Chapter 115

Thinking of Kinaine searching around the room for such a trivial thing made Asad's mood turn unpleasant.

Asad threw the ring toward Jet.

"Throw it away."

Catching the ring by surprise, Jet tilted his head. The worn ring didn't look like something Asad, who valued outward appearances, would possess.

"More importantly, Lord Asad, surely you won't change the test content again this time? If you're going to, at least give me a hint beforehand."

Stuffing the ring carelessly into his pocket, Jet drooped his eyebrows and acted pitiful.

"..."

"Lord Asad."

"..."

"Lord Asad, are you listening?"

"Ah, what."

He really hadn't been listening. Jet sighed and opened his mouth again.

Hadn't unexpected situations kept arising because the first and second tests had changed due to Asad's unilateral decisions? Given that it would be best to welcome a mate by ending the selection quickly, he wanted to reduce variables.

"The theme of the third test is righteousness. This test is planned to take place outside the dragon palace."

Though the first and second tests of the selection changed content each time, only the third test remained unchanged.

The bride candidates would solve problems occurring outside the dragon palace. Whether poverty, disease, disaster, or any other problem didn't matter, but the more difficult the problem was to solve, the higher the evaluation.

"Originally this is the longest of the three tests, but if we cut the duration in half..."

"Too long."

Asad cut him off.

"End it within fifteen days at the latest."

"F-fifteen days isn't too short?"

Fifteen days. Any problem that could be solved within that time would likely be insignificant.

The third test also served to announce the reputation of the dragon's future bride to the spirit realm. Following Asad's words, even if someone ranked first in the test, they would surely have the poorest reputation among all past brides.

When Jet tried to persuade him several times, Asad furrowed his brow as if annoyed at hearing it.

"Let's just draw lots. I don't care who becomes the bride anyway."

"Fifteen days! We'll do fifteen days!"

"Do as you like."

Though things went his way, Asad didn't particularly seem pleased. Seeing how he seemed lost in other thoughts immediately, it was clear he had not even a speck of interest in this test. It was markedly different from his attitude toward the previous tests, where he had shown enough interest to change the content himself.

No, that's not right. Jet shook his head inwardly. Thinking about it, Asad had shown this same attitude until just before the selection began. He had been indifferent to choosing his bride as if it were someone else's business. The time Asad had started showing real interest in the selection was clearly...

"Ah yes, did Lord Nine depart well?"

At that moment, Jet saw it. The way Targan's shoulders, standing firm as a statue behind Asad, suddenly trembled.

'What's this?'

When Jet had heard that Kinaine had given up his bride candidate qualification, he had privately thought it was for the best.

There had been something strange about Asad's attitude toward Kinaine. Though Asad was said to be the most eccentric among all dragons, he was still a dragon. Fundamentally indifferent to others, he had never properly called even Jet's name despite being together since coming to the spirit realm.

How surprised he had been when such an Asad had properly called the human bride candidate's name.

Though it might have started with hatred toward humans, his subsequent behavior couldn't be explained by that alone. Asad's attitude toward Kinaine was clearly different compared to others. If Kinaine hadn't been human, there was a very high chance he might have become the dragon's bride.

But Kinaine had left. Though his loss of sight was unfortunate, it was a satisfactory result for Jet, who hadn't particularly welcomed a human becoming the dragon's bride. Above all, it also meant Asad had lost his interest in Kinaine.

If the dragon still had interest in the human, how could a mere human have been able to leave?

Jet had thought his thinking was excessive, and that the dragon had simply lost interest in a new toy as usual.

But.

"Ah, didn't I tell you? Nine decided to stay in the dragon palace."

At Asad's casual reply, Jet lost his words and unconsciously looked at Targan. Targan stood as always, steady and reliable without wavering.

'That bastard, he already knew!'

It seemed he was the only one among those present who hadn't known this news.

"But, isn't Lord Nine no longer a bride candidate? Yet he's going to stay in the dragon palace? And you permitted this, Lord Asad?"

Jet asked, naturally assuming Kinaine had spoken first about staying in the dragon palace. Then Asad, who had seemed distracted even while answering, turned his head to look at Jet.

"That one will stay in the dragon palace as long as I want. Is there a problem?"

Only after hearing this cold answer did Jet realize. That Kinaine's remaining in the dragon palace might not have been his own will.

Jet swallowed hard.

"...If I may ask, where is Lord Nine staying now?"

"Why do you ask?"

Golden eyes flashed dangerously. Someone unaware of the situation might have thought Jet had asked about the location of a precious treasure.

Sensing the dragon's strong wariness, Jet immediately backed off.

"W-well, since Lord Nine cannot see, he would need someone to serve as his hands and feet. I will speak well to the head servant."

"I'll handle it myself, you stay out of it."

Jet retreated with a yelp. Only then did Asad smooth his furrowed brow.

"Jirtan, what about the spirit beast?"

Despite the wrong name, Targan answered faithfully.

"Not yet. However, we've found traces and are tracking it, so we should find it soon."

"Since it couldn't have left the dragon palace, it's just a matter of time."

Asad jumped to his feet. His attitude was urgent, like someone with pressing business.

"Then we're done here, right? I'm going."

"Lord Asad! Where are you going? The third test is about to begin! You need to deliver the test content and words of encouragement before the bride candidates!"

"You handle that."

Before the words finished, Asad's form vanished.

Jet stared helplessly at the empty space.

"Targan."

"Mm."

"You know how Lord Asad... never wears the same clothes or accessories twice. Even the food he enjoys always changes, making the kitchen staff wail."

Jet muttered as if talking to himself.

"Then why is that human different?"

* * *

The dragon's treasure vault.

"Is this better?"

The gaze examining the glittering jeweled necklace was serious.

"No, these jewels are too small."

Asad flung the necklace behind him.

Rejected necklaces were piled like mountains around Asad.

Unable to find anything satisfactory, Asad anxiously shook his leg.

Of course, anything chosen from these would be better than that cheap ring, but...

"Why was he making such a fuss wearing such an ugly ring around his neck? I couldn't stand looking at it so I had to do something."

Stealing... no, removing Kinaine's ring had been because its appearance that destroyed aesthetic sense was unbearable. If anyone else had been wearing such an ugly necklace before his eyes, he would have done the same even if it wasn't Kinaine.

So, it absolutely wasn't because he was bothered that it was given by Kinaine's former lover. Being concerned about a dead person, how could he possibly do such a thing?

Asad endlessly made excuses for his own actions.

Anyway, since he had removed it, it was only right to give something in return. Preferably something so magnificent that that worn ring wouldn't even come to mind.

But perhaps because his standards were too high, nothing felt quite right.

"Hmm?"

Just then, something caught Asad's eye.

A jar with strange stains on its surface.

Though normally he would have passed it by indifferently, somehow drawn to it, Asad approached the jar.

Opening the lid and reaching inside, he pulled out bundled cloth.

The cloth, which must have originally been light-colored, was stained dark red.

"Blood smell."

Judging by the smell and condition, it didn't seem too much time had passed.

Who could have put this here... Asad, thinking carelessly, suddenly froze.

Only he could enter the treasure vault.

But hadn't there been an exception recently?

"It can't be."

The cloth in his hand crumpled. It made no sense. Asad shook his head.

But the next moment, he was in the room where he had imprisoned Kinaine.

Having completely erased his presence, Asad watched Kinaine.

Kinaine sat on the bed, stroking the bird perched on the back of his hand. Though his skin was pale and his complexion poor, that wasn't strange since he had always been that way. Otherwise, he seemed no different from before.

'I must have been imagining things.'

Asad breathed a sigh of relief.

It was then. Kinaine slowly got down from the bed. Asad noticed something unnatural about his gait.

As Kinaine limped along, feeling the wall as if searching for something, he suddenly covered his mouth.

A series of dry coughs followed.

Asad slowly lowered his gaze.

He saw red drops of blood slowly seeping into the carpet.