TEB Ch 41

Liev patted Renard’s broad back, ignoring the warning lights in his mind about the impending crisis. Renard whimpered.

“I missed you so much.”

As Liev rubbed Renard’s soft, smooth cheek, Renard stood still, making Liev laugh. His habits hadn’t changed at all from when he was young.

“…Me too.”

The warmth in his arms was so comforting that it felt like he might suffocate. Even if they were to part ways later, he felt like he couldn’t bear to let go of this hand now.

He was lost in a state of longing, oblivious to the imminent danger ahead. He had completely forgotten the crisis that followed the crazy declaration, “I’m going to make you lay my egg.”

*** 

After a while, Renard took Liev to the sky, to a place near a huge lake near the palace. It turned out they were not there to sit down and have a picnic, but to ride and fly. Sitting behind Renard with a saddle secured, Liev looked down and saw the sparkling waves like the milky way. 

“Look, isn’t it pretty? I wanted to show it to Liev too!” 

Perhaps Renard recorded the beautiful landscapes he had seen during their journey with the hero’s party? Knowing that he didn’t mean it when he abandoned him, he waited for the day to meet again. Liev’s heart suddenly felt tender. There has never been anyone in all these lifetimes who has given themselves to him like this. 

“Do you want to go down further?” 

Almost skimming the surface, Renard’s talons brushed the smooth water, creating a spray. Sunlight pouring from the sky caused droplets in the air to form a beautiful rainbow. Spring had arrived, painting the fields on the other side of the lake with various colors, creating a breathtaking scene straight out of a fairy tale.

How much longer did they fly like that? As Renard began to prepare to fold his wings, Liev wondered where they were heading. With a thud, they landed on a secluded plain overlooking the lake. 

“It’s nice that there’s nothing noisy here, and it’s quiet.” 

Then, Renard unfolded his wings and started dozing off as if leisurely sunbathing. Having grown to the size of a house over the past ten years, the shadow cast by the towering figure was like a mountain. Liev burst into laughter. 

“Why are you laughing?” 

Renard immediately asked with a voice full of dissatisfaction. 

“I just thought that you’ve really grown since the time we haven’t seen each other.” 

In response, Renard made a puffing sound with a sense of pride. 

“This is nothing yet. It’ll grow much bigger than this in the future. I will be even bigger than the Mahātra in a hundred years.” 

Liev had never actually seen Mahatra, but he remembered the description of the impression the hero’s party had when they encountered Mahatra. 

They said it literally felt like the steep, rocky mountain was moving. It was quite impressive that it was not just a metaphor but a mountain so large that it would take several hours to climb. If it were to surpass such a colossal Mahatra, then, he thought, it would be impossible to coexist with humans without adjusting to a polymorph size. Even if that day came, he would no longer be a person in this world. 

“That’s amazing. To catch up with Mahatra in just a hundred years.” 

As Liev patted Renard’s head while laughing, he suddenly noticed scales that had grown to the size of a palm. The scales on the head were a bit smaller than those on the stomach and back, which were as large as decent-sized trays. The fact that this gigantic body was maintaining its luster and growing at such a frightening speed made him realize that Renard’s closeness to a god was not for nothing.

“But doesn’t Liev like it better this way?”

The guy, who was dozing off lazily, suddenly said something strange. Liev was about to respond but was taken aback by a sudden light. When he opened his eyes again, a child the size he used to cuddle with was looking up at him, blinking.

“…!” 

Liev, who had been enjoying the sunbath alongside Renard, was instantly wide awake. 

“What? No, why suddenly?” 

He had to deny having such preferences, but in the face of the cute sight he hadn’t seen in a long time, his personal feelings couldn’t help but surface. 

By the time he regained his senses, he was already holding a child-sized Renard in his arms. Even though he knew that the creature inside wasn’t just a child saying cute things like “I like Liev”’ but rather a creature that learned strange words from somewhere.

“See, you still like it more when I’m smaller, right?” 

“No, it’s not like that!” 

Touching the small horns on his human head, he had nothing to say when asked to talk, even if he had ten mouths. But what to do with something so cute? In the first place, he became a veterinarian to fulfill this selfish desire.

“I don’t mind if Liev has that kind of taste.” 

“What nonsense again!” 

Sigh. I was dumbfounded by the sighing sound that came off his small nostrils. Even that was a trap because he was so cute that he couldn’t stand it. Instead of saying hurtful words to each other, it was nice spending time in such a relaxed and peaceful place without being chased by anyone. 

He didn’t know how much longer moments would last in the future, but now he decided to stop giving up the present for worries about the future. After all, if he hides his true feelings anyway, everything will be revealed, so it is better to just enjoy these moments now. 

“Let’s just rest a little like this.” 

Taking the blanket from the basket the steward had prepared, Liev wrapped himself in it alongside Renard and lay down, and soon enough, sleep overcame him. 

When Liev woke up from his long nap, the sun had already begun to turn a crimson hue and was starting to set. Renard, who seemed to enjoy the fact that Liev had fallen asleep in his arms, wrapped him in a blanket and flew away. Upon arriving at the mansion, Renard still appeared as a ten-year-old child, and Liev closed the open collar of his clothes.

“Can I sleep with Liev today?” 

Then, he took up one side of Liev’s bed and laid down, flapping his short arms and legs like a child. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Renard acting like a 10-year-old child. 

“No, you can’t. Go to your room quickly.” 

“But I don’t want to.” 

Persistently clinging to the bed, as if determined, Renard resisted and tried to stay, but after a while of playful resistance, Liev, with a sigh, finally gave in. 

“Do whatever you want. I’ll go shower and be back.” 

With a light sigh, Liev turned away from the child rolling on the bed and headed to the bathroom, but soon there was no sound coming from outside the door. What’s going on? Did he quietly leave? After quickly taking a short bath and returning to the bedroom without properly drying off, Liev found Renard, still in the appearance of a child, curled up on the bed asleep, making loud breathing noises. 

Unlike humans, dragons didn’t have the ecological need to sleep every day. There were cases where they could go without sleeping for days or even months if necessary, and they often replenished fatigue by acquiring magic from nature without needing to sleep. So there was no reason for Renard, in his human form, to sleep like this. However, the reason he naturally slept was because he had been following human customs for the ten years since he was born.

“Good night, Renard.” 

Liev whispered softly, pulling Renard into a hug. Feeling the familiar body warmth, he quickly fell asleep. It was funny to him that he could fall asleep so easily after such a long nap. Gently curling the corners of his mouth, he closed his eyes.

*** 

That night for the first time in a long time. Renard had a dream of an old memory. Dragons didn’t sleep unless it was necessary to respond to physical injuries or severe mana loss. Dreaming was a rare occurrence for them. 

However, Renard, accustomed to sleeping like a human with Liev since childhood, knew how to enjoy routine relaxation sleep, unlike other dragons. Recently, he hadn’t felt the need for it, and he was always awake during the nights when everyone else was asleep. But tonight was different. It had been so long since he felt the happiness of being embraced in a much broader chest than he remembered, and the sensation of enjoying a sense of calmness was so overwhelming that he kept his eyes closed. 

What he could see beyond his closed eyelids was a memory of the past.