Even If I'm Reborn as a Cute Dragon Girl, I Will Still Make a Harem-Chapter 48Book 6: : Break

Graybert sat lazily on the railing, fishing rod in hand.

“Well, did you find it?” he asked, not even turning around as he felt a gust of breeze behind him.

There was no answer.

“Hah… guess not.” He sighed lightly, as if he had expected this all along. “I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with that island, Miss. But from my experience, when something can’t be found at sea, it just can’t be found. No matter how hard you look, all you get is disappointment. Sometimes… giving up is the smarter choice.”

He reeled in, but the hook came up empty.

“Tch. Why can’t I catch even a single fish in this damned place?” Grumbling, he cast the line again. “Fishermen should never go home empty-handed! I refuse to believe I’ll spend all day fishing and catch nothing!”

There was still no answer.

He sighed again, then added, “Anyway, if you’re still dead set on continuing, Miss… I suppose I could drag my old bones back to the others and convince those greedy b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ to stick around a little longer. Consider it a gesture of gratitude for your generous payments. A few more days shouldn’t hurt.”

He turned back to Lilith, who seemed depressed.

“Just admit it already, you think it’s a steal to hire someone as brilliant as me, right? Do you feel the impulse to toss in a bonus?” he teased her with a grin.

Lilith shook her head. “…No need. That won’t be necessary.”

Graybert blinked at her in confusion. “Huh? You’re really giving up?”

“No, I’ve already found it,” Lilith replied softly.

“…You don’t look like someone who just found what they were looking for, though.”

“I did. The Dragon Island is right there.”

Graybert followed the direction of her finger, squinting at the unbroken stretch of blue waves. But there was nothing.

*Oh no… Don’t tell me she’s finally cracked under the pressure.*

“Uh… maybe you should take another look.” Graybert forced a polite smile. “I actually talked to the crew earlier—staying a few more days isn’t a problem, really.”

Lilith stared at him in silence for a long moment, then finally said, “You’re being very… enthusiastic. Don’t tell me you’re trying to squeeze more gold out of me?” 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“Wha—nonsense!” Graybert puffed up his chest indignantly.

“I, Graybert, have sailed these seas for decades with an upright reputation! Do you really think I’m the kind of scum who’d scamm my clients?!”

Lilith arched an eyebrow and gave him a long look. “Why don’t you tell me the answer?”

Under Lilith’s long and hard stare, defiance slowly drained from Graybert’s face. He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his hands.

“Haha, well… I won’t charge you. But you have to understand, I have to take care of the crew too. If I don’t pay them fairly, someone might try to take my job while I’m asleep.”

Lilith waved him off.

“…Forget it. I’m not going to argue with you. We’ve had our time together, and it was good while it lasted. Let’s part ways here.”

Graybert was stunned. “You’re really letting us go?”

“Yes. From this moment on, our contract is over. You’re free to return home,” Lilith replied seriously.

“Uhh, guess I’ll be… leaving, then?” Graybert asked tentatively, still looking like he couldn’t quite believe it. Then his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“Wait, this isn’t some kind of loyalty test, is it? Are you secretly testing our professionalism? Because let me tell you, while we can’t promise moral integrity, we’re definitely professionals who-…”

“Just go. Leave now,” Lilith interrupted him. She sounded really tired, but her voice was firm and left no room for argument.

Graybert stared at her for a few seconds, but seemed to understand something.

“…Is that so? Alright, then. I’ll be leaving now,” he said.

Graybert casually tossed his useless fishing rod into the sea, then straightened up and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Set sail, y’all! We’re heading home!”

A cheer erupted from the crew.

But instead of joining them, Graybert walked over to Lilith and patted her on the shoulder. “Miss, it looks like you really did find what you were looking for. But at a time like this… shouldn’t you be smiling?” he asked.

“…Am I not smiling? I’ve been smiling the whole time, haven’t I?” Lilith blinked at him, confused.

“…Are you? That’s a terrible smile.” Graybert rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Let me think… Yeah, that’s the exact same look Mary had when I found Mary on the roadside. She was five back then.”

“That’s ridiculous. Who could still smile after being abandoned?” Lilith murmured.

“Exactly. No kid smiles in that kind of situation. That’s why I asked her about it later. You know what she told me?” He paused, then turned to look at Lilith in the eye. “She said she smiled because she thought if she behaved and kept smiling, her ‘mom’ might come back for her.”

Lilith fell silent.

“Of course, you and I both know that didn’t happen,” Graybert added quietly as he turned away, giving a small wave as he walked.

“So instead of standing still and smiling like that kid, maybe it’s time you started moving forward and looking for answers. You’re not five anymore. And courage—well, that’s something adults can’t afford to live without.”

He gave her one final wave.

“Farewell, Miss. May things go the way you wish.” With that, Graybert walked off.

The SS Behemoth roared back to life—sails unfurled, rudder swung to the left. The ship turned sharply in a clean 180 and began its journey home.

Lilith remained where she was, hovering in the sky, until SS Behemoth eventually disappeared over the horizon after a long time.

“Ridiculous.” Above the lonely sea, Lilith suddenly slapped herself hard. “Getting life advice from some bearded uncle who reeks of alcohol—twice? Seriously, Lilith, how much longer are you going to keep embarrassing yourself?!” she scolded herself.

Her cheeks stung, but the heavy weight pressing on her chest finally began to lift. She glanced down at her reflection in the water. A smile formed on her face. Her eyebrows were raised. Her eyes were bright.

“Yes. That’s right. That’s how it should be…” Lilith murmured while smiling. “This is how the Dragon Princess is supposed to look.”

And then, without warning, she faced the endless sea and shouted at the top of her lungs.

“I’M HOME!” There was no answer. “I guess no one’s gonna reply me.” Her smile almost faltered, but she smacked her own cheeks again and kept smiling. “No, I guess that’s because no one’s home right now.”

Yes—that had to be it.

No one was home, which was why the massive barrier surrounding Dragon Island—an island-wide spell cast by the Dragon Queen herself—was active. That was also why no one could get close to it.

It was a defense mechanism. Nothing more.

“So then…”

Lilith lifted her hand, and a black flame coiled into existence at her fingertip. As her pupils darkened, she finally saw the massive dome barrier. It was just right in front of her.

“Since this is my home… then breaking in isn’t illegal, right, Mom?”