Chapter 92

Rudia spoke first.

"Tila is just answering my questions."

"About what?"

"Why don't you let me down and we can talk?"

"I don't want to make you walk on the cold marble. About what?"

Rudia quietly looked at Altears. There was nothing more foolish than trying to dodge or lie here.

She spoke honestly.

"About magic."

Altears frowned.

"If it's about that, why ask me—"

His words trailed off. Altears spoke in a low voice.

"Are you asking Inro because you think I might lie?"

"I just thought it would be good to know from different angles."

"Hmm."

Altears tried to calm his boiling anger. He felt as if all the time they had spent together was meaningless.

Didn't she trust me enough?

Was our relationship just this shallow?

Did all my words and promises mean nothing?

"Your Majesty."

"Shut up, snow fairy. Before I tear you into five pieces."

Sonohiha swallowed a sigh. He hadn't expected the dragon's anger to flare up like this.

"Altears, let's talk alone."

"Why?"

"Because there are things I want to talk about alone."

Altears suppressed a snide remark like 'Are you worried that we might not agree?'

"Get out."

That was all he said, but it was enough for Haya. He bowed and left.

Altears snapped his fingers, and the thick library door closed silently.

"Speak."

"If I really didn't trust you at all, I wouldn't have let Lirika learn magic or sign that contract."

Altears' anger subsided a bit at Rudia's words. She was right.

It was obvious to everyone that Lirika was the most precious thing in the world to Rudia. She loved her daughter so much that she couldn't hide her weakness.

That's why she had been so furious when Lirika's magic was hidden, right?

But she hadn't tried to stop or monitor him teaching Lirika magic.

"That's true."

Altears said this and sat on the ladder platform. His thighs provided support, allowing Rudia to sit more comfortably.

"I want to gather as much information as possible about magic because my daughter is a magician."

This was also reasonable.

It wasn't something he couldn't understand.

"Then why did you hide it from me and learn it?"

This was the one thing he couldn't understand.

Rudia's cheeks turned slightly red. She averted her gaze for the first time. Altears reached out and brushed her hair.

"Why, Rudia?"

His voice was sweet, like a song. Rudia said,

"I'll tell you if you don't laugh."

"I won't laugh."

Rudia, still avoiding his gaze, began to speak.

"You and Lir often talk about magic, right? I just listen, and I don't really understand much—"

Rudia glanced at him.

"I wanted to surprise you by learning magic."

Altears had to clench his teeth to keep from laughing. He leaned in and buried his face in Rudia's shoulder.

Rudia grumbled.

"You said you wouldn't laugh?"

"I'm not laughing."

But his voice was clearly tinged with amusement.

"I just thought my wife was cute."

Rudia was glad the library was cold. Her flushed cheeks cooled down quickly. She could pretend it was just the cold.

She said,

"Since it's out in the open, do you want to answer a question I have?"

"Anything."

"That sounds a bit perfunctory."

Altears lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at Rudia.

"I mean it."

"Then—"

Rudia looked at Altears carefully.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Have you become interested?"

"I want to know how much of what I've heard is true."

The stories from Barat couldn't all be true. She had already changed too many events, making the future increasingly unpredictable.

To win the battle, she needed information, and as accurate as possible.

Altears narrowed his eyes.

"You're clearly of humble origins, yet the information you have suggests otherwise. The same goes for what you know about me."

"Women with secrets are attractive. So, will you tell me? Or—"

"Anything, so I'll tell you. But not here. It would be troublesome if the queen's toes disappeared."

Altears smiled.

"Since I'm cold, I'll have the bath prepared."

* * *

"I thought you'd ask to join me."

"After keeping me up all night and then running out at dawn to learn about magic, I don't have the hobby of tormenting my wife in the bath again."

Altears smiled.

"Of course, if you ask me to join, I will."

Rudia flicked water at him with her fingertips.

"Fine."

Rudia was soaking in the bathtub, wearing a linen dress. The white dress fluttered in the water.

With the plumbing, it was easy to fill the tub with cold water, but heating it required lighting the fireplace. He used his dragon strength to warm it quickly and urged her to get in.

The warm water made her toes and fingertips tingle.

The bathroom air was warm, and the fireplace's light illuminated the room.

Altears perched on the smooth edge of the bathtub.

"Will you tell me now?"

Rudia nodded.

"A simple story before the water gets cold."

Altears' eyes briefly met the fireplace's light. Rudia drew her knees up.

The water rippled as she asked her question.

"The person who loved you, the one who made you human."

Altears nodded.

"Is Taka the ancestor of the Takar people?"

Altears nodded. He seemed to have tried to smile but failed. In a dark voice, he said,

"She said she loved me, that she loved me— But now I understand."

Altears gave a bitter smile.

"At that time, she hated me."

"Hated you?"

Rudia was taken aback by his words. Altears nodded.

"It's pitiful that I only realized it now. But at the time, I didn't know."

I was originally a creature without emotions. It was difficult to grasp human emotions with the ones I had just acquired.

When we first escaped the shattered island, this place was uninhabitable.

Many of the magicians who escaped with me died.

The desert was better than the flood. I could glide and breathe fire, making it easier to spot enemies.

But the desert had nothing to eat or drink.

I purified the air, the water, and pushed back the trees to reclaim the flooded land.

Then Taka had an idea.

—Let's create humans.

"Wait."

Rudia raised her hand.

"Taka created humans? Not you?"

Altears nodded.

"Dragons don't have the power of creation. Only magicians do. And Taka was a powerful magician."

"I see..."

Rudia nodded, as if the picture was becoming clearer.

"Please continue."

Humans couldn't maintain the lineage of magicians. That was the condition given when we escaped the shattered island.

Losing magic.

So, among those who escaped, the strongest, Taka, suggested turning the flood's creatures into humans and mixing their blood with ours.

Then their descendants wouldn't be pure humans and wouldn't be able to use magic.

They would lose magic.

But to survive in this harsh world, their descendants needed strength, so let's pass on the powerful creature's strength through blood.

Some were shocked, and some agreed. But if we didn't, we would just perish.

The first to mix blood was Barat. He was deeply in love with Taka, so he probably wanted to do anything for her.

Choosing a flower that ate magicians from the flood was tasteless, but selecting a powerful flower was typical of him.

Using Barat's flesh, blood, and bones as a base, he turned the flower into a human. Not just one, but a dozen or so.

It was the beginning of the Barat clan, literally.

After that, humans started creating their own clans.

Then Taka whispered to me.

I love you, Altears.

I want to create a clan with you.

"Because of love, I want to keep you close."

"Because of love, I want to do whatever it takes."

"I refused."

Altears' blue eyes began to glow with anger. A faint, lightning-like light flickered.

His pupils turned red, like burning flames.

"If it weren't for Inro, I would have died then. Taka wanted my heart, brain, and spine."

"How, how are you still alive?!"

"I wasn't taken completely. Only my heart was taken. The flesh and bones came from other parts. Inro used healing magic well, so I survived."

Dragons are immortal, embracing fire.

They feel no pain, no cold, no heat, no hunger.

A being that spits fire with a cold, rational mind.

Such a being became human. A being with thin skin, suffering from the mere act of breathing hot air.

And then, right after that, I was cut by a swinging sword, suffering the pain of dismemberment...

Rudia swallowed. Such detailed information wasn't even known in the Barat family.

"Didn't you think of taking revenge?"

"At the time, I didn't even think of it. Besides, only Taka could reverse what she did."

If I sank into despair, she would reverse it.

Rudia chuckled.

"But I don't think she would."

"You're right."

The magicians who were shocked by Taka's actions were now afraid.

What if the dragon, now aware of emotions, took revenge on us? What if he attacked us? Should we take away his great power?

Should we kill him?

Then Taka said,

"No, that's not possible. I made a mistake because I loved him."

Because of love, I want to keep him close.

By any means necessary.

"Then Inro helped me escape to the desert. I don't know much about what happened after that."

It seemed like he was glossing over the details, but Rudia asked her question.

"How do you keep someone close?"

"By manipulating my mind with magic."

Rudia was momentarily stunned, looking at Altears. He smiled bitterly at her expression.

"An amazing love story, right?"

"That's, not at all."

Rudia thought of Lirika and looked at the person in front of her.

"That's not a love story at all."

Rudia frowned.

"Rather, I think Taka was afraid of you."

"Of me?"

"Yes. Without the power of magic, you were a sufficiently threatening presence."

Rudia smiled at Altears' face.

"Someone who has never felt threatened by anyone wouldn't understand."

"Then why did she leave me with my power intact? Why make me an immortal being?"

"But now you can die from injuries, hunger, or thirst. And she took a part of you to create descendants. She wanted to make her child different from others. For that, she needed the power of a dragon."

Rudia would have done anything for Lirika, and would do so in the future.

But—

"'Because of love, I did it.' It's such a versatile excuse. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. It makes any action seem plausible."

Even if it's not love, one might mistake it for love.

"I almost did it a few times, and I did."

"You did?"

"Yes."

Rudia smiled.

"To Lir."

Altears looked at Rudia quietly. He reached out.

"The water is getting cold."

Rudia grabbed his hand and playfully pulled. But Altears didn't budge. Instead, she was the one who was pulled up.

"If you're going to get up, you might as well do it properly."

Altears' gaze swept over Rudia, wrapped in the wet linen dress, and then fell away. He turned slightly, sitting with his back to her.

Rudia stood and looked at his back. She struggled to take off her wet dress.

Plunk

The wet linen dress fell to the floor. White arms reached out from behind and wrapped around his neck.

Rudia whispered in his ear.

"I'm cold from taking off my dress. Are you really not coming in?"

Altears held her arms, turned his body, and whispered back.

"If you invite me, I will."

Before kissing her, Altears added,

"And if you promise not to tell Lir."

Rudia burst into laughter, trying to sound serious.

"I won't tell her."