Chapter 65
[Lord! Everything was done for the sake of your mate! Even though it happened during your time in Play, you consented to regaining your memories through forced release!]
Was it ignorance, or courage?
The elders wondered.
Even cowering and fleeing wouldn’t have been enough in this situation, yet this young dragon dared to shout out boldly. Couldn’t he feel the murderous aura? They themselves had lived long enough to accept death, but that reckless yet brave dragon was Chell, who had only just emerged from his hatchling years into a young adult. That made his actions all the more pitiful.
[Lord. Please ignore this child’s—]
[Consent?]
Yurivistani’s attempt to shield the young dragon was cut off mid-sentence.
[Laughable. Are you claiming that the persona you played in your Play was the same as your true self, and using that as an excuse for your actions? You dare?]
Play was nothing more than a dream. In a dream, one could have a different personality, a different face. That was why no dragon equated their Play-self with their true self.
Play was like performing on a well-crafted stage. A dragon could live as a human for a hundred years, love another human, bear children, raise them with love—and yet, once Play ended, all of it became nothing more than a temporary amusement. Even those “family members” were products of Play. Once a dragon returned to their true form, whether those humans hurt or died was irrelevant.
That was the nature of Play for dragons. Thus, the claim that “Lord consented as a human” sounded like nothing but an excuse to Der.
[But you did give consent. You even asked us to protect your mate after you regained your memories.]
[Fool. Do you really believe I would still care about such a trivial, past thought—protecting a human mate?]
[What?]
A human mate?
Something felt off. The murderous aura grew stronger, yet at the same time, every dragon present thought the Lord’s reaction was strange.
[Lord, we are not speaking of a human mate. We mean your mate.]
[My mate?]
Even the way he repeated it was strange.
[Lord… has your memory become confused?]
[You mean the events during Play, do you not?]
[No, my Lord! We mean your official, true mate of the clan.]
At that, the killing intent pouring from Der faded slightly.
The dragons silently watched him. From his questions, it was clear his memories as a dragon and as a human in Play were tangled together.
Taking advantage of the pause, Chell bravely spoke up again.
[Lord, you were with your mate during Play. Then, when your mate was still a hatchling, they were nearly killed by humans. I was the one who discovered your and your mate’s condition and reported it to the council.]
[A hatchling? Nearly killed?]
[Yes. Because such a thing happened to your mate, the Hatchling Protection Committee and the Disciplinary Committee had to convene. When we informed you—while you were still in Play—you said you would attend. That is why we carried out the forced release of your polymorph magic.]
Mate. Hatchling.
Unfamiliar words began to stir up Der’s foggy, confused mind.
[Name.]
[What?]
[Say my mate’s name.]
Seeing Der’s bewildered gaze, Chell quickly answered.
[The White Dragon, Ashanerbekirael.]
Ashanerbekirael.
Ashanerbekirael.
Ashanerbekirael.
[Ashanerbekirael… huh.]
The name slipped from Der’s lips, cold and sharp as ice. But the voice carried a violent undercurrent, and the dragons shivered at the sound.
[And her human name is… Shanellica.]
The moment Chell said it, the murderous aura pouring from Der vanished instantly.
“Gasp!”
Shanellica jolted awake, gasping for air. Her forehead burned hot, and dampness clung to the back of her neck.
But none of that mattered.
She closed her eyes again and pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart raced uncontrollably, as if it might burst at any moment.
What dream was that?
She couldn’t remember. She knew she had dreamed something, and that it was important, but she couldn’t tell if it was a good dream or a nightmare.
Her heart felt uneasy. Ever since becoming a dragon, she had never dreamed—not once. Had she even dreamed back when she was a god?
After the incident when Stern kidnapped her, Shanellica had been plagued by the same dream, over and over. Or maybe not the exact same—but always a dream that left her heart pounding as if it would explode. She began to fear she was missing something crucial.
“You’re awake?”
While she was catching her ragged breath, a familiar voice reached her. But Shanellica gave no reaction. As usual, she simply opened and closed her eyes.
“You’ve sweated a lot.”
Eleusis gently pressed a soft, dry towel to her neck.
It had been two weeks since the incident with Stern.
After returning to the royal palace with Eleusis, Shanellica had been unconscious for an entire week. The physicians said her internal and external injuries were so severe that it was a miracle she survived.
After a week, her consciousness returned.
Now, Shanellica spent most of her time sleeping, waking only occasionally. The fortunate thing was that her sense of self remained intact.
Her body still bore the deep marks of abuse, wounds that even rare medicines couldn’t heal quickly. Yet, she was able to eat small amounts again. The doctors judged that she was recovering faster than expected.
Still, fevers often wracked her body, and she frequently drifted into blank, vacant states. Perhaps the pain of her internal injuries was worse than the external ones. She often suffered even in her sleep.
During all this time, King Eleusis stayed by her side whenever he could. He often spoke to her, regardless of whether she answered.
“Today, I heard a Western Continent caravan passed through. I bought some fruits that are good for internal injuries. The chefs made them into juice—drink it often.”
He spoke calmly, offering her a glass filled with deep crimson juice. Shanellica accepted it in silence.
It had been over a week since she regained consciousness, yet she still had not spoken a single word.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t speak—she simply didn’t want to strain her throat. The first time she woke, her throat had been so swollen that even swallowing was agony. But more than that, the repeated betrayals she had endured left her weary of everything.
Her thin wrist set the glass on the bedside table rather than drinking it. Yet Eleusis, rather than being disappointed, looked relieved.
“That’s fine. Drink it once I leave.”
Still, Shanellica said nothing. Eleusis continued talking anyway, as if determined to keep her company the way she once kept him company.
His gentle voice, flowing naturally, made her feel as though she was having a real conversation with him.
Such warmth… like sunlight.
A faint smile briefly touched her bruised lips before vanishing. Despite her silence, Eleusis never once scolded her.
But soon, the smile disappeared completely. Memories of pain and betrayal resurfaced.
Get a hold of yourself. There’s no one in this world you can trust. You’ve already been betrayed three times.
The bitter sting rose inside her, climbing to her head. She closed her eyes. It was time to flee reality again.
Whatever healing power dragons—or perhaps humans—possessed, it only seemed to work while she slept. As long as she didn’t dream, her sleep brought relief from both her inner and outer wounds. Sleep was her escape.
Before long, her soft, uneven breaths filled the room.
Eleusis’s blue eyes dimmed quietly.
Even after regaining consciousness, Shanellica still hadn’t spoken. She didn’t refuse to stay in the palace, nor did she resist his daily visits.
He had no idea what she was truly thinking. But whenever he treated her with kindness, she occasionally showed the faintest, fleeting smile.
Could this be my chance?
When opportunity comes, one must seize it. For Eleusis, this was a chance he could not afford to miss.
Yet at the same time, unease gnawed at him. Could his hope be nothing but a cruel illusion?
The heart of a king wavered like a branch in the wind.
Spicher Island. The lair of the Green Dragon, Cherpinebaicis.
[…]
A massive dragon with emerald-green scales lay sprawled, flipping over again and again—pressing its belly to the floor, then rolling onto its back to stare at the ceiling.
I’m so tired.
Chell had finished all his tasks over the past few days and was preparing for a long sleep. All that was left was to close his eyes.
But whenever he tried, memories of the events two weeks ago kept him wide awake.
He had brought the Dragon Lord to Spicher Island, and the Lord had regained his memories. Or so it seemed. But the Lord acted as if he remembered nothing. So Chell had spoken Asha’s name before him.
When I said her true name, he grew furious. But when I said her human name, he fell silent. Why?
Chell sighed deeply. He wanted to sleep, but the thought haunted him endlessly.
Could something be wrong with the Lord’s memories?
