Chapter 28

Rudia gazed at Lirika, who was nestled in Altears' arms. Her eyes, red from crying, looked pitiful.

‘I never thought Lirika would have such thoughts.’

It felt strange somehow.

I always thought I had to protect Lirika, but I never thought she would protect me.

‘But if I think about it, Lirika has been protecting me. It’s a fact.’

Because she’s here, I’m living my life to the fullest. I’m trying to live right and striving to be a good person.

Because I want to be a good mother to her.

There was a time when I thought of Lirika as a burden. I thought that way until the pyre was set alight.

She was my burden, and since she made me suffer, I deserved something from her.

But Lirika was giving me something too. I just didn’t know what it was back then.

Rudia smiled faintly.

Altears looked down at her face. It was a smile he had never seen before.

An indescribable emotion surged and then vanished. Altears let out a small sigh.

He said, “Is it fun to be here without me?”

“Is it only fun if you say it that way?”

Rudia retorted. Altears replied bluntly.

“It’s the truth.”

A difficult person.

That’s what Rudia thought. At the same time, she felt a bit of sympathy for him.

A dragon, infinitely light and great, who drank fire and air and lived in a different dimension from humans.

—A human, once.

Now he had a fragile body, surging emotions, and a narrowed mind.

‘Well, I should understand.’

Rudia thought this and spoke slowly.

“It’s more fun to be together.”

Altears glanced at her, trying to confirm if it was true. Rudia smiled.

“Have you become interested in the children lately? You left them alone even though the emperor asked you to take care of them.”

“I only said I would watch over them.”

Altears said it as if it were an excuse, and Rudia fell silent. In reality, the emperor he raised was quite excellent.

Except for his personality issues.

Well, a good emperor isn’t necessarily a good person.

‘The future didn’t seem bright, but I won’t know since I’m dead.’

Back then, the emperor was so hateful and detestable, but now Attil is just a child.

A young boy, like her daughter.

“Try to protect his heart as well.”

At Altears’ contemplation of Rudia’s words, he replied.

“I’ll consider it.”

What’s gotten into him? So compliant.

Rudia was puzzled. Altears, entering the bedroom, laid Lirika down on the bed.

When Rudia offered to watch over her, Altears pushed her away.

“You’re tired too, aren’t you?”

The one who went through all that chaos at the burning theater should rest.

“I’ll stay by her side.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“...”

Rudia looked at Altears with a dubious expression. Altears spoke again.

“Anyway, I’m the father now, right?”

Hesitating, Rudia sighed. Since she was going to fall asleep anyway, it would be better to take a nap and check in the morning.

It should be fine to leave her for a short while.

“Alright. We’ll switch in the morning.”

With that, Rudia stroked Lirika’s forehead once and left.

Altears sat in a chair, staring blankly at Lirika’s face, lost in thought.

‘The fire at the theater.’

He knew Barat was baring his teeth. It wasn’t particularly strange. Humans have the habit of climbing higher when there’s a ladder, and Barat was inherently jealous.

He still remembered the first Barat.

‘How amusing.’

Why are these memories still so vivid?

At that moment, a sound came from the door. Turning around, he saw Attil standing there, looking flustered.

Altears rubbed his temples in fatigue and asked.

“Why?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? You came here in the middle of the night?”

The words came out as if he were interrogating.

“Well, just in case.”

Just in case Lirika woke up in the middle of the night or had a nightmare.

He wouldn’t have come if he knew his uncle was here.

“I’ll leave then.”

As he was about to leave, Altears gestured.

“Come here.”

Attil hesitated but closed the door and stood in front of Altears. Altears said,

“Why don’t you bring a chair and sit?”

“...Yes.”

Attil brought a chair and sat beside him. It was extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

The dim lamp illuminated Lirika’s sleeping face. Fixing his gaze on it, Altears spoke first.

“When your father came to find me in the desert.”

“!!”

Attil turned his head in surprise. It was the first time he was hearing a story about his father from Altears.

“I told him to go away because I didn’t want to. But he was desperate.”

Tired of humans, Altears was living in the desert. Hiding in a land where only fugitives lived, he was found.

It must have been quite difficult for the emperor to leave the palace. Especially when Barat was watching closely.

“So, I was dragged back to the palace and met you as a child.”

Attil listened intently, not blinking.

“He asked me to protect you until you became emperor. I promised to do so.”

Attil hesitated and then said,

“When Father was on his deathbed, he told me to consider you as my father.”

“Did he say that? Ha.”

Altears sighed, sounding exasperated. He reached out and roughly rubbed Attil’s head. Attil flinched.

“I’m not a proper human. But looking at you, it doesn’t seem like I did a terrible job.”

According to Rudia, the worst thing about him was that he knew but didn’t try to be a proper human.

It was true, and he chuckled.

Why should I be a proper human? I didn’t choose to become one.

‘But.’

He removed his hand from Attil’s head. Attil looked like he was holding something back.

His ears were tinged red.

Altears smiled softly.

Lately, being human doesn’t seem so bad.

“...Your Majesty...?”

Lirika opened her eyes, perhaps woken by the laughter. She looked at them with drowsy eyes and mumbled.

“Sleep more.”

Her sleepy eyes wandered and then landed on Attil. She smiled and patted the pillow beside her.

“Attill.”

“...”

Attil, flustered, started to look at Altears for cues. The sleepy Lirika quickly lost patience.

“Attill~”

Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed. She patted the pillow again, even though her eyes were closed.

Attil awkwardly got up, and Altears asked,

“What does that mean?”

“Well, you see.”

Attil swallowed and said, feeling like their secret was exposed.

“To sleep together...”

“Ah.”

Without much thought, Altears got up from his seat.

“That sounds good.”

He lay down beside Lirika and said to Attil, who was standing there blankly.

“Aren’t you going to lie down?”

“No, I’ll lie down.”

Circling the bed, Attil climbed in on the opposite side.

Lirika’s bed was wide enough for three people, but not so wide that they were far apart.

“Ehehe—”

Feeling the weight of the bed move, Lirika smiled. Attil was beside her, and next to him was the Emperor?

If it’s a dream, it’s a good one.

It would be even better if her mother were here too.

But she can sleep with her mother in reality.

Feeling a sense of security from the warmth and breathing, Lirika fell asleep again.

The next morning, when Rudia came to relieve them, she crossed her arms.

‘Why is Attil here?’

And why are they all sleeping in the same bed?

‘My daughter.’

She felt a bit annoyed. But seeing Lirika’s peaceful sleeping face, she didn’t want to wake her up.

Besides, this was quite a rare sight.

She wanted to call an artist to sketch it. As she reached out to Altears, she was suddenly pulled in.

“?!”

She couldn’t even scream, worried about waking the child. Altears, holding her waist, asked.

“Is it morning...?”

“It’s still early, and you’re sleeping in my daughter’s bed.”

Rudia whispered, and Altears closed his eyes for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, before getting up.

“Oh.”

He slowly got up. Glancing back, he saw Attil and Lirika still asleep.

He ran his fingers through his hair and let go of Rudia.

Rudia resisted the urge to tease him, thinking, ‘You look like you’ve had a good sleep.’ He looked at Attil and Lirika.

Is it okay for them to get too close? But Attil is such a good connection for Lirika as the next emperor. It might be good for him to be a strong support when Lirika steps down from the princess position.

“Are you going to relieve me?”

Altears asked as he got up, and Rudia shook her head.

“Attil might be embarrassed if he sees me.”

“You shouldn