Chapter 65

Chapter 65

In the end, it was Erina who raised the white flag. She figured they couldn’t keep arguing forever and decided it would be best to accept it for now and return it later.

“Okay then, I’ll use it well. Thank you!”

“No, thank you for accepting it.”

Dylan, now finally looking satisfied, gently closed Erina’s outstretched fingers around the pocket watch. 

Because of that, Erina ended up gripping the watch tightly in her hand.

The round, oval-shaped pocket watch fit her palm as if it were custom-made. Dylan felt pleased, convinced that the gift he had given was the best. 

The irritation he’d felt earlier while ordering his subordinates around had faded, and he felt completely refreshed. 

When his mood was sour before, it would only be eased by taking something from someone else—but now, simply giving something he cherished had lightened his mood. 

Truly, anything related to Erina had become special.

“Erina!!”

“Erina, we’re hunnngryyy!!”

“Ma! Ma-ma-ma!”

Just as Dylan’s twisted insides were starting to settle beside Erina, the children came running toward them, shouting her name. 

Somehow, they’d managed to track her down. The triplets clung to her arms and legs, glaring at their uncle and urging her to come back quickly.

“We were supposed to eat baked food from the hearth!”

“Mitzu and Hael are about to throw a tantrum! Scold them for us!”

“Mama, let’s eat!”

At the children’s insistence, Erina gave Dylan a brief nod before stepping away. 

Dylan watched his niblings and Erina walk away, a lazy expression on his face like a lion basking in contentment.

***

It was just simple survival food baked in a hearth, but it tasted incredible. 

Meian, who usually ate sparingly, had stuffed herself and now felt sick while lying in her sleeping bag. She had brought digestive medicine, but thought a short walk might help more.

Hearing the soft purring of the little dragonlings soundly asleep, Meian smiled slightly and quietly left her spot. 

The campsite was calm, with only a few guards on night watch. The deep forest was filled only with the sound of insects chirping. 

Meian nodded to the guards and stepped into the woods.

As if they had been waiting, forest fairies began to appear around her. The fairies, chattering excitedly by her side, once again cast a spell on the necklace imbued with the power of neighboring fairies. 

Meian, now relaxed while chatting warmly with these new fairies, was just starting to feel better when…

“Huh?”

Erina, who Meian had assumed was asleep with the children, stood in the middle of the forest. And with her was Dylan, the children’s uncle. 

Confused and caught off guard, Meian glanced around. She was checking to see if there was anyone else—someone like Mitzu, or Mitzu himself. 

Fortunately, unlike her worries, Mitzu’s red hair was nowhere in sight. Letting out a sigh of relief, Meian slowly walked toward Erina. The forest fairies twirled behind her, dancing in her wake.

Just as Meian reached Erina, happy to see someone familiar, a strange atmosphere had formed between Dylan and Erina in the heart of the forest. 

Dylan had his eyes closed, gently holding Erina’s hair as if it were precious. Erina was looking at him with warm eyes.

“…!!”

Oh—oh my!!

Overwhelmed by their intimate mood, Meian turned to leave quickly. She had been told she lacked tact, but even she wasn’t that oblivious. 

Meian’s face flushed with heat as quietly stepped back…

Snap!

The sound of a twig breaking echoed through the forest. 

Meian froze and ducked behind a tree. In the previously silent woods, the crack was loud enough that of course Dylan and Erina turned their attention toward it.

“Hm.”

Naturally, it was Dylan who spotted Meian peeking out from behind the tree first. He had initially dismissed her presence due to the barrier he had cast, but realizing she was staring directly at him, he raised one eyebrow.

Noticing his reaction, Erina also turned and met eyes with Meian behind the tree.

“…!!”

“…!!”

Both women’s faces went pale with shock. Dylan clicked his tongue and released the barrier. 

Since Meian had seen them anyway, it seemed better to just hear her out.

“Come here.”

He beckoned to Meian with a flick of his hand. Meian, her shoulders hunched in embarrassment, cautiously stepped toward them. 

She felt a bit embarrassed at having unintentionally eavesdropped, but it wasn’t like they had been hiding themselves, so she also felt a bit unjustly accused.

“Meian! Wh—what are you doing here…?”

No, more importantly, how did she even find them?

Erina’s face flashed with surprise. She had seen Dylan cast the barrier, so how had Meian managed to spot them?

Meian opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted by Erina’s hair.

“Wait, no! Hold on! Erina! Your hair—what happened to your hair?! Oh wow, the blonde is so much better! I thought so before, but your hair really sparkles…!”

Forgetting Dylan’s presence, Meian gently stroked Erina’s silky hair. Though she was a dragon hybrid, she also couldn’t help her natural instinct to be drawn to shiny things.

As Meian admired the golden hair twined around her palm, Dylan abruptly stepped between them.

“That’s enough. Why could you see us?”

“Huh…?”

“I’m asking what allowed you to see us.”

Still confused, Meian tilted her head. It’s not like they were hiding in a cave or something, was it really so wrong to see them?

Still, rather than voice her grumbles, she chose to answer politely.

“Well, um… I ate too much dinner and couldn’t digest it, so I went for a walk and… saw you two…?”

“You just saw us?”

“Yes, yes!”

“I definitely cast a barrier.”

Dylan’s lips curled up slightly in displeasure. Meian, flustered, offered a guess.

“Maybe… you thought you cast it, but didn’t…?”

“Impossible.”

He cut her off flatly, eyeing her up and down. She didn’t seem to have the power to break his barrier, no hidden strength, nor exceptional aura either.

Then, Dylan suddenly nodded as if something had clicked.

Erina and Meian exchanged puzzled glances.

Dylan circled a finger around Meian’s shoulder.

“Hmph. Fairies? Ah, so that’s it.”

Though he couldn’t see them clearly, he pinpointed the presence of the fairies lingering near Meian.

Not only Meian, but even the fairies froze in shock.

Usually shy, they never revealed themselves to anyone who hadn’t earned their trust, not even other non-humans. But now, someone had not only sensed them, but identified them precisely. Of course they were shocked.

As soon as they realized they’d been discovered, the bashful fairies fled, leaving Meian behind.

Now, under Dylan’s sharp gaze, she stood alone.

‘You traitorous fairies!!’ 

Meian screamed internally, watching them vanish.

But whether she felt betrayed or not, the fairies didn’t return.