Chapter 17.1

Rather than letting her hold onto a weak, useless power, he would benefit from cultivating it and harvesting the fragment when the time came.

For Edith, this deal had no real downside.

Whatever happened to her heart once she was dead didn’t matter. Having a dragon as an ally was a far greater advantage.

A contract where both sides got exactly what they wanted.

“Deal.”

“I like how decisive you are.”

Agni slapped his knee and sprang to his feet, standing directly in front of Edith.

“Once you become my contractee, it’ll be easier for you to control your power.”

He bit his finger, drawing blood, and pressed it firmly against Edith’s forehead.

Just as he moved to imprint his mark on her, Agni froze.

The power emanating from Edith made him pause. Hastily, he brushed aside the bangs covering her forehead.

In the center of Edith’s forehead, a faintly glowing symbol shimmered.

He knew that symbol.

Narrowing his eyes, Agni immediately recognized it.

“Just who are you…?”

There was no mistaking it.

It was Agni’s.

✦ ✦ ✦

Oscar barely held back a sigh when he noticed Lucion’s particularly dark expression that day.

‘It must be something related to Miss Edith again.’

Lucion was always extremely sensitive when it came to Edith.

He might not have realized it himself, but everyone in the mansion knew.

It was obvious just how much he cared for Edith, even when he acted indifferent and pushed her away.

Just the slightest scratch on Edith’s body would send Simon into a frenzy, all thanks to Lucion’s relentless pestering.

It had gotten so bad that even Simon had to scold him for being overly dramatic.

‘He really changed after he decided that Miss Edith was his.’

It was a good thing. Though sometimes, he did go a little overboard.

“You’re not a duckling, so why are you following him around like one? Idiot.”

Lucion grumbled as he watched Edith being led away, right in front of him.

How was it that she had just been chasing after him, begging to get married, pleading to hold his hand, but now she was off running after that perverted bastard?

This wasn’t just disappointment. He felt outright betrayed.

What made him even angrier was seeing the red mark on Edith’s face, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it.

Even if he had lunged at Agni back then, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

Because he was too weak.

His feeble fists would have been useless, not even leaving a scratch on that smug face.

‘I’m probably weaker than Edith, who can use magic.’

The harsh realization made him bite his lip.

The helplessness he felt from that moment weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Lucion remembered the day from five years ago.

✦ ✦ ✦

In the southern reaches of the empire, on a remote and desolate island, stood a large prison.

A place reserved for only the most dangerous criminals, first-class offenders. It was here that Lucion first met Agni.

“It’s been a while, Agni.”

“Khalid? What the hell are you doing here?”

Agni and his father knew each other.

Lucion didn’t know the nature of their relationship, but they seemed to be on good terms.

Peeking out from behind Khalid, he observed Agni.

He was an interesting man. Unlike the other prisoners, he wasn’t covered in filth, nor did he reek.

Even the air around him felt different. While the other inmates either shrank in fear or seethed with hostility, Agni sat there perfectly at ease, like a host welcoming guests into his home.

He didn’t look like a criminal at all.

Perhaps sensing Lucion’s scrutiny, Agni’s gaze snapped toward him.

In an instant, he saw right through Lucion.

“You touched a divine artifact.”

“That’s right. Can you heal him?”

“I can, but I won’t.”

“…What do you mean?”

Khalid’s face filled with unease at the cryptic response.

Seeing this rare expression of desperation, Agnic clicked his tongue.

This wasn’t something he could joke about, so he explained without delay.

“It’s exactly as I said. I could heal him, but if I did, your son wouldn’t be able to withstand my power and would burn alive.”

There was no point in saving him if it only led to his death.

“If I could give him a fraction of my power, then maybe. But I wouldn’t really call that an option.”

Agni shrugged nonchalantly.

“Is that really so hard to do?”

“It’s not for me. The problem is the human who would have to receive the power.”

Agni let out a thoughtful hum, rubbing his chin.

“You know what? I do owe you one, so I’ll show you something.”

Agni reached into his pocket and pulled out an object, handing it to Khalid.

“A scale?”

“Want to see what happens?”

Agni jerked his chin toward someone. A death row inmate, already on the brink of execution.

“Watch carefully. This is the price humans pay for coveting our power.”