Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting long shadows of the two figures across the room.
The moment Albion's sharp teeth sank into Novia's shoulder, the lower half of her face was drenched in bright red blood, crimson staining her silver hair and pale skin as she relished the warmth of his lifeblood flowing down her throat.
Instinctively, Novia shoved Albion away.
But the dragon-girl's fangs had already torn off a chunk of flesh—
She swallowed it in one bite.
"Did turning into this form make you suddenly hungry?"
Novia reached for his shoulder, and with a faint glow of magecraft, the bleeding stopped.
The pain, however, lingered.
"Should I go buy you something to eat? Though, I doubt someone as mighty as you would care for the meat of weak little animals… That was probably just… an accident, right?"
He chuckled, tossing out a light-hearted joke entirely ill-suited for the situation.
But, coming from the victim himself, there was little room for anyone to object.
Seeing the silver-haired girl's eyes gradually regaining clarity after swallowing his blood, Novia could easily guess what had happened—
Albion must've expended a tremendous amount of magical energy to manifest herself in this human form, leaving her in a state of… hunger.
Dragons didn't normally feel hunger.
Nor did they need to sleep.
But that was when the world's mysteries were still intact,
And in the Age of the Gods, her original dragon body was practically a living mass of pure, unfathomable magic.
In that state, such things as hunger were irrelevant.
But now, Albion had emerged as a spirit through the medium of the Spear,
And in Novia's chambers—indeed, within this world—there simply wasn't enough ambient mystery to replenish her instantly.
Thus, driven by raw survival instinct, she'd latched onto the nearest source of magical energy—
Him.
"..."
Head bowed, blood still dripping from her lips, Albion's body trembled slightly.
She had wanted to scold him, demand that he stop using such familiar, disrespectful speech,
But after what she'd just done… an overwhelming, unspeakable embarrassment welled up inside her.
She barely even registered his words of reassurance—
Until a gentle hand came to rest on her head.
"It's alright," Novia said softly.
"If that's what you needed to feel better, I don't mind."
Albion slowly lifted her head, silver hair swaying like fine silk.
Her pale, beautiful face flushed faintly, and those golden eyes glimmered with uncertainty and… lingering shame.
One hand lightly touched Novia's shoulder where she'd bitten him.
"... Does it… hurt?" she asked, voice low and hesitant.
"... Are you alright?"
"I'd love to say it doesn't hurt," Novia replied, smiling wryly,
"But lying to you seems pointless.
Truth is, yeah… it hurts."
His tone was calm, sincere, yet laced with his usual teasing air.
He shrugged, as if brushing it off.
"... S-Sorry…"
Albion's hand slid down to his chest, then quickly withdrew as she averted her gaze.
The mightiest dragon's apology was faint, almost imperceptible.
But Novia didn't miss it.
Because hearing Albion apologize to a weak human like him—
That might be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
"By the way, since you went through all that trouble to show up… how about I take you out for a walk?"
Novia offered, winking playfully.
"...Human."
Albion narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing through them as her hands clenched tightly around the front of his shirt.
"That wasn't a suggestion. That was an order. But…
Just this once.
Take me outside."
"Hmm… alright…"
Novia gave her a strange look, but allowed himself to be dragged along by the girl.
It was early winter—
But a mild winter, with no snow yet falling.
The streets of Rome, capital of the Roman Empire, bustled with life.
People gathered everywhere—
Some discussing tomorrow's plans,
Others lounging on weathered benches of unknown origin, feeding birds and stray animals.
Every person they passed, upon seeing Novia, greeted him with boundless reverence.
And as for the silver-haired girl walking beside him—
Dressed in a luxurious, deep-blue gown that made her appear both elegant and proud,
Her posture rigid, chin held high,
A strange mask obscuring her face—
She too received polite greetings, though those were directed at her by virtue of Novia's presence.
The girl, however, remained utterly silent—
As if she didn't hear a word.
Novia understood why.
When Albion had first dragged him out, her excitement had been palpable.
But apparently, walking on human legs for the first time was… challenging.
She'd nearly tripped over seemingly nothing on the smooth, paved ground.
In response, Novia had extended his hand to her—
A simple, unspoken gesture, as natural as a knight escorting a lady.
"Come on," his expression had said, "let's go."
Albion, thoroughly convinced by his easygoing demeanor, had refrained from tearing apart the entire street in frustration.
Instead, she used her magic to conjure a mask and silently followed behind him,
Resembling more a loyal bodyguard than a companion.
In truth, however, the mask served another purpose—
Not only did it conceal her lingering embarrassment,
But… it hid the hunger.
The gnawing, ever-present, maddening urge to devour Novia hadn't abated.
Even after replenishing her magical reserves—
The craving lingered.
An unfamiliar, feral desire, born the moment she took human form.
Not enough.
Still not enough.
If I devour him completely, my soul… my soul will gain something…
Something indescribably precious…
That thought colored her mind crimson—
A desire she couldn't explain, couldn't control.
"I still want to eat him…"
The words branded themselves into her consciousness.
Trailing behind Novia, Albion bit into the food he'd bought for her,
Eyes locked onto his back, murmuring softly,
An idea forming in the depths of her mind.
If…
If this human truly was willing to share his worries with her,
His confusion,
His doubts,
His dilemmas—
If he truly wouldn't lie,
If he'd truly stay by her side—
Then…
Then, perhaps…
She could suppress this desire.
She wouldn't hurt him.
No matter what.
"Hey. Human."
A sudden resolve bloomed within her.
Albion narrowed her golden eyes, calling out to Novia's back.
The reason for her abrupt determination wasn't complicated.
Just now, when he'd turned to her, head bowed slightly in that familiar, gentle way—
It had reminded her of the moment long ago when he'd promised…
To stay with her.
"You…
You said before, you'd always be with me—"
Before she could finish, an infuriating voice interrupted, shattering the fragile atmosphere.
"Mmhm, mmhm, isn't that Teacher? And… who's this?"
The culprit behind Albion's sudden chill, the source of her murderous intent,
A certain silver-haired, green-eyed girl appeared, beaming brightly.
"Silver hair, huh! Teacher, is this an acquaintance?
Or… some new bodyguard you hired?"
This…
This disgusting little human—
Her scent was unbearable.
And yet, she dared to cling so close to Novia, smiling like that.
I want to kill her.
Right now.
Tear her soul apart…
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