Chapter 22

Asad was in a foul mood.

Though, to be fair, he was usually in a bad mood.

Originally, dragons were cold and cruel. This was because dragons' essential nature was that of weapons created by the gods. Though the gods who fell in love with dragons' beauty had bestowed various blessings, their essential nature remained the same.

Therefore, until they found their mates, dragons were supposed to be ruthless as if devoid of emotions, like sculptures carved from ice.

However, unlike other dragons, Asad was extremely emotional. He was sensitive like a teenager going through puberty and his emotions changed frequently, and on the rare occasions when they didn't, he lay around listlessly. Nothing about this appearance suggested the dignity of a noble being.

Those who knew the circumstances said it was because Asad wasn't a 'traditional' dragon, and those who knew even deeper circumstances said it was because of the evil energy still remaining in his body.

However, Asad thought differently. Whether person or dragon, wouldn't anyone be in poor condition if they couldn't sleep properly?

"..."

Lying on a bed large enough for five people to sleep comfortably, Asad glared at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes.

Though his body was tired from disposing of dregs that had flowed out from the demon realm, he didn't want to sleep.

For fear of having that cursed dream again.

On days when he had that dream, he suffered from headaches that felt like his brain was being stabbed with an awl all day long. What was even more damnable was that he couldn't properly remember the dream's contents.

'I don't like it.'

Days when he had that dream were always the same.

When he woke from the dream and opened his eyes, his face would be soaked as if someone had poured water on it. His eyes hurt as if they might fall out from how much he had cried. Fortunately his recovery ability was excellent, otherwise all the spirits in the castle would have had to see the dragon's swollen eyes every morning.

It was fortunate for Asad too. If this fact were discovered, the rumors about him would have added 'this generation's dragon is a crybaby' to their content.

Asad's brow furrowed fiercely. Just imagining it made his fists clench. His golden eyes blazed as they glared at an imaginary enemy.

If anyone spread such rumors, he would definitely kill them to silence them. He detested anyone looking down on him.

There had been such people once.

It was a fact known to those who knew that this generation's dragon had a flaw.

Originally, dragons inherited knowledge from the previous generation dragon. However, there had been 'that incident' that everyone knew about. The unprecedented case where a dragon's mate had loved someone other than the dragon.

The winged tribe omega who had given birth to Asad had abandoned him in the human realm and taken their own life. Asad couldn't properly remember what had happened in the human realm after being abandoned. According to Shinsurial, the scaled tribe leader who had rescued Asad from the human realm, his divinity had been corrupted by evil energy and he had been in a state of becoming a magical beast, so it made sense.

'...Though it's not that I don't remember anything.'

The few memories he had of the human realm became the catalyst for Asad's hatred of humans.

Anyway, after returning to the spirit realm and recovering his body, Asad had seen the previous dragon who had fallen into his own world while embracing his mate's corpse, and killed him.

Never before had a dragon killed another dragon.

Since previous dragons would pass on necessary knowledge to their successor through a mysterious ritual and depart for the divine realm, they didn't coexist in one world for long.

However, Asad hadn't inherited knowledge from the previous dragon, and was treated as an illegitimate dragon who hadn't fully grown in the spirit realm.

There had been much talk among the spirit elders about Asad, who knew nothing of what a dragon should know. However, after an incident where those who spoke freely had their tongues cut in half, no one dared criticize Asad to his face.

"Hah."

With an irritated groan, Asad finally jerked upright in bed.

When he strode over and opened the door, Targan, who had been standing like a statue in front of it, turned his head to look at Asad.

"Lord Asad, haven't you slept?"

"Don't want to sleep."

Though the content was like a child's whining, it didn't sound that way at all because of Asad's ominous aura.

Even in appearance, he was far from a child. Since he wasn't wearing an upper garment, one could clearly see how his upper body muscles ferociously swelled and contracted with each breath.

The dragon was a magnificent male by anyone's standards. Though not yet an adult, his body at least was in a perfectly completed state.

"Should I have Jet bring tea that's good for sleep? If you sleep deeply, you won't dream."

"Tried it, doesn't work. That drink Fei brought was somewhat effective though."

The moment he said this, Asad's brow furrowed as he recalled what had happened at the Gold Pot.

"That human..."

His thoughts naturally led to the human with black eyes.

"How did a human become the winged tribe's bride candidate? Do you know anything?"

Targan bowed his head.

"I apologize."

"Look into it. Well, surely they must have pulled some vile trick. Humans are creatures who can do anything when blinded by desire."

Targan thought that if Jet were here, he would have said 'that's racial discrimination,' but he didn't bother saying it. Asad's hatred toward humans had formed during his time in the human realm. Even with almost no memories, those traces remained like scars. Like the nightmares that tormented Asad.

Asad's red lips twisted.

"That one must be after magic too anyway."

Not just that human, but the other bride candidates were the same.

Whether human or spirit, everyone wanted only one thing from dragons.

Magic.

Everyone wished for their desires to be fulfilled.

Dragons, who had the power to grant wishes, had always been objects of desire.

He didn't particularly mind this. After all, Asad himself only intended to use his bride.

Asad moved his feet. Targan followed quietly like a shadow.

"I really wanted to at least pluck out those eyes then."

His tone was casual, as if expressing regret about skipping breakfast. Targan, who had grown used to his cruelty while serving the dragon, answered impassively.

"There are restrictions in place."

'Dragons cannot kill bride candidates.'

That was a restriction placed by the gods. Knowing dragons' cruel nature, it was to prevent possible incidents. It would be troublesome if all the bride candidates were killed and the dragon line was cut off.

"No. Since the selection hadn't officially started then, I could have killed them."

He had left the human alive not because of the restrictions, but because he wanted to kill them more painfully.

"Besides, the restriction's premise is when the bride candidate hasn't attacked first. Self-defense should be fine, right?"

"I haven't heard of such cases."

What bride candidate would dare attack a dragon? Though there might have been omegas who 'attacked' in a different sense.

"Above all, this Targan will protect Lord Asad."

The words from the horned tribe member with a body like a rock were incredibly reassuring just to hear. However, Asad seemed unimpressed and didn't even answer.

Asad kept thinking about the human omega. He no longer thought about the nightmares.

"If the human attacks me, leave them be. I want to test how far the restrictions allow. And killing them in one go wouldn't be fun... wait."

Asad's fine brow furrowed.

"Don't tell me they ran away?"

He thought they might have already fled to save their life, given how much killing intent he had released. No matter how greedy, they would know the value of their own life.

Having thought this far, Asad's mood plummeted sharply.

Dare to run away?

The dragon commanded in a voice dripping with cold air.

"Catch that one immediately."

"Lord Asad."

"Dare to run away twice? Disgusting human, I won't let them off if I catch them. I'll cut off their ankles first so they can't run again..."

"Lord Asad."

Though it wasn't even certain the human had run away, Asad was so enraged just imagining it that veins stood out on his forehead.

Since he was originally prone to mood swings and would fly into great rages over minor things, Targan didn't find this behavior strange. However, he needed to correct the facts.

"Lord Asad. Please look over there."

Only then did Asad look in the direction Targan was pointing.

In the distance, a beautifully decorated garden pond could be seen. Though it was far away, to the dragon's vision it appeared as clear as if it were close by.

"Got it!"

And in that pond, a human cheering while catching a struggling carp with both hands.