Chapter 1

It was after she had finished her errand that she thought it was unusually noisy.

She had bought the items the innkeeper had asked for. He had been worried about sending a young girl alone, but it was a neighboring town that could be reached on foot.

She wanted to be of help to the innkeepers who had taken care of her since she lost her parents, and it would be a good change of pace to leave town for the first time in a while.

It's fine, it's fine, I'm going. She left the inn with enthusiasm, and it was now past noon.

The neighboring town, which served as a relay point for various towns, was much busier and more bustling than her own.

At first, she didn't pay much attention, thinking it was always like this.

"Excuse me, the one with the red hair and a bag on her back—"

Huh? The words that applied to her made her turn around without thinking.

Then, a large person who was drawing the attention of the crowd with his size was making his way straight toward her, pushing through the crowd. His long black hair was tousled, and his breathing was ragged, as if he had been in a great hurry. Two slender horns protruded from his forehead.

Despite his height, which would normally make it impossible for their eyes to meet, his amber eyes were looking straight at her.

"Is it you?"

She was completely unfamiliar with him. Was he someone who had stayed at the inn before? Or had something happened during her recent shopping?

She searched her mind, but nothing came to mind.

While she was tilting her head, the large person had already stood right in front of her, continuing to look down at her.

His well-defined eyebrows furrowed deeply at the sound of her question.

"...I'm sorry to stop you suddenly. I am Finnel. Will you tell me your name?"

"Huh?"

His face was not one that would normally be used for a first meeting. Wouldn't people usually smile to ease the tension? He looked extremely displeased, and she worried if she had done something wrong.

Her hesitation made him frown even more deeply and sigh heavily.

"I am, as you can see, a dragon. I want to know the name of my mate."

"Pair?"

"Yes. My one and only mate. I know it's sudden, but to me, you are irreplaceable, and I don't want to miss this opportunity. Will you tell me your name?"

A dragon, as the name suggests, is both a dragon and a human.

They have a lifespan similar to elves and are skilled in magic, with pointed ears and a large, sturdy body. She had heard of them, but they were rare compared to other races, and this was her first time seeing one.

The townspeople probably felt the same way, which is why it had been so noisy, she concluded to herself.

She recognized that the term "mate" was often used in the beast society, similar to a human's partner, spouse, or lover.

The handsome man in front of her was saying that she was his mate.

"My name is Marrow."

Seeing no signs of joking and thinking that nothing bad would happen just by telling her name, Marrow looked up and spoke.

"Marrow."

Marrow, Marrow. Repeating it, the man clenched something tightly and sighed heavily again.

"...Do you already have a mate? Or someone you have decided on in your heart?"

"N-no, not really."

Saying this, his expression twisted even more.

"Then, I would like to pay respects to your parents."

"Huh? I don't have parents. Ah, what for the greeting?"

"Your mate. I want to marry you. If you don't have parents, can we go together immediately?"

"Huh, marriage... Wait, huh? Really?"

In her confused mind, Marrow somehow managed to bring Finnel back to the town. He seemed ready to carry her off somewhere, despite his reluctance.

Even though she didn't have parents, she mentioned that there were people who were like parents to her, and he followed Marrow without opposition, though his face remained grim. He even carried her luggage, making the return trip very light.

Despite not being welcomed, he said he wanted to be her mate and marry her.

Still confused, Marrow called out to the innkeeper and introduced the large man standing next to her, as requested.

"These are beast people's mates. Marrow, it's more important than you think. It's rude to take it lightly."

The innkeeper, who rarely showed a serious face, grunted in a way that was hard to describe after hearing Finnel's story.

It seemed the innkeeper knew more about the beast people than Marrow did. He compared Marrow and Finnel, then crossed his arms again.

"...Even if you don't want to, you are still a mate. Mr. Dragon, you won't back down, will you?"

"Of course not."

"What do you want to do? Don't worry about the inn. We have enough staff to manage."

Nodding at Finnel's short, low response, the innkeeper turned to Marrow.

Mate, marriage, dragon. The sudden proposal left Marrow genuinely confused. Finnel seemed reluctant but unwilling to give up. He said he wanted to marry Marrow, and the innkeeper didn't seem to be opposing it.

Looking at both of their faces, Marrow smiled.

"I'm still not sure, but I think I'll probably get married to someone someday, and if I'm asked to marry, well, maybe it's better that way."

Even with this expression, Marrow was a bit worried if she was really being proposed to. But if he had some reason for wanting it, she would try to be positive. She didn't think too deeply about things.

The innkeeper raised his eyebrows in exasperation, as if sensing Marrow's state of mind, and then shrugged at Finnel.

"As you can see, she's a carefree girl, but she's like my own child. Please take good care of her."

"I will do my best."

The innkeeper nodded at the low, short response.

"It's getting dark, so you should stay the night. Marrow, prepare a room."

"Okay."

"I'll call you when the meal is ready, so you can relax, sir."

"Thank you."

While preparing the room and helping with dinner, Finnel followed Marrow, watching her with a sullen face. Despite his sullenness, why? The innkeeper didn't seem to care about his mood either, perhaps this was how dragons were.

It was unclear if the lavish meal suited his taste, but the plates were emptied one after another, so Marrow thought it wasn't bad. He was truly a mysterious person.

After the meal and a bath, it was completely night at the inn.

It was a day off, so there were no guests, and the night was unusually quiet.

The night was wrapped in a much, much more mysterious silence than usual, and when it dawned, a beautiful clear morning arrived.

"I'll tidy up the room. You can come back for things you can't take later."

"Okay."

When the innkeeper said this to Marrow, who was carrying her luggage, Marrow took it seriously and nodded.

Beside her, Finnel remained silent.

Ah, saying goodbye to the innkeeper. Marrow gripped the shoulder strap tightly.

"Innkeeper, I'll write to you."

"...Don't catch a cold."

Marrow nodded, wishing she had done more filial things. The innkeeper patted Finnel, who bowed deeply beside her, and saw them off.

Dragons can use magic and transform into dragons.

The place Finnel was taking Marrow to was not a great distance for him, but for Marrow, it was a town on the mountainside, beyond seven towns.

A town of wind, where the Temple of Wind is located, and spirits are enshrined.

He said he wanted to hold the wedding ceremony at the temple first.

Finnel worked as a guardian at the temple, connecting the spirits and the temple, and helping to improve the flow of magic. Marrow didn't understand it at all, but she accepted it as a grand job.

After leaving the inn, the owner of the golden eyes looked at Marrow intently and said they could go in one leap, but they could also go while seeing other towns. It seemed Marrow would decide which way to go.

The only place Marrow had been to before was the neighboring town. Forgetting his sullenness, Marrow said she wanted to see many towns. Thus, a leisurely journey began.

"Wow, it's delicious!"

If they stayed in a town, they would spend time at the inn, visit the market, and go to famous places if there were any.

Despite traveling with a sullen and sullen companion, Marrow felt that Finnel was unexpectedly considerate of her and even took breaks. This was especially true when they camped out.

He built a fire near the water, made Marrow sit on a blanket, and quickly prepared the game he had caught along the way. He didn't leave Marrow alone and took care of her diligently, as if he couldn't bear to be apart from her for a moment.

He grilled chicken and served it with a bowl of herb soup.

When the steam made Marrow's stomach growl, a rough hand offered a well-cooked skewer. After thanking him, Marrow bit into it without hesitation, and the juice spread in her mouth. The soft texture and fragrant aroma.

"Finnel, you should eat quickly, or it will get cold."

While holding his own food, Finnel stared at Marrow. When Marrow said this while chewing, Finnel bit into the meat with a somewhat stiff movement. He pulled the meat off the skewer and continued to grill the next piece.

Marrow often found herself eating until she couldn't eat anymore on this journey.

Finnel, looking at Marrow, who was lying on the blanket and saying she couldn't eat anymore, and the remaining food, sighed and started to boil water. He put what looked like tea leaves into the boiling water.

"It smells really good."

A scent she had never smelled before wafted, and Marrow forgot her discomfort and sat up.

It was slightly sweet, yet refreshing, and had a mysterious depth.

Finnel nodded while tending to the tea.

"It's a specialty of the town of wind. It's an unfamiliar journey, so it's good to drink and calm down."

He handed her a cup, and Marrow, who thought she couldn't eat anything more, gratefully accepted it. She blew on the hot tea and took a sip.

"It's delicious."

She smiled as the steam rose.

Finnel, with eyes the same color as the moon, watched Marrow as the night deepened.

As the number of nights spent in inns and camps increased, and they passed through various towns, about a month had passed.

Since that night, Finnel had been making tea for Marrow every night before bed, and Marrow had already grown to like the tea. Slowly savoring the tea together at the end of the day was particularly pleasant.

The occasional words they exchanged were surprisingly comfortable.

Finnel's sullenness hadn't changed from the first meeting to now, and Marrow thought this was just how he was. Through this journey, she had become quite accustomed to him. Ignoring his expression, he was considerate and kind. This might be a way to go forward.

Finally, they arrived at the town of wind.

Marrow had been worried about Finnel taking time off since they met, but it seemed he had sent a letter or something, and there was no problem, according to his indifferent response. Is that how it works? Marrow, who didn't understand the role of a guardian, could only nod.

They arrived at sunset, so they decided to rest and head to the temple the next morning.

After eating until they were full, they would end the day with Finnel's tea.

In the morning, Marrow stretched under the clear sky and took out a dress from the bottom of her luggage.

It was the day of the wedding.

When she confirmed with Finnel, he said it wasn't a grand wedding ceremony but a vow at the temple's altar, where they would exchange bracelets. Since Finnel was preparing the bracelets, Marrow didn't need to prepare anything.

Still, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

She decided to wear her favorite dress, not the travel clothes that were easy to move in.

"Wow, what a big staircase."

It had been a while since she had worn a dress, Marrow thought, and Finnel, who had seen her in the morning, stared at her as if to burn a hole through her.

This was the first time she had dressed like this in front of him, so it might be unusual. It was just a dress, not an expensive one.

After leaving the inn and heading to the back of the town, they came to a large white stone gate.

From there, stone steps led through the trees to a large, large white building above.

The temple, which seemed to have been there for decades or centuries, towering among the trees, was something Marrow had never seen before, and she didn't know how to describe it.

"Does everyone come to pray?"

"Mostly priests and mages, but travelers and townspeople also come for the spirits' blessings. We don't turn away those who visit."

Finnel, who was used to the steps, seemed to be walking a bit faster but wasn't out of breath.

Those who served at the temple were mainly dragons and elves, who had a lot of magic. Marrow, who found the steps a bit too large, puffed as she climbed them.

"I've never been to a temple before, so I'm looking forward to it."

"I see."

"The view must be great when we get to the top."

It was quite steep, so it was probably higher than she thought.

Smiling at the back of Finnel, who was two steps ahead, Marrow turned around halfway up.

"Wow, the town is already so—ah!"

The wind blew, lifting the hem of her skirt, and she instinctively pressed it down.

She stepped off the edge of the step and was pulled down with a sudden momentum. What?

"Marow!!"

She heard a shout, but it was the last thing she remembered.