Chapter 03:
199 years ago. A week after the White Dragon Ashanerbekirael opened her eyes.
“Become my mate.”
A few days after Ashaner met him for the first time, he appeared out of nowhere.
The murderous aura he had emitted when they first spoke was gone without a trace. All that remained was the vivid impression Ashaner had when she first saw him—a noble and magnificent Black Dragon who seemed to shine simply by existing.
“Mate? What’s that?”
Ashaner asked in clumsy pronunciation.
He answered, his pitch-black eyes like the abyss meeting hers.
“A destined partner who will be with you for life.”
And now, after saying all that, he’s pretending not to know me?
Shanelika was speechless as she recalled the events of 199 years ago.
As far as Ashaner knew, he—being a Divine Dragon—should have recognized her the moment he saw her. Even if he was simply playing around. Mates shared emotions through their dragon hearts.
To dragons, a “mate” means a lifelong companion until death. From the moment they become mates, they are bound as a single fate. Dragons have three hearts, much like how living creatures have one; these are called “dragon hearts.” When a dragon gains a mate, one of their hearts reacts to that fate. If a mated partner dies, one of the other’s dragon hearts stops as well.
Also, aside from fate, their emotions can be shared if they’re near each other. Not enough to be a major disturbance, but enough to sense fragments of each other’s feelings. Hatchlings can’t feel it, but adult dragons certainly can.
But that handsome man, clearly the Lord, was now behaving in a way that defied everything Shanelika had ever known.
“Do you not know who I am?”
After some hesitation, Shanelika finally spoke. She couldn’t tell what the man was thinking.
“Should I?”
“Of course you should.”
“Do I perhaps resemble a fiancé from a foreign country who once taught you letters?”
Shanelika blinked in surprise. He must have overheard what she told the butler and maid earlier.
But… resemble?
Things were taking a strange turn. Sure, she had lied about the foreign fiancé thing. But that didn’t justify him pretending not to know her.
“I’m not saying you resemble someone else. You are my fiancé—no, more precisely, my mate.”
For dragons, the term “mate” is closer to marriage than engagement. It’s a big distinction.
“You’re saying I’m your mate, Lady?”
His soft voice made Shanelika’s heart sink again. But she quickly shook her head.
Don’t fall for it again!
After steeling herself, she thought again.
Does he really not remember me?
…
There’s no way!
She made her judgment in under five seconds. There was no need to overthink it.
Even if dragons took on human forms during their playful wanderings in the human world, their essence remained that of dragons.
A dragon’s “play” is exactly that—something done for enjoyment over thousands of years of life, not something undertaken recklessly without memory.
What kind of dragon would erase their memories just to go have fun?
Therefore, he was pretending not to know her. Not that he really didn’t.
Was it guilt?
That was Shanelika’s conclusion.
You’re pretending not to know me because you feel guilty?
Thinking that made him seem a little pitiful. After all, they’d be spending thousands of years together. Pretending not to know her in human form was like trying to cover the sky with one hand.
“Then let’s hear your excuse,” she said with her arms crossed and a serious face.
“Dear mate, who irresponsibly ran off to play without keeping his promise or saying a word?”
But the man simply stood still, not reacting.
What kind of expression is that?
She couldn’t read him at all. Just a vague, unreadable face. And then—
“What promise did I break?”
At his words, Shanelika was stunned by his shamelessness.
“Wow. You’re really pretending?”
“No, I genuinely want to know.”
Don’t tell me… he actually doesn’t realize what he did?
Shanelika felt like she was about to explode.
Unbelievable.
But seeing his clear, sincere eyes, she wondered if maybe she should explain.
Maybe the long years blurred his memory… No! Don’t make excuses for him. You’re the victim. Don’t let his face sway you. He’s the one who broke the promise!
Trying to calm her emotions, she began.
“I agreed to become your mate, and in return, you promised to let me meet a god of this world. And then you just disappeared—abandoned me.”
“You’re saying I promised to let you meet a god?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“Why would I, of all beings, be able to make that happen?”
The more she listened, the more it sounded like he was playing dumb. Shanelika struggled to hold back her bubbling anger.
“What do you mean, ‘why’? You’re the Dragon Lord!”
“…Dragon…Lord?”
“You’re the only dragon who can communicate with the gods! That’s why I agreed to be your mate. Did you think you could just vanish into the human world and I wouldn’t find you? Are you looking down on me because I’m just a hatchling?”
“…”
But the man said nothing. Shanelika realized she was fuming without meaning to.
I meant to stay calm! Then again, so what? I’ve spent 199 years bitter and resentful!
And then, after a pause—
“You must be very angry.”
His calm voice only made her feel more frustrated. His tone was so different that she even questioned if she was overreacting.
Deep breath. Stay cool.
“It’s fine. Just let me meet a god. Any god will do. Then I’ll forgive you! I mean… I’ve been holding it in for 199 years. A little injustice won’t kill me. It’s okay.”
It wasn’t okay, but she said it bravely anyway.
“After that, do whatever you want. Wander around for millennia. I won’t care if you never return to Spicher Island. I’ll live just fine. It’s easier for both of us that way.”
“…”
“So please, keep the promise you made.”
She was determined to end this frustrating exchange.
From the start, her goal had been clear: meet a god. She hadn’t come to yell at him.
In dragon terms, the infant phase is called “hatchling.” Dragons spend 200 years as hatchlings before becoming adults. The average lifespan is around 8,000 years—5,000 if short, over 10,000 if long.
Shanelika had already lived 199 years as a hatchling. Most dragons don’t recall memories from that phase—like how human babies don’t remember being one or two years old.
But Shanelika had been born with the soul of a god. Her mind was sharp, and every day felt like a year.
She had spent 1, then 10, then 100, now 199 years.
The problem was, no matter how much time passed, she couldn’t stop wondering why she had become a dragon. That question consumed her entire existence.
And the only way to find out… was to meet a god. The only one who could help her do that stood before her now—the Dragon Lord.
“I cannot keep that promise.”
Shanelika tapped her ears. Maybe her human ears weren’t adjusted yet. She must have misheard.
“Please return now.”
She stopped tapping her ears. She hadn’t misheard.
“…”
His words were so casual, so matter-of-fact, she couldn’t even reply. But she soon regained her composure and stood her ground.
“I won’t leave until I meet a god!”
“I understand your disappointment, but I do not have that ability.”
“…What?”
“So I ask that you leave.”
His calm expression signaled the end of the conversation. Shanelika was speechless.
Stay calm. You didn’t come here to hear something like that.
“You expect me to believe you don’t have the ability?”
“Well, I am human right now.”
“Then remove your Polymorph magic! Return to your true form and fulfill your promise!”
“That’s not possible.”
“Why not?”
“I cannot say.”
His firm response brought not anger, but emptiness. She could tell just by looking at him—he wasn’t going to budge.
What do I do now?
She hadn’t anticipated this. No matter his reasons, yelling wouldn’t solve anything.
“Well, in that case—”
“I have nowhere to go!”
She had to stand her ground.
Shanelika wasn’t a planner. Her only thought had been to come to the human world, find the Dragon Lord, and meet a god. That was it. Nothing beyond that.
So if she left now, it was over. She had no idea what to do next.
She instinctively realized she couldn’t leave his side.
“That’s hard to believe.”
“It’s true! I don’t know anyone here!”
“Then return to where you came from.”
“I ran away!”
That finally made the man’s dark brows twitch slightly.
“I escaped from Spicher Island to find you. I can’t go back alone. You have to come with me.”
“I have no intention of doing so.”
“Then just let me meet a god—”
“I already said that’s impossible.”
She felt trapped in a wall of “no.” With a tearful face, she spoke.
“Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t go back to Spicher Island. And you’re the only one I know in this human world!”
“That’s something you must—”
“I brought nothing! No money, no jewels! Just these clothes and this big hat! I came trusting only in you!”
A heavy silence fell. The man seemed to be thinking of something, but before he could speak, Shanelika spoke first.
“Please let me stay here!”
“…”
“You may be in the middle of your play, but you still have a duty to protect me. I’m your mate—but more importantly, I’m a hatchling!”
She put her entire will into every word.
Another heavy silence.
Shanelika grew anxious. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, or what she would do if she was kicked out.
“…Since you say you have nowhere else to go,”
At last, he spoke. She clenched her fists.
“You may stay in the guest room for now.”
Only then could she finally gather her fading strength again.
