Chapter 111

Because Kinaine became sick to his stomach, Asad ultimately couldn't carry out his planned activities that day.

'To think he can't even eat properly.'

This incident only strengthened Asad's conviction that Kinaine shouldn't be sent back to the human realm.

At first, he couldn't understand why Kinaine stubbornly insisted on returning to the human realm instead of staying in the dragon palace, but Neil's incident had made him realize something.

Surprisingly, Kinaine hadn't had a single good experience in the dragon palace.

Throughout his time here, he had starved, been injured, fallen ill, and even nearly drowned.

And most of those incidents were because of him.

"..."

Suddenly dark clouds gathered in the sky and rain began to fall.

"Aah, why is it suddenly raining!"

While watching servants running in surprise at the unexpected rain, Asad thought indifferently.

'...No, but I've treated him quite well recently.'

Today Kinaine had tasted the dragon palace's finest delicacies. People quickly grow accustomed to good and comfortable things. Perhaps Kinaine was already troubled by the thought that he would never taste such food again if he returned to the human realm. If told he could eat such food every day, he couldn't help but be tempted.

Besides food, the dragon palace was overflowing with things that could enchant a human, so showing them one by one might make the human change his mind. There would be no problems at all.

* * *

The next day, Kinaine's condition improved.

Saying they should take a walk because his body felt stiff, Asad lifted Kinaine early in the morning and left the palace.

Their destination was the main palace's garden. Though called a garden, in terms of size it was no different from a small forest. Thanks to the tailed tribe gardeners' daily care, the flowers here always maintained their best appearance.

This garden was the previous dragon's legacy, and Asad, who had no taste for flower viewing, had essentially neglected the place. Visiting here was purely because of Kinaine. Though there were many places with more beautiful scenery than this garden, none were filled with such pleasant fragrances.

When he set down Kinaine whom he had been carrying, the human erased his usual composed expression and opened his eyes wide as if surprised. Though he couldn't see, the fragrance enveloping his entire body was more than enough without seeing or looking.

Asad spoke in a confident voice.

"It would be hard to smell such fragrances anywhere in the world except the dragon palace. Do you like it?"

"Yes, it feels like I've come to paradise in the divine realm."

"It might be similar. They say some things here were brought from the divine realm by the first dragon. Though I don't know why they brought mere flower seeds..."

Asad's body paused mid-explanation. He saw Kinaine, who had sat in the flower bed at some point, faintly smiling.

Seeing that, heat rose through his entire body and his heart pounded. Without realizing it, Asad approached Kinaine, grabbed his chin, and kissed him deeply.

When Asad came to his senses, Kinaine was breathing heavily beneath him, thoroughly disheveled. The lung capacity difference between dragons and humans was too great, so when Asad lost his reason and rushed in, Kinaine quickly became breathless and struggled.

"Why suddenly..."

Though panting and out of breath, Kinaine expressed his confusion. It was understandable, as his companion had suddenly pounced like a beast in the middle of normal conversation.

"You acted like you wanted it."

Asad shamelessly shifted the blame. When he stroked the waist through disheveled clothes, the thin body twitched.

"You're too skinny. Eat properly. How could you bear children like this?"

Asad, who had been casually nagging, froze as if struck by his own words.

"O-of course I don't mean my children. Since you're an omega... anyway, you'll have children someday, right?"

Though he quickly corrected himself, his mood plummeted more with each word.

Come to think of it, the man before him was an omega. That meant a body that could bear an alpha's children.

At this moment, Asad thought for the first time that Kinaine might marry another alpha and have children someday.

'How dare they'

Black energy briefly flashed in Asad's golden eyes.

When rut came, if he hadn't been in a medicated state... but there would be another chance...

"Lord Asad, it hurts."

"Ah."

Only then did Asad realize he had been continuously stroking Kinaine's stomach. Unable to control his strength, the skin had turned red.

"I didn't mean to."

Forgetting what he had been thinking, he kissed the thin stomach as if soothing it.

As he kissed lightly while moving gradually upward, something caught his nose.

Asad's brow furrowed.

"Why do you keep wearing this necklace?"

"It's become a habit. I feel anxious without it now."

Raising his waist, Asad looked down at the necklace with displeasure. Until now he hadn't cared at all about the human's past, but suddenly it started bothering him immensely.

Just as Asad was about to snatch the necklace.

Suddenly, beautiful singing voices were heard from above.

The singers were the spirit beasts who made this garden their home. Kinaine's expression softened upon hearing the spirit beast birds' chorus.

Seeing that face, Asad forgot his irritation and gently bit his cheek. Somehow his teeth felt ticklish.

"Ah."

"They're spirit beast birds. There aren't spirit beasts in the human realm, right?"

"No, they say they could be seen in ancient times..."

Probably before the bridge between the spirit realm and human realm disappeared.

Playing with Kinaine's ear with his finger, Asad whispered.

"Since you can't see, working as a servant might be difficult. If following me around every day is burdensome, you could work here."

This was what he had meant to say by bringing him here.

After being rejected, he had thought carefully and suddenly realized that asking him to work as a servant might have been burdensome for someone who couldn't see.

Then the problem could be solved by giving him work that wasn't burdensome.

"Here?"

"Yes. There are already others managing this place, so you won't have anything to do. Just come and sit like this, that's all. Easy, right?"

Though Kinaine didn't know, working in this garden was the dream of the dragon palace servants. Being able to smell dreamlike fragrances and hear beautiful spirit beast songs every day made it more like a reward than work. However, since only the dragon and gardeners could enter here, everyone else could only swallow their envy.

So Asad's current offer meant giving Kinaine a privilege everyone coveted.

When Asad reached out his hand, a small bird landed on it. He placed the bird on Kinaine's shoulder.

"You'll always smell nice fragrances and live among beautiful songs. I promise to provide food of the same quality as yesterday."

Throughout Asad's whispers, the smile didn't leave Kinaine's face. But unlike before, that smile somehow seemed to lack energy.

Was this not enough? Asad felt anxious.

"Lord Asad, I..."

"Stop. I'm not finished yet."

Asad lifted Kinaine and moved by magic.

Their destination was the treasure vault.

"You've been here once? My treasure vault."

"Yes, I have been here, but..."

Kinaine seemed confused, not knowing why Asad had suddenly come here. Even the spirit beast bird that had inadvertently come along tilted its head.

Asad explained each treasure in detail to such a Kinaine, and Kinaine soon showed interest, abandoning his doubts. When told that gifts received at the recent birthday banquet had been newly added to the treasure vault, he even asked curiously.

"Haven't you found the spirit beast yet?"

"No. Since it doesn't register to magical energy, it seems it will take time. But it's impossible to leave the dragon palace without my permission, so we should find it soon."

Answering the question, Asad quickly added, though no one had suggested otherwise, worried Kinaine might think his abilities lacking.

"Of course it's not that my magic skills are insufficient. Spirit beasts that have lived that long are close to natural objects, so they can't be detected."

Speaking, Asad unconsciously glanced at the bed placed in one corner of the treasure vault before clearing his throat.

With a light gesture, a box placed to one side opened by itself, and the object inside flew toward Asad on its own.

"Touch this, what does it feel like?"

After touching the object briefly, Kinaine quickly guessed correctly.

"It's fabric. Is this what I gifted at the banquet?"

"That's right. This is unusually good material. I plan to have a tailor make clothes with it this time."

"Lord Asad would look magnificent in anything."

Kinaine smiled faintly as if imagining something while gently handling the fabric. Staring blankly at that face, Asad's lips opened without him realizing.

"It's yours."

"What?"

Kinaine asked as if surprised. Though it had been an impulsive statement, strangely, the moment he said it, Asad's heart grew more certain.

While Asad liked adorning himself, he had no interest in what others wore. But at this moment, he thought Kinaine would look very good in clothes made from that fabric.

Asad lowered his gaze. The dark purple clothes symbolizing the winged tribe that Kinaine always wore like his own skin suited him well too. But perhaps from wearing them too often, looking closely one could see the fabric was worn and had traces of mending here and there.

"If you stay here, that's yours."

"Lord Asad."

"Tell me if you want something else. I'll give it to you."

Every single thing in this treasure vault was precious. Even if he hadn't known before, he would know now after Asad's personal explanation.

Asad knew how greedy humans were. Though he usually despised such human nature, this time was different. He wanted Kinaine to be moved by his benevolence and feel grateful.

But Kinaine shook his head while putting down the fabric.

"Lord Asad, this fabric is too much for me. What use is dressing up well when I can't even see myself? This fabric would suit Lord Asad best... your mate would like it too."

The last sentence was barely audible. As if regretting words unconsciously spoken. As if wanting to forget what he had just said, Kinaine quickly added.

"The same goes for the other things. They're unnecessary for me, so if you give them to those who need them more, everyone will be grateful for Lord Asad's grace."

"What do I care about others?"

Asad's voice lowered.

"You don't like this, you don't like that. Then tell me. What do you want? You must have wanted something to try becoming my bride. I'll soon be full-grown. I could grant what you wish even if it's not a first wish, as long as it doesn't touch causality."

"That's already as good as fulfilled. I have nothing more to wish for from Lord Asad now."

"...Nothing to wish for?"

Though the temperature dropped sharply, Kinaine's expression remained peaceful as if feeling nothing.

But now Asad knew too. That expression was merely a mask.

"Lies. Humans are greedy. Do you think I'll believe you want nothing?"

Asad hated deception and lies. Those were things humans excelled at. Controlling his anger, Asad warned one last time.

"No one could give you anything better than what I've offered to give. So stop this."

Whenever the dragon showed this level of displeasure, anyone would bend their will and try to appease Asad. But the human, as always, conveyed his will calmly without blinking an eye.

"All I wish for is to return home and live my previous life."

At that moment, Asad heard something snap in his mind.