Chapter 33
“The kind that dies if they’re stabbed with a sword — a human. I’ve found someone important I must protect.”
He was going to bring Aaron and Roy with him, but that alone wasn’t enough. He had to prepare for the worst. The thought of her losing her life because of him was unbearable.
“I’ve found someone I want to make my mate.”
“Your mate? Then… what about the Gate…?”
The king stopped mid-sentence, realizing what he had just said. Even now, he was squeezing out every last drop of divine power from the remaining priests, but at this rate, it would take far more than a hundred years to open the Gate.
If this “mate” was human, then the Gate would never open before that human’s lifespan came to an end.
Khalid’s brows knitted slightly.
“She has no reason to concern herself with matters that don’t involve her.”
He had already decided to give up, for now, on meeting his family beyond the Gate — because he wanted to stay by her side until the day her life ended.
He also didn’t want to drain her divine power to open it.
Forcibly extracting divine power from a human body caused severe side effects, especially if the power was large. In Dalia’s case, her divine power was so faint that there would hardly be any consequence to taking it. At most, she might just feel fatigued for a while.
At first, he had planned to ask for her divine power as repayment for her debt. But now, he didn’t want her to suffer even the slightest side effect.
The king, however, understood it differently.
“Is he telling me to keep quiet about the Gate?”
At last, the king began piecing things together. The dragon, who normally dwelled in isolation, was now saying he would bring a human mate and live near the capital.
“This is an opportunity — a chance for the Estair royal family to bind the dragon with closer, firmer ties.”
The Black Dragon, though bound by contract to subdue monsters, didn’t actually like the royal family.
If his deeds for the kingdom ever came to light, public admiration and loyalty would drift away from the crown and toward him, which would only cause unrest.
That was why the royal family had deliberately darkened his reputation — painting him as a terrifying and mysterious being. But if he were to live near the royal palace, grow close to the royals, and protect them out of affection… then there could be no better outcome for the crown.
“I understand, Lord Khalid. Shall we use the same identity as before?”
The king, having finished his mental calculations, replied readily. A few years ago, Khalid had disguised himself as a distant relative of the royal family and served on the northern front.
Seeing the king’s expression shifting moment by moment, Khalid’s lips curved into a crooked smile.
“Yes. It hasn’t been that long, so it should still be believable to humans.”
When Khalid nodded, the king quickly continued.
“In that case, the grand duke’s residence used by my ancestor still stands empty. As you know, it has the strongest walls in the realm, second only to this castle. With your permission, I’ll grant you that estate and the title of grand duke, and summon the former margrave and his daughter to serve under you.”
“I don’t need a title.”
After all, he planned to marry Dalia and take her family name.
The king, unaware of that, looked troubled by his refusal.
“It may be cumbersome, but without it, humans might not accept your residence in the grand duke’s estate.”
That wasn’t the only reason. In truth, the king also wanted to quietly strip Khalid of the royal surname he once used.
Khalid occasionally appeared near the borders pretending to be a royal — that was fine.
But if he, with all his overwhelming strength and composure, appeared in the capital’s social circles as a royal? Jeremy, the crown prince — his own son — was an idle and small-minded boy. Next to Khalid, he would look utterly lacking. People might even start questioning the prince’s worth.
“Human hierarchies are annoyingly complicated. Fine — if I accept the title, can I later discard it?”
“Pardon? You mean you wish to give up the new surname I’ll bestow and… reclaim your royal one?”
“No. I’ll discard it all and take another human’s name.”
“……”
The king didn’t understand this beast’s whims, but as long as the royal family wasn’t threatened, he didn’t care. In fact, it was better this way — if Khalid wouldn’t be either royal or noble, that made things easier.
“That’s acceptable,” the king replied quickly.
“Then it’s settled. Thank you.”
“And… there’s more. The navy reports that the monsters across the sea are stirring again…”
Khalid spent several more days confined in talks with the king before finally leaving the palace. Though some negotiations remained, the most important matter was still unfinished.
As he turned toward the temple, a familiar figure appeared before him.
“Aaron!”
Khalid waved cheerfully, utterly unreserved. Aaron nearly waved back on reflex, then caught himself and scolded him instead.
“Lord Khalid. Don’t you think you’ve wandered too far on this little stroll?”
“There were things I had to deal with. But what about you? How did you know I was here?”
“Please. I can read you like a book.”
Khalid laughed at Aaron’s cheeky tone. Seeing that carefree smile, Aaron suddenly worried for his master’s sanity.
“You left Lady Dalia without a word, didn’t you?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m used to your eccentricities, but she seemed quite startled.”
At that, Khalid’s bright face instantly clouded with concern.
“I’d better go back at once.”
“And what about the urgent business you mentioned?”
“Half done. Did Dalia tell you? We’ll be moving soon.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to finish up here first and send her a message?”
Aaron’s suggestion wasn’t wrong. He’d have to return anyway, and it was wasteful to travel back and forth.
Though part of him longed to go immediately — imagining how worried she must be — she had been the one to urge him to finish his tasks swiftly.
“You’re right. I’ll write her a letter.”
Khalid quickly jotted a few lines on a piece of paper and sent it off with magic, then turned to inspect the grand duke’s estate where they would live.
The exterior was well maintained, but the interior — sealed off since its closure — had been frozen in time.
Though furnished with expensive pieces, the inside was cold and lifeless.
“It’s been long enough for a new king to ascend. I suppose it’s been left empty for too long.”
“Yes, we’ll need to inspect and refurbish the entire place.”
“You’ve done well as my steward lately, Aaron. If you’d rather not continue, you can return to your original duties. Roy has learned enough from watching you.”
Aaron blinked, taken aback by the unexpected generosity. He had just been grumbling to himself, ready to get started.
“…Really?”
Though he’d longed to quit the butler’s job that didn’t suit him, Aaron hesitated, then shook his head.
“No, my lord. That scatterbrain still needs my supervision. He’s as wild as ever.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Even so, you’ve enjoyed this new routine a little, haven’t you?”
“Must you say it so directly? That’s embarrassing.”
Aaron replied smoothly, face unreadable for someone claiming embarrassment.
“I’m glad to hear it wasn’t too bad. Then I’ll count on you from now on too.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s a hassle, but how could I refuse when you ask so nicely, Lord Khalid?”
Khalid finally burst into laughter at Aaron’s constant teasing.
Meanwhile, during Khalid’s absence, Dalia was spending pleasant days with Roy.
She had promised herself to use her time well even while Khalid was away — yet sometimes, a quiet loneliness would creep up on her. She would clap and laugh at Roy’s antics, only to find herself lost in thought when alone again.
No, I can’t mope around. I told him to take care of business and come back.
Whenever dark thoughts surfaced, she’d shake her head and force herself to focus elsewhere.
She spent her time researching the current state of the Bourbon family she’d left behind and studying how to move forward.
She also discussed designs with Mielle, the visiting dressmaker, and exchanged encrypted letters with her agent in the Bourbon territory to study ways to improve the lives of her people.
Thanks to the measures she’d taken before leaving, the viscount’s personal fortune and his wife’s savings might be drying up, but at least the commoners weren’t starving.
One busy evening, she returned home to find a neatly placed envelope on the table, addressed to her.
“This handwriting isn’t familiar… who could it be from?”
“It wasn’t me,” Roy said, shaking his head.
“Open it!”
Taking the paper knife Roy handed her, Dalia opened the letter. When she recognized the elegant handwriting, her face lit up.
“It’s from Khalid.”
“Oh! …Then I’ll, uh, go to bed.”
Roy slipped away discreetly as she stood there, eyes fixed on the first line, unable to look away.
Later, in her room, Dalia reread the letter over and over. She could almost hear his voice in the gentle tone of his words.
It began with apologies — for not answering her proposal right away, for leaving without warning — and ended with an invitation: he was finishing his business and wanted her to join him in the capital, to live together there.
After reading it several times, she traced his name with her fingertips, folded the letter carefully, and turned around — only to find Khalid himself standing there.
“What—!”
Startled, she dropped the letter. It fluttered down, and he caught it easily in midair.
“What were you doing?”
“I just read the letter you sent.”
She couldn’t help but laugh — the letter had arrived almost at the same time as he had.
“If you were coming so soon, why write at all?”
“I planned to stay a few more days, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I just came straight here.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah. Aaron’s handling things.”
Thanks to Aaron’s unexpected enthusiasm in managing the estate, Khalid had been able to leave without worry. Matters at the temple could wait until after their move to the capital.
“I’m sorry. I was impatient. I should’ve told you beforehand — I heard you were surprised.”
“It’s fine. Just… please don’t disappear without a word next time.”
As she spoke, the memory of that morning — waking to find him gone — returned vividly, and she bit her lip.
“I was really scared. You were just… gone.”
“I won’t do that again.”
Khalid reached out and took both her hands. She hadn’t realized how cold they’d become — they trembled slightly in his warm grasp.
“I’ll never do that again.”
As his large, warm hands wrapped around hers, Dalia’s chilled body slowly relaxed.
“But what’s this about moving to the capital all of a sudden?”
“I think it’ll be better there for several reasons. Besides, you said you were planning to go to the capital anyway — so I’ll follow you.”
“So marrying me doesn’t mean you planned to keep me cooped up here in Ahmad?”
Her playful question made Khalid look genuinely puzzled.
“Of course not. Your plans come first.”
“Thank you… for saying that.”
Looking at his innocent face — utterly incapable of even imagining controlling her just because he loved her — Dalia threw her arms around him and held him tight.
