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Chapter 202
Idly standing there, other thoughts quickly took over his mind.
‘Is Lord Asad thinking of interacting with the human realm? Come to think of it, he used to hate humans in the old days. Could that be why?’
It wasn’t only Asad who had hated humans in the past. Most spirits held bad prejudices against humans. But seeing Kinain, Miyeol had realized his own prejudices were wrong.
Now everyone liked the only human in the spirit realm. Since Kinain had become the mate, the spirit realm had become very prosperous and peaceful. All four clans owed Kinain a debt, so their gratitude was great.
The current craze for human culture spreading through the spirit realm was, of course, thanks to Kinain.
The first human Miyeol had ever seen, from the moment he was born, was Kinain. Biche had told him how Kinain had stopped the dragon from drying up the sea to punish the previous Scale Clan great spirit for his crime. From then on, Miyeol liked Kinain and grew curious about the human species.
Humans were a fascinating race the more you learned about them. Living barely a hundred years, yet they accomplished so many things. Of course, there were bad rumors — of them cheating spirits and the like… but weren’t there bad spirits too, just like that? Perhaps humans were the same.
‘Will he keep on not interacting with the human realm? Then Lord Kinain will look pitiful. Biche said there would be many bad points if we connected with the human realm, but who knows about that.’ Miyeol clicked his tongue.
‘Who would know, without seeing the future?’ The moment he thought that, a small light glimmered right beside him. Miyeol looked beside him.
There was something draped with cloth. Lost in thought, he must have bumped it without realizing, and the cloth had slipped to reveal a glimpse of what was inside.
‘A mirror?’
Drawn as if by something, Miyeol pulled the cloth aside.
Asad, who happened to see it, approached with a frown.
“If you followed me, stay still. What are you doing?”
“No, this mirror is glowing.”
“Glowing?”
Without thinking, Asad followed his gaze to the mirror. But let alone a glow, there was nothing the least bit strange about it.
“What glow are you talking about.”
Asad furrowed his brow and glanced aside.
But Miyeol, who had been there, was gone.
No, it wasn’t just Miyeol who was gone.
Clearly Asad had been in the treasure vault, but now he was in some forest.
And it was thoroughly strange. The towering, sky-piercing trees were silver-white, and though it was daytime, stars twinkled in the sky. Even the waterfall was golden.
There was nowhere in the spirit realm with a view like this.
Asad grasped the situation at once. He waved a hand charged with magic, and the scenery rippled like a reflection on a lake.
“An illusion, as I thought.”
It seemed magic was contained in that mirror.
There were plenty of tools containing magic. Not just Maira — other dragons had made a few such magic tools, and when their interest faded, tossed them away anywhere. That mirror was probably one such object.
Asad looked around.
“How dull.”
With the taste of a lunatic who hid treasure in bones like these, Asad coldly dismissed a landscape anyone would praise as beautiful.
In any case, he didn’t want to waste more time on such an illusion.
Asad gathered magic to shatter the illusion.
“Asad, what are you doing over there?”
The magic shimmering like heat haze around Asad’s body scattered in an instant.
It was a familiar voice.
Asad slowly turned.
“…Your Highness?”
Kinain really was there.
But it was not the Kinain Asad knew.
“What, Your Highness? Are you suddenly feeling nostalgic?”
Asad stared blankly at the man approaching him.
The man’s skin was white as the moon, and his black eyes were hard as stone yet clear. Up to there, he was exactly the Kinain Asad knew.
But this Kinain in the illusion let glossy black hair fall to his waist.
For a moment Asad lost his wits at the sight of his mate he’d never seen, then recalled it was an illusion and came to his senses.
“Long hair suits you too…”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden. Like it’s the first time you’ve seen me.” When Kinain tilted his head at the unintended murmur.
In that moment Asad took back what he’d said against this illusion. This Kinain in the illusion was as beautiful as the real thing, and—
“You’re really acting strange today.”
Just then Kinain reached out to Asad. The hand touching his cheek was surprisingly warm.
To feel even touch — this illusion had been made with care. While thinking that, Kinain, who’d been fiddling with Asad’s face, asked.
“Really, what is this look? It’s nice, reminds me of old times. Ah, is this like an event or something?” But it’s still a while until my birthday. Kinain’s muttering could be heard.
Old times?
Asad looked at his reflection in the golden lake. Even in the illusion, he was exactly as he’d been when he left the dragon palace. Even the sash knot Kinain had tied crookedly was the same.
Asad softly caught Kinain’s wrist, which was feeling his face.
“Just like the real thing.”
“Hm?”
“Well made. An illusion showing the future. It’s not the real future, but whoever made it made something amusing.”
“An illusion? What’s that…”
Kinain furrowed his brow. Asad thought the look somehow familiar, then realized a moment later it was his own habit. The Kinain of this future seemed to have picked up his bad habit.
Had he wished for even that?
He couldn’t deny he was beginning to take an interest in this illusion. To be precise, ever since the moment Kinain had appeared.
It’s an illusion I can break out of any time. Watching a little longer should be fine.
Asad gently stroked the wrist he held with his thumb and asked.
“Then, how old are you now?”
“I stopped counting, so I don’t know… wait, you don’t know, Asad?”
Kinain was aghast, as if there were no way you wouldn’t know something about me. Then he immediately shook off Asad’s hand and stepped back.
The smile had already vanished from the face looking at Asad.
“What are you?”
“I am…?”
Asad couldn’t continue. Because of the blade swung toward his throat. His hands had clearly been empty, yet there was no telling when Kinain had seized a sword.
Asad was genuinely flustered. Wasn’t this an illusion showing the future he wished to see?
“W-wait!”
“What have you done with Asad?”
Even though it was an illusion, Asad didn’t want to hurt Kinain, so he only defended. But Kinain’s sword was no ordinary thing. Glowing golden letters were densely engraved on Kinain’s sword, and it shattered his defensive magic and tried to pierce Asad’s chest in an instant.
But the sword stopped a finger’s width away.
Kinain’s gaze went to his own hand gripping the sword. Precisely the ring finger, where the ring was.
Asad too wore a ring in the same place, and the two rings sparkled at once as if saying you mustn’t do this.
Asad watched it with a strange expression. This is definitely an illusion. But how is the imprint reacting?
Is even this an illusion? If not, then…
Just then a trembling voice was heard.
“What, it is you.”
Kinain hastily withdrew the sword. On the expressionless face, various emotions slowly surfaced. Like watching a doll turn into a person.
“Why are you playing such a trick!”
The mask he’d worn to hide his feelings came off, revealing black eyes wavering as if wounded.
Even if it was an illusion, Asad didn’t want to see Kinain make such a face.
Asad hurried over and embraced Kinain.
“I did not do it on purpose.”
“Then.”
“The truth is…”
Asad told the truth.
Kinain, who had listened to the whole story, slipped out of Asad’s arms.
The black eyes blinked rapidly.
“So, you think all of this is an illusion?”
“Yes.”
In reality it probably was an illusion, but the person inside the illusion seemed not to recognize the fact.
“Fine, let’s go with that.”
Kinain, who had been lost in thought for a moment, concluded simply.
Convenient, the way things were glossed over like this because it was an illusion. Or this Kinain of the illusion had a slightly more easygoing personality than the Kinain Asad knew.
“Then, can I take it that you, Asad, came from the past? From my point of view, that is.” Asad nodded. Then Kinain’s eyes began to sparkle.
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