Chapter 104

Rumble, CRASH!

Instead of an answer, thunder rolled.

The dragon's anger called down lightning from clear skies.

"...I've been too lenient, and now your impudence reaches the heavens."

Before getting truly angry, Asad first used magic to lift the human to his feet.

Seeing the human sitting on the cold stone floor in thin clothes, he felt he should at least help him up first.

"..."

It had been done without thinking.

Even the human who had provoked the dragon's anger looked bewildered.

"Lord Asad?"

While calling out thus, the human looked in exactly the opposite direction from where Asad stood.

Seeing this, his anger cooled as if doused with cold water.

The dark clouded sky cleared again and bright sunlight poured through gaps in the clouds.

Suddenly he remembered the past. Back then, Asad had made the human kneel for days. Only to cause him pain.

Thinking of that day made his mood sink strangely. Like trying to light wet firewood, he could no longer maintain his anger.

Instead of getting angry, Asad instantly stripped the human's clothes and carried him directly to the bath. Finding himself suddenly sitting on Asad's lap in the bath, the human couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"...Weren't you angry?"

"Stay still. You need to stay like this for an hour."

"I understand."

As the human became docile, Asad's heart settled somewhat. He played with the human's wet hair.

By this point, even he couldn't help noticing something strange about his state.

A dragon's anger was like burning flames. It was strange for it to be snuffed out in mere seconds like this.

There were other strange things. Not only not sending away but actually bringing in someone to his private space. Keeping someone constantly at his side despite not particularly wanting relations with an omega. Feeling anxious and restless when not seeing the human.

Even now, wasn't he feeling satisfaction with the human sitting on his thigh?

"I don't know why I'm acting like this. Is it remaining effects of demonic energy?"

"Demonic energy?"

When the human tried to get up in surprise, Asad lightly prevented him.

"Or maybe aftereffects of the rut. Nine, you answer me. Is this normal?"

When his name was called, the human's shoulders jerked. Finding this reaction amusing, Asad thought inwardly that he should call his name more often.

"I don't quite understand what you mean."

"This is my first time spending rut with an omega. No, you're the only omega I've experienced at all. But you've had others besides me, so you must know more about presented traits than I do?"

When Asad looked at the ring hanging around the human's neck, somehow knowing, the human covered it with his hand to hide it.

Though he tried not to care since the owner was already dead, the human's attitude like this subtly grated on his nerves.

"I won't steal that mere ring, so stop hiding it. It's unpleasant."

At those words, the human's hand slowly relaxed.

"What symptoms are you experiencing?"

Though his intention to change the subject was apparent, Asad went along with it.

"First, my chest stings when I see you."

"Are you in pain?"

Like his urgent voice, hands warmed by the hot bath frantically felt over Asad. Though the dragon usually detested anyone touching his body at will, he didn't mind when the human did it. This too was strange.

No, no. The truly strange thing was something else.

"Where does it hurt and how much?"

This human, daring to worry about the strongest and most almighty being in this world besides the gods.

Suddenly his chest felt ticklish.

"It also feels itchy sometimes."

The hands feeling his chest stopped abruptly.

"Itchy...?"

"And I want to touch you. Want to smell you too. Feel anxious when I can't see you."

Having gotten this far, Asad confessed honestly. He couldn't find any particular reason to hide it.

"These are symptoms I've never had before, what is this?"

"...An alpha feels strong possessiveness toward an omega they've shared rut with. It seems you're experiencing rut aftereffects. The alpha instincts still remain."

Rut aftereffects. It was an explanation that made sense.

Indeed, since coupling with the human, he had started feeling strangely anxious when he couldn't see him and wanting to touch him constantly. If that too was because of alpha instincts, then experiencing rut, when alpha instincts were maximized, could explain why the symptoms had grown stronger.

"So that's it, something felt strange. When does this go away?"

"It should end within a week at most. Don't worry, it will naturally disappear with time."

"A week."

Asad nodded. Since three days had passed, about four remained.

So this stinging, this tickling, it was all just pheromones playing tricks. He didn't like how his presented traits dared to control him at will.

"Fine, when these feelings disappear... I'll let you go."

It took more resolve than expected to say those words. Probably because the alpha instincts were still fixated on this omega. To shake off the uncomfortable feeling, Asad deliberately spoke casually.

"I have a conscience too. Though you're human, if you helped me finish my rut completely well, I should grant at least one thing you want."

"Thank you."

Something like a smile briefly touched the human's lips before fading. Unable to take his eyes off that ethereal impression, Asad spoke.

"By the way, you said you were originally a mercenary. It won't be easy to make a living in the human realm with those eyes, what do you plan to do?"

Though the human blinked in apparent surprise at the sudden career counseling, he answered calmly.

"That... I haven't thought about it."

"What?"

When Asad seemed more surprised than expected, the human hurriedly corrected his words.

"I, I'm going to think about it from now. There must be things I can do even without sight. Fortunately, I tend to learn physical tasks quickly."

"Ah, that does seem to be the case."

Whether realizing what those words implied, the human fell silent. Though his expression remained calm, his ears turning slightly red seemed to be from more than just the bath's heat. Asad felt his own temperature rise in response.

'Be patient. This human is sick. He can't even see.'

It was a time of endurance.

As promised, after soaking the human in the medicinal bath for an hour, Asad took him out, dried him with magic, and returned to the bedroom.

He fed him the meal that had come up from the kitchen, and watched disapprovingly as the human insisted on changing clothes himself.

Contrary to Asad's expectations, though he fumbled at first, the human properly put on his clothes. Then he addressed Asad.

"Then I'll return to my quarters."

"What?"

"I can't stay here forever. I don't want to inconvenience Lord Asad like this, and more importantly, my servants must be worried."

Asad regretted.

'I shouldn't have mentioned the servants had returned.'

It irritated him that he couldn't think of any excuse to stop the human from leaving no matter how he wracked his brain.

No, why am I irritated? He's offering to leave on his own.

He had only allowed someone to step into his private space because he couldn't drive away someone who had gone blind because of him - really, only because he had no choice. Yet now he was offering to leave on his own. Shouldn't that be something to be grateful for, saving him from becoming the bad guy?

Though thinking this, Asad glared at the human as if fire might shoot from his eyes.

"Fine, go. Who's stopping you? No one's stopping you. But even if you regret it later and ask to come back, I absolutely won't accept you, so think carefully."

"You needn't worry about that."

"You won't? Are you saying you don't like it here?"

At Asad's unreasonable way of speaking, the human closed his mouth and lowered his eyes.

"...That wasn't my intention. It's just that this place is too spacious, and I don't know well where anything is."

At those words, even Asad couldn't continue speaking perversely. Hearing this made him realize that when the human had come here, he was already blind. Of course, he wouldn't have seen what the dragon's bedroom looked like.

"Right, thinking about it, that cramped quarters of yours might be better than here. You can memorize the layout there."

"Thank you for understanding."

What thanks. His polite way of speaking made anger surge again. But now he knew. His anger wasn't because of the human.

This anger was directed at himself.

"If it's decided, let's go. What's the point in wasting time?"

"Yes, I understand."

The human got down from the bed. The movement looked quite practiced.

Asad personally took the human to his quarters. Carrying him in his arms.

"Lord Asad, I'll walk and follow."

"How would you manage that?"

Though the human said he would walk, Asad absolutely refused to put him down.

"I need to hold you to stay calm because of the rut aftereffects."

Hearing that, the human seemed to have no choice but to become docile.

Asad felt like he was starting to get a sense of how to handle the human.