“Rain? The dragons couldn’t cross the sea because of mere rain?”
“Not just rain. Torrential rain. The dragons couldn’t use their strength.”
Myths never have scientific grounding. They’re stories where imagination is layered onto natural phenomena humans can’t understand.
Maybe that was why I couldn’t decide whether to believe the dragon myth Varen told me.
Still, I thought I understood why Maril called dragons “firewood.” If getting drenched left them helpless, maybe it really was a fitting nickname.
As I nodded quietly, Varen snapped irritably.
“So you’ve accepted the ‘firewood’ thing, Ceryl.”
“.......”
Had we been together too long? Varen seemed to read me far too well lately.
I shook my head and patted the angry dragon on the rear to calm him.
Still sounding sulky, he added the rest of the explanation.
“Talens are like children of the sea spirits. So they can’t help being enemies of dragons.”
“Hmm, I see. I wondered why you hated each other so much.”
“Now you understand?”
I understood the reasoning, but I still didn’t quite believe it. Just how much rain would it take to ground a house-sized dragon?
I had more questions, but it was only an oral legend anyway. Varen wouldn’t have clear answers either.
With my curiosity temporarily satisfied, I tugged him along to gather supplies for the monsters. The electrolyte water fixed the dehydration, but the kids were still terribly malnourished.
“They’re way too skinny. Even if we release them into the forest now, they won’t be able to hunt. We need to fatten them up first.”
Following me toward the warehouse, Varen stuck out his lip.
I shot him a sideways look, wondering what bothered him now, and he said without embarrassment,
“Ceryl, are you going fishing?”
“Fishing? Why would I fish?”
“You caught a red salmon yourself for me before.”
I stopped dead and stared up at him, dumbfounded. Seeing his sullen expression, I was left speechless.
I knew he was jealous and possessive, but I didn’t think he’d dislike me feeding other monsters too.
Pressing a throbbing forehead, I answered as gently as possible.
“I’m not going fishing. We don’t even have the equipment...”
“Then that’s fine.”
I’d expected a pointless argument, but he backed down surprisingly easily.
When I looked at him in confusion, he grabbed both my hands and enclosed them in his.
“Your hands are too delicate for fishing.”
“.......”
“If you ever have to put them in cold stream water, ask me instead. Fishing is easier than breathing for a dragon.”
It sounded like a proposal promising never to let a drop of water touch my hands, and I burst out laughing.
Watching me laugh, Varen simply fiddled with my hands. As if he truly believed they were fragile and breakable, he handled them with no strength at all.
The flow of a dragon’s thoughts was absurdly cute. I lifted both hands and gently pinched his cheeks.
“What’s delicate about them? I can even pinch a dragon like this.”
“That hurts, Ceryl.”
“Hurt? Since when does a Dravergh feel this?”
“Dravergh feel pain too.”
I decided to humor the shameless lie.
Since he said it hurt, I gently rubbed the cheek I’d been playing with...
“Does the dragon royalty have no dignity? Well, it’s nice to watch.”
A familiar voice sneered.
When I turned my head, Noance stood there with a crooked expression beside Adeline, who wore a mild smile. Behind them, several large men lined up as escorts.
Damn it. Why was it that every time I got close to Varen, someone always saw?
As I stiffly tried to lower my hand, Varen immediately grabbed my wrist.
While I tried to pull away and he tried to keep me from doing so, an irritated voice echoed in my head.
Varen, have some dignity.
Morpha’s voice, approaching while maintaining a perfect expression. Only then did Varen release my hand.
Varen and I turned toward the Rebel leadership. Morpha naturally stepped in front of us as they approached.
But Adeline looked only between me and Varen.
“How fascinating. How did a human become this close to a dragon?”
Her voice sounded gentle, yet it sent a chill down my spine.
I looked at her silently for a moment. Because in her eyes, beneath curiosity, I sensed greed.
But it wasn’t the same look humans had when they desired money or power. I couldn’t pinpoint it, yet Adeline wanted something from Varen.
Before I realized it, I had grabbed Varen’s hand and hidden it behind my back.
“...Why do you ask?”
“Was that rude? I just can’t believe humans and dragons could be friends.”
“Ah...”
Feeling the dragon’s warm temperature in my hand quickly eased my tension.
And thinking calmly, the relationship between me and Varen was one of the Rebels’ unsolved problems.
Even while pursuing dragon victory and total monster liberation, the two groups had never built trust. Because dragons held absolute distrust toward humans.
Once I reached that thought, my suspicion faded. It was actually a reasonable question.
So I gave Adeline the answer she wanted.
“Varen had ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) been imprisoned underground by humans. I saved him, and we formed a bond.”
“How did humans capture a dragon?”
“They kidnapped him before he hatched from the egg.”
“Where did they find the egg?”
“I’m not sure about that...”
As I faltered under the rapid-fire questions, Adeline laughed lightly and waved her hand.
“Sorry. That must have been difficult to answer.”
The uncomfortable conversation made me send an SOS glance toward Morpha. The dependable negotiator stepped forward, but Adeline raised her hand and stopped him.
“My apologies, Aylos. I’m very curious about you, but everyone has at least one secret they cannot reveal.”
The Rebel leader smiled warmly and looked at Varen — far more warmly than when she looked at me.
“What I want isn’t the human. I want the dragon. It’s enough if the Dravergh joins us.”
Something about her tone felt off. I glanced at Varen; he had clenched his fist tightly. Even Morpha looked subtly tense.
The atmosphere felt like a bomb about to explode. When awkward silence fell, Adeline smiled and pointed toward a distant tent.
“Even if the nearest city is close, travel will tire you. You should stay here for a while. We have much to discuss.”
With those final words, she turned sharply away. Four sturdy guards followed her, and Noance, left behind, shrugged.
“I’ll say this first — there’s no VIP room. Shared lodging for everyone. We’re short on beds.”
“What do you mean shared lodging?”
“At least it’s separated by gender. Adapt.”
“Wait. Hey!”
At that trivial notice, Varen reacted sharply and chased after Noance.
Left alone, Morpha and I sighed in relief at the same time. Dropping the poker face, Morpha’s face filled with irritation.
For some reason, I always felt intimidated around Morpha — even more so now that they wore the form of a large man like Varen.
“Morpha, did the negotiation go—”
“Are you satisfied now?”
Why was I being scolded again? I didn’t know, but I put on a guilty expression first.
Morpha exhaled deeply, hands on hips. The face of a man in his thirties looked exhausted.
“Lord Varen left the negotiation first. Because he was worried about you, Ceryl.”
“.......”
“I never knew Lord Ordin’s son would be such a fool for affection.”
Great. His resolution to become a proper Dravergh didn’t even last a day.
I forced a stiff smile as my head throbbed.
Then Morpha brushed back his bangs and said flatly,
“Ceryl, from now on attend every meeting with Lord Varen. If you’re not in front of him, he becomes anxious.”
I’d been bracing for a lecture, but Morpha said something completely unexpected.
It was the exact opposite of what they told me last night — to act wisely.
When I stared blankly, they frowned and glared at Varen’s back.
“All of Lord Varen’s attention is focused on you. Even in important meetings he cannot keep his composure.”
“...Sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone does, it’s for making Lord Varen completely infatuated with you.”
“...Right. My fault then.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
For some reason, Zed’s words about using charm on a dragon suddenly came back to mind.
