Chapter 03
Killing a dragon is impossible, so how about just hitting it once? That seems more realistic. Of course, I’d be dragged away for daring to insult a dragon. But who cares? Right now, Hasollan wasn’t thinking straight.
“I told you to delay the report.”
From Yongyeon to Impel, the capital of the Lupel Empire, it took a dragon only 30 minutes, but the elite cavalry would need three days of nonstop riding.
“That was all I said.”
Hasollan usually endured things. She had held back a lot. But not anymore.
“How does that turn into taking a low-level administrator from Yongyeon to the capital?”
She was sharp, unafraid to argue, and could even threaten people when needed. Just not in front of Akelans, the emperor. In front of him, she always played nice. Not that it fooled him.
“Don’t push the blame onto me. This is just Your Highness’s whim.”
“And what’s wrong with that? I want to take the one who woke me up.”
Hasollan glared at Akelans.
“And what exactly do you plan to do with me?”
Akelans hesitated. Her gaze was intense. She was only 23, but her eyes and voice carried far more experience and pain.
“I’m just a lowly administrator who barely knows administrative work. In Impel, I’d be completely useless.”
She had already repeated the same five days over and over. No matter how many times she tried, this Akelans was the same as before—selfish and unpredictable.
“No, I think you’ll do well.”
He smiled as if he knew everything about her.
“You’ll be fine in Impel.”
How would you know that? Hasollan wanted to argue, but she held back. No—she held back just a little.
“No, I don’t have confidence in that.”
“Well—”
“And I don’t want to go.”
Akelans just stared at her. His deep, unreadable gaze never wavered. The emperor’s stare usually terrified people. Even Hasollan wasn’t immune to it. But she had seen death too many times to be scared now.
“I appreciate your concern, but…”
I don’t appreciate it at all, you bastard!
“I refuse.”
She had never said “no” to Akelans before. She had been blindly loyal. But now that she had said it once, she realized how easy it was.
“Then what do you want to do?”
He asked quietly.
“I just know I don’t want to go to Impel!”
“Go.”
Akelans sighed, rubbing his forehead. He looked exhausted, though that was impossible.
“Just go and figure it out later.”
Hasollan bit her lip.
“If you figure out what you want, I’ll let you do it.”
His dark eyes locked onto her again.
“Anything. I’ll let you do anything.”
Even become an empress?
The foolish dream of being his wife flashed through her mind, and she mocked herself for it. Yeah right. There was one position in the world she could never have, and it was the one he would never allow her to have. This Akelans, like the one from before, was still the same dragon.
“Don’t say ridiculous things.”
She smirked bitterly and shut her mouth. She wouldn’t make deals with him.
“I mean it. Just for you.”
Akelans raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Hasollan laughed in disbelief.
“Because I’m just a lowly administrator, you think I won’t ask for much?”
Akelans rested his chin on his hand and watched her. His stare was almost devouring.
“No matter what you ask for, I’ll grant it.”
Sure. Empty words, as always.
Hasollan turned away. These Akelans hadn’t changed at all. Then again, if she hadn’t already lived through 14 extra years, she wouldn’t have changed either. She would still be chasing a hopeless dream, still loving the dragon she should never have loved.
‘I need to escape.’
Hasollan no longer wished for the dragon. She dreamed of getting away from him. She turned her gaze elsewhere, eyes shining as she observed her surroundings. Akelans narrowed his eyes sharply.
The emperor’s elite cavalry had to slow down because of Hasollan, a young woman.
“I don’t mind.”
She approached the palace steward without hesitation.
“Just give me a horse.”
The cavalry, hidden behind their fearsome helmets, stared at her in disbelief.
“I can keep up. I don’t need to sleep for a few days.”
With her small bag packed, she looked the steward in the eye.
“I’ve ridden a lot of horses.”
She had spent most of her twenties on the battlefield. Back then, she had thought she should stay by the dragon’s side as his partner. Keeping up with the cavalry’s speed was nothing compared to that. It would be tough in this younger body, but she had her youth to rely on. She tied her hair back.
“This isn’t just about riding experience.”
The steward shook his head.
“Our cavalry is the fastest in the empire. How can you keep up?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Hasollan hid her exhaustion and nodded.
“If anything, isn’t the most important thing getting the future emperor safely to the capital?”
The steward looked surprised at her confident tone.
“If I fall behind, leave me.”
“The emperor ordered you to come, so that’s not an option.”
The steward was strict. Probably why he held such a high position. Hasollan studied him. So this is what he looked like when he was younger.
“A carriage would slow us down. A horse is better. I can keep up.”
She was firm. The steward still looked doubtful.
“Fine then.”
This time, Akelans answered instead.
“Give her a horse.”
The dragon made his decision.
“If she falls behind, I’ll take care of it.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Hasollan lifted her chin and mounted the horse, ignoring the skeptical looks from the cavalry. She wanted to get to Impel as soon as possible. Without looking back, she rode off.
The cavalry raced toward Impel. Hasollan kept up, despite everyone’s doubts.
“You okay?”
Akelans asked quietly.
“I’m fine.”
Short answers. Her younger body ached from riding, but she didn’t complain. Not that day. Not the next. Every day, Akelans rode beside her and kept asking if she was okay. She always answered briefly. The cavalry thought she was rude, but Akelans didn’t seem to care.
“Tomorrow, we enter Impel. The emperor is waiting.”
The steward reported without a single mistake. Akelans modded but kept his eyes on Hasollan. She was always looking elsewhere, lost in thought.
“I wondered why the crown prince would personally bring an administrator. Guess there’s a reason.”
The knights whispered among themselves. Hasollan ignored them, staring at the dark sky.
Five days after leaving Yongyeon, the cavalry arrived in Impel.
The only dragon in Impel was the emperor. Other dragons were scattered across the empire, sleeping in mountains or lakes for centuries. The people of Impel rarely saw dragons, so when the cavalry returned, rumors spread.
“A new dragon?”
Excited whispers filled the streets.
Inside the palace, preparations had been made.
“You stay here.”
The steward told Hasollan before leaving with Akelans to meet the emperor, Lowellan, a white dragon.
Lowellan studied Akelans.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
Akelans nodded.
The emperor’s sharp gaze saw everything.
“Why did you do it?”
“I needed to.”
Lowellan opened a letter from the steward, read it, and then tossed it aside.
“You didn’t need to. You wasted your life.”
Akelans didn’t deny it.
“Which dragon, which emperor, rewinds time? How foolish.”
Lowellan’s hands trembled.
She saw it all. The life she had lived. The regret that led her here.
