged glances, both equally baffled.
In their mutual confusion, neither of them noticed Sophia at the door, jaw nearly on the floor.
“She’s still just a child,” Granny Raya said gently.
“He,” Aurina corrected.
Richard took another look at Aurina.
Her long crimson hair burned like fire.
Her delicate face, those pouty lips—always pursed unconsciously—made her look just like a kitten.
“The Honesty Field only detects truth and lies,” Richard muttered.
“It doesn’t detect objective facts.”
“Exactly,” Sophia stepped forward.
“It only discerns the speaker’s subjective truth.”
“Darling, when did you get here?”
Richard asked, startled.
“I walked in right when you started talking about seeing Aurina’s whole body,” Sophia replied coldly.
“You two seem… closer than I thought.”
“That was an accident.”
“In the twelve years I’ve known you, we’ve never once had an ‘accident.’”
“You’re not mad… are you, darling?”
“Not at all. I’m completely fine. I believe it was an ‘accident.’”
The Honesty Field began flashing red again.
The red glow reflected off Sophia’s face, making her look… terrifying—and Richard began to panic.
“Please, let me explain—at that time—”
But before he could finish, Aurina had already stepped in.
Sensing that the strongest little bug was afraid of females, she wrapped her arms around Sophia and nestled her head against her chest.
“Don’t listen to him! An explanation is a cover-up, and a cover-up means it really happened! Hmph! As if I don’t know how men think!”
Sophia’s eyes turned murderous.
Under the gaze of two women and one dragon, Richard broke out into a cold sweat.
He started to deeply regret ever insisting on activating the Honesty Field.