Reborn As The Minor Villain In A Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 208

Chapter 208: A Threat
“Huh?” Lucius raised an eyebrow at her, trying to process what she had just said.

Out of all the human culture she had absorbed from kissing him, dummy was the first word she chose?

He couldn’t help the involuntary twitch in his cheek as he stared at her.

‘It’s cute when Emilia or Esme does it because they’re young, but she looks Vanessa’s age. The hell?’

The disconnect between her appearance and her childish tone scrambled his brain in a way that gave him a mild headache.

“My first kiss…” Minerva repeated more softly, her fingers tapping her lips again as though hoping the gesture would confirm the memory. “In human custom, it’s important to give your first kiss to the person you love. I don’t love you though. I’m scared of you killing me.”

Lucius opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure which part he was supposed to respond to first: the human custom, the confession that she feared him murdering her, or the complete emotional flatness she delivered both with.

She looked away from him then, down toward the wooden platform he’d created.

“Besides,” she continued, “my parents wouldn’t approve of me liking a human. Your kind is too weak and probably wouldn’t be able to handle a dragon in bed. I’ll need to marry a big strong dragon.”

Lucius dragged his palm down his face, feeling the frustration wash over him in waves.

The fatigue in his mana hearts, especially the low-rank wood heart, was nothing compared to the mental exhaustion of trying to have a normal conversation with her.

“It’s not like there’s a land full of damn dragons for you to choose from,” he said, exasperation bleeding into his voice as he smoothed back stray strands of hair.

“What? There totally is,” Minerva replied instantly.

Her eyebrows furrowed, genuinely confused by his confusion. “That’s where I come from.”

He stared blankly before lifting both hands slightly in a helpless expression.

“Then why aren’t you married to a big strong dragon yet?” he asked while stretching his arms above his head.

His joints cracked loudly before settling back into place.

“They’re there,” she said matter-of-factly. “Dragons my age aren’t just big and strong.”

She sounded slightly disappointed but not necessarily bothered by it.

Her tone made it hard for Lucius to tell if she was proud, annoyed, or just stating facts without emotional weight.

Lucius observed the others finishing their tents. They were now setting up the portable router on the far end of the wooden platform.

Once they stabilized the signal, they would all be able to use their phones.

The moment that happened, Lucius intended to crawl into his tent, grab a blanket, and either watch something mindless or scroll through his Stitch feed until he felt like himself again.

He wanted peace and to forget he was in the middle of a blood ocean.

“How old are you anyway?” he asked, expecting something normal.

“I’m just eighty years old,” Minerva answered with complete nonchalance.

Lucius slowly turned to her, eyebrows raised. “Just? You’re like… as old as a lot of humans.”

“Of course,” she said proudly while patting her chest. “What did you expect? Life expectancy of a great dragon like me is hundreds of thousands of years. You can die over and over and I’ll still be alive.”

Lucius stared at her, internally spiraling.

On one hand, immortality sounded enticing.

On the other, the idea of living long enough to watch entire generations of humans die around him felt emotionally catastrophic. ‘I’m sure she doesn’t understand how depressing that sounds.’

He imagined himself trying to rule galaxies out of boredom or taking over kingdoms just to feel something. ‘I’m perfectly satisfied with using the retirement money from all the girls to live my life to the fullest. I was never a good leader anyway.’

“That’s nice,” he said, voice flat enough to make a desert seem hydrated.

Minerva narrowed her eyes slightly. “Is that sarcasm?”

Before Lucius could confirm or deny anything, an Awakener at the far edge raised a fist triumphantly and shouted. “It’s setup! Y’all can use your phones now!”

Lucius immediately got to his feet.

He turned toward Grimm, who was wrestling with the last corner of his tent. “Call me out when Vanessa’s done cooking,” he said.

Grimm saluted him dramatically, nearly tripping over his own shoelaces in the process.

Lucius pulled his own tent from his inventory, letting it unfold mid-air before landing neatly on the ground. He didn’t spare her another glance before entering.

The Dragon girl remained outside for a moment, glancing around with visible discomfort as the Awakeners began settling down.

Her instincts prickled as the men stared at her with open hunger in their eyes. It was a look she had never seen from her own kind, a look that made her scales itch.

‘I hate how human men look at beautiful women,’ she thought, hugging herself as if it would shield her.

She could practically feel their gazes on her skin.

Lust radiated from them like heat.

Despite being a dragon… something fearsome with or without her powers, she felt vulnerable in her humanoid body.

She judged her best option instantly.

She ran straight into Lucius’s tent.

Inside, Lucius had been just about to open his phone, already mentally preparing to scroll in peace. He blinked when she burst inside, panting slightly.

“Finally,” she muttered to herself as if she had just escaped a battlefield.

Lucius stared at her. “What? Why are you here? Wait for Vanessa so you can stay with her.”

He pulled his shirt off casually… it was soaked with the remnants of dried blood and sweat and lay back on the bed.

“I don’t want to be outside,” Minerva said while shifting closer to the center of the tent. “I don’t like the way those lesser humans are looking at me with lust.”

Lucius looked up at her again, studying her expression. “…Dragon girl… wait, do you even have a name?”

“It’s Minerva,” she said simply. “But that’s too old. I’m still thinking of a human name.”

Lucius considered it briefly. Minerva wasn’t a bad name, but whether it suited an unpredictable dragon girl was another question entirely.

“Sure, Minerva,” he said. “I’m sure you’re aware of human culture. Men and women who don’t ‘love’ each other shouldn’t be in the same room unless people think it’s strange.”

Minerva shrugged without concern. “Hm? Whatever. I’ll stay here. I don’t want to be outside.”

Lucius decided not to argue anymore.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and when he checked the notifications, his eyes widened.

His Stitch account had a flood of missed calls.

[You have 100+ Missed Calls from Skyline City Dragon Hall🔹]

‘What the fuck?’ Lucius thought with a sinking feeling as he answered.

A video call connected.

Instantly, roaring voices exploded through the speaker.

“LUCIUS VON HOHENBERG, IF YOU DARE HURT OR TRY ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE WITH MY DAUGHTER, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU AND YOUR WHOLE BLOODLINE, ENSURING THAT YOU HAVE NO MORE CHILDREN TO SPREAD THAT FILTHY SEED DOWN TO!”

Lucius stared blankly for half a second before hanging up.

He let his head drop back onto the pillow.

‘It can’t be that serious, bro,’ he thought as he shook his head.