Chapter 2
A pure smile. Looking at the smiling face that did not contain any other ill feelings, it seemed that the white dragon was correct.
There seemed to be no one here who would harm her.
Being quickly released with a smile like this, she seemed to laugh at herself from the bottom of her heart.
However, the sound was so weak it could hardly be heard, so she could easily ignore it.
“Well, then shall we go?”
Hyazelki glanced at Lisa’s stretched out hand and gave a small nod.
Isn’t it the first time someone reached out to her first? Thinking about it, she took Lisa’s hand.
Hyazelki, walking slowly, unconsciously cast her eyes at the hallway window and stopped.
Because she could see a white dragon flying into the dazzling blue sky.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Hyazelki, who let go of Lisa’s hand, walked closer to the window and raised her heels.
‘White Dragon, you… You really abandoned me! In the castle where the Dragon of Judgment lives!’
Tears quickly formed in her eyes, which grew bigger.
‘The Dragon of Judgement is scary! No one in the world trusts him!’
Hyazelki burst into tears as she recalled the story of the Dragon of Judgement that was communicated the preceding year.
[The Dragon of Judgement, Kael, has the record of punishing one of the western regions entirely.
Their crime was ‘blasphemy’.
A small number of people that did not participate in the crime witnessed the punishment being carried out.]
* * *
[Once upon a time, a God who loved humans sent four dragons down to the Earth.
Kael, the Dragon of Judgement who punishes guilty humans.
Jiel, the Dragon of the Earth, for the farmers.
Hiel, the Dragon of Healing, to heal humans.
Ciel, the Dragon of Observation, to rule order so that humans do not fall into chaos.
Humans serve them, and they will take care of them.
Remember that they exist on Earth as evidence that God loves humans.]
Every empire, kingdom, and nation on this continent knows of this myth.
As time passed, more and more people started questioning if dragons really existed, but most of them still believed in their existence.
Among the four dragons, Kael, the Dragon of Judgment, settled in the barren land of the far north.
He built a castle there and lived under the patronage of a few humans.
For hundreds of years, he was gradually forgotten by humans.
Only the sinners who faced him recognized his existence.
However, it changed completely from one incident.
That was the entire punishment of the western region for ‘blasphemy’.
* * *
A white face that stands out even more because of the black hair. Intense crimson eyes.
With a face that was not interested in anything, Kael arrived at the living room and opened the door, without hiding his annoyance.
“What’s the matter.”
“… You haven’t changed.”
Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Ciel, who had been sipping his tea, put down the teacup.
The pure white hair was sliding down one shoulder.
His red eyes had a different atmosphere from Kael’s.
Kael, trudging along with a face that said he was not pleased, sat down on the sofa opposite to Ciel.
“Is there another sinner to judge? What brings you here instead of sending a messenger bird as usual.”
His sharp eyes still seemed to see through everything.
A cold atmosphere lingered around them, and it had a sharp feeling.
Kael had been in this state for quite some time.
Having seen only sinners for hundreds of years, he was completely fed up with the existence of human beings, whom God loved.
“Today is another matter.”
“Is that so? What is it?”
He had an attitude that he did not care about what it was.
Regardless of his attitude, Ciel opened his mouth.
“I am going to entrust you with a human child.”
“Entrust me with what?”
At the calm words, Kael’s face twisted immediately.
“A human child. I brought her with me when I came. Her name is Hyazelki.”
“… Aren’t you so good at talking nonsense.”
“That child needs you. I want you to be her guardian.”
“Hah, now I even have to take care of human kids? Because they need me?”
Kael chuckled with a blank look on his face.
“You’re making me do all sorts of things.”
At the sarcastic attitude, Ciel let out a small sigh.
“A child born with a fate.”
“Fate? Did you come here to talk about that? You have a knack for saying crazy things.”
“Listen properly.”
“I’m listening. Your words are coming through my ears.”
At the conversation that made little progress, Ciel eventually touched his forehead.
“What would you do if those sinful men, who you hate so much, were tormenting that innocent child?”
“What?”
Kael, who had a consistent bystander attitude, furrowed his eyebrows.
Ciel got up from his seat, as if he had no intention of staying long.
“In any case, you will take care of her.”
“Take care? Me? Of what?”
“That child. It is God’s will, so you must obey it. Think of her as a daughter and take care of her.”
“Daughter? Da-ugh-ter? You said something like daughter. Ah… So, what am I supposed to do, to raise a human child…”
“I’ll come to see you often. Then.”
“Hey, wait, hey!”
As he walked away, Ciel opened a large window in the living room.
Ciel, who climbed up the windowsill, finally looked back at Kael.
“Only that child will be able to give you what you want.”
“What are you saying… Hey!”
Looking at Ciel, who jumped out the window without listening to him, Kael frowned.
“… Should I really kill that white haired guy.”
Kael, who looked at Ciel flying into the sky for a moment, left the living room, annoyed.
Then, he tried to return to his room naturally, but he stopped at the strange voice that could be faintly heard.
It was a kind of voice he had never heard before.
‘… What is it.’
He shook his head and started walking, but shortly afterward, he stopped again.
Kael, slowly closing his eyes, sighed and turned back.
“… The will of God, don’t give me that.”
* * *
“Why, why are you suddenly crying?”
“I’m not…”
Lisa bent one knee to match her gaze with the sad, crying Hyazelki.
‘You looked so innocent! Why did you tell me to wait! As if you would take me back!’
In fact, he just told her to wait and not that he would take her back.
No, he said that he would entrust her to the Dragon of Judgement.
However, Hyazelki tried to ignore that fact.
She dreaded the Dragon of Judgement, whom she hadn’t seen yet, that lived in this castle.
“I-if you cry like this, Master will come…”
Hyazelki stopped crying at Yuri’s low muttering.
‘B-by Master, is it the Dragon of Judgement?’
The child, who acknowledged that the white dragon really had left her there, let out a small sigh.
‘Still, I have to go and say hello…’
She was pouting, but Lisa and Yuri’s face in front of her turned pale.
“What is that.”
A low, cold voice.
Hyazelki, startled, slowly looked back.
Long, flowing dark hair, and shiny crimson eyes.
His eyes moved slowly, looking down at the child who was much smaller than him.
‘The Dragon of Judgement… Kael.’
Hyazelki could not move, as if she were frozen.
Indeed, as she had read in the book, even the surroundings seemed to freeze.
“Master.”
She was unclear whether she was overwhelmed by the atmosphere or whether she was just fascinated by his beautiful appearance.
As she looked up at the black dragon, a middle-aged man standing behind Kael addressed him.
Only then did the red gaze move away from Hyazelki.
“This child must be the child that Mr. Ciel left.”
Of course, he knew. He asked, knowing it. Needlessly.
“Why is he entrusting me with a human child? Does he think I can take care of that?”
“No way. No.”
At the reply that came straight away, Kael frowned a little.
It was a question he asked to deny, but it felt strange to deny it so directly like that.
With a short sigh, the black dragon glanced at the little child again.
This time, his gaze didn’t stay for long and was about to move away, but Hyazelki suddenly bowed.
“Hello.”
Kael, who turned his head, stared at her with surprise.
Hyazelki, who bowed briefly, slowly raised her body.
Lisa, who was next to her, also saw her hands trembling while holding onto her skirt.
‘Calm down, calm down…’
The child, taking a long, shallow breath, struggled to raise the corners of her mouth.
The smiling face looked pathetic, and Kael somehow felt uncomfortable.
‘To survive here…’
Ciel had already left her with the Dragon of Judgement.
In order to survive here, Hyazelki had to look good to Kael, who is clearly called the ‘master’.
She just didn’t want to die anymore. She didn’t want her life to end easily, in an instant.
She wanted to live differently this time.
“I am Hyazelki. Please take good care of me.”
She thought she smiled as brightly as she could, but her surroundings were chilly.
‘… What, what did I do wrong…?”
As she looked around with an anxious look, Yuri let out a breath she had been holding in.
She is only four years old. Her pronunciation is still inaccurate. But she did not know how sad the smiling face of this lively child was.
“… Take her to any room. You guys take care of her.”
“Yes, Master.”
Kael turned his back without answering Hyazelki’s greeting.
‘… Are you saying I can stay here?’
The child looked up at the remaining three people with an anxious look.
“What on earth is this situation, Mr. Albert?”
“For now… Take her to a room far away from Master’s room.”
The butler sighed and looked at Hyazelki.
He smiled warmly, patted the child’s head lightly, and then left.
Lisa and Yuri seemed to be at a loss, whispering something, but she could not hear it.
‘So… I can stay?’
Hyazelki held back the question she wanted to ask.
* * *
Hyazelki fell asleep in a luxurious room for the first time in her life.
A large bed and soft bedding. The room’s temperature was even controlled by magic.
She, who had never enjoyed such luxury, could not sleep comfortably.
It was so comfortable that she was rather anxious.
‘It’s a matter of living long.’
Rather than living long, it is more correct to say she lived many lives.
She lay absent-mindedly, thinking about it, but a shadow settled in the dark room.
Hyazelki’s calm expression cracked.
An intruder in a dark room. It evoked a bad memory for her.
The memory at the end of her first life.