Chapter 64

No sooner had the words ended than the door opened.

The entrance without even a common knock suited the word intruder better than guest. But who could criticize him? Everything in the dragon palace belonged to that man.

'Somehow... he looks particularly splendid today.'

This was the first thought that crossed everyone's minds upon seeing the man standing in the doorway.

Though the dragon was always an irresistibly handsome man, today he seemed to sparkle with an unusual radiance. Not only was there a gleam to his silver thread-like hair and white skin, but the main reason was his elaborate attire. The dragon was dressed from head to toe like a peacock in breeding season.

Such splendid attire would have overwhelmed anyone with ordinary looks, but the dragon had no need for such concerns. Everything he wore suited him as if he had been born with it.

However, there was one flaw in that beautiful appearance.

"What are you?"

It was his fierce gaze flickering with killing intent.

When the dragon's sharp gaze turned toward him, Ilya felt more chilled than when he had faced the magical beast.

He hurriedly answered.

"L-Lord Asad. I am Ilya, participating in the selection representing the tailed tribe. I greeted you before."

Ilya barely managed to introduce himself with a trembling voice. Born a dominant omega and always receiving only protection and love from those around him, Ilya had never received such a murderous look from anyone.

No, what kind of alpha acts like this? Generally, alphas were known to feel goodwill toward omegas first... but no matter how he looked at it, the gaze directed at him was only menacing.

The dragon, who had been staring at Ilya as if looking at prey rather than an omega, finally raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, I think I've seen you. Was it Alena? Why are you here?"

"Ilya..."

"What?"

"No, it's nothing."

Ilya, who had been about to correct his name, hastily shook his head, startled when the dragon furrowed his brow.

Throughout Ilya's explanation of why he was there, Asad's gaze remained fixed on Kinaine. Watching this, Ilya thought that while the gaze was equally menacing as the one directed at him, somehow it felt different.

'Is it just my imagination? Somehow he's looking at him with eyes like a wife coming to catch her unfaithful husband.'

True to being a fox spirit, Ilya was quick-witted and perceptive. He soon grasped that something had happened between the dragon and the human, and contrary to the human's words, it was still ongoing.

This made him realize how nonsensical the human's earlier words had been.

'It won't happen again? How could that be...!'

Whether the human had lied to deceive him or truly didn't know, how could he not understand the situation seeing the dragon's gaze? Even if he wished for it to never happen again as he said, it would absolutely not go as he wished.

"...and that is why I came here. Now that I've repaid my debt, there seems to be no reason for me to stay longer. If you would permit it, may I return to my quarters?"

Ilya's attitude was utterly businesslike, as if it had been someone else who had been wagging his tail and making unnecessary conversation with Kinaine just moments ago.

"Yes, you may go."

As expected, the dragon answered without even looking at Ilya, telling him to leave. His gaze remained fixed on the human.

Ilya hurried outside, afraid he might be caught.

"Lord Ilya!"

Ilya's guard, who had been waiting outside the door instead of leaving, rushed forward.

"Just now, the dragon..."

"Yes, I just saw him. Let's go back for now."

"What? Is it alright to leave when the dragon is there?"

The guard's doubt was reasonable. Until now, the dragon had never shown himself to the bride candidates except at official occasions. Since they didn't know when such an opportunity would come again, wouldn't it be important to make a good impression on the dragon now?

"No, it's fine."

However, Ilya firmly shook his head.

Of course, Ilya desired the position of the dragon's bride. But not enough to risk his life. He already had many things, and if he died, wouldn't he lose all of them?

Ilya trusted his innate instincts. No matter how he thought about it, there was no chance of him becoming the dragon's bride. Whether it was because he wasn't his type, or for some other reason, the dragon didn't even see him as an omega.

Having thought this far, Ilya clicked his tongue. Above all, he didn't want to cling to an alpha who didn't like him. The position of dragon's bride wasn't that desperately important to him.

'Though the dragon's wish that can grant anything is certainly tempting, what I want are things I could achieve with my own efforts and time someday.'

Ilya thought as he quickly walked to get as far away from where the dragon was as possible.

'I definitely seem to be the least desperate among this selection's bride candidates.'

The horned tribe, scaled tribe, and winged tribe - they all had circumstances that needed the dragon's power. Compared to them, Ilya, who had grown up in the prosperous and peaceful tailed tribe territory, didn't need that power as desperately as they did.

Even so, returning home empty-handed without doing anything didn't suit his personality.

'If I can't become the dragon's bride... it wouldn't be bad to become the closest friend of the dragon's bride. Dragons have always been wrapped around their brides' fingers throughout history, so the one I really need to target isn't the dragon but the dragon's bride.'

Then how could he become friends with the dragon's bride?

That wasn't difficult.

Anyone would open their heart after receiving a great favor.

'I'll actively help whoever will become the dragon's bride in this selection.'

When that person becomes the dragon's bride, wouldn't they consider him a friend, remembering the favor they received?

Ilya's mind kept spinning rapidly.

The important thing was 'who' to help...

While Ilya's reason pointed to the beautiful scaled tribe bride candidate, his instinct told a different story. It was a candidate he would never have imagined if he hadn't seen the dragon today...

'My instincts are usually right.'

Ilya decided to trust and follow his instincts.

After deciding what to do next, he somehow felt more at ease. He had been sensitive and anxious ever since the selection began, but changing his mindset actually gave him energy. It seemed this suited his personality better than trying to become someone's bride.

His drooping tail began to sway gently again.

As Ilya walked away with light steps and his new resolve.

Kinaine was staring at the door Ilya had left through with desperate eyes. As if the spirit with five fox tails might return if he kept looking.

But naturally, no such thing happened.

"What, missing him already? Want me to catch him and make him sit back down?"

Kinaine turned his head toward the sulky voice. The handsome man who was particularly radiant today was staring at him with a face full of displeasure.

'Why did he come here?'

Having thought they wouldn't meet again until the second test, the encounter with Asad felt sudden. Moreover, he hadn't expected him to come here in person again.

It had been just yesterday that he had strengthened his resolve at the temple... Perhaps because his heart hadn't completely hardened yet, after learning he was Helio, it was difficult to even meet his eyes. He was afraid his heart might weaken and he might grab Asad and shed tears, making his resolution meaningless.

Kinaine tried to answer casually.

"...No. I just felt bad about sending a guest away without proper hospitality."

Though it was clearly a reasonable answer, Asad reacted as if he had heard something extremely shameless.

"Why do you care? Don't tell me he's your lover too?"

"What?"

When Kinaine asked back in surprise without thinking, Asad clicked his tongue.

"This is scary, scary. Every time I take my eyes off you, a new one comes sniffing around."

Asad reminded Kinaine of the facts he already knew well - that guy was an omega and a body that came to become his bride. His attitude was like scolding a misbehaving dog.

"Understand?"

"..."

"Why aren't you answering?"

Kinaine was too dumbfounded to say anything because Asad interpreted everything he said as he pleased, but whatever Asad thought, he approached with a fierce frown.

"Did you really have something with that guy?"

Asad strode forward and stopped in front of Kinaine. Then he lowered his head and sniffed Kinaine's scent. His hair, thin and soft like silk threads, brushed against Kinaine's nape, causing him to freeze completely.

Finally, Asad raised his head. The golden eyes that Kinaine had loved, like they contained the sun itself, were only a finger's width away.

"You only smell of me."