#193

Leaving the confusion behind, Cullen entered the tent with the three Dragons. Not long after, mercenaries carrying several wooden tubs filled with bathwater came into the tent.

Among them was a familiar face. It was the middle-aged man who had accompanied Edel, the woman he had met in the County of Linden. He remembered Ulli’s parents and recognized her first, and it seemed natural that he was now traveling with Ulli.

The mercenaries’ eyes were drawn to the children, who bore the wings of Dragons they had never seen before, and to the unconscious Kiyen. After assessing the situation, the middle-aged man turned to them and dismissed them.

“Please leave for now.”

The mercenaries looked curious, but they obeyed the man’s words. He seemed to be one of the leaders here. As those who lingered turned to leave, the man bowed respectfully to Cullen.

“It is fortunate to see you again. Your Highn…”

The title of Crown Prince, a long-forgotten one, lingered on the man’s lips before fading. It seemed he had belatedly realized that the name of the Empire that once ruled the continent no longer existed.

“Call me Cullen.”

Cullen said his name calmly. Leaving the man there, he first laid Kiyen on a bed. It was a wooden bed with only a rough blanket, not a soft, cotton-filled comforter, so it didn’t look very comfortable.

But it was better than laying him on the bare ground. Although his wounds were slowly healing, his blood-soaked robe remained, and combined with his pale face, Cullen couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“There is an urgent matter now, so I would appreciate it if you could tell me your business later.”

At Cullen’s dry words, the man looked at Kiyen, then nodded.

“Yes. I just wanted to express my joy at seeing you again. The Lord worried about you and searched for you every day… Now, I can rest assured.”

Saying that, the man bowed and withdrew. The Dragons, who had overheard their conversation, scurried over to Cullen and Kiyen after the man left. Then, looking up at Cullen, they asked.

“Do you know all these humans, Cullen?”

“Do you know Cullen better than Kiyen?”

White’s and Cat’s questions poured out one after another. Black remained silent but stayed close, wanting to hear the answer.

To the question of whether they knew him better than Kiyen, Cullen fell silent. He had certainly wanted to know everything about Kiyen, but if asked if he truly knew him, Cullen couldn’t be sure.

The same was true in reverse. They had never truly understood each other. There were many reasons. He was a Dragon, and he didn’t understand Cullen’s way of thinking, and Cullen…

Ulli’s words flashed through Cullen’s mind. The words saying he was acting like the Dragon from before, as if he looked like him.

Recalling that, he felt momentarily confused. Clearly, Cullen was gradually beginning to understand Kiyen’s position by excluding emotions. This also meant he understood what the Dragon had been thinking and saying to him in the past.

“……We don’t know each other that well.”

Cullen said that, for starters. Then Cat spoke.

“But you know them a looooot more than that human woman, right?”

“But she saw Cullen-nim smile.”

White pointed out, and Cat pouted. Black, who had been silent, quietly asked,

“……Do you dislike us?”

At Black’s words, Cullen slightly squinted and looked at him. It was an uncharacteristic change in expression, but the child’s question was that unexpected.

“Are you asking if I dislike Lord Black?”

Black hesitated, then answered with a slight bow of his head.

“Yes.”

“Why did you think that?”

Cullen calmly observed Black. The thought that his own state of confusion had prevented him from paying attention to them crossed his mind. There was no way he disliked them. They were beings who could give him the happiness he couldn’t give Kiyen, and they reminded him of Kiyen simply by being Dragons.

Besides, the children were full of emotion. Unlike humans, they were mature for their young appearance and age. He couldn’t dislike them.

“Neither Cullen-nim nor the Guardian have ever smiled when you were with us……”

This was the first time the usually calm Black had sounded so dejected. Not stopping there, Black bit his lip slightly, then let go, and asked softly,

“And today… you looked angry too. Are you angry because of what I said on the mountain?”

He didn’t know the exact situation, but it seemed they were referring to his actions after Kiyen was injured. He hadn’t been rational since finding Kiyen lying there like that. It seemed his actions from that point on had made the child dejected.

Cullen had probably judged Black to be fine, as he was quiet, not much different from his own childhood. Unlike Cat or White, who expressed themselves clearly, the child had no great emotional fluctuations.

Cullen wore a troubled expression. As he tried to compartmentalize his emotions, questions that weakened him poured out. However, he couldn’t just leave the child like this. Cullen met Black’s gaze and sat down. Black then lifted his long eyelashes and looked at him.

“That is not the case. Today, Kiyen-nim was injured, so I couldn’t pay proper attention. Neither Kiyen-nim nor I dislike Lord Black or the other two.”

Then, Cat hugged Black from behind and peeked her head out.

“Then why don’t you smile for us?”

To the genuinely curious question, Cullen’s lips parted. The reason he didn’t smile…

However, he couldn’t recall the exact reason. He wasn’t unhappy, nor did he feel that way anymore. So, if he wanted to smile, it wouldn’t be particularly difficult. Yet, he hadn’t.

Kiyen was the same. Given how easily he showed his smile to Kia, Cullen had thought he would have shown it even more often to the children. But the children, speaking in unison, said Kiyen hadn’t smiled during the times he was absent, and that he was sad even now.

He truly couldn’t understand. He had thought everyone would be happy if he just stopped feeling anything, but that wasn’t the case.

As Cullen couldn’t answer, White quietly pulled the two children. The child with white eyelashes blinked and pulled Cat particularly close to him, saying to Cullen,

“Rest, Cullen-nim. We’ll go play outside. Lasano-nim looked sad, so we’ll go see him.”

“Why? I want to stay here!”

“You idiot, Kiyen is sick.”

Cat, who had been protesting, shut her mouth tightly at the mention of Kiyen being sick. Then she took Black’s hand. Holding onto each other, the children cautiously approached Kiyen and each kissed his cheek once. Then they left the tent.

He was already worried about the children, who drew attention, and leaving them like that was indeed a concern. They would be fine if left outside for just a moment.

Finally alone, Cullen carefully sat beside Kiyen. Then, he gently removed the robe again. As he slowly peeled it off from his upper body, he saw skin flushing pink. The perfect white upper body, like a sculpted piece, was a mess due to the beginning of its healing. As the robe came down, Kiyen’s body reacted, and the terrible penetrating wound was healing.

Next, he briefly examined the drooping golden wings. The wounds on the wings hadn’t healed yet, as the firm, brightly shining golden membrane was torn. The scorched and ripped marks remained. As he gazed at the wings, a symbol of Dragons, a thought suddenly struck him.

Will there be scars?

Cullen lowered his head quietly, thinking such thoughts. His face, which had touched his cheek while blocking attacks directed at him, brushed past his mind. With a sensation of pressure below his sternum, Cullen unconsciously touched his upper body. He had always protected him, but he had never embraced him so tenderly.

“You’re not injured.”

Despite being pierced through his entire body, Kiyen had said that. His breathing grew ragged. It was painful and confusing. He felt resentment, and at the same time, he felt an overwhelming pity. The thought of him stepping forward to protect someone like him, and ending up in this situation, tore at him.

Exhaling with a heavy breath, Cullen carefully laid his body against Kiyen’s chest. He bent his upper body and placed his ear between his ribs to hear his heartbeat. After the firm, soft sensation brushed against his ear, he heard the slow, deep throb of his heart. Only then did he feel relieved.

It had been a long time since they had touched like this, so Cullen kept his ear there longer than he had intended. The skin, having recovered his body temperature and become warm, evoked a familiar sensation. However, the faint scent he loved was not discernible amidst the smell of blood.

“……Cullen?”

At that moment, a low voice called him from directly above. The deep, hoarse voice was clearly tired and weary, but it was unmistakably Kiyen’s voice.

Cullen slowly raised his gaze. As he slightly lifted his head, their eyes met. There were golden-blue eyes staring at him with surprise.

“……Now……”

The Dragon’s eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe the situation at all. His trembling eyelashes looked bewildered, but at the same time, they were slowly tinged with joy.

“Were you here for me?”

Before he could even pull away, the Dragon’s hand lightly touched Cullen’s cheek.