As he rubbed her soft sole with his flat palm, she opened her eyes demurely and, clutching her skirt tightly, pulled her foot out of his hand.

“Friends don’t touch each other’s feet, you know?”

“Then I suppose carrying you in my arms would be acceptable.”

“Why are you talking like that, sheesh!”

Rustle. The soft nightgown spread wide and slowly settled on the man’s firm arms.

Orbis, carrying Litania, deliberately walked with slow steps towards the bedroom.

Litania wore a bewildered expression but did not protest for Orbis to put her down.

Whether it was because she was too lazy to argue, or because he had carried her several times before and didn’t need permission originally, was unclear.

“Orbis, you’re tall.”

“I suppose I am.”

“So this is your usual eye level…”

Litania sighed languidly and rested her head on Orbis’s shoulder.

This was certainly uncharacteristic behavior for her.

Despite being carried by him many times before, it seems this was the first time she truly felt the height difference.

“If you’d like to experience my eye level, shall we take a turn like this?”

“No. I’m going to sleep.”

Litania buried her face in Orbis’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

Though he wanted to hold her in his arms a little longer, he couldn’t insist on satisfying his own desires when she said she wanted to sleep.

Orbis had no choice but to approach the bed, pull back the canopy, and lay his fragile friend down.

“Sleep well, Litania.”

“Mm. You too, Orbis…”

As if she was truly drowsy, Litania’s voice grew small, and she drifted off to sleep.

Orbis looked down at the sleeping Litania and caressed her fluffy hair with his fingertips. It was warm.

‘Seems she bathed for too long.’

Orbis thought this as he took in Litania’s sleeping face illuminated by the flickering candlelight, as if etching it into his eyes.

Her disheveled bangs and round forehead, dense eyelashes and rosy cheeks, red lips, and fair, slender facial features.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine the body hidden beneath the thin nightgown. As Orbis’s gaze traced the subtle lines following her curves, a relaxed smile played on his lips.

‘I really feel like I could swallow her in one bite.’

Even in front of the most ferocious predator who could devour her in an instant if he so chose, Litania was sleeping peacefully with closed eyes.

It was hard to believe she was the same person who once trembled in fear before him.

‘Do humans change so easily?’

Though difficult to understand, he didn’t dislike how her attitude had changed.

“I’m glad I became friends with you.”

If Orbis had accepted the emperor’s wish and tried to become her husband, he would never have seen such an unguarded expression.

“I look forward to our continued friendship, my dear friend.”

The garden trees of the dragon castle shed their leaves, revealing bare branches. A chilly wind blew into the training grounds outside the lake.

Captain Bain gathered his subordinates at the training grounds for morning practice.

“Today we’ll practice one-on-one duels using greatswords. Maintain a good balance between attack and defense, and don’t miss any openings in your opponent’s stance!”

At Bain’s loud command, the knights picked up their greatswords and moved in perfect unison.

Though they had knight uniforms issued by the imperial palace, everyday training was done in casual attire.

The knights, each wearing different weapons and armor, maintained an appropriate distance as they faced each other. At Bain’s signal, they let out a battle cry in unison and began swinging their greatswords.

“Ha!”

The blade tips that usually showed powerful force and precise movements as if to cut through targets felt dull today.

Though the training process was the same as usual, there wasn’t much life in the knights’ eyes. It wasn’t because the training was grueling. Bain knew the reason.

‘The lady is unwell.’

The circumstances of how Litania was injured were not known.

Litania, judging that it would do no good to draw attention to the upper levels of the tower in any form as it was dangerous, asked Hazel to keep secret how she was injured. Hazel, being a doctor, covered up that Litania was bedridden due to a cold rather than a shoulder injury.

‘She probably won’t show herself for a while.’

After training, Litania always brought snacks for the knights.

But what the knights looked forward to after finishing their grueling training wasn’t the snacks, but her appearance, praising their hard work with a smile as bright as the spring breeze.

They weren’t ordinary battle mercenaries, but knights. There was nothing more joyous than having their sincerity recognized by the lord they served.

And that Litania was now bedridden. She no longer came here.

They could not meet the lord they wished to serve faithfully.

There was no surer way to break the knights’ morale.

‘I wish I could send some comforting gift.’

They currently receive no support from the imperial palace. In a position of being indebted to the dragon castle, what could they do for Litania, the mistress of the dragon castle?

It wouldn’t do to call in a sick person to show them battle training or sword dances.

‘All we can do is pray for her swift recovery.’

The emperor sent the knights to investigate the dragon castle where humans couldn’t set foot, to uncover the dragon’s secrets, but the divine dragon didn’t show even the tip of his nose to them.

Instead of growing impatient, Bain decided to prioritize a different purpose. To devote their loyalty to Litania, the imperial princess and mistress of the dragon castle.

Knights are inherently loyal to their lord.

The emperor sent the knights under Bain’s command to the dragon castle, so their current nominal masters were the divine dragon Orbis, and his wife Litania.

What wrong is there in a knight prioritizing loyalty to their lord?

It was far more befitting of chivalry than sneaking around the dragon castle like petty thieves to dig up information.

Although now they couldn’t meet the object of that chivalry.

“Ca-Captain!”

“We’re in the middle of training. I told you not to leave your post.”

“But he’s here!”

“What?”

“The divine dragon Orbis!”

The gloomy atmosphere of the training grounds froze as if hit by an icy wind.

“Captain Bain, we are honored by the presence of the divine dragon Orbis.”

The divine dragon Orbis. The master of the dragon castle showed himself to the knights for the first time. Captain Bain, who walked out between the lined-up knights, bowed respectfully to Orbis.

Instead of returning the greeting, Orbis slightly turned his head to take in the appearance of the knights.

Though difficult to notice due to his white attire and beautiful long hair making him look slender, Orbis was about a hand span taller than even the imposingly built Captain Bain. The knights’ faces tensed up as they faced the divine dragon they had only observed from afar at the imperial palace.

“These are the knights His Majesty sent to me. My greetings are late.”

Orbis’s expression was impassive, but unlike the other servants of this dragon castle, there was no sense of awkwardness.

A beautiful and wondrous divine dragon. Despite his languid gaze, his two blue eyes shone sharply as if they could pierce through to a person’s innermost thoughts. His hands, clad in white gloves, were formed of such fine lines they seemed to have never held a sword, yet they were firmer and stronger than any warrior’s.

Though they couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied with the divine dragon who had neglected them for a whole season since coming to the dragon castle, no one dared show it.

Captain Bain lowered his eyes and answered politely.

“We do not deserve such greetings. We simply carry out our duties diligently, training every day without fail.”

“Training, is it? What kind of training were you doing?”

Bain’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. He quickly composed his expression and answered earnestly.

“Today we were conducting one-on-one duel training. It’s training where we compete with real swords while wearing protective gear.”

“Even if you say you compete with real swords, you’re not fighting for your lives. Can skills truly improve with such training?”

Orbis spoke in a cold voice. He was merely stating what he understood, but to Bain it sounded like mockery.

‘Is he saying that battle training is child’s play compared to real war?’

In the eyes of the divine dragon, even human wars probably look like games. In this moment, Bain retorted with the heart of one representing humanity.

“We always do our best…!”

“I shall guide you.”

“…Pardon?”

For a moment, he made the mistake of asking again, not understanding the words. However, Orbis seemed to pay no attention to Bain’s mistake as he raised his right hand, clad in a white glove.

“I received a request from Litania.”

Shing. As if by magic, a blue light extended straight out, taking the form of a sword.

“To lead knights, improving their skills would be the surest method.”

Orbis, holding the sword, stood with his feet slightly apart, pointing the sword tip down and bringing both hands together. It was a perfect knight’s duel salute without a single flaw.

“Come at me all at once.”