Episode 26,
“I’m okay.”
A slow but clear answer came.
Yuriel looked at him and slowly nodded.
Akron followed her lead and nodded as well.
“I’m glad. That we’re both okay.”
Gradually, the golden scales on his cheek began to fade away.
It took quite a long time for his skin to return to normal.
Yuriel gently smiled and held his hand.
Akron, still dazed, gave a slow nod.
The voices-the maddening whispers—had finally gone quiet.
While he was still out of it, Yuriel glanced over at Helia.
“Help Lady Helia up.”
“…Yes, Your Grace.”
The young girl was frozen in fear.
Yuriel sighed softly and called for the maids.
They hurried to lift Helia, who couldn’t even stand on her own.
She leaned entirely on the maids as they carried her out of the hallway.
“Your Grace, the physician has arrived.”
“Please tell them to leave. I’m fine.”
Yuriel shook her head.
Aside from a small scratch on her cheek, she was unhurt—and still holding Akron’s hand.
But this place… this moment… wasn’t right.
It would be better to move elsewhere.
Gently pulling on his hand, Yuriel led Akron back into their bedroom.
They stood in silence. Just the two of them.
Yuriel sat him down on the bed and sat beside him.
The quiet wrapped around them like a blanket.
After a long pause, Akron finally spoke.
“…I’m sorry.”
His first words were an apology.
With his eyes shut tight and pressing at his forehead, he looked utterly exhausted.
Yuriel placed her hand gently on his arm.
“Can I ask… about what just happened?”
She didn’t know much about his past, but now she needed to understand.
Akron stayed silent for a while, then answered.
“That… was my half-dragon form.”
The scales on his cheek. The sharp eyes of a beast.
It was clear—he wasn’t just human.
“The more I take on that form… the closer I become to a dragon. And the longer I stay in it… the more I lose myself.”
The royal house of Veiharz carried dragon blood.
Most people in the Central region believed that it was just a myth, but it was real.
The clearest evidence of that was the transformation he had just shown.
But it was dangerous.
The power of a dragon was far too strong for any human body.
If you weren’t careful, it would take over, turning you into something you couldn’t control.
‘Still… something’s not right.’
Yuriel stared at him.
Even if it was a stressful situation… Was that enough to trigger such a transformation?
“I must’ve just been… on edge. I’m only glad you weren’t seriously hurt.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
His tired eyes looked more sunken than ever.
Yuriel stayed quiet.
Maybe it was just his nerves. But her doubts remained, swirling silently in her heart.
“You must be shaken. Just rest for today.”
That’s all he said before leaving the room.
Yuriel sat there alone, staring at the closed door.
The warmth of his presence faded quickly, leaving only the crumpled sheets behind.
The next few days passed.
Servants cleaned up the broken windows and cracked hallway.
Eventually, everything returned to normal—only memories remain of that chaotic day.
Helia never returned to the castle.
When Yuriel asked Asha, she was told that Helia had safely returned home.
‘She wasn’t hurt, at least.’
She was surely shaken, but not injured—and that brought Yuriel a bit of relief.
The castle grew quiet again.
While sipping tea, Yuriel thought back to that day.
‘So… such powers exist.’
Those cursed by strange fates often developed mysterious abilities.
Helia’s power, it turned out, was wave-based—it had awakened when she was cursed.
‘It was terrifying…’
She hadn’t shown it, but she’d been completely paralyzed in fear at the time.
They say when you’re truly scared, you freeze—and it was true.
She couldn’t even imagine what other abilities might exist. Especially since many nobles carried these kinds of curses, she was likely to encounter more of them.
‘And… him.’
The scales on Akron’s cheek, the slitted pupils of a predator—Yuriel had never seen anything like it.
She wondered what had caused him to change like that. But since he didn’t speak further, she chose not to ask again.
Days passed.
Akron hadn’t returned to the bedroom since that night.
One night, half-asleep, she thought she sensed his presence beside her.
But it seemed he only stayed long enough to leave behind a hint of dragon energy… and left again.
Two days later, she heard from Aubrey that Akron had gone off to hunt monsters.
“Is the food not to your liking?”
Yuriel blinked, pulled from her thoughts by a gentle voice.
She looked down. Her fork was frozen mid-air, hovering over a piece of salad.
“Ah… no, it’s fine.”
She quickly shook her head and ate the bite.
The crisp lettuce and tangy dressing were good, but today, it all just tasted dull.
“You’ve been eating less lately.”
Roinah said, sounding concerned.
Yuriel knew she was right—her appetite had faded recently.
Still, she didn’t want to worry anyone, so she kept eating.
But soon, she quietly set her fork down.
‘Is he okay…?’
She wasn’t exactly hurt that he had left without saying anything, but she was worried.
Her eyes drifted to the empty seat at the table.
She remembered the first dinner they shared after she came west.
‘So this is what it feels like to eat with someone.’
It was warm and comforting.
Now, that same warmth weighed heavily in her chest.
‘I can’t keep going on like this.’
She shook her head and stood up.
She hadn’t eaten much, but she didn’t feel hungry either.
“Where are you going?”
“For a walk in the garden.”
Maybe some fresh air and movement would clear her thoughts.
Roinah stood up too.
“I’ll come with you!”
She declared brightly.
She proudly added that she had learned every hallway and corridor of the castle, thanks to Ren helping her explore.
“Alright. I’ll rely on you.”
Yuriel smiled and nodded.
The truth was… she also knew the way to the garden now.
With Akron gone these past few days, she had walked around the castle with Asha often.
She had slowly started memorizing the paths to her favorite places.
And she understood Roinah’s desire to be helpful.
“Huh. Really…”
The two arrived at the castle garden.
But it was… disappointing.
“There’s nothing here.”
Roinah whispered cautiously, watching Yuriel’s face.
Despite being called a “garden,” it was overgrown with weeds. Not a single flower in sight.
Yuriel had noticed it before when heading to the lake, but in the daylight, it looked even worse.
“Should I try fixing it up?”
Managing the estate—including the garden—was the lady’s job, after all.
If she hired workers, cleaned up the weeds, and planted fresh grass, it might look decent again.
“Yes! And let’s plant flowers too!”
Roinah lit up with excitement.
It was clear she loved flowers.
But Yuriel hesitated.
“I don’t know if we can…”
“Why not?”
Roinah tilted her head, confused.
She had memorized the castle layout but missed something important:
“In the West… flowers are really expensive.”
“Ah…”
Roinah let out a quiet sigh, finally understanding.
Even Yuriel sometimes forgot they were in the West.
Half the land here was contaminated.
A blackened, poisoned ground separated the West from the Central regions.
Only a few small areas were fertile, and those were used for growing food, not flowers.
There was no land to waste on luxury items like that.
Even wildflowers were rare here.
And in droughts, they were pulled out like weeds.
Roinah lowered her head and mumbled,
“I see… I’m sorry. I said something silly.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Yuriel gently patted her back.
‘She probably misses flowers.’
Yuriel felt guilty for bringing Roinah to such a harsh place.
Back in the Central region, flowers weren’t even considered a luxury.
At the count’s estate, the gardens were always in bloom.
When the old flowers bore them, they’d dig them up and replant with each new season.
Even commoners could afford a small bouquet for special occasions.
“I know flowers are expensive here… but I don’t know how much.”
Yuriel only knew that flowers in the West were rarer than jewels, but not their exact price.
She began recalling the castle’s internal budget for the year…
