‘I was such a fool to believe her!’

A few days ago, I received a message from Iella Roberos. She claimed she wanted to apologize for her past rudeness.

Until then, I believed her. It was somewhat enjoyable to contemplate whether I should accept her apology while holding the upper hand. But now!

What was this situation!

“Ha! This is absolutely ridiculous.”

To think I’d become entangled in such an absurd runaway incident.

‘What am I supposed to do with this, Iella Roberos!’

While I was angrily fanning my hands in frustration, the butler standing beside me interrupted my thoughts. He had been waiting for instructions that never came.

“Miss, what shall we do with the knights?”

Having finally regained my composure, I gave the butler a halfhearted answer.

“Just throw them somewhere. They’ll come to their senses eventually.”

The servants once again struggled to lift the men who were much larger than themselves.

Watching them being dragged away with their knees nearly scraping the ground, I thought:

One way or another, trouble had already erupted. Neither I nor even that naive young lady could stop those men. Whatever happens to them is not my concern. The only thing I need to do right now is—

“We need to secure the mansion. From this moment, lock all doors. Don’t let anyone in without my permission.”

At that moment, the butler, not fully understanding the situation, asked:

“May I ask why?”

I glanced at the butler once before turning away. While doing so, I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at the thought of what was to come.

Shortly after, a tense voice escaped my lips.

“Because a madman is about to invade my home!”

Soon after, my prediction came true like a prophecy. The iron gate that had been firmly secured was pitifully thrown to the ground by a raging bull that suddenly appeared.

※※※

Tap.

Cold skin touched my fingertip. The creature curled up, burying its head between its legs.

Tap.

I added another finger to its skin. The creature curled into an even tighter ball.

Tap, tap.

The remaining two fingers joined the smooth leather. Now the creature had become such a perfect sphere that it was difficult to tell where its head was.

I picked it up, feeling the cool sensation on my fingertips.

Unable to withstand the sudden force, its legs dangled below, and its wide-open eyes shook violently as if experiencing an earthquake.

It was surprisingly rapid movement for a creature that seemed nearly dead.

I placed the creature on my other palm. Disoriented, it trembled anxiously as if fearing it might fall, even from such a low height.

“Are you scared?”

No answer came. I hadn’t expected one either. Communicating with beasts was impossible to begin with.

“It’s alright.”

Nevertheless, I continued speaking. Somehow, I felt pity for it.

Whether the creature understood my words or not didn’t matter. I simply wanted to comfort it as it trembled in fear.

Grrrk, grrrk.

A faint sound emerged from its throat. Even that seemed to require effort, accompanied by a metallic tone.

I leaned against the cold wall, cradling the creature against my chest. Strangely, my heart felt stable and peaceful.

“I’ll be here for you.”

‘Until your end.’

I closed my eyes. It would be fine if time stopped right now.

But not long after, I felt a small movement where our skin touched. It was struggling to escape from me.

[Don’t… touch me.]

Simultaneously, the creature’s voice flowed into my mind.

Whatever made it anxious kept causing it to try escaping from me, so I created a barrier with the hand that had been covering its back.

“It’s alright, don’t be afraid.”

What was once a fierce monster was now just a tiny, harmless baby dragon. I whispered softly to ease its anxiety.

Nevertheless, the creature continued searching for an escape route, constantly changing direction. Though it was trapped in my hands with escape impossible, it refused to give up.

Its small head kept wriggling between my fingers, trying to widen the gap.

At that moment, with a gnawing sensation in my heart, heat rose from my palm. The red heat flower quickly expanded and seeped into the creature.

Gulp, gulp.

Slurp, slurp.

The energy flowing through my veins felt chaotic. I even had the illusion that something was devouring my life force.

“Ugh!”

Despite the groan that escaped, I couldn’t remove my hand.

My palm seemed almost stuck, releasing so much energy in such a short time, while the black skin refused to let go.

At that moment, a natural realization flashed through my mind.

‘Ah!’

This was the heart’s will, trying to return to its original owner.

Well, look at that. As if to prove it, the creature that had been limp and nearly dead was gradually regaining vitality.

A smile formed on my lips as I watched.

‘This outcome… huff… isn’t bad either.’

“Ugh!”

The sensation of my heart being squeezed was alarming. At this rate…

Then another voice entered my mind.

[Let me go… please…]

A voice filled with desperation.

Through my flickering vision, a blurry white figure repeatedly moved closer and farther away.

Even in my disoriented state, I reached out toward it. Soon after, as if it had been waiting, a cold, soft sensation touched my fingertips.

‘Why is it so soft?’

The feeling filling my palm was similar to a rubber toy I had played with as a child. I kneaded the soft, smooth object in my hand for a while.

But I couldn’t enjoy the sensation for long due to the increasing stiffness in my shoulders.

Thud, I lowered my hand and lay down flat.

Haah, as I took a deep breath, the pressure in my lungs gradually faded. Soon I understood the situation.

‘I fainted.’

The realization came quickly, and my vision cleared accordingly.

While I was catching my breath, a forgotten cold sensation settled on one cheek. Something carefully stroking down, as if handling something precious…

I suddenly remembered what had just happened and quickly turned my head to the side. Then I froze.

A young child was looking down at me with a thoroughly surprised expression.

※※※

‘Hmm… about five years old, I’d say.’

Sitting casually on the floor, I stared at the child sitting across from me.

Though the lamplight gave it a yellowish tint, I could tell the hair was black based on its dark shade.

And those eyes…

Through the curly, bushy hair, red eyes glinted in the lamplight.

‘Like a beast.’

They somehow suited the round face despite the contrast.

The child was also kneeling with both hands on the floor, looking up at me. There was something oddly endearing about it that made my chest tingle.

‘Anyway…’

Was this my imagination? The way those eyes stared at me intently seemed like someone observing a strange creature.

‘I’m the strange one here.’

The child’s clothing looked somewhat shabby yet had an old-fashioned design, as if it had just popped out of the past. That’s how outdated the child’s clothes were.

‘Perhaps three hundred years old?’

It was strange enough that the child had found such clothes to wear, but to appear in a dragon’s habitat? Unless they were as crazy as me.

“Huh?”

At that moment, the child’s sudden appearance reminded me of something I’d forgotten. I quickly looked around.

Come to think of it, the baby dragon that had been gasping for breath was nowhere to be seen.

‘Then perhaps…’

I turned my gaze back to the child. And I understood.

“You’re that dragon.”

But why so small? Shouldn’t a dragon that has lived for thousands of years look at least like a hunched old man?

After being lost in thought briefly, I set aside my confusion and asked what I was curious about first.

“Do you have a name?”

The child slowly nodded.

“Can you tell me?”

The child hesitated before chewing on their lips. Then, with a reddening face, they slowly pronounced each syllable.

“Lu… ki, an yel, mo… r wi… no… er, Je… i, ro… i… d.”

The name seemed quite long, but perhaps the child was struggling with human language?

Unable to understand properly, I had to ask again.

“…What was that?”

After a moment, the child took a deep breath and, as if deflating puffed cheeks, spoke again slowly and clearly.

This time it was at least understandable.

“Lu, ki, an… yel, mo, r, wi, no, er… Je, i, ro, i, d.”

“Lukian Yelmor Winoer Jeiroid?”

The child nodded.

“I see, then I’ll call you Lukian. It’s a very pretty name.”

I reached out and gently stroked the bushy hair.

The child seemed startled for a moment but quickly composed their expression.

“How long have you been here? No, how long have you been watching me?”

Being in the dark cave, I couldn’t tell if it was day or night.

So I asked what I’d been wondering. To find out how long I had been unconscious.

“Lo, ng… time.”

But the brief answer wasn’t helpful. Seeing the eyes rolling this way and that, the child seemed to be searching for words.

Perhaps it was due to transforming into a human? The words that had flowed naturally into my mind earlier now seemed quite difficult.

Finally, I postponed that question and asked something else.

“Don’t you get lonely being alone?”

I don’t know why I asked such a question. Before, I wouldn’t have felt anything about a dragon living alone for thousands of years.

After a moment, the child shook their head. But contrary to the gesture, their eyes looked profoundly melancholic.

And at that moment, the child’s body convulsed, and in an instant, the polymorph was released. The child reverted back to a tiny baby dragon.

※※※

I have no sense of how time passes. In this dark cave, I’ve been caring for Lukian without eating or sleeping.

Whenever the child reverts to a baby dragon, I share my strength, and as a consequence, I repeatedly faint and regain consciousness.

Perhaps because it was nearly dead, the speed at which it absorbs my power is frightening. It’s like a baby sucking milk from its mother.

I don’t particularly mind. I have no desire to stop the will to return to its rightful owner.

So, with a willingness to die—or more accurately, a hope for it—I haven’t stopped this healing process.

Though it’s almost laughable to call it a healing process since I’m simply returning power.

Fortunately, as time passed, Lukian could remain in human form for longer periods. This meant I could converse with him for extended times.

The child quickly improved in speech and had no difficulty conversing. However, for some reason, his manner of speaking remained peculiarly strange.

Like the speech of a living fossil, perhaps. Having bypassed the ages, the dragon used language one might only encounter in legends.

I gradually grew accustomed to it and found it charming in its own way, though the occasional disconnect was unavoidable.

Just as I was becoming used to life in the cave, a sudden sharp pain sliced through my heart.

“Ugh!”

It was immediate agony after increasing the amount of power I was transferring to the baby dragon.

‘Is it still too much?’

I wanted to return all the power as quickly as possible, but it seems my body couldn’t keep up with my intentions.

Despite the pain, when I didn’t remove my hand, the baby dragon that had been curled up asleep beneath my hand suddenly raised its head.

[Stop it!]

A somewhat angry voice penetrated my mind.

“I’m, fine.”

My breath came hot and labored.

The baby dragon thrashed in response.

[I said stop!]

It was trying to escape from me.

“Just a, little, more.”

Speaking with difficulty, I grabbed the still-wriggling baby dragon’s back.

Though I couldn’t apply much force for fear it might shatter, the fierce struggling left marks on my hand.

Even small as it was, a beast remained a beast. Clear lines were being drawn across the back of my hand from its blunt claws.

[Stop! Stop!]

The baby dragon was now almost howling.

I tried to ignore it but eventually released my grip. If I insisted on my way, it might refuse to accept any more power.

Shortly after, while I was still gasping for breath, Lukian in human form placed his hands on his hips and shouted:

“You are a senseless child!”

Hearing those words, I burst into laughter.

‘Who’s calling whom a child?’

“Right now, you’re the child.”

“You find this amusing?”

The clear voice echoed off the cave walls. I found it so funny that I laughed again.

Lukian looked at me with a bewildered expression. It was a look that said, ‘This person is truly insane.’

“Of course. Did you think I would die from this? I even have a dragon’s heart.”

I met the child’s gaze with a look that said, ‘Right?’

Lukian froze, thoroughly startled.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’ve known since the moment you started absorbing my power.”

Haaah.

I exhaled a long breath and leaned against the wall. My entire body felt languid and weak.

“Besides, it’s not me who’s in danger right now, but you.”

After thoroughly examining my condition, Lukian turned his head away and bit his tiny lips.

“Not… necessary.”

“Why? Don’t you want it back?”

It was a sincere question.

But Lukian never gave me an answer.

I watched the child silently before finally speaking.

“Come on, Lukian, about this heart.”

“……”

“Won’t you take it back?”

※※※

‘This is really dragging on.’

I had to keep watching the back of the small child who sat sulking.

I’m simply trying to return it to its original owner, yet for some reason, Lukian was so upset that he wouldn’t even speak to me.

“Lukian.”

“……”

“Lukian?”

“……”

No matter how many times I called, there was no response.

“So you won’t talk to me?”

“……”

Since I couldn’t just keep sitting there, I finally had to say something I didn’t mean as I stood up.

“Fine, then I’ll head back now. My brother must be very worried.”

“……”

For a moment, the small shoulders twitched, but that was all. Lukian remained motionless, staring at the wall.

With thoughts completely unreadable.

‘Alright. So that’s how you want to play it?’

I thought we had built some rapport, but perhaps that was just my imagination. I felt somewhat hurt.

Standing with my arms crossed, I pushed aside my dejected feelings and gathered my belongings.

“We probably won’t see each other again. Take care.”

Even my final words didn’t move him.

In the end, I shook my head and stepped toward the entrance. Only my footsteps could be heard inside the cave.

‘Well, I wasn’t really planning to leave.’

Somehow I might actually end up going back.

‘Sigh, stubborn old man.’

What good was a five-year-old appearance when inside sat a dragon thousands of years old?

That dragon might as well be sitting on top of my head. Or perhaps he truly intended to drive me away.

‘I’ll be more careful with my words next time.’

The diffuse light had already drawn much closer. The sudden brightness made me shield my face and squint.

And just as I turned around to go back to where the baby dragon was,

[No, don’t go!]

A tiny black creature flew up and stuck to my face with a splat.

2. Come With Me

Iankar roughly unbuttoned his shirt after exerting himself to relieve his frustration. The heat he hadn’t noticed while moving suddenly engulfed him.

He threw his shirt onto the sofa. The way it clung to his body from sweat was utterly unpleasant.

Just like his current situation. This mess that was binding him.

‘D*mn it!’

After standing there for a moment, glaring at the wet shirt, Iankar soon turned toward the window. The breeze gradually evaporated the sweat clinging to his muscular body.

Yet his unsettled feelings remained, and the thoughts he had been harboring finally burst out.

“Just wait until you return, Iella.”

‘I’ll discipline you so thoroughly you’ll never forget it.’

In military terms, it was desertion; in family terms, it was running away from home.

Despite his warnings to be careful, the very person who should have been most cautious had run out into the world seeking attention. How should he interpret this?

He had no face to show their father.

He placed both hands on the windowsill and looked down. Then he contemplated how to deal with this wild third sibling.

But his thoughts didn’t last long. Shortly after, the butler entered, knocking on the door.

Iankar addressed the entering butler with his usual expressionless face.

“Have you found anything?”

“I’m sorry, young master.”

From that brief statement, Iankar understood. Since he couldn’t openly search for Iella, he had dispatched his private soldiers to monitor various parts of the Empire.

Occasionally reports would come in about women resembling Iella, giving him hope, but as now, the butler’s single phrase would reveal them to be false alarms.

Thus, he was learning not to be disappointed by any reports until Iella appeared before his eyes.

Nevertheless, irritation was unavoidable, and he thoroughly creased his brow.

“It seems my third sibling has a hidden talent. Don’t you think, Alred?”

“……”

The butler addressed with the question couldn’t say anything. But knowing it wasn’t really directed at him, he simply bowed his head.

After a moment, Iankar inquired about someone else.

“What about that maid?”

Iella’s maid was also missing without a trace. Having the maid would at least help him guess Iella’s whereabouts, but she too had disappeared.

‘Right after she left for the Soriano family.’

He had suspicions but no evidence. So Iankar had ordered several knights to monitor the Soriano viscountal residence.

“Yes, Lady Lorena Soriano has locked her doors again, making it difficult to check.”

The same words flowed from the butler’s mouth this time too.

Nothing was going right. Iankar directed his anger at the woman.

“She’s truly shameless.”

Not only was she alone in her leisure amid this crisis, but she wouldn’t even cooperate when her family’s lady had disappeared. It was utterly detestable.

‘How could such a daughter be born to Viscount Soriano?’

Tsk. Iankar unconsciously clicked his tongue.