Chapter 651 – Heart of Fire -2-

“Samjun get out!”

“!?”

Theodore was almost kicked out of Roman’s mansion.

When Luna, the daughter of Rike, gave her order and started to move, her children who followed her pushed her away with their bracken hands.

Theodore, not knowing what this meant, gave Roman and his wives a puzzled look.

As if they had planned it, they all waved their hands to bid us farewell.

‘I don’t know why.’

Theodore, who came outside with Kitty, was confused by the situation.

Is it okay if I don’t play with you today?

If they told you to leave because you got the candy, it might be a pretty painful wound.

‘Hmm.’

After warming up by playing, I tried to continue challenging Roman, but I was in an awkward position.

Theodore looked at Kitty walking next to him.

“Kitty.”

“Yes.”

“I said I wanted to go fishing.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s fishing… Is there a place to catch fish?”

“I like the place I went with Hayang last time.”

Speaking of White, it is a cute name given to a pet wolf that is not here.

Regardless of its enormous size that makes the people of the empire scream, Kitty named it simply because of its white fur.

Recently, perhaps because I’ve been eating too much meat, I’ve gotten plump and I feel like the round name Hayang suits me.

“Good. It’s not that far away if you fly.”

“!”

Theodore held Kitty in his arms with both hands.

I remember because Kitty had expressed clearly before that she no longer wanted to fly around with her bag on her side.

Theodore spread his wings wide and sat down as if the wind was blowing him away.

He kicked off the ground and flew up with the force to pierce the sky.

Woooooung──!!!

As the strong sound of the wind quieted, Kitty’s eyes began to see mansions as small as ants.

It’s still a strange picture to someone who doesn’t know how to use her mana.

In addition, recently, she was riding a white cat wherever she went, and Theodore’s footsteps were halfway to Roman’s mansion, so it had been a long time since Kitty had flown.

“Tell me if it’s too fast.”

“Yes…!”

“Be careful not to chew your tongue.”

With those words, Theodore continued to flap his wings and headed to the place Kitty had mentioned.

Kitty was held in her arms and quietly admired Theodore’s face, not her scenery.

‘It would be nice to have a face like this every day…’

Kitty liked Theodore’s face as unscathed as it was now.

The Yongin tribe, driven out by the children, could not challenge Roman. This is not a day when blood becomes bread.

Kitty was out of breath when she saw Theodore covered in wounds after being defeated by Roman.

However, the words that she can’t see because it’s what she wants are always stuck in Kitty’s mouth and never come out.

‘Why should I interfere with Theodore…’

When I was young, I had raw conversations that didn’t go through her head.

However, this is not the case for Kitty, who has grown up and started to learn more about the world.

Thinking about the position of the person listening to her words, she came to feel the difference between herself and Theodore.

Gap in status, gap in race, wealth, honor, etc.

It is true that for a girl named Kitty, whose only job is running a bakery, Theodor Spenta is like a star in the sky.

Even though she didn’t want to know the gap, she could hear it around her.

Some characters tried to somehow inform themselves of the misfortune and cruelty of the reality they experienced.

The only places where you can’t hear it are Roman’s mansion or Theodore and his parents’ side.

‘Theodore finds me when he needs me…’

I may be running away to someone who always accepts me as I am.

Kitty dropped her gaze from Theodore’s face, feeling her consciousness sink.

A vast forest was visible.

And then he blinked.

“Huh?”

“Is it too fast?”

“No! It’s a place that feels somewhat familiar.”

“This is the place where we caught that pig and wolf. It was just recently, but it seems like it’s already gone.”

“You mean white?”

It had been several years, but Jang Saengjong’s sense of time was amazing because it was such a long time ago.

From that perspective, would one’s change be seen as a momentary worry?

‘I made a promise to Theodore here.’

It is a happy memory.

It was a moment that changed my life, and looking back, it was a miraculous experience.

─ From now on, when you look at me, say everything that comes to mind without adding or subtracting from it, just like you did today. There is no need for politeness. If anything comes to mind as you go about your daily life, write it down.

The words Theodore had said in the past clearly appeared in Kitty’s mind.

Today is already the second time.

And.

‘Oh?’

A sin once again appeared in Kitty’s mind.

If this is also called enlightenment, it is enlightenment.

‘Am I…?’

I promised to convey everything I thought to Theodore.

At some point, I stopped being like that.

··

··

As soon as Theodore arrived at the calm lake, he carved a tree with his sharp fingernails to make a fishing rod and tore the famously tough stem of a plant into thin pieces to make a fishing line.

All you have to do is hang a hard fruit that has fallen on the floor on the end.

“Well, this is enough.”

There is no need for a bent needle.

Certain fish that won’t let go of fruit are the targets of Theodore and Kitty.

“Kitty. Come here.”

“···.”

When I called Kitty to give her the finished fishing rod, the girl who was looking at the floor hesitantly approached me.

“Hold it.”

Theodore was worried about Kitty who had been strangely quiet earlier.

Kitty, who had caught the fishing rod, sat looking at the calm lake.

I glanced at Theodore, who was sitting next to me and staring straight ahead, and spoke.

“···Theodore.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean, sorry?”

Kitty hesitated, pursing her lips in response to the question.

I have no idea what consequences publicizing this will bring.

Although she was very afraid of what might happen, the girl decided to reveal her true feelings.

“Recently, I haven’t been able to do my best at what I need to do…”

As a result of calmly reflecting on herself, she concluded that she had not been doing her duty since one day.

I felt like I was wasting Theodore’s time.

My conscience was pricked to the point where it hurt.

“Is that why it was strange from earlier?”

“···.”

“I don’t know what it means to say I didn’t do my best at what I had to do.”

“Theodore.”

“Okay. Tell me in detail.”

Kitty got up from her seat and put the fishing rod she was holding into Theodore’s hand.

And she gazed intently at Theodore.

“···Horned brother.”

“!”

It was a title I hadn’t heard in a long time.

Kitty smiles innocently and without worries for the first time in a long time.

Her fish took hold of the fruit she had set as bait and pulled the line.

Theodore looked at Kitty blankly, ignoring the sensation coming from her hand.

“Do you remember what you told me? When you look at Theodore, tell him without hesitation everything that comes to mind. It’s okay even if you don’t have any mannerisms.”

“···Okay.”

I don’t know why Kitty mentions it again.

But she clearly said so.

When Theodore showed positivity, Kitty started taking deep breaths.

“Fuuuuu──.”

What on earth are you trying to do?

Just as Theodore was shaking his mouth in curiosity, Kitty spoke up in a timely manner.

“Theodore is the kindest and coolest person in the world. Thank you for allowing a commoner like me to have many experiences.”

“···What is happening all of a sudden?”

“I’m just saying without hesitation what comes to mind while watching…!”

It was the first time for Theodore to see Kitty blush so red. Strangely, my mind felt itchy.

“And! I hope Theodore doesn’t fight with Roman.”

“···Why?”

His voice lowered as if he had touched something unpleasant.

Kitty paused for a moment, then recalled her promise and honestly revealed her true feelings.

“I don’t want to see Theodore hurt…”

“For the dragon race, battle is fate. Are you telling me to turn my back on fate?”

“I don’t know something as difficult as fate!”

Theodore felt strangely satisfied when he saw Kitty harshly retorting.

“Neither Vulcan nor Varian nor Roman have ever told me to stop fighting.”

“···.”

“Kitty. For the Yongin people, wounds and injuries are lifelong companions. Accept it, I, who was born as a Yongin, am destined to live like this for the rest of my life.”

“I’m just telling you what I felt according to my promise… Don’t try to persuade me!”

Kitty sat down, covering her ears and closing her eyes tightly, so she wouldn’t hear.

Theodore laughed at that action and tried to pull the fishing rod.

My mind stopped moving due to the flashing sensation.

‘Persuasion···? Can I persuade you…?’

If you want to do it, do it. You don’t need anyone’s permission.

This is the life of Theodor Spenta, the absolute leader of the Federal State.

But why?

Why am I persuading that girl?

Tak!

Theodore put down the fishing rod and jumped up from his seat and grabbed Kitty’s crouching shoulders.

The movement was extremely urgent.

“Kitty!”

“Eh…?”

The head that had been looking at the floor lifted and the eyes that had been forced closed opened.

Kitty’s hand, which was stubbornly covering her ears, fell.

“Tell me! Why don’t you want me to fight Roman!”

“I don’t want to see you hurt…”

“No, that’s not the answer! None of the people who work for me have said that.”

There are definitely people who want Theodore to head down the right path.

Nevertheless, there was no case in which he, a member of the Yongin tribe, was prevented from being hurt like this.

“···.”

“Kitty. Nothing comes to mind?”

Kitty clenched her fists at Theodore’s actions.

It seems like I’m getting irritated through the blush.

“Jo…”

“Joe?”

Kitty tries to get her answer out.

Theodore was filled with anticipation that something would come to inform him of what he was lacking.

“Joe, it’s because I like it!”

“What…?”

Kitty shook off Theodore’s hand holding her shoulder and jumped up.

“Because I love you! I don’t want to see you get hurt!”

“···.”

Theodore’s time stopped at the boldness shown by the girl.

All I can see is Kitty’s red face.

She even has her own hot face.
Her body is hot.

This is a first for Theodore.

‘It’s hot…?’

To him, the pinnacle of the Dragon race, heat was nothing more than pain that he caused others to feel.

Even when I burned the World Tree to fight Roman and contained the heat right before my body was shattered, I never felt so hot that I couldn’t bear it.

But now my whole body is hot. It’s hard to stay still.

It feels like my heart is burning.

Let’s face it. The cause was clearly the girl in front of me.

‘I see…’

This fire is the best heat she was looking for.

A heat that even I can’t bear.

The fire I was desperately looking for was always by my side.