How To Break Qaq If The Dragon Catches The Wrong Person? Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Prince

When the unfamiliar boy looked at him, Kairis met a pair of wet, green eyes.

He looked a bit travel-worn, dressed in ragged clothes, and wasn’t even wearing shoes. His pale, reddish toes were bare on the ground, a sight that inexplicably stirred pity.

Such a dusty child stood out sharply among the large crowd of well-dressed people, yet his green pupils were remarkably bright, reminding Kairis of the emerald kept in the deepest part of the Royal Palace’s Secret Vault.

Kairis’s gaze lingered on the eyes staring straight at him for two extra seconds.

Thinking of something, he slightly raised an eyebrow, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

A moment later, he suddenly reached out and lightly touched the eyelids of the person in front of him.

Mian was startled by the sudden touch and instinctively closed his eyes. His eyelashes trembled, and a sudden, inexplicable emotion—whether nervousness or something else—arose in his heart.

In short, his heart was pounding fast.

This scene fell into everyone’s view, and the surroundings instantly quieted down. If one listened closely, they could hear many people drawing sharp, low breaths.

The fingertip touched and immediately withdrew. Kairis unconsciously rubbed his thumb, a guess forming in his mind.

One second, Mian was immersed in a state of helplessness, but the next, he had no mind to be nervous anymore.

The reason was simple: after regaining his senses, he smelled a… very fragrant scent.

The source was the person right in front of him.

Having not eaten for too long, Mian’s eyes brightened. His animal instincts were irrepressible. Ignoring everything else, he instinctively leaned forward and carefully sniffed the scent emanating from Kairis.

The aura of the person, who seemed to be of the Dragon Race, was warm and clean, causing Kairis to momentarily lose focus as Mian drew near. Kairis was stunned but didn’t immediately pull away.

A Palace Guard nearby, recovering quickly from his brief stupor, raised his sword and moved to separate Mian: “You cannot…”

But Kairis stopped him.

So, the guard paused, then retreated, utterly bewildered.

The young man standing beside Kairis watched the entire process up close and raised an eyebrow with considerable interest.

Kairis didn’t notice his friend’s gaze.

He looked at the black hair moving close to his eyes, suddenly realized something, and then, with a complicated expression, raised his hand…

He took off the small cloth pouch Farg had casually hung on his waist that morning.

Mian’s gaze instantly locked onto the small pouch.

A light of longing shone in his eyes.

Kairis: “…”

He was silent for a moment, then opened the pouch under the Little Dragon’s eager gaze.

When the pouch was opened, it revealed several pieces of pastry.

Kairis glanced at them and quickly identified the ingredients.

Pink hawthorn fruit, sour rose fruit, sweet berries, honey, and a small amount of flour—all things dragons loved to eat.

At this moment, he completely confirmed the identity of the person in front of him.

…How did a member of the Dragon Race end up here?

Kairis subtly frowned. When he looked at Mian again, his eyes held a hint of scrutiny.

“C-can I eat this?” Mian hadn’t noticed the sudden change in atmosphere. His attention was completely drawn to the small pouch in Kairis’s hand, which seemed to be emitting a holy light.

He silently swallowed and asked earnestly.

Kairis: “…”

The wariness in his eyes turned into helplessness. He raised a hand to rub his temple, then placed the pouch in Mian’s hand, saying concisely: “Eat.”

Mian immediately accepted it happily.

Kairis was not in a hurry to leave. He stood still, quietly watching the Little Dragon eat.

The boy was now completely focused on the food. Although he ate somewhat eagerly, his movements were not crude; rather, they conveyed a sense of being accustomed to a privileged life.

After Mian finished two pieces of pastry, his hunger was finally alleviated. Only then did he shift his attention from the food to the kind human before him.

This human was not only very kind… he was also very, very handsome.

He swallowed the food in his mouth, just about to thank him, when a Palace Guard behind Kairis suddenly stepped forward and reported in a low voice: “Prince, His Majesty is still waiting for you in the main hall…”

Mian’s hearing was excellent, and the proximity meant the sentence reached his ears clearly.

So, upon hearing the words “Prince,” he instantly became alert.

He had learned that this term was used by humans specifically to address the direct descendants of the royal family.

Like a Princess.

Mian froze for a moment, then his eyes widened slightly as he looked at Kairis again.

“What… what is your name?” he asked, slightly confused.

Before the Prince could speak, the young man who had been observing from the side for a long time spoke first, answering the question with a smile.

“His name is Kairis. You don’t know him?” Ovi looked at the Little Dragon with great interest.

The Dragon Race and humans had always maintained a clear separation. Except for their specific country, they never voluntarily appeared in other territories.

So, seeing this beautiful Little Dragon inexplicably appearing in the Royal City, Ovi found it fresh and amusing.

Mian’s breathing quickened slightly upon hearing this.

Yes, his Princess was named something-ris…

It must be the person in front of him!

Kairis frowned, shooting a warning look at his friend. As soon as he withdrew his gaze, he met the eyes of the Little Dragon, which had suddenly become very bright for some reason.

Kairis: “…?”

Before he could think further, the Little Dragon suddenly placed a hand on his sleeve.

He unconsciously tugged lightly at Kairis’s clothing, his voice urgent, his eyes shimmering with expectation.

“Are you my Princess?” he looked at Kairis and asked softly, as if conducting some kind of secret rendezvous.

“…”

Now even Ovi was speechless.

The atmosphere in this area inexplicably solidified. Even the horses seemed to sense the tension, standing quietly on the side, not even flicking their tails.

Mian continued to stare straight at Kairis.

He was completely unaware of how shocking his words were.

Kairis recovered from his brief astonishment, looked back into the green eyes for a moment, and then lowered his gaze very slightly.

He pondered for a while.

As Mian waited for an answer, confusion gradually mixed with the anticipation in his eyes.

After what felt like a long time—so long that Ovi was about to step in and smooth things over—the Prince uttered even more shocking words.

“Yes,” Kairis looked into Mian’s eyes and answered calmly.

Upon receiving the affirmative answer, Mian’s eyes lit up. Before he could react, a loud “Bang!” suddenly erupted nearby.

He jumped in surprise and instinctively looked over, realizing the noise came from the person who had helped answer the question about his Princess’s name.

The man had fallen flat on the ground.

“Viscount, are you alright?!”

“Are you okay! Do you need a medic?”

“Quick, someone else help him up…”

Ovi’s attendants were instantly horrified by the sight. They rushed forward, scrambling to help their master up.

“I’m… I’m fine.” Ovi struggled to his feet with the help of his attendants, rubbing his nose which had hit the ground hard… but he ignored the physical pain.

His gaze toward his friend was filled with confusion, shock, and disbelief.

This was absolutely the most undignified moment he had experienced since his baptism, and it had coincidentally been witnessed by half the city.

He almost wondered if he had somehow offended Kairis and was being deliberately retaliated against.

But their Prince was definitely not such a petty person, nor would he childishly agree to such an absurd statement for that purpose.

…He must have lost his mind.

“You, you…” He looked at Kairis, too shocked to speak.

Kairis glanced at him and said coolly, “Shut up.”

Ovi: “…………”

In the Great Hall, the King sat on the Throne, having waited for a long time.

Beside him stood the Royal Steward and the Astrologer Farg. The Royal Steward was, as always, serving discreetly, and Farg was, as always, chatting happily with the King.

Kairis entered alone, bowed after taking his place, and briefly recounted the general course of his recent training to his father.

He had handled the matters perfectly, and the King was quite satisfied, praising his capable son repeatedly, almost eager to hand over the Throne immediately.

Kairis was noncommittal about this, only wishing that if his father was truly sincere, he would take back some of the mountains of State Affairs to handle himself.

Having finished his report, he was about to excuse himself but was called back.

“I heard you… brought a member of the Dragon Race back to the Palace?” The King’s voice held a hint of doubt.

“Yes,” Kairis answered quite readily. His long eyelashes lowered, and his voice was calm: “He seemed pleasing to the eye, so I brought him back.”

His tone was so casual and relaxed, as if he hadn’t brought back a member of the Dragon Race, but a stray puppy or kitten picked up on the street.

The King: “…”

His brow furrowed. He thought his usually mature and steady son had suddenly become childish and wanted to keep a special pet, so he shook his head disapprovingly: “No matter what, that is a member of the Dragon Race, not something you can just keep on a whim.”

“Why he appeared in the Royal City is also a question… He couldn’t possibly have mistaken Velen for Fes.” The King said casually.

Kairis was silent for a few seconds upon hearing this, then suddenly said, “He probably did.”

“After all, he seems quite stupid,” he commented briefly.

The King: “…”

“In any case, I have my own arrangements.” Before the King could say anything more, Kairis composed himself, bowed politely again, and saluted him: “It won’t cause you any trouble.”

“I am very busy today. I will go handle State Affairs now.”

The King watched his son’s tall, straight figure depart, and helplessly picked up the half-cool tea beside him and took a sip.

His son was becoming increasingly independent and increasingly difficult to read.

Thinking of something, he raised his hand, signaling Farg to approach him.

“In your view, is the Dragon Race member he brought back a good thing or a bad thing?”

Farg stroked his smooth white beard, noncommittally, only chuckling: “He has a strong connection with the royal family.”

“Don’t tell me… you claimed to be his Princess and brought him into the Palace just for fun.”

In the Royal Study, Kairis sat behind the desk, reviewing stacks of documents. Ovi paced back and forth in front of the desk, his gaze never leaving the Prince’s expressionless face.

Kairis was already suffering from a headache due to the mountain of official duties before him, and the figure swaying back and forth was irritating. He frowned and said coldly to his friend, “If you can’t stay quiet, go keep Loria company.”

Ovi instinctively shivered upon hearing this and instantly calmed down considerably.

—Loria, the only Little Princess of the current Velen Empire, Kairis’s younger sister.

The current King and Queen had only two children: Kairis and her.

Kairis had been sensible and obedient since childhood, but consequently, he couldn’t provide much emotional value to his parents. Thus, after the Little Princess was born, the two elders focused all their attention on her.

With her high status at a young age and her lovely, innocent appearance, Loria was naturally spoiled rotten by everyone, to the point of being somewhat indulged.

Recalling his constant discomfiture when dealing with the Little Princess in the past, Ovi fell silent and obediently returned to the sofa to sit down.

Kairis finally gained a moment of peace and continued reviewing the documents with an expressionless face. After an unknown amount of time, he put down his pen and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“So why exactly did you bring him back?” Ovi, still curious, continued to inquire: “It can’t be just to establish diplomatic relations with the Dragon Race.”

Kairis was noncommittal, taking a sip of the lukewarm tea by his hand.

“Don’t think I can’t tell,” Ovi looked at Kairis, narrowing his eyes, adopting a look that suggested nothing could escape his notice: “He is of the royal family.”

“The place he should be going is Fes, right?” Seeing his friend remain silent, he continued to muse: “How did he end up here with us…”

“He came to the wrong place,” Kairis finally spoke: “He’s quite stupid.”

“So you just went along with it and tricked him?” Ovi looked utterly bewildered.

Kairis pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on the unreviewed documents on the desk. His fingertip unconsciously tapped the paper, and his voice was calm, seemingly answering a different question: “Fes hasn’t been very peaceful lately.”