TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 21

The dream didn’t last long. Padma woke from the long slumber, neither lighting the oil lamp nor drawing back the thick curtains. He simply sat on the bed, lost in thought.

Having just awakened, his usually meticulous shirt collar was loosened, revealing a faint red mark below his left collarbone.

It was an overlapping design of two equilateral triangles—one large, one small, one upright, one inverted—forming a shape resembling a chalice.

Padma closed his eyes, recalling the dream.

Everything in the dream had been extraordinarily vivid. Even someone as discerning as Padma couldn’t detect a single flaw.

It was like a real world, albeit one that deviated slightly in its trajectory.

If it were all real, Padma seemed to understand why Emerald had regarded that child with such admiration.

In his mind, the image of Albin he knew interwove with the figure from the dream.

After a moment, he opened his striking pink eyes, which glowed faintly in the dark, and let a soft smile curl his lips. He calmly rose to change his clothes.

His plans had suddenly shifted.

Initially, he had shown no interest in Emerald’s mention of magical creatures raising blood slaves. Though he had no intention of intervening, he harbored nothing but malice toward the idea.

But after witnessing the child in the dream being mentally dominated by a magical creature, a surge of jealousy overtook him.

Why should those creatures have the right to claim such a child while he did not?

The thought of Albin in reality about to become the blood slave of the dragon only heightened Padma’s envy. Ugly, turbulent emotions churned within him like stormy seas.

Rather than envy his present self for outshining his past self, he felt a greater resentment toward other creatures acquiring what he could not.

If the child wasn’t dead, then why should the dragon possess him and not Padma?

After all, hadn’t he encountered the child first?

Driven by intense jealousy and petty-mindedness, Padma sprang into action.

He dressed neatly, carrying carefully prepared delicacies, and walked with elegant steps to the dragon’s lair.

The dragon opened its eyes, shooting him a warning glance to drive him away.

“Good day, Lord Dragon,” Padma greeted with a smile. “I’ve brought some food for the child and prepared today’s dose of medicine.”

For the sake of the food and medicine, the dragon reluctantly allowed Padma to enter the cave.

Having trained meticulously in butlering to infiltrate noble households, Padma efficiently tended to Albin, who was still half-asleep. He helped him freshen up and change into more luxurious attire, making him look like a noble’s young master.

It wasn’t until the food was set before him that Albin, catching the aroma, drowsily opened his eyes.

“Good morning, Lord Dragon…” He blinked and was startled to see Padma. “Good morning to you too, Mr. Padma.”

Padma set a napkin before him, smiling as he said, “I thought the cave was too empty, and Lord Dragon’s size made it difficult to care for you, so I brought some clothes and food.”

Picking up a bowl of milk porridge, Padma’s smile deepened as he glanced at the dragon. “You must not have eaten well yesterday, right? Here, have a bite.”

Padma seemed like such a kind person!

Albin, clutching his stomach, remembered that he hadn’t eaten much the day before. Being sick, he had felt weak and lacked appetite.

As soon as he nodded, Padma naturally lifted a spoonful of porridge to his mouth.

Albin instinctively opened his mouth to accept the bite but quickly shook his head, taking the spoon himself. “I can eat on my own.”

After all, he wasn’t a child. Being spoon-fed would be embarrassing.

Padma gracefully handed over the spoon but continued serving small delicacies like sausage slices.

Turning to the silent dragon, Albin asked, “Lord Dragon, have you eaten breakfast?”

I do not need to eat, the dragon responded coldly.

Albin, observing the dragon’s size, indeed couldn’t imagine what its breakfast would consist of. He then turned to Padma. “What about you, Mr. Padma?”

Padma paused, seemingly in thought, before replying with feigned realization, “Now that you mention it, I’ve been so busy I forgot breakfast.”

“That’s no good!” Albin immediately invited him to join. To Padma’s surprise, Albin even began feeding him in return.

“You must eat breakfast well,” Albin advised seriously. “Breakfast should be hearty, lunch filling, and dinner light.”

Padma accepted the gesture warmly, showering Albin with praise for being so thoughtful.

Delighted, Albin shared even more eagerly.

“This almond ginger pastry is delicious!” He popped another piece into his mouth, marveling at how sweet and snack-like it was. He’d never had anything like it during his travels.

“Are these from the Count’s kitchen? They’re so good!”

Padma’s smile grew even more radiant. “I’m glad you like them. I made them myself.”

Albin stared in awe. “You made these? That’s amazing!”

Padma was clearly pleased by the compliment.

“You don’t need to keep calling me ‘Mister.’ You can call me ‘Brother,’ like you did the other night.”

Albin hesitated briefly, remembering how he’d addressed Padma that way to build rapport and join the hunting party.

Without hesitation, he agreed. “Brother Padma!”

The breakfast Padma had prepared was far too lavish for a child to finish alone, but between the two of them, they managed to polish it off entirely..

Sitting beside the dragon, the two ate together, piece by piece, until the food was gone.

At the end, Padma pulled out a small bottle. Albin thought it was some kind of drink and took a sip without hesitation, only to realize it was actually medicine.

His face scrunched up in distaste, and just as he was about to complain, Padma quickly handed him a piece of candied fruit to chase away the bitterness.

After breakfast, Albin leaned against the dragon’s tail, rubbing his now full belly. His spirits seemed much higher than the day before.

Padma then suggested, “Albin, would you like to come live with me at the villa? I’m the caretaker of the Earl’s hunting villa. Once the Earl’s hunting trip is over, he’ll return to the estate, and I’ll be left all alone. It would be wonderful to have your company. I’d take great care of you, and the carriage can easily come to fetch you.”

Before he could finish his sentence, the dragon suddenly extended its tail, pushing him away and curling it protectively around Albin. The sharp black spines on its tail aimed directly at Padma.

Padma met the dragon’s dangerous gaze with a calm, smiling expression. “Lord Dragon, you’re guarding him as if he’s a prized meal.”

“Leave.”

Albin, perched atop the dragon’s tail, looked at the two magical beings in front of him and suddenly spoke up. “Big Brother Padma, why don’t you stay with us too?”

Padma’s smile froze.

“No.” The dragon’s rejection was immediate and firm.

Upon hearing this, Padma said quickly, “That’s fine, but… it seems Lord Dragon doesn’t welcome me. Albin, perhaps it’s better for you to come with me instead. Staying out here in the wilderness isn’t safe—what if someone with ill intentions comes along?”

The dragon narrowed its eyes dangerously, a low growl rumbling in its throat.

Albin frowned, feeling torn. After a moment of thought, he blinked up at the dragon. “Lord Dragon… how about I stay with you during the day and go to Big Brother Padma’s at night?”

The dragon bared its sharp teeth at Padma but knew it couldn’t kill him in front of Albin, as that would scare the boy.

After a long silence, the dragon begrudgingly allowed Padma to stay.

The three spent a strange morning together until Padma left for the villa to prepare lunch.

The dragon then rose to its feet and walked out of the cave.

“Where are you going, Lord Dragon?” Albin asked curiously.

“Fishing.”

“I want to come too!” Albin excitedly followed.

Since Albin couldn’t handle the wind, riding on the dragon wasn’t an option. The dragon slowed its pace to match the child’s small steps, taking quite a while to move even a single stride.

Fortunately, the stream wasn’t far. When they arrived, Albin watched with wide eyes, wondering how the dragon would catch fish.

The dragon whipped its tail into the water several times, and when it raised it again, several fish were skewered on its spines.

It deftly removed the fish, used its magic to precisely scale them, and sliced them in half. Breaking a rock into a makeshift cooking slab, it gestured for Albin to gather some herbs within sight. Then it lit a small fire.

“Wow, are you making grilled fish, Lord Dragon?” Albin asked excitedly.

Like a child playing house, Albin enthusiastically grilled the fish under the dragon’s guidance.

The weather was still bitterly cold, and the dragon spread its wings to shield Albin from the chill. The boy played happily, warmed by the fire.

Though there were no seasonings, the herbs added an incredible flavor Albin had never tasted before.

He savored the fish he had grilled himself, his sense of accomplishment and the flavor both scoring full marks.

Sitting by the fire on a cold day, eating freshly grilled fish—this was amazing!

“Lord Dragon, you have to try some too!” Albin looked at him with shining eyes.

“I don’t need to.”

Albin was puzzled.

If the dragon didn’t eat, then all of this effort was just to feed him?

The warmth of the fire washed over him, and Albin smiled as he walked over to the dragon, patting its hard jaw.

“This was something we worked on together!”

At his urging, the dragon finally ate a few pieces.

Albin was completely satisfied. When they returned to the cave, he noticed the dragon’s tail was still wet and took it upon himself to dry it by the fire, hugging the tail until it was warm and dry.

He stared at the dragon’s snowy-white fur, deep in thought.

Mr. Fox had pink fur, so in human form, his hair was pink. The dragon was silver-white. Would its human form also have white hair?

He glanced at the dragon’s closed eyes.

White hair and red eyes… nearby in the wilderness…

A ridiculous thought crossed his mind.

Could Lord Dragon be his father?

Albin pondered deeply.

Before long, Padma returned with a basket of food. When he learned Albin had already eaten, he clenched his teeth silently and looked at the dragon.

“No problem. That means I won’t have to leave tonight!”

With an impassive expression, Padma packed away the food. Seeing Albin drying the dragon’s fur, he transformed into a fox and sat next to him, licking his own fur.

A pink-furred fox licking its fur!

So cute!

Albin’s attention was immediately drawn.

Padma took the chance. “My fur seems a bit tangled recently. Albin, could you check for me?”

“Of course!”

Padma promptly nestled into his arms, pushing the dragon’s now-dry tail aside.

Albin stroked the soft, fluffy fox fur, feeling completely at peace.

Leaning against his beloved dragon, cuddling a beautiful fox, and warming himself by the fire—this was perfect!

If his father and brother were here, he’d be so happy he could burst.

What he couldn’t see, however, was the way the dragon and the fox exchanged sharp, hostile glares behind his back.

They made it through the night without incident.

The next day, when the carriage arrived as scheduled to pick him up, Albin reluctantly said goodbye to the two magical beings.

Padma watched the dragon skeptically.

This dragon was really letting the blood slave leave?

The dragon, in turn, remained on guard against Padma.

Both kept their eyes on each other until the carriage disappeared from view, at which point they immediately launched into a fierce fight.

Padma was forced to retreat, barely escaping with half his body intact. He fled back to the villa to recover before pursuing Albin again.

During this brief respite, Padma considered the dragon’s identity.

He’d never heard of such a powerful magical creature before, which reminded him of the apocalyptic dragon from his dreams.

However, his dream fragments were incomplete and didn’t provide much information about the dragon.

Padma then thought of someone else who had similar dreams.

He dug up a small mound of earth near the villa and pulled out the hibernating Emerald.

“Emerald, did your dream mention a dragon-shaped magical creature?”

Emerald yawned lazily. “Isn’t that the apocalyptic dragon?”

“You know its origins and abilities?”

“Not really its abilities, but its origin…” Emerald curled up sleepily. “It’s Zeman, isn’t it?”

“Zeman? The Sun Temple’s holy child?”

“Yes, and Albin’s father. He was cursed by the gods recently, wasn’t he?”

Padma pressed down on him with a paw. “He’s the father Albin mentioned? Are we talking dream or reality?”

“Reality, of course.” Emerald slowly woke up. “Why are you asking about this all of a sudden? Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in my dream stuff? Did you have a dream?”

Padma gave a brief acknowledgment, but his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Zeman.

He had thought he was the first to come into Albin’s life, but to his dismay, that guy had already become Albin’s father. The realization made him even more jealous.

A magical creature who had only recently been human—thinking about it filled Padma with disgust.

That kind of person was definitely after Albin’s blood.

However, it was clear that Albin was still unaware that the magic dragon and Zeman were the same person.

Hurriedly, Padma transformed into his human form, shoved Jade into his pocket, and left the area.

Jade, caught completely off guard, asked, “Where are we going? Wait, first tell me what you dreamed about!”

The carriage had been traveling for half a day when it suddenly came to a halt.

Albin, confused, pulled back the curtain and was about to ask the coachman what was happening when he saw a white-haired man walking toward them.

It was his father!

Albin immediately jumped off the carriage and rushed to Zeman.

“Daddy!”

Zeman responded softly, catching him and carrying him back into the carriage.

Looking back in the direction Zeman had come from, Albin noticed it was the opposite of where the carriage had been heading. It seemed Zeman had already walked far away but had now returned to find them.

As Albin studied Zeman, he felt a sense of confusion.

If this were true, then his earlier suspicion that the dragon might be his father couldn’t possibly hold.

Excitedly, Albin began recounting his experiences of the past few days, proudly declaring, “Daddy, I can speak Magic Beast Language!”

He went on to share his encounters with the two magical creatures.

To his surprise, Zeman’s brow furrowed, and his expression turned serious.

“That’s a very unique gift, but you must never tell anyone about it. Magical creatures are dangerous and deceitful beings. They will trick you without mercy. Stay away from them. Once you’re stronger, if any magical creature approaches you, strike first.”

Albin pondered this.

His father really seemed to hold a deep-seated animosity toward magical creatures. Hadn’t he even shown him how to use the God-Slaying Spear against them before?

If that was the case, there was no way his father could be the dragon.

There’s no way Daddy would tell me to attack himself—what would be the point?

It was probably just a coincidence, like how they both had white hair and red eyes but weren’t actually blood-related.

Putting the idea aside, Albin nodded in agreement.

“Okay, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll only tell Daddy!”

Happily, he began sharing stories about himself and the dragon.

Throughout the journey, Zeman listened as Albin repeatedly praised the “Lord Dragon,” showering the creature with admiration. It stirred some complicated feelings in Zeman’s heart.

Even though he was the dragon, Albin didn’t know that.

And Albin had never spoken about him this way in front of the dragon.

Did that mean that, in Albin’s eyes, he preferred the dragon over his father?

Zeman fell into deep thought.

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