Chapter 77

Dropping someone in a lake to wash off perfume? Though others might have thought it a ridiculous excuse, the speaker was Asad. From what he had seen so far, he could tell his words were sincere. Even someone who didn't know Asad at all would probably believe him just seeing that wronged expression.

But if his intention wasn't to kill but rather that, his method was completely wrong.

Though luck had saved him this time, there was no guarantee the result would be the same next time. If he treated others this way, everyone would only fear him. Though there was no need to be loved by all, there was also no reason to inspire more fear than necessary. Especially if it wasn't intentional.

'Is Asad's lack of common sense also... because he didn't receive what he needed from the previous dragon?'

That previous dragon had committed too many wrongs. Clicking his tongue inwardly, Kinaine opened his blue-tinged lips to look down at Asad.

"If the perfume smell bothered you, you could have just told me to wash it off. If a similar situation occurs again, please do that."

As he spoke, he felt somehow familiar with this situation.

'Come to think of it, Helio used to do many strange things too.'

Especially when they had first met, Helio had been like a complete innocent who knew nothing, often doing strange things that would shock others. He would eat with his bare hands, strip naked in front of anyone, and sleep anywhere. If someone upset him, he would bite them like a dog.

And one day he had caused an uproar by burying a young servant in the ground, and when asked why...

'He said he wanted to grow taller quickly... so I planted him.'

That had happened too. Each time, Kinaine had caught him and taught him what was wrong and why.

Feeling as if he had returned to those days, Kinaine smiled unconsciously. At that, Asad's expression hardened as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.

"Why are you laughing?"

Oh no, he had made a mistake. Asad really hated when humans smiled.

Kinaine hurriedly erased the remaining smile from his face.

"Do you find it funny that you nearly died?"

However, what had already been seen couldn't be unseen. Though the part he was angry about was a bit strange.

Asad glared at Kinaine with a pale face before finally putting him down. Then he pressed his hand to his forehead and muttered dejectedly.

"My head hurts."

Gone was his usual proud stride that suggested nothing could stand in his way. Asad walked unsteadily like a sick person, then leaped onto a tall rock near the lake and sat down.

...He really didn't seem well.

Kinaine forgot that he had nearly died himself and hurriedly approached the rock out of concern.

However, the rock was much taller than Kinaine's height. Though he might have been able to climb it in his normal condition, it was impossible now. With no choice, he looked up at the rock and called out.

"Lord Asad, what's wrong? Where are you feeling unwell?"

Though dragons were supposedly immune to illness. Despite knowing this, he worried because Asad's complexion looked so poor. And the conversation he had with Targan before being grabbed by what he presumed was Asad also weighed on his mind.

'There are things Lord Nine doesn't know. Lord Asad's condition... is more unstable than it appears. It would be better for not just him but all of us if he quickly takes a mate and becomes a full-grown dragon.'

If Targan would say such things, there was clearly something wrong with Asad. Though he didn't know what it was.

One fortunate thing was that the problem would likely be resolved when Asad became full-grown.

The second test had just begun, so after two more tests, Asad would take a mate. Kinaine hoped he could hold on until then. Even when he left, he wanted to leave with hope that Asad would remain safe.

"Lord Asad, are you going to stay up there? If you're not feeling well, please go back quickly."

Though he tapped the rock while speaking as if knocking on an unopening door, there was no answer. Since Asad could go anywhere freely with magic, perhaps he had already left.

"What should I do?"

Kinaine looked around. Though he usually had a good sense of direction, the fact that he couldn't gauge where this was suggested it was his first time here. Seeing the dense trees around, it seemed to be some forest, but he couldn't see properly in the dark.

Nothing to be done. I'll have to find my way when the sun rises.

He sat down, leaning against the rock. In truth, his body had been shivering for a while.

"Achoo!"

Kinaine sniffled and rubbed his arms with his hands. Though the dragon palace's weather was always said to be spring-like, it grew cool as the temperature dropped at night. It would have been colder if he were wearing wet clothes, but fortunately or unfortunately, Asad had torn off his upper clothes.

Kinaine wrapped his arms around his knees to keep warm. His body was very tired, probably from struggling in the water. Though he thought he shouldn't sleep... but they say eyelids are the heaviest things in the world. Finally, unable to fight the drowsiness, Kinaine's head drooped.

A moment later, the silver-haired man jumped down from the rock. Though he had leaped from quite a height, he landed without making a sound.

That wasn't all. Until just now, the forest had been noisy with insect sounds and birds calling to each other, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, everything became quiet. It was as if an invisible curtain had formed between the forest and them.

"..."

Having blocked the surrounding sounds, Asad quietly looked down at the human sleeping soundly against the rock.

To be precise, he was listening to the human's heartbeat.

Thump, thump.

In the quieted forest, only the sound of life pulsing rang clearly in his ears. Only after holding that sound in his ears for a long while did Asad feel relieved.

Relief?

As soon as he realized the emotion he was feeling, Asad made a confused face.

This morning, seeing the human who had hidden his pheromones with strong perfume chattering with others had made him so angry his eyeballs felt hot.

Thinking about it, the human hadn't really done anything wrong. He himself had warned him not to act above his station. So it would have been more proper to be displeased if the human had appeared at the test site flaunting his pheromones.

Yes, reason clearly said that was right... but his heart wouldn't cooperate. He was confused, unable to understand himself.

Meanwhile, his dissatisfaction had built up because the human wouldn't look at him. He felt irritated at the human who could shake him up like this and then casually talk while only looking at others.

'You came here wanting to be my bride.'

Shouldn't you be looking at me then?

You should only look at me, only talk to me, only smile at me.

You want to be my bride, not theirs!

Anxiety from an unknown source made his brain boil. No matter how he thought about it, he felt he was being swayed by the human. This wouldn't do. Rather than being swayed by the human, he should be the one doing the swaying.

That's why he had changed the second test's content. He wanted to watch the human struggle to prepare a gift for him. He thought seeing him trying to curry favor might improve his mood.

Though he had planned to punish the human no matter what gift he brought.

'Should I make him dance? If his dancing is poor, I'll mock him and make him sing. No, first I should make him kiss me.'

His mood started improving as he thought of things to make the human do. That's why he had planned to end lightly the punishment for not looking at him and chattering with others.

He had thought the human would be surprised if he returned to his true form and flew through the sky, and while at it, he had put him in the lake to wash off the terrible perfume smell.

But no matter how long he waited, the human didn't resurface.

Asad anxiously stared at the black lake.

'Could it be, humans can't swim?'

Naturally, Asad failed to judge that Kinaine had lost consciousness from the impact with the water's surface.

'No, he'll come up soon. ...Right?'

Circling above the lake with inexplicable anxiety, he finally couldn't wait even a few more seconds and dove into the water.

And at last, the dragon discovered the human sinking to the bottom of the lake.

The dragon's large eyes took in the human's form.

Closed eyes, pale face, body completely still.

The silver body that had been swimming smoothly stopped as if frozen.

'...Is he dead?'

Thump, his chest constricted. No, conversely, it felt like something was filling up and swelling. The dragon didn't know its name, but if someone had seen, they would have told him.

That it was fear.

'Is he dead?'

He heard a ringing like something tearing. It was closer to pain than sound, but the dragon felt no pain.

He didn't even realize he had stopped breathing. His body was refusing to breathe.

The light of his scales that had sparkled even in darkness grew dim, and his sun-bright golden eyes became clouded. Yet the dragon took no action, only holding the human's image in his eyes.

'...Oh.'

At that moment, a faint sound was heard through the ringing that was piercing his brain like an awl.

That call, faint and small like a mirage, awakened the dragon's consciousness that had been sinking into darkness.

'...lio.'

Whose voice was that?