LFDD 11

Chapter : 11

She was almost six years old now, so she had grown quite a bit, but Geel was still carrying her effortlessly without any strain.

“Hey! Don’t just stand there!”

Kael shouted at Geel’s back as he snatched up Hiazelki and ran off with light steps, but Geel ignored him completely and headed toward the garden.

“…Albert.”

Kael, standing in place with his fists clenched, called his butler in an irritated voice.

Albert, who had been standing nearby, flinched at his master’s gritted tone calling his name.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Find a way to get rid of that guy immediately.”

“Yes, understood.”

Without even glancing at Albert’s troubled face, Kael headed out to the garden after Geel.

Hiazelki, who had been sitting beside Geel, crouched down and stared intently at the ground.

Geel’s hand brushed the soil, and as the wind passed through, sprouts immediately grew in that spot.

“Wow!”

Any flower he wished for would bloom.

Flowers that would survive through cool summer days and even the harsh winter winds.

During the week Geel stayed in the castle, the garden was steadily filled with flowers.

“They’re so pretty…”

The flowers did not wither easily, and it was said that if they were cared for properly, they might even survive the winter.

Of course, Geel said that was only true if they were grown in other regions.

The northern land’s winter, unfortunately, would not be able to endure them.

“Geel.”

While staring at the flowers, Hiazelki lifted her head and called the Earth Dragon.

“Hmm? What? Do you like me?”

“Ah… yes, I like you.”

There was a very brief pause, but seeing the child nod, Geel’s eyes widened.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Hiazelki was curious about Geel’s blessing.

She had called him because she wanted to ask what he felt when making flowers bloom, but seeing his excited face, she ended up answering like that.

‘I’ll just ask what I’m curious about later.’

Covering her mouth with both hands, Geel looked so moved he was almost teary-eyed, and his intense gaze made her quietly turn her head away.

But at that moment, Geel suddenly pulled the child into a tight hug.

‘So adorable.’

The small child, not even six years old yet, was completely buried in his arms.

Watching them, Kael ground his teeth and quickly stepped forward, pulling Geel away.

“Let go.”

Then he took Hiazelki from his arms and lifted her up.

“Waaah, Papa!”

Startled, Hiazelki grabbed Kael’s clothes tightly.

Even though she was no longer that small, both Kael and Geel kept lifting her up so easily.

“Albert prepared a new book. Let’s go to the library.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, then I’ll also—”

Thud. As Geel tried to stand up and follow, Kael kicked him.

“…Ugh…”

Hiazelki panicked and didn’t know what to do, but Kael didn’t care at all.

And while Geel was left lying on the ground, Kael simply walked back into the castle with her.

“Ha ha…”

Left alone in the garden, Geel let out a low laugh as he lay on the ground and looked up at the sky.

As soon as the two disappeared, his expression turned cold, losing all its playfulness.

The garden was full of flowers he had bloomed over the past week.

Geel, whose expression didn’t match the beautiful flowers at all, stared at the sky coldly and slowly brushed a flower petal with his fingertips, then covered his eyes with that same hand.

“I came here to laugh at him…”

A small murmur was carried away by the wind and disappeared into the sky.

He had come to see how ridiculous it would be for a dragon to raise a human child.

It had been nothing more than a pastime to suppress his pointless longing.

Kael was one of the four dragons who especially longed to return to the side of God.

‘I can’t say I don’t understand.’

They were dragons who once stayed beside God, not God themselves.

They missed that peaceful place and all wanted to return someday.

And Kael, especially, was tired of humans. Given his role, that was only natural.

‘If it were me, I might have been the same.’

No—maybe he wouldn’t have been able to endure it at all. Only Kael could have held on this long.

Perhaps this task was given precisely because he could endure it.

“Ha… ha ha…”

A faint laugh escaped between his lips.

Lowering the hand that had covered his eyes, Geel looked up at the sky again.

This time, his expression was softer.

But even so, his eyes remained cold, separate from his longing to return to the heavens.

Perhaps this child had been sent because they could not endure anymore—sent to somehow endure.

But he didn’t think she had been sent specifically for Kael.

“…Were we sent for you?”

Throwing the question into the sky that would never answer, Geel finally stood up.

There was no point in lying there any longer.

As he turned away, his expression was tinged with bitterness.

Throughout his walk out of the garden, his steps were heavy and his gaze stayed lowered.

As if he didn’t dare look up at the sky.

‘So in the end… I cannot return to their side.’

“Do you like it?”

“Yes!”

Just like when Hiazelki first grew closer to him, the child sat on a large cushion and read a book.

“Won’t you read it to me?”

“If there’s a book you want, tell me. I’ll inform Albert.”

“Thank you, Papa.”

“Ah, right. You reading a book to me? Ugh, just thinking about it is boring.”

“….”

“Why don’t I read it for you instead? Since you’re completely hopeless at that kind of thing.”

Because Geel kept interrupting, the book in Kael’s hand crumpled slightly.

Kael felt like he wanted to stab that green head with the book right away.

Geel, unaware of the murderous gaze, just smiled brightly.

“I… I’ll just read it myself…”

Hiazelki was the only one worried about trouble breaking out.

Knock knock.

Just as Kael was glaring at Geel like he might bite him at any moment, a knock was heard.

“Master, it’s Albert.”

“Come in.”

Albert entered the library looking even more exhausted than before.

The butler had returned with information that would require Geel to move.

“I came to ask if I should prepare tea.”

“Oh, that sounds good. I’ll take alcohol!”

Before Kael could answer, Geel responded first, making Albert smile awkwardly.

“U-um, Lord Geel. There are rumors that a cursed land has appeared in the southern region… Wouldn’t you need to go take a look?”

“Huh? Where?”

“It’s called the Colento region.”

At Albert’s words, Geel frowned.

The southern lands were fertile and rarely caused problems.

A mild climate, not dry, and a good place for people to live.

Geel let out a long sigh and stood up.

“I was planning to stay longer, but I guess I have to go.”

At those expected words, Kael smiled in satisfaction.

“Good. Hurry up and leave and don’t come back.”

“……”

As Geel narrowed his eyes and looked at Kael, Kael quickly turned his head away.

“…Strange. Why is this information coming from Albert instead of my messenger bird?”

This time, even Albert flinched and turned away while trembling.

Of course, Geel assumed the information Albert brought was true.

No matter how much he obeyed his master, a dragon would not lie to another dragon.

‘Messenger bird?’

Hiazelki also flinched for a completely different reason, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“Geel, what’s a messenger bird?”

“Oh? You’ve never seen one? You’ve been in the castle quite a while, haven’t you?”

Instead of Kael’s sharp stare, Albert nervously wiped his sweat and answered.

“There just wasn’t any reason to see one.”

When messenger birds arrived for Kael, it was usually for punishment of criminals.

Remembering this, Geel smiled faintly and patted Hiazelki’s head.

“I’ll show you next time. I’ll come back as soon as I’m done.”

“Don’t come.”

“Kid, if you say you miss me, I’ll fly back immediately!”

Geel, fiddling with the ends of his braided hair, let go and smiled brightly again.

He waved his hands energetically.

Hiazelki, now standing up, waved back just as enthusiastically.

“Have a safe trip!”

Satisfied with her bright smile, Geel walked to the large window in the library.

He opened it wide, and a cool breeze entered.

“I’ll go.”

With those words, he jumped out the window.

“Eek!”

Hiazelki gasped and quickly ran to the window.

“Why do they always use windows when there’s a perfectly good door…”

Kael muttered as he walked up behind her.

Geel’s figure, flying with large wings, was already becoming small in the distance.

A dark green dragon.

Yet Geel felt like someone who lit up the surroundings. Someone who made others happy.

Being near him made the heart warm and calm. And seeing him leave made an aching sense of longing appear.

‘Why?’

They had grown closer while Geel stayed at the castle.

He showed her flower blooming many times, went on walks with her, and Hiazelki had grown to like him.

But it was only one week. It shouldn’t have been enough to feel such deep longing.

She had never felt this kind of longing for anyone before.

It felt like an emotion that didn’t belong to her.

“That guy is a very dangerous person. Understand? If he comes again, you must not follow him.”

Kael said firmly while closing the window, but Hiazelki didn’t answer and instead ran back to the large cushion.

She avoided answering because she didn’t think she could follow that order.

Because Geel felt similar to Kael.

‘Would I feel this way if I were separated from Papa?’

She was curious, but didn’t want to imagine it. Didn’t even want to say it out loud.

After the warm summer passed, early winter arrived.

Even though it wasn’t fully winter yet, the weather had become sharply cold.

“Miss, where are you going?”

“To the garden!”

“It’s quite cold outside.”

At Lisa’s worried expression, Hiazelki pulled her coat tighter proudly.

“I’m fine!”

“Don’t stay out too long, alright?”

“Yes, Lisa.”

Waving happily, Hiazelki ran toward the garden.

Geel, who said he would return soon after finishing his work, did not come back even after summer ended and autumn passed.

On the last day of the year, Yuri and the other maids were excited, saying they would throw Hiazelki a birthday party this year for sure.

‘I wish he would come on my birthday…’

Hiazelki quietly looked at the flowers Geel had left in the garden.

‘He said he would come quickly if I missed him…’

But come to think of it, how would Geel even know if she missed him?

She sighed lightly, and Yuri’s voice was heard.

“Miss!”

“Yes?”

Yuri approached with a bright smile and asked.