Chapter 87

The silver-haired man, beautiful beyond belief, wore an ice-cold expression unbefitting someone celebrating their birthday.

Kinaine watched Asad's back as he passed by without sparing him a single glance.

Somehow, a corner of his heart ached.

...I thought he would at least look at me once.

Though he no longer visited like before, Kinaine had guessed his interest hadn't waned since he had sent servants to change the furniture in his quarters. Though he knew he shouldn't, the bitter taste in his mouth suggested he had actually been hoping for more.

Perhaps crying that day had been too unsightly?

He should have tried harder to hold back. Usually he was good at enduring, but why did he keep crumbling in front of Asad?

Though the band began playing cheerful music as the banquet's guest of honor appeared, Kinaine's heart remained as hazy as the clouded sky.

As Asad took his seat, Jet and Targan stood behind him. Seeing this, Kor tilted his head.

"Why are there only two servants attending the dragon? Haven't the others come?"

"..."

"Nine? Where has your mind wandered off to?"

"Ah."

Briefly dazed, Kinaine belatedly came to his senses and answered.

"Since I came here, only those two have been by Lord Asad's side."

"Strange. Originally, when a new dragon appears, each of the four tribes sends one person to serve them. Though our winged tribe is one thing, I wonder why there's no one from the scaled tribe."

Now that he mentioned it, it was strange. But currently, Kinaine didn't have the capacity to pay attention to such minor details. Though he tried not to, his gaze kept turning toward Asad.

"But Lord Asad doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

At those words, Kor glanced toward Asad before answering dismissively.

"Is there anything particularly different? Dragons usually look like that."

Was that so? But the Asad he had seen recently hadn't given off this kind of feeling. Before, though he would immediately show irritation when something displeased him, he had been honest in showing his emotions, but now he seemed to be trying not to reveal any emotion at all.

"It feels different from before. Could something have happened?"

"What? Surely you're not worried about the dragon?"

"...Is that so strange?"

Both Kor and Targan had looked at him strangely for worrying about the dragon. But couldn't problems arise even for an almighty dragon? He wished someone would take good care of Asad, but it upset him somewhat that everyone seemed so indifferent.

"This is definitely where your humanity shows."

Kor crossed his arms and chose his words carefully.

"To spirits, a dragon is... how should I put it, like a force of nature. When lightning strikes, you worry about what might be destroyed by it, not about the lightning itself, right? Anyway, I am worried in that sense. This generation's dragon is somewhat different from previous ones."

Kor's voice dropped to barely audible when speaking the last sentence. He seemed concerned about the dragon's keen hearing.

Kinaine unconsciously glanced toward where the dragon sat. Fortunately, there was no particular reaction from him.

Well, with the music so loud, even with good hearing it would be difficult to hear their conversation. The two continued talking with ease.

"I heard about it too. That the current Lord Asad is in an unstable state. What exactly does that mean? Is he ill or something?"

"I'm not quite sure either. But it's nothing to worry too much about. They say it will be resolved when he takes a mate and becomes full-grown."

Becomes full-grown, huh. Kinaine recalled Asad's other form he had seen when he fell in the lake. That enormous and beautiful being he had glimpsed very briefly before losing consciousness.

"Lord Asad already looks full-grown to me."

"That might be confusing by human standards. You humans gradually grow from birth to become adults, right? But spirits are not like that. They can only become full-grown when certain conditions are met. The same goes for dragons."

For dragons and spirits, becoming full-grown wasn't a change that came with the passage of time like humans, but a transformation that occurred when specific conditions were met. In the sense that flaws disappeared and they became closer to complete beings, it was similar to how a chrysalis becomes a butterfly or a tadpole becomes a frog.

'So that's why they said he'll be fine when he becomes full-grown.'

Targan had said something similar before, and now that he understood what "becoming full-grown" meant, he finally understood what he had meant. While humans' problems weren't resolved just by becoming adults, it seemed different for dragons and spirits.

Just then, the band's music slowly faded. Naturally, all eyes turned to where the dragon sat. Kinaine too looked at Asad.

'I thought he was looking this way just now, but it must have been my imagination?'

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday."

Unlike his words, the silver-haired man sitting askew in his chair showed not the slightest sign of gratitude.

"As you've all heard, this banquet also serves as the second test. I'll give a reward to whoever prepared the most pleasing gift, and punishment to the opposite."

When the word "reward" left Asad's lips, expectation flowed through the room, and when "punishment" was mentioned, tension followed.

As Asad gestured, the band began playing music again.

"Well then, I look forward to seeing what wonderful gifts everyone has prepared."

Kinaine stared intently at such an Asad.

Though so many had gathered to celebrate Asad alone, he didn't show even the smallest smile. His beautiful face showed neither interest in the precious gifts he would soon receive, nor mischief toward those who feared punishment.

This fact bothered Kinaine. He thought the Asad he had known would never react so indifferently.

Just then, Kinaine noticed his very slightly furrowed brow.

'Could he have something troubling him?'

As he vaguely wondered this, Asad's gaze touched Kinaine's as if by chance. Though brief, he could read that it was an intentional avoidance.

Even if he had grown tired of him, for his attitude to change overnight - a bitter smile formed. Though it was bound to happen someday, the feeling of a knife stabbing his heart was unavoidable.

The presentation began with the lowest-ranking bride candidate.

Kinaine watched as Ilya rose from his seat with a slightly tense face and walked toward the dragon. The tailed tribe's leader stood behind Ilya.

'Fei, was it?'

Fei was a tall, slender handsome man. Pointed fox ears rose from his light brown hair that appeared golden, and his nine luxuriant tails swayed with each step.

"Lord Asad, congratulations on your birthday."

"Congratulations."

When Fei bowed his head while offering congratulations, Ilya followed suit. Afterward, Ilya raised his head and carefully opened the box he was holding. Inside was a snow-white bottle.

"The gift we of the tailed tribe have prepared is this - wine made from fruit that ripened on a tree that received moonlight for a thousand years. One sip of this wine makes you forget even the most upsetting things, and two sips vividly bring back forgotten happy memories. Though the dragon cannot get drunk, I guarantee this wine will be different."

From ancient times, the tailed tribe had claimed abundant forests as their territory and had so much fruit they couldn't eat it all before it rotted. Wine-making that started that way had now become the tailed tribe's specialty. A wine proudly presented by such a tribe could be called a treasure anyone would covet.

However, Asad's gaze at the wine bottle held more suspicion than admiration.

"You haven't put some strange drug in this again, have you?"

"How dare I do such a thing!"

No sooner had the words ended than Fei dropped to his knees without a moment's hesitation.

"Lord Asad, I deeply apologize once again for that incident. Please do not be angry!"

Fei looked ready to press his forehead to the floor. He had even started shedding tears of remorse. Asad waved his hand as if disgusted.

"Well, fine. I accept the gift."

"Merciful Lord Asad, I can only express my deepest gratitude for forgiving my inadequate mistake. The mercy you have shown today, I will never forget and will always remember in my heart, your grace..."

"That's enough, go back."

"Thank you!"

Fei bowed deeply and rose unsteadily. Supported by Ilya, he wiped his tears with his sleeve, looking quite pitiful.

"Still a weak one," Kor muttered quietly.

Next were Shinsurial and Biche. Behind them followed servants carrying a giant clam as big as a small child.

"This clam has the mysterious power to create an exact copy of any jewel placed inside it. Let me demonstrate how it works now."

After scanning the surroundings, Biche fixed his gaze on Kinaine, who was sitting closest.

"Lord Nine, would you help me? If you have any jeweled accessories, could you lend them briefly?"

Kinaine made a troubled expression.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have anything like that. You should ask someone else."

"Then what is that around your neck?"

Biche gestured toward the necklace chain briefly visible at his white neck. Kinaine shook his head.

"This isn't a jewel."

Before anyone else could speak, Biche's servant grumbled loudly. Perhaps feeling their master had been insulted in front of others, their voice was sharp.

"Really now, if you don't want to help, you could just say so honestly, why tell such lies? They say humans always lie whenever they open their mouths, I guess it's true!"

Kinaine swallowed a sigh as he felt the gazes on him grow sharper.

Just then, an indifferent voice came from above.

"Whether it's a lie or not can be seen. Take out the necklace and show it."

Kinaine looked up at Asad. Asad had seen this necklace before and should know it wasn't a jewel. But he couldn't refuse the dragon's order.

Everyone in the banquet hall turned their attention to the necklace Kinaine pulled out. Not a few, including Biche's servant, had suspicious looks in their eyes.

However, what appeared before them was completely different from their expectations - an old and damaged silver ring. Far from being a jewel, it looked worth less than a stone from the roadside.

It was Asad's voice that broke the flowing silence.

"Did you buy that?"

"...I received it as a gift. From someone precious to me."

Asad's eyebrow twitched. He seemed unable to hide his emotions at those words. Since Asad knew Kinaine had a deceased lover, he would have understood the general situation from that one statement.

Whatever he was thinking, Asad bit his lip once before smoothing his furrowed brow and saying nonchalantly.

"To give something like that as a gift, this precious person you speak of must have been quite worthless. If it were me, I wouldn't even look at it again."

"..."