A New Name

The gentle voice was soft and sticky, rousing him from his thoughts.

He lifted his slightly rounded big head.

On the bed, the young girl's white, lotus root-like arms propped up her cheeks, and the left shoulder sling of her halter nightgown had slipped off.

Seeing this, he hurriedly lowered his head, feeling it was indecent.

Still a shy little guy.

Cecilia's gaze revealed a smile. She reached out and placed her hands on his stomach.

"Hey shoo~"

His body briefly floated in the air, and before he knew it, he was being held in the young girl's arms as if he were a pillow.

Smelling the sweet fragrance from her body and feeling her soft skin, he thought he couldn't just take advantage of her like this.

"Ughhh~ Don't move, don't move."

Cecilia held the struggling little lizard in her arms. She knew this little guy's resistance must be strong right now, especially towards humans.

After all, that West Grand Duke's little princess had just done something bad to him.

This bad memory would accompany him for a lifetime. What she could do was soothe this bad memory away bit by bit.

Luckily, this little one was very weak and not very strong; she could hold him.

Cecilia gently rested her chin against the top of his round head.

"I won't hurt you."

"I promise."

"The past is in the past, good boy~ good boy~"

The gentle voice seemed to soothe everything. Though he couldn't understand her words, he felt a sense of serenity.

Was she comforting him?

Slowly, he stopped struggling.

Feeling the little one begin to quiet down, Cecilia struck while the iron was hot.

"Little one, can you tell me your name?"

Lifting his head, a pair of crystalline round eyes blearily looked at her. Her voice was gentle, but he really couldn't understand what she was saying.

Seeing his confused gaze, Cecilia quickly reacted.

"Ah, almost forgot."

"Little guy, wait a moment."

She raised her right hand, and the silver ring she wore lit up with a touch of blue radiance. A long staff that looked like dead wood appeared in her hand.

Seeing the long staff appear out of thin air, the big-headed lizard froze.

Magic?

But there was more to surprise him.

The top of the staff suddenly converged with blue light, which formed thin filaments in the air, coalescing into a circle.

"Great Spirit of Nature, following the ancient covenant, please let me borrow your power."

Hearing the chant-like pronunciation, the big-headed lizard tilted his head, staring blankly at her.

After the chanting, a glowing, complex, and unfamiliar text began to form on the blue circle. It was probably writing, though he didn't recognize it.

As the words filled the circle, it exploded with a violent blue light.

The blinding light made the lizard subconsciously close his eyes.

"Alright, now you should be able to understand my words, right?"

A young girl's voice reached his ears, and the lizard slowly opened his eyes.

The circle had disappeared.

Wait, something was different.

He tilted his head to look at the young girl again.

He could understand her words.

"Why don't you respond to me?"

Her face slowly approached.

Seeing this, the large-headed lizard immediately shrunk its neck and shook its head.

Cecilia's face stopped less than a dozen centimeters away from his head, her blue hair falling onto his rounded head.

"Okay, is it okay to tell me your name?"

Name?

Hearing her words, he began to think back.

His name.

Everything from his previous life—being born, going to school, working—was clear, but his name seemed blocked by some power.

He couldn't think of it at all.

Tilting his head slightly, he shook it.

No name? Cecilia's gaze instantly showed heartache. This poor little guy had been abandoned right after he broke his shell, not even given a name.

"It's fine, it's fine~"

"Let me give you a name if you don't have one."

"How about Sethe? I like that name."

Sethe?

Looking at her gentle gaze, her blue eyes warm like a sunny day, he felt comfortable.

He nodded gently.

"You agree? No, I should call you Sethe now, right?"

He nodded again.

A name was necessary. Without her rescue, he would have died in the rainstorm.

Sethe silently took this favor to heart.

"Great~"

Cecilia jumped up, pressing him into her embrace.

Though his body was now a big-headed lizard, he had once been human and still felt a bit uncomfortable with this intimacy.

If she knew he was once a man, would she still touch him so recklessly? Probably not.

He couldn't take advantage of her.

Backing up, he suddenly felt space under his feet and fell, trying to grab the bed sheet but failing.

His paw tugged at the pink sheets as he landed on his butt.

The little paw tried to touch his sore butt but couldn't reach.

Seeing her arms empty, Cecilia looked at the little guy who had fallen, feeling a touch of depression. Why did every little one initially resist being close to her?

[Gu Gu~]

A sound echoed in the room.

Sethe looked down at his small stomach, covered in fiery red scales.

The sound was his stomach growling.

Realizing his hunger, having not eaten since breaking his shell, he noticed the immense hunger.

"Hungry? How about I take you to eat."

Cecilia, in her pink nightgown, squatted in front of Sethe.

He nodded vigorously.

Unable to speak, he could only respond by nodding and shaking his head.