I’m an Alraune, Fire Dragon-sama’s breakfast dessert and ornamental houseplant.
And after pollinating myself, I returned to the form of a young girl for the first time in a while.



Fire Dragon-sama declared that he would raise the young me into his ideal Alraune.
In other words, he intends to turn me into an obedient houseplant that quietly offers up her nectar instead of causing trouble.


It reminds me of The Tale of Genji, where Hikaru Genji raised young Murasaki.
Just as young Murasaki grew up to become Lady Murasaki, maybe I’ll grow into an Alraune worthy of being Fire Dragon-sama’s dessert.


That said, while my appearance is that of a child, I’m still an adult on the inside.
It’s a little late for me to be molded by someone else now. But if things continue like this, I might at least have to pretend to be the kind of Alraune he likes.



With my body now shrunken to the size of a little girl, I was replanted into a small flowerpot.
And now I’ve been placed in a corner of Fire Dragon-sama’s room.


Even though he said he would raise me, Fire Dragon-sama seems to be very busy and hardly ever spends any time in his room.
As a result, I’m bored out of my mind.


I miss Barometz back at the botanical garden.
Sitting around by myself all day is far too dull!

Fire Dragon-sama is currently away.
The only one here is Uncle Teddy, who was cleaning the room.
He was carrying a broom and a rag while diligently going about his work.
I think I’ll chat with him to keep me company.


“Uncle… where… am I?”


It’s a bit late now, but I still haven’t asked what this room actually is.


“It’s Lord Grüsch’s bedroom.”


Figures.
There’s a bed in the back of the room, so I suspected as much.
I’m still in shock though. As a former saint, I never imagined I would end up living in a man’s bedroom, even if that man is a dragon.


“What… will happen… to me?”

“As long as you grow healthily and quietly as an ornamental plant in this room, nothing will happen. And if you could provide nectar for breakfast desserts, that would be more than enough.”


Just as I expected. They only expect me to act as a breakfast dessert and ornamental plant.
So the Genji Plan isn’t actually that extreme. It seems they aren’t planning to do anything to me.
Basically, I’ll just be left alone and raised like an ordinary houseplant.
Maybe I got worked up over nothing.


Only after I relaxed with a sigh of relief did I realize I was getting thirsty.
I wanted some water.


“Uncle… I’d like… some water.”

“Please wait a moment. I am busy cleaning.”

“But… the soil is dry… I need water.”

“I shall water you once I am finished here. Please wait until then.”

“B-But—”

“I’d appreciate it if an Alraune whose only recognized merit is her nectar didn’t give orders to me, the butler.”


My request was mercilessly rejected.
It almost sounded like he was saying I was only good for my nectar. How rude.
I’m good at lots of things, you know!


Besides, I’m a newly sprouted Alraune. I’m still in my growing phase.
That means I need a large amount of water.
And unlike the botanical garden, I’m living in a flowerpot now, so I need to be watered more often.
The soil is completely parched!
Let’s not put off watering me!

Honestly, people who have never lived in a flowerpot have no idea how plants feel… wait. I just thought of something.


“Hey… Uncle. Want to play… a game?”

“A game?”

“It’s just… a little… game.”


The rules are simple.
If I can make Uncle Teddy stop cleaning, I win, and he has to give me water.
If I can’t make him stop, then Uncle Teddy wins, and I won’t complain anymore

With the added condition that I wouldn’t take a single step from where I was planted, I proposed the game to Uncle Teddy.


“Rather than saying you won’t move, it would be more accurate to say you can’t move. Still, very well. It’s been painfully noisy for a while now, so if winning means you’ll remain quiet from now on, I accept your challenge. However, I have an additional condition. If you’re not allowed to move, then extending your vines is forbidden as well.”

“Ehhh—”

“Likewise, I also forbid you from scattering your leaves, seeds, or pollen. It would only make the room messier. You may be an ornamental plant, but you’re also a lady. You must conduct yourself as a proper lady befitting Fire Dragon-sama.”


Hmph. Fine by me.
I’ll show him that I’m not just some ordinary plant girl!

Good day, Uncle Teddy.
My conduct as a refined lady will captivate you so thoroughly that you’ll want to abandon your work.

My vines, pollen, and even squirting cucumber machine guns have all been banned.
But I still have one final trump card.


Uncle Teddy probably doesn’t know that plants can release water.
I’m not saying that he’s poorly educated, of course.
It’s simply because I’m exceptionally talented.


Using Plant Generation, I produced a bubble bush.
I may already be short on water, but if it means getting watered, I’ll gladly spend every last drop I have left.
To avoid wasting any of it, instead of releasing the water in all directions through transpiration like normal, I’ll fire the soap bubbles straight at Uncle Teddy.

For the liquid that made up my bubble bullets, I selected a certain plant. Both ingredients were plants I only recently absorbed from the botanical garden.

And with that… Bubble attack, launch!
A barrage of red bubbles flew toward Uncle Teddy.


“Is this… water projection? Remarkable. I never imagined an Alraune could do such a thing.”


Uncle Teddy’s hands froze.
Still holding his broom, he fixed his gaze on my bubbles.


“However, it is pointless.”


With a series of masterful swings from his broom, Uncle Teddy swatted and popped the bubbles one after another.
He looked just like a master swordsman.


“I would prefer not to have the room flooded with wa—my eyessss!!”


Uncle Teddy collapsed onto the floor.
It seemed some of the liquid from a popped bubble got into his eyes.


Well, Uncle Teddy? What do you think?
As it happens, I had mixed chili pepper juice into those soap bubbles. How do you find the delightful taste of my chili extract?


He never would’ve guessed there would be chili peppers mixed into the bubbles.
I do feel a little sorry for him. But really, it was his own fault for lowering his guard.

His cleaning had been interrupted, so I win
No one can call me an Alraune whose only merit is her nectar anymore!
Now hurry up and give me water.


As I repeatedly pleaded, “Water… hurry and give… me water,” to Uncle Teddy, who was writhing around in agony, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.


“How surprising.”


I turned around just in time to see Fire Dragon-sama entering the room.


“I never imagined you were capable of turning harmful liquids into bubbles and firing them. This is the first time I’ve seen a plant do such a thing.”


Fire Dragon-sama was holding a bucket in one hand.
The moment Uncle Teddy saw it, he cried out in pain.


“Lord Grüsch… water…”

“You lost the match. That is your own fault. This water shall be awarded to the victor.”


So he must’ve been listening since around the time Uncle Teddy and I started our match.


“For someone so small, you are surprisingly formidable. Take this water as your reward.”


Eh? Is Fire Dragon-sama personally giving me water?

W-What should I do? Why is this making me… kind of happy?
For Fire Dragon-sama, who until now had only seemed interested in setting me on fire, to suddenly treat me so kindly, it gives me such a strange feeling.


“I suspected you were no ordinary Alraune, but even so…”


As Fire Dragon-sama slowly approached me, he poured water into the soil of my flowerpot.

Ahhh… I’m coming back to life.
Water is delicious!


“Feel free to use the rest of the water however you wish.”


Fire Dragon-sama tossed the bucket over to Uncle Teddy.
It looked like he was giving his struggling subordinate some much-needed relief.
As expected, Fire Dragon-sama really does care about his subordinates.


“That aside… are you truly just an ordinary plant monster? I’ve never heard of a plant capable of launching bubbles.”

“I’m… just… a flower.”


Actually, I used to be a human saint.
But I’m absolutely keeping that a secret. If I told him, he would probably burn me on the spot.


“I’ve had my suspicions ever since I saw your mother. You don’t seem to be an ordinary Alraune.”


As he said that, Fire Dragon-sama produced a spoon from somewhere.
He held it out in front of my face.
Could he be planning to collect nectar with that?


I gently took the spoon into my mouth and left a dollop of nectar into its bowl.
Fire Dragon-sama pulled the spoon back out of my mouth and brought it to his lips.


“As expected… it’s delicious.”


Being praised like that doesn’t feel bad.
But being the first time someone has collected my nectar with a spoon, it left me feeling a little flustered.


“Ah, I’ve just had an excellent idea.”


Fire Dragon-sama grinned while looking down at me.
Why do I have such a terrible feeling about this?


“You’re hiding other talents as well, aren’t you? It would be a waste to leave you here as an ornamental plant.”


Fire Dragon-sama is surprisingly perceptive.
I can grow fields, snipe targets with my seeds, and even poison people.
Aside from the minor issue of not being able to move on my own, I would like to think I have plenty of useful skills.


“I have decided. You shall become my personal attendant.”

“Huh?”

“You’re going to be a maid.”


At first I thought he was joking, but when Fire Dragon-sama started instructing Uncle Teddy to carry around, it became clear he was completely serious.


“Those abilities of yours will be used for my benefit.”


Fire Dragon-sama lightly patted my head.

What should I do? I never saw this coming.
Should I be happy about this?


I’ve just been promoted from a houseplant to a maid.

***

Author’s Note:

Following “Lord of the Forest” and “Guard of the Forest of Dryades,” our protagonist has now acquired yet another job. Incidentally, her salary is water.

Next Time: The Demon King’s Castle’s Alraune Maid