#213

Side Story 1 – Way back to home

Peace began to slowly descend upon the devastated land. Of course, the world that had collapsed did not return instantly. It took effort to breathe life into the land scarred by wounds, and even after such attempts, it took time to accept that the world would never be the same. Everyone on the continent was adapting to this reality. Cullen was no exception.

Cullen was currently staying in Ulli’s territory. It was because Ulli had insisted he not return to his cabin immediately. Ulli grumbled that a friend who leaves right after reuniting was unheard of, so Cullen decided to stay in her territory for about two weeks.

The place they were staying belonged to the Linden Territory but was not Count Linden’s castle. This small castle was located in an area bordering what was once the Marquess of Grove’s territory. It was where Ulli’s mother had lived, the territory of her maternal grandfather, a humble Baron. Geographically, it was close to the central region, which seemed to be why Ulli chose it as her base.

And so, he was here now with Kiyen, Ulli, and Lasano. Ten days ago, the Young Dragons were with them, but they returned to the place where the passage was, to keep a promise made with Junon and Kihelene. Ten days later, Lasano also announced he would be leaving the castle.

Cullen gazed at his reflection in the long mirror, where dust had settled sparsely. He was wearing a loose-fitting shirt over his body, which had just been washed. His luggage containing spare clothes had been lost in the battle with Kaiiken, so the clothes he was wearing now were hastily acquired from Ulli’s castle. The clothes that should have fit perfectly felt a bit constricting on his chest, so he wore a larger size, making them a little loose.

A white, hardened scar was visible on his loosely exposed chest. The white scar, like torn flesh stitched together, was clear, proving that the incident that had split his heart was not a dream.

Calmly gazing at his scar, Cullen turned his head to survey his surroundings. The stone floor beneath his feet was cold, and the air in the room was pleasantly cool. The voices of people could be heard from beyond the door. At the end of a journey he thought would end in death, Cullen was alive, existing here.

With Kiyen.

As soon as he thought of Kiyen’s name, his body temperature rose slightly. His nape felt hot, and as he clenched his fist weakly, there was a knock on the door.

“Cullen.”

A deep voice, seemingly languid, clearly seeped through the crack in the door. The owner of the resonance, which etched itself into the air, was the only one in the world. Cullen hastily turned and walked to the door. The fact that he appeared the moment he thought of him felt like his mind had been read, making his nape even hotter.

Taking a short breath, Cullen pulled the doorknob. As soon as he opened the door, he met a gaze where blue and gold mingled mysteriously. Even though it was a face he saw every day since his revival, his breath caught strangely upon seeing his long, brilliantly shining golden hair. Just like when he first realized he loved Kiyen.

“Did I interrupt?”

Kiyen asked in a low voice. At the low resonance, Cullen quickly shook his head. Kiyen spoke differently in recent times. While his innate dignity remained, he now began to gauge Cullen’s mood.

Kiyen had always been kind in some ways. But now, Cullen could feel that all his attention was focused on him, and every time he realized it, his heart sank heavily. He felt a dry throat and let out a slight cough.

“I just finished washing. What is it?”

Kiyen seemed about to answer, but suddenly lowered his gaze. His eyes, which had met Cullen’s, shifted and landed on the gap in Cullen’s open shirt. His gaze stopped at his chest, where Cullen’s scar was located.

Cullen’s skin tingled as Kiyen’s gaze felt on his skin. Unconsciously, Cullen adjusted his clothes slightly. Then Kiyen spoke.

“A human woman was looking for you, so I came to get you.”

Kiyen still called Ulli by such a title. Although their relationship had improved compared to the past, Kiyen was very concerned about the situation where Ulli had confided in him rather than Cullen. This was especially true after Cullen, who had intended to return to the cabin immediately after the battle, decided to stay at the castle for a while at Ulli’s request.

However, he didn’t say this openly like before. To be precise, it was visible that he was trying to suppress it.

“I recommend not going.”

Still, unable to hide it completely, Kiyen said so subtly and closed the door. Separated from the hallway, the air in the room changed. Kiyen slowly walked towards him. Stopping right in front of him, he leaned his upper body and looked intently at Cullen. His eyes, with their mysterious colors, scanned Cullen’s face. His mouth felt dry. His body, which had been warming up since he thought of Kiyen’s name, grew hotter.

“What is your business?”

Unable to look Kiyen’s face straight in the eye, as if not understanding, Cullen asked, lowering his gaze ambiguously. The long, flowing golden hair and Kiyen’s white nape caught his eye.

“Well.”

A low, deep voice echoed. The movement of his Adam’s apple in response seemed strangely sensual. As he clenched and unclenched his fist for no reason, Kiyen leaned down further. Though nothing was holding him, his body stiffened as if captured. His averted gaze met Cullen’s directly.

“Rather, I want to talk about you.”

Kiyen came closer, just as he had entered Cullen’s heart. It was strange that he was asking about him. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it was awkward. The conversations they had shared to get to know each other during the past time were based on a contract, and even when he thought their hearts had connected, he hadn’t delved as deeply as Cullen had.

“We’ve had almost no chance to be alone together…”

His voice was slightly displeased, but he didn’t sound angry. Rather, it felt like he was coaxing. Kiyen tilted his head and blinked his eyelashes.

“There are many stories I want to hear from you.”

Their breaths were close enough to touch. The face visible up close was more peaceful than before, and no sadness lingered. The despair and loneliness Kiyen had not recognized in himself were no longer felt. Perhaps it was because the painful emotions that had torn his heart apart had disappeared. However, Kiyen clearly looked more stable than in any moment Cullen had witnessed.

“What kind of stories do you want?”

Cullen also thought conversation was necessary. He had vented his grievances to Kiyen, brought out the wounds he had received, and confirmed each other’s feelings, but that was just the starting point of a new relationship. If something were to change, there was much to share. Cullen wasn’t particularly skilled in relationships either, but instinctively, he felt that way. However, he didn’t know where to start.

At the sudden question, Kiyen’s pupils narrowed and widened repeatedly. Seeing him like this, Kiyen was still a Dragon to him, but the fact that he could no longer be called a Dragon felt strange. And the reason for that being him, too.

“I’ll have to think about it, but…”

Kiyen said so, and finally reached out and gently cupped Cullen’s chin.

“First, I need to ask why you’re making that expression.”

This was the first time they had touched in such an atmosphere since that incident in the tent. His jaw tightened with tension.

“What?”

“I can’t properly judge what you’re feeling yet. So I have to ask to know. The expression you’re making now…”

Kiyen paused and asked softly. A faint fear flickered in his earnest golden eyes.

“Did I do something wrong?”

This Kiyen was unfamiliar. A Kiyen who showed vulnerability and fear. Even when he had closed himself off and felt nothing, he had been swayed by Kiyen’s desperation. How much more so now that he was certain he had never stopped loving him.

“No. It’s not that…”

Cullen answered hastily, wondering how he could have been so cold to him.

“I remembered what you lost because of me.”

Kiyen’s expression changed slightly. As if it was an unexpected answer, he moved even closer. So close that their noses were almost touching.

“What were you thinking to drift off to that?”

He could feel the fingers gripping his chin tighten more than before.

“To me, Kiyen feels like only a Dragon, and for losing Immortality, you couldn’t obtain the race you so desired in the end, could you?”

This was what he had been thinking ever since he realized what he had sacrificed. As he spoke it aloud, the weight of the sacrifice pressed down on his shoulders anew. Separate from the wounds he had inflicted upon me, Cullen had always wanted to grant Kiyen’s wishes, and it made me sad that the wish he had so desperately wanted had ultimately become something he could never fulfill.

“I used to misunderstand this side of you.”

Kiyen, who had been listening to Cullen’s words, suddenly said that.

“I always thought you prioritized humans over me. That’s how all the humans I’ve seen have always been. But now, I can see a little.”

Kiyen narrowed his eyes and whispered in a voice tinged with guilt.

“You always think of others first. At least, concerning you and me, it’s a result I chose. Because of me, you…”

Kiyen’s gaze shifted to his chest. The scar on his heart, which he had looked down upon as soon as he opened the door, was now slightly hidden by his clothes, but the mark that split along his bones was so long that it couldn’t be completely concealed. Kiyen closed his mouth, staring at the scar that began below his collarbone. After his lips parted a few times, he murmured softly.

“You died.”

Kiyen’s voice was clearly muffled, though tears didn’t openly well up in his eyes as they had when he collapsed and wept before me. In the heavy, settled air, Kiyen moved. The hand that had been holding his chin slowly lowered, brushing his neck with the back of his hand. Soon, his index finger touched his straight collarbone, where a hollow indentation lay.

The word ‘death’ filled my mind. I had spoken of it on the day I revealed my wound, but Cullen had been unconsciously trying not to think about that day until now. There was no good in thinking about it, and I still couldn’t grasp how to deal with it. It wasn’t a common occurrence. No, it was something no one on the continent had ever experienced, so there was no one who could speak about it.

“That was my…”

I tried to say ‘choice,’ but I couldn’t finish the word. It was because I myself felt that the word ‘choice’ wasn’t perfectly fitting. It was clearly my will, yet at the same time, that was the only choice Cullen had been given that day. Just as the pain of that moment threatened to resurface, Kiyen spoke.

“I don’t know how much it hurt, but…”

Kiyen’s eyes, which had been narrowed, now held a look of despair. He couldn’t bring himself to touch the starting point of the wound, his fingers hovering only around his collarbone.

“I know it must have been more agonizing than the time I lost you. What I said to you that day, just as you said, was probably, forever…”

Kiyen fell silent. Watching him hesitate, unable to find the words, the pain that had been threatening to engulf me faltered. Kiyen’s demeanor, neither pleading nor pushing me, made my chest ache. Feeling an urge to do something immediately, Cullen took Kiyen’s other hand. His pale, smooth hand had thankfully recovered well despite the severe injury. Warmth spread from where our skin touched.

“The mark remains, but I am alright.”

Kiyen shook his head as if he found it hard to believe.

“It’s hard to believe your words that you’re alright. Weren’t you the same way that day?”

“But we are truly having a conversation now.”

When Cullen squeezed his hand, Kiyen flinched.

“The scar will undoubtedly remain and remind me of the pain, but it also signifies that the bleeding has stopped. That’s why people are alive and here…”

At Cullen’s words, Kiyen slowly tightened his grip on the clasped hands. I could feel his fingertips tremble slightly.

“I am the same.”

Once I started speaking like that, something strange happened. To be honest, even though I was sure I wanted to be with Kiyen, I found having time alone with him a little difficult. Right up until this moment, Cullen had continued to hurt him, and Kiyen, not knowing how, had pushed me away. We had never truly found a proper path, so awkwardness was inevitable.

It was different from when I loved him without fully understanding him, in my own way. Now, we had to understand each other.

It felt like Kiyen had opened the door to that beginning. Words I wanted to say one by one began to surface. How we should be with each other from now on, what we wanted to do. Unorganized words filled my throat, making it tight. Moreover, I felt that our relationship had truly changed, and that too made Cullen feel overwhelmed.

“Even after I did such wrong to you…?”

Kiyen asked softly, like a wounded animal. As he pulled my clasped hand, our upper bodies touched. Feeling the heat rise and become intense as our body temperatures increased, Cullen nodded.

“Yes.”

As soon as Cullen’s answer fell, Kiyen’s hand, which had been hovering near my collarbone, gripped my clothes tightly. It seemed he wanted to see the complete wound, as he tried to pull my clothes aside. The strangely awkward and simultaneously embarrassing feeling vanished. Cullen, too, surrendered to an indescribable emotion, tightening his grip on our clasped hands.

“I love you.”

Kiyen’s whisper was so earnest it sounded like he was crying.

“I love you too.”

For Cullen, who was only accustomed to confessing love first to Kiyen, every moment like this was new. It was wondrous to have the feelings I had mumbled to myself for nearly a year returned to me. It felt like a negation of the end I had been so sure could never be achieved.

The moment I returned his declaration of love, Kiyen moved. As if he had been holding back, Kiyen squeezed me tightly and pulled me into an embrace. Our lips brushed lightly against my cheek, sending a peculiar sensation through me. His soft breath tickled my skin, and I felt a strange pressure as Kiyen’s large hand pressed firmly against my back.

I had never felt this way before. Even when I had mistaken Kiyen’s feelings and held expectations, I had felt a strong flutter, but it was different from now. Even though I had felt more deeply connected to him then, I felt that this was the true moment. I unconsciously pulled Kiyen’s robe tighter, exerting force to be closer to him. Just as my surging emotions were about to overflow—

“Cullen!”

Ulli’s shout was heard along with a loud knocking on the door. Kiyen, who was holding me, stiffened and tightened his grip on the arms that held me captive.

“Don’t answer.”

Kiyen’s expression was beyond displeasure; it was threatening. He held me so tightly, as if he wouldn’t let me go.

“You’ve been doing this for ten days straight.”

Cullen’s heart softened at the sound, which sounded almost like a complaint. Usually, I would have responded to Ulli, but now, I didn’t want to be disturbed either. Feeling Kiyen’s warmth, I wanted to be with him, no matter what.

“I know you’re in there! Kiyen, you told me not to come out, didn’t you!”

While Kiyen still referred to Ulli as a human woman, Ulli had now begun to use a semi-formal tone with Kiyen. As Cullen flinched, Kiyen whispered,

“If you want, deceiving them is no trouble at all.”

It seemed he intended to use Magic. Just as Cullen’s hesitation deepened, Ulli shouted something difficult to refuse.

“Lasano is leaving after dinner, so come out, you fools.”

At that news, Cullen fell silent. As if reading my hesitation instantly, Kiyen let out a sigh-like groan. His large hand, which was hard to gauge from the outside, covered Cullen’s back.

“Cullen.”

It was a call filled with many meanings, but Cullen decided to compromise for now. After all, only days remained for them to spend together. Wasn’t a future awaiting, not just my own wish anymore?

“I suppose I should see Lasano off.”

“That’s too much of a luxury for a traitor.”

At the word ‘traitor,’ Cullen glanced up at Kiyen. I had no intention of completely forgetting what Lasano had done and showing him leniency, but he was, after all, a former comrade who was regretting his sins. He had tried to pay his dues rather than acting falsely to be forgiven, and Kiyen hadn’t seemed to despise Lasano much during his time with me.

“Didn’t you already forgive him?”

“Dragons do not forget easily.”

That seemingly insignificant remark brought back memories of past happy moments. The ordinary, precious days spent exchanging lighthearted banter with Arne. The wound from losing him had not yet healed, but reminiscing about those times in this way was certainly not bad.

“I will go out.”

Cullen finally replied to Ulli with a faint smile. Kiyen’s eyes showed slight displeasure at my answer, then fixed on Cullen’s smile. In the meantime, Ulli urged me on.

“How long will it take?”

“I’m coming out now.”

“Is the Dragon Lord there too?”

Instead of answering, Kiyen gestured. With an irritable flick of his hand, he waved through the air, and the door opened. Ulli, who had been standing with her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow.

“What’s this, the atmosphere is strange.”

Like a searching beast, Ulli entered the room.

“This is the room my mother used when she was young, you know? You weren’t doing anything strange in a sacred space, were you? I’ll say it again, impure acts are forbidden in Mother’s castle.”

Ulli was both casual and subtly conservative, with certain acts being permissible depending on the location. Kiyen replied to her calmly.

“There’s no one in this castle doing more peculiar things than you.”

“Huh? Look at this? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be here with Cullen?”

Pointing between the two of them, Ulli puffed out her chest. Indeed, if it weren’t for her, Cullen would have had no one to open up to, and it might have taken a long time to get to this point with Kiyen. Or, it might have already gone down the wrong path. Kiyen seemed to acknowledge that, as he closed his mouth. Instead, he narrowed his pupils and glared menacingly at Ulli.

“Lately, your way of speaking has become similar to Lasano’s.”

Cullen said, slightly defending Kiyen, and Ulli made a displeased face.

“Don’t compare me to someone like that.”

Then, before long, Ulli laughed as if it were a joke. Watching her, Cullen left the room, holding Kiyen’s hand. The loose shirt bothered me a little, but after all, most people in the castle didn’t bother with formality. Moreover, the concept of nobility seemed to have lost its meaning for now, so there was no need for it.

However, Kiyen seemed to think otherwise.

“You’ll catch a cold dressed like that.”

Kiyen stopped Cullen as he was about to leave and picked up an outer garment from the coat rack by the door. Ulli retorted to Kiyen with an incredulous expression.

“The South below is approaching summer, what are you talking about being cold?”

Indeed, Ulli was only wearing a shirt with her sleeves rolled up. Ignoring Ulli’s pointing finger, Kiyen put the outer garment on Cullen. Kiyen, especially ensuring the open chest was not visible, draped a long robe over him, then stepped back with a satisfied look.

“You’re presentable now.”

Having finished his task, Kiyen looked at Ulli and gestured for her to lead the way. Though she knew the path well, Ulli cursed him with her expression and, grumbling, began walking down the corridor. Though her figure ahead was clearly smaller than mine, it was upright and firm. Watching Ulli’s back, Cullen once again realized how much had changed.

As we headed to the dining hall, Lasano was already seated. His packed luggage hung casually behind his chair. It was an overly casual scene for a noble’s castle.

Perhaps because of that, the people looked relaxed. The servants bringing food, the cook who ran to Ulli to report on the kitchen’s situation, and those who retreated after finishing their mopping—all maintained an appropriate distance. Ulli spoke with them casually as she headed to her seat.

Though the hierarchical system that had permeated the Empire for a long time wouldn’t disappear entirely, Cullen found himself wondering how the continent would change in the future, looking at this scene.

I had no intention of getting caught up in the center of change. I simply wished that someday, I could explore the changed world with Kiyen. At the same time, I realized I was naturally thinking about things I wanted to do in the future with Kiyen. It was strange and pleasant. The conversation from earlier seemed to have had a great impact.

“I thought I’d starve to death waiting, everyone.”

As soon as Lasano saw Kiyen and Cullen, he feigned distress. Seeing his face, which looked much more relaxed compared to ten days ago, Cullen chuckled. As I was about to instinctively pull out Kiyen’s chair, Kiyen stopped me. Then, pulling me to his side, he made a command-like suggestion.

“Sit here.”

Lasano threw a joke at the two chairs placed so close together.

“I’m afraid you might end up sitting on top of Kiyen-nim at this rate.”

“If you say that, I might actually do it!”

Ulli threw a piece of bread at Lasano, scolding him. He caught the flying bread and shrugged. Meanwhile, Kiyen was quiet. Seeing him seriously looking down at the chairs, I felt a little uneasy, so Cullen quickly sat in the seat next to Kiyen and swiftly changed the subject.

“Are you leaving immediately after the meal?”

“Yes. It would be best to leave when the weather is good.”

As Kiyen also took his seat, the meal began to be served. The food was a far cry from what we ate in the Imperial Palace, but for Cullen, this was more familiar and comfortable. It was a simple meal consisting mainly of potato dishes, pork stew, and bread.

Now, food was also placed before Kiyen, who had to eat. As he didn’t particularly like meat, Kiyen usually ate vegetables or root vegetables. He quite liked potatoes.

For a long time, everyone ate in silence. Ulli, looking somewhat less energetic than usual, poked at her food, and after Lasano finished eating, she asked tentatively.

“If you’re okay with it, you can stay longer. People like Lasano. Since there are no doctors in the territory, a former High Priest would be quite useful.”

“I no longer have divine power. Unfortunately, Arne would know more about that.”

Lasano casually mentioned Arne’s name, but Ulli and Cullen paused. Lasano, looking back and forth at the suddenly quiet pair, smiled.

“I plan to travel here and there, following the goddess’s promise. The sins I bear cannot be washed away, but perhaps there will be an end someday. I believe Arne, the one I must truly atone to, will appear at that end. Just as you, Lord Cullen, said.”

The goddess’s words came to mind. The words that humans who returned to the flow of fate would eventually appear on this land in the same form. It was from this that Cullen had wanted to make the continent safe for his beloved family and comrades.

“I hope we can all gather together before everyone’s lives return to the cycle of fate.”

Lasano said quietly. Ulli, hearing his words, bit her lip and looked around at the group.

“I’m at the biggest disadvantage here.”

Tears welled up in her emerald eyes, which had become heavy with the impending farewell. She had seemed listless throughout the meal, and now her suppressed emotions seemed to be overflowing.

“I’m going to die the soonest here.”

Everyone fell silent at Ulli’s rare display of weakness. I could vaguely understand what had been holding her back. I hadn’t realized she was so concerned about that aspect. Looking back, even though Ulli had expressed anxiety about her lifespan before coming to the castle.

“That’s something we don’t know. I might die of old age first.”

Lasano offered comfort in his own way, but it wasn’t very helpful. Ulli glared at Lasano with reddened eyes and retorted.

“Even if I live a normal lifespan, I’ll be the first to die, and with the contract I made with Pantel, even that is uncertain.”

“If you’re going by that logic, I’m not much better off…”

As Ulli let out a sniffle, Lasano changed the subject.

“Based on my experience as a former High Priest, Ulli, you’ve cursed Kiyen a lot, so you’ll live a long life.”

Though he answered casually, Lasano seemed a little flustered. He looked at Kiyen and Cullen with eyes seeking help, and Ulli’s gaze followed.

“You two will be leaving in a few days, so now we really don’t know when we’ll meet again.”

The arrow turned towards Cullen and Kiyen. Ulli, who had always played the role of gathering me and the group, revealed an inner thought that resembled my past self. Perhaps Ulli also harbored the long-standing fear that Cullen still hadn’t completely overcome. That was why I must have felt a sense of kinship with her from the moment I first saw her.

“Then how about this?”

To make up for only receiving help from Ulli for a while, Cullen thought of a small idea.

“We gather here every three years to talk about how we’ve been. That’s enough time for you to visit often too, Lasano.”

After Cullen said that, he met Kiyen’s gaze.

“And Kiyen and I will visit more often if possible. It’s relatively close to Mount Tesnia, and it’s not that difficult when Kiyen is around.”

Kiyen raised his eyebrows and looked at Cullen. Though a faint dissatisfaction flickered in his beautiful eyes, Kiyen didn’t voice a complaint.

“Really?”

Ulli looked at Kiyen, disbelieving, and asked again. As if the words themselves were a comfort, her tears had stopped.

“Yes, really.”

Cullen made the promise, and Lasano shrugged his shoulders.

“What can a powerless villain like me do? I have no choice but to follow.”

Ulli looked at Kiyen one last time, as if seeking his confirmation. Kiyen squinted and let out a long sigh, then nodded almost imperceptibly.

“I will consider it.”

Even though his tone wasn’t a full permission, Ulli’s expression brightened. She took a breath and wiped her eyes.

“Everyone, it’s a promise. You must come here every three years. Lasano, you’ll tell us if you find anything about Arne each time.”

Lasano shrugged his shoulders with a tone of resignation.

“If I don’t promise this, Ulli might just lock me up.”

Though he said that, Lasano was smiling with a peace Cullen hadn’t seen before. Unlike in the past, when his smiles had seemed to hold a hidden meaning.

“That’s why I’ve been holding onto you until now.”

Only after finally securing the promise did Ulli, too, seem to relax, her face looking much more at ease. And seeing this, Cullen felt that he himself was experiencing a moment free of any burden in his entire life. The scars that made up his life were still present, but Cullen no longer felt an empty void or a debt to those who loved him.

He hadn’t forgotten the sorrow of loss, nor had he erased the things he loved. It was just that now, he drew strength from that past to move forward. He hadn’t wanted to suffer pain by cutting off his emotions, but he realized that was impossible. Pain couldn’t be avoided. Instead, there were people who helped him endure it.

Seeing a faint smile appear on Cullen’s face, Ulli said to him,

“I’ll let you go now too, Cullen. I’m letting you go because we promised to see each other often.”

Then Kiyen, his face more relaxed than before, agreed with Ulli.

“You say something I like for a change.”

“You’re giving me such obvious hints, I have to let you go now if I want to keep my promise.”

Ulli smiled playfully and stood up.

“Alright. Then everyone, go your separate ways now. If we linger like this, I might just hold onto you again.”

Lasano objected to Ulli’s sudden dismissal, which seemed to negate her earlier efforts to keep them there.

“Aren’t you letting us go too easily just because your business is finished?”

Even as he said it, Lasano gathered his belongings. Ulli gestured to a servant. As soon as she saw Ulli’s gesture, a servant rushed over and handed her two bundles.

“These are gifts. They might not be as delicious as what you ate at the Imperial Palace or the temple, but I made them while preparing for the Young Dragons and packed some.”

Ulli looked back and forth between Cullen and Kiyen, then casually handed one of the bundles to Kiyen.

“You two are going back together, so be satisfied with this one.”

Kiyen, perhaps not expecting to receive it himself instead of Cullen, narrowed his eyes and observed Ulli. Ulli smiled at the wary Kiyen and untied the knot of the bundle, taking out a glass bottle. Cullen, looking at the glass bottle that seemed fit for the Imperial Palace, asked in confusion,

“Did you have a glass artisan in the territory?”

Glass artisans were typically found in vast territories like duchies, and the materials for making glass were usually concentrated in the west and south. Consequently, it was difficult to find anything other than glass in crystalline form in the east.

In response to Cullen’s question, Ulli glanced at him. Seizing the moment, Lasano quickly interjected as if to inform them,

“The Linden Lord here stole the travel funds that Cullen-nim had saved.”

“Wait, stole? I only had it because I ended up taking all of Cullen’s luggage when we parted! And it was you, Lasano, who suggested we use it?”

Even as she said it, Ulli’s face flushed red, as if she felt apologetic. She hastily added an excuse.

“I borrowed it for a little while at the beginning. I gathered money with Junon later to return it when I met you. I’m returning more than I touched, so you can’t complain, okay?”

Ulli squinted one eye, gauging Cullen’s reaction. Lasano whispered beside her,

“The Crown Prince there is someone who manages his money down to the last penny in his household ledger. Do you think he’ll forgive you?”

“Damn it, Lasano, you used it too!”

“I don’t recall.”

Cullen, who had been watching their argument, finally let out a low, audible laugh. Then he said to Kiyen,

“I would be grateful if you would accept it, Kiyen-nim.”

Kiyen, still seemingly unaccustomed to the situation, continued to observe Ulli. Finally, prompted by Cullen, he accepted the glass bottle from Ulli. Inside the well-refined, transparent glass were sugar candies. They were hard candies made from extracting a light color from flowers, with a single petal solidified within each one. They were pretty candies, a shape Cullen had never seen before.

“I had them made because the Dragons like flowers. Since everyone can get what they need on their own, I thought maybe something a little special would be nice.”

Ulli, perhaps feeling shy, suddenly snapped at Lasano,

“You too, who only talks big, hurry and take yours.”

Despite her sharp tone, her hands were warm as she packed his things. Lasano, having received his bundle, fell silent. Kiyen was similar. He turned the glass bottle over and over for a long time, admiring its contents. Ulli, as if to break the sudden quiet atmosphere, continued,

“I’m giving this to you as an apology for acting strangely earlier. For the past three years, Junon and Helen were by my side, but then they both left… and my companions are about to leave as soon as we reunited, so I was a little anxious. I’ve never sent people away and then seen them again.”

Then Ulli met Cullen’s eyes. No words were exchanged, but Cullen knew she was asking him about a similar experience. The very concept of reunion was so foreign to Cullen that he understood Ulli’s feelings.

“You don’t need to worry so much. Now I know where to come to find you. Besides, we are not the only ones who care about you.”

Cullen said this sincerely. He was glad to see Ulli finding her place. It felt as though she was finally settling down among those who remembered her parents.

“Still, your first companions are the best.”

Ulli grumbled, but she smiled, not seeming to dislike it. She re-tied the knot of the bundle and handed it to Cullen.

“Now that I think about it, I know where to find you too. Ah, I don’t know exactly. I’ve only been in that vicinity, so show me around when I visit next time.”

“It’s small, but…”

Cullen said, his gaze lingering on Kiyen, who was still looking at the glass bottle.

“Kiyen-nim has decorated it beautifully. There will be quite a few things to see.”

At Cullen’s words referring to him, Kiyen finally tore his gaze away from the glass bottle. He looked intently at Ulli and then let out a small sound, “Hmm.”

“You prepared something unnecessary.”

Ulli didn’t even frown, as if she had expected it. Cullen also knew that Kiyen wasn’t one for pretty words, so he thought this was Kiyen’s way of showing gratitude. However, what followed was unexpected.

“I didn’t know you’d be so anxious you’d cry like a child, so I’ll leave this here.”

As soon as Kiyen finished speaking, a golden light appeared on Ulli’s shoulder. It was a familiar shape.

“Huh?”

Ulli felt the change on her shoulder and turned her head. Soon, her eyes widened.

“Isn’t this a small Kiyen?”

Ulli said, sounding amazed, just as she had when she first saw Kiyen’s trace in the cave.

“That’s an unpleasant expression. I am not small, and I have no intention of leaving magic bearing my name to you.”

Kiyen explained, his expression serious,

“I left one with Cullen, so if something happens to either of you, I will know.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a golden light shaped like a small lizard appeared on Cullen’s shoulder as well. Unlike the one sitting calmly on Ulli’s shoulder, the lizard on Cullen’s shoulder moved closer to his neck and rubbed its head against him. Ulli pointed at her shoulder.

“Why isn’t this one doing that to me? Command it to be cute to me too.”

Kiyen did not answer that question.

“I will repay the debt I owe you with this for now.”

Saying that, Kiyen looked at Cullen. He extended a finger towards the lizard on his shoulder and met Cullen’s eyes.

“Will this be enough to put your mind at ease?”

With a look like a child seeking praise, Cullen couldn’t help but let his lips relax. He raised his hesitant hand and gently stroked Kiyen’s head. He wouldn’t have dared to imagine this before, but given Kiyen’s behavior recently, he felt his action wouldn’t be rejected.

“You did well.”

As if unfamiliar with the act of stroking his head, Kiyen blinked. He tilted his head slightly, blinking his long eyelashes as if in confusion.

“What is this?”

“I am praising you.”

Kiyen remained silent. Worried he might not like it, Cullen subtly observed his expression. Instead of backing away, Kiyen lowered his upper body as if to match Cullen’s eye level. He drew closer. It was a distance where their lips could almost touch, just like in the room earlier. Cullen’s body stiffened the moment he saw Kiyen’s pink lips.

“Now, let’s save the kiss for when you two are alone. You’re about to have a grand affair here. I must send you off before I witness something I shouldn’t.”

Lasano stepped in, as if to cut off the strange thoughts that were beginning to form.

“I will be going before my steps falter. I will use Ulli-nim’s gift gratefully.”

Lasano, brushing back his long black hair, then looked at Cullen and Kiyen.

“I will repay the debt I owe to both of you in some other way. If you ever need me, you can call me anytime, though I hope that day never comes.”

After looking around at everyone, he gave a short bow.

“I don’t think I’ve ever properly said thank you or sorry.”

With that, Lasano smiled calmly.

“Thank you for calling me a companion.”

Cullen and Ulli both stared at Lasano, surprised by his unexpected words.

“Then, I, the sinner, will depart first. I’m not very used to farewells like this.”

This time, Ulli didn’t stop him. Lasano, having gathered his things, nodded with his eyes and left the dining hall first. Cullen, watching his disappearing back, hesitated and then said,

“See you later.”

Lasano stopped at the small but clear words. He turned halfway and looked at Cullen and Kiyen. Lasano smiled, his red eyes crinkling like when he first came to greet Cullen, and replied with silence before turning away. The veins on the back of his hand, clutching Ulli’s gift tightly, stood out starkly.

“Yes, see you later.”

Ulli replied to Cullen in Lasano’s stead. She glanced between the lizard and Cullen, then grinned.

“Farewells feel like saying goodbye forever, so just pack your things and go. I’ll take good care of the lizard without eating it, Kiyen-nim. Thank you.”

Cullen was also not accustomed to farewells. Their way had been to leave the territory silently at dawn rather than being seen off, so this situation felt more fitting.

“Ah, if you need money, tell me anytime! Zarkas’s embezzled funds were returned to Moet-nim and Dadin, but I have some too. It’s money to make the East a livable place, but this is technically Cullen’s money.”

“I didn’t have anything to begin with. I think it’s best if you continue as you are. This is enough for me.”

Cullen said, holding up the bundle Ulli had given him. He hadn’t counted, but knowing Ulli’s personality, she had surely packed plenty. In fact, it felt quite heavy.

“Still, Kiyen-nim has to make a living too, you can’t starve to death, can you?”

Kiyen, who had only been listening, raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know who is worrying about whom. I have jewels that would not diminish even if you used them for a lifetime.”

Cullen and Ulli both looked at Kiyen at his unexpected words.

“…But didn’t you sell the jewels you had because you had no money?”

Remembering how Kiyen had been overcharged in town to buy clothes, Ulli couldn’t understand his words.

“That’s right. Besides, Dragon’s sense of money is the worst. How can we believe that?”

While Ulli wasn’t exactly the best with money either, Cullen agreed with her. However, Kiyen looked at them as if they were the strange ones.

“Considering the years I have lived, wouldn’t it be stranger if I had nothing?”

“We’ve never seen you with anything, Kiyen-nim?”

Kiyen scoffed at Ulli’s retort.

“It was because there was no need to carry it around. Logically, I don’t see the need to carry so many things.”

Kiyen said that and met Cullen’s eyes.

“I will not make you suffer for financial reasons, so you don’t need to accept help from that woman.”

He seemed to be keeping Ulli in check, even though he had opened up a little. Cullen smiled and nodded.

“Is that so?”

“It is. Therefore, it is best for you to leave now.”

Kiyen, unable to bear it any longer, urged Cullen on. Ulli looked like she had many questions, but she waved her hand and pushed Cullen’s back.

“Go on, go!”

“Take care of yourself, Ulli.”

“That’s a remark you should make to the two of them, not me. Please stop getting hurt.”

Ulli, who had escorted them to the outside of the dining hall, waved her hand.

“Be well until we meet again!”

Her cheerful greeting echoed. Ulli, turning abruptly like Lasano had, walked away down the opposite side of the corridor, leaving them behind. Servants followed her as she left the dining hall, and Cullen gazed for a moment at Ulli’s profile as she smiled at them. As her figure slowly receded, Cullen turned his head to look at Kiyen. As expected, Kiyen was looking at him.

“Shall we go?”

Like that night when he reached out to Kiyen, Cullen extended his hand. Kiyen, gazing at the pale hand marked with scars and calluses, slowly curved his lips upwards. Soon, hands of different shapes clasped each other.

After leaving the castle, the two decided to tour the Linden Territory first. The ruins, once filled with starving people, now had buildings springing up everywhere and were filled with the vitality of people. Worries about survival would always exist, but at least for now, no one seemed to be in immediate danger of losing their lives.

“If Kiyen-nim is alright with it, how about we ride horses and take our time returning?”

Kiyen, who had been walking silently beside Cullen, looked down at him. Because he was significantly taller than others, Kiyen drew attention just by walking. His flamboyant appearance also attracted many eyes. Kiyen’s beauty was something Cullen had always known, but it suddenly struck him as something he hadn’t considered in the situations where he had pushed Kiyen away.

“If not by horse, I don’t know how else you intended to return.”

Whether he was aware of the gazes directed at him or not, Kiyen looked only at Cullen and asked. A light chuckle was woven into his voice as he asked the question. It was only then that Cullen realized he had become accustomed to being carried by Kiyen. For ordinary people, there would be no other method besides walking or riding a horse.

“…There is also the option of taking a carriage.”

“Is that the kind of person you are?”

Cullen’s fingertips tingled at the undeniable statement. Before he could even hide the blush creeping up his neck, Kiyen brought his face closer.

“It seems being held has become a habit.”

It wasn’t a particularly amusing fact, but Kiyen seemed delighted. Forgetting his intention to retort, Cullen quietly watched Kiyen’s relaxed face. More precisely, he observed the faint smile at the corner of his lips. He hadn’t known during the days he’d tried so hard to make him smile that the way to make him smile was so simple. He was just amazed by this fact.

“…Did I make a mistake?”

Kiyen, who had been smiling, paused. Startled by the piercing violet gaze, his smile began to fade slightly. To hold onto it, Cullen quickly replied,

“It’s because you were smiling.”

Kiyen blinked at Cullen’s words. He raised a hand and touched his lips, as if he hadn’t known. Kiyen that day also looked like that. Without even realizing he was crying, he was entirely focused on holding onto Cullen.

“I didn’t know I would get to see the sight I so longed for so easily.”

Kiyen wore a bewildered expression this time. He flinched and glanced at Cullen. When stories entangled with the past came up, Kiyen still didn’t know how to react. Apologizing to someone was not something Kiyen was accustomed to, and the subsequent reactions were also unfamiliar.

Having lived for an immeasurably long time and always acting rationally, Cullen was now discovering Kiyen’s clumsy sides, parts he hadn’t expected him to have. At the same time, he was realizing that what he had previously distinguished as being different due to being a Dragon was, in fact, not that different at all.

“I was wrong back then.”

Kiyen whispered, his eyebrows furrowed. Though he hadn’t said much, the corners of his eyes began to redden as if he were about to cry. Since the day he had shown tears, Kiyen had become adept at making expressions that weakened him. While the pain he felt was separate, his tears were a source of guilt for Cullen, so Cullen continued speaking to comfort him.

“That’s not what I’m trying to talk about.”

To be honest, Kiyen regretting his actions and seeking forgiveness was something Cullen needed as well. The pent-up emotions had gradually stabilized through his apology.

However, further apologies were unnecessary. Now, the very fact that Kiyen was trying to be considerate of his feelings was meaningful. Knowing that Kiyen was trying to change for him, Cullen no longer resented the past. What Cullen needed now was not an apology, but for the two of them to be happy together.

“I was happy to see you smiling.”

Kiyen asked back, as if he couldn’t believe the words Cullen quickly added.

“Is that true?”

It seemed everyone, including Ulli, was showing a vulnerable side today. Cullen smiled and nodded.

“Yes.”

Kiyen visibly relaxed and approached him. To reassure Kiyen, Cullen gently tugged the hand he had been holding since leaving the castle.

“So, I would be happy if you continued to smile. What I wanted to see was Kiyen-nim happy.”

At Cullen’s calmly spoken words, Kiyen stopped moving. Then, looking at Cullen, his cheeks slowly began to blush. His golden eyes wavered, unable to find a place to rest, before finally returning to their spot.

“You were always like this.”

His golden eyelashes lifted softly. Despite his flushed face, Kiyen continued speaking.

“You would say things that shook me without a second thought. They sounded like ordinary words spoken casually, so I didn’t even realize they were stirring my heart.”

He raised the hand he was holding and brought it close to his lips. This time, Cullen’s cheeks turned a similar color to Kiyen’s. It was as if it had spread from Kiyen. The heat spread across the back of his hand. The warmth was soft, like Kiyen’s touch, and hot like the fire that symbolized him.

“I didn’t know how much you thought of me either.”

The heat gradually spread. Like spreading embers, it began to emanate from various parts of Cullen.

“I didn’t know how much you made me happy either.”

Kiyen’s eyes were the color of midday sunlight. The gold, as if it had captured the cloudless, shimmering sun, held Cullen captive. He couldn’t look away.

“I have been happy since I met you. I was just too blinded by the anger before me.”

The eyes that held the sun slowly transformed into the shape Cullen loved most. The delicately curved lines were more perfect than any drawn.

“Whatever you want, I will do it.”

A sharp sensation was felt on the back of his hand, and a red mark remained where Kiyen’s lips had touched. Looking down, Cullen saw the trace of Kiyen’s fangs biting his hand. Seemingly satisfied with leaving his mark, Kiyen met his gaze and whispered.

“No matter how long it takes, I will return in the way you desire.”

The moment he heard the low, resonant voice, Cullen felt the small, spreading embers flare up. The desire that had been swirling since morning, ever since he had touched Kiyen, coiled within Cullen. His plan to proceed slowly became meaningless as an impulse surged. The thought of being alone with Kiyen, right then and there, welled up uncontrollably.

“I……”

Cullen hesitated before saying he was willing to change his plan. Altering his plan to follow an impulse was unlike him. Moreover, it was unclear whether he and Kiyen could suddenly become this close. He didn’t know where the permissible steps lay for kissing, for being intimate.

Cullen had never experienced such a deep emotional chasm in his life, nor did he know how to mend it. Just as Kiyen had said he owed Ulli, if it weren’t for her advice, Cullen might have chosen the wrong path even now.

While things seemed to be progressing well emotionally, it was now a matter of the relationship itself. Come to think of it, neither Cullen nor Kiyen had explicitly said they wanted to be lovers. Even though they had confirmed their feelings were aligned, they hadn’t defined their relationship.

It felt like they were in such a relationship without needing to say it, but Cullen inwardly wanted to take the proper steps this time. It felt like they had gone down the wrong path from the very beginning, leading to a contract. He didn’t want to think about their planned destiny or the shackles they were given. Having always lived a life so different from others, Cullen now wanted to be a little more ordinary.

But still, he wanted to touch Kiyen right now.

While Cullen continued to ponder, Kiyen waited patiently. Kiyen, who had been leaning forward to meet his gaze, noticed a merchant passing behind them and whispered to Cullen.

“Cullen, there’s someone selling horses over there. Shall we buy two?”

At the mention of two horses, Cullen observed Kiyen’s demeanor. He had assumed they would ride one horse together, even if they were traveling by horse.

“Are you alright with that?”

Cullen asked Kiyen, not even knowing what answer he expected.

“Didn’t I say? Whatever way you want is fine with me.”

And Kiyen gave an ambiguous answer, sidestepping the question. Looking into his golden-blue eyes, which felt almost innocent, Cullen decided to quell the surging impulse for now. Thinking back, their last kiss hadn’t ended well. Perhaps Kiyen didn’t want to go that far right now.

“Understood.”

No, he definitely wouldn’t. If he didn’t have Cullen’s permission, he wouldn’t even casually hold hands like before, so skipping straight to a kiss felt excessive. Cullen felt a faint sense of self-reproach and turned. He glanced at the merchant leading several horses and confirmed one last time.

“I will buy one.”

He figured Kiyen would at least permit that much.

“Why?”

However, Kiyen asked with apparent concern. With a puzzled look, he gestured towards the luggage Cullen was carrying.

“Don’t worry about the money. No matter how many horses you want, I can get them for you.”

Cullen had nothing to say. He realized he had been overthinking things. Logically, if two people were riding, two horses made sense. Besides, as Kiyen said, they needed to carry luggage.

“……No.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I miscalculated.”

Then Kiyen reached out with his other hand, the one not holding Cullen’s. His fine white hand gently stroked Cullen’s forehead.

“Are you tired?”

It was a question that seemed to completely miss Cullen’s inner turmoil. Cullen let out a shallow sigh and admitted he had been hasty. Having sorted out his thoughts, he shook his head.

“It’s not that, as morning has just passed. I also rested well last night.”

Thanks to ten days of peaceful rest without any battles, he had plenty of stamina. Cullen swallowed his unspoken thoughts and decided to buy the horses before Kiyen could add any unnecessary worries. Exactly two.

Although a minor dissatisfaction arose, the two spent a pleasant time afterward. Preparing for a journey with a clear destination felt like a novel experience.

Cullen bought various items besides daily necessities. For Kiyen, who liked shiny things, he bought a few glass crafts to decorate the cabin, fruits that were hard to find in the mountains, and clothes. Buying regular clothes, not armor or swords, was an unfamiliar experience for Cullen.

Furthermore, as they walked through the market holding hands, many people saw them as a couple. It was bothersome to avoid merchants who insisted they had accessories suitable for lovers, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, he had to secretly try hard to hide his face, which was starting to flush.

“Were you enjoying yourself?”

They left the Linden Territory, leading the horses laden with the suddenly increased luggage. It was just as the sun began to set. The long, stretching sunset bathed the land in a serene glow. It was a sight that brought peace just by looking at it.

“Yes.”

Kiyen, who was taking in the scenery Cullen was looking at, replied quietly.

“Today I understood why money is needed. It felt different from when I saw the market in Dadin.”

It was likely because so much had changed since then.

“Were you happy, Cullen?”

Like now, the fact that their relationship had reached a point where Kiyen asked about his feelings.

“Yes, it feels like the happiest day of my life.”

It was probably because they were all at peace, no longer bound by anything.

“Me too.”

Kiyen murmured the word “happy” and then said, looking at Cullen, as if it were strange.

“It’s been ages since I’ve said the word ‘happy.’ No, I probably never have. Even if I said it in the past, it wouldn’t have been with this feeling.”

Saying so, Kiyen’s eyes crinkled.

“Thank you, Cullen.”

His dazzling smile made Cullen’s heart race. Kiyen, whose expressions had become more definite than before, was dangerous in a different way. His beautiful appearance, which made dormant desires suddenly flare up, flustered Cullen. He felt he might do something more than just hold hands if he kept looking at him, so he changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t buy souvenirs for the children.”

Although he abruptly changed the topic, it was true. Cat would have especially loved a gift, and Cullen regretted it belatedly. While he cherished White and Black equally, Cat, whose expressions were the most extreme, came to mind first. Kiyen, who had been smiling, narrowed his eyes.

“We won’t be meeting for a while, so it won’t be too late to give it to them when we see them next.”

“When do you think that will be?”

“Calculating the time the passage closes, it would be about 10 years…”

At the word “10 years,” Cullen winced. After a moment of silence, Kiyen corrected himself.

“At least a few months from now, I think. Since I said I would stay to protect the central region, it will take time to settle in.”

“Still, they are young children, and I still feel uneasy leaving them behind. Their appearance and their lived ages are still so young.”

“If you wish, you can fly over anytime, so don’t worry about that.”

Kiyen insisted softly to Cullen, as if pouting.

“I, a Dragon, can guarantee the children’s safety. No living creature can harm them. What I guarded against was the covenant with humans, but thinking about it now, the binding power of Dragon Speech is likely not as strong as in my case.”

Whether Kiyen had brought up the topic intentionally or not, it was an effective method. Cullen’s attention, which he had been trying to divert, was instantly drawn back to Kiyen.

“Kiyen-nim, you are still a Dragon to me.”

The words “was a Dragon” sounded somehow sad, so Cullen couldn’t help but say it.

“You have lived for such a long time and saved people fittingly more than anyone else. Whether you have Immortality or not doesn’t seem to strip you of your identity. Besides, aren’t you still capable of Manifestation?”

“A Dragon without Immortality is not a Dragon. If it were another being, perhaps, but not a Dragon.”

Kiyen whispered with a composed expression.

“You don’t need to worry about such things, Cullen. If you want a Dragon, that’s a different story, but…”

“No.”

He shook his head. The words he hadn’t spoken aloud weighed on his heart. He had thought they would have to talk about it someday, yet he had deliberately avoided the topic for the past ten days. The things he had slowly organized in his mind became jumbled when he tried to speak them aloud.

“I am only worried that you sacrificed for me.”

“I sacrificed nothing because of you. It was all the result of my own volition. No, Cullen, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here now. You died in my place that day.”

Cullen hadn’t expected to hear about that day from Kiyen’s lips. What Lasano had told him flashed through his mind. The story that Kiyen was not the first Dragon but the last, that he and the descendants of Larkan were Kiyen’s watchers, and that Kiyen had to bear the judgment alone.

It was something that had passed by without a chance to ask due to the urgent circumstances, but he hadn’t expected Kiyen to mention it directly. Or, thinking about it, perhaps it was something he had been avoiding, like the other stories before.

“Is it alright for you to speak of it?”

Kiyen looked down at Cullen with somber eyes.

“I think I should be asking you that question, not the other way around. Is it alright for you to hear?”

Kiyen’s white hand gently touched Cullen’s cheek.

“You told me before. You said you needed time. Seeing that word come to mind now, it seems this kind of conversation is still too early for you.”

He wanted to say no, but it was difficult to answer easily. The topic of Kiyen’s life carried a weight as profound as the story of his own death.

“I think we can think about it after we return.”

Kiyen suggested kindly. The sense of stability that the word “return” brought slowly calmed Cullen. Cullen looked up at the sky and gripped the reins.

“Yes, I understand.”

Kiyen’s hand, which had been caressing his cheek, returned to its place. Kiyen, with the sunset behind him, observed Cullen’s expression for a while longer before slowly gripping the reins.

The two rode north for quite a long time. Cullen had imagined they would chat and admire the scenery, but it was more difficult than expected to talk about certain things so casually. Small talk was something Ulli or others were better at than Cullen.

When Cullen fell silent, Kiyen also remained quiet. Kiyen wasn’t known for being talkative either, so perhaps it was a natural outcome. Because of that, the speed at which they rode their horses only increased. Though not the intended result, it significantly shortened their travel time, and they reached the place that was once the Marquess of Grove’s territory earlier than expected.

The Marquess’s territory, which they had only briefly passed by without Kiyen before, was now ownerless land. Considering Moet Lefelon’s wife was the daughter of the Grove family, it would have made sense for him to absorb it, but according to Ulli, he seemed overwhelmed by the current state of his own territory.

“Look, there’s a cabin.”

As their horses’ speed gradually slowed, Kiyen broke the silence. Cullen scanned the direction Kiyen indicated. Nothing appeared in his vision except the dark forest of the Marquess’s territory, where not a single torch was visible.

“I can’t see it yet.”

“If we go about 10 more minutes, we’ll reach the lake. I can vaguely see a cabin near there.”

Since it was once part of the Marquess’s forest, it was likely a cabin built for hunting.

“Do you want to stay there?”

At Cullen’s question, Kiyen turned his gaze. His eyes, which emitted a faint golden light even in the darkness, looked particularly beast-like today.

“If you wish. I don’t mind passing through without resting. Didn’t you want to go quickly?”

At Kiyen’s last words, Cullen faltered. His grip on the reins tightened. Kiyen must have felt the awkward atmosphere too. After contemplating, Cullen shook his head. It was past dawn, so resting was appropriate. Since gaining the goddess’s power, he felt far less fatigue than before, but he was still human. For now.

“It would be good to rest. It won’t be too much of a strain for Kiyen-nim either.”

“I don’t need to sleep—”

Kiyen stopped speaking mid-sentence. He had habitually started to say he didn’t need to sleep or eat, but his golden eyes looked ahead in confusion. After a short silence, Kiyen agreed.

“Yes. It seems good to rest.”

Silence descended. Throughout the journey through the darkness, only the snorting of horses and the chirping of night insects echoed around them. Cullen fell into thought, gazing at the tail of the white horse carrying Kiyen, swaying gently. The quiet brought by the night pushed Cullen into contemplation.

He couldn’t keep running away forever.

It was true that he needed time. After hearing Kiyen’s sharp words for the last time and then dying, the disconnect he felt when meeting Kiyen again after three years had passed was something his sanity could barely withstand. It had definitely taken time to accept that.

But now, three months had passed. While still short compared to three years, if he didn’t have the conversation he needed to have with Kiyen, their relationship would stagnate like this silence.

Cullen didn’t want to continue their journey in this atmosphere. Unlike the past he had tried to avoid and bury, he now wanted to face his discomfort. He made a decision. To finish the conversation they had started earlier.

“Do you want to wash, Cullen?”

Just as he had decided and was about to call Kiyen’s name, Kiyen stopped the horse he was leading. As he raised his head at the question, a lake appeared before his eyes. Walking lost in thought, they must have already reached the lakeshore. The lake, with its calm ripples, shimmered with a silvery light.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’d rather wet myself first.”

“Let’s do that.”

As soon as Cullen replied, Kiyen dismounted. He leaped down and slowly walked towards Cullen. Kiyen’s horse, without being held by the reins, did not run away but stared blankly at Kiyen and Cullen.

“Here.”

At an unexpected moment, Kiyen extended his hand and told him to get down. The words “I can get down myself” were about to come out habitually, but he held them back. Cullen hesitated, then let go of the reins and took Kiyen’s hand. He didn’t want to push away the one who was coming to him first.

Taking Cullen’s hand, Kiyen wrapped his other arm around his waist. Before his feet touched the ground, his body was lifted. Their chests met, and they became instantly close. Their gazes locked, their eyes fixed on each other’s faces. Under the moonlight, Kiyen looked whiter and more beautiful than usual. Cullen had always been weak to this side of Kiyen.

All sorts of emotions washed over Cullen. Desire, a thirst for warmth, tenderness, a heavy feeling of wanting to hold him and say all the unsaid words, these mingled together. He squeezed the hand they held and his lips parted. The things filling him rose to the back of his throat. And he could clearly feel that Kiyen, beyond his gaze, was also suppressing something.

“I’ll make a campfire while you wash.”

However, just as Cullen was about to speak again, Kiyen stepped back. He carefully set Cullen down and let go of his hand. Even though he had clearly felt something, Kiyen didn’t say anything. This was unlike Kiyen. He always expressed himself directly, except when it came to contracts.

Just as he had deliberately avoided certain topics, Kiyen was also acting in a way that was unlike the Kiyen he knew.

Kiyen turned and headed towards the vicinity of the cabin. The horses followed him automatically, without needing to be pulled by the reins. He knew animals were drawn to him, but seeing him like this made it feel new again that he wasn’t human. And Cullen loved that about Kiyen. Even now that Kiyen no longer lived forever, his identity hadn’t disappeared. That much was certain.

After watching Kiyen make a campfire and inspect the cabin for a long time, Cullen walked towards the lake. He decided it would be better to have a proper conversation after washing.

Letting out a faint sigh, Cullen began to undress. He took off the cloak he was wearing, then unbuckled his leather armor one by one. Only the thin cotton shirt and black trousers remained underneath. As he slowly untied the shirt, Cullen paused. It was because he realized he had been holding back all day. That was something his past self always did when he was with Kiyen.

He had decided to go on this trip alone to change, to do things differently, but when he came to his senses, Cullen was behaving much like before. He thought that if it continued like this, the opportunity to open up his heart would keep getting postponed. A weariness, close to an inflammation, surged within him. He felt a suffocating tightness in his chest.

This way, there would be no real difference.

Cullen stopped abruptly and stared intently at the lake. He couldn’t change himself overnight, but at least now, he felt he had to act differently. Since Kiyen had clearly opened the door to a different kind of beginning, it was up to him to take a step forward.

Following a sudden impulse, Cullen strode towards the cabin. Light flowed from the half-open cabin door. Glancing inside, he saw small orbs of light, as if made by Kiyen.

“Cullen.”

As Cullen peered inside, Kiyen appeared behind him. Turning sharply, he was right in front of him. Kiyen held several small branches in his hand. It was like Kiyen to have picked up fallen twigs rather than breaking them. This was the side of Kiyen that Cullen loved. It wasn’t that he disliked Kiyen’s consideration for him, but Cullen had loved the Kiyen of the past too.

Kiyen’s face was serene, but then he saw Cullen’s body through the gap in his unbuttoned shirt and flinched back. He took a slight step back, his expression bewildered, his gaze subtly averted.

“I’ll bring a blanket to cover you. I forgot to pack it, so I was going to get it.”

As Kiyen started to leave, Cullen quickly grabbed him. Grabbing his wrist and pulling him, Cullen said,

“It’s late, so I thought it would be better if we washed together. It would take less time that way too.”

The moment he said “wash together,” Kiyen dropped the branches he was holding with a clatter. Ignoring the sound echoing on the ground, he fixed his gaze solely on Kiyen’s face. He wore a rare expression of bewilderment. This was another face he hadn’t seen before.

“Are you serious?”

To be honest, Cullen had thought he might secretly welcome it. Staring at Kiyen, who only showed unexpected reactions, Cullen narrowed his eyes. But he didn’t back down.

“Yes. Didn’t you kindly wash me in the cabin before?”

“Washing together is different, isn’t it? Besides, that time…”

Kiyen bit his lip. His pink lips, which seemed to be swallowing something again, were redder than usual.

“Alright. If that’s what you want.”

Saying that, Kiyen bent down and tidied the scattered branches. His long hair cascaded down.

“I’ll go get the blanket. Stay by the lake.”

Without giving him time to reply again, Kiyen left, but this time Cullen decided to follow.

“I’ll go with you. There’s no reason only you should do such things.”

As he walked beside him, Kiyen paused.

“You always volunteered for chores, so it’s my turn now.”

“But aren’t you usually not that kind of person?”

Kiyen, taking out a blanket from the saddle of the horse, raised his eyebrows.

“Is that an insult?”

Yes, this side of him. Cullen smiled slightly at his direct remark. The awkward atmosphere that had lingered seemed to lighten a little.

“I liked it when you acted like that.”

Seeing Kiyen’s uncomprehending face, Cullen added,

“It was like a cat.”

At the mention of a cat, Kiyen frowned.

“You’re not comparing me to Cat right now, are you?”

“No.”

Although he answered “no” for now, Cullen was reminded that he always overlapped Cat with a younger Kiyen. While they were having this trivial conversation, they arrived at the lakeshore.

“As you can see from the young ones, not all Dragons are the same personality as you, Kiyen.”

Cullen said this and approached Kiyen. He continued speaking, his gaze fixed on Kiyen’s smooth nose and red lips as he looked down at him.

“I loved everything about you, Kiyen. And I still do.”

He raised his arm and grabbed Kiyen’s robe. When he pulled the collar of the white robe, it slipped off as if nothing was tied inside. First, his pale skin and long, straight collarbones were visible. Even though he had acted on his own, seeing his bare skin again after so long made his face flush.

“So…”

He swallowed dryly.

“I meant you don’t have to try so hard to act differently from before.”

Kiyen’s hand, which had been removing the robe, was caught. Kiyen stopped him with a strong grip, his eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s hard to bear when you do this.”

His whispered voice was deep, like the very bottom of the lake. He could faintly feel a tremor of anxiety.

“I’m already going crazy.”

He muttered on. His golden eyes, shining more brightly than before, had pupils narrowed into long slits, as they did when Kiyen got excited.

“You’ve been acting so prettily since morning, testing my patience, it’s difficult.”

Kiyen wore a pained expression, as if truly struggling. His grip on Cullen’s wrist, strong enough to hurt, trembled slightly. Cullen’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected words.

“From the day you returned, I’ve wanted to kiss you every single day. I wanted to touch you, to feel you. But wasn’t the result terrible? I only pushed you, and in the end, you…”

Kiyen was clearly recalling what had happened in the tent. The moment he realized Kiyen had been holding back just as much as he had been trying to be careful for different reasons, a sense of relief and longing washed over him simultaneously. He was glad he wasn’t the only one who wanted Kiyen. He wanted to quickly correct Kiyen’s misunderstanding.

“It was just that the situation wasn’t right then.”

Cullen quietly rested his forehead on the back of Kiyen’s hand that was holding him. Kiyen flinched and looked down at Cullen. His lips parted, and he softly asked again,

“So, now… is it okay?”

Cullen loved every aspect of Kiyen, but he also liked this new side of Kiyen he had come to know. He felt like he had to protect him, to comfort him. Seeing him look at him alone, seeking permission, made him feel overwhelmingly full. With that overflowing feeling, Cullen gave a confident answer.

“Yes.”

Kiyen spoke again. His eyes were disbelieving.

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

“I want to.”

“It’s not because you’re too kind?”

Cullen finally let out a small laugh. He thought that without Ulli, it would have taken many years for them to have a conversation like this. That’s how clumsy they still were at understanding each other.

So now, this moment, facing each other, was infinitely precious.

“Yes.”

As the answer fell, a shadow fell. Kiyen pulled him in, approaching like a starving beast. In the blink of an eye, a hot warmth spread over his lips. Kiyen’s soft tongue licked his dry lips. The point of contact instantly grew hot. Like he had consumed Rodiak, Kiyen seemed to have no composure.

White fangs bit his lower lip sharply. Like a beast leaving a mark, Kiyen gnawed at his lips, then gently pushed his tongue in. The moment he felt Kiyen’s tongue sliding into his mouth, a shiver ran through Cullen’s body.

A chilling sensation traced its way down his spine. Just the touch of a tongue made his waist twitch. The desire that had been building up reacted fiercely. His abdomen hardened, and strength gathered in his lower body. Haa, a breath escaped him involuntarily. Cullen pressed himself closer to Kiyen without realizing it and parted his lips. Clumsily, just as Kiyen had taught him in the past, he mixed his tongue with Kiyen’s.

The moment he lightly licked Kiyen’s unusually long and smooth tongue, Kiyen reacted. With eyes deepened to a shimmering gold, Kiyen let go of his wrist and lifted Cullen. In one swift motion, he held Cullen with one arm and naturally reached into his unbuttoned shirt with the other. His large hand was significantly warmer than Cullen’s. The intense heat mixed with pleasure, spreading a tingling sensation across his skin.

“Haa, ha…”

As he began to feel Kiyen up close, his mind went blank. Just kissing him felt like intercourse, and his lower abdomen twitched. It was to the point where he wouldn’t be surprised if he climaxed right then. He liked it that much.

As if reacting to Cullen’s moan, Kiyen pushed his tongue deeper inside. Cullen swallowed a gasp, trying to accept the tongue that filled his throat. Although they had kissed many times before, this was the first time Kiyen had pushed him like this. He had always been the one wanting and clinging to Kiyen.

As if out of his mind, Cullen tightly embraced Kiyen’s shoulders and pulled his long hair. Without a sound, Kiyen leaned further towards Cullen.

He didn’t know when Kiyen had walked them to the lake, but they were half-submerged in the water, and the lake water touched Cullen’s dangling toes. It felt good, like it was cooling his burning body. That small change mixed with pleasure, making Cullen more aroused.

With each rub and tangle of their tongues, the heat intensified. A wet sound escaped their mouths, sounding lewd. No other sound could be heard. Clutching Kiyen’s loosely hanging robe, Cullen tilted his head. The sensation of their noses touching, the firm arm around his waist, the feeling of hands caressing his chest, all of it combined to empty his mind.

“Ha, hoo, hht…!”

His vision, which had turned white, regained its color when his breathing reached its limit. Forgetting to breathe, trying to accept Kiyen’s tongue as much as possible, he eventually coughed. As Cullen coughed and his body jolted, Kiyen held him tightly.

He could see Kiyen’s eyes, on the verge of losing reason, gazing intensely at Cullen. The hand around his waist repeatedly gripped and released Cullen’s skin. He could feel the patience gathered at his fingertips.

“You forgot to breathe again.”

Kiyen whispered to Cullen, who was panting with a flushed face. Cullen took a deep breath and responded by pulling Kiyen closer. Pulling Kiyen towards him, Cullen lightly bit his lips.

“I haven’t done it enough to get used to it, haa…,”

Cullen’s action of whispering while their lips were pressed together stimulated Kiyen. He still looked like he was holding back, but then his expression turned as if he was about to lose it, and he lunged at Cullen like he would devour him. Cullen willingly accepted the rougher kiss than before and pulled Kiyen closer. He wrapped his arms around Kiyen’s neck and pressed their lips together.

The hasty pull caused them to lose their balance and fall backward. Kiyen willingly went with Cullen instead of resisting. The cool lake water enveloped them.

As a heavy pressure enveloped his entire body, a past day overlapped. The night that felt like happiness, just before the most painful moment. The day when Kiercharus Flowers bloomed all around them. The sensations of that time, which had painfully transformed as if color had disappeared, began to revive one by one.

He caressed Kiyen’s face, shimmering in the purple water. Swallowing each other’s breath and returning it, they lost track of time for a while. The short yet long kisses continued without pause. Finally, they both surfaced when Cullen was overwhelmed by an explosive emotion.

As he shot up to the surface, Cullen let out a short cough. Kiyen pulled him up. Holding the hand that was holding him, Cullen hugged Kiyen tightly. Burying his face in Kiyen’s neck, he let out his ragged breaths quietly. Amidst the quiet night air, only their breathing echoed.

Falling water droplets tickled his nose. Kiyen’s fingers brushed away the water droplets gathered on his eyelashes. Following his fingers, his gaze met Kiyen’s golden-blue eyes.

Without needing to say anything, they held each other tightly. His cheek, which had been cold for a moment, warmed from Kiyen’s touch. He wrapped his arms around Kiyen’s shoulders and buried his head. Kiyen’s rapidly beating heart echoed pleasantly. They stayed like that for a long time.

When it started to feel a little chilly, they got out of the lake. Their soaked clothes clung to their skin. Kiyen, wearing his robe loosely fastened, held Cullen’s hand. They walked slowly towards the cabin.

The cabin was cleaner and more comfortable than expected, as if Kiyen had tidied it with Magic earlier. Small amber lights floating inside gave a cozy feeling. Perhaps it was thanks to the lights, but the temperature was also just right.

Cullen briefly looked around the interior. A small fireplace for burning wood was situated on one side, with a wooden chair and table placed before it. If one searched well, there seemed to be chests for storing dried provisions or animal hides. Befitting a noble’s estate, a painting hung on the wall.

Kiyen spread one of the blankets he brought from the lakeshore on the floor, and draped the other over Cullen’s body. Accepting the blanket, Cullen slowly sat down on the floor. He wasn’t sleepy, even as the time neared morning. Kiyen settled beside him. Cullen gazed at Kiyen’s hand resting on the floor, then parted his lips.

“I would like you to finish the story you intended to tell during the day.”

As Cullen spoke, he leaned his head on Kiyen’s shoulder. Kiyen flinched slightly, then, with a careful touch, stroked Cullen’s hair. After a brief silence, Kiyen opened his mouth.

“They say that long, long ago, before I was even born, there were many Dragons. They were Akesis’s creations, and it seems they were ferocious, resembling their creator’s nature. I was merely a chosen subject of fate. An experiment to judge whether the Dragon race was worth surviving.”

Cullen raised his eyes to examine Kiyen’s face. He wondered if Kiyen wore the same sad expression he unconsciously showed when he was confined in the palace.

“Carias seemed to have shown me a measure of mercy. To save a Dragon who was destined to die before birth, she set a condition for judgment. If I were chosen by a human from the races Dragons had massacred, the one who suffered the most sacrifices, I would be allowed to live.”

Kiyen seemed indifferent until he spoke those words.

“It was an impossible condition from the start. Who would wish to die for someone they love?”

But the moment the condition was mentioned, he furrowed his brows and looked at Cullen. In his downward gaze, a young pain was visible.

“That was the condition for my survival.”

Guilt and sorrow pooled like a blue hue over his eyes.

“To prove my worth through the sacrifice of a human who truly loved me. In other words, if it weren’t for you, I would have died anyway. In all of 1500 years, you were the only one who gave me such love.”

Kiyen’s hand touched his cheek.

“So you don’t need to feel sorry about my Immortality, or my race. It is I who must atone forever.”

The hand stroking his cheek slowly traced down his neck to his collarbone. Kiyen touched the starting point of a long scar that even a body with divine power could not heal. He lowered his head.

“Because I made the only person who loved me wish for their own death.”

His lips slowly touched Cullen’s collarbone. Kiyen’s blond hair, dry as if it had never been wet, brushed against his skin. A slight tickle spread, followed by a wave of hot warmth over his chest. Kissing his collarbone, Kiyen continued.

“I’m sorry, Cullen.”

A deep emotion, so profound it ached his chest, was conveyed. Kiyen raised his gaze and looked at Cullen. His long, curled eyelashes remained motionless. Without blinking, he focused all his attention on him.

“It’s alright now.”

Instead of saying no, Cullen accepted his apology. Reaching out his hand, he buried Kiyen in his embrace. Kiyen was led willingly, rubbing his face against Cullen’s chest. He began to carefully trace the scar that bisected his chest with his fingers.

“It must have hurt.”

A low murmur echoed.

“A lot.”

Kiyen redrew the scar with his fingertips. The tickle spread and subsided, repeating. Cullen gently stroked his hair and replied.

“You can make me forget that too, Kiyen-nim.”

At Cullen’s words, Kiyen’s fingers stopped abruptly. He asked softly.

“For example?”

“By making me remember only other sensations.”

Though he said it casually, he felt a little shy after speaking. Kiyen paused for a few seconds after hearing his answer, then slowly lifted his face. His pupils narrowed, just as they had before.

“Just… ”

Kiyen said in a voice of genuine bewilderment.

“I don’t know how far you intend to drive me mad.”

An expression of utter incomprehension appeared on his face. His arms slowly pushed Cullen down onto the blanket.

“You said it yourself. You like it when I’m myself.”

A shiver that had subsided for a moment slowly traced down his spine. The moment his back hit the blanket-covered floor, his waist throbbed. Kiyen, who had laid Cullen down, loomed over him.

“I’m not particularly good at enduring. No, it would be more accurate to say I’m accustomed to enduring.”

His ankles, relatively slender despite his solid frame, were gripped tightly in Kiyen’s hands. His legs spread wide, and Cullen was instantly exposed from below. At that moment, a shame he had forgotten surged violently.

“Wait…!”

It was a moment he had always desired, but at that very instant, the fact that he was being held by him in this manner felt strange. Though he had grown somewhat accustomed to it, Cullen still thought it looked more fitting for Kiyen to be the one holding him. But before he could assert this, Kiyen moved first.

“You asked for this, Cullen. You can’t run away.”

With those words, Kiyen seemed to decide to let go of his reason.

“Kiyen-nim, just a moment, my clothes are still…”

Without giving him time to persuade, Kiyen positioned himself between his legs. His lower garments were still wet and clinging, and Cullen tried to use that as an excuse. However, Kiyen, who had lost his reason, silenced Cullen in a different way. Wet fabric was difficult to tear with ordinary strength, but Kiyen, without any sign of effort, ripped off his lower garments.

Startled, he tried to sit up slightly, but as always, Kiyen was faster. Supporting the back of his firm thighs with both hands, he pressed Cullen down with great force. Unlike his recent gentle touches, his movements were devoid of any leisure.

With a soft impact, his back hit the floor, and as soon as Kiyen had laid Cullen down, he bent his upper body. It happened in an instant. Kiyen buried his face between Cullen’s legs.

“…!”

The moment he realized what Kiyen intended to do, Kiyen also moved. Something exceptionally hot touched his skin, still cool from being wet. It was Kiyen’s tongue, which he had only felt once before.

“Kuh, hng, ah…!”

His mouth opened involuntarily. The moment his tongue touched him, a heavy sensation rose in his lower body. A pleasure so intense it made his rear tremble, rather than just tingle, flooded him all at once. Merely Kiyen’s tongue licking him had caused his arousal to stiffen and twitch. His thighs tensed.

“Ha, uh, hng, ah…! Uh, nng…!”

He wanted to tell him to stop, but only groans escaped him. It was too stimulating, as if he, like Kiyen, had lost his reason.

Cullen’s lips parted slightly, and he gripped the blanket beneath him tightly. Unconsciously, his legs spread wider, and Kiyen delved deep into the gap. His long, pointed tongue licked the folds of his opening. The sensation of it rubbing against the dense, tightly packed folds caused his head to arch back.

“Ah, ahh, ah, huck, there, dirty, hng, Kiyen…!”

As he began to lick properly, his mind returned slightly. It wasn’t right to let this happen now, not even when he had lost his reason during Rodiak. He didn’t want to make Kiyen do such a dirty thing. He reached out and managed to grab Kiyen’s shoulder. As he tried to push him away, Kiyen’s tongue split through the tight opening.

“There, you don’t have to, ng, it’s okay, haa, ha… nng!”

Cullen, who had managed to utter a restraining word, collapsed as Kiyen’s tongue dug into him. His eyes widened, and his hips spasmed. With a convulsion, his thighs began to tremble. His nerves concentrated on the most sensitive entrance, and his tongue repeatedly entered and exited.

“Ah, ahh, hng, ugh, hng, ah…!”

Despite his will, groans escaped him. The more the sound of him lapping and wetting grew louder, the more his entire body convulsed. It felt too good. It was frightening, wondering if he was allowed to feel this way. His insides felt like they were melting from the heat of his tongue, contrasting with his skin, which was cold from being soaked in lake water. Every time his long tongue slid deep inside, a tingling sensation rose from everywhere it touched.

And that wasn’t all. Kiyen’s tongue felt rougher than usual. The slightly coarse texture of its surface made him feel as if his insides were being lightly scraped, causing Cullen to writhe uncontrollably.

It was strange. He felt like he was going insane. A dull sensation gathered in his belly, and his rear felt as if it were melting away. He felt like his insides would fall out.

“Hng… Haa, ha… Ah, ng, hng…!”

The hands that had tried to push him away lost their purpose and gripped Kiyen’s shoulder tightly. His vision repeatedly turned white and then returned. With his toes curled tightly, he weakly pushed the blanket. The pleasure spreading through his opening drove him mad.

“This one, you like it better?”

Kiyen, who had buried his face between his legs and licked for a long time, asked. He saw Kiyen’s glistening red lips. As the relentless, stimulating sensation disappeared, a sense of longing came first. More, more… the thought arose, and then Cullen suddenly came to his senses.

“…Haa, haa, hng, yes…?”

As he asked with dazed eyes, Kiyen lowered his gaze. Licking his lips like a beast savoring its prey, he stuck out his tongue. His slightly revealed fangs were visible.

“You called me a cat, so I added a little of my nature that you like…”

Kiyen’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. Come to think of it, there was a subtle change in Kiyen’s appearance. Besides his particularly prominent fangs, pale golden scales he had seen before had appeared on his nape.

He could almost understand what Kiyen had done, but it didn’t quite register in his mind. As the stimulation ceased, his lower body felt empty. Unconsciously, Cullen rubbed his thighs against Kiyen and lifted his hips.

“You’re losing your mind.”

A short sound of Kiyen tutting with amusement echoed. As he said, he was indeed losing his mind. He couldn’t understand it. He hadn’t ingested Rodiak, so why was he so heated and acting like he was in heat? Cullen himself didn’t know, and his eyes contorted with short gasps. Seeing that expression, Kiyen’s smile faded. He resumed his movements, which had paused for a moment.

Positioning himself between Cullen’s spread legs, Kiyen spread his buttocks wide with his large hands. The moment he felt the taut stretching of his skin, Kiyen’s rough, beast-like tongue began to lick around Cullen’s opening again.

“…Haa, ack!”

Tears welled up. His lower body, his lower body truly felt like it was melting and flowing.

“It’s strange, hng, ah…! Kiyen, ah, ahh…!”

Cullen arched his back tightly and convulsed involuntarily. His mind felt distant, as if it had been emptied. No, no, no… he muttered, not even knowing what he was saying no to. Shaking his head wildly, he repeatedly pushed the blanket away with his feet.

“I’m going to cum, cum… Kiyen, please…, ah, huck!”

A strong stimulation lingered around his lower abdomen. Swept away by unfamiliar pleasures, Cullen recognized only that signal. Orgasm was imminent. He hadn’t been touched in front, nor had there been penetration, but he couldn’t bear to show himself going like this again.

He tried to escape, to get away somehow. But as Cullen struggled and tried to move up, Kiyen held him. Burying his beautiful face between his spread buttocks, he pushed his tongue in. The opening, already wet and slick with saliva, made a squelching sound as his tongue entered.

His tongue, undeniably not human, dug deep inside. It was like a snake’s, but hot and rough. The long tongue that slid in licked the inner walls with a scratchy sensation. The moment it slid out, Cullen finally succumbed to pleasure.

“Ah, ahh…! Haa, ng, ng, stop, stop, stop…!”

His eyes widened, and Cullen was easily defeated. Perhaps he had already reached his limit, or perhaps it was because he felt close to orgasm every moment, but semen began to flow out without a strong ejaculation.

Having not ejaculated for a long time, thick white discharge flowed from the tip of his stiffened penis. The accumulated fluid, feeling like clumps, flowed out like a stream of urine. A fishy scent instantly spread inside.

“Hng, haa, ha…”

Cullen trembled and twisted his hips. Involuntarily, his body convulsed. His thighs trembled so much that Cullen only managed to stop trembling when Kiyen firmly held them down. His mind returned belatedly. The copious amount of semen had not only soaked his lower abdomen and groin but had also splashed onto Kiyen’s cheek. Blinking with hazy eyes, Cullen saw it and suddenly sat up.

“Kiyen-nim…!”

His already flushed nape turned even redder. His eyes widened, and Cullen hastily reached out to his face.

But Kiyen didn’t give him a chance to clean it himself. With an innocent expression, Kiyen licked the semen on his cheek with his index finger. Seeing the thick, sticky fluid on his white fingertip, his erection involuntarily stiffened again. His body reacted instinctively to the visual stimulus.

“I’ll… wipe it for you…”

Before he could finish speaking, Kiyen licked his finger. He put his finger into his red lips and sucked it with a slurp, tasting Cullen’s semen. Watching him, his hand trembled slightly. It was so provocative it was hard to digest.

“It’s sweet.”

Though it shouldn’t have been sweet at all, Kiyen’s voice sounded sincere. As soon as he heard that, his earlobes burned hot. Cullen averted his gaze, trying to pull back. He was afraid of his body, which had lost its resistance to pleasure, reacting beyond his control. He needed a moment to catch his breath.

“Kiyen, just for a moment… let me catch my breath…”

Kiyen paid no attention to his rambling words. Licking his finger completely with his red tongue, he slowly leaned his upper body over him. Kiyen, resting one arm beside Cullen’s face, met his eyes.

“It seems pointless.”

His golden-blue eyes curved slightly. Kiyen’s other hand slowly moved down. His long fingers gently stroked his lower abdomen, smeared with semen. His sensitive skin felt pleasure at the light touch. Hng, a groan escaped. Kiyen parted his lips slightly and gazed at Cullen. His eyes, overflowing with lust, were filled with him. Though they had been intimate several times, he had never seen Kiyen reveal such desire in his eyes.

Kiyen desired him more than ever.

His breath came out in thin, panting sighs. Just making eye contact sent shivers through him. The unspoken emotion overwhelmed Cullen. Bound by an invisible force, he could not move and could only stare at him.

Kiyen surveyed Cullen piece by piece, then moved his fingers, which had been stroking his abdomen, further down. His semen-covered index finger touched his rear. The entrance, red and slick from being licked for so long, was rubbed by his finger.

“Haa…”

A flushed expression appeared on Cullen’s face. Cullen, unaware of his own expression, stared intently at Kiyen. Kiyen’s jaw, hardened with arousal, came into view.

Kiyen let out a rumbling breath and slowly pushed his finger inside Cullen. The inner walls, warmed and loosened by the prolonged licking, easily swallowed the finger. Even though it wasn’t completely relaxed, his opening tightened around the foreign object.

“Just, Kiyen-nim, just…”

As his finger entered, he became impatient. It was the opposite of what he had thought earlier, that this wasn’t suited for him; Cullen now desperately wanted to feel Kiyen fully. He wanted the sensation of being tightly filled and the feeling of being completely connected to Kiyen.

“If you keep begging, I too…”

Kiyen whispered in a voice so low it was almost inaudible, his finger fully submerged. Despite his delicate and fine appearance, his deep voice, echoing like in a cave, scratched at his ears. A stinging itch traveled up his ear and into his ear canal. His hips trembled slightly.

“Even if it hurts, it’s okay, ha, ugh!”

His exceptionally long finger dug deep inside, expertly finding Cullen’s G-spot. The pressure on that spot, which he himself had forgotten, caused his eyes to widen.

“Ah, huck!”

His hips twisted involuntarily. The overwhelming sensation made his lower body feel numb. Kiyen paused, then pressed into Cullen’s insides again.

“Ugh, ughng……!”

A nasal sound escaped. Kiyen’s fingers began to move rapidly at the clearly raised pitch, unlike his usual low tone. A groan flowed out, as if his soft insides had been pierced, unlike his hard exterior. It was no use even biting his lips to try and lower his voice, which kept rising on its own. Saliva dripped down his lips as he exhaled ragged breaths. His chin became a mess.

As if to render the climax he’d just experienced meaningless, his body quickly prepared for another one. Cullen shook his head, feeling like he would burst if he were pushed just a little more. Tears flowed faintly from his eyes, which had become hot and swollen. He didn’t want to go alone. He wanted Kiyen to feel the same.

“Kiyen……!”

Casting aside politeness, Cullen pulled him close by the neck with both arms. His slick chest, wet with moisture and sweat, pressed against Kiyen’s upper body. Haah, Kiyen exhaled a rough breath and looked at me sharply. Cullen wriggled his hips with a pained expression. He instinctively tightened and squeezed the fingers inside him.

“Really…….”

Kiyen muttered softly, as if he were going mad, then roughly pulled his fingers out. Cullen shivered at the sensation of what had been stirring him inside being suddenly withdrawn. As if not to let him feel disappointed, Kiyen immediately aligned his penis with the entrance of the hole.

“You don’t even give me a moment to collect myself.”

As if hearing a tone of resentment, Kiyen let out a long breath. With it, an immense pressure began to be applied to the hole. A penis, incomparable in thickness to fingers, slowly pushed its way inside. The hole, which seemed impossible to widen to match its size, managed to gulp down the massive flesh, perhaps due to being loosened beforehand.

“Haa, hhaa, ah……!”

Separate from what he wanted, his breath was instinctively cut off. A suffocating sensation filled him up to his chin. As he coughed from the pressure blocking his throat, Kiyen made a soft sound and caressed Cullen’s waist. His waist, which thinned from his firm chest, was quite sensitive, and as Kiyen began to gently stroke it, a ticklish feeling arose.

“Hoo, hhu, it’s, too, big…….”

Cullen whimpered, acting childishly. As he gazed at Kiyen with a wronged expression, Kiyen whispered.

“For someone saying that, hoo, haven’t you always enjoyed it?”

“I, don’t, really, know…… Ugh, nng!”

As if not tolerating a lie, Kiyen thrust himself deep inside Cullen with a thud. The penis, which had been grudgingly pushed inside while his attention was elsewhere, seemed poised to pierce the very end of his insides as Kiyen applied force.

As the thick glans filled him, the apex was scraped. The moment the glans crushed the fleshy inner walls, Cullen threw his head back. Even after ejaculating once, clear fluid began to flow from his still-hard penis.

“Ah, haak…….”

Cullen, unsure of what to do, shook his head. His eyes stung, and his lower half felt like it was tearing apart. Pain and pleasure mixed until he could no longer discern what he was feeling.

“Even if you can’t control yourself, you, this time…….”

Kiyen whispered with a burning voice.

“You must understand.”

With those words, Kiyen began to thrust like a beast. He was literally like a beast. Kiyen pressed down hard on Cullen’s shoulders and moved his hips ferociously. His long blond hair stuck messily to his pale skin. With golden eyes that had lost all reason, he roughly pounded into Cullen. Thud, thud, the sounds of flesh and muscle colliding echoed chaotically.

“Huu, ah, aaa……! Too, deep……!”

With every thrust Kiyen delivered, Cullen felt like his abdomen was being pierced. A faint sense of fear made him writhe. Like a winged beast that wouldn’t allow escape, Kiyen bit into Cullen’s nape. The pain of the fangs sinking in sharply turned into pleasure a few seconds later. Cullen arched his back to its limit and clenched his buttocks tightly.

“Huu, haa, ha, haak……!”

A strange tremor swept through his hole. He felt like he was reaching a weak climax, the sensation traveling up his spine. Not understanding what was happening to him, Cullen struggled. He felt an instinctive fear. A fear of crossing into an unknown territory. Until now, he had Rodiak as an excuse, but being like this, like a beast, while fully conscious felt unfamiliar.

“Hooo, hoo, haa…….”

Kiyen’s growling moans echoed from above. His insides felt like they were tearing apart from the thrusting alone, yet Kiyen grew rougher. The creaking of the floor and the messy moans filled Cullen’s ears. They sounded like sobbing pleas, and also like screams of pleasure.

“Stop, st, stop, st…….”

He began to regret provoking this. It was too much to handle. Tears flowed without pause, dripping down his chin and neck. Straining, Cullen twisted his body halfway. In an awkward prone position, he tried to crawl forward. Kiyen grabbed Cullen’s buttocks painfully as he dug his fingernails into the wooden floor, trying to escape.

“I told you, you can’t run away.”

“It’s, hhuuk, too, big, nng, ugh, it hurts, n-…… Ah, ah……! It’s, too, strong……!”

Despite his tearful pleas, Kiyen didn’t relent. His movements suggested he knew Cullen was exaggerating. Yes, it was undeniable that the pleasure outweighed the pain. It was just that it was excessive, making it agonizing. Cullen, trying to break free by tensing his thick thighs, froze as Kiyen’s movements slammed down hard.

Thwack!

His mouth fell open involuntarily. He stopped moving and collapsed, his buttocks sticking out behind him. The strength drained from his waist. Kiyen pressed down on Cullen’s nape with his hand as he slammed into him from behind. He felt like a beast was riding him.

“Haa, haa, ha…….”

Kiyen’s beautiful, melodic voice, scattered by excitement, echoed loudly. Stimulated again by the sound, Cullen tightened his hole. He was confused about what he wanted. Whether he wanted to escape, or to accept more of Kiyen.

With a force that felt like it would crush his neck bones, Kiyen increased the pressure, pinning him down. The movements, pounding into him from above, became even more intense. Feeling his testicles rub against his buttocks and his inner walls being rubbed raw, Cullen trembled, his buttocks raised. His body quivered and convulsed. Haak, ha, hhuuk, sobbing moans mixed with the loud sounds of thrusting.

For what felt like an eternity, Kiyen repeatedly thrust and rubbed his penis. Cullen, long past his limit, pushed against the floor with his hands, collapsing and repeating the motion. He didn’t know when he’d ejaculated, but clear fluid mixed with a fishy semen dripped from the tip of his penis.

Just as he thought he might die if this continued, Kiyen changed his movements. His body began to shake violently from the thrusting, which had become incomparably faster than before. He felt like he would faint. In the moment his mind went blank, as if it were impossible to stay conscious, Kiyen whispered in a tightly locked voice.

“You won’t get hurt anymore, so it’ll be alright.”

He understood the meaning of those words later.

“Ah, aa, hauk, ugh, kkh, ah!”

Cullen let out a moan in a voice cracked from exhaustion. Kiyen’s penis filled his insides to the very end. Kiyen, who had been thrusting inside with a force that made his bones rattle, stopped. As a shock that made his whole body tingle, Cullen tensed his hands and feet, when a change occurred in Kiyen’s penis filling him.

“Ugh, hhuuk, ah, inside…… strange……!”

Cullen’s eyes widened, and he looked back. Kiyen, panting and shaking his head, pressed his body against him and finally whispered in a gentle voice, “Shhh.”

As Kiyen’s heat touched him from behind, Cullen paused for a moment. Kiyen’s penis then increased in size to a degree that no human could contain. Not only that. He felt a sensation like ridges scraping his inner walls. In that state, Kiyen slowly withdrew his penis halfway.

“Kkh, hhuuk, hhu…… Ah!”

Cullen thrashed wildly, shaking his head as if possessed. His tender insides began to sting. It felt like they were tearing.

“Cullen.”

Kiyen kissed Cullen’s cheek. As if Cullen were the only one he saw, he continued to kiss his entire face, rubbing Cullen’s stomach and chest. In the meantime, the penis that had slightly withdrawn dug back inside.

“Ah, ahhuk!”

The act, filled only with pain, began to find a shallow pleasure after Kiyen repeated his movements a couple of times. Kiyen’s hand fumbled down and grasped Cullen’s penis. His delicate fingers began to stroke the penis, which had been hanging limply, dripping fluid. A tingling sensation and the urge to urinate flooded from the tip of his glans.

“Swallow it all, it’s my mark.”

“Ah, hhuuk, it hurts, it hurts so much……, ah, hhuuk, Kiyen……!”

Cullen let out a moan in a cracked voice. Soon, panting breaths began to mix with the pained moans. Kiyen’s penis, ready to ejaculate, filled him tightly. In response, Kiyen gently rubbed Cullen’s glans. As the slippery pleasure rubbed his glans, Cullen tensed his buttocks and arched his body. All sorts of overwhelming sensations washed over Cullen.

And the moment Kiyen finally released his mark, Cullen lost consciousness. As the last vestiges of his reason crumbled, clear fluid began to trickle from the penis Kiyen was stroking.

“Huu, uugh, ugh…….”

Cullen convulsed with unfocused eyes. Kiyen’s semen struck his inner walls like a stream of urine. From that sensation, pleasure once again crushed his entire body. Cullen, with his penis held in Kiyen’s hand, dripped streams of fluid.

The flowing liquid stained the blanket and made the floor beneath it wet and sticky. He didn’t even have the mental capacity to feel ashamed. With vacant eyes, Cullen gasped at the overwhelming sensation of release.

Kiyen’s ejaculation continued for a long time. His insides felt so full it was almost bloated, yet it didn’t end, and semen eventually flowed out of the hole. Semen mixed with white foam dripped thickly down his thighs. His veined thighs slowly relaxed as they felt the sensation of the semen flowing.

“The hole is too small to swallow it all.”

Kiyen whispered, and brought his other hand, not holding his penis, to the connection point. He stroked the wrinkled, reddened hole and murmured.

“It needs to be stretched more.”

It was an absurd statement, but for a moment, fear flickered that it might actually happen. Even in his semi-conscious state, Cullen shook his head slightly. However, his trembling body, as if in response, began to spurt clear fluid again, which had stopped.

“Why are you coming again when you say no?”

Kiyen pointed out the contradictory behavior. Cullen wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t speak. While Cullen panted, unable to say anything, Kiyen slowly began to move again. There was no time to stop him, nor the strength.

Cullen understood Kiyen’s words, “You won’t get hurt, it’ll be alright,” around the time dawn began to break. Perhaps it was one of the changes after gaining divine power, but Cullen’s body endured Kiyen much better than before. The marks Kiyen had left on his neck, and minor scratches, healed naturally in no time.

While it was a good thing, it also felt like it wasn’t. It was because Kiyen had pushed him even harder. Separate from what his body could endure, the pleasure he felt from being overwhelmed was intense, and Cullen eventually began to beg. Finally, Kiyen calmed down only after the surroundings became bright.

Kiyen had relations with a body marked by Dragon’s traces, as he had when he exerted himself greatly in the past. After it ended, examining Kiyen’s face, his pupils were narrowed sharply, and faint golden scales, seen before, had sprouted on his neck. His teeth and nails were also sharper than usual.

The strange change he felt during ejaculation was likely due to that. Or perhaps, as Kiyen had said, it was because Kiyen had changed his body as Cullen desired. Either way, it was unfamiliar, and the stimulation from that difference was intense. It vividly conveyed that he was having relations with someone not of the same species.

Cullen lay there, listlessly exhausted. The semen he had fully received had flowed out, making his thighs and the blanket wet and sticky. Kiyen, after his final ejaculation, bit Cullen’s neck for a long time, still in the throes of excitement, before finally seeming to regain his senses and his eyes gradually returned to their usual hue. His blue eyes blinked and stared intently at Cullen.

“……Are you conscious?”

With an exhausted expression, Cullen brushed back Kiyen’s hair. As he pushed aside the long, fallen hair, Kiyen’s beloved, beautiful face was fully revealed. While his bone structure and detailed features conveyed a sense of firmness, the lines that formed him were so soft that the word “pretty” always suited Kiyen better. His long eyelashes blinked slowly.

“Cullen.”

Whispering his name softly, Kiyen lowered his gaze and examined Cullen’s body. He seemed a little flustered himself.

“I……”

Still, as if he remembered, Kiyen muttered to himself, then stroked Cullen’s face with a pitiable expression.

“Was it very difficult?”

He intended to say it was fine, but Cullen smiled faintly with a tired face. Half-closing his eyes, he placed his hand on Kiyen’s cheek.

“Did your desires get satisfied? I certainly feel like mine have.”

At that, Kiyen tilted his head. He looked at Cullen like a curious beast. While Cullen was distracted by his appearance, Kiyen lowered his hand and touched him below. His fingers reached the hole, from which semen was still flowing. Cullen flinched and squeezed his thighs together.

“It’s hot.”

Kiyen murmured, and gently stirred the area. It should have been stinging, perhaps even torn, but thanks to his regenerative abilities, it didn’t hurt that much. Instead, he began to feel Kiyen’s fingers again, terrifyingly so. However, even if his body was reacting, Cullen just wanted to sleep a little.

“Lord Kiyen, I just want to…… sleep for a bit.”

At those words, Kiyen turned his gaze back. With his eyes curved into crescents, he rested his chin on Cullen’s shoulder and lay down beside him.

“Weren’t you the one who initiated it first?”

It was true. Cullen slowly thought of another excuse.

“You’ve already imprinted yourself on me enough that I can’t think of anything else.”

The excuse was effective, making Kiyen’s lips press together. His flushed face turned red, then his lips touched near his collarbone.

“You always pick the words that get to me. When did you learn to act so adorably?”

Cullen himself wondered who had taught Kiyen to act adorably. Lasano was the likely candidate.

“When we return, you’ll need to learn how to speak in a way that suits the current era.”

“Didn’t you say you liked everything about me?”

Kiyen was using his own words back at him, without missing a single one. Cullen chuckled and shifted his body slightly. Lying face to face with Kiyen, he then gently stroked Kiyen’s shoulder. Upon closer inspection, there were a few scars on Kiyen’s back and wings. They were traces, not fully healed, from when he blocked Magic for me and the Young Dragon.

As if responding to Cullen, Kiyen also slowly reached out and touched the center of Cullen’s chest. His white hand carefully covered the place where his heart had been, now filled in. Kiyen lowered his gaze and stared at the spot that had replaced his heart.

Sunlight streaming through the cabin window cast a yellow hue, falling on Kiyen’s face. Cullen quietly watched the light enveloping him and the floating dust. He felt a languid, peaceful sensation. Perhaps it was because his hidden emotions had completely melted away, but the silence was no longer awkward.

“I can’t make all the pain you felt disappear……”

Kiyen said quietly.

“But I will make you happier than that. Just as you have done for me.”

The spot on his chest covered by Kiyen’s hand felt warm. Cullen grasped his wrist and nodded his head slightly.

“I will do the same.”

“You just need to stay like this.”

Kiyen said so, then lowered his head slightly. Burying his face in the chest where the scar was, Kiyen whispered.

“Like you are now…….”

His red lips landed on the scar. It was a tender kiss.

“As my lover.”

At his last words, Cullen tightened his grip on the wrist he was holding. As Cullen looked down at him with surprised eyes, Kiyen raised his gaze and smiled.

“Cullen.”

A hand reached out and touched Cullen’s cheek. Fingers lightly brushed his nose, then stroked his eyelashes. Kiyen, gazing at him as if only Cullen could see him, whispered.

“Will you be my lover?”

In a voice both reverent and loving.

“If you would be my one and only lover, my first and last……”

He was saying what he had wanted.

“I will do my best so you won’t regret it.”

Since he was the one who had spoken his important feelings first, Cullen had intended to confess himself. As if sensing such a thought, Kiyen’s gentle confession flowed out, and Cullen looked down at Kiyen with an expression he couldn’t tell if he was smiling or crying.

“……Do you dislike it?”

Observing his expression, Kiyen voiced his anxiety in a small voice. Then, a soft laugh escaped.

“How could I?”

Cullen took Kiyen’s hand, which was caressing his face.

“I am so happy that you would say such a thing to me, that’s why. Of course, I want to.”

Rubbing his lips on the back of the hand of the person he loved most in the world, Cullen met his eyes.

“My lover, Kiyen.”

Watching Cullen continue to kiss his hand, Kiyen’s eyes curved. A radiant smile bloomed in his eyes, which were bent in a perfect arc. In the peaceful silence of confirmed hearts, Cullen rested his forehead on Kiyen’s head. Embracing each other, Cullen slowly closed his eyes.

Thinking that the journey home would become even more enjoyable.