#135

“What do you mean by that?”

Cullen calmly asked again, hearing words that could not come from a Dragon’s mouth. He wanted to ensure Kia, who seemed sensitive to emotions, wouldn’t back down. Fortunately, he answered readily.

“Dad said I can only live for 500 years. He said I lack something.”

After mentioning the one he called Mom, Kia brought up Dad. Cullen paused for a moment at the mention of 500 years.

By human standards, it was an immense span of time, but for a Dragon, it was considered short. Moreover, Dragons were beings of Immortality. Setting a lifespan for themselves was impossible from the outset for a Dragon.

Quickly dismissing the unnecessary thoughts that followed, Cullen decided to find out as much as possible about Kia.

“Who is your father?”

He probed cautiously. Kia tilted his head and said,

“Dad is Dad.”

“Are you with the one you call Mom?”

He shook his head at that.

“No, I saw Dad in a dream a very long time ago. Before I fell asleep, in a distant past.”

It was vague. It was difficult to make a hasty judgment, but it was different in nature from the creation myth of Kiyen he had seen in the palace.

“It seems you know your creator, Kia-nim.”

Kiyen had said he awoke the moment he gained self-awareness and did not call the goddess his mother. At Cullen’s words, Kia’s eyes widened. “Ah,” he uttered, covering his mouth and looking crestfallen.

“It’s not like that……”

He vaguely mumbled and suddenly stood up.

“Are you feeling better now? Let’s go back. Kiyen-nim is also in a bad mood! He’ll be happy when he sees Cullen-nim.”

Though his attempt to change the subject was obvious, Cullen decided to let it be. Perhaps due to his youth, he tended to blurt out information on his own.

If they stayed close, he would naturally learn more. He was certainly suspicious. The fact that his lifespan was fixed, along with what Ulli had seen, was definitely different from the Dragons Cullen knew. However, Kia’s purpose remained unclear. He couldn’t figure out why he had followed them.

Instead of pressing him further, Cullen began to walk, following Kia.

“Is it okay with you that I’m with Kiyen-nim?”

“Yes, of course!”

Kia flapped his wings and quickly moved on to another topic.

“Kiyen-nim’s mood improves when you’re around! Greatly! So I’m happy too. You’ll stay with us too, won’t you?”

Cullen blinked. The stories about Kiyen that Kia was mentioning were unexpected.

He hadn’t expected Kia to talk about him, nor did he know that Kiyen’s mood clearly improved when he was with Cullen. He thought he knew Kiyen well, yet it was fascinating how many unpredictable aspects there were.

“Yes, I will.”

He said this, thinking only of the present, not knowing what the future held. Kia then clapped his hands.

“Exciting! Before you die, if I manage to create a baby Dragon, please give it a name!”

The topic, which had changed so suddenly, shifted to an uncomfortable subject. Cullen remained silent for a moment, then asked about something he found strange.

“……Did you say ‘create’?”

“Yes! Female bodies can have baby Dragons on their own! It’s impossible before deciding on a gender, but once it’s decided, it’s possible.”

“Even without other Dragons?”

“Right! I don’t know the exact details, but Dad said so. Kiyen-nim knows everything else, but he didn’t know this? He was surprised when I told him! So I’m just going to become a female. I didn’t particularly want a specific gender. If there are baby Dragons, the number of Dragons will increase, so I’m happy too.”

This was new information. How did Kia know this, something even Kiyen didn’t? The more he talked with him, the more questions arose. His origin, the existence of his father, were all unfathomable.

Amidst the confusion in his mind, the turbulent emotions, which felt unfamiliar even to himself, began to subside. The shock from Kia’s appearance and Kiyen’s sudden remarks gradually calmed down. Cullen realized anew how ridiculously agitated he became regarding Kiyen.

“Ah, we’re here.”

Kia stopped abruptly as the campsite came into view. He smiled happily towards Kiyen in the distance, but then, upon seeing Lasano nearby, he stuck close to Cullen. Kia grabbed his arm.

“You’re coming in with me, right?”

Cullen looked down at Kia’s subdued voice. Kia’s pupils were more elongated than before.

“What’s wrong?”

“That person dislikes Dragons and is scary. Mom’s other siblings don’t dislike me, but……”

Kia’s gaze was fixed on Lasano. Cullen slightly furrowed his brow. Kia’s way of speaking was definitely difficult to understand at once.

“Are you talking about Lasano?”

“Yes! I avoided him because he was scary.”

Then, Kia looked up at Cullen with pleading eyes.

“Stay by my side until we reach Kiyen-nim, okay?”

There was no reason to refuse his sincere request, so Cullen walked as Kia led him. As they entered the campsite, all eyes turned to him.

Kiyen was sitting on a rock, separated from the group. Cullen briefly avoided his gaze, his blue eyes fixed on him expressionlessly. Then he surveyed his companions. They seemed to have just started their late dinner, as wooden bowls and a stew pot were near the campfire.

Arne, who rose faster than anyone, hurried over to the two.

“Welcome back! Are you hungry? I made food wrapped in gooseberry leaves, which Kiya-nim likes, with stew! Please eat!”

Arne said exaggeratedly and pulled Kia along. Kia, without much refusal and with an excited face, ran off with Arne.

“Yay!”

Watching their retreating figures disappear in excitement, Cullen glanced at Lasano for a moment. He was eating stew with his usual expression.

What Kia had said echoed in his ears. Lasano had shown hostility towards humans, but he had never shown animosity towards Kiyen. Then why did Kia say he disliked Dragons?

He was clearly missing something. Unresolved confusion weighed heavily on his chest. He had no appetite, but since they planned to reduce rest time and march, it was better to eat something.

As Cullen hesitated and was about to head towards the campfire, Kiyen stood up. He slowly approached Cullen, holding a bowl in his hand. It was a bowl filled with stew. Since Kiyen didn’t eat meat, it wouldn’t be his.

“It would be better to talk separately, Cullen.”

With those words, Kiyen offered the bowl. Cullen, gazing at the steaming, thick stew, quietly accepted it.

They sat on a rock far from the group. Although there had been a commotion, the scene near the firelight looked peaceful. Cullen couldn’t easily eat the stew, merely stirring it with his spoon. Kiyen, who had been silent, spoke.

“Those humans have meaning to me too. Not comparable to you, but among the humans I’ve encountered, I consider them the best.”

Cullen turned his head to look up at him. Kiyen was gazing ahead. His expression was soft.

“I’m not trying to take sides. I made a mistake earlier. I didn’t mean to corner you like that. However, Kia is, as I said, a Young Dragon. He may not look like it, but to me, he’s no different from a human child.”

Kiyen was calmly apologizing for what had happened earlier. Cullen, after fiddling with the wooden plate for a long time, spoke.

“I am also sorry. A Dragon appeared unexpectedly, so I was very wary. Furthermore……”

Cullen hesitated. He had already shown many shortcomings, so he was reluctant to reveal his inner thoughts. However, since Kiyen had shared his inner thoughts, it seemed right for him to be honest as well.

“I believe I was jealous.”

“Jealousy?”

Kiyen asked, as if surprised. He stroked his chin with his long fingers and spoke after a short silence.

“I don’t know exactly what that emotion is, but I know its meaning. Are you jealous of Kia and me?”

Cullen slowly nodded.

“Yes. Knowing that Kia-nim is your cherished kin, whom you’ve been searching for, I was agitated by the scene where you cherished him within a single day.”

Kiyen narrowed his pupils, as if unable to understand.

“I don’t quite understand. He is literally my only kin, and you are the child I cherish most among humans. Aren’t those two clearly different? It’s merely a difference in how I treat each individual.”

“But I am… Kiyen-nim’s lover, aren’t I?”

Cullen finally uttered those words. At the word ‘lover,’ Kiyen closed his mouth. As he fell into a silent contemplation, the night insects chirped. The air was quite chilly. Winter would arrive soon. Autumn disappeared even faster than summer.

“I do not consider Kia my companion or lover. I cannot see a child so much younger than me, who has much growing to do, as such a being. It will be the same in the future. If what you were worried about was that kind of thing, there’s no need to worry.”

At Kiyen’s words, Cullen blinked. Ironically, a sense of relief washed over him at that moment.

“However, if the relationship that defines you and me makes you uneasy—”

But it was only for a moment.

“It would be best to end that relationship here.”

Kiyen whispered gently and kindly. As if for Cullen’s own good.

“……What?”

“I cannot be with you. We are beings who cannot exist in the same time. As you said, I cannot love you. If we stop, nothing will change. However, if that relationship, which I used for your stability, is making you unstable like this……”

Kiyen’s low voice fell like a verdict.

“It would be more efficient to stop.”