Chapter 51

"I suppose other guys embraced you saying they liked this body."

"..."

"Were they all blind? Or is your skill that exceptional?"

Every word hurt like a lash. Criticism that would have meant nothing from others cut Kinaine sharply.

Kinaine blankly listened to the insulting words pouring down on him while clutching his clothes to keep them from opening. The ecstatic pleasure he had felt just moments ago was nowhere to be found, and he felt cold as if locked alone in a dark empty room.

'He must be saying this because he's angry.'

Kinaine tried hard to think that way.

Looking back on their last parting moment, it was understandable. When he had just switched bodies with Hasan, Kinaine was overwhelmed trying to cope with what had happened to him. His brother had devised a perfect plan to bring Kinaine down, and Kinaine was completely unprepared.

'First Prince, catch the black mage!'

Before he could even grasp what had happened to him, he had already become a black mage deserving execution.

As soon as he came to his senses, he tried several times to reveal that he was Kinaine, not Hasan, but each time he couldn't open his mouth due to the terrible pain that felt like his heart was being squeezed.

All Kinaine could do was flee from the soldiers.

'Stop.'

'Helio!'

Just before leaving the royal palace, Helio, who had received orders from Hasan, blocked his way. Seeing the knight's face, Kinaine felt relieved. If he explained well, Helio would believe him. With that hope welling up, he wanted to embrace his lover and confess all the truth right away.

'If you don't stop, I'll cut you down.'

However, the knight didn't allow Kinaine any closeness. He only drew his sword with a cold face Kinaine had never seen before.

Helio, why don't you recognize me?

He wanted to open his mouth and reveal the truth right away, but Kinaine instinctively knew he would lose his life at that moment. In the end, he had no choice but to swallow the words he wanted to say.

'...Step aside, I don't want to hurt you.'

'You're saying something that doesn't suit you. Dozens of children's bones were found in the basement hidden in Your Highness's palace.'

'What?'

'Everything's been exposed, so stop pretending you don't know.'

Even Kinaine's shocked expression seemed to be taken as a lie, as Helio's face grew even colder, but he couldn't say anything.

There was only one thing Kinaine could do. To escape safely from this place, holding onto the hope that he could reveal the truth someday. He couldn't let Helio harm him. Because when he learned the truth later, he would feel guilty.

But was that something that could be done as he wished? He hadn't accurately grasped what kind of body he had acquired.

At that time, Kinaine's heart was already stained with despair and fear. Such emotions were fuel for black magic.

Surrounded by his lover and soldiers, with his injuries increasing, Kinaine saw a sword flying towards his neck. At that moment, a cold sensation like being plunged into icy water swirled inside his body. That energy instantly became dozens of arrow-like forms and shot outwards.

Aaargh! Screams of soldiers were heard from all directions. Seeing the tragic scene, Kinaine was beside himself with terrible guilt. He couldn't believe that what was unfolding before his eyes was his doing. Fortunately, Helio's injuries weren't severe, perhaps because his scale-like armor had protected his body, but Kinaine couldn't bear to look at him. He left that place as if fleeing.

He regretted every day that he shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have left like that. He should have found a way to get Helio out of the royal palace.

Did he really not know that Hasan would harm Helio? Knowing that no one knew better how to hurt him than Hasan. Then he should have guessed what Hasan would do to Helio...

The fact that he favored Helio was already widely known in the palace. In the past, he hadn't stopped the rumors, thinking his favor would protect Helio in the palace. The dominant alpha prince born with everything was that arrogant. So much so that he didn't think at all that his feelings could become a weakness.

But what result did that ultimately bring? When he regretted it, it was already too late. Hasan said he had cruelly murdered Helio. In Kinaine's form.

Hadn't he sneered, saying you should have seen that monster's face dying full of betrayal... It was natural for Helio to be cruel to him, misunderstanding that he had been betrayed.

'I deserve it.'

After repeated regrets, Kinaine even came to think that perhaps he shouldn't have reached out to Helio that day in that village.

At the very least, he should have heeded others' warnings. He shouldn't have let everyone know that Helio was his weakness.

Though Hasan was the cause of Helio's misfortune, Kinaine was by no means innocent. Because he dared to be greedy, Helio ended up experiencing misfortunes he didn't have to.

A heated gaze clung to Kinaine's lips, which had a bitter smile hanging on them.

"...So, I told you not to smile."

It was a voice almost like a growl. Seeing the beautiful eyes furrowing because of him, Kinaine hurriedly erased his smile. Though it wasn't a smile that came from joy, it was enough to make the viewer feel unpleasant.

On the other hand, his heart ached. The fact that he had now become someone who only gave his lover displeasure.

"..."

Inevitably, his eyes stung. Oh no, this won't do. Not wanting to show his crying face and cause even more displeasure, Kinaine lowered his head to hide his face.

Immediately, a strong force gripped his chin, fixing it to face upwards.

"...!"

Before the surprised Kinaine could wipe away the moisture gathered in his eyes, his lips were devoured.

It was still a rough kiss. Even when they first kissed in the past, it had been clumsy and rough. Of course, back then it didn't feel like there was no consideration for the other party at all like now... Kinaine tried hard to ignore that fact. Rather, he tried to accept his lover's kiss in any way he could. It was for the same reason he had obediently performed oral sex earlier, something his lover had never once asked for before.

After a long kiss that was closer to torture than a kiss, their lips parted. A tear that Kinaine hadn't managed to wipe away flowed down his cheek as he exhaled heavily, short of breath. At that moment, a clean white hand without any scars, unlike Kinaine's, came and wiped away the tear.

"Yes... I understand clearly now."

A low voice whispered in Kinaine's ear.

"Why other guys fell for you."

As soon as the words ended, his body went limp as if all his muscles had disappeared.

He made a surprised sound, "Huh?", but no actual sound came out. His voice wouldn't come out. Just as he unconsciously grabbed his throat, a scent washed over him.

It was the scent of rivers, lakes, and the sea.

The thick water scent thoroughly soaked his entire body. Though he wasn't in water, he had a vision as if he were.

By the time he belatedly realized it was an alpha's pheromones, it was already too late. It was the beginning of ecstasy.

***

In the early dawn when the sky was tinged with blue. Someone came rushing into the old palace that looked like it might collapse at any moment. It was the scaled tribe doctor who had been taking care of the battered human bride candidate.

The doctor, who had been in deep sleep, was running in response to the dragon's sudden summons.

"What in the world is this about..."

"..."

Though he asked cautiously, the horned tribe man who had called the doctor gave no answer. The doctor, not brave enough to ask again of the man with a fierce expression and a body as big as a mountain, just wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.

With his mind still foggy from sleep, he tried to guess the reason for the summons. There must be a clear reason for calling at this hour...

'Wait, did I turn off the dream incense?'

"Lord Asad, we're coming in."

Just as the dragon's servant was opening the door, the doctor thought of the dream incense.

The doctor's face turned pale. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember turning off the incense.

Dream incense could cause side effects even if inhaled for just a couple of hours. But it had been left on for a full day, so the bride candidate's condition was predictable.

It wouldn't be strange to be scolded for damaging the bride candidate's mind. Moreover, wasn't this generation's dragon famous for his unusually violent temperament? It was he who had made the spirit's blood spill countless times on this dragon palace floor, making a mockery of the title "guardian."

I'm dead...

Cold sweat soaked his scales thoroughly. Though he wanted to run away right now, behind him stood the huge horned tribe man who was the dragon's servant.

Finally, as the doctor stood there unable to do anything, the door opened completely.

"Hic!"

The doctor involuntarily hiccupped as he met the flashing golden eyes.