Chapter 04
Hasollan packed her belongings again, just like when she was heading to Yongyeon. The wind outside was much warmer than the one in Yongyeon. She was used to the climate of Impel, and it had become like her second home, but that no longer mattered.
‘What should I do from now on?’
She was young, dazzlingly young, so full of life that she almost felt like a child. At 23, she could do anything! She had officially handed in her resignation to the Duke of Court, so she was free. It was a pity she couldn’t throw the resignation directly into that damn dragon’s face, though.
“Is the new dragon staying here?”
“Then the new emperor will be crowned, huh? I wonder how grand the coronation ceremony will be!”
“I wonder what kind of partner he’ll have. That’s what I’m most curious about.”
She overheard the gossiping palace maids, but she wasn’t interested in any of it. The thought of the emperor’s partner didn’t intrigue her at all. What bothered her was what kind of partner that would be, as dragon partners were supposed to resemble their dragons.
The emperor’s partner was also a dragon’s partner. They shared lifespans, powers, and everything, naturally, without the dragon having to put any effort into it. So, historically, the empresses had all been famous for their mysterious abilities.
‘Solaris Duke is capable of protecting His Majesty!’
That’s what she was known for. She had the ability to protect the emperor even on the battlefield. But what good was that? Despite receiving his power, she was declared unworthy to be his partner. It had all been pointless.
‘What should I do now?’
She had a lot of things she wanted to do, but somehow, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was coming.
‘…Can I do it?’
She had just entered the Faikal Palace, a gift from the emperor, where she had been told to unpack despite initially planning to stay in a guest room. She nervously wondered, What if my resignation isn’t accepted?
Her thoughts wandered back to Akelans. Despite everything, she knew him so well. Everyone was just a pawn in his game, and his kindness wasn’t kindness—it was a trap.
‘How could he do that?’
Of course, she wanted to repay kindness with kindness, but she had been naive. Akelans had made no promises, yet she foolishly believed she was his partner. The shame of that foolishness weighed on her.
“What are you doing?”
It was all his fault. The way he approached her with a smile, acting like he cared. Why had he been born a dragon? If he had been human, he could have charmed anyone and lived an easy life. She couldn’t stop glaring at Akelans, feeling like it was all falling apart.
“I’m leaving. Congratulations on your coronation.”
She gathered her things and stood up.
“Leaving? Where are you going?”
Akelans asked casually.
“To my hometown. I’ve resigned.”
But his expression didn’t change. Instead, he stepped closer.
“Then I’ll come with you.”
“What?”
He said it so calmly like it was the most natural thing.
“You said you wanted to go.”
Was this dragon insane?!
“I’ve resigned!”
She shouted in disbelief, realizing her mistake too late. She shouldn’t have raised her voice to him—whether or not she understood it, whatever he said was law.
“…Why are you resigning?”
His voice was calm, but it cut right through her. Why should he care if she resigned or not? She had been through so much, and yet, Akelans seemed unaffected.
“You just woke up. Why would you resign now?”
“It wasn’t because I woke up.”
Her hands trembled, and Akelans watched every move she made with intense eyes. His cold, calculating gaze made her feel like she was being consumed.
“You woke me up. Usually, when someone like you resigns, they wouldn’t— but you…” he smiled coldly, savoring her discomfort. “You’re planning to leave me, aren’t you?”
Her disgust and contempt were evident. She hated her past foolish decisions. She should have believed in herself and not in the false promise of being his partner.
“You’re my partner.”
Akelans’s eyes were cold but intense. “You’re my partner. So why would you leave me?”
He wasn’t pleading. He was demanding as if it were the most natural thing. The dragon was accustomed to commanding, but now he was asking her not to leave.
“I’m not that!” she cried out as if rejecting the very idea.
The world seemed to stop for a moment, and the pressure was overwhelming. She ran away, as fast as she could, but he didn’t stop her.
Later, in the quiet palace corridors, she found herself trapped between anger, fear, and confusion. Had she fallen for his manipulation? Or had she made a terrible mistake? She could no longer tell.
She kept running, unaware of the confusion and turmoil around her, until her mind went blank. The chaos in her head only grew as she sprinted forward.
