“…Your Dragon Sovereign, what on earth are you talking about? I can’t make sense of a single word,” Cang Xiaoxi said after a brief pause. “I was only going to investigate—not get captured. Even if I can’t use magic yet, with just the Dragon’s Eye and magic-enhanced strength, I could easily escape if captured.”
As for the Dragon Sovereign’s sudden, baffling claim that he was “one of us”…
The boy’s conclusion was simple: a temporary companion was about to be taken, so he had to save him.
How deeply the girl cared for her comrades was clear—from the time she’d risked her life for her clansmen.
If that was the reason, Cang Xiaoxi really should apologize properly.
“It’s not about that at all!” Jikuhir shouted in frustration, flatly denying it.
“Not about that?” Cang Xiaoxi frowned. “Then what exactly do you mean by ‘one of us’?”
“That is…”
Flushed crimson at his question, Jikuhir’s tiny tail began swaying rapidly behind her.
This was the Dragon Sovereign’s shyness—a trait 233 years of life could never erase.
Cang Xiaoxi had no idea.
But from her words, actions, and his own experience, he could guess fairly accurately.
“Ugh, what a hassle,” Cang Xiaoxi muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Forget it. Let’s pretend we never met those imperial soldiers. They’re long gone anyway. Let’s just investigate that area.”
Wasting time on someone unwilling to explain was pointless.
The boy was all action—zero tolerance for meaningless delays.
He turned and strode back the way they came.
But…
“Sigh… What now, Your Dragon Sovereign?!”
After only a few steps, Jikuhir dashed ahead, arms spread wide to block his path.
Her blush deepened under his gaze, yet her golden eyes now burned with fierce resolve—as if she’d made a solemn decision.
*What’s going on in this little girl’s head now?*
“Time is money… though you probably wouldn’t get that. Just say what you need to—quickly,” Cang Xiaoxi said with an annoyed shrug.
Watching the visibly irritated boy, Jikuhir’s mind raced: today’s moments together, glimpses of his past… and why, from the very start, she hadn’t disliked this human boy.
She understood.
Absurd as it seemed after such a short time… Jikuhir had fallen for him. For Cang Xiaoxi.
“You are mine…”
“Huh?! This again?” Cang Xiaoxi’s eyebrows shot up. “So what exactly do you—”
“Exactly what it sounds like—you are MINE!”
For the first time, Jikuhir shouted with unwavering conviction.
Her dead-serious gaze and declaration shattered Cang Xiaoxi’s worldview.
“Your body! Your soul! Everything about you is mine! In other words… l-love… ah! You’re mine—my partner, my husband! This is final. No objections!”
Hand on hip, finger pointed squarely at him.
She’d finally said it—the words she’d held back before encountering the imperial soldiers.
*I like you.* No reason. She’d simply fallen for this slightly cocky boy.
After over two centuries of stillness, her heart stirred… for a human.
She hated vegetables most—but humans came a close second. Yet here she was.
Why? She didn’t know. Maybe his Dragonkin-like power. Maybe sympathy for his past. Reasons didn’t matter.
The result was absolute.
That’s why she’d snapped hearing that “wild” princess claim him as a child groom.
“You are mine—no matter what! I will NOT let you marry another girl before I do!”
An absolute declaration of ownership.
Jikuhir poured out every feeling, then watched him with hopeful eyes.
*He can’t refuse. Even with a flat chest, no man rejects a beauty like me proposing.*
Reality, however, was never that simple.
“You… an idiot?”
“Eh?!”
Four words shattered her fantasy.
His gaze—cold, disdainful—felt like Fenrir’s: the crushing look of a true powerhouse.
The boy, barely in control of his own power, had unknowingly unleashed that pressure.
It stole her breath.
“Hmph. I thought you were different. Guess I was wrong.”
Triggered by her confession, old wounds flared. Eyes flickering with faint anger, he shot her a dismissive glance and walked past.
“Hey, wait—”
She turned to call after him, but the words died in her throat.
*Is he… crying?*
Clenched fists. A single tear tracing his cheek. Memories of his pain flooded her.
*Idiot. I shouldn’t have confessed so soon. He was hurting just yesterday…*
A bitter tear of her own fell as she watched his retreating figure—like he might vanish forever.
Even sharing his memories hadn’t granted true understanding.
“He’s right. I really am an idiot Dragon Sovereign,” she whispered, wiping her cheek.
Time flows forward. Words can’t be unsaid. The past can’t change.
But new words can be spoken. The future can still shift.
Jikuhir lifted her head, stepped firmly forward, and ran after the back she’d never let go.
…
At that same moment, deep in a forest far from the ruins, Lisdel confronted her insubordinate guard.
“Ende, what was that?! Are you the princess or am I? Didn’t you hear me order you to stop?!”
“I’m sorry,” Ende and the remaining soldiers bowed in unison. “Punish us, Your Highness. I accepted the consequences when I acted—and so did they.”
“Yes!”
“You… all of you.”
Watching them bow—repentant in posture but not in spirit—Lisdel clenched her tiny fists, teeth grinding.
Then, as night wind howled, she sighed. “Never mind. I know you meant well. I shouldn’t have lashed out.”
“Your Highness…”
They raised their heads, hearts aching to see their princess burdened with frustration and guilt.
Ende exchanged glances with the others, then knelt on one knee.
“Ende, you—” Lisdel’s eyes widened.
“Your Highness, I do not regret my actions, nor will I apologize,” Ende declared firmly. Then softer: “But… that boy is likely unharmed.”
“What makes you say that?”
Though it sounded like an excuse, Lisdel gestured for him to continue. She knew his character as he knew hers.
“First—how could a six- or seven-year-old appear deep in monster-infested ruins? You saw the path: mid-tier beasts and higher. Only real strength gets that far. Second—you witnessed it yourself. He blocked the Silverfrost Dragon Queen’s attack effortlessly. After that… can you still call him ordinary?”
“This…”
Lisdel had considered his points while fleeing.
But common sense rebelled: *How could someone younger, frailer than me wield power rivaling the world’s strongest?*
“Let’s set his identity aside for now,” Ende added gently. “But his ability to move freely in the ruins is certain. That’s why I’m confident—he’s alive. At the very least… he wouldn’t die so easily.”
