The red dragon, having returned to its dragon form, let out an annoyed sigh.
His phoenix fluttered beside him, as if to soothe his spirits that had hit rock bottom.
However, the red dragon could not pay attention.
It was because the wolf, whose face he hadn't even seen properly, kept flickering before his eyes.
She felt guilty about what the wolves had done. You could tell just by watching her treat him with such care.
However, Noelier, the object of that guilt, disappeared on his own.
She no longer had to stay here against her will.
'She must have run off because she liked it.'
To that wolf cub named Noel or whatever. To the loving family she spoke of.
It didn't matter. That noisy woman seemed to miss her family so much, so he had merely shown her mercy for a moment.
As soon as he fully recovers, he will head straight to the north to bring her back.
After killing the arrogant wolves, her...
"..."
His face contorted as he made his plan. An inexplicable displeasure enveloped him.
'What's so great about a guy like that?'
He's a guy who can't even protect his own partner, so what is so great about it that she miss them so much?
If I were that wolf, I would never...
"..."
The red dragon paused at the thought that followed.
'What am I thinking?'
Has my mind gone crazy now that my body is injured?
Hot heat surged around the red dragon.
The phoenix, which had been flying around the lair, landed lightly near the dragon.
His master always had an expressionless face.
It was the first time he had seen him frown and huff and puff like that, looking displeased.
Something caught the Phoenix's eye as it tilted its head.
It was an apple covered in a thin layer of ice.
The thing his owner held dear in his hand even as he entered the lair.
As if out of curiosity, the phoenix scurried toward the apple.
He had seen many apples, but this was the first time he had seen one covered in ice. When je touched the apple with his beak, the phoenix swallowed it whole in one gulp.
Bang!
The bird's eyes widened.
He never knew apples eaten frozen could be this delicious!
The phoenix kept squeaking as if it were very excited.
However, the red dragon, distracted by thoughts of Eve, did not notice that the phoenix had eaten the apple.
It simply slammed its tail against the floor, as if revealing its intense anger.
Whether he closed his eyes or opened them, the image of that woman flickered before his eyes.
A touch that coolly melts away your heat, and even a soft yet pleasant voice.
"She's pretty."
He couldn't understand why those words tickled his heart so much.
***
The red dragon opened its eyes.
I thought I was moving forward, but was I not?
It seemed he had dozed off once again. He was a body that usually had trouble sleeping.
'It appeared to be the effect of the magic runaway. '
With a familiar sigh, the dragon shook off the deep drowsiness and rose to his feet.
In one corner of the lair, he saw a figure sleeping soundly. Curled up tightly, it was his phoenix.
It was not the wolf that had always been by his side.
That sight made him even angrier.
It was the first time he had felt such deep displeasure.
The cause was all the silver-haired wolf's companion.
'Do I really have to catch her again?'
Come to think of it, he showed too much mercy.
The wolves offered him a mate from the very beginning.
So, aren't I the owner of that companion?
His deeply twisted mind spouted twisted thoughts, but he did not realize that it was wrong.
If he wanted it, he had to have it. Under the sky, there was nothing he could not have.
Heat surged. The sleeping phoenix sensed the energy and raised its head.
Before anyone realized it, the dragon had transformed into a human form. Having rested in the lair, its body had also recovered to some extent.
He left the lair.
A castle in ruins due to the rampage came into view.
He looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen.
'So, did she go back to the North after all?'
The thought of returning to the wolves' embrace made him feel utterly miserable.
'In that case, I should bring her along.'
If someone tried to stop me, I could have just killed them.
If someone tried to stop me, I could have just killed them.
It was time to compose the surging heat.
"Hey!"
A familiar voice was heard from afar.
He raised his head toward the source of the voice.
A familiar figure entered his blurry vision. The red eyes trembled slightly.
A woman with long silver hair who flickered even in his dreams. She was the wolf's mate.
"You!"
She seemed extremely angry. He couldn't see her face, but he could tell her voice was full of anger.
"You bastard! Do you know how much I've been looking for you?"
She approached him, fuming.
"I was so surprised, thinking you had disappeared!"
"You..."
He spoke as he gazed at the blurry figure with a face that seemed unmoved.
"Didn't you leave?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"Where would I go!"
At his question, she shouted in a voice that was still filled with anger.
"I thought you had suddenly disappeared, considering how... You were hurt like this..."
When Noelier was engulfed in flames and disappeared, Eve did not think that he had entered the lair.
Because of this, she searched and searched for Noelier, who had suddenly disappeared.
But he was nowhere to be seen. At that moment, Eve recalled the dream she had had.
Close your eyes, and see the image of the dead Noelier.
Eve's heart sank.
What if I never get to meet Noelier again like this?
Then what about Mom's past life, and what about Lily?
It felt as if she had ruined everything. Deep guilt shackled Eve.
Just as she was about to go crazy, Noelier reappeared.
"You bastard. You are nothing more and nothing less than a fire-breathing reptile. You scum..."
Eve slapped his arm while pouring out a torrent of resentment. However, his body, as hard as a rock, took no hit whatsoever.
"Do you know how worried I was that you might die? With what on earth did I come here...!"
Eve's words were a mix of the past and the present.
However, the two people did not notice that fact.
“You bastard!”
Eve sniffled and blamed him again.
Unlike the words she was speaking, her relieved heart kept bringing tears to her eyes.
She could feel her voice gradually becoming wet. Even the hand striking him was slowly draining its strength.
The red dragon, who had been taking punches with a bewildered look on his face, paused at the sound of sobbing.
'Surely not, is she crying?'
He couldn't help but be embarrassed.
He thought that if he disappeared, she would leave with a smile.
However, she instead resented him for leaving. She wept so bitterly that she even shed tears.
He was used to seeing others cry. After all, those who prostrated themselves at his feet begging to be saved were not mere scars.
Each time, he brushed away the bothersome figure with an indifferent face.
But he didn't want to do that to this woman.
No, rather, he wanted to make her stop crying somehow.
He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist.
He hesitated, then slowly reached out his hand. The fist that had been hitting him was more than enough to fit in his hand.
He exerted as much force as possible so that he could let go if she applied even the slightest bit of pressure.
It felt as though her slender wrist would break with just the slightest force.
However, Eve did not shake off the hand that was holding her. It was because she finally felt relieved when his warm body temperature touched her.
The sound of sobbing subsided.
The hesitating red dragon reached out its other hand.
A hot hand landed on the corner of her eye. Then, with clumsy movements, it wiped away the tears.
If it was an act, Eve blinked her eyes as if she couldn't believe it.
The crying naturally stopped. However, Noelier's hardened face did not easily relax.
It couldn't have been that way.
This woman missed her husband even while sleeping. So, this was merely pity. Or perhaps it was an act orchestrated by the wolves. It could even be a plan to steal his heart while he let his guard down.
However...
"Don't cry."
The moment he realized she was crying, all questions were meaningless.
"I will make sure... never again... this never happens again..."
"..."
"...So don’t cry.”
The resolute voice took on a tone of appeal as it drew to a close. There must have been better words than these.
However, this was the best he could do.
Eve knew it, too. That he was squeezing out his true feelings to speak.
Eve stared up at him blankly.
Instead, Noelier was looking at her with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
His eyes still looked cloudy, as if they hadn't healed.
However, the look in his eyes as he gazed at her was clear.
The man in front of her and the Noelier she knew overlapped.
He, who never disobeys his own words.
“...Promise.”
She caught her breath and opened her mouth.
"Promised you wouldn't let this happen again."
He nodded at Eve's words. There was not even the slightest resistance.
It seemed like the Noelier she knew had returned.
Is it because of the connected souls Aria spoke of?
However, that was no longer important.
Eve could not resist the impulse and hugged him.
The red dragon's body stiffened as the cold spread throughout it.
He raised his hand, hesitating because he didn't know how to react.
Then, he embraced the body, which was so small it seemed as though it might vanish in his arms. The anxiety he had felt, like someone hanging from the edge of a cliff, subsided in an instant, and an unfamiliar resonance spread through his chest. It was a sensation he had never felt before. Yet, it was not unpleasant.
Breathing in the faint scent of winter, he slowly closed his eyes.
***
I met him again, whom I thought I would never see again.
And I received a promise that we would never be apart again.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I found myself hugging him without realizing it.
The emotional reunion didn't last long. As I held Noelier in my arms right now, my mind felt like a blank slate.
'It's crazy.'
What were you thinking, hugging him? There's no way Lily would do something like this!
However, the space still did not become distorted.
'What happened?'
I bit my lip.
No matter what, it was a rash act. Promising myself not to do this again, I subtly shifted my gaze.
The surroundings were still quiet. Nothing had changed.
I looked away again.
Noelier was fiddling with my hair. He was like a puppy seeing a dandelion for the first time in his life.
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