The Azure Dragon’s Devotion: An Offering of Three Centuries to You, page 4
Kohaku wanted to turn right around and go home; he wasn’t a sideshow attraction for people to gawk at. But there was no going against his father’s orders. A whipping would await Kohaku if he defied this order.
Left with no other choice, Kohaku strode ahead so he could fulfill his duties. He walked toward the manor, where two members of the Bear Clan were waiting for him. His arranged date was standing next to, presumably, her father.
Remembering Mashiro’s words, Kohaku forced his facial muscles to cooperate and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said.
The woman from the Bear Clan gasped. “My, how...how could this be?!”
The crowd murmured, and his arranged date stumbled backward before falling to the ground. Kohaku remembered how Mashiro had mistaken his smile for an act of intimidation and wondered just how terrible his expression must’ve looked. As soon as he returned home, he would complain to Mashiro that his advice had only made things worse.
“Uh, are you all right?” Kohaku asked. He didn’t particularly care if his date had passed out, but he couldn’t exactly ignore her. He reached down to help her up, and she grabbed his hand in a tight grip.
“Lord Kohaku, if you’ll have me, I—”
“Oh my, what a coincidence to see you here!”
Kohaku couldn’t help but furrow his brow at the voice that suddenly interrupted the Bear Clan girl. “Seiryu.”
He didn’t even need to turn around—he recognized Seiryu by his voice alone. Kohaku had been under the impression that he could go a few years without having to see that dragon’s mug again, so he’d never expected to run into him again so soon after the banquet. On top of that, it was just his luck that Seiryu had walked in on Kohaku during his first matchmaking session.
At this point, Kohaku had already steeled himself for his father’s lashing. With Seiryu here, there was no way in hell that this meeting would go well. After witnessing the pinnacle of beauty, no one would pay attention to someone like Kohaku, who could never match up to that standard. Kohaku had no idea what Seiryu was doing here, but if they stood next to each other, his presence would only highlight the dragon chieftain’s sublimity.
Kohaku reluctantly turned around, and as expected, Seiryu was standing there. He was looking as perfect as he always did, with a white coat layered over his teal shenyi.
For some reason, Seiryu quirked an eyebrow when he saw Kohaku. “It’s rare to see you wearing such clothes.”
Kohaku, indignant at the comment, looked down at his unnecessarily elaborate robes. He wanted to protest that he hadn’t been the one who’d chosen this outfit, nor did he even want to be wearing it, but he bit his tongue when he remembered he didn’t need to explain himself to Seiryu.
“Lord Seiryu!” The Bear Clan’s chieftain jogged over, a polite smile affixed to his face. He’d seemingly already forgotten all about Kohaku. “I never expected to see you in our humble village. What business do you have with us today?”
“I was just passing through,” Seiryu replied. “Since I was in the area, I thought I’d drop by and see how things have been around here.”
“Oh, thank you for your concern! Please, look around to your heart’s content! Hey, won’t someone offer Lord Seiryu a tour?!”
“By the way,” Seiryu said, interrupting the chieftain’s delighted attempts to offer hospitality. He tilted his head to the side. “What’s Kohaku doing here?”
The chieftain seemed startled. “A-Ah, well, uh... His father was practically begging me, you see! I told him I wasn’t interested, but he just wouldn’t take no for an answer...”
“He wouldn’t take no for an answer? What do you mean?”
“What I mean is...you know... I-I wanted to set up a matchmaking session between you and my daughter! But our turn never came, and my daughter’s growing older by the day, so...”
“So? So what?”
Ah, it all makes sense now. This girl hadn’t gotten the chance to have an arranged date with Seiryu yet, which meant Kohaku was stealing a romantic prospect from him. No wonder the chieftain was having a hard time admitting the truth.
Feeling sympathetic toward the Bear Clan’s chieftain, who was breaking out in a cold sweat under Seiryu’s curious gaze, Kohaku butted into the conversation. “She’s having a matchmaking session.”
Seiryu turned his attention to Kohaku. “She’s matchmaking? With whom?” He glanced around. It was clear from his actions that Seiryu believed it was impossible for anyone to want to matchmake with Kohaku.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Kohaku scoffed, irritation flaring up within him. “Who else could it be but me?”
“With you? You’re on an arranged date?” Seiryu blinked, and his long eyelashes fluttered.
“What? Is there something wrong with that?”
“Wait, you’re really here for a matchmaking session?”
“Enough with the redundant questions. I’m getting older too. It’s about time for me to start a family.” That hadn’t been Kohaku’s intention at all, but Seiryu’s look of disbelief was an insult to his pride. He puffed his chest out to really sell the story of his being here of his own will, but Seiryu just shook his head slightly.
“That’s impossible,” Seiryu replied.
“Huh?” What do you mean by “impossible”? Are you saying no one would ever want to marry me?
“That’s not true!” his matchmaking partner, who had remained silent until this point, suddenly exclaimed. “I’m more than happy to become Lord Kohaku’s—”
“I’m speaking with Kohaku right now,” Seiryu interrupted. “This has nothing to do with you, so hold your tongue.”
“I’m his matchmaking partner. How could it have nothing to do with me?”
Suddenly, Kohaku sensed a change in the air. “Hmm? What’s that?” He looked around as a soft rumbling filled his ears, and the next second, the ground began to shake.
Shocked by the sudden earthquake, Kohaku stumbled and fell against Seiryu’s chest.
“Are you all right?” Seiryu asked.
“I-I’m fine!”
Unlike Seiryu, who had remained upright, Kohaku had lost his balance. He felt pathetic and pushed himself away. Even such a minor incident proved how much better Seiryu was than him. But I was the one protecting you when we were younger, Kohaku thought, frustrated, but it sounded like he was just trying to save face in his own mind.
“Hey! What happened?!” the chieftain yelled frantically.
An equally panicky villager replied, “Th-There was a rockslide! On the mountain!”
“What?!” The chieftain turned around to fix Seiryu and Kohaku with a wide-eyed look.
Seiryu, still wearing his usual calm smile, said, “Don’t mind me. Attend to your duties as chieftain.”
“Er, Lord Seiryu, correct me if I’m wrong, but did you...?”
“Did I what?”
“N-Nothing! In any case, we have to check to see if the village sustained any damage. Let’s go, everyone!”
“Yessir!”
But before the chieftain and the villagers could move to the scene of the accident, the Bear Clan girl whom Kohaku was here to meet stopped them. “Father! What about the matchmaking?”
“It’s canceled!” he snapped. “Do what’s best for the village and give up already!”
“What?!”
Having said his piece, the chieftain led the villagers away, leaving behind his daughter, Kohaku, and Seiryu.
“My, what a horrible accident,” Seiryu said, shooting the Bear Clan girl a friendly smile. “It’s unfortunate, but I suppose the matchmaking will have to end here.”
Kohaku scoffed at how Seiryu loved to charm anyone and everyone. But instead of blushing at Seiryu’s handsome face, his matchmaking partner paled.
“I suppose so,” she admitted after a moment’s pause.
“I hope you’ll find a suitable partner soon.”
Another pause. “Thank you.”
“I’m so glad we could come to an understanding.” Seiryu was still smiling, but Kohaku’s matchmaking partner was growing paler and paler. Fearing that she was ill, Kohaku opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out, Seiryu turned to him and said, “We should leave before we overstay our welcome.”
“Right,” Kohaku replied with a nod. Seiryu had really bailed him out, but he kept his gratitude off his face. It would take the village some time to restore the buildings that the rockslide had damaged. Kohaku walked off, but oddly enough, Seiryu kept pace with a cheery expression. “Why are you following me? You can fly, can’t you? Just hurry on home already.”
Dragons were capable of flight, while beastfolk of the White Tiger Clan could run as fast as the wind once they transformed. Unfortunately, Kohaku couldn’t do that, so his physical prowess was limited to running only a little faster than a normal human. He didn’t hide his curiosity about why Seiryu hadn’t transformed and flown away, and Seiryu tilted his head to the side in response.
“Would you like me to take you home?” Seiryu asked.
“No.”
Was Seiryu teasing him for his inability to transform? Kohaku grimaced at the thought.
“Why not? It’ll take you hours to run back. You’ll save so much time if you let me carry you.”
“There’s no reason to hurry home, and I don’t mind the exercise.”
Truthfully, Kohaku wasn’t looking forward to returning to his village. Not only was it far away, but he’d only just arrived at the Bear Clan village, and he’d barely gotten any time to rest before needing to leave again. He was still tired. But that didn’t mean he wanted this man to lend him aid.
“Is there a reason you don’t want to ride on my back?” Seiryu pressed. “Ah, I know. You’re scared of heights, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Gosh, I didn’t know you were such a chicken. I do prefer flying at a higher altitude, so I suppose that might be too much for the cowardly.”
“Who are you calling cowardly?”
Blood rushed to Kohaku’s head, and he felt a vein throbbing near his temple. He’d never been scared of heights. In fact, Seiryu had been the one who had been too terrified to jump off the waterfall when they were children. Of the two of them, Seiryu was the bigger coward.
Ignorant of the insults Kohaku was mentally hurling at him, Seiryu continued, “Am I wrong? You’re too afraid to ride on my back, right?”
“I never said that!”
“Then, will you?”
“Of course I will!” Kohaku snapped before realizing what he had just said in a fit of pique.
Shit!
But it was already too late.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Seiryu said with a smile. And before Kohaku could stop him, he transformed.
Kohaku tried to yell that he would never get on Seiryu’s back, but before he could even get the first word out, a colossal dragon appeared before him. His protest died on his tongue, and he sucked in a sharp breath. The sight was so magnificent that he even felt a twinge of fear, and for a few moments, he was rendered speechless.
“So this is a dragon,” he whispered, his voice breathless.
Though he’d seen it before from a distance, this was his first time witnessing Seiryu’s transformation up close. Without thinking, he reached out and brushed his fingertips against Seiryu’s long whiskers, which were floating on the breeze. The dragon’s scales shimmered as sunlight reflected off them.
Kohaku was admiring the shifting colors when Seiryu’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Please don’t stare at me like that. It’s a little embarrassing.”
While transformed, Seiryu communicated via telepathy rather than speech. Kohaku didn’t understand what he was so embarrassed about when he looked this resplendent. Earlier, he’d felt a brief spike of anger when comparing himself and his inability to transform to Seiryu—but that feeling vanished the moment Kohaku peered into the sparkling glow of Seiryu’s eyes.
“You’re beautiful,” Kohaku murmured.
Seiryu’s eyes twinkled like shards of shattered gems. Their hue changed depending on the angle at which one gazed upon them. Looking into those eyes was like peering into a kaleidoscope, and Kohaku doubted he would ever tire of discovering the infinite colors of Seiryu’s irises. He was staring right into them when Seiryu smiled, his large eyes narrowing with the movement.
“I thought you didn’t like my draconic form.”
“I don’t.” Pretending that he hadn’t enjoyed the view was a lost cause after all the time he’d spent ogling Seiryu, but Kohaku hurriedly looked away nonetheless. Right, this dragon was Seiryu. It was a little frustrating that he had gotten lost in those eyes.
“Really?” The leviathan dragon tilted his head to the side minutely, clear amusement in his voice. “Well, hop on.”
Kohaku shrank back, wondering if someone of his station could mount such a divine creature. “You’re seriously letting me ride you?”
“If you’re scared of heights, just say so.”
“I-I already told you! I’m not!”
Kohaku hated himself for rising to the obvious bait. He couldn’t help it, though. This is just a normal method of transportation. That’s how I should approach this. And it’s a waste of time to worry about the difference in status if Seiryu’s the one offering to give me a lift. Repeating those words in his head, Kohaku approached the dragon. But the next second, a thought struck him, and he paused.
“Where am I supposed to sit?” he asked.
Seiryu’s dragon form was so large that Kohaku could ride him without affecting his flight, but there was nowhere on his body to hold on to. He’d be flung off within seconds.
“Oh, I’ve never thought about that. You’re the first person I’ve ever offered a ride to. Hmm... What about my head?”
“Your head?”
“You can grab onto my horns. That way, you won’t fall.”
That made sense. Seiryu lowered his snout, and Kohaku climbed up until he was sitting cross-legged on the dragon’s head. When Kohaku placed his hands on the horns that rose up on either side of him, Seiryu’s body twitched violently, but the dragon soon relaxed and made for a steady mount.
“All right,” Kohaku said. “I’m settled in.”
Seiryu’s telepathic voice laughed. “Let’s get going, then.”
Without further ado, he rose into the air. The floating sensation and the sight of the dragon rising from the earth were a little frightening, but the view that spread out before Kohaku’s eyes quickly distracted him from his fear.
“Wow! This is amazing!”
Seiryu snaked through the air, and within seconds, the Bear Clan village became a mere speck. Beyond the settlement was a mountain—a chunk of the mountainside had crumbled away. That must have been where the rockslide occurred. But as Seiryu picked up speed and soared over the ever-changing landscape, the fate of the mountain slipped from Kohaku’s mind.
This was the first time Kohaku had ever seen the world from this height, and before he knew it, he was staring down with sparkling eyes, silently engraving everything into his memory. How beautiful the world was! He saw flowing waterfalls, shimmering lakes, and proud mountains. The columns of smoke here and there were akin to the breaths of life.
“The world is so big,” he whispered.
Kohaku had once believed that destiny was something he could never escape from. That he would be kept a prisoner in his own tribe until the day he died. Even if he wanted to leave, where could he go? The only place in the world for him was that old, dilapidated manor.
As he saw just how expansive the world was, he realized how small and insignificant he was. But because he was so small and insignificant, shouldn’t there be some place out here where he could belong? For the first time in his life, Kohaku felt an interest in the outside world stirring within him.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I’ve always wanted to show you this sight.”
“Show me?”
“Well, yes. You like beautiful things, don’t you?”
When he was younger, Kohaku had enjoyed diving into lakes in search of pretty rocks. Once, he’d found a piece of jade the same color as Seiryu’s eyes—Kohaku had gifted it to him as a promise that he would one day take Seiryu as his bride.
Back then, he hadn’t known that he would never transform. He’d dreamed of the day he would become an adult and learn how to do so, because that would be the day his father would finally treat him with kindness. Then, he would propose to Seiryu and marry him, and they would be together forever. That had been his vision of the future.
But now that he thought about it, his idea of the future had been an unattainable dream—a ludicrous fantasy only an ignorant child could imagine.
“By the way, why did you accept the matchmaking session?”
“It’s got nothing to do with you.”
After Kohaku said that, he realized how rudely he had been speaking to Seiryu and clicked his tongue. This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t taken that trip down memory lane.
Seiryu paused for a moment, then asked, “Was she your type?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The girl who fainted when she saw you.”
“Oh, the one I was on an arranged date with.” What did she even look like? Kohaku couldn’t recall her face at all.
“You were even smiling at her.”
Kohaku grimaced. “When did you get there?”
Didn’t that mean Seiryu had been at the Bear Clan village before he’d spoken up and made his presence known? But Seiryu had appeared from behind Kohaku, so how had he seen what expression Kohaku had been making? The reminder that his smile was so ugly it could cause its beholder to pass out made him want to beg Seiryu to kill him.
“Did you accept the matchmaking session because she was your type?”
“Yeah, sure, let’s go with that.”
Kohaku sighed, not even caring anymore. It was better than the words he’d really wanted to say but had bitten back: You think I have the right to choose a partner based on my preferences? I don’t even have the right to turn down an arranged date, unlike a certain dragon chieftain with romantic interests just crawling out of the woodwork for a chance to mate with him.
