Chapter 83
Shanelika’s stomach twisted. She remembered—that was the reason she had come to the human world for amusement in the first place.
— So you did remember. I thought you had forgotten. Since you disappeared without a word.
Her goal of meeting God was still clear. But she didn’t want to be manipulated by the Lord through a weakness like this.
Meeting God could wait for later. Right now, she wanted more than anything to continue enjoying her play. She would heal the wounds she had received from the human Derwin through amusement in the human world, and then return.
— That means the amusement can’t continue.
— No. I will continue. Meeting God isn’t urgent. I’ll live next to a fine human man for a hundred years or so, and then I’ll go meet God. Wherever you are, once I’ve become a holy dragon, I’ll definitely find you and keep that promise.
Glaring at the door, Shanelika sent her last telepathic message.
— So don’t interfere in my human life. Whether I marry or whatever else. You’ll only be able to stay by my side for a few more months, anyway.
ㅎㅂㄹㄱ. 공금
When Wills arrived to relieve the guard at Shanelika’s bedchamber, he sensed something was wrong. Two maids stood outside holding green juice with ice floating in it. But as he approached, he saw that they were standing unusually far from the door, trembling violently.
What’s this aura?
A chill that felt like it could freeze him to the bone made alarm bells ring in Wills’s head.
When Shanelika was alone inside, Wills and Derwin usually took turns guarding outside with the maids. So normally, she rarely interacted directly with the knights. Judging by the scene now, the maids must have gone to fetch iced juice, leaving her and Derwin alone together.
Something must have happened between Shanelika and Derwin. Otherwise, there was no reason for Derwin to be glaring at the door, exuding such coldness.
“Sir Derwin?”
Derwin didn’t respond. Wills narrowed his left eye. Still, the aura wasn’t the same as when Derwin had provoked him in the past. Back then, it had been overwhelming, terrifying to the point of helplessness. This time, though, it was a pressure that a knight could still push through if determined.
“Sir Derwin!”
Only after Wills stepped closer and touched his shoulder did Derwin turn to look at him. Instantly, the chilling aura vanished like smoke.
“Why didn’t you answer when I called?”
“……”
“Did something happen? You look troubled.”
Derwin’s black eyes met Wills’s, then shifted back to empty air.
“There’s nothing troubling me.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ll be leaving first.”
Swish.
Derwin brushed past Wills.
As soon as the doorway was clear, the maids rushed inside, worried the ice would melt.
Wills, meanwhile, turned back to watch Derwin’s retreating figure.
Since when is he using formal speech?
Wills’s brow twitched. He looked like he was trying to make a quick escape, despite pretending otherwise.
What on earth is going on? His moods keep shifting.
Since Shanelika had accepted the king’s proposal, it wouldn’t be long before Derwin had to step down as her knight. But considering things like how he had hunted three blue bears just yesterday, or what sometimes happened when Wills wasn’t by her side, it didn’t feel safe yet.
Sigh… when will I get back to my original post?
He decided he’d ask the maids what had happened once they came out again, and let out a deep sigh.
Half a month later.
Ever since accepting the proposal, preparations for the king’s marriage had been moving swiftly. For Shanelika, though, they felt less like wedding preparations and more like lessons for becoming queen.
Marrying the king meant becoming the highest-ranking woman in the land. Though the nobles welcomed the king’s change of heart about marriage, they weren’t pleased that the bride was a foreigner.
So, a few days after accepting the proposal, Shanelika began her training to be queen—lessons in royal etiquette and all the knowledge a queen was expected to have.
“…Tomorrow, I’ll have all your lessons canceled.”
At the end of a busy day, Eleusis came to Shanelika’s bedchamber, unable to hide his troubled heart. Gently brushing her soft, pinkish bangs, he looked deeply worried.
The nobles had imposed far too heavy a schedule on someone who hadn’t even fully recovered yet.
Of course, Eleusis had anticipated challenges during the preparations. But seeing how much Shanelika was struggling made him reconsider what truly mattered. Before the proposal, she had been slowly regaining her strength, living without strain. He had thought she would be fine. But clearly, that had been a rash judgment.
“It’s all right. I’m fine.”
“I’m the one who’s not fine. How could you lose so much weight in just two weeks of lessons…?”
His voice, tinged with worry, also carried a flicker of anger.
Eleusis was truly furious. By law, the king could not intervene in the queen’s training, leaving him nearly powerless.
Worse still, he rarely got to see her. Royal law also dictated that an engaged king and queen-to-be must not meet too often before marriage, keeping both body and mind pure. As a result, they sometimes saw each other only once every three days.
It frustrated Eleusis, but he endured it because the law required it. Still, each time he did see Shanelika, she looked thinner and weaker. No matter what the nobles said, he couldn’t let this continue.
“It’s all for the sake of being by Your Majesty’s side.”
“No. The wedding is still half a year away—there’s no reason for such extremes. I’ll make sure the nobles are reminded that you are still recovering.”
They had set the wedding date for next summer, leaving roughly six months.
Eleusis had promised, when proposing, that everything would follow Shanelika’s wishes. She had chosen to wait until she had fully become a holy dragon, not a mere hatchling. Otherwise, unnecessary problems might arise.
I must marry only when I can fully take responsibility for myself.
By spring she would ascend; summer would be the perfect time for marriage.
She told Eleusis she wanted to prepare for queenship slowly, after regaining her health. As always, he accepted her wishes without objection.
“Tomorrow, let’s go out and eat something delicious.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“I think you’re busier than I am. Tomorrow, I won’t give up—I need time with you.”
“The tutors will scold me.”
“Then I’ll take the scolding for you.”
“Hehe. So what are we going to eat?”
“Anything good for your body.”
“But things that are good for the body don’t taste good, do they?”
“I’m sure there are things that are both healthy and delicious.”
Shanelika let out a small laugh. As her cheerful smile spread, Eleusis’s hand, which had been brushing her bangs, moved to her cheek.
“That tickles.”
His hand, sliding down her face, stopped just below her chin. His white thumb gently traced her jawline, then slid to her earlobe. Stroking the soft skin there, his fingers wandered down her neck to her shoulder. The smooth warmth of her skin stirred something primal in him.
His hand reached her delicate collarbone. Eleusis stroked her white nape with his finger.
“Your Majesty?”
At the moment he felt the urge to bury his lips in her neck, Shanelika called to him.
“What are you doing?”
Her mint-colored eyes shone innocently. At that sight, his clouded gaze cleared instantly.
Shame struck him. What was he thinking in front of such pure, guileless eyes?
“…Nothing.”
He quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back. Before the proposal, maybe it could have been overlooked. But now? With her engagement publicly announced, even private meetings were frowned upon. The royal family was that conservative.
In truth, Eleusis had never even considered it. Unlike other royals and nobles, he was rigidly proper when it came to such matters. He firmly believed that no man should touch a woman before marriage.
And yet, just now, he had almost lost himself. If Shanelika hadn’t called to him, he might have acted on the desires filling his mind.
I thought it would be easier after proposing…
Before, he had been anxious she might vanish at any moment. That had made him impatient.
But now, after the proposal, he still felt the same urgency. Because she was his now, he wanted to grow closer each day—emotionally, physically.
“Then I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Sweet dreams.”
Shanelika smiled as she said goodnight. Eleusis hid his frustration deep inside and left with a smile of his own.
“……”
As soon as he left, Shanelika’s once-innocent expression hardened.
That was close…
She shook her head vigorously.
Close? What am I saying? We’re engaged!
She understood why Eleusis had acted that way. She had learned, during her feelings for the human Derwin, that there was such a thing as physical attraction between people who cared for each other.
But when Eleusis touched her just now, she hadn’t felt disgust so much as a strong sense that this isn’t right. That was why she had feigned innocence—so he would back off.
Ah… it’s just because I’m still a hatchling. That’s why I feel this way.
Biting her lip, she released it with a sigh.
Whatever. I’ll get used to it.
Dismissing it as nothing, Shanelika lay down in bed. Before long, sleep overcame her.
Sleep. Once I wake up, it’ll be fine.
Lately, her favorite part of the day was her deep sleep at night. Once she drifted off, warmth filled her chest and her body relaxed. She always dreamed the same dream, but since she never remembered it upon waking, she had long since stopped worrying.
Tonight too, as she slept deeply, her body felt light as always. She was happy.
