TDAA Ch 64

While Siol panted like a fleeing herbivore, Eorzen kept his eyes fixed on him like a hunting beast. Not missing a single breath from Siol, not a single piece of shuddering pleasure, he pursued everything of his as if he had to possess it all.

There was no way Eorzen wouldn’t know about Siol’s condition.

But unlike Siol, who was surprised, scared, and trembling at the overly sensitive sensations, Eorzen only looked at him as if entranced, pressing his body closer.

“Ah, wait, just a moment!”

Eorzen bit down hard on Siol’s shoulder. Siol jumped as Eorzen’s hand gripped his thigh hard, and he shook his head.

Eorzen pulled Siol’s waist, pressing their bodies together, and looked into Siol’s face.

As if asking, what’s wrong?

“I don’t know… Heuk…!”

Siol moaned like a scream and clung tightly to Eorzen. His back was tingling. Eorzen was tracing his spine as if exploring it.

But the place he had fled to was ultimately Eorzen’s arms, and Siol, held tightly in the arms of the dragon tormenting him, could only shake his head.

“Ah, wait, no, ugh…!! No, that’s not…!”

Siol whimpered and panted.

What is wrong with me? Siol, filled with confusion, hugged Eorzen’s head tightly. As if it didn’t matter at all that the person tormenting him right now was Eorzen.

Then, unable to either escape or endure the strange pleasure, when he was half out of his mind, Siol’s eyes met Eorzen’s. With the blue dragon who was looking at him as if finding him extremely interesting. It was obvious he was enjoying his panting breaths and his increasingly sweet moans.

“Huuu…ngh…!”

Siol’s pride was hurt. He was originally an excellent guide. An excellent guide shouldn’t be swayed by their partner like this. Fired up with defiance, he grabbed Eorzen by the collar and pressed their lips together.

As the tingling sensation spread from the contact of mucous membranes, Siol more aggressively poured out his guiding pheromones. Then, he could feel Eorzen’s movements gradually slowing down. The hand that had been docilely supporting his bottom now gripped one buttock hard, and the touch that had been tickling around his spine also became sticky and slow.

Ah, I won. Siol smirked, their lips still pressed together.

“Ah…!”

And the next moment, he fell onto a bed. Where was this? When did we get here?

Without a moment to gather his thoughts in the confusion, Siol gasped and froze. Eorzen, standing in front of his knees, was taking off his coat and then his shirt. Eorzen’s intensely dark eyes stared persistently at Siol.

This was a bed, and Eorzen was half-naked and flushed with heat.

Th-this wasn’t what I intended….

“Eorzen-nim, can we just talk for a moment—, Ugh…!”

Eorzen, not even pretending to listen, crawled over and covered Siol’s body with his own.

Siol backed away toward the inside of the bed, blaming his own stupid head. What was the point of trying to talk to a dragon who had gone berserk and had no proper reason? It was a ridiculous suggestion.

Siol recalled how Eorzen had been when he went berserk at the Blue Dragon’s castle.

Eorzen, with whom he couldn’t communicate, who had kissed him with a deep, relentless persistence, who had bitten his neck and licked his blood. Eorzen had kept doing that, then locked Siol in a closet and acted as if to protect him. Thinking back, Siol was the one who had been impatient that day.

Siol had lured that innocent dragon into the closet and….

“Ah…!”

As if sensing that he was thinking of something else, Eorzen bit down hard on the tip of his chin. Siol instinctively pushed against Eorzen’s chest, but his strength gave out midway.

Could he truly reject this man?

When he had wanted this man all along?

In truth, Siol wanted it too. It was just that his body grew too hot every time the dragon’s touch landed on him….

Eorzen grabbed one of Siol’s hands, which was weakly pushing against his chest, pinned it above his head, and leaned in further. The dragon’s sharp canine teeth bit down hard on the skin above his collarbone. Then he licked it, then bit and licked again, repeating the motion as Eorzen’s head moved steadily up his neck.

Eorzen bit his neck once more before moving higher up to gaze at Siol ardently.

“My mate.”

The moment he heard those words, Siol felt a jolt run through his heart.

“My, blue dragon….”

Siol whispered, placing a hand on the nape of Eorzen’s neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

His body was still hypersensitive to Eorzen’s touch, trembling incomprehensibly, and unbelievably aroused. But now, he thought he understood.

This was the first time Siol was being held by Eorzen as himself.

The first time, he had stepped forward simply as a guide to treat Eorzen, and the next, he had thrown his body at him under the excuse that they had both gone berserk. But now, there were no lies between them.

After one deep kiss ended, Siol and Eorzen met each other’s eyes, feeling the other’s breath.

“……”

This man is going to ruin me tonight.

Siol took a slow, deep breath, suppressing his fear.

But haven’t I always dreamed of being ruined and broken at this man’s hands?

As if he could wait no longer, Eorzen’s hand began to grope its way up from around Siol’s waist, to his stomach, and then higher. Siol’s breaths grew ragged as he swallowed a moan.

Siol squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.

“…Put that, away.”

That was the only thing he could think to say to buy some time.

Eorzen immediately retracted his wings, and Siol had no choice but to let Eorzen strip off his clothes one by one.

However, his resolve crumbled the moment Eorzen’s hand slid up from the back of his knees and squeezed his thigh hard. His stomach fluttered and his breath caught in his throat.

Through his blurry vision, Siol saw Eorzen covering him again, pressing down on his body, and a wave of fear washed over him. In truth, the two had done nothing yet. They had only kissed a little, and his waist, back, and thighs had been groped a bit. They hadn’t, hadn’t even properly started yet, but to be like this already…!

“Ah…, no, wait…. Really, ahh…!”

Siol groaned, trying to push away Eorzen who was once again biting his neck and groping his body.

“No, not so much like this…! Ah, no…! I’m, I’m being strange…. I’m, today, so… ugh…!”

But the beast, believing it had already been given permission, did not retreat and began to devour its mate, paying no mind to such small protests.

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

Siol groaned and woke from his sleep, his eyes immediately meeting Eorzen’s. Eorzen, who had woken up at some point, was staring at Siol without even blinking. When Siol opened his eyes, Eorzen’s eyelashes fluttered.

“……”

“……”

In the silence, the two just looked at each other for a moment.

Eorzen’s expression was so cold that it was difficult to read what he was thinking. But Siol noticed that Eorzen’s eyes were filled with fear.

Siol reached out a hand to cup Eorzen’s cheek and spoke in a voice still thick with sleep.

“Can I kiss you?”

At that, Eorzen let out a suppressed groan like a curse and surged up to cover Siol. His lips parted, and his tongue pushed into Siol’s mouth. It was a kiss as rough and violent as Eorzen was at this moment. His tongue still tingled. Held tight so that he couldn’t pull his head back or turn it to the side, Siol had to close his eyes in a daze and accept Eorzen’s breath.

His arms were, at some point, wrapped around Eorzen’s neck. Siol slid his hand into the hair at the back of Eorzen’s head. The fine, silver hair rustled through his fingers. He was growing breathless and his body was losing its strength. Today, too, Eorzen’s kiss was so deep and rough.

Panting, Siol opened his closed eyes and met Eorzen’s gaze.

“……”

Has he been looking at me like this the whole time?

With such desire-filled eyes, so relentlessly, as if he would never look away?

When their eyes met, Eorzen, who flinched his eyes as if startled, stopped licking the inside of Siol’s mouth. Their lips parted slowly. Feeling a sense of loss, Siol lightly bit Eorzen’s lower lip before letting go. Eorzen drew in a sharp breath and opened his mouth again, but soon pulled his body back. Siol, who had been expecting another kiss, let out a disappointed sigh.

Siol caught his breath and checked Eorzen’s expression.

Eorzen spoke fiercely, yet with a pleading desperation.

“You must not, provoke me.”

“Why?”

“Because what just happened will happen again!”

At those words, Siol pouted and retorted.

“But I like kissing you, Eorzen.”

Eorzen slammed his head down right next to Siol’s, making a sound like a growl. It seemed like he was holding back, but also like he was angry. Siol sighed and hugged Eorzen’s head. Eorzen flinched for a moment but didn’t pull away, quietly accepting Siol’s warmth.

“We need to talk.”

“……”

“Though it’s not something I, who was always running away, should be saying.”

Siol chuckled and continued speaking as he gently stroked Eorzen’s hair.

“So tell me. Why are you so angry?”

“…I am not angry at you.”

“Then?”

Eorzen was silent for a moment before he said.

“I hate, that you are put in danger. But, the fact that the one who puts you in the most danger is me is so horrifying.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that….”

The dragon, who had been hunched over, straightened up to meet Siol’s eyes. The dragon who, just moments ago, had seemed so fragile he might disappear with a single touch, was now soaked in anger. With reddened eyes, Eorzen whispered, cutting Siol off.

“Siol, is there another dragon in this world as foolish as I am.”

The dragon let out a hollow laugh, his face twisted as if mocking himself.

“Look at the things I have done to you. I didn’t recognize you and killed you, placed a curse on you, and even when I saw you in your original body I didn’t know you were my mate, I fell for Nathaniel’s schemes and for a moment mistook him for my mate, I left saying I would do what you were supposed to do yet I stayed by your side pretending to be a mouse, and then whenever you were drunk or asleep I tempted you again and again to return with me, and, and….”

Eorzen panted, as if it was difficult to speak. But he forced out the words that wouldn’t come.

“Even now, my left hand is holding your heart. This caused you pain to the brink of death, yet I still….”

A tear dropped from Eorzen’s eye. He had, at some point, put on a mask-like, expressionless face. From his cool, cold face, a tear that had welled up in his chilly blue eyes traced a path down his cheek and fell onto Siol.

“So Siol, from now on you must scorn me, loathe me, fear me, and be wary of me.”

“……”

“Because I, am the greatest threat to you.”

Oh my god. Siol groaned without making a sound.

He knew that Eorzen sometimes wore a precarious expression.

He had also guessed that he was having some kind of bad thoughts. When guiding was that ineffective, there was a high probability of a psychological problem.

But he never imagined he would be blaming himself like this.

“Eorzen.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“What?”

“It’s alright if you hate me, Siol. Because that is only natural.”

With an expression as if he were being strangled, Eorzen nodded with difficulty.

“I can endure it. It’s nothing. It’s much easier than losing you. So, hate me with an easy heart. Hate and resent me, for all the hardship I’ve put you through…, and stay alive. As long as you’re alive, just alive, I….”

“Just… stay alive?”

Eorzen placed his hand on Siol’s left chest and nodded seriously.

“Yes. As long as this heart doesn’t stop, I will be satisfied.”

Oh my god.

Siol muttered to himself once more.

This man had already concluded that Siol would hate him. No, rather, he believed it was what Siol should do.

The reason was probably to protect Siol.

The dragon’s insistence that Siol must never love him for what he had done was based on guilt, self-loathing, and love for Siol. The dragon cherished Siol so much that he despised, loathed, and could not forgive himself for committing such terrible acts against him. And he believed Siol should rightfully do the same.

This was not an issue that had developed overnight. It was surely the reason why, no matter how much guiding Siol secretly poured into him every night on the way to Arthem, his berserk level would just rise again the next day, and the reason he suffered as if having nightmares.

The entire journey from the Meric territory to Arthem, while holding him tenderly and whispering sweet words, this man was dreading the terrible future that was approaching moment by moment. At night, he dreamed of that future, and when he woke, he would look at the unsuspecting Siol and sink into guilt once more, then hide that fear and act tenderly again….

Repeating that pain day after day.

“……”

Siol was at a loss as to where he should even begin to correct this.

I can’t possibly keep up with the way a dragon’s mind works, Siol thought, dumbfounded.

As if unable to bear the silence, Eorzen abruptly asked.

“Are you going to abandon me?”

His defiant, glaring eyes were slightly hidden by wet eyelashes. He tried to disguise it with anger, but in reality, his eyes were just sorrowful and pitiful.

Perhaps this man could have hidden this guilt, this self-loathing, for his entire life. Just as he had on the journey from Meric to Arthem, he could have put on a facade of tenderness and kindness, held Siol, sat down for meals together, and gone on dates disguised as walks, waiting for Siol to achieve what he wanted. Then, after everything was over, he might have confessed only a part of the truth to seduce Siol. In fact, that was likely the dragon’s original plan.

The reason the plan fell apart was because Siol had nearly died.

Because he couldn’t bear to see Siol collapse, unconscious.

Because he was afraid that Siol would die.

“Please, don’t…. I, you can’t leave me anyway. So… such an attempt is meaningless. It will just… just pierce my… my heart.”

Eorzen declared with eyes shining a stark blue. As if he had imagined such a moment, Eorzen squeezed his eyes shut and opened them with difficulty, a tear rolling down his cheek. It was a sorrowful, heartbreaking tear.

There was a time when he had imagined this man crying. Begging for love in front of his one and only mate, getting antsy and flustered, and finally pleading with tears. He had thought it would make him happy, but seeing such a sight before his eyes now, his heart ached.

Perhaps he had been taking the position of the dragon’s mate too lightly until now. The dragon’s mate was a being who could be either the water of life or poison to the dragon. Eorzen, who had been without a mate for so long, was especially sensitive.

Siol reached out and wiped the tears from Eorzen’s cheek. Eorzen tried to grab the hand as it moved away after wiping the tear, but he clenched his teeth and held back, looking as pained as if his own heart had been torn out. Yet even so, he did not take his eyes off Siol. Beneath his damp eyelashes, his blue eyes stared at Siol with persistence.

As if trying to forever commit to memory something he might never see again.

Siol could not hold back any longer and pulled Eorzen in, kissing his wet eyelid.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Really?”

Eorzen asked back urgently. His hands fumbled for Siol, then wrapped around his back.

“Really,” Siol said, reassuring the dragon, and was surprised at himself. Siol knew he was a tremendous coward. In countless situations, he had hidden, run away, and trembled. The same was true in love. Lacking the confidence to be loved, he had always cowered.

That was why he was plagued by a compulsion to prove himself. He thought that if he didn’t prove himself, no one would listen to him. He believed no one would trust him. He thought that he had to prove himself to be trusted not only in matters related to the Alchemist of Death, but also in the trivial details of life.

But it was different now. He was, at some point, standing on solid ground. He now believed that Eorzen would trust him without him having to prove himself in every single thing. He believed in the dragon’s love without any doubt.

“I will never leave. And this heart, I’ll make sure it never stops. I promise.”

Siol whispered once more, comforting the frightened dragon.

To stand this firmly, Siol had needed to prove himself once. To know that he did not need to prove himself, he had to prove himself at least once. If only to realize that he didn’t have to.

So, the many things that happened in the human lands away from Eorzen were by no means a meaningless struggle. The problem was that while Siol, the coward, was gradually strengthened by soaking in the drizzling rain of love the dragon showered upon him, the dragon himself was slowly weakening. The dragon had been carving away at himself to solidify the ground beneath Siol’s feet.

“But… you must resent me, you must try to leave me.”

Siol held Eorzen’s cheeks as he offered his fumbling advice and scoffed.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“But, but I must protect you….”

“From you, Eorzen?”

“Yes.”

Eorzen nodded seriously.

“Because I am a being who brings you harm.”

“But you still won’t leave my side, will you?”

“That’s right. You finally understand what I’m saying.”

With wet eyes, Eorzen smiled faintly. It was the expression of someone who had resigned themselves to something. It was the attitude of one who believed that now that Siol understood everything, the future he had been imagining would finally come to pass. Eorzen clenched his teeth and balled his fists as if bracing for the coming pain.

However, Siol simply caressed Eorzen’s cheek gently with his thumb. When Eorzen, who had lowered his gaze, looked up with a puzzled expression, Siol whispered softly.

“Tell me why you will never leave my side.”

“Yes…?”

“Go on. Tell me what kind of being I am to you, that you won’t move even a single step away from me.”

His tone was seductive, as if coaxing him to confess a secret.

“…You are… my mate.”

Eorzen squeezed his eyes shut. Once he had said it, an uncontrollable passion surged within him. He had no idea how much he had wanted to say those words. His insides had burned with the desire to confess that the small wolf before him was his mate, and he had hovered by his side all along. What started as a low whisper soon reached Siol as a desperate cry.

“Siol, you are my mate. You are my mate. The one I love, my only, my eternal… my partner. I like you. I like you so much that I kept holding back. I thought I had to help you achieve what you wanted. Everything I sent from the beastmen lands to the human lands was a gift for you.”

“I know. It was a great help.”

“Did I… do well?”

Siol gave Eorzen a peck and nodded.

“You did very well. I was a huge coward back then, so that was probably for the best.”

I’m glad, Siol heard Eorzen say under his breath, and he pressed their lips together again. Eorzen, who had hesitated for a moment, responded to the kiss with an intense gentleness this time. Eorzen’s tongue licked the inside of his mouth politely and softly. It was careful and deliberate, as if trying to memorize the taste and texture of every spot.

“And don’t worry about the heart thing anymore.”

“What? How… No, I can’t.”

“I’ll just consider it a wedding gift.”

“…What?”

Towards Eorzen, who furrowed his brow as if he didn’t understand, Siol cleared his throat with a “harrumph” and said again.

“A wedding gift, I said. Actually, it’s only fair that I give you that much. Because I have your heart too, Eorzen.”

“Then, I will prepare it at once.”

“What? Prepare what?”

“A curse, so that you may hold my heart in your hand.”

Having received permission to continue holding his heart, Eorzen was half out of his mind. It was an unexpected luxury. He had, of course, intended to take his time and make amends after this was all over, but….

In that case, he must willingly place his own heart in Siol’s hand as well.

However, Siol rolled his eyes and refused.

“I don’t need a curse. Your heart is mine even without something like that, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Eorzen nodded his head readily.

“Then shall we feel it for a moment? It’s mine, so I can do as I please, right?”

Siol smiled slyly and slid his hand under Eorzen’s clothes. As his hand passed over the smooth stomach and rested on the heart, he could feel the thumping beat of the heart from beneath.

“Your… heart seems to be beating very fast….”

“That is only natural.”

Because you are by my side.

He could feel on his skin the desire, the greedy thirst he had seen in Eorzen’s eyes. The hand on Eorzen’s chest was hot enough to burn. Siol slowly swallowed a dry lump in his throat. This man, whose face alone looked so cold and proper, was hiding such intense desire beneath his clothes. He could feel the desire gradually swelling beneath the composed face.

In truth, he had been planning to do this from the start. To guide and stabilize Eorzen, who, though sane, had a body that was no different from when he was berserk.

But now that they had confirmed their feelings for each other, his heart was pounding too much to actually try anything. Seeing Eorzen lightly clench his left hand, Siol quickly placed his own hand over it and intertwined their fingers, so that Eorzen wouldn’t feel how fast his own heart was beating.

“This is forbidden for now. You doing this is a little… embarrassing.”

“Your heart is also beating fast, Siol.”

“Of course. It’s… the first time… since we became a couple.”

“A couple.”

“Don’t tell me we’re not?”

“Of course not. It’s just… I like it.”

Mumbling “a couple” one more time, Eorzen smiled more brightly than ever and slid his hand inside Siol’s shirt. His movements were so swift that before Siol had a chance to resist, his outer clothes were stripped away. The thick cardigan and vest came off in an instant.

As Siol shivered slightly in the cool air, Eorzen pulled him into an embrace and pressed his lips to his shoulder. His right hand brushed past Siol’s waist and spine before tracing over his shoulder blade. The large hand was surprisingly hot and sent a tingling sensation through him. However, the feeling was different from the jolt caused by the energy of a berserk state.

“Ngh….”

At the sensation of his shoulder being gently nipped, Siol let out a low moan and threaded his fingers into Eorzen’s hair. This beautiful man was now his. The shimmering silver hair, the clear blue eyes, and the fiery passion hidden within this man’s cool face would from now on belong to Siol alone. In particular, the fervent, burning gaze that looked as if it wanted to swallow him whole was a secret that from now on, forever, no one but Siol would ever see.

Looking into those eyes, a thought suddenly came to him.

“There is one thing that’s been bothering me….”

Eorzen didn’t wait for Siol to finish and moved his lips to his collarbone.

The man’s desire was gradually overwhelming Siol. Before he knew it, Siol found himself pinned beneath the man, who had pushed a knee between his legs and was covering him from above, looking up at him.

“Then… were my dreams real too?”

Halt. Eorzen froze and awkwardly averted his gaze. There was no need to hear the answer. Siol groaned with a “kuung” and covered his face with both hands. The embarrassment he hadn’t had a chance to feel while comforting Eorzen came rushing in all at once. With his face flushed red, Siol tried his best to ignore the fact that it was as if his every single move had been under Eorzen’s observation.

“…Wait, then the one who whispered for me to go back was really you, Eorzen?”

When Siol abruptly lowered his hands and interrogated him, Eorzen lifted his upper body. He nonchalantly tossed off his outer garments and whipped off his shirt as well. His body was smooth and muscular. To not even answer the question and suddenly strip—could this be an attempt to use his good looks to his advantage?

Before Siol could even think how absurd, Eorzen gave him a beautiful eye-smile. It was definitely a beauty trap.

“Actually, I’d like to ask you again right now, Siol.”

“Yes?”

“Siol, dragons have a tradition of returning to the dragon city to hold a wedding ceremony when they meet their mate. So please….”

So, he was asking him to go get married together….

It was a completely different kind of temptation from the random pestering he’d done before. If it’s a dragon tradition, then it should be honored….

Siol, who had almost fallen for it completely, snapped back to his senses. Eorzen made a blatantly disappointed face, but soon smiled sweetly and leaned down towards Siol again. However, he didn’t cover Siol completely like before. Eorzen kissed Siol’s stomach, then slid down, his lips still pressed against his skin.

“Ah, w-wait a minute! Eo, Eorzen…!”

Siol clamped a hand over his mouth and curled his toes. Ah, no way…. This, this….

⋆୨🔮୧⋆

His whole body ached. Not just his arms and legs, but even places like his stomach and back were sore and stiff.

Ah. If I’m going to keep doing this with Eorzen, I should probably start working out…. Siol groaned and, in a half-asleep state, massaged his sore neck, but pulled his hand back because of the stinging pain. Eorzen had a strange habit. He couldn’t leave a mouth unoccupied. Eorzen had to be licking the inside of Siol’s mouth the whole time, or at least biting his shoulder or neck. Otherwise, he kept losing control of his pace and becoming too rough and fast, so when it became too much for Siol, instead of saying “slower,” he sought out Eorzen’s lips.

Perhaps he had unconsciously opened his mouth while thinking that. Eorzen let out a low laugh and pressed their mouths together. Siol, half-asleep, accepted Eorzen’s tongue before opening his eyes and giving it a light bite.

“…What are you doing to a sleeping person….”

His voice was completely hoarse and pathetic. At that, Eorzen stopped kissing him, but his hands started slyly roaming his body instead. Siol was too exhausted to have the strength to resist, so he just let his body be Eorzen’s for a moment, but when a hand subtly tried to grope his thigh, he shoved it away forcefully.

Dragons really have no conscience. How can he be so clingy again in the morning after all that?

“I told you… to stop…. You don’t listen to me at all…!”

“I’m sorry.”

Although he was apologizing, his voice was laced with laughter, and his expression wasn’t repentant at all, which made Siol feel grumpy for no reason. It was even more so because Eorzen’s face, beautiful on any given day, seemed to be shining with particular radiance. We did it together, so why is he the only one who looks perfectly fine? Siol felt it was incredibly unfair, but his opponent was a dragon. There was nothing he could say, as Eorzen was a beast among beasts, incomparably stronger than even Ryufen in a physical fight.

Eorzen dressed his mate, who was still half-asleep. Siol, though a bit annoyed, obediently offered his hands or legs as requested.

“Doing it sitting up… I don’t like it.”

“You didn’t like it? But earlier, you definitely….”

“It’s just too, tiring… is what I’m saying….”

“Wasn’t it nice being able to hold you so tightly?”

“That part… was… nice, but it’s exhausting…. It’s too… ugh.”

As Siol groaned and patted his lower back, Eorzen began to knead the area for him. His touch was skillful. Where did he learn something like this? He’s a dragon, for goodness’ sake; it’s not like he would have taken massage lessons.

“…Did your father… teach you?”

“How did you know?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it….”

He thought he had spent a considerable amount of time with Eorzen, but it was only since yesterday that he had learned more about what kind of beings dragons were. Eorzen, whom he had always thought of as a gentle man, was more stubborn and persistent than he expected. He wasn’t coercive, but he kept gently coaxing and pleading to get whatever he wanted.

No, has he always been like this? Siol tilted his head, recalling Eorzen back at the castle. Eorzen, who had constantly picked him up and fed him.

But back then, he couldn’t refuse because he was trying to read the situation, so he had no choice but to go along with whatever was suggested. The situation now was completely different from then. Siol, ignoring the fact that he himself was also at fault for giving in to all the pleading, pouted his lips and glared at Eorzen. Receiving that gaze, Eorzen smiled softly, tilted his head, and kissed the corner of Siol’s eye.

“……”

Siol resented himself for being so easily soothed by something like this.

Seeing him acting all cute, a complete change from the tyrant he was last night, a thought that this large man was cute welled up inside him. Eorzen, with his dignified shell cast aside, was a little different from what he had thought, but even that weak and unstable side of him was lovable. In fact, seeing that side of him made him feel reassured, as it made the fact that he was this dragon’s mate feel more real.

Probably, the only person who could see that side of the Blue Dragon was him, his mate.

“Siol, there’s something I’d like to check for a moment.”

“What is it?”

“May I lick the curse mark for a moment?”

“……”

The curse mark? Siol recalled where his curse mark was and narrowed his eyes.

As Siol glared sulkily, Eorzen chuckled, pulled Siol in, and sat him on his lap. Siol seriously considered whether he should struggle, but decided to try refusing politely with words first.

“Eorzen, we need to leave now.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

If that’s not what you’re trying to do, then what’s the ulterior motive for sitting me on your lap?

Siol firmly grabbed Eorzen’s hand as he started to undo the buttons he himself had just fastened a moment ago.

“Then what is it?”

“I want to check if I can break the curse.”

“…You can… break it?”

“Yes. Of course, it will take some time. But last night while I was licking your collarbone, I discovered a strange hint, so I might be able to shorten the time a little.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant you, Eorzen.”

“Yes?”

“You like holding my heart, don’t you.”

Eorzen was at a loss for words at the unexpected point. He hadn’t realized that part had been found out.

Siol waited until Eorzen, who opened and closed his mouth several times as if trying to speak, had calmed down enough. It wasn’t a comment meant as a reprimand in the first place. He placed a few pecks on Eorzen’s trembling eyelashes and gently touched their foreheads together.

“If you were the kind of dragon who held my heart and brandished it about, I wouldn’t have liked you in the first place.”

“…Yes. I like it….”

At that soothing voice, Eorzen finally confessed his true feelings.

Siol pushed Eorzen’s fallen hair back and replied, “It’s okay.” It was his permission to keep holding it if he wanted to.

Thinking about it again, the dragon’s curse wasn’t that big of a penalty for him. The curse that he would not find a mate had been overcome like this, and he had become lovers with the Blue Dragon; the curse that he would wither was not particularly inconvenient to his human senses; and the curse that he would be accompanied by death had placed his heart in Eorzen’s hand, but Siol trusted his lover. Surely Eorzen wouldn’t twist his heart knowingly.

“But this curse is making your body weak, Siol.”

“Then could you perhaps remove only that part?”

“I cannot.”

“Then it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.”

Eorzen said firmly and finished unbuttoning Siol’s shirt. This time, Siol didn’t stop him. He just looked inside his shirt with somewhat troubled eyes. There, the spell Siol had cast on himself and the dragon’s curse Eorzen had cast were overlapping.

“…Actually, it feels strange to think that if the curse is broken, I might really become a beastman.”

“Do you dislike being a beastman?”

“I’ve lived as a human my whole life. I have ears and a tail now, and I can even manifest, but it doesn’t feel that real.”

Siol thought that might be why he hadn’t manifested even once after leaving the beastmen lands. As he stayed in the basement with a lot on his mind, he had become increasingly afraid to admit that his existence had changed.

“At Marsiga’s tower, when I took my last breath… I felt like I had become a completely different person. What if that happens?”

“It won’t. You were just in a berserk state then.”

“But….”

“…Then how about this. When the curse is almost completely broken, you will be the one to choose. I will only proceed to the point just before it breaks, so that you can break the curse whenever you wish. Of course, it will take time.”

Hearing that the choice was his, Siol felt relieved.

His heart at ease, he generously offered his body to Eorzen. Believing this was purely an experiment regarding the curse, Siol did not see the greed and lust that rose and subsided in Eorzen’s eyes. Of course, it wasn’t an entirely false statement. However, Eorzen was a dragon capable of conducting an experiment and coveting Siol at the same time.

The only reason he didn’t was purely because he didn’t want to be disliked by Siol, who was sincerely committed to the experiment.

“So what kind of experiment are you going to do?”

Eorzen did not answer, instead swiftly unbuttoning the shirt and spreading it open, then nibbling on the dragon’s mark and sucking on it forcefully.

“Ah…!”

Having moaned involuntarily, Siol covered his mouth with both hands and looked at Eorzen suspiciously. It was a look of inquiry, trying to figure out if everything he had said so far was nonsense and just a setup for the next round.

Eorzen, feeling that gaze on the crown of his head, paid it no mind and continued to persistently bite, lick, and suck on the curse. Just as Siol’s suspicion was turning into certainty, Eorzen’s hand lightly swept from Siol’s waist up to his back.

“Ugh…! Eorzen!”

“I was right after all, Siol.”

Eorzen pulled his upper body back, turned his head to the side, and spat something out with a “ptoo.” Something like dark smoke scattered into the air. Siol, who had been about to reprimand Eorzen just a moment ago, completely forgot his complaints upon seeing the sight.

“What… what on earth is that?”

“I sucked out the curse.”

Come to think of it, the dragon’s mark that Eorzen had been biting and sucking seemed to have faded a little. It was hard to tell because his skin was reddened and bruised, but….

“I will get rid of it for you as quickly as possible.”

“……”

Didn’t he just lick his lips a moment ago…?

Siol quickly straightened his shirt to cover the mark of the curse. Something was suspicious and not to his liking, but it didn’t seem to be a lie either, so it was awkward to tell him to stop.

For some reason, he felt a simmering anger. As he re-buttoned his shirt, Siol racked his brain for something to say that would torment the man in front of him.

“Eorzen.”

When Siol reached out his hand, Eorzen leaned his cheek against it as if he had been waiting. Eorzen’s stark blue eyes gazed deeply at Siol. And on the ring finger of Siol’s left hand, which was caressing his cheek, a stark blue gem also shone.

“Yesterday, I didn’t get a chance to ask because of the atmosphere….”

“Yes.”

“Was my harvest mouse really you, Eorzen?”

At the question, Eorzen’s cheeks flushed red. Eorzen awkwardly avoided his gaze as if he’d heard an unexpected question, then soon dropped his head in resignation.

“…Yes.”

That small, cute harvest mouse was really Eorzen? To be honest, it didn’t overlap with Eorzen’s image at all. Besides, if Eorzen was that harvest mouse, that meant he had come to find Siol not long after he had left for the Meric territory.