Chapter 150

Asad didn't hide his emotions. He was openly displaying an offended expression, which made Kinaine laugh.

The face that had been furrowed like an angry child softened slightly at that laughter, as if crumbling.

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny?"

"Well, I just realized this is the first time in my life I've received a proposal."

Kinaine made up an excuse, unable to say that he was happy because Asad always transparently revealed his emotions, and that was because he had lived in an environment where he didn't need to deceive himself.

The excuse wasn't entirely fabricated. Thinking about it, it really was the first time he had received a proposal. Of course, it wasn't romantic or poetic enough to be called a proposal... but what mattered was who it came from. The words of proposal from the lips of the lover with whom he had promised eternity and exchanged rings made his heart flutter.

Who would have thought such a day would come?

Kinaine briefly glanced at the ring hanging around Asad's neck before looking away.

If it hadn't been for Hasan, he would have eventually married Helio. Like other ordinary couples, they would have lived sweetly together and become husband and wife. Sometimes they would argue over differences of opinion, he would complain about not wanting to hear his husband's nagging, and he would try to persuade him that separate rooms were not an option... It was hard to believe that such a daily life had once been within reach.

"...I'm your first?"

"Yes, the first."

Asad narrowed his eyes suspiciously but didn't ask further.

"As I said earlier, it's better for you if I become full-grown quickly. You can't keep living in pain like this."

Asad's narrowed eyes returned to normal. His lips, which had been mumbling for quite some time as if wanting to say something, finally pushed out the words.

"But do you, not want to be my bride?"

Before Kinaine could answer, the words continued rapidly.

"Is there a better option than me? I must be the best alpha you could choose. You like my face, and you like doing it with me."

"That..."

"If you become my bride, I'll fulfill everything you want? I could even take you to the divine realm if you want. Do you know what kind of place the divine realm is? It's a place where humans could never set foot. Nothing will torment you there, and if you accumulate divinity, you can even become a god. Dragons usually take their mates to the divine realm, but I had no intention of doing so. But if you want, I'll take you there. ...Do you still not want to?"

Though the content seemed boastful, there was anxiety throughout his tone. Kinaine gazed at Asad for a while before quietly lowering his eyes.

"It's not that I don't want to. I like Lord Asad."

"Then that's settled! Right now..."

"Because I like you."

"......"

"Because I like you, I can't do that."

When he heard Asad's words, for a very brief moment, Kinaine imagined himself becoming his bride. That future was also the best among those he could choose.

If he became the dragon's bride, he would no longer need to endure terrible pain, nor would he need to suffer thinking about his lover marrying someone else. The petrification spell cast on Jinaks, which remained as a debt in his heart, could be removed either by wishing for it or by Asad, once he became full-grown.

All those hardships resolved just by becoming the bride of his beloved. What a perfect ending.

There was only one thing Kinaine would have to bear.

Continuing to lie.

He would have to bury in his heart the past where he shared love with the one who used the name Helio, and forever hide what misfortune he had experienced because of him, and how much he had resented and hated him.

But he didn't want to do that. Above all, it was right that someone more virtuous and capable of making wiser choices than himself should be by Asad's side. No one would want someone like Kinaine, who made the worst choices thinking they were the best, to become a bride.

Kinaine was convinced: 'Kinaine doesn't deserve a happy ending.'

'Hmm? What is this...'

A question about why he was thinking this way arose, but it quickly disappeared as if covered by black fog. All that remained was a faint contempt directed at himself.

"I don't understand."

Asad grumbled and dropped his head onto Kinaine's shoulder. The thin, soft hair touching his cheek was faintly felt.

The current Asad couldn't understand that some feelings make one give up everything for the other person.

"Someday you'll be able to understand."

"When is that? After I develop feelings?"

Asad grumbled.

"So just become my bride. Then I'll develop feelings too, won't I?"

"Does a dragon's heart form the moment they hold the wedding ceremony with their bride?"

"Well, that's how everyone talks about it. I don't know since I haven't experienced it myself."

From that answer, Kinaine realized that Asad had no idea what feelings were.

Feelings don't suddenly appear. They grow. Like seeds growing with rainwater and sunlight.

But Kinaine had no intention of explaining that to him.

Because...

"Then when you develop feelings someday, please think of today once."

Because Asad had already begun to like him.

Though Asad, who thought he had no feelings, didn't seem to realize it.

Removing the prejudice that had made him think it was just an alpha's feelings toward an omega, the answer was this simple.

Asad liked him. He thought of him as special. At least enough to grant the request of someone who had deceived him and run away with just one word: "I like you." Enough to ask a human he disliked so much that he made snow fall all over the world to become his bride.

Though he couldn't guess the depth of those feelings, Kinaine hoped that Asad's feelings wouldn't grow further. Because he didn't deserve such a precious thing.

At that moment, Asad lifted his head from Kinaine's shoulder.

"Ah."

With a strong push, Kinaine's body fell backward in an instant. Asad, who had climbed on top of Kinaine, was expressionless. His golden eye, only one remaining, shone brilliantly.

"What did you take my words for? I want you to be my bride. I want you to be the reason my feelings develop."

"Even if I don't want it?"

Kinaine answered calmly.

Their gazes met in midair.

Asad, who had seemed like he might strangle Kinaine's neck as he had once done, simply frowned deeply and collapsed weakly beside Kinaine with a frustrated sigh.

"It's strange. Everyone wants me, so why don't you want me? Is liking different from wanting?"

It was a childlike question.

There was a time when he would have taught him everything he didn't know. But now, instead of giving the answer, Kinaine only smiled bitterly.

"I'll give you more time to think about it. But know that the only way to remove the demonic energy in your body is for me to become full-grown."

"What about Lord Shinsurial? Didn't you say you were going to bring him?"

"That Shinsurial is the problem."

Asad explained in a deflated tone what Shinsurial had done in the spirit realm.

Even while listening to the story, Kinaine wasn't greatly surprised. He recalled the unpleasant feeling he had occasionally received from Shinsurial. Perhaps he had been anticipating this moment all along. That might be why he hadn't felt any particular expectation when Asad said he would bring Shinsurial.

However, there was one aspect he hadn't anticipated at all.

"...Are you saying Lord Shinsurial uses black magic?"

"Drop the 'Lord.' Why are you using honorifics for someone who framed you? Anyway, yes. I suspect that Shinsurial's purification ability isn't actually purification, but rather controlling demonic energy to make it appear that way."

"But demonic energy can't be controlled so easily. It feels as if the demonic energy itself has some kind of will. It readily cooperates with thoughts of destruction or torment, but doesn't respond to anything else."

Kinaine had tried every method to undo the petrification spell cast on Jinaks but had failed. Hadn't he realized then that black magic could irreversibly damage something, but couldn't restore it?

"If Shinsurial can control demonic energy to that extent... it seems he must have been handling demonic energy for a very long time."

To use an analogy, it was no different from controlling dozens of rabid dogs in one direction. Such a task would require sufficient effort and experience.

Asad agreed.

"He certainly had plenty of time. Shinsurial is a great spirit who has lived since the first dragon. The real problem is that he seems to be targeting you."

"...Me?"

Asad stared at Kinaine for a while before lowering his head.

"Since it came up, about what I said... about your statement regarding the gatekeeper being a lie. I'm sorry."

Asad said "I'm sorry" as if it was the first time he had ever said those words, awkwardly. Kinaine was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected him to believe him, let alone apologize for it.

Kinaine felt that Asad had changed. If this was because feelings were developing in Asad, was it something he dared to accept?

Hiding his complex feelings, Kinaine answered calmly.

"It's alright. It was understandable for you to think that way."

"You said it was the scaled tribe's bride candidate who attacked you on the bridge, right? I plan to capture and interrogate him. If we find out anything, it might help."

Asad continued.

"There's one more thing you should know: Shinsurial seems to be in the human realm now. I tried to track him, but couldn't detect him. He must have used some method."

Indeed, without a way to hide himself, he wouldn't have dared to do such a bold thing against a dragon.

"He's probably targeting you. I don't know why. So don't leave my side. For the time being, no, continuously from now on."

Kinaine fell into thought.

Shinsurial was a black mage and was targeting him.

Didn't this remind him of someone?

"I also had something I wanted to tell Lord Asad."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Kinaine opened his mouth.

"About the horned tribe's guardian spirit."