CHAPTER 66…………………
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‘Maybe… that man will become my sister’s future husband.’
The thought popped into Mellin’s head, and she quickly scanned him up and down.
The young man, who looked to be around her sister’s age, had pink hair and violet eyes.
With his soft, puppy-like impression, he seemed to have a good personality.
‘But… have I seen him somewhere before?’
She tilted her head.
Something about him felt familiar—but he passed her standards.
‘He looks like he’ll treat my sister like a queen.’
That was the highest compliment in Mellin’s book.
She weighed him against Ren, trying to decide who would serve her sister more devotedly.
But the scales showed no sign of tipping easily.
“Why’d you call me over when I’m busy?”
Grumbling, Alfeo walked into the lab at my summons.
“I was right at the part where the heroine runs away and the hero regrets it—oh, Ren.”
Alfeo’s eyes went wide when he spotted Lennox sitting inside.
“You said this yourself, remember? ‘If he even brings back a dragon’s heart, then I’ll join.’”
“Uh… yes, I did. Why?”
Wordlessly, I opened the box and showed him.
Alfeo’s eyes grew bigger than I’d ever seen, his pupils trembling violently. A strange satisfaction welled up inside me.
“I–is this real?”
“Deborah.”
I called the girl beside me, and she spoke with her face flushed in excitement.
“It’s real! That’s really a dragon’s heart! I’ve never seen one in my life, but nothing except a holy relic could contain that much energy!”
“Hear that?”
I smiled brightly at Alfeo.
“So you’ll keep your promise?”
“Wait, wait—before that, I need to ask something.”
He hurriedly cut in.
“What? You know I’m impatient.”
“Who brought this? Don’t tell me you stole it from somewhere?”
“Nope.”
Alfeo clutched his chest with relief and muttered,
“Whew, I thought it was stolen from the Imperial Palace.”
“Ren brought it.”
“…What?”
Alfeo’s jaw dropped as he turned to Lennox.
“You stole it from the palace?”
Ren just sighed shortly, lips sealed, as if the question wasn’t worth answering.
Alfeo still looked unconvinced, and I smiled at his expression.
“Why? Weren’t you the one who said Ren could kill a dragon?”
“Wait—that was just a figure of speech!”
He laughed awkwardly, glancing again at Lennox.
Now his gaze was more than admiration—there was fear in it.
I completely understood.
When faced with power that surpasses human limits, fear comes more naturally than awe.
‘If I’d turned him into an enemy, like in the original story… I would’ve stood no chance.’
Imagine it.
Making an enemy out of someone who can slay a dragon before even reaching adulthood.
You’d be better off giving up on this life early and hoping for better luck in the next.
I looked back down at the dragon’s heart.
Unlike the relic Ignis, this was blazing with pure radiance, brimming with colossal energy.
‘This is the one jewel that can change my life.’
Just looking at it stirred indescribable feelings.
More than its value, what struck me most was Ren’s thoughtfulness in bringing it to me.
‘…That’s actually touching.’
The moment replayed in my mind—
“A belated birthday present.”
In such a brutal situation, I’d never have thought to prepare something for someone else. Survival would’ve been my only concern.
‘Come to think of it, did I ever tell him my birthday?’
He called it a belated birthday gift—as if he knew my birthday had already passed.
‘I never mentioned it.’
And it was just like when I gave him that necklace. The situations mirrored each other—though the value of the gifts was worlds apart.
‘Surely not… right?’
I gave him a subtle, probing glance.
Before long, winter break was nearing its end.
New buds sprouted from branches once frozen in the long winter, and soft green shoots peeked through the thawing earth.
With materials ready, my plans for technical improvements and new transport development gained momentum.
As promised, Alfeo taught me how to process magic ore, and we began applying it to existing ships and trains.
The result—a month busier than ever.
And it wasn’t just me being worked to the bone.
“Yaaawn…”
Alfeo and Deborah had collapsed on the couch in the corner of the lab, fast asleep.
I sipped hot cocoa and stared blankly out the window.
Just as I was enjoying this rare sweet break, a bright voice shattered the silence.
“Sis, let’s go see the flowers!”
“Flowers…? At this time?”
I muttered, still gazing outside.
“Tch, nature before the flowers bloom is so pretty! You just don’t get it!”
Mellin huffed, hands on her hips.
“Wanna come too?”
“….”
Alfeo and Deborah kept their eyes shut, clearly listening but too tired to respond. Their faces all but screamed: We’re exhausted, forget flowers.
‘I kind of agree…’
But soon enough, spending time with Mellin would be hard once break ended.
So I forced myself to rise with a groan, like a sick hen, and glanced at Ren reading beside me.
He’d worked just as hard as the others all month, but unlike Alfeo and Deborah, he looked perfectly fine.
‘So this is the power of stamina, huh?’
I envied him. Maybe I should start exercising too.
“Ren, wanna come?”
Honestly, he didn’t seem the flower-viewing type, but I asked just in case.
“Yes.”
Contrary to my expectations, he closed his book and stood.
At that moment, Alfeo stirred from the couch.
“Then I’ll—”
“You’re tired. Keep sleeping.”
Ren cut him off and tossed the blanket over his face.
“…Urk.”
Alfeo went quiet again, drifting back into deep slumber.
‘Surprisingly thoughtful, aren’t you.’
Covering him with a blanket out of consideration—despite all their bickering, affection had clearly grown.
After about ten minutes of following Mellin, we reached a hill.
“There’s a place like this in the academy…?”
Sunlight poured down on wide, open grass. Early spring greenery rippled beautifully in the breeze.
Thick forest framed the landscape—it was indeed spectacular, just as she’d said.
Mellin puffed out her chest proudly.
“Hehe, I came here whenever I didn’t feel like studying! Pretty, right?”
Her radiant smile made me laugh softly without realizing it.
“Yeah, I’m glad we came.”
She whispered that she was going to play with the spirits and disappeared into the woods.
“Mellin! Make sure you check no one else is around!”
“Okay!”
The tranquil scenery made me breathe deep and relax.
The late-winter, early-spring air was refreshingly crisp.
Then my eyes fell on Ren beside me.
His green gaze stayed fixed on the forest below, unmoving, as if lost in thought.
Before I knew it, I was staring at his face.
I knew the truth—that beneath his armor-like exterior, he was a boy both gentle and considerate.
Suddenly, I was very curious what he was thinking.
“What’s on your mind?”
I’d never have asked something like that before.
It felt too familiar, too personal—I almost regretted it the moment it left my lips.
His eyes, which had been on the forest, shifted to me.
He blinked, hesitating, then spoke.
“Nothing at all.”
“Really?”
Didn’t seem like it.
I noticed he’d been looking in Mellin’s direction, and a little smile tugged at my lips.
Oh ho, so that’s it.
“You can be honest with me.”
I no longer intended to stand in the way of him and Mellin.
‘Because the Ren now… is someone I can trust.’
No matter what, I would make sure he settled into this life.
That he’d stay wrapped in happiness, never dwelling on the past, never recalling those painful memories.
At my words, his green eyes darkened, shadowed.
A faint, subtle smile crossed his lips.
“…It’s not time yet.”
The words felt heavy with meaning.
