RODH Chapter 5

5.

The jagged walls glittered with Dragon’s Tears, shining like jewels.

Just one of those would be enough to expose the spy, so I did my best to climb up the pillar.

The first step wasn’t so hard.

But the second step… that was a problem.

I clung to the pillar for a moment, but soon enough, my body slipped down under its own weight. The column was slick from the evening dew, but, honestly, it was mostly because of my lack of basic upper body strength.

I had the stamina to party, but not to climb a wall. As I was about to curse my indulgent lifestyle, I realized I couldn’t just sit there and mope. I needed a solution, and quick.

After a bit of thinking, a rather effective alternative sprang to mind.

“Dragon’s Tears are soft enough to break.”

So, if I hit one with something, I could probably get it down easily.

I stepped off the terrace and searched for Bain.

He was clearly flustered, looking around in the crowd for me, his face showing the strain of being jostled by people.

“Young master, do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?”

Ignoring his complaints, I asked him to fetch a cushion to catch the falling Dragon’s Tear.

“Bain, go borrow a long, soft cushion.”

“What?”

“Just do it, no questions. I’ll be on the terrace.”

“But that’s the opposite direction of the terrace!”

As night fell, the crowd swelled even more. Bain was right; I was actually heading in the opposite direction.

To hit the Dragon’s Tear, I obviously needed some rocks, didn’t I?

*I’m a genius!*

With smug satisfaction, I searched through the garden, filling my pockets with rocks perfect for throwing.

Then, I heard a rustling sound and instinctively crouched down.

Could it be the groundskeeper?

It’d be pretty awkward if I were caught here.

But to my surprise, it wasn’t the groundskeeper.

“Hah, we really shouldn’t be here…”

“Heh, if we shouldn’t, then why did you come all the way out to the garden?”

“Oh, you know why! Why are you asking?”

“Come here. Let me hold you close.”

Putting on a show, aren’t they?

Ignoring the couple, I continued stuffing my back pockets with rocks before heading back toward the mansion.

The clinking rocks in my pockets drew annoyed looks and muttered complaints from those I bumped into, so I did my best to avoid brushing against anyone.

At one point, a gap opened up in the crowd, and I stepped forward, thinking I could slip through more easily.

And then I saw him.

Seor.

Even at a party, he wore his ceremonial uniform with a red sash draped over one shoulder.

With his distinctive attire, even with a mask, people instinctively moved out of his way.

If he saw me, I could forget all about the Dragon’s Tear.

I quickly turned, trying to blend into the bustling crowd.

But Seor’s voice rang out, catching my attention.

“Who’s that with the cat mask? That back looks suspiciously like Ian Pearl Ruben’s.”

He hated me, yet he could recognize me from the back like a hawk.

I maneuvered through the crowd, weaving around people to avoid his trailing knights.

They couldn’t just push people out of the way, so they soon lost sight of me.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, I plucked a glass of wine off a passing attendant’s tray, feigning casual interest as I slipped onto the terrace.

I promptly discarded the wine, shut the terrace door behind me, and breathed a sigh of relief.

And that’s when a strange voice cut through the silence.

“Wine’s meant for drinking, you know?”

“Ahhh!”

In the shadowed corner of the terrace stood a man wearing a lizard mask.

My heart nearly leapt out of my chest from the shock.

No, Ian Pearl Ruben. You’re a proud son of House Ruben. You’ve got this.

I steadied myself, looked him in the eye, and spoke calmly.

As the dim light from the window faintly illuminated him, I noticed the intricate gold embroidery on his attire. He must be someone of considerable status.

“I don’t know who you are, but I apologize for disturbing you.”

“What do you have in your pockets?”

I looked down to see my pockets bulging on both sides, making them look almost comically swollen.

“Oh, these….”

“It’s best not to lie in front of me. I despise lies.”

There was a hint of menace in his voice.

Honestly, I wasn’t about to risk my life hiding a few stones, so I decided to be upfront.

“They’re stones.”

“Stones?”

“Yes. You see that over there?”

I pointed to the ceiling, and he followed my gaze.

“You’re after the Dragon’s Tear?”

“Yes. I don’t have the stamina to climb up and get it myself.”

“Trying to steal a dragon’s treasure from the Dragon’s Lair? You’ve got guts.”

I cast a glance at him, wondering if I’d offended him somehow, but he seemed rather indifferent.

So I continued with my plan.

At first, I managed to hit my target a few times, but as I grew tired, my aim started to falter, and stones began flying off toward the garden instead.

“Where are these stones coming from?”

“Watch out! Ouch! Who keeps throwing rocks?”

“Please, just let me knock one down and be done with it. I don’t want to keep bothering people,” I muttered, making a silent wish.

Finally, as if he couldn’t stand to watch any longer, the man stepped forward.

As he approached, I realized he was surprisingly tall and slim.

“With stones, you do it like this.”

Taking a rock from my hand, he aimed perfectly and hit one of the Dragon’s Tears hanging from the ceiling.

“That’s how you throw.”

In an instant, it fell, and I quickly shed my jacket to catch the delicate crystal, worried it might shatter.

“Got it…”

“You caught it well.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll be taking my reward.”

“Pardon?”

I hadn’t even asked for his help, and now he wanted a reward? This was outright robbery.

I looked at him in disbelief, meeting the audacious purple eyes behind his mask.

“Am I that attractive? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“…Can I be honest?”

“As I said, I despise lies.”

“You’re not attractive at all. In fact, you seem like a shameless thief. I never asked for your help, so why do you expect a reward?”

The man chuckled softly.

“As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the Dragon’s Tear, along with my jacket, and pulled it away from me.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Dragon’s Tears may look common, but they’re a treasure of the dragon clan. Someone like you, a mere outsider, can’t just walk away with it for no reason.”

The man began questioning me persistently, demanding to know why I needed the Dragon’s Tear. Once again, I had no choice but to tell the truth.

“To protect those dear to me.”

“Someone dear to you?”

“Yes. I have many people I care about, and I need the Dragon’s Tear to keep them safe.”

“Is that so?”

Though it seemed he had no intention of returning the treasure, he hesitated, then handed it back to me.

“Be sure to protect those who matter to you. Time lost is never regained.”

There was a note of bitterness in his voice, leaving me feeling strangely unsettled.

Carefully folding my jacket around the Dragon’s Tear to keep it safe, I reached into the small pocket inside my vest and took out a thumb-sized emerald.

“Consider this my thanks.”

“For me?”

“Yes. You mentioned you wanted a reward.”

“I have plenty of jewels already.”

Just take it.

“One more won’t make much difference, will it?”

“True enough.”

He held up the emerald between his thumb and forefinger, tilting it slightly to examine it from different angles.

“The cut is exquisite. And the color… it’s in a league of its own compared to typical emeralds.”

So much for saying he didn’t need jewels—he sounded like a connoisseur.

“You have a keen eye,” I said, hoping to make my exit.

As I tried to leave the terrace, he blocked the doorway with his body.

“As far as I know, there’s only one place that produces emeralds of this quality.”

“……”

“Lord Ruben. It seems you have an abundance of jewels.”

I’d been found out.

Trapped within his arms, my breathing felt embarrassingly loud.

He slipped the emerald into his front pocket and then encircled me completely with his arms.

What’s with this guy?

“Excuse me, but this is uncomfortable.”

“Good. It’s supposed to be.”

I shoved my hand against his chest, but it was like pushing against a rock; his body was absurdly solid.

“Does the heir of Ruben have a habit of groping Alphas’ chests, despite already having a fiancé?”

At his mocking tone, it finally clicked.

In this party, only one group of people wore lizard masks.

“A shameless dragon, touching an omega with a fiancé… how disgraceful,” I replied.

“So, you figured out who I am.”

He leaned closer to my ear, speaking in a lazy murmur.

“Ian Pearl Ruben.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Could it be…?

Without stopping, he reached up and pulled at the ties of my mask with his teeth, loosening it. The mask tilted, then slipped off entirely.

I watched in horror as he removed his mask in turn, revealing his face.

“What’s wrong? You look awfully pale.”

“L-let go of me, please.”

“No. Weren’t you the one who flirted with me?”

“Let go. Please, just…!”

“Why do you despise me so much?”

As my voice grew louder, the terrace door burst open with a loud bang.

“What exactly is going on here?”

I never thought I’d be this glad to see Seor.

Peter stood by his side, watching closely.

Yet, seeing the three men who’d ended my life all together made my heart pound with a sense of dread.

Lucian, however, ignored Seor entirely and leaned down to murmur to me.

“One sign of love is a heart that races like a mad horse, Lord Ruben.”

Has he lost his mind?

“And why exactly are you telling ‘me’ this?”

He chuckled, amused. “You’re quite entertaining.”

Seor, who had clearly had enough of being ignored, drew his sword.