#064

Cullen’s clothes were all in the room he shared with Arne, so he had no choice but to borrow Kiyen’s robe. Kiyen told him to take it without any fuss.

“Humans cling to useless things. Wearing clothes internally, not externally.”

Kiyen didn’t understand why Cullen was trying to put on clothes to go to the adjacent room.

“It’s because I get cold.”

“Do you still wear clothes when the sun is hot?”

“……Sometimes, I don’t want to see other people’s naked bodies.”

At that, Kiyen raised his eyebrows with a hum.

“Is that why Larkan dressed me?”

“……Were you originally naked?”

A brief hostility flared towards the Larkan of a past generation, whose identity was unknown. He had said it was his first time interacting with humans, so perhaps he had thought that he, Cullen, was the first to see Kiyen naked.

“For several years after transforming into my human form, yes. Carias forcibly gave me clothes that the goddess cherished, and since then, it’s been like this. In many ways, she was a troublesome human, like you, Ria.”

So, it had been around 1400 years ago, or even earlier, since anyone had seen him naked? That was acceptable.

Thinking that far, Cullen’s mind then lingered on the pet name, Ria. The way Kiyen spoke when referring to the progenitor Larkan sounded as gentle as when he spoke of his mother, Ella.

Was Kiyen generally more affectionate towards women? Well, Cullen was also that way… His mind was a mess.

Cullen considered telling Kiyen that his own pet name was Ren, but quickly dismissed the thought. It seemed like a childish thing to do.

“Then, is this robe an item of the goddess?”

“Yes. Carias brought it. Carias is the only one who has seen the goddess’s true form. Unlike me, who only heard her voice……”

Kiyen fell into thought with those words. Cullen moved his lips, then decided it was better not to interrupt.

He quietly put on the robe. The white robe, which looked thick from the outside, felt surprisingly light, as if he were wearing nothing at all. And it was a bit too big for Cullen.

The sleeves were particularly long, and there was extra room at the shoulders. Though Kiyen’s appearance was so striking and beautiful that one might forget, his frame was large and solid. Perhaps it was the influence of his race that made him look elegant rather than bulky, even at his considerable height.

Thinking that far, Cullen closed the door and headed to Arne’s room. When he knocked, Arne hurried to open the door.

“Cullen-nim!”

Seeing Arne on the verge of tears, it seemed he had worried a lot. They had only been together for a few weeks, but perhaps a bond had formed, as the concern in his expression was genuine.

“Are you alright now? I couldn’t ask properly earlier, but you seemed badly injured, so I was really worried.”

Cullen was taken aback by Arne’s earnestness, clutching his hands tightly. He hadn’t expected to be worried about like this. It was true that he had saved Arne, but he hadn’t thought there was any particular bond between them.

“I am fine.”

“I couldn’t sleep, worrying about you being trapped and suffering all alone. Ah, I’m sorry. Please come in quickly.”

Arne apologized and quickly ushered Cullen inside. Guiding him to the bed, Arne brought the meal placed on a wooden tray.

“Lasano-nim and I were hungry, so when I ordered food, I got some for you too. Please eat first.”

He tried to refuse, but seeing the food, he felt hungry. For nearly five days, Cullen had also starved, yielding food to the women and children, so it was understandable.

Moreover, he had been tormented by Kiyen all night. Even though he had asked for it…

To suppress the memories of the previous night that threatened to surface, Cullen picked up the soup bowl. While expensive, the meal itself was decent, with good ingredients and flavor. Sipping the soup from the bowl, Cullen asked.

“What happened with the situation?”

“Ah, everyone returned safely. It was incredibly amazing. White light burst from the sky, the Demonic Beasts disappeared, and everyone called it a miracle, talking about the two of you.”

Arne stopped eating and began to speak excitedly. His emotions were clearly visible, much like Ulli’s. Come to think of it, was Ulli alright?

“What happened to Ulli?”

“Ulli?”

“The woman with the greatsword is named Ulli.”

“Ah, that person! She’s not in good condition, so she’s resting under Gael-nim’s care, being monitored. Even after Lasano-nim treated her, she hasn’t woken up, so it seems there’s another reason… Right. Lasano-nim is also very tired. He must have used too much divine power because there were quite a few injured people.”

Arne seemed worried about everyone. Cullen narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Is it alright for you to be with Lasano?”

“?”

“He is the one who tried to kill you. I don’t understand why you’re worried about him.”

At that, Arne gave an awkward smile. He stirred his soup bowl with a wooden spoon for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“I don’t hate people easily… Lasano-nim had his reasons. In reality, I am a sinner, so he must have seen me as repulsive through the eyes of the High Priest of the goddess.”

“He has no right to judge you.”

“Still… I think Lasano-nim is kind.”

Arne did not waver in his opinion.

“Of course, he is not a merciful person in his methods, but seeing how he willingly uses his divine power, and how he dislikes hypocrites like me… I think he has his own story.”

Cullen lowered his eyes and reflected for a moment. The walls of his heart, which had begun to crumble under Kiyen, now had many weak points, unlike before. Hearing such stories made him think a lot.

Enemy, helper. His world, once divided into just two categories, was now more complex than before. Like the world the Cullen of the distant past had felt.

Cullen, who had been silent, finished his soup in one gulp and stood up. Gathering his belongings, he said.

“Are Gael-nim and the mercenaries alright?”

“Yes. All the injured are being housed at Gael-nim’s headquarters. We also need to assess the situation.”

“Then, after everyone rests, I’ll go see Gael-nim around lunchtime.”

Arne made a look of exasperation. He timidly mumbled what he had said before.

“Cullen-nim really… doesn’t rest.”

“I will rest when the situation allows.”

With that firm statement, Arne nodded. Perhaps thinking he needed to sleep even for a little while, Arne quickly began to finish his soup.

Cullen personally prepared the new bathwater. After emptying the wooden tub, he refilled it with warm water. Though it was cramped for him, it would be better than nothing for Kiyen.

When he came outside, Kiyen was sitting by the window. He looked somewhat stifled. The small room did not suit Kiyen. Especially so, with such large wings.

“I’ve prepared the bathwater.”

Only his wings fluttered. Feathers drifted down to the floor. Cullen wondered if he could find Kiyen even if he flew away, by following the fallen feathers.

Even though their journey was far from over, Cullen often feared that Kiyen might just fly away.

“You’re taking on troublesome tasks.”

Even as he said that, Kiyen stepped down from the windowsill. He walked up to Cullen, who was leaning against the doorframe of the small room, and spoke in a tone that was ambiguous, whether it was teasing or concern.

“It’s not always like that.”

“For the past two months, it has been.”

“Aren’t you the same, Kiyen-nim?”

“Me?”

“Burying a dead bird… is not something one usually does.”

Kiyen’s pupils elongated. He stared at Cullen for a long moment, then stepped into the small room. Kiyen, hunching his wings and body, naturally entered the bathtub. Only his torso and thighs were submerged in the water. His legs were so long that both his legs and arms were left outside.

Unlike the Imperial Palace or noble castles, there were no proper tools in such an inn, so Cullen carefully began to pour water over Kiyen’s body.

As he touched Kiyen’s smooth, solid white body, free of any blemishes, a tremor ran through his fingertips. Touching him like this while sober was far more nerve-wracking than he had imagined.

Only the sound of water being poured could be heard. Kiyen remained still, allowing Cullen’s touch. With a gentle touch, as if handling something delicate, Kiyen leaned his upper body back. His long hair slid down to the floor.

Carefully gathering his hair, Cullen wet it. The smooth strands, without a trace of dust or dirt, were fragrant enough not to need washing, yet Cullen indulged.

As Cullen began to wet Kiyen’s hair, Kiyen tilted his head back. His inverted pupils blinked, looking at Cullen. His wet eyelashes, forming a perfect curve, were beautiful.

“You seem to have done this a lot.”

“Service?”

“Yes.”

Cullen washed his hair, making sure not to get water in his eyes or ears. Standing before a dragon who had lived for an incomparable number of years, Cullen dared to think he was cute.

“Yes, I did it a lot when I was young.”

Perhaps it was because that thought softened his heart. He blurted out unnecessary words without guard.

“Did Ella make you do that?”

His hand paused at the sudden mention of the name. Cullen was silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

“No. I often washed my younger sister’s hair.”

He brought out a memory that was painful just to recall, for the first time in a long while. Something he had rarely told anyone except Gale. Cullen continued slowly. Since the words were already out, and Kiyen had asked him, he didn’t want to let it slide.

“Sasha didn’t have beautiful golden hair like yours, Kiyen-nim, but she had long, beautiful dark purple hair. I often washed, dried, and brushed it for her. It was a very long time ago.”

This time, Kiyen was silent. Only the sound of dripping water echoed in the quiet.

“How old was she?”

At that question, even Cullen’s breathing wavered. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Kiyen’s hair.

“Nine years old… I was.”

Kiyen met his gaze with eyes that held a hint of melancholy. His eyes, slowly regaining their blue color, gazed at Cullen for a long time before he spoke.

“I don’t know what I like. If I had to choose… I suppose animals or flowers. I have no particular interest in things made by humans. That’s all I know.”

“……?”

He blinked. After a moment, Cullen realized what Kiyen was saying.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be an exchange for Gale-nim’s story?”

Kiyen raised his head. The hair, wet with water, surprisingly began to dry quickly. Showing only the nape of his neck, he said indifferently.

“It seems like a story of equivalent weight, so this will do.”

At those words, the heaviness in his heart began to lift, little by little.

“……Thank you.”

To Cullen’s expression of gratitude, Kiyen stirred the water with his hand. The splashing sound echoed.

“Continue. Your technique seems good.”

“……Yes.”

A comfortable silence settled. Taking comfort in Kiyen’s breathing, Cullen continued what he was doing. Long, scattered rays of light etched this moment onto Cullen’s retinas. Quietly, yet deeply.