The wine moistened my mouth. The sweet taste and fragrance of the wine spread inside.

“I hope the child resembles Luden a lot.”

He sat beside me, gripped my hand, and shook his head.

“The child should resemble Annelia.”

He spoke like it was obvious. When I looked at him, he corrected himself.

“We hope the child resembles both of us equally, right?”

Luden offered a compromise.

“That’s a satisfactory answer.”

I nodded and lifted my wine glass.

“But you know.”

Luden took the wine glass from my hand and placed it on the table.

“Why?”

“If we drink any more, we’ll both be completely drunk.”

“If we get drunk, we can just sleep.”

“We came on a trip. Are we only going to sleep?”

He lifted me up and carried me to the bed. After that, when he unbuttoned his shirt in front of me, my heart felt like it would race out of control.

I stared at him blankly, and when he started kissing me, I unconsciously wrapped both hands around his neck.

This is instinct.

And so, before we became completely drunk, we made love.

* * *

Sella was surprised when she saw the bed. The room Luden had guided them to without much thought was a double room. Seeing there was a baby’s bedroom, it seemed to be a room for families.

‘No.’

She and Mesriten weren’t anything to each other yet.

Sella glanced at him.

“There’s only one bed.”

“We can sleep together.”

“What?”

“It’s not the first time.”

He said that, took out some water, drank a sip, and offered it to her. Sella was also nervous and thirsty, so she drank the water he gave her.

“We should decide what our relationship is first.”

If humans got married, dragons designated their precious lovers as their mates.

“Do you want to be mates?”

Sella hesitated briefly at Mesriten’s direct question.

“I…”

Sella clutched her chest. This moment felt like a dream, so it didn’t feel real. It felt like someone was deceiving her perfectly.

But this was reality.

“I want to become your mate.”

“Really?”

“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of.”

Sella didn’t speak indirectly.

“I love you, Lord.”

Sella confessed the feelings she’d held for so long. Mesriten looked quietly at Igol, who was listening to their conversation, then walked toward him.

Igol stared at Mesriten, then held out his head. Then Mesriten silently stroked his head, and Igol smiled, seemingly pleased.

At the same time, tears flowed from Igol’s eyes.

“I have a dad too, right?”

“Of course. You’re my son. And your mother is my mate.”

Mesriten said this and looked at Sella. When he imagined her becoming another man’s mate, he hated it terribly. It seemed better to establish her as his mate now so no other man could approach her.

Possessiveness was growing in Mesriten’s heart.

“Are you going around with that couple tomorrow?”

“I was thinking of doing that.”

“Don’t do that. Go around with me instead. I want to show Igol and you my lair.”

* * *

Since we came for sightseeing, we should naturally wake up early in the morning and move around, but we woke up a bit late because of last night’s activities.

After eating a modest breakfast, we changed clothes to go out and play. Then when we went out holding hands, Sella, Mesriten, and Igol were there.

“You’re heading out now.”

Sella had come last evening and said they were going to Mesriten’s lair. So I thought they’d already left, but they were just moving now too.

Igol approached and hugged me.

“Human Mom, see you later.”

“Have a good time. We’re going to ride the Matrian in the evening. It floats through the sky, and I think it’ll be fun to ride with Igol. You’ll come, right?”

“I’ll go!”

Igol nodded vigorously and walked back to Sella and Mesriten. Mesriten pulled Igol into his arms and grinned. A warm energy settled on his cold face. He already liked his son. Seemingly pleased with his attitude, Sella’s expression also brightened considerably.

I didn’t know what they’d talked about, but the two seemed to have worked things out well.

“If you’re a benefactor to my mate, you’re also a benefactor to me. When you need a dragon’s power someday, I’ll help you.”

Ah, so they’d already become mates? I grinned at Mesriten’s words.

“When that time comes, I’ll definitely ask.”

It would be good if we could receive help from various sources. Since Luden had many enemies, there was no guarantee we wouldn’t need a dragon’s help.

After Sella, Igol, and Mesriten left, Luden and I also left the hotel, walked along the sandy beach, and went out to play on a boat.

And soon it was evening.

Luden and I, having prepared wine, took a carriage to a special location to ride the Matrian.

The Matrian was in a building slightly away from the city center. Since they had to float a giant circular object, many magic stones were needed, and a giant magic circle was required too, making it impossible to create in the city center.

When the carriage stopped, Luden and I got out. Knights were guarding the entrance. Since the Matrian could only be enjoyed by the upper class, security was ironclad.

The knights didn’t seem to know me, but they appeared to recognize Luden. I showed them the invitation the Emperor had given us as they whispered about Luden.

“Are you Marquis Charlot?”

“I am, but is there a problem?”

At Luden’s words, they quickly bowed their heads.

“It’s an honor to meet you!”

“We greet the war hero!”

They seemed genuinely moved.

“Is the person beside you the rumored Lady Annelia Charlot?”

Rumored?

“I heard she’s an amazing person who captivates everyone she meets with her fatal charm.”

I was quite flustered by the knight’s words. Since when did I have fatal charm…?

“That rumor is correct.”

Luden looked at me and grinned. He told the knights to keep up the good work and walked with me to ride the Matrian.

“How can you say such things? That I’m charming.”

“To me, Annelia is the most charming.”

“It makes me sound like some bewitching woman.”

“That’s not wrong.”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Annelia is charming. Even His Majesty cherishes you.”

“That may be so, but…”

“So the rumor is correct.”

Is that so? Since Luden said it so firmly, maybe it was true.

“When you say it like that, Luden, I feel like I’ve become a celebrity.”

Luden shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Annelia, you’re a hidden power player in high society. People actually say such things.”

I knew that. But I wasn’t particularly interested, so I just laughed it off.

“We’re a famous couple. Then we should show more of us living well together.”

“Even without showing anyone, it’s natural for a married couple to have a good relationship.”

My heart fluttered. This man is my man! At first, he was cold, chilly, and cunning, making it impossible to let my guard down, but now we relied on each other more than anyone.

Luden and I arrived at the place where the Matrian was floating. Mages were gathering magic stones in one place to float the Matrian. They bowed their heads when they saw Luden and me.

“His Majesty spoke of you often.”

A woman with white hair approached and spoke.

“His Majesty ordered us to take special care of Marquis Charlot and Lady Charlot. Ah, to introduce myself, I’m Kerin, the head of the Mage’s Tower.”

Kerin extended her hand to me first.

“May I shake hands with Lady Charlot?”

“With me?”

“Yes, the magic I sense from you is unusual, so I wanted to confirm it.”

Dragons said the same thing, so the magic I possessed must really be strong for a human.

She held my hand and admired it, then bowed her head toward Luden.

“Once we float the Matrian, we’ll fly over the city for about an hour. Looking down at the city from the airship will be a different feeling. I’ll ride along just in case of any accidents.”

“Alright.”

With an excited heart, I climbed the ladder with Luden onto the Matrian. I thought my body would shake when the Matrian rose, but it was moving quite stably.

“By the way, others will be joining us midway.”

Dragons could ride the Matrian anytime. Since their species contributed to making the Matrian, they were always permitted.

“Dragons?”

At Kerin’s words, I smiled.

“The Dragon Lord, his mate, and their child.”

“To think you know the Dragon Lord—that’s truly amazing.”

I shrugged my shoulders and sat with Luden in seats inside the Matrian. We fastened straps that secured our bodies for safety. A transparent barrier formed over the round circular building. It seemed to be a magic barrier created to protect us.

The Matrian couldn’t be made with human technology and magic alone. So dragons made part of it. Because of that, magic that humans couldn’t perform was included, and they couldn’t refuse dragons boarding.

The setting… felt like it was improvised each time, but if the author said so, what could I do?

The Matrian floated up gently and spun around in the air.

“Look at the floor.”

At Kerin’s words, I turned my gaze to the floor. Then the floor disappeared and the ground became visible. I stared blankly below. 

The downtown area sparkling with lights was incredibly beautiful. The center was made of a transparent barrier, allowing us to see below without any filter.

‘Would it be possible to make this in the modern world?’

Probably impossible.

It contained the power of dragons—amazing. Since dragon magic was superior to humans, they could create things like this.

While I was admiring it, I heard the sound of wings. Looking at the sky, a gold dragon, a black dragon, and a small yellow dragon were flying around us.

“Should I remove the barrier?”

“No. Dragons aren’t hindered by the barrier.”

Her words seemed correct, as light emanated from the dragons’ bodies and they appeared inside the Matrian.

“You were looking at the ground.”

Mesriten looked below, then looked at us indifferently and sat down. Sella and Igol followed Mesriten.

“Would you like some wine?”

Since they said they were coming, I’d brought quite a lot of wine.

Mesriten glanced at the wine.

“I’ll do that.”

He didn’t refuse my offer. We drank wine together in the air like that.

“Dragons can fly, so things like this don’t really impress us.”

Once alcohol entered him, Mesriten became talkative. Should I call it the unexpected side of a man who seemed taciturn? Sella stuck to his side, drinking and smiling happily. Igol drank juice and played with us.

“You found us easily.”

“If you’d used magic, I could have found you even more easily.”

At Sella’s words, I looked at her.

“Whenever Annelia uses her power, I see a path.”

“Does something special happen when I use my power?”

“I feel the wavelength of magic and know which direction you’re standing in.”

“Are we destined?”

At Sella’s words, I looked at my hand curiously. Then Luden and Mesriten spoke simultaneously.

“I was connected first.”

“I’m her mate!”

At the two men’s words, Sella and I blushed.

Anyway, these men were impossible to stop.

While we were having a good time like this, forces quietly targeting us were moving.

But Luden and I hadn’t noticed it yet.

* * *

Andre thought he’d read the report wrong. The subordinate watching around Alsellon had reported unbelievable content.

He should probably report this to Anan first. Since Luden and Annelia had gone on a trip, she was the only person to consult.

He quickly went downstairs and knocked on Anan’s door. Then he heard a sound from inside.

“It’s Andre.”

“Come in.”

Andre entered Anan’s room and bowed his head.

“What is it?”

“Alsellon has gone down to the provinces.”

Andre showed Anan the report. Anan’s face turned pale as she slowly read the report.

Alsellon was a man Luden had followed more than anyone when he was young, but also the first to betray Luden.

He was also the man who, after her husband died, secretly threatened her to become his mistress.

“Why would he do that?”

Anan was briefly engulfed in contemplation.

“Could it be because of the letter His Majesty sent?”

Kajiian had sent Alsellon a letter firmly stating that Luden was Marquis Charlot, Luden had told her.

“I didn’t think he’d back down so easily…”

Anan pondered, then looked at Andre.

“Just in case, pay more careful attention to watching around those two.”

“Understood.”

Andre bowed his head.

Anan looked at the report with worried eyes.

The fact that he’d gone down to his land in the provinces seemed ominous.