DMHS 97

The author called the new body meant to hold his soul a “doll.” The method of creating the doll was the same one Kian already knew.

“A body molded from clay holds the power of destruction.”

With that, one of his long-standing questions was resolved.

“The sorcerer who made the doll must have followed this book.”

That meant the other person was most likely from the Academy.

Before, Kian had assumed the sorcerer had summoned a demon. Since making a doll required advanced dark magic, he had thought no human sorcerer could do it.

But on closer thought, this explanation made more sense.

Even in the Demon Realm, only a few demons knew how to make dolls. And demons, proud of their individual might, disliked using magic that involved manipulating puppets.

But that wasn’t the real issue.

Lucien, who read the book beside him, spoke.

“‘In praise of Celestia and Yahdreir.’ The one who wrote this must have been a dark mage, right?”

“The mention of both gods makes that clear. But isn’t it suspicious that the Royal Academy holds a dark mage’s book?”

“It’s absurd. And this name.”

Lucien turned the page forward and pointed to the author’s surname.

“Semes.”

“……”

“I’m certain this person is your ancestor. What do you think?”

Kian swallowed instead of answering. Lucien continued.

“Don’t take this the wrong way. I didn’t bring it up before because you didn’t want to, but after our bond was decided, Eddie investigated the Semes family.”

Kian blinked slowly.

It was a natural thing to do. A dragon’s mate wasn’t a position given to anyone.

“I see…”

“The House of Semes was wiped out about twenty years ago. Their title was low, and they had no territory, but nobility is nobility. The only reason they disappeared so quietly was simple.”

“……”

“The Semes family was executed by the inquisitors.”

Kian couldn’t speak.

He had become Kian Semes only because one of the victims the bandits had attacked had carried an identification plate with that name.

The story had gone in a direction he hadn’t expected, and he held his throbbing head.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know much about the family.”

“That’s what Eddie and I thought too. You were frail, so you were born and raised in your mother’s hometown. That’s why you survived the tragedy that fell on the Semes family. When the inquisitors later learned of your existence, they didn’t bother to pursue you.”

“…..”

“I don’t know why the Semes family became their target. But since a dark mage bore the name Semes, it seems likely your family had long ties to dark magic.”

He remembered someone shouting “Semes!” from the place where Gimere Harkin had died in Chronos.

Unlike the damaged memories, that voice had remained clear. Maybe it had really been referring to the House of Semes.

Kian, lost in thought, fell silent. Lucien misunderstood and carefully studied his face.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Kian shook his head and pulled himself out of his thoughts.

“I just had something on my mind. It’s not because of the story about the family. Weren’t you surprised to learn about my background, Lord Lucien?”

“It’s fine. I don’t care where you’re from. I chose you because I like you, not because of your family.”

The certain answer made his heart skip a beat.

‘So he’s already guessed I’m not really ‘Kian Semes.’

He didn’t know when Lucien had realized it.

Even when he had noticed that Kian’s story in Chronos didn’t match the history of the Semes family his investigation had uncovered, Lucien hadn’t reacted. It seemed he’d never cared much about Kian’s true identity in the first place.

That made sense. One couldn’t choose one’s family, so maybe Lucien thought of it that way.

“But what about my past?”

Kian’s bloodline had vanished fifteen hundred years ago. He had built four new kingdoms alongside the heroes chosen by the goddess.

He had been a hero to the people and a legendary knight.

He had also slaughtered countless monsters and lived tormented by the need to atone.

‘He doesn’t know anything.”

He hadn’t known until now, and he couldn’t ever know. Yet Kian still asked a foolish question.

“What if I’ve been hiding something other than my family? My age, my status, my past, my race. What if I myself am a lie, what would you do?”

This was a dead end.

If Lucien said he would hate him for being full of lies, it would hurt.

If he said it didn’t matter who Kian really was, it wouldn’t make him happy either.

The secret Kian carried wasn’t just a fragment of himself. When his whole existence was built on lies, how could he take comfort in words from someone who didn’t even know who he was?

‘What am I doing, asking a question when I already know the answer?’

Lucien, instead of replying, drew one knee up and sat closer. His long arms wrapped around Kian’s torso.

For a moment, Kian froze at the sudden embrace. Then Lucien’s voice brushed his ear.

“I think I’d like it.”

Lucien turned his head and kissed Kian’s cheek.

“It sounds thrilling and fun. If you’re going to lie, make it something incredible I could never imagine.”

In an instant, a strong grip seized Kian’s jaw. He felt the impact of lips against his own.

He didn’t know what had offended him, but the kiss was rough, completely unlike the soft tone of his voice.

He slammed his lips against Kian’s so hard that the skin split. The saliva that slid into his throat tasted of iron. The strength of the tongue that forced its way to the root of his own was fierce.

“Why?”

Overwhelmed, Kian staggered before he realized it. The moment he faltered, Lucien grabbed his arm and pulled him up, and this time his kiss was softer.

Light kisses scattered across Kian’s face, brushing his nose, cheeks, and jaw. When his head started to feel hazy, Lucien kissed his lips again.

Kian pushed Lucien away. Normally, Lucien would have retreated, but now he pressed his knees into the floor and refused to move.

Instead, Lucien lowered his head against Kian’s chest.

Like a small creature that found a burrow too narrow to crawl into when chased by a predator, or a child who believed that if he hid his head, he would disappear, Lucien buried his face in Kian’s chest and murmured.

“I won’t ask.”

“……”

“I don’t expect you to tell me someday either. I don’t care if you’re an angel, a demon, a god, a monster, or a human. You could be a tree, or grass, or the sky, or the wind, or the waves, and it wouldn’t matter. You already are all of that to me. So just…”

“…..”

“Stay by my side.”

The hand clutching his arm trembled. Kian sighed as he looked up at the ceiling.

“I asked a foolish question. I didn’t mean to make you uneasy.”

“I know.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No. I’m the one who should apologize for acting foolish.”

The hand that had held his arm withdrew. The body that had trembled like a frightened animal moved away too.

Lucien pulled back and looked down with a small smile, as if nothing had happened. The pale color that had drained from his cheeks returned.

“Don’t take it too seriously. I just felt upset for a moment. I’m really fine.”

“Are you acting like this because you think I’ll leave? Don’t trouble yourself over something so trivial. Fate doesn’t follow what people wish.”

“You’re right. I think so too. It’s enough if we enjoy being together. I’m still having fun.”

“Are you sincere? I’ll give you the chance now. If anything bothers you, say it.”

“Nothing does.”

Kian narrowed his eyes. It was hard to tell what Lucien really felt from his face alone.

Since it had come to this, Kian decided to ask something that had bothered him for a long time.

“But what if something bothers me?”

“Tell me.”

“How do you use magic without mana?”

Lucien slowly curled his fingers into a fist and opened them again.

“Hmm… by feeling?”

‘So he doesn’t intend to explain.’

As Kian prepared to let the answer pass, Lucien spoke again with something unexpected.

“When I wish something would disappear, it disappears. When I wish something would appear, it appears.”

“…You just think it?”

“Yes.”

Kian stopped moving.

“I’m not a mage, but that’s beyond any normal ability. Taken literally, that’s closer to divine power.”

“Divine power?”

“It’s the will of a god. It’s the primal force that shaped the world at the beginning. Of course, that’s the goddess’s domain, not yours.”

Lucien shrugged, as if he didn’t understand it either.

It wasn’t something they could solve by thinking about it. Kian raised his brows slightly and slid the book back onto the shelf.

“Anyway, it’s not important right now.”

The library darkened. Thinking one of the magic stones had gone out, Kian turned his head, and saw something unexpected.

Something half covered the window, swaying in the wind.

His gaze traveled from the shoes it wore, up to the socks, the pale legs, the skirt, and finally stopped at the badge pinned to the chest.

Laura.

When he confirmed the name, the hanging body fell.

Purple hair rose against gravity, then vanished.

“…..”

Kian opened the window on the thirteenth floor. He leaned out and looked down.

Fortunately, there was no corpse at the base of the tower. Instead, a familiar voice came from above.

“Sir Kian? What are you doing down there?”

When he looked up, he saw Frederick and the others hanging on the rooftop railing. Kian pointed down with his finger.

“Did someone just fall?”

“Did you see it too, Sir Kian? The footprints that didn’t appear no matter how many times we stepped on them suddenly showed up.”