So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 12

Chapter 12

— — —

Still… judging by how violently he was freaking out, he didn’t seem to be an Invisible Dragon after all.

More like the “Invisible Dragon” had once been his chosen aesthetic—and now existed as a deep, incurable stain on his personal history.

“So who else saw it? Was it just you?!”
He grabbed his head. “Don’t tell me you showed it to other people—agh!”

It was painfully familiar.

Like discovering a novel you’d written during your middle-school edgelord phase.

Usually it’d be something like Dark Flame Dragon.

But no—Invisible Dragon.

Strangely distinctive, I had to admit.

Watching him now, it was obvious: dragon or human, everyone reacted the same way to a cringe-filled past—kicking blankets in shame and punching the air.

I forcibly smoothed down my twitching lips and replied with exaggerated solemnity.

“A-ahem. As far as I know, no one else is aware of it.”

“…I can see you holding back laughter.”

“N-no, not at all. People simply grow by passing through a phase where they harbor their own inner darkness.”

I even gave him a supportive thumbs-up.

That, apparently, made things worse.

“…Just laugh outright. That would be less humiliating.”

“PFFT—HAHAHA!”

“….”

“S-sorry…!”

He’d told me to laugh, but judging by his expression, he looked ready to split me in half if I continued.

I clamped my mouth shut and bowed my head.

From across from me came a long, weary sigh.

“…Where are they now?”

“Huh? What do you mean—”

“The goblet.”

He picked up the silver goblet lying near my feet.

With a casual flick of his hand, the space in front of him split open like a zipper—revealing a pocket of nothingness.

He dropped the goblet inside.

The space snapped shut.

“—!”

Okay.
Yep.
Definitely a dragon.

The sheer fantasy of it all hit me all over again.

“What, never seen subspace storage before?”

“…Of course not. I’m just a regular human.”

His hand paused mid-motion.

Our eyes met.

Then he stared at me—slowly, thoroughly—from head to toe.

Suspicion filled his narrowed gaze.

“Human?”

“Well… I think so?”

“…You don’t seem to know much about yourself.”

Of course I don’t.
I’ve been possessed for less than a month.
I don’t even know what novel this world belongs to.

This place is terrifyingly perceptive.

Unaware of my internal crisis, the man suddenly smiled, as if something had clicked.

“You’re a Fragment, aren’t you?”

Once again—words I didn’t understand.

“Is that so? I see.”

“…You didn’t understand a word I just said, did you?”

“Nope.”

Honestly, even a native of this world would’ve struggled to keep up with him.

At my blunt reply, he chuckled in disbelief and shook his head.

“Fine. Whatever. It’s not important right now. Just take me there.”

“…Where?”

“To the place with the books.”

He ground his teeth, looking like he might rip them apart on sight.

I hesitated.

“Those aren’t mine.”

“What? Of course they are—they’re mine!”

“That’s not what I meant. There’s another owner.”

No matter how neglected it was, those books belonged to the Grand Ducal library.

I’d borrowed them with that in mind. Handing them over to a green-haired reptile man in silk pajamas without permission felt… wrong.

“So the owner is you, then?”

“And how exactly am I supposed to believe that?” I snapped.
“If you were me, would you trust some unidentified man who crawled out of a cave in pajamas yelling about his old writing?”

“…You’re a funny one.”

“I hear that a lot.”

Shameless. Confident. Astonishing.

Those words might as well have been floating above his head.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly fascinated.

Then—a mischievous smile curved his lips.

“Fine. You’re right. I am a dragon.”

Snap.

“?!”

The instant his fingers snapped, my vision warped violently.

The world twisted—
my body lifted—
then settled.

And just like that—

We were standing in front of my cabin.

“W-What the—?!”

“What do you think?” he said smugly. “The great magic of a dragon.”

And that wasn’t all.

In his hand was a book.

No—that book.

『The Empire’s Ultimate Overpowered Invisible Dragon Let Out a Roar』

“How did you—”

“I’ll take care of this eyesore.”

He smiled like a boy who’d finally won an argument.

He’s like a grade-schooler…

I didn’t know his actual age, but everything about him screamed immature.

Looks like he never fully escaped his Invisible Dragon era after all.

I muttered stiffly,

“If the owner comes looking for that book, I’m telling them a green-haired reptile stole it.”

“So be it~”

Ugh! Why did that make me so mad?!

I was just about to bare my teeth and growl like Betty had taught me—

“Well then, I’m off. See you again?”

Grinning cheerfully, the man vanished just as suddenly as he’d appeared—clearly teleporting again.

“…Hard pass.”

Everything felt tangled.

All I wanted was to chop firewood and live quietly in a countryside cabin…

Suddenly, the life of Dolsoe from some old drama felt painfully enviable.

“…Sigh.”

I had a bad feeling.

But… it was probably nothing.

Yeah. Just my imagination.

I reassured myself desperately and hurried back inside—

hoping nothing else would happen.

But moments earlier—

Someone had witnessed the entire exchange.

“What… what did I just see?”

Hiding behind a tree, clutching her pounding heart, stood Katarina Hugo.

She had wrapped herself in layers of ornate clothing and come looking for Renée Blanche.

The reason?

Renée’s maids—normally omnipresent—were strangely absent today.

Curiosity had won.

The path to the annex was rough, ruining her beautiful dress.

But that no longer mattered.

She had seen something far more shocking.

Who was that man?

A secret lover?

She hadn’t heard their conversation—but one thing was certain.

Renée Blanche had been alone with another man.

When Katarina peeked again, he was already gone.

“Hah! What a scheming little bitch—bringing a man in through the back door?”

Shock twisted into venom.

To Katarina, this was a sign.

A chance.

She thought of Xavier Celeste, who had always treated her with cold indifference.

She bit her lip—then stopped herself.

She could never mar her beauty.

Xavier… you’ll see soon enough.

The only one fit to be Grand Duchess—

is me.

A few days later.

Katarina summoned the maids sent from House Hugo and prepared herself meticulously, dressed in her most cherished gown.

The moment she’d witnessed the scene at the cabin, she’d gone straight to Xavier—only for him to postpone their meeting repeatedly under the excuse of being busy.

Only after crying and pressuring the head butler—insisting it was urgent—was she finally granted an audience.

How infuriating.

Why won’t he listen to me?

She forced back the tears threatening to spill.

Smudged makeup would be unforgivable.

At that moment, a maid presented her jewelry box.

“Which gemstone shall you wear today, Lady Katarina? Sapphire, as always?”

“…Ruby.”

It wasn’t that she was copying that woman.

It was simply that today, the burning crimson glow of a ruby appealed to her.

With a ruby necklace nearly the size of a baby’s fist at her throat, Katarina examined herself in the mirror.

Perfect.

With this face, he won’t be able to ignore me.

Filled with confidence, she went to see Xavier Celeste—

Only to be met with icy words.

“Enough nonsense. Leave.”