3. The Dragon’s Egg

Clementina emerged from the tent wearing a plain green dress with her hair roughly gathered and twisted up. She didn’t know when Dion, who supposedly shared the same tent, had left.

When she lifted the tent flap, the sharp sunlight pierced her eyes. The morning sun had already fully revealed itself above the water’s surface.

Shortly after boarding the white carriage and beginning to fly with the sun at their backs, the windows of Clementina’s carriage repeatedly frosted over and thawed.

Their destination, the Siara Mountains, was a place where traces of winter remained the longest, with snow falling even until early summer.

The white carriage connected to four dragons encountered strong winds as soon as they left the Kingdom of Leila. Though she thought she had become accustomed to flying, she was mistaken. The rough winds shook the carriage as if teaching her what real flying was like.

So Clementina had to swallow her nausea until the carriage landed on the ground.

Naturally, her legs gave way when she stepped out of the carriage holding Dion’s hand.

‘Why do I keep falling into this man’s arms?’

Embarrassment outweighed any excitement. She didn’t want to become a woman who had to depend on others to live.

“Is this your first time here too?”

“Yes. I’ve only heard about it a few times from my mother. I never thought I’d be able to come this far.”

The unfriendly ridges of the Siara Mountains spread out before Clementina’s eyes. Barren and cold, yet somehow evoking a feeling of attachment.

Dion gestured, and Berche pulled out a thick cloak from Arakan’s luggage. Dion draped the red velvet cloak lined with marten fur over Clementina’s shoulders.

Clementina looked around at the mountains Dion had so desired to visit. The air was cold, but yellow violets sprouted here and there on the fields where green had emerged.

Tap, tap.

Something cold landed on Clementina’s cheek. She stretched out her arm, held out her hand, and looked up at the sky.

Snow was falling on the yellow violets.

Clementina’s attention was captured by the vividly green fields. The cold, cute white snowflakes melted and disappeared just before landing on the yellow violets. Clementina took in this beautiful and wondrous scene as if savoring every detail.

“It’s beautiful. I thought it would just be a cold place. It’s amazing enough that flowers are blooming, but snow is falling too. What exactly is this place?”

“It’s awkward when the owner of this mountain asks such questions. You should watch your step. Even if you can’t see it well, melted snow is slippery.”

“Ahhh!”

No sooner had Dion finished speaking than Clementina slipped.

Just before her nose hit the ground, someone grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Thanks to this, she dangled in midair.

Tap. Clementina safely placed her feet on the ground without breaking or injuring anything. She looked up at the being that had created a shadow over her head.

Dragon Mago looked down at Clementina with profound eyes. The clear sky stretched behind Mago’s back. His mysterious purple eyes contained affection for Clementina.

Yesterday she couldn’t bring herself to touch Mago, but now Mago was showing clear goodwill toward Clementina. She slowly reached out her hand toward Mago as they maintained eye contact.

It was at that moment.

Slap.

With a sharp friction sound, Clementina’s hand disappeared from in front of Mago’s eyes.

Somehow, Mago’s master had appeared in front of her.

The surroundings were instantly enveloped in silence. Not even the sound of wind could be heard, only people hastily drawing breath.

Sir Lillian Hunts grabbed Clementina’s hand, turned her half a circle, and embraced her. Then he quickly turned his upper body and raised his hand in front of Mago.

It meant not to come closer.

Mago looked alternately at Lillian and Clementina with an innocent face, then pressed his nose bridge against Lillian’s outstretched hand and exhaled a long breath.

Lillian and Clementina, who were suddenly covered with Mago’s breath and a bit of m*cus, became even more moist than before. Mago seemed amused, opening his mouth to laugh silently and shaking his body from side to side.

“Are you all right?”

The end of Sir Lillian’s voice, with its stiff tone, trembled slightly. Though he had clearly seen that Mago’s touch hadn’t reached her, he was visibly scrutinizing Clementina’s body.

Negligent management of a dragon was the dragon rider’s responsibility.

The thought that the newly married Duchess had almost been in danger flashed through the experienced knight’s mind. Though he had been naturally accompanying Clementina, he had never let his guard down.

It was simply an incident that occurred because he hadn’t expected Mago to approach the Duchess first.

Just then, a warm hand wrapped around Clementina’s waist. She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. It was the person who pulled her close to protect her whenever she got a step closer to a dragon.

But this time, he took her to Mago instead.

Half-embraced in Dion’s arms, Clementina nodded slightly toward Mago, with whom she was making eye contact.

“Mago, thank you for catching me.”

“Grrr.”

Clementina’s cheeks puffed up like a child’s.

Her doubt gradually turned into certainty.

‘I’m not crazy.’

“What?”

Sir Lillian, who had been standing by behind Clementina and Dion, spoke in a small voice. This time, his voice clearly revealed his bewilderment.

The rider, whose emotions had been exposed, frowned.

Saving a complete stranger rather than its bonded master? Was that the nature of dragons?

Moreover, he even answered Clementina’s words. The knights glanced at each other.

Clementina, sensing the strange atmosphere, looked up at Dion awkwardly.

But she couldn’t help being surprised at Dion’s appearance.

Dion’s cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes were filled with an indescribable heat.

“Why, why are you like that?”

“Clementina, you don’t seem afraid of dragons at all. You’ve been like that from the beginning.”

“Should I be afraid?”

“Not necessarily, but most people are. What trick did you use?”

“I’m not sure myself.”

Clementina’s smiling face looked strange. It seemed to be thanks to the sugar she had thrown into Mago’s pool last night. Her toes curled, and a trickle of cold sweat ran down her back.

Should she say she heard it from her mother? What if they asked how her mother knew? Complicated thoughts tangled together.

“Grrrrrr.”

It was then.

The first to notice something strange were, of course, the sensitive dragons. One dragon that had been flying leisurely gave a signal. Tension began to spread at that sound.

Thudududuk, thudududung.

The ground began to vibrate finely. The yellow violets trembled slightly. Even the falling snow seemed to shake.

Dion naturally placed his hand on his scabbard.

“That sound doesn’t seem right?”

“It looks like demonic beasts have appeared.”

Berche approached and stood beside Dion. He stood with a huge black bastard sword slung over his shoulder.

“Demonic beasts? Didn’t they say there were no demonic beasts in this area?”

“Ukya-kya! I was just getting itchy, finally time to stretch my body!”

Sir Vance Hunts, the twin brother of Sir Lillian Hunts, stepped to the front of the formation, humming a song in an excited voice.

Vance had an even more massive build than Berche, with a taller height. An axe was tucked at his waist, and a bow and quiver were slung over his shoulder. His red hair, identical to Lillian’s, stood up in spikes.

Squinting his eyes and staring at the distant mountains, Vance pulled out the bow from his right shoulder and shot an arrow in one breath. The black dots in the distance fell backward.

“Only five of them? Haven’t you been playing too much?”

When Berche sneered, Vance shot more arrows in succession. The black dots tumbled to the ground one after another.

“This is just the beginning! Ukya! What shall we bet this time? Huh? How about choosing the jewels to give as snacks first?”

“Deal! And if you lose, the number you take decreases by half each time.”

“Wheeeet.”

At the sound of Lillian’s whistle, Mago floated up into the sky and flew toward the black dots.

“I can’t lose when it comes to jewels. All the rubies are Mago’s!”

In the blink of an eye, Mago flew over the black dots and began breathing fire.

“Kaaaaa. Kaaaaaaak.”

As the raging flames burned the four-legged beasts, piercing screams could be heard from afar.

“Hey! Hey! Mago is cheating! Brother, your hand! Your sword! We’re only counting the ones you kill. Ukakakaka! Those don’t count!”

“Tsk.”