Chapter 78

Rudia blinked.

"I don't know."

"…What?"

Without realizing it, a dazed response came back. Rudia still had a calm expression on her face.

Altears was at a loss.

"You were supposed to die."

"Probably…."

It was a single blow using an artifact, and the output was tremendous, aimed at killing Altears. A part of her body vanished as if torn off by a giant crocodile.

"Wasn't your mission to protect and make Lirika happy every day? What were you going to do if you died?"

Rudia brushed her face.

It was because Altears had intervened that she avoided instant death, and because Lirika was a mage that she survived.

If either of those hadn't been there, she would have died.

Thinking about it, the answer came to her.

"You can't do anything if I die, but you thought you could do something if I got hurt…?"

"Why is it a question?"

"It's a logical answer, but it doesn't seem like the one you thought of at the time. Let's just say my body moved on its own."

"…"

He frowned, seemingly dissatisfied. Rudia told him,

"Really. But I don't want to give a half-hearted answer. I don't want to lie."

Altears stared at her for a moment and then asked,

"Do you love me?"

"No."

The answer came back too quickly and too directly. Altears was momentarily speechless.

He frowned and slumped down, saying,

"Why don't you give in? Isn't it time you should have given in to love confessions like this?"

"Still saying that?"

Rudia, exasperated, lay down beside him. Altears only turned his head to look at her.

"What about me doesn't you like?"

Altears' expression was serious. It didn't seem like something to joke about.

Rudia slowly said,

"It's not a matter of liking or disliking. You don't love me in the first place."

"Why?"

"I hate humans."

Altears looked taken aback. Rudia smiled.

"Besides, I feel some sympathy for you. Isn't it worse to be pitied by someone you hate?"

"I see."

"Isn't it? Even if someone like me, who is so twisted, said 'I love you'… it wouldn't work."

"Twisted?"

"Yes."

The words flowed out unusually honestly. Was it because this was a dream? Suddenly, Rudia frowned and sat up.

"Are you manipulating my thoughts?"

"What?"

"You said this is your dream. You didn't do anything strange to me, did you?"

Altears looked at her for a moment, then slowly got up. He wrapped his hand around her neck and whispered,

"Yeah, it's my dream. I can destroy your self in my mental world. I can make you beg for love or turn you into a fool."

His grip tightened.

"I could crush you completely."

His face drew closer.

His azure eyes, cold and icy, yet burning with a fierce blue light.

"I'm sorry."

Rudia apologized. Her voice trembled.

"For what?"

"For doubting you when you respect me."

The dragon's oath.

Altears released her and chuckled, "Huh."

"You're good at getting out of things."

"I am sorry, though."

He lay back down.

"What if I said I truly love you?"

Rudia laughed.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"I don't trust humans."

A straightforward answer.

"I can't love someone I don't trust. The only person I trust is Lirika."

"Why?"

Rudia smiled and lifted her head.

"Because I am beautiful."

Altears looked at her. A slender crescent moon was rising behind her.

Rudia, with her head held high, was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her golden hair shone brilliantly under the desert moonlight. Her blue eyes were like the icy sea of the South Pole. Her long, white neck and perfectly curved body.

If someone saw her, they would have thought she was a goddess of the moon descending upon the oasis.

"I know."

She whispered in response.

"That's why I don't trust humans."

"It's a bit confusing."

"Hehe."

Rudia just laughed. This wasn't something that could be explained in words.

All the things she had experienced because of her beauty. She had used her beauty to her advantage, and many others had tried to do the same.

The stronger the light, the stronger the darkness, and she had tasted it all.

Everything that could melt in the flames of the stake.

Rudia looked up at the sky.

"Amazing."

The stars seemed to pour down. The horizon, endless and boundless, was filled with stars.

Rudia lay down and gazed at the stars. It felt like she was falling endlessly. Or perhaps floating up.

Altears climbed onto her body, supporting himself with his arms and looking down at her.

His black hair fell like a curtain.

"I'm not human."

Rudia blinked. Altears asked,

"Is human beauty important even to a dragon's eyes?"

Rudia's lips parted slightly. Staring blankly at Altears, she pulled on his collar.

"Then, do I look terrible to you?"

Her voice was filled with confusion. She had never heard anything but compliments about her beauty throughout her life.

Even if she heard something bad, she could have laughed it off and thought, 'You're just lying.'

But what about a dragon's perspective?

It was the first time she had received an evaluation from someone of a different race, and it felt strange.

But soon, she smiled arrogantly and said,

"Right. You're a dragon. But you're also human, aren't you?"

Altears only looked down at her.

"What if I were a complete dragon?"

For a moment, Altears disappeared, and a shadow fell over her. Rudia's eyes widened.

"Wow."

An exclamation escaped her lips without her realizing it.

A giant dragon stood on the sand. Its massive head slowly bent down.

A high heat flowed from its teeth. If this were reality, she would have been burned, but in the dream, it was hot but not painful.

Its black scales shone, and its massive wings seemed to darken the world when spread.

Rudia, entranced, stood up and reached out. The scales, which seemed cold, were surprisingly hot, as if filled with flames inside.

The overwhelming size made her shiver. Her stomach churned. Even if the dragon had no intention to harm her, it was large enough to do so.

"Altears…?"

She called softly, and the dragon turned its head to look at her.

The azure irises were elongated vertically. They contained no emotion.

The piercing, cold eyes.

Dragons have no emotions.

The fire that rages within them is controlled by a cold, rational mind.

In the next moment, he transformed back into a human.

"How was it?"

"No, it was much more…."

Rudia stared at him blankly.

"Beautiful."

Altears smiled at her words.

"My impression is the same. You are beautiful, even to the eyes of a different race. But I want more than that…."

He took a step closer. His palm touched her abdomen.

"I want to touch you. I want to experience everything about you, see all your faces, hear all your voices. I want to consume you with my flames. What should I call this desire I didn't have when I was a dragon?"

His touch was hot. His blue eyes were close. The eyes that were so cold when he was a dragon now felt scorching.

Whether he was a dragon or a human, he seemed to harbor a fire within.

As she reached out to wrap her arms around him, Altears chuckled, "Ah."

"Would sleeping with you here lead to a mental bond?"

"…"

Rudia dropped her arms. The mood was ruined. She started walking towards the oasis.

Splash, splash

The water was shockingly cold, but she walked in without hesitation. Altears, surprised, followed and grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Doesn't this usually wake you up from a dream?"

"Stay here and sleep."

Rudia frowned. Altears also frowned at her.

"I won't touch you. Just seeing your sleeping face is enough to make me happy."

"That's a new one. Really?"

In the next moment, she found herself lying on a soft carpet. Altears stopped her from getting up.

"Since it's my dream, I can do this. Sleep, Rudia."

He pressed his forehead against hers. Rudia looked at him and then closed her eyes. Altears' arm wrapped around her, as if it were a familiar gesture.

She wondered if falling asleep again in a dream would be strange, but the sound of the desert wind and the rustling of the oasis palm leaves quickly put her to sleep.

* * *

"Ah, ugh."

A stifled sob escaped. Athil held Lirika's shoulder.

"Lirika, it's okay. It was just a dream."

Lirika, drenched in cold sweat, opened her eyes wide. Athil brushed the wet hair from her forehead.

"Would you like to call Auntie?"

Lirika shook her head vigorously.

"No, she just got better."

She couldn't act spoiled.

"Then there's nothing I can do."

He climbed onto the bed and pulled her arms to wrap around his waist.

Lirika, with her head buried in Athil's chest, looked at him curiously.

His eyes, red from the nightmare, were endearing, and Athil smiled.

"Rabbit eyes."

Lirika rubbed her eyes a few times. Athil, leaning back on the soft, large pillow, said,

"I'll hold you all night. Don't worry, just sleep."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"But I'm already grown…."

"A ten-year-old isn't fully grown. I thought I was grown up back then too."

And he had acted mature. But looking back, he was still young.

Lirika hesitated, then reached out and hugged him tightly. Athil's warmth was comforting, and having someone beside her was reassuring.

"We'll be up at dawn. Go to sleep quickly."

"Athil."

"What?"

"Tell me a story."

"What?"

"Or sing a lullaby."

Athil looked reluctant.

"Why?"

"Your voice will help me sleep better…."

Murmuring, she looked up at him with teary eyes. Athil frowned, met her gaze, and finally closed his eyes.

"Fine, really."

Grumbling, he started patting her back.

"Once upon a time, there was a woodcutter living in a deep forest. One day, he found a large beehive. He took the honey to sell in the city—"

The rough story continued. Lirika felt his hand patting her back.

'Mother is safe, it's okay. It was all a dream.'

Relief far outweighed her anxiety, pushing it away. Lirika exhaled deeply. Her body relaxed, sinking into the soft blanket. Athil's story kept going.

"So the woodcutter put the honey puppy in front of the person…."

In the dream, Lirika was surrounded by honey puppies.

All of them were the color of sunlight and smelled sweet like honey.

* * *

Fjord couldn't sleep. He got out of bed, put on a robe, and went down to the living room.

In the dimly lit living room, Rizert was curled up on the sofa.

Her silver hair was spread out, and she was huddled like a round stone. As he turned to leave, a sharp voice came from behind.

"Is it funny?"

"…What is?"

Turning slowly, he saw Rizert lift her head. Her eyes were burning.

"Is it funny that I failed? Did you come to watch?"

'Sure enough.'

The cause of the commotion seemed to be Rizert. Baron Barat wouldn't attack so openly and clumsily.

"You must have lost a lot…."

Muttering, Rizert clenched her teeth and pulled out something. It was a broken mirror.

She held out the heart-shaped mirror, and his reflection appeared in multiple pieces.

Rizert said in a low voice,

"Queen of Hearts, take me in."

A blue light seemed to emanate from the mirror and then disappeared. At the same time, the silver mirror shattered completely and fell to the floor.

Rizert threw the mirror away in frustration.

"If you weren't here, I…."

Rizert staggered to her feet. She stumbled closer, step by step.

Her hand grabbed the collar of his robe.

"Why, why were you so good, why."

Then she started sobbing. Fjord, taken aback, just looked at her.

Suddenly, Rizert stopped crying and glared at him fiercely, growling,

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you. When I get stronger, I'll kill you, and, and. I'll be the best, I'll be the best daughter to Mother."

Fjord tried not to say something childish like, "Go ahead," or "I don't need that."

Instead, he gently removed her wrist from his robe, and Rizert groaned.

Fjord grabbed Rizert's hand and rolled up her sleeve.

The marks were not yet bruised but were clearly visible, red and swollen.