IPDT 29

With steps as light as the wind, the hooded figure approached and stood next to the black-haired guest. The black-haired man, looking displeased for some reason, glanced down at the hooded figure with icy eyes, but the hooded figure didn’t flinch. He just awkwardly rummaged inside his clothes and then, as if he had found something, let out a small “Ah!”

“Pay with this.”

The hooded figure placed something on the counter as if tossing it down. The innkeeper’s eyes widened. What he had placed on the counter was a diamond the size of a thumbnail.

“Two people, one room.”

The hooded figure, standing with his shoulders confidently squared, pointed to himself and the black-haired man in turn. The innkeeper beamed with a happy smile. At this moment, the hooded figure seemed like the greatest being in the world.

I tore my eyes away from the warmly smiling innkeeper and looked up at Yul. Yul was still staring at me with cold eyes.

But that expression would not last long. I could guarantee it. Because I had decided to reveal my identity. That I am ‘the Great Balancer, the Dragon Ilyas,’ and that my body had gotten smaller because I had used polymorph magic.

If I confessed like that, the smart and kind Yul would understand. He might even shed a tear, regretting that he hadn’t recognized me all this time.

Then I’ll have to kiss his eyes and tell him not to cry. I’ll throw off the hood I have pulled down to my head, too. By then, he won’t hate the sight of my face. Mhmm, that’s right. I nodded my head with a pleased smile.

In any case, to reveal my identity, we had to be in the same room. I couldn’t make my body grow and shrink where there were prying eyes.

Ah, this isn’t the time for this. I gestured with my head to the innkeeper, signaling him to show us to the room quickly. The quick-witted innkeeper rubbed his hands together and spoke in a fawning voice.

“Oh my, I must give you the best room. How long will you be staying? Shall I give you one room, just as this gentleman requested?”

“Yes. Definitely one room…”

“You said 50 gold coins.”

“Pardon?”

Yul cut me off with his pleasant voice. The innkeeper and I both turned to look at Yul at the same time.

“Take it.”

Jingle, jangle. Gold coins poured from Yul’s hand. The innkeeper caught the gold coins with what could be described as lightning speed, then looked back and forth between Yul and me with a bewildered expression.

“Aren’t you two sharing a room…?”

I nodded my head vigorously.

“That’s right.”

“No.”

The one who said that was undoubtedly Yul. I whipped my head up to look at Yul. How could you…! I looked at Yul like a king betrayed by a trusted subordinate, but he only looked down at me coldly.

“I’m your attendant. Why wouldn’t we share a room, yo?”

“Why are you my attendant.”

“Because I wanted to be your attendant, so I came all this way, yo?”

“I don’t need one.”

Yul replied in a monotone voice and turned his gaze to the innkeeper. The innkeeper, who had been furtively glancing at us, flinched.

“Lead me to the room.”

“Yes, yes. Sir, if you would please wait just a moment…!”

The innkeeper, clearly overwhelmed by Yul’s gaze, started to lead the way in a flurry. Yul, without even looking back at me, tried to follow the innkeeper. Whoa, wait. This can’t happen, can it? In a panic, I grabbed Yul’s wrist.

Slap!

At that moment, my hand was forcefully shaken off. Huh? I looked at my hand, now hanging in the air, and then looked at Yul. Yul stared at me with black eyes tinged with a cold color, then went up the stairs and disappeared. I couldn’t grab Yul a second time and just blinked my eyes blankly.

In the end, I was assigned a different room from Yul. The innkeeper, seeing how depressed I was, mentioned that the room I would be using was the best room in this inn. He said the room Yul was using was the second-best.

Humans were so foolish. If I had been just a little less depressed, I would have severely punished the human who dared to give Yul second best.

But I don’t have the energy for that today. I flopped down on the inn’s bed. He said it was a good room, but the bed was as hard as a block of wood. Was it maybe a little more plush than an attendant’s bed?

“Liar…”

As I was muttering quietly, Fleabag crawled out from my clothes. The rat with fluffy orange fur paced by my head.

“Are you all right, Master?”

“I’m not all right.”

A deep sigh escaped me.

“It was better when he would bite if I touched him. At least then, I could hold on to him. But to just shake me off like that…”

The moment my hand was ‘slapped’ away was vividly drawn in my mind’s eye. The subtle shift in the air and the cold gaze Yul had sent me.

“Fleabag.”

“Yes, Master.”

“But you know, I don’t think Yul hates me.”

“…If that is what you think, Master, then it must be so.”

Fleabag spoke in a voice as if it were soothing a pathetic creature. How dare you feel pity for me? I shot up from my limp position on the bed. Fleabag, who had been standing with its two front paws gathered to its chest, was startled and fell backward.

“You.”

“Yes, yes, Master.”

Fleabag, belatedly grasping the situation, prostrated itself. I crossed my arms and snorted. It was infuriating, but since I had also turned Fleabag, a cat, into a mouse, I decided to let it slide just this once.

“Anyway, it’s true. I can feel it in my heart.”

“Your heart, yo?”

Fleabag, who had been lying flat, lifted only its head and asked.

“Yeah, my heart.”

Nodding, I placed a hand on my left breast. The thumping beat of my heart was transmitted to my fingertips.

Come to think of it, this heart also pounded strangely when I met Yul, who had become a Hero, at the Imperial Palace. Just like when our hearts were linked. But that magic was broken when Yul died.

Besides, my current state was very different from when our hearts were linked. Back then, I could feel the pain or sensations Yul felt, but not now.

In addition to that, before, I could sense Yul’s mood no matter how far apart we were, but now I could only faintly feel it when I was right next to him.

Why could that be? I rubbed the area around my heart. Half of my heart is with Yul, and half remains with me. Then, do our hearts resonate with each other? Because they were originally one?

“Master, I believe the heart you shared with the human is having an effect.”

It seemed Fleabag was thinking along the same lines as I was. As expected of my smart familiar. I gently stroked Fleabag’s small head with my finger.

“Right. I think so, too. That’s why I’m so sure Yul doesn’t hate me.”

“If that’s the case… then I suppose it must be true.”

Fleabag nodded as if it understood. I flopped back onto the bed again.

“But why is he so cold? We only just met after a single season has passed. Isn’t one season a short time even for humans?”

“That is correct.”

I fidgeted with my fingers, creating wrinkles in the blanket.

“Do you think Yul can’t feel my heart?”

“Why do you think that?”

“I like Yul, you know. That’s why my heart pounds when I stand in front of him, and Yul isn’t the kind of human who would treat me coldly even knowing that. Yul is su—uper cute and kind, you know.”

“Yes, I suppose he is…”

Fleabag answered perfunctorily. I narrowed my eyes and glared at Fleabag.

“Fleabag, your reaction is a bit lukewarm.”

“Master, it’s a misunderstanding! Surely you do not doubt the loyalty of this Fleabag? A-anyway, what will happen to your plan to reveal your identity to the human? You were unable to get the same room.”

“I do have a method in mind.”

“Are you going to break down the human’s door and go in?”

What a terrible thing to say! I might do that to another human, but why would I show such a violent side to Yul? I frowned deeply.

“Do you think I’m that kind of rude dragon?”

“Then what will you do?”

“That is…”

I gestured for Fleabag to lend me its ear. Fleabag, with wide eyes, crawled on all fours and pressed its ear to my lips. I whispered in a hushed, small voice.

“It’s a secret.”

“Master!”

Fleabag looked at me with eyes full of betrayal. I looked at Fleabag, who was trembling with indignation, and wagged my finger.

“You’ll get hurt if you know.”

In truth, Fleabag wouldn’t have been hurt even if it knew what method I was using. Because I wasn’t using a violent method like blowing up Yul’s door or lifting the entire room.

Nevertheless, the reason I kept it a secret from Fleabag was to avoid its nagging. What kind of familiar worries more than its master? There were times when a whole day would pass just from listening to Fleabag’s nagging tirades.

Anyway, after leaving Fleabag in my room, the place I went was in front of Yul’s door. I leaned against the door and idly kicked my feet.

A method to meet Yul that was neither violent nor rude. It was to wait until Yul came out of his room.

If Fleabag had known, it would have started with ‘Your Majesty’s dignity’ and gone on to say ‘there is no need to wait for a mere human.’ I shook my head and glanced back at the door.

I had been standing here since dawn, afraid that if I came late in the morning, he would already be gone, but Yul didn’t come out even as the sun began to rise.

Is he still sleeping? This was my first time waiting for someone, so I was incredibly bored. I leaned against the door again and tapped the toe of my shoe on the floor. Should I just open it and go in?

Click.

“Huh?”

Just then, something hard touched my back. When I turned my head, I saw a half-open door. It seemed that he had been blocked by me while trying to open it. I could see Yul’s cold face through the crack in the door.

“I have something to say.”

“…”

“…yo.”

Oops. I hastily added ‘yo,’ but Yul’s expression showed no signs of improving.

“Move.”

Yul tightened his grip on the doorknob. My body, which was blocking the door, began to be pushed back little by little. At this rate, I would miss my chance again without even getting a word in. This can’t happen, can it…? I quickly took off my hat and stepped to the side. As the obstacle was removed, the door swung open without resistance and hit the wall.

Bang! Perhaps it was very old, because the door became wobbly after hitting it just once. It looked like it would fall off if it were opened and closed a few more times.

Ah, this wasn’t the time to be distracted by the door. I blocked Yul, who was trying to pass by me, and lifted my face so he could see it clearly.