DMHS 67

Yan was the only one among the heroes that Salman had seen in the future who stepped forward to protect the world. Every time he saw him at the front lines swinging his sword, Salman felt awe at the power that went beyond human strength.

‘Could this really be Yan?’

The sudden doubt made Salman scoffed at himself.

‘How could that be?’

Why would a hero marry a young dragon?

Also, even when the world was in danger, Yan did not easily appear. When he did appear, the world had already begun the countdown to destruction. It was still too early for Yan to step forward.

“Goddess, by your hand, bind the two together. Protect the two names that have become one song.”

Those who finished their prayers left their seats. Salman, who also gave his blessing to the newlyweds, came down from the platform. His legs gave out and he staggered, so the priest next to him supported him.

Salman checked the sun hanging outside the window.

‘After afternoon passes, night will come.’

His eyes trembled. Salman had not just sat still waiting for the coming disaster. He too had tried in his own way to change the future. That was why he expelled Ivan Harkin, the eldest son, from the tribe.

‘But the future did not change easily.’

Because of that, he lost his son Gimere, whom he cherished like his own life.

After he received news of Gimere’s death, Salman cried for three days and nights. The pain of a parent losing a child was comparable to the agony of being torn apart alive.

After that Salman prayed in repentance. For a follower of God to try to go against His will was a sin. He could only think that the punishment for his wrongdoing had been passed onto his innocent son.

Now Salman no longer tried to change the future. What he could do was extremely small. He did not even know if he could do that well.

‘May chance and chance gather to create a new destiny. And so, tonight, may a miracle that never happened in any world come to pass…’

Salman drew the holy sign over his chest.

***

“Congratulations on your marriage!”

After the prayers ended, Kian and Lucien became very busy. They participated in the wedding ceremony together with the other newlyweds who had received blessings.

–The surveillance is tight as expected.

Just before, when they were left alone in the room, Kian had spoken first.

Even though there was no one inside the room, there were three guards at the door, two at the windows, and more stationed at each corridor floor.

There were also many people moving around the building. Since it was the last day of the festival, everyone seemed busy with their duties.

Lucien agreed.

–It will be hard to move around freely.

–Then what do we do today? Do we just stay quiet and follow along during the day?

–Good. Let’s wait, and when night comes, we move.

–Understood.

Because of that, the two ended up taking part in the Delia tribe’s traditional wedding event.

The first thing placed before Kian was a jar.

“It means, enjoy the sweetness of newlywed life as much as you want.”

Bashim handed a heavy hammer to Kian and Lucien.

“You just have to break it with strength.”

They looked around and saw a groom standing behind his bride as if he was embracing her, and they swung the hammer together.

Bottles of honey, candies, and dried fruits spilled from the broken jar. The bride and groom gave them as gifts to the people around them in gratitude.

Kian naturally stood behind Lucien. When he bent forward, Lucien tilted his head back and met his eyes.

“Go easy.”

After putting on the wedding clothes, Lucien looked to be in a good mood. Even in the temple, he had been smiling foolishly, intertwining their fingers and then letting go in play, and now too his green eyes shone vividly.

For some reason, Kian felt his face might turn red. He avoided his gaze with only a short reply, “Yes.”

‘Isn’t this distance too close?’

Lucien’s golden hair brushed against his nose. His unique floral scent filled the air. Since he did not use perfume, it had to be his body’s natural scent.

‘How can a dragon be this delicate…’

Yet in bed, his eyes looked like he wanted to devour him whole. It was strange. Sexual desire and appetite might be similar, but the desire to chew and swallow someone alive from head to toe was not something Kian understood.

Even now, he remembered clearly the growing thirst when their soaked lower bodies rubbed together.

Next, he remembered his moans and shallow breaths, and the sensation of the organ sliding up and thrusting hard into his perineum.

‘No.’

Kian knew Lucien had only pretended it was slipping because it was wet and smooth.

Lucien did not want to just rub. He wanted to enter Kian. Since he could not chew and swallow him, he wanted instead to fill his insides with himself.

–Kian…

The cracked voice calling his name had been heartrending.

“…Please break it!”

Bashim’s voice made Kian blink. He was definitely out of his mind, thinking about that several times in one day.

“Ah, I will do it now.”

Kian held the hammer and lifted it. When he hit the side lightly, the jar broke easily.

Kian bent down and took out the sweet snacks that had been inside the broken jar. The children who had been watching all reached out their hands.

“Me!”

“I want to eat too!”

Kian patted the children on the head and handed out the snacks. Lucien, who was watching, picked up a handful of snacks that had fallen on the ground and threw them.

“Waaah!”

The excited children ran after the treats. Bashim, who watched them with a pleased face, spoke.

“Next is the making of the wine of love.”

“Do the people here also enjoy drinking fruit wine?”

“Since fruit is hard to come by, they can only drink it on special days.”

Following Bashim, they saw a large jar. Next to it were fruit juice, spices, syrup, flower petals, and other ingredients.

A couple ahead of them each picked up an ingredient. The bride smiled shyly and shouted.

“Full of kindness!”

She poured a lot of fruit juice. The excited spectators clapped and cheered.

“Plenty of talk and laughter!”

Applause poured out toward the groom who added syrup. Kian turned to Bashim.

“What do we have to say?”

“Just say what is needed for love.”

Since it was such an abstract subject, there was no reason to think too hard. Kian chose yellow petals.

“I will add trust in the other person.”

An old man standing nearby watching laughed.

“You cannot put just one when it is something as important as trust.”

Kian pretended not to hear, smiled, and put the petals into the jar before stepping down.

It was not that he thought trust was unimportant and so he only put in a little. It was the opposite. Because he knew how difficult it was to fully trust another person, he thought even a little trust was significant.

Next was Lucien’s turn. He picked up a large container filled with fruit juice.

“Being by the other’s side.”

Lucien poured the entire contents into the jar.

The bold act surprised people, and they clapped a beat late. The elderly among them chuckled.

“Yes, yes, truly a newlywed. Later, with time, you will regret it. You will get annoyed even at the sound of their breathing by your side.”

“Ha ha, do not say that. That is why this time is the best.”

Lucien put down the empty container and ran over to Kian. On the way to the place of the final ritual, Lucien poked Kian in the side.

“You will trust me, right?”

Lucien was referring to what Kian had said when he put in the petals. His lifted voice was filled with mischief he could not hide.

Kian laughed.

“Trust does not go the way you want it to. Thinking you trust and trusting without doubt are different.”

“If you say to trust, I will trust.”

He answered without hesitation. Each time, Kian realized again that Lucien was different from him.

Kian changed the topic.

“But I found your ingredient more curious. Just being by the other’s side is not love, is it? There are many couples who live together but are worse than strangers.”

“That is because they do not make the effort.”

“Effort… But will that really change people’s hearts?”

Lucien’s lips stiffened slightly. He soon fixed his expression and answered in a firm voice.

“I hope it will.”

“……”

“Do you remember? In the play we watched together last time, it said that love was like a sudden shower. Once soaked through, life had changed.”

“Yes.”

“But not everyone falls in love that way. So I will wait. If it is not a shower, then it will be a drizzle. If it keeps falling, someday the other person may be soaked by my love too.”

Kian had no resistance to words that cheesy.

‘Disgustingly affectionate bastard.’

Kian ran his palm down his face and shifted his thoughts. Just then, they arrived at the place of the next ritual.

Dong, dong, dong, dong.

The sound of drums echoing from afar mixed with loud voices. Newlywed couples were dancing inside a large circle of people.

There were no set dance steps. Unlike at a royal banquet, it was enough to show their joy in rhythm as they pleased.

Some couples moved their arms and legs cutely while facing each other, while others stuck their bodies close together and created a strange mood, drawing reactions from the crowd.

Dong, dong, dong, dong.

Drums, flutes, and maracas blended to make lively music.

“Come in!”

Kian and Lucien were pulled into the circle before they knew it. The excited crowd clapped and whistled.

With many eyes on him, Kian felt nervous. Cold sweat ran down his back.

‘What do I do?’

He felt he had to show something. If this went on, he might actually perform the kingdom’s sword techniques without a sword.