Chapter 105

The old ruined palace was as eerie as when first seen.

Asad's gaze turned to the wooden animal carvings placed in one corner of the garden, which seemed out of place with the palace's atmosphere.

"Lord Nine!"

Though he hadn't called out, somehow sensing his presence, the winged tribe girl ran out from inside the palace. Her eyes were already brimming with tears.

"I was so worried. I thought something had happened..."

Asad's eyebrows rose. Insensitively caught up in her own emotions, the servant was about to crash into the human like a wild boar. More precisely, she was trying to embrace him, but that would only work if the human was well enough to handle rough hugging.

Before the human he had just set down could fall ungracefully from being hit by the servant, Asad wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him to his side.

Ramu, belatedly noticing Asad, stopped abruptly.

"Ah, eek!"

Her face showed pure fear as she stumbled backward.

"L-Lord Asad?"

"Lord Asad?"

Hearing Asad's name, Rahu, who had just come out of the palace, couldn't hide his shock either.

The twins' faces looked as if they had seen not a dragon but a magical beast. Which wasn't entirely wrong.

Asad tightened his grip on the human's waist as he squirmed as if trying to escape, and glared at the servants.

"To think you keep servants like these."

At his piercing gaze, Ramu and Rahu froze solid. But the dragon turned his body completely and spoke while looking only at the human.

"Nine, it seems your servants don't have properly working eyes. Can someone like this take proper care of you? Wouldn't it be better to just return to the main palace? If you change your mind now, I might overlook it this once."

"It's fine. Thank you for your concern. Lord Asad, you can go back now..."

"What's that over there?"

Before the human could finish speaking, Asad glared at one corner of the garden.

There was a large hole there. Though originally a pond's trace, now all the water had dried up leaving just an unsightly pit.

The hole was very deep. If the human accidentally fell in there, he might break all his bones.

Could he really leave the human in a place like this? Suddenly this ruined palace felt like a very dangerous place.

"I'll say it once more - if you've changed your mind, say so."

Asad wasn't a dragon who easily showed such kindness. Yet when his benevolence should have been praised, the human shook his head and threw away the good opportunity.

"Thank you for your consideration, but I like it here."

Golden eyes looked down at the human dully. Just what was there to like about this desolate place? Though he couldn't understand such taste at all, no valid reason came to mind to forcibly take him to the main palace. Finally, Asad clicked his tongue inwardly and flicked his finger. Soil rose to fill the hole until it became level ground.

This wasn't enough.

Stroking his chin, Asad moved his magic again. All the embedded pebbles were pulled out and transformed into fine sand that rained down on the ground.

Now it was done. This way the human wouldn't trip over stones while walking.

Satisfied, Asad lifted the human into his arms again. Then he slipped inside the palace.

Ramu and Rahu could only stare open-mouthed at the two.

Inside the palace, Asad frowned.

"It's cramped."

The furniture Asad had gifted made the small space seem even smaller. Was there even room to step?

"Lord Asad, please put me down."

"There are stairs here."

Of course the human's room was on the second floor. Only after climbing all the stairs did Asad allow the human to touch the ground.

"Thank you. I can manage alone from here, so you can go back now."

"Go back?"

Asking questioningly, Asad quickly scanned the surroundings. Soon discovering the sharp corner of a drawer, he pressed it firmly with his hand. With a crunch, the corner caved in.

"Who said anything about going back?"

"What?"

"I need to stay with you for four more days. I told you I haven't recovered from the rut aftereffects? I came to this cramped place with you because you said you'd stay here."

Perplexity clouded the human's face.

"You'll stay here? That's a bit..."

"A bit what?"

Removing every corner in sight, Asad whipped his head around to stare at the human. Though he couldn't see, somehow sensing the dragon's discomfort, the human quickly changed his words.

"...Aren't you busy, Lord Asad?"

He wasn't particularly busy. Jet and Targan were handling all the busy work. But saying that might make the human see him as an idler, so Asad evaded.

"Of course I'm extremely busy. But you need to soak in the bath every morning to recover your strength. Could you walk all that way by yourself?"

"I don't need the bath anymore. My strength has returned."

What returned strength? He wanted to tell him to look in a mirror and say that again, but realizing he couldn't see, he closed his mouth.

'This approach won't work.'

Asad decided to try a different method.

"Well, let's say your body is fine. But what about me? As you said, I'm anxious and can't sleep when I can't see you because of the rut aftereffects. Do you know how hard it is not being able to sleep?"

"You can't... sleep?"

The human's voice, which had been utterly calm when discussing his own condition, grew serious.

Though Asad hadn't slept well even before, he didn't mention that. It wasn't exactly a lie anyway. He really couldn't sleep now without seeing the human.

"Then wouldn't you be more comfortable staying at the main palace?"

"No, you said you like it here. Do you have a problem with me staying here?"

If the human said he disliked it... Asad would still stay. As if a mere human could stop a dragon. Fortunately, the human showed no sign of refusal and nodded.

"I understand. You need to sleep well."

"I think so too. Not being able to sleep is too difficult."

When Asad showed weakness, as expected, the human immediately soothed him in a gentle voice.

"Don't worry, Lord Asad. Four days will pass quickly."

"Yes, I hope they pass quickly."

Until now, Asad had thought he couldn't figure this human out. But once he knew the method, no one was easier to handle.

* * *

The selection was temporarily suspended while the dragon palace was being restored.

It couldn't be helped. The dragon was held up by a mere human due to rut aftereffects. The selection could only resume after at least four days.

"Haa."

Kinaine felt the hand tightly holding his waist and sighed. Fortunately, the one embracing him was deeply asleep and didn't wake despite his movement.

Getting down from the bed, Kinaine consciously looked around. Though his eyes were open, his vision remained pitch black as if submerged in darkness.

Being unable to see was more frightening than expected. He hadn't thought taking a single step would require so much courage.

A bitter smile touched Kinaine's lips.

'I never expected to go blind.'

Kinaine's body had some immunity to demonic energy. But absorbing demonic energy beyond that immunity level had led to this result.

If he was lucky, his immunity might win and his eyes would recover, and if unlucky, he would never see again. Of course, that time wouldn't be long either.

It was some comfort that Asad had been the last thing his eyes held. Even if he could never see anything again for the rest of his life and died that way, he had no regrets since he had already captured in his eyes the one he wanted to see.

He only thought the timing was bad.

'Originally I planned to leave right after resolving the unsettling issues.'

Now that Shinsurial was said to be asleep, he didn't know how to resolve this unease.

'Jet and Targan said they're looking for the problematic spirit beast, so I'll have to leave the rest to them.'

With eyes in this state, it would be impossible for him to find the missing spirit beast.

And the problem wasn't just his lost sight.

Asad's rut aftereffects.

This was something even Kinaine hadn't expected at all. Asad had already been showing alpha-typical obsession toward omegas. This rut seemed to have brought it to a peak.

Since alphas were naturally possessive, he likely saw the omega he had taken during rut as 'his.' That's why he said he felt anxious when Kinaine wasn't around.

Though rare, he had heard of alphas suffering such rut aftereffects. But this was his first time seeing it.

'Four days.'

Though his feet were tied unwillingly, thinking positively, it was enough time to settle remaining matters.

'I should say goodbye before leaving. There are things to resolve too.'