Fire Dragon-sama has figured out who I really am.

Cinderella is out!
At this rate, I’m going to be burned at the stake.


As I desperately searched for some way to avoid being incinerated, I came up with an idea. If I become a little Alraune, I could pretend to be someone else.


And so, I’m going to pollinate myself.

I’ll start my life over as a little girl.
Surely Fire Dragon-sama and Uncle Teddy wouldn’t burn an innocent Alraune child, right?

I never imagined I would end up pollinating myself inside the Demon King’s castle, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If it means surviving, I’ll do whatever it takes!


I need to finish this quickly before Fire Dragon-sama and Uncle Teddy return to the room. If they catch me secretly pollinating myself, they’ll definitely get suspicious.


I immediately grew a male Alraune flower on one of my vines.
Gently plucking it, I brought the flower to my upper mouth and sucked on it.


To take the pollen from the stamens into my body, I used my tongue to scrape the pollen from the anthers.
This was my second time putting a male flower into my mouth.
I was terrified the first time, but I’m not nearly as frightened now as I was back then.
Maybe because I’d already done it once, I was able to go through the process much more smoothly than before.

I drew in the pollen and swallowed it with a gulp.
The moment the pollen from the stamens adheres to the stigma of the pistil, pollination is complete. It had been a long time since I last self-pollinated.
This marked the second pollination since Fire Dragon-sama burned me. I feel like every time I meet Fire Dragon-sama, I somehow end up getting pollinated.



Once pollination was complete, the pollen from the stamens began extending pollen tubes towards the ovules inside my ovary, which is located where my stomach would be.


And then, I experienced that sensation for the second time.

The feeling of the pollen reaching the ovules.


A new life has been born inside me.

As proof, my stomach had already begun to swell.
This feeling… it’s strangely nostalgic.
My ovary was becoming a fruit, while my ovules were becoming seeds.


Gently rubbing my stomach, I activated my high-speed recovery spell.
Just like last time, I poured light recovery magic into the seed growing inside me.
I transferred all the energy of my current body into the Alraune seed that would become my new body.


My stomach rapidly swelled like a balloon.
In the blink of an eye, the ovary had expanded enough to envelop even my human face.

My vision faded, and my senses disappeared.
As my consciousness grew faint, I could feel my body and mind being compressed into a tiny seed.



This feeling was unmistakable. It was the second time I’ve experienced it.
It was probably a success.
I’ve become a seed.



────I don’t know how much time passed after that.



When I came to, my body had already started to sprout.

I could feel myself growing at an incredible pace.
Soon, I would bloom as an Alraune once more.

My petals slowly unfurled, and my bud opened.



As a blinding light flooded my vision, I realized there was someone standing right in front of me.

I didn’t know who it was until I heard their voice.


“What could’ve happened here?”


As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw Fire Dragon-sama’s face right before me.

After looking at me, he shifted his gaze toward the remains of the Alraune lying beside me.


“She withered away…”


The Alraune body that was me only moments ago had been withered away using the Tahina’s ability, the so-called suicide palm. After producing the seed, I used it to kill off my old body.
The Alraune Fire Dragon-sama knew no longer exists in this world.


Uncle Teddy was standing beside the flowerpot as well.
He seemed to be examining the withered remains of my former body.


“Lord Grüsch, it appears this Alraune has truly withered away.”

“I can see that.”


Fire Dragon-sama looked calm, but I have a feeling he was a little flustered.
he probably never expected the Alraune he was planning to dispose of would go and destroy herself on her own.


“You there, Alraune, do you know who I am?”


And here it comes—it’s time for Fire Dragon-sama’s interrogation.

I need to be careful not to let him realize I’m the same Alraune.
So, I’m going to act like an innocent little girl who knows nothing!

If I imitate the baby Alraunes, it should be convincing enough.
Time to give the performance of a lifetime.
I’m going to become a pure, innocent little girl!


“Are… you… Papa?”


Feigning innocence, I addressed Fire Dragon-sama in a childish tone.

Hearing that, Fire Dragon-sama froze solid as if he just short-circuited. For a second, I could almost imagine lightning striking him.


“W-What…?”


Calling someone Papa is so embarrassing. I can’t even remember the last time I called anyone that.
And calling a complete stranger with no blood relations to me Papa at that. This was a first, even counting my previous life.


“…You, do you know who you are?”

“I’m an… Alraune… Papa.”

“I am not your Papa… What am I supposed to do with this?”


Look, Fire Dragon-sama.
Uncle Teddy is desperately trying not to laugh. It seems my “pretend to be a child” strategy has gone over well with him.


“Alraune, you’re a different individual from the withered Alraune over there, correct?”

“Did… Mama… die?”

“For some mysterious reason, she suddenly withered away. Presumably, it happened because she gave birth to a child, but… well, let us leave it at that.”


Fire Dragon-sama’s piercing gaze swept across my entire body.
Playing the role of a frightened little girl, I shrank back slightly. I’m still a baby, so please be gentle with me.

After a moment, he looked away and began discussing what to do with Uncle Teddy.
Apparently, he believes that I was the child of the Alraune who had killed his subordinate.
Judging from the way the conversation was going, he didn’t seem to have any intention of burning me.

Thank goodness! I think I’m going to live!


“So then, Lord Grüsch, what shall we do?”

“Let me see… you, little Alraune, can you produce nectar?”


Nectar again!
Is nectar really that important?
That said, since I’m the same individual, my nectar should taste the same as before.


I hope they’re not going to pull some Cinderella-style test on me.
Even if my nectar tastes the same as the mother’s, I don’t think Fire Dragon-sama is the sort of person who would burn a child.


“Nectar… you mean… this?”

“Indeed. Let me have a little.”


Acting like a child, I let nectar dribble lazily from my mouth.
Fire Dragon-sama scooped some up with his finger and licked it.


“The same nectar… yes. This will do nicely.”


Huh? Fire Dragon-sama just grinned.
He actually looks happy.


“Let’s keep this Alraune here. Her nectar will make the perfect breakfast dessert.”


Huh? Keep me here?
And why does it sound like he’s planning on making me into breakfast dessert…?


“If the Alraune has left behind a child, then that works as well. Since we have the opportunity, raising her from a young age should help her grow accustomed to life in the Demon King’s castle.”


Uncle Teddy nodded in agreement.


“I believe she should also be properly disciplined, so that she does not rebel against Lord Grüsch.”

“I only hope she grows attached to me. Since she’s such a beautiful little thing, I would rather avoid having to reduce her to ashes.”


They’re discussing plans for raising me, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being threatened.
Just a hunch, but rebelling might lead directly to being burned alive.


“I was just thinking I’d like to try raising a plant to pass the time. Perhaps I’ll raise her to my liking.”


Why does this feel so familiar?
I swear, this is reminding me of a story I heard back when I was a high school girl in my past life.


You know, the kind where someone schemes to raise a young girl from childhood with the intention of molding her into his ideal woman.
Granted, I’m not being viewed as a woman. As far as Fire Dragon-sama is concerned, I’m just a nectar-producing ornamental houseplant. But that’s beside the point.


I remember now, this is basically The Tale of Genji.

The young Murasaki is taken in by Hikaru Genji and raised to become his ideal woman.
Murasaki grew attached to Hikaru Genji, eventually becoming known as Lady Murasaki and rising to the position of his principal wife.


Right now, I’m pretending to be an innocent little girl.
After all, if anyone realizes my mother and I are actually the same person, my life may be in danger.

Which means that if things keep going like this, I’m going to be raised into Fire Dragon-sama’s ideal flower.


This is bad.

At this rate, Fire Dragon-sama is about to put me through his very own Genji Plan!

***

Author’s Note:

Tahina: A member of the Arecaceae family. It uses up all of its stored nutrients to produce a beautiful bloom and scatter its seeds. Afterwards, the entire tree withers away and collapses. Native to Madagascar, it is said that only around thirty wild Tahina palms remain in the world.

Next Time: The Fire Dragon’s Young Alraune Genji Plan