It was a somewhat curt tone. My brain, running on two sleepless nights, struggled to keep up with a dragon’s psychology.
So—was he saying I lied because I said I would come at night but arrived at dawn?
Strictly speaking, it was a lie. He couldn’t know why I was late.
But the reaction felt... off, considering it was just that. It felt almost like the dragon was miffed.
Why? Why was he being so curt now? He had never been friendly, but this was different.
...No way.
“Ah! You were hungry!”
“.......”
“Sorry I’m late. But I was busy and didn’t get to eat dinner either. Really!”
Chains scraped lightly across stone. Then, something cut through the air.
So he was swinging his tail. Acting cute on purpose because I couldn’t see him?
“I am not hungry.”
“You didn’t eat anything today. You’re really not hungry?”
“Correct.”
He must have been starving all day. And salmon alone wasn’t nearly enough to fill that massive body.
Suddenly I remembered the monster corpses I cleaned up last night. I had wondered why all the limbs had been intact.
“What have you been eating, then? Did you eat at all?”
“No.”
“When was the last time you ate before I gave you salmon?”
“...Six months ago.”
They had said monster corpses were brought as feed around six months ago. He hadn’t touched any since.
“You starved for six months? Didn’t you get hungry?”
“Better to starve to death than eat my own kind.”
Ah... Ceryl, you absolute lunatic.
What the hell did I help do to him, to make someone who would rather die eventually eat monster flesh and go mad? I wanted to punch my own jaw with a clenched fist.
Even as a reader, I had been a hardline Rebel supporter—yet after entering the novel, my hatred for humans grew worse. The only difference was that now the sharpest blade of blame pointed at myself.
“...Sigh. At least eat the carrots. It’s better than starving. I’ll find a way to get salmon again.”
“It is fine.”
“It is not fine. Your stomach must be a mess!”
He was the one who had starved, but my own gut ached. I swore I would get salmon by any means necessary.
Then, the sound of chains dragging came closer. He was approaching.
I swallowed without realizing it, anticipation rising. The dragon spoke in a low, rough murmur.
“Ceryl Aylos. I will give you what you want.”
Let me touch your tail.
I barely stopped the truth from bursting out like a sneeze.
“So say your purpose. Do not waste my time.”
I thought we’d grown closer, but the wall of distrust was still there. Even though I’d promised myself to take it slow, I still felt a sharp pang of disappointment.
“Purpose? I told you. I came because I want to talk.”
“So now you intend to torture my mind.”
“Why do you keep calling it torture? Who even—”
My voice caught, rising from frustration.
From the first meeting, he’d said things about pulling out claws, cutting tails...
So those were all from experience?
The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. Dragons, tortured by humans? Impossible.
“You were being tortured? But why? You could break chains like this easily.”
“You truly do not know.”
“Yeah. I’m new here, I really don’t know. Are you injured or something? Is that why you can’t escape?”
Another faint brush of wind passed over me—he sighed constantly, it seemed.
“Is it from the torture? Are there aftereffects? Your tail and claws looked fine yesterday.”
I forced my head between the bars. I could only make out a flickering silhouette. It wasn’t enough to assess his condition.
“Such things would not even leave a wound.”
Right. I had forgotten—dragons were the strongest beings in this world.
Not just overwhelming offense, but the highest regenerative ability of any lifeform. Penetrating those thick scales was already near impossible—and even if wounded, the body would quickly regenerate.
Bits of the original story resurfaced, sharper than before—and with them, something that felt strange.
In the novel, dragons were never shown injured. But it was written that even if the heart were pierced, or claws ripped out, or the tail severed, it would not matter.
“...It was you, wasn’t it?”
“What are you talking about.”
Those were all facts obtained through torturing Varen.
My throat tightened. When I didn’t answer, he spoke again.
“Stop rambling and state your purpose.”
Purpose. The moment I heard that word, something struck deep.
From the first day I arrived, I had been searching—not just wandering, but seeking the reason for my existence in this world.
Why I, a veterinarian, among all readers?
Why here, in the Monster Containment Facility?
Why meet Varen, the last heir of the royal dragon bloodline?
Coincidences layered too perfectly become inevitability.
“...Listen. This might sound strange, but—I want to help you.”
“...What?”
“I’ll help you escape. I think... that’s the reason I was brought into this world.”
The question became certainty. A feeling I had never experienced in either life.
But the darkness gave no reply. I bit my lip hard, gripping the bars.
A long time passed before Varen finally spoke.
“These chains seal my mana. I cannot use my strength.”
I stretched my neck through the bars to look at the chains along the wall.
That made sense. Otherwise, no dragon would tolerate this. It was strange he had obediently remained imprisoned.
Humans really were creative—only in the worst ways.
But Jed’s office hadn’t contained a key to loosen these chains. They might never have been designed to be undone.
“...How am I meant to believe you? You will be in danger.”
At the unexpected remark, I pulled my head back from between the bars. It was tight enough that my temples felt bruised.
“Well, worst case—I die?”
“You are not afraid of death?”
“In this place, people risk their lives constantly. But if I die, I’d at least like to see you escape first.”
It was a second life. I had no deep attachment to survival anymore. But helping Varen—that mattered.
If he escaped before losing his sanity, the massacre of half the monsters could be prevented.
Even with that honesty, Varen growled.
“Absurd. No human is unafraid of death.”
“Don’t generalize. Not everyone’s the same.”
“If you are unafraid of death, then why have you not stepped inside the cell?”
“...What?”
“You cannot even enter, because you fear me.”
The dragon lowered himself and stepped forward—into the Lightstone’s range—on his own.
Even without salmon to lure him.
His golden scales shone so brightly they almost hurt to look at. I nearly reached out, but forced myself to stop.
“Ahem. So—you want me to come inside the cell?”
“You tell me to trust you, yet you do not trust me.”
Ah.
So that was the misunderstanding.
The ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) bars between us were meant to protect humans and imprison dragons.
But to me, they symbolized something else entirely.
“Haha—You think I’m not entering because I don’t trust you?”
When I first saw him, the dragon had been pressed tight against the wall—hiding in the darkness of the cramped pen.
I had seen this before. Abused rescue dogs acted just like that—trying to keep out of human sight. It was instinctive fear behavior.
“You’re the one who’s scared of me.”
Such beings took a long time to open their hearts. Fortunately, I had both the time and the experienc—
“How dare you! As if I would fear a human!”
...Or maybe not.
His pride must have taken a direct hit—his growling rose sharply.
Saying more would anger him further—but honestly, even the threatening noises sounded cute.
“Yeah. It’s really obvious you’re scared.”
“Ridiculous. A Dravergh fears humans?”
He pressed his face right up to the bars. Hot breath hit my skin, and his blue eyes gleamed like cold flame.
I stepped backward automatically.
So I could see him better.
“You are the one afraid. Look at you—backing away. Pitiful.”
Even when I had seen his tail and claws, I hadn’t been prepared.
Seeing his face up close rendered me speechless.
Some animals simply had exceptionally striking features—like cats that looked unreal, or dogs more handsome than most people.
I had only ever seen one dragon in person, but I was certain he ranked among the most beautiful of his kind.
“Say it again. Who is afraid—”
“But you’re really handsome.”
“.......”
“You get told that a lot, don’t you?”
The words slipped out before my brain could intervene—again.
But at least I said it calmly this time, so he didn’t flinch. Instead, his blue pupils trembled faintly.
“...I have never heard such a thing.”
“Really? Are dragon beauty standards different? Because from my perspective, you’re extremely handsome.”
“...No one has said such words to me.”
What a waste. If this world had dragon magazines, he could have been on the cover for three consecutive years.
“Tsk. No matter how I look at you, you’re a full-on beauty.”
“...Stop looking at me.”
