# Chapter 2
Seeing that salty smile—a smiling face containing no other ill feelings—it seemed the White Dragon’s words were right.
It seemed there was no one here who would harm her.
She felt like she was laughing at herself deep inside for being so easily swayed by just a smile. But the laugh was so faint it was barely audible, so she could easily ignore it.
> *”Now then, shall we go?”*
Hiashel gazed blankly at Lisa’s outstretched hand, then nodded slightly. Thinking that this might be the first time someone had ever reached out to her first, she took Lisa’s hand.
As Hiashel pattered along, she unconsciously glanced toward the corridor window and stopped. Because she had briefly seen a pure white dragon flying into the chilly blue sky.
> *”Ah!”*
At that moment, Hiashel let go of Lisa’s hand and hurried to the window, rising onto her tiptoes.
> *‘The White Dragon left me…… really left me behind! At the palace where the Dragon of Judgment lives!’*
Tears soon welled up in her eyes, which had grown as round as bells.
> *‘The Dragon of Judgment is scary! Just as they said—there’s no one in this world you can trust!’*
Hiashel recalled the tales passed down about the Dragon of Judgment and burst into tears.
> 「The Dragon of Judgment, Kahel, once punished an entire region in the West.
> Their crime was ‘blasphemy.’
> The few humans who did not participate in the crime witnessed the punishment up close.」
—
> 「In ancient times, a god who loved humans sent down four dragons to the earth.
> He is Kahel, the Dragon of Judgment, who punishes sinful humans.
> Ziel, the Dragon of Earth, for the humans who farm.
> Hiel, the Dragon of Healing, to tend to humans’ wounds.
> Ciel, the Dragon of Observation, who governs order so humans do not fall into chaos.
> Humans will serve them, and they will care for humans.
> Remember that they exist on earth as proof of the god’s love for humans.」
The Empire, the Kingdom—all the nations on this continent would know this myth.
Though over time more people questioned whether dragons truly existed, most still believed in them.
Among the four dragons, Kahel, the Dragon of Judgment, had settled in the barren, sparsely populated northern lands.
There he built a palace and lived served by a few humans.
Over hundreds of years, he was gradually forgotten by humans.
He was known only to the sinners who came before him.
But that changed entirely starting from one incident.
That was the event where he punished an entire western region for ‘blasphemy.’
—
White skin that stood out even more against black hair. Intense red eyes.
Kahel, wearing a face that showed no interest in anything, arrived at the reception room and opened the door without hiding his irritation.
> *”What brings you here?”*
> *“……You seem just the same as ever.”*
Ciel, who had been sitting on the reception room sofa sipping tea, set down his cup. His pure white hair hung down past one shoulder like a cascade. His red eyes gave off a different atmosphere from Kahel’s.
Kahel trudged over with a displeased expression and flopped down on the sofa opposite Ciel.
> *”Is there another sinner somewhere who needs judging? This must be important for you to come all this way instead of just sending a messenger bird like usual.”*
His sharp gaze still seemed to pierce through everything. A cold atmosphere lingered, an edgy feeling. Kahel had been in this state for quite a long time. Having seen only sinners for hundreds of years, he had grown completely disgusted with the beings called humans, whom the god loved so dearly.
> *”I’ve come on a different matter today.”*
> *”Is that so? What is it?”*
His attitude suggested he didn’t care what it was.
Regardless of his attitude, Ciel spoke.
> *”I intend to entrust you with a human child.”*
> *”Entrust me with what?”*
At his matter-of-fact words, Kahel’s expression instantly twisted.
> *”A human child. I brought her with me on my way here. Her name is Hiashel.”*
> *“……Now you’re spouting nonsense quite boldly.”*
> *”That child needs you. Become her guardian.”*
> *”Ha, now I have to look after a human child too? Because they need me?”*
Kahel let out a scoffing laugh, looking incredulous.
> *”You ask all sorts of things.”*
At his cynical attitude, Ciel let out a low sigh.
> *”She is a child born with a destiny.”*
> *”Destiny? Did you come all this way just to babble about that? You have a talent for putting effort into crazy talk.”*
> *”Listen properly.”*
> *”I am listening. Your words are forcing their way into my ear holes.”*
Seeing the conversation going nowhere, Ciel finally pressed a hand to his forehead.
> *”What would you do if I told you that those sinful humans you so despise are tormenting that innocent child?”*
> *”What?”*
Kahel, who had maintained a detached attitude, narrowed his brows.
Ciel rose from his seat, seemingly not intending to stay long.
> *”You will end up caring for her anyway.”*
> *”Care for her? Me? Care for what?”*
> *”That child. It is the god’s will, so you must protect her well. Think of her as your daughter and care for her.”*
> *”Daughter? Dau—? That sounds just like a daughter. Ciel, ha…… So you’re telling me now to raise a human child……”*
> *”I will visit from time to time. Farewell.”*
> *”Hey, wait, hey!”*
Ciel, having turned away, opened the large window of the reception room. Stepping up onto the windowsill, he looked back at Kahel one last time.
> *”That child alone may give you what you desire.”*
> *”Just because you say that doesn’t mean I— Hey!”*
Kahel frowned as he watched Ciel leap out the window without hearing him out to the end.
> *“……I might just kill that white-headed bastard.”*
After watching Ciel fly into the sky for a moment, Kahel left the reception room in irritation. He naturally headed back toward his own room but stopped at a faint, unfamiliar voice. It was a type of voice he had never heard before.
> *‘……Why should I care?’*
He shook his head and tried to walk on, but stopped again after just a few steps. Closing his eyes tightly, Kahel let out a long sigh and turned around.
> *“……‘God’s will,’ my ass.”*
—
> *”Why, why are you suddenly crying?”*
> *”I don’t know either……”*
To meet Hiashel’s tearful eyes, Lisa knelt on one knee.
> *‘With that pure white appearance! Why did you say to wait for a while! Like you’re definitely coming back for me!’*
To be fair, he had only said to wait—not that he would come back for her. Actually, to be precise, he had said he intended to entrust her to the Dragon of Judgment. But Hiashel deliberately ignored that fact. She was afraid of the Dragon of Judgment, whom she had yet to see, who supposedly lived in this palace.
> *“If you cry like this, the master will come……”*
At Yuri’s low mutter, Hiashel immediately stopped crying.
> *‘M-Master… could that be the Dragon of Judgment?’*
Having finally admitted that the White Dragon had truly left her here, the child let out a small sigh.
> *‘Still, I should at least greet him properly……’*
With a sulky face and protruding lips, she saw Lisa and Yuri’s faces turn pale before her.
> *“What is that.”*
A low, chilling voice.
Startled, Hiashel slowly turned around.
Long, flowing black hair and gleaming red eyes.
Those eyes slowly moved, looking down at the child who was far shorter than him.
> *‘The Dragon of Judgment…… Lord Kahel.’*
Hiashel stood frozen as if turned to stone. Just as she had read in books, he radiated an atmosphere as if even his surroundings might freeze over.
> *“Master.”*
Whether she was overwhelmed by the atmosphere or simply mesmerized by his unexpectedly beautiful appearance, she couldn’t tell. As she blankly gazed up at the Black Dragon, the middle-aged man standing behind him called out to Kahel. Only then did the red gaze fall away from Hiashel.
> *“This child must be the one Lord Ciel left in your care.”*
Of course he knew. He had asked even though he knew. As if indulging a petty whim.
> *“Why would I be entrusted with a human child? Do you think I can care for that?”*
> *“That couldn’t be. No, sir.”*
At the immediate response, Kahel furrowed his brow slightly. It was a question he had asked hoping for denial, but being denied so promptly felt strangely unpleasant.
Letting out a short sigh, the Black Dragon glanced briefly at the small child again. Just as his gaze, not lingering long this time, was about to turn away, Hiashel suddenly bowed at the waist.
> *“Hello.”*
Kahel, who had been about to turn his head, stared at her with surprised eyes.
After remaining bowed for a moment, Hiashel slowly straightened up. Her hand gripping her skirt was trembling so much that even Lisa nearby could see it.
> *‘Calm down, calm down……’*
The child exhaled a shallow breath and forced the corners of her mouth upward. That smiling face looked so pitiful that Kahel felt oddly bothered.
> *‘To survive here……’*
Ciel had already left, entrusting her to the Dragon of Judgment. To survive here, Hiashel clearly needed to make a good impression on Kahel, the one called ‘Master.’ She no longer wanted to just die. She didn’t want to end her life easily, in an instant. She wanted to live differently this time.
> *“My name is Hiashel. Please treat me well.”*
She thought she had smiled as brightly as she could, but the surroundings turned cold.
> *‘D-Did I do something wrong……?’*
As she nervously glanced around, Yuri quietly exhaled the breath she had been holding. Just four years old. An age where her pronunciation was still inaccurate. Yet somehow, this brave child’s smiling face looked so heartbreaking.
> *“……Give her any room. You lot figure out the care yourselves.”*
> *“Yes, Master.”*
Without answering Hiashel’s greeting, Kahel turned his back.
> *‘……Does that mean it’s okay for me to stay here?’*
The child looked up at the remaining three people with anxious eyes.
> *“What in the world is going on, Albert-nim?”*
> *“For now…… guide her to a room at a reasonable distance from the master’s room.”*
The butler let out a short sigh, then looked at Hiashel. He smiled warmly, gently patted the child’s head, and left. Lisa and Yuri seemed to whisper something to each other with slightly troubled faces, but it was inaudible.
> *‘Wait…… so, is it okay for me to stay?’*
Hiashel barely suppressed the urge to ask out loud.
—
Hiashel fell asleep in a luxurious room for the first time in her life.
A large bed, the soft texture of blankets. The temperature was even kept warm by magic. Never having experienced such luxury, she couldn’t sleep comfortably. It was so comfortable that it actually made her anxious.
> *‘I’ll just have to live long and see.’*
Strictly speaking, rather than having lived long, it would be more accurate to say she had lived multiple times.
As she lay blankly thinking such thoughts, a shadow fell within the dark room. The peaceful expression on Hiashel’s face cracked.
An intruder in the dark room. That brought back unpleasant memories for her.
Memories from the end of her first life.
