It wasn’t until the next day that Abel was finally released from Karas’ grip. However, the intensity of the “bed exercise” they had not done for a long time left him bedridden for half a day. Karas, who seemed more energetic than ever, led the commanders out with the lord in tow, on a search for someone. Meanwhile, Abel struggled to get out of bed but finally managed to rise by evening.
What if Karas decides to do that all day again when he returns?
Feeling the threat to his life, Abel hurriedly devoured the meal the butler had brought him.
“Oh dear, if you eat so quickly, it’ll be bad for your digestion and negatively affect your skin.”
Despite the butler’s concerns, Abel continued to eat as if his life depended on it, but soon had to stop.
“Lord Regas. Uhm, there is a guest here to see you.”
Abel swallowed his food and asked at the servant’s words.
“A guest?”
“Yes, although she’s too young to be called a guest. She appears to be about eight years old.”
At the mention of a young child, a certain girl came to Abel’s mind.
Oh? The attendant child?!
Shoving the last bit of bread into his mouth, Abel hurriedly left the room. Although the servant mentioned the child had come alone, Abel assumed her mother might have accompanied her, so he followed the servant to the back garden. When he spotted the girl in the distance, Abel approached the child alone.
“Did you manage to escape from the plains safely? Is your mother well…?”
As Abel approached with a smile, he stopped walking abruptly when he saw the child’s face turned towards him. She wasn’t the attendant child after all. It was only then that Abel noticed the child’s appearance.
Her hair was so white it almost appeared bluish, her skin as pale as snow, and her piercing blue eyes. Abel inhaled a sharp breath, trying to keep himself from making a sound. After a moment, as he calmed himself, the dragon, who had taken the form of a child, stepped closer.
「Your dragon doesn’t like me approaching you.」
She seemed to be explaining the reason why she had disguised herself as a child. Abel’s expression hardened at the way she referred to Karas as a dragon.
“The prince is a human.”
「To me, he feels just like a dragon.」
“Even so, he is still human.”
The dragon tilted her head slightly to the side and looked up at Abel.
「The ice trap that covered the mountain could never be restored to its original state once it is removed. I had already expended much of my power just to awaken after hundreds of years. Thus, if I hadn’t used the power I retrieved from the Ice Mountain elsewhere immediately, it might have scattered into nothingness. However, your prince, after dispelling the spell on the land, ordered me not to enter right away. He did it for you.」
“I know.”
「So, what else are you worried about? Are you afraid that the dragon’s cruelty will eventually consume him?」
When Abel couldn’t respond, the corners of the child’s lips seemed to curve slightly, almost as if she were smiling. Then, she began to speak of the past.
「It was when I had just covered the mountain with ice, waiting for the wizard who betrayed me. That was when that knight came to this land. I revealed myself to the knight because I sensed the presence of a dragon within him. That dragon was the very one who had subdued the red-eyed dragon. I believed that he could awaken the red-eyed dragon again and help me. However, all the knight had was a mere remnant of the dragon’s power. And he then told me that the dragon was sealed.」
Abel realized at that moment that the knight she was referring to was the one he had seen in the past.
「I was disappointed. All I could do was hope that the wizard would eventually come out on his own. But then, the knight, after hearing the situation, said something surprising. He claimed that in the future, someone with a power greater than his dragon would appear. Someone who could help me. When I asked who that person was, he only replied that it would be a human.」
Was she talking about Karas?
But how could the knight know about the future?
Abel was puzzled, but the dragon didn’t explain further.
「The knight said he was searching for the royal family who would inherit the power left by the dragon. And he was pleased because he thought he had found them.」
“What kind of… family was it?”
Nothing is known about Karas’s lineage, only that they became royalty when the kingdom was established.
What criteria did the knight use to find them?
「He said there was a family that had nearly been wiped out while defending their land against a dragon. The only one who was able to survive was a pregnant daughter-in-law. He believed they were suitable. Because they possessed emotions that the dragons lacked. Emotions like sacrifice, compassion, and empathy, are stronger than anyone else.」
Abel felt a lump rising in his throat, which he barely managed to swallow. The dragon, noticing Abel’s slight agitation, observed him quietly before she continued.
「But in my opinion, the human with the strongest emotions seemed to be that knight.」
“Is it because he asked a dragon to help him save the world?”
「No. He was worried about one thing. The despair that those who would inherit the throne with the power of the dragon would feel once they inevitably lost the person they loved most. And so, he wanted to do something for them. Despite having no power himself, he wished to grant their final prayer. Thus, I also told him one thing. If he wants to grant their wish, it’s simple. All he had to do was give up his own share as a knight and be buried in the dragon’s territory.」
“Give up his own share? Do you mean… his life?”
The dragon looked up at Abel, puzzled as to why he didn’t already know the answer and explained further. Abel’s eyes widened in shock as the realization hit him, but no sound came from his gaping mouth. The dragon added a few more words before taking a step back.
「Your prince is coming. He won’t be pleased to see me.」
With that, she turned her back on Abel, who was still motionless, but as if remembering something, she offered one last piece of advice. Her eyes gleamed playfully as she seemed to recall Karas’ arrogance.
「Oh, and if you want to live a long life by the prince’s side, be careful. From now on…」
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
The person most shocked upon seeing the captive Karas brought back was, without a doubt, the butler.
“Gasp! V-Viscount Charming!!!!!”
The butler’s voice, as if it would tear the air apart, unfortunately, wasn’t enough to wake Viscount Charming from his deep slumber. He was truly beautiful. Abel had thought only he could be that beautiful, but this Charming person was equally as stunning in appearance. Appearance only, of course.
The four knights who had suffered in bringing him back looked as if they had aged several decades in just half a day. Clara, who was particularly exhausted, locked him in a room and was the first to echo the butler’s shock.
“Butler! This man is a demon! How can someone so arrogant and self-centered exist in this world? And why is he so stupid on top of it all?! He doesn’t even know his place, constantly ordering us around like we’re his servants, and he even had the nerve to insult us, calling us ugly brothers! Why brothers?! The age difference between me and Sir Kin is big enough to be father and son!”
For once, even the other three commanders couldn’t help but agree with Clara’s lament. In fact, they even wished Clara would continue ranting on their behalf, as they were too tired to do it themselves. At that moment, Melmond, who had come to check out Charming, asked the commanders the most important question.
“But why did His Majesty bring this man here?”
However, none of the four exhausted commanders knew the reason. Feeling uneasy, Melmond asked another question.
“And why did he place him in the room right next to the one used by His Majesty and Abel? The two rooms are connected by a door, so the sounds can easily be heard between them.”
Melmond tilted his head in confusion, but he only realized the right answer the next morning.
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
As soon as Karas arrived at the lord’s mansion, he headed directly to find Abel behind the building. There, Abel stood staring blankly into space. Although a child had reportedly visited, there was no sign of them now. Even if they were still there, Karas could only see Abel at that moment.
The entire time he had ridden his horse back, all Karas could think about was Abel’s disheveled appearance in bed. As a result, his lower body reacted the moment he laid eyes on him. Wasting no time, he silently grabbed Abel’s arm and hurriedly led him inside the house.
Startled by his sudden appearance, Abel called out, ‘Prince?!’ But even that voice only heightened Karas’ excitement. He was desperate to hold him immediately. He wanted to see Abel moaning almost like a scream, his entire body trembling with pleasure, blushing so deeply that he was on the verge of tears from the overwhelming shame.
And it had to be intense enough for the person locked in the next room to hear. The one who had once blushed at the sight of him would now know who truly made Abel blush from head to toe. With narrowed eyes, Karas shot a glance toward the next room before pushing Abel into their room and slamming the door shut.
Bang!
With that sound, the room was filled with intense heat that lasted throughout the night.
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
Early the next morning, they finally set out on their journey back to the capital. Although everyone should have been pleased about heading home, it was the butler who was the most excited. He had spent the entire night unable to sleep due to his seething anger towards Viscount Charming, but his mood entirely changed when he saw the man in the morning.
Having been subjected to the sounds from the room next door, the moans, the slapping of flesh, Karas’ shameless demands, and Abel’s pleas to refuse them, Viscount Charming had suffered greatly. Though not in the way Karas had intended.
Listening to Abel’s moans would have made anyone writhe in excitement, and it certainly did for Charming. However, with his hands tied, he could do nothing about his arousal. The Viscount, who had spent the entire night with an erection, ended up doing something bizarre to relieve himself.
When the butler opened the door and went inside, he was greeted by the sight of Viscount Charming standing with his legs spread apart, frantically rubbing his pen1s against a thick bedpost. Seeing the normally vain man reduced to such a pitiful state, the butler couldn’t contain his laughter, feeling as if all the world’s grievances had been avenged in that moment.
Startled by the sudden entrance, Viscount Charming was left speechless as the butler pointed a mocking finger at him, laughing for what felt like an eternity. He laughed so hard that his jaw nearly dislocated, and it was only after someone finally intervened that the butler managed to stop. Yet, even as they left the lord’s estate and rode away in the carriage, the butler couldn’t stop chuckling, his lips twitching with amusement.
Melmond was also in high spirits, thinking about the local specialties he had received as a gift from the lord, which he planned to bring back to his wife. On top of that, a carriage was also loaded with an enormous supply of snake wine that Karas had practically extorted from the lord. Melmond was eager to take a few bottles for himself.
The journey home seemed like it would be nothing but joyous. Except for one person. As they stopped briefly in the fields for lunch, Karas approached Abel and whispered softly.
“I’m hungry.”
This phrase had somehow become a familiar code between them, and though Abel blushed slightly, his response this time was different. He said something Karas could hardly believe.
“That won’t be possible, Your Majesty.”
Abel cut Karas off firmly, looking up at him directly as he continued.
“I’ve heard that having intercourse more than three times a day drains one’s life energy and shortens their lifespan. For the sake of the prince’s health, I cannot comply.”
What kind of nonsense is this?
Not only was Karas shocked, but everyone else who heard Abel’s words also turned to look at him in disbelief. They wondered if he was making excuses because he was too tired, but Abel’s expression was resolute. Suddenly, Karas raised his head up, glaring at the people around them with sharp eyes.
Did one of you tell him that?
The murderous intent in his eyes was enough to make anyone feel like they were about to die. Those who met his gaze frantically shook their heads.
No, it wasn’t us!
We wouldn’t dare!
Who in their right mind would want to die by saying something like that?
After confirming that none of them were responsible for it, Karas turned back to Abel and asked in a low voice. All the others could hear was the sound of his teeth grinding as he asked.
“Who told you that?”
His hand was already on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to execute the culprit on the spot. However, the name that came out of Abel’s mouth was someone entirely unexpected.
“The dragon of Ice Mountain told me.”
Abel puffed out his chest proudly, showing great trust in the dragon’s words.
“She said that this way, the prince and I could live together for a long, long time.”
“……”
“Haha, isn’t she so thoughtful? She even went out of her way to visit me last night just to share this information…”
“Ashler!”
Before Abel could even finish speaking, Karas already turned around, calling for his subordinates. He then stormed off towards the tethered horses, issuing orders to the approaching commanders.
“We’re going back.”
“Ah? Your Majesty, but…”
They were all flustered and unsure of what to do, but Karas with his eyes now like a snake’s glinting with a grayish hue, was already growling out his next words.
“F*ck, I’m going to burn that d*mn pile of ice to the ground.”