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Chapter : 2
That bright smile.
Seeing that smile without any hatred or ill feelings in it, it felt like the White Dragon’s words were true.
It felt like there would be no one here who would hurt her.
At the same time, deep inside, it felt as if something was mocking her for softening so quickly from just one smile.
But that voice was so faint it was easy to ignore.
“So, shall we go now?”
Hiazelki quietly stared at the hand Lisa held out to her, then gave a small nod.
Thinking that this might be the first time someone had reached out their hand to her first, she grabbed Lisa’s hand.
As they walked down the hallway step by step, Hiazelki casually glanced toward the corridor window and suddenly stopped walking.
Against the cold blue sky, she caught sight of the pure white dragon flying away.
“Ah!”
At once, Hiazelki let go of Lisa’s hand and hurried to the window, standing on her tiptoes.
‘The White Dragon really… really left me behind! In the castle where the Dragon of Judgement lives!’
Tears quickly filled her widened eyes.
‘The Dragon of Judgement is scary! People really were right when they said there’s no one in the world you can trust!’
Remembering the stories people told about the Dragon of Judgement, Hiazelki burst into tears.
“The Dragon of Judgement, Kael, once punished an entire western region.
Their crime was ‘blasphemy.’
The few humans who were not involved in the sin witnessed the punishment unfold before their eyes.”
“Long ago, the god who loved humans sent four dragons down to the earth.
He was Kael, the Dragon of Judgement, who punishes sinful humans.
Giel, the Dragon of Earth, who helps humans farm the land.
Hiel, the Dragon of Healing, who heals the wounds of humans.
Ciel, the Dragon of Observation, who maintains order so humans do not fall into chaos.
Humans shall serve them, and they shall care for humans.
Remember that they exist upon this land as proof that God loves mankind.”
Every nation on the continent—the Empire, the Kingdoms, all of them—knew this myth.
As time passed, more people began doubting whether dragons truly existed, but most still believed in them.
Among the four dragons, Kael, the Dragon of Judgement, settled in the barren northern lands where few people lived.
He built a castle there and lived while being served by a small number of humans.
For hundreds of years, humans slowly forgot about him.
The only people who truly recognized his existence were the sinners who stood before him.
But everything changed because of one incident.
The incident where he punished an entire western region for “blasphemy.”
His pale face stood out even more because of his black hair.
Strong red eyes.
Kael, whose face looked uninterested in everything around him, arrived at the reception room and opened the door without hiding his annoyance.
“What is it this time?”
“……You seem the same as always.”
Sitting on the sofa and drinking tea, Ciel placed down his teacup.
His pure white hair slipped over one shoulder like flowing silk.
His red eyes carried a completely different atmosphere from Kael’s.
With an irritated expression, Kael walked over and dropped heavily onto the sofa across from him.
“Is there another sinner somewhere that needs judging? You could’ve just sent a messenger bird like usual. Why come all the way here?”
His sharp eyes still looked as if they could see through everything.
A cold atmosphere surrounded him, harsh and sharp.
Kael had been like this for a very long time.
After spending centuries looking only at sinners, he had become completely sick and tired of humans—the beings so dearly loved by God.
“I came for another matter today.”
“Really? What is it?”
His tone showed he did not care in the slightest.
Ignoring his attitude, Ciel spoke calmly.
“I wish to leave a human child in your care.”
“What did you say?”
At those calm words, Kael’s expression twisted immediately.
“A human child. I brought her with me while coming here. Her name is Hiazelki.”
“……Now you’re confidently speaking nonsense.”
“That child needs you. Become her guardian.”
“Hah, so now I have to take care of a human child too? Because humans need me?”
Kael let out a sarcastic laugh.
“You really ask all sorts of ridiculous things.”
At his cold attitude, Ciel sighed quietly.
“She is a child born with fate.”
“Fate? You came all the way here just to say that? You’re talented at putting effort into speaking nonsense.”
“Listen properly.”
“I am listening. Your words are entering my ears on their own.”
As the conversation got nowhere, Ciel finally pressed a hand against his forehead.
“What if the humans you hate so much are tormenting a child who has committed no sin at all?”
“What?”
Kael, who had maintained an indifferent attitude the whole time, frowned slightly.
Ciel stood from his seat as if he had no intention of staying long.
“You will end up caring for her anyway.”
“Care for her? Me? Care for what?”
“The child. It is God’s will, so protect her well. Raise her as though she were your daughter.”
“Daughter? A daughter? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re seriously telling me to raise a human child…….”
“I’ll come visit from time to time. Goodbye.”
“Hey, wait—hey!”
Ciel walked over and opened the large window of the reception room.
Standing on the window frame, he looked back at Kael one last time.
“That child alone may be able to give you what you desire.”
“You think saying things like that will make me—hey!”
Without listening to the rest of his words, Ciel leapt out through the window.
Watching him fly into the sky, Kael frowned deeply.
“……Should I just kill that white-haired idiot?”
After staring at Ciel for a moment, Kael irritably left the reception room.
Naturally, he started heading back toward his room, but then stopped at the faint sound of an unfamiliar voice.
It was a kind of voice he had never heard before.
‘……What does it matter to me.’
Shaking his head, he tried walking away again, but stopped once more after only a few steps.
Closing his eyes tightly, Kael let out a long sigh before turning around.
“……God’s will, my foot.”
“W-Why are you suddenly crying?”
“How would I know…….”
Lisa bent one knee to meet the eyes of the sobbing Hiazelki.
‘That pure white dragon! Why did he tell me to wait?! He acted like he was going to take me back with him!’
If one thought about it carefully, he only told her to wait. He never actually said he would take her back.
No, to be exact, he had said he intended to leave her with the Dragon of Judgement.
But Hiazelki deliberately ignored that fact.
She was afraid of the Dragon of Judgement who lived in this castle, the one she still had not seen yet.
“I-If you cry like this, Master will come…….”
At Yuri’s quiet muttering, Hiazelki suddenly stopped crying.
‘M-Master… don’t tell me that means the Dragon of Judgement?’
Finally accepting that the White Dragon had truly left her here and gone away, the child let out a small sigh.
‘Still… he should have at least said goodbye…….’
While puffing her cheeks in dissatisfaction, Lisa and Yuri’s faces suddenly turned pale.
“What is that?”
A cold, deep voice.
Startled, Hiazelki slowly turned around.
Long black hair flowing down.
Bright red eyes.
Those eyes slowly lowered toward the child, who was far smaller than him.
‘The Dragon of Judgement…… Lord Kael.’
Hiazelki froze completely.
Just like the books described, he gave off an atmosphere cold enough to freeze even the surroundings.
“Master.”
It was impossible to tell whether she was overwhelmed by his presence, or simply stunned by how beautiful he looked.
While she blankly stared up at the black dragon, the middle-aged man standing behind Kael spoke to him.
Only then did those red eyes move away from Hiazelki.
“This must be the child Lord Ciel left behind.”
Of course Kael already knew that.
He had asked on purpose, almost like a petty complaint.
“Why leave a human child with me? Do they really think I can take care of that?”
“Of course not. Certainly not.”
At the immediate answer, Kael frowned slightly.
He had wanted them to deny it, but hearing such a quick denial still felt strange somehow.
Letting out a short sigh, the black dragon glanced once more at the small child.
This time, his gaze was about to move away quickly—
But Hiazelki suddenly bowed deeply.
“Hello.”
Kael, who had been about to turn away, looked at her with surprise.
Hiazelki stayed bowed for a moment before slowly straightening up.
Even Lisa could see the child’s hands trembling while clutching her skirt.
‘Calm down, calm down…….’
The child let out a shallow breath and forced the corners of her lips upward.
For some reason, that smiling face looked pitiful to Kael, and it irritated him.
‘If I want to survive here…….’
Ciel had already left her in the care of the Dragon of Judgement and gone away.
If she wanted to survive here, Hiazelki had to make a good impression on Kael, the one everyone called “Master.”
She did not want to die anymore.
Not easily. Not in an instant.
This time, she wanted to live differently.
“My name is Hiazelki. Please take care of me.”
She thought she smiled as brightly as possible, yet the atmosphere around her suddenly became awkwardly quiet.
‘……D-Did I do something wrong……?’
As she nervously looked around, Yuri finally let out the breath she had been holding.
Only four years old.
Still at an age where her pronunciation should not even be clear yet.
And yet, why did this brave child’s smiling face look so unbearably sad?
“……Give her any empty room. You all can handle taking care of her yourselves.”
“Yes, Master.”
Without replying to Hiazelki’s greeting, Kael turned his back and walked away.
‘……Does that mean I’m allowed to stay here?’
The child looked up anxiously at the three people remaining.
“What exactly is happening here, Sir Albert?”
“For now…… guide her to a room that’s a suitable distance away from Master’s room.”
The butler let out a short sigh before looking at Hiazelki.
He smiled warmly and gently patted the child’s head before leaving.
Lisa and Yuri whispered something to each other with troubled expressions, but Hiazelki could not hear them.
‘No…… so I’m really allowed to stay?’
Hiazelki desperately held back the question she wanted to ask out loud.
For the first time in her life, Hiazelki fell asleep in a luxurious room.
A wide bed.
Soft blankets.
Even the room temperature was kept warm with magic.
Since she had never experienced such luxury before, she strangely could not sleep comfortably.
It was too comfortable, and that made her anxious instead.
‘You really do live long enough to see everything.’
Though rather than living long, it was more accurate to say she had lived many times.
As she lay there blankly thinking about that, a shadow fell across the dark room.
The peaceful expression on Hiazelki’s face cracked instantly.
An intruder in the dark room.
To her, it brought back terrible memories.
The memories from the end of her first life.
