#124

The sun’s heat began to subside. The once endlessly green foliage started to mix with various colors. Autumn was descending from afar.

Perhaps it would snow next month in the Mount Tesnia, where Cullen’s cabin was located. Larciel’s seasons had a steepness as sharp as a goddess’s temperament. The seasons always changed like this, silently and quickly.

For two full weeks, the group helped the refugees. First, they gathered materials and food that could be salvaged from the destroyed territory for several days. They built temporary shelters and distributed provisions, prioritizing children and the weak. Arne personally helped the people. The destruction of a single territory seemed to have given people a sense of unity, as there were almost no disputes.

Of course, there were conflicts involving livestock, as well as those whose personal farms were involved. This was the most difficult part for Cullen, but the conflicts did not escalate significantly due to his presence as the ruler of the Empire.

At first, people believed Cullen’s identity but were uneasy. After seeing him send a messenger to Lefellon Territory, their attitude completely changed. People were calling out for him from all over.

Leaving those conflicts behind, the group then split. Those who wished to remain in Duke Renon’s territory and rebuild were separated from those who wished to be incorporated into Lefellon Territory. Each had their own reasons, so it was not something they could interfere with. Instead, Cullen decided to help all groups to the best of his ability.

While checking the food for those to be sent to Lefellon Territory, Cullen looked up at the sky. The white moon, hidden behind the sun, was gradually waxing. There wasn’t much time left for the group to leave. Now that Zarkas had openly shown itself, the group had to hurry to stop them.

The timing was around the full moon. That is, they had to leave within two days.

He didn’t know what the third artifact Ruena had intended to find out, but his intuition told him its existence. It must have some connection to the artifact Cullen possessed. The order was subtly mismatched. He didn’t know if they were precisely trying to find this, but Cullen had two artifacts. Their shapes were incomplete, so their uses were unknown.

Whatever its purpose, if it fell into Yurisis’s hands, great trouble would ensue. So, the group would have to hurry and prepare to leave. Although it was hard to leave this place…

As Cullen was lost in thought, Ulli approached. Her skin, which used to be pale from always wearing a robe, now looked vibrant with a noticeable tan. She held a large armful of vegetables. She seemed to be helping Arne.

“You two seem a bit different lately?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Ulli, who had approached, made a sudden remark. It was a remark that Cullen could have made to Ulli. Arne and Ulli, who had been spending a lot of time together, were so in sync, like old friends. Among the people, many thought of the two as a real couple.

“You and the Dragon.”

Then Ulli gestured towards Kiyen, who was surrounded by children. While the adults were too intimidated to approach him due to his identity as a Dragon, children and young people hovered around him with awe.

If it were the Kiyen of the past, he would have openly shown disinterest and not paid any attention, but it was different now. Perhaps it was an attitude he had never experienced in his life.

The people clearly thanked Kiyen and liked him. Especially the children, who would sing like a song that Kiyen was pretty. Although he had sternly warned the boys who picked flowers for him a few times, they didn’t distance themselves from him. Instead, following his words, the children found other ways to play instead of picking flowers.

“I don’t know what you mean by different.”

“To be precise, it seems the Dragon has changed more than you.”

Following her gaze, Cullen quietly observed Kiyen. Kiyen, with his long hair let down, was telling stories in the center of the children. He was like a repository of knowledge, so he knew countless fairy tales. The children wanted to sit nearby during the day and listen to Kiyen’s stories.

Cullen hadn’t asked him to do anything. He didn’t want to misuse Kiyen’s magic like he had with the Imperial Palace. Moreover, he was worried about Kihelene in the Imperial Palace. Kiyen’s clone had disappeared, but he still felt like he shouldn’t exert himself as much as possible. A premonition warned him that it would be good for Kihelene.

Now, the only way to contact her was to go directly to the Imperial Palace or when danger directly struck. Since he couldn’t know the situation, a corner of his heart remained uneasy. The only one he could trust was Silfir, but his territory had also suffered a disaster, so he was unsure when he could return to the palace. Didn’t Silfir say he couldn’t return to the palace even before entering the South?

“Look, he’s doing that now.”

Cullen, lost in serious thought, snapped back to attention at Ulli’s words. Following her glance, he saw Kiyen at the end. His blue eyes, looking at him, were clear and refreshing.

“Even when he seems not to be looking, he keeps looking for you. He even makes that face when he’s with me. It’s annoying.”

Kiyen, seeing Ulli next to Cullen, scowled. The children, following the subtle change in his usually clear face, also looked towards where they were. Then they shouted.

“We’ll tell Arne-nim!”

“That’s right! Are you looking away right now? Why are you next to Kiyen-nim’s lover!”

Ulli’s face crumpled.

“Who taught them that? Who teaches children such things?”

“I can’t even guess.”

Cullen knew the answer. It was Ulli’s words. Children learned quickly and often picked up on her harsh words or phrases like that.

However, instead of pointing out the way they spoke, Cullen watched Ulli get angry. He felt relieved. Because she seemed to have regained her composure.

Two weeks ago, everyone felt like they were falling apart. Kiyen, Ulli, Arne, and… even Lasano.

Lasano began to show the cynical side I first saw when he entered the South. His attitude, which had gradually softened, had been sharp lately. He had frequent ideological clashes with Ulli too. They were even deliberately keeping their distance now, but it was a little better when Arne was around.

As if responding to the children’s jeers, Kiyen stood up. Without regard for the children who were about to move as one to follow him, he strode forward with his long legs.

Cullen, watching his white feet tread on the dirt, also slowly broke into a smile. It was difficult to keep Kiyen’s words in mind, “Don’t smile in front of others.” Just looking at him made his expression soften.

“I thought you were wandering around all day without me, but you were here.”

Kiyen’s shadow fell, creating shade. The wind blew at a perfect temperature. Watching his hair and robe flutter gently, it felt unreal.

“I just returned.”

As Cullen replied, Kiyen took another step closer. His long fingers reached out and lightly touched his cheek. It was merely the touch of fingers, yet it felt like a secret moment. Ulli, watching, let out a small sound.

“You go to your husband.”

“I’m not your husband!”

Ulli retorted with a voice half-joking, then quickly moved away. In an instant, they were alone, and Kiyen bent down. Making eye contact, he whispered.

“I told you not to go around alone.”

“I didn’t want Kiyen-nim to suffer, so I just came back quickly after finishing my business.”

“Me? Suffer?”

Kiyen retorted as if those two words were amusing, a crooked smile playing on his lips. That much was similar to before, but one thing had changed. His eyes also curved softly.

“You always treat me like a young beast.”

“Kiyen-nim also uses strange metaphors for me.”

“Nothing suits you better than a hedgehog.”

Cullen’s expression turned strange. He opened his lips, having nothing to say, and Kiyen asked again. He leaned closer, as if their lips were about to touch.

“Or do you want something cuter?”

“……What?”

“But you suit the handsome side better than the cute side. A gallant beast would be good. I like white wolves.”

“It’s not necessarily like that. I just…….”

As he was flustered by the word “handsome,” Cullen saw Kiyen’s eyes curve. Then, their lips met. The words that were about to form scattered in his mouth. He blinked. The back of his neck flushed, and his whole body quickly grew hot. Kiyen’s hand gently cupped his jaw. Then, their heights matched up.

His arms naturally wrapped around Cullen’s waist. Cullen hesitated, conscious of the onlookers, but he didn’t want to push away and responded in kind. He carefully gripped Kiyen’s robe tightly and half-closed his eyes.

A tongue slid in long and deep, brushing against the roof of his mouth. A soft sound escaped. Kiyen’s tongue was long, thin, and pointed at the tip… Mixing tongues felt strange. More precisely, it meant he was intensely aroused.

He quickly became breathless. Kiyen was the only one he had ever kissed, and since they had only recently increased the frequency, breathing was a truly difficult task for Cullen. He learned other things quickly, but he was too shy about kissing to get good at it.

Yet, his body reacted quickly. He became aroused. There was no trace of Akesis’s curse anywhere near him.

Unconsciously pulling Kiyen’s robe tighter, Cullen kept letting out soft moans. Kiyen flinched for a moment. Then, the grip on his jaw tightened. The kiss deepened, and Cullen was pulled into Kiyen’s embrace. Saliva trickled down his chin. Lost in the kiss, Cullen only belatedly pulled away when he felt everyone’s eyes on them.

“Haa,” he let out a long breath, and Kiyen, looking displeased, let him go. Kiyen observed Cullen, who was panting and looking up at him, and said softly.

“Cute suits you at times like this. You still haven’t gotten used to it.”

He couldn’t possibly respond to that. Since the day Kiyen first kissed him, they had kissed every day. It happened without anyone explicitly saying or intending it.

As Ulli said, things had definitely changed. When their eyes met, affection welled up, and as if sensing it, Kiyen pulled him in and kissed him. As if he desired him.

Like real lovers.

He lowered his gaze at the expression that didn’t suit him. His mind was a mess, and Cullen pondered how to respond. In the end, he changed the subject.

“…You seem to have become quite close with the children.”

Kiyen stared at Cullen, then chuckled as if letting it slide. He then glanced back. The parents had taken their children away from the provocative scene unfolding before them, and the crowd had dispersed.

“Young ones are pure, so it’s not bad to be with them.”

“You’ll be parting soon… will you be alright?”

Kiyen knew he was leaving in two days, but Cullen was subtly worried. He feared that Kiyen, who had finally found stability here, might deteriorate if he encountered Zarkas again. Kiyen shook his head at his words.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? If you wish, I could stay for another day….”

“No.”

He spoke firmly and looked directly down at Cullen.

“I’ll be fine because you are here. And if you go to the East….”

Kiyen wore a thoughtful expression, then said quietly.

“There is something I need to tell you about our contract.”