The Azure Dragon’s Devotion: An Offering of Three Centuries to You, page 6
As a child, Kohaku hadn’t been able to understand his father’s pain: Why doesn’t my father ever embrace me? Why do other children receive unconditional love while I don’t? But now, Kohaku knew that the acrimony stemmed from his father’s undying devotion toward his mother, and he couldn’t blame him. After all, Kohaku was the one who’d stolen his father’s beloved, so of course the chieftain abhorred him.
No, that was a lie—this wasn’t something Kohaku could remain pragmatic about. He’d always desired his father’s love. Even now, he couldn’t give up on that fantasy.
If he could transform, would his father accept him? “Love” might be a tall order, but would he at least spare some room in his heart for Kohaku? Nothing was worse than being alone. Ever since Kohaku was a child, he’d had to endure centuries of solitude. Though he had Mashiro now, Mashiro would die one day, and Kohaku would return to his cold emptiness—something he desperately feared more than anything else.
The collar around his neck was a shackle, but it was also the one thing connecting Kohaku to his father. As long as he had the collar around his neck, he couldn’t escape from his life here. Conversely, it also served as evidence that his father still needed him.
Kohaku’s desire to flee from this life was genuine. But the part of him that clung to hope—the hope that his father would love him if only he could learn to transform—was just as real, no matter how despairing his prospects were.
He thought back to the sights he’d witnessed while on Seiryu’s back. The world was such a vast place, far bigger than Kohaku had ever imagined it. If he abandoned everyone and fled his village, would he be able to toss away his expectations of his father too?
CRACK! CRACK!
The only sounds echoing in the room were the whip striking Kohaku’s body and his father’s breathing. When Kohaku was a child, he’d often compared his punishments to hell. Nowadays, thanks to the passage of time, he could think, “Such a lukewarm hell couldn’t possibly exist.”
“You seem like you can handle more.”
The whip smacked against Kohaku’s lowered head. Stars flashed behind his eyes, but he bit his lip and endured.
“Why is it you, of all people?”
Unsure of what his father meant, Kohaku raised his head, only for the whip to come down on his scalp again.
“Never forget this: There’s no place in this world for a defective specimen like you.” Kohaku grunted as his father’s lashes rained down on his chest and shoulders. “Never hope for others to accept you.”
The words hurt more than the whip. Indeed, there was no need for hope—Kohaku’s father would never accept him, and a weakling incapable of transformation would never find a place in beastfolk society.
After he was finally satisfied, his father lowered the whip. “The meeting will take place tomorrow,” he said. “Clean yourself up, lest you bring further shame to my name.”
“Yessir...”
Of all people, why did Kohaku have to attend an arranged date with him? Kohaku pushed his aching body to his feet, straightened out his clothes, and left. In stark contrast to his dark and gloomy mood, the sun shone brightly outside the manor. Kohaku heaved a resigned sigh.
Why was his father arranging matchmaking sessions for him? For now, Kohaku was an important tool for his father. No one in their tribe could compare to Kohaku in magic, which was why he was sent around their territory any time trouble occurred. So why did his father want Kohaku to have an arranged date with the Dragon Clan? Of the Four Gods, the Dragon Clan was the most influential, so if Kohaku married into the Dragon Clan, he wouldn’t be at his father’s beck and call anymore—that would be a serious issue for the White Tiger Clan. Even if his father didn’t love Kohaku, the tribe still needed him.
The moment that thought ran through his head, Kohaku’s lips twisted into a bitter smile. The answer was simple: A matchmaking session between him and the Dragon Clan would only end in failure.
Everyone knew that the Dragon Clan imposed various conditions that prospective spouses had to meet. But even without those requirements, Kohaku was the ostracized black sheep of the White Tiger Clan, and the Dragon Clan would never accept him. His father had issued this order to make Kohaku embarrass himself.
Seiryu had gone through so many matchmaking sessions that some believed he’d been on a date with every single person in beastfolk society. It was likely a coincidence that Kohaku’s turn had come up at this point in time. Perhaps at this very moment, Seiryu was also surprised at the news of his next date. The schadenfreude lightened the weight in Kohaku’s chest ever so slightly.
His father’s whip was special—it was designed to react to Kohaku’s magic and increase how much pain it inflicted. When Kohaku staggered home, he saw Mashiro sitting by the front door, a worried look on his face.
As soon as Mashiro noticed his arrival, he hurried over and exclaimed, “Lord Kohaku!”
“Calm down. It’s no big deal.”
“What are you saying?! Of course it’s a big deal!”
Kohaku was used to the pain, but every time Mashiro saw him after his punishments, the boy’s expression would twist, like he was about to burst into tears—as if he had been the one on the receiving end of the whip. Before Mashiro’s arrival, Kohaku used to collapse at the entrance of the manor and wait until he recovered enough to move again. Now, Mashiro would help him to his bedroom and clean up his injuries. Kohaku doubted that the boy knew just how soothing his presence was.
“He may be the chieftain, but I’ll never forgive him for doing this to you, Lord Kohaku!” Mashiro’s body was shaking with uncontained rage as he rubbed salve into the open wounds. It stung, but Kohaku withstood it without complaint. With tears welling up in his eyes, Mashiro asked, “What happened this time?”
“He told me to go matchmake with someone.”
“Another one? But why? How did that result in this?”
“He...wants me to go on an arranged date with the chieftain of the Dragon Clan.”
Clatter! The pot of salve fell to the ground. Kohaku turned around to see Mashiro frozen above him, eyes wide.
“Mashiro?”
“The chieftain of the Dragon Clan? That’s the man we met at the banquet, right?!”
“Yeah, that’s him. Hilarious, isn’t it? The chieftain of the Dragon Clan having an arranged date with a reject like m—”
“No, no, no! This isn’t matchmaking—it’s practically a guaranteed marriage!”
“What?”
“Wait, so... Lord Kohaku, you’ll become the Dragon Clan chieftain’s mate?!”
“Uh, no. I may be going on the date, but it’s not going to actually work—”
“You accepted it?!”
“More like I was forced to accept it.”
“Oh my goodness!”
After helping Kohaku put on his robes again, Mashiro jumped to his feet and began pacing around.
“Mashiro?” Kohaku asked. “What’s wrong?”
“If you’ll be marrying into the Dragon Clan, there are so many things we’ll need to prepare,” Mashiro said. “Which village will you live in? I...doubt the Dragon Clan chieftain would live here, so that means you’ll be moving to the Dragon Clan’s village? In that case, we have to start packing!”
“Hey, Mashiro?”
Even after Kohaku called out to him, the boy remained lost in his own thoughts. Mashiro crossed his arms and made to leave the room, muttering under his breath all the while. Right before he left, he turned and said, “Ah, Lord Kohaku! I put medicine on your back, so make sure you stay in bed like a good boy!”
“Y-Yeah, I know. Where are you going?”
“Isn’t it obvious?! There are tons of things I have to do before your wedding to the Dragon Clan chieftain! I have to get as much done as possible while I still have time!”
“Wait, I’m just going on an arranged date, and my marriage isn’t a sure—Mashiro, are you listening to me? Mashiro!”
Despite Kohaku’s efforts to stop him, the boy marched off enthusiastically without lending him an ear. Mashiro could be a little scatterbrained, so he’d likely misunderstood the situation—matchmaking was just an arranged date, and it didn’t always lead to marriage. On top of that, this arranged date was with Seiryu. There was absolutely no chance of this going anywhere. He would have to explain all of that to Mashiro the next opportunity he got.
Even as those thoughts swirled in his head, Kohaku’s body was exhausted from his father’s punishment. It didn’t take long for him to forget about his worries and fall asleep.
And by the time he realized it, it was already the day of his matchmaking session with Seiryu.
***
After running around the manor all morning, Mashiro helped Kohaku dress. After looking him up and down, the boy puffed out his chest. “Please praise me, Lord Kohaku! This is my best work yet!”
“And I already said you didn’t have to go this far, didn’t I?”
Kohaku was clad in a white shenyi with golden embroidery—the favored garb of the White Tiger Clan. He’d never imagined he would get to wear this one day.
“What are you talking about?!” Mashiro exclaimed. “You’ll be meeting the chieftain of the Dragon Clan, remember?! And he’s so beautiful, to boot! We can’t have you losing to him!”
When did this become a competition? Kohaku wondered, though he didn’t ask. After standing all day so Mashiro could help him with his clothes, he was too exhausted to ask for clarification. They’d been at it since morning and were already surrounded by mountains of clothes. Mashiro had repeatedly dressed and redressed Kohaku, rejecting nearly everything for one reason or another. Every single robe had come from the treasure vault in the chieftain’s manor—Mashiro had carried each article of clothing he’d found there to Kohaku’s home.
The Dragon Clan had issued several conditions for this session, and one of them had been to dress Kohaku as a member of the White Tiger Clan. Since this was what the rule specified, they couldn’t possibly let Kohaku go in his usual shabby clothes—that would affect the tribe’s reputation. His father was obsessed with saving face, and so he would never let something like this drag down the clan’s prestige. The moment he’d allowed Mashiro to rifle through the vault, the excited boy had wasted no time in turning Kohaku into his personal dress-up doll. As a finishing touch, he’d stuck a large, gorgeous hairpin into Kohaku’s ponytail and hung jangling golden earrings from his ears.
Kohaku’s father was likely furious right about now. He may have permitted Mashiro to take items from the treasure vault, but he’d surely never imagined that Mashiro would grab as many things as he had. The thought of his father summoning Kohaku after he returned from his matchmaking session was depressing, and he hadn’t even gone on the date yet.
“Lord Kohaku, don’t make that face,” Mashiro said. “Remember to smile!”
“Why are you so passionate about this, anyway?”
Kohaku was happy having Mashiro as the only other person in his life, but Mashiro was being awfully proactive with these preparations. Was the boy so disgruntled with Kohaku that he wanted to shoo him out of his own home?
When he saw Kohaku’s pout, Mashiro’s eyebrows knitted together. “Well, there’s always the chance that you’ll live for thousands of years, right? My lifespan is far shorter than that, so I’d like to find someone who can stay with you—someone who’ll never leave you alone again.”
Kohaku sucked in a sharp breath. Mashiro’s words practically shoved his face into the truth he’d been purposefully averting his gaze from. Yes, Mashiro would die one day—Kohaku had always been well aware of that. Once that happened, Kohaku would return to the empty life he’d led before he’d found and adopted the boy.
No, that’s not right. His time with Mashiro had shown Kohaku how happy life with someone else could be. He could never return to the way he’d been before. The mere thought of himself in this manor all alone caused a painful tightening in his chest.
“Ah, jeez... Lord Kohaku, please don’t make that face. It’s all right! We still have plenty of time together. I’ll stay with you, even if you don’t want me around!”
Kohaku swallowed before he retorted, “I will always want you around.”
Mashiro giggled. “Yes, I know, Lord Kohaku. After all, you love me! There’s always the chance that God will visit me too, so when that day comes, I’ll wish to stay with Lord Kohaku forever!”
If one’s will was strong enough, God would appear before them and grant a single wish. This was a legend that humans passed down in their villages. Mashiro loved this story—ever since he was a child, he would bring it up at almost every opportunity with a cheerful smile.
But Kohaku knew that God would never show up, so he had always thought of this story as a cruel lie. No matter how many times Kohaku wished for salvation, no deity ever came to rescue him. God was unfair; He couldn’t make everyone in the world equally happy. Hilariously, even in made-up stories, God forced those He helped to pay Him a price.
Mashiro was making light of the situation and smiling at Kohaku, but Kohaku couldn’t play along with the levity. He could see his own face—pinched brow, sorrowful gaze, and all—reflected in Mashiro’s eyes. The pathetic expression just made him feel worse.
When did I become so weak?
“Come on, Lord Kohaku. Don’t cry.”
“I’m not.” He was dangerously close to it, though.
“Now’s not the time for such sorry expressions, you know? Today’s the day you claim the Dragon Clan’s chieftain for yourself!”
“How many times do I have to tell you? I’ll never become his mate.”
“Lord Kohaku... You’re kind of slow on the uptake, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Oh, nothing! Don’t worry about it—just put your trust in me! Everything will work out perfectly.”
You won’t be the one making any decisions, though, Kohaku thought. But Mashiro looked so confident that he held his tongue.
***
As soon as they set foot in the Dragon Clan village, Mashiro looked around with open curiosity. “Wow, so this is their village? Even the air here is different! They really are the most important tribe among the beastfolk.”
“Stop it,” Kohaku said, giving Mashiro’s head a light poke. “Normally, only members of the Dragon Clan can enter this place. They almost never let in other beastfolk, let alone humans. If you don’t act with more propriety, they’ll kick you out.”
“R-Right!”
When the Dragon Clan had proposed the arranged date to Kohaku’s father, their conditions had been as follows: The date had to be today, Kohaku had to bring along his attendant, and Kohaku had to be dressed as a member of the White Tiger Clan. Though they had fulfilled all three clauses, those were only the bare minimum—Kohaku still had to meet the usual conditions for a matchmaking session with the Dragon Clan. After all, if their rules had been lax, then Seiryu’s lack of a mate after two hundred and fifty years wouldn’t have made any sense.
A man silently appeared before them without Kohaku or Mashiro noticing. “I apologize for the wait,” he said. “Please, follow me.”
Though he wore a wan smile on his face, he turned his back to the pair and walked off without waiting for a reply. This was an unspoken request for them to follow him and not ask any questions. He clearly did not relish the prospect of Kohaku and Mashiro wandering around on their own, and Kohaku sensed anew how unwelcome he was.
“Lord Kohaku, the air here is so crisp,” Mashiro whispered from behind Kohaku.
“It’s said that this entire area is under divine protection. It’s probably also thanks to how powerful the current chieftain’s magic is.”
“Is he really that strong?”
“I doubt any of the beastfolk alive today can defeat him.”
“Not even you, Lord Kohaku?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve never had the chance to spar with him, but if I go all out, consequences be damned, then I might be able to land a blow, at the very least.”
“Doesn’t that make him insanely powerful?”
Kohaku was confident in his strength, but the magic he sensed from Seiryu was overwhelming. If it came down to a battle of pure power, then Kohaku would definitely lose. However, he overshadowed most beastfolk in combat experience. He could, perhaps, defeat Seiryu depending on the time, place, and situation. At least, he hoped he could.
“Ahem.” Their guide stopped and made a show of clearing his throat. He must have been displeased at hearing them discuss Kohaku winning against his beloved chieftain. “Please enter. The chieftain is waiting inside.”
He’d taken them to the front doors of a building that had been painted an eye-catching red. Their guide stayed outside as Kohaku and Mashiro stepped in. As they strolled down the hallway, they admiringly gazed out at the lovely garden it faced.
“Lord Kohaku, that courtyard is so big!” Mashiro exclaimed. “We could fit our entire house inside of it!”
Truthfully, this manor was so much grander than anything Kohaku had ever seen. Though he felt intimidated, he pretended to remain unaffected as he replied, “Move your feet, not your mouth.”
In the past, Kohaku had once stayed the night in the Dragon Clan village, but he’d refused to approach the chieftain’s manor, so he’d never known what it looked like. Though the White Tiger Clan was well-respected and one of the Four Gods, their chieftain’s manor was nowhere near this size or scale.
Is this where he lives? The thought of this being Seiryu’s home poked at Kohaku’s sense of inferiority—he barely suppressed an irritated click of his tongue.
After a few more minutes of walking, they reached a large door. Two children of about Mashiro’s height stood on either side of it, and they bowed their heads when Kohaku stopped before them.
“Welcome.”
“The chieftain is waiting inside.”
