Chapter 129

Asad's eyes flew open.

"Damn it."

He immediately pressed his forehead and expressed his irritation.

His head throbbed and his body felt heavy. As if he had consumed some extremely potent drug.

Once the headache subsided, Asad immediately looked around.

He had definitely been standing in the reception room…

'But why was I standing there?'

He couldn't remember the reason clearly. Only the thoughts that he had lost something important and that he needed to find it came to mind.

"Where is this?"

Asad frowned as he saw a lake with a large willow tree hanging over it. He wondered if someone had moved him here.

'This seems familiar somehow.'

It was strange—this clearly wasn't a place in the dragon palace. Asad took slow steps forward, feeling suspicious.

Soon, Asad's reflection appeared in the clear lake.

"Gasp!"

Asad stepped back with a face turned deathly pale.

What was reflected in the lake was not a beautiful silver-haired man, but a horrific monster with half its body covered in black scales.

"No, that's impossible..."

It was an appearance he had never once recalled since realizing he was a dragon.

Nightmare-like memories began to resurface. Afterimages of humans abusing and tormenting him when he knew nothing flashed before his eyes.

"No, no..."

As Asad was backing away, he bumped into something and stopped. At the same time, a gentle voice flowed from that something.

"What's wrong?"

Asad realized who the voice belonged to.

'Human!'

His golden eyes, which had been wavering in confusion, soon filled with murderous intent. Asad turned around to kill the human who dared to touch him.

But he couldn't do anything.

"Are you alright?"

It was a man he had never seen before.

The first thing he noticed was the black eyes. Eyes so clear that it was amazing how black could appear so transparent and pure.

Only after tearing his gaze away from those eyes could he see that this man had a very handsome face and a tall stature.

His skin, slightly tanned by the sunlight, was as smooth as silk without a single small scar. Whether due to his slightly downturned eyes or his upturned lips, he seemed to be smiling even when still, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Though Asad had never been interested in how others looked, strangely, he found it difficult to take his eyes off the man.

He had felt this way once before when looking at someone…

'Who was that?'

Just then, a warm sensation touched his face.

"You're acting strange today, are you really okay?"

Even as the stranger's hand freely stroked his forehead and cheek, Asad couldn't move. Like a tamed dog, he felt his confusion and anger subsiding at that single touch.

Humans had looked at him as if he were a hideous, disgusting monster. But why did this human, only this human…

"Hmm, no fever."

Asad, who had been staring blankly at the man, belatedly knocked the hand away and stepped back.

"D-don't touch me!"

The man's face momentarily showed confusion as his hand was struck away with a thud.

Asad was even more confused by that expression. Somehow, he felt as if he had done something he shouldn't have. His knees even tingled.

As if he wanted to kneel right then and there.

'That can't be.'

"I! I...!"

Though he should coldly tell the human not to touch him, his lips wouldn't part.

After rambling incoherently like a fool, Asad finally closed his mouth. His gaze fell on the man's hand, which had already turned red.

Suddenly, he couldn't look the man in the eyes. He wanted to flee from this place immediately before the man became angry with him.

"I, need to go."

Asad instinctively tried to use magic.

But.

'Magic...'

Despite trying several times, Asad remained standing in the same place. His ugly appearance and the inability to feel magical energy—it was as if he had returned to the time when he didn't know he was a dragon.

His confusion was brief; seeing the man approaching him with large strides, Asad backed away again.

"Go? Where are you going?"

"Don't come near me!"

"Ah, be careful!"

As he was backing away, Asad nearly fell into the lake. However, thanks to a firm hand that quickly reached out and pulled him back, he was able to avoid getting completely soaked.

"Let go of this!"

"Huh?"

The man, on the other hand, met with disaster. As soon as he pulled Asad, the startled Asad shook him off.

Having let his guard down, the man lost his balance and fell into the lake.

Splash!

Water sprayed up. Though he could have quickly left now that the man had disappeared, Asad simply couldn't move his feet. As he looked at the lake with an anxious face, a head soon emerged from the water.

The man crawled out of the lake and shook his head like a dog. Water splashed in all directions, with a few drops reaching Asad. Normally, he would have frowned and avoided it, but Asad paid no attention and hesitantly opened his mouth toward the man.

"Well, I..."

"It's fine, this much is nothing. As long as you didn't fall in, that's what matters."

The man spoke calmly.

Asad tried to say something, but at that moment, he noticed the man's body clearly revealed by his wet, clinging clothes. Without time to think, Asad quickly took off his outer garment and threw it over the man. He glared around quickly, checking if anyone had seen that appearance.

"...Should I say thank you? I think this is what they call giving a disease and then giving medicine."

The man muttered something, but Asad wasn't really listening. He just stood there like a statue, watching the man put on his clothes.

Shortly after, the man, having roughly put on the outer garment, strode toward Asad. Asad wanted to back away again, but not wanting to appear afraid of a mere human, he forced himself to stand his ground.

"Wh-what?"

"Now tell me. What's the problem? Are you angry, or are you sick? And what did you mean by going?"

"..."

Asad kept his lips tightly sealed and just stared at the man.

He didn't know where this place was, and he was in a state where he couldn't use magic. There was no need to tell a human such things.

"I have something to find."

"Speaking informally again."

The man blinked. Rather than disliking the informal speech, he seemed surprised by it.

"Well, this is new and interesting."

Then he suddenly smiled broadly.

The moment he saw that innocent smile, Asad's heart sank.

Frowning at the unpleasant sensation of his body not being under control, Asad furrowed his brow.

"You, don't smile like that."

As soon as he spoke, a sense of déjà vu came over him.

He felt like he had said these exact words before.

At that time, the other person had looked hurt for a very brief moment. Though they had quickly hidden it, as if putting on a mask.

But the man before him now just kept smiling. Like someone who had never been hurt and didn't know how to feel pain.

"Why, is your heart racing? Because you're too happy?"

"What are you...!"

Going further to even tease him, Asad flared up with a reddened face. At this, the man's smile grew more mischievous.

"So, what are you looking for? I'll help you."

The man spoke softly while fiddling with Asad's hand.

'When did he touch me?'

He was truly a man with quick hands.

Of course, a human couldn't be faster than a dragon. Though Asad could have avoided it before the man grabbed him, he couldn't understand why he kept allowing the man to touch him.

Pretending to give in, Asad left his hand in the man's grasp and spoke grumpily.

"I can find it by myself."

"Two is better than one. Tell me what you're looking for."

Why should I?

That's what Asad wanted to say.

But different words jumped out of his mouth.

"That... I don't know. But it's something very precious. Something I shouldn't lose."

"Something precious, something you shouldn't lose."

The man nodded, repeating Asad's words.

"I think I know what it is."

Asad's eyes widened.

"You know? What is it?"

"Do you really not know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew!"

As Asad exclaimed in frustration, the man slowly blinked.

Asad knew someone else with this habit.

But who was it?

Just as a faint afterimage flashed through his mind.

The man tilted his head and spoke.

"But you lost it."

"..."

"If it was so precious, you should have kept it safe. Who would believe you saying it was precious after losing it?"

Asad's expression slowly hardened.

The man continued to look at Asad with eyes as clear as the lake.

"Think of it as something destined to be lost, and just forget about it."

At that moment, Asad realized.

These weren't the man's words.

"...These, are my words."

Asad covered his mouth with one hand. Suddenly, nausea surged.

"These are my words."