A Dragon Lives In That Scholar's Deep Spring - Chapter 2

– CHAPTER 2 –

“Perhaps causing a ruckus outside would be better. Being caught here like this could lead to both of us being punished.”

For a prince and a court official to sit together and share drinks in a place where even high-ranking officials couldn’t tread lightly was an unimaginable situation for Do-gyeom. However, from this moment on, the notion of ‘impossible’ was shattered.

But for the sake of his dear friend, Do-gyeom decided to play along.

“Don’t worry. Once we welcome the Crown Princess, it will be even harder to drink like this so casually.”

However, upon hearing Eon’s somber remark as he looked down at his empty glass, Do-gyeom’s forced smile vanished instantly.

“Crown Princess… you say.”

The slight dampness on his sleeve from the spilled alcohol was evidence of how surprised he was. Do-gyeom, who usually remained composed, looked at Eon, but Eon just smiled vaguely and refilled his glass. Then, he placed the bottle back on the table and replied.

“Soon, the third royal marriage will be issued.”

* * *

“Guh… Your Majesty, please spare my life!”

A man, moments away from bursting, pleaded while struggling against the water engulfing him. The one restraining him was none other than a stream of water. Standing in front of him, a woman manipulated the water with just a flick of her finger.

“If your life is so precious, how did you plan to kill me?”

“Oh, no, Your Majesty, I would never dare to…!”

Before he could finish his sentence, the man’s mouth was blocked by a jet of water. The woman, with long, flowing hair resembling rippling waves, didn’t know what it meant to show mercy to someone trying to kill her. She had never learned, never tried to understand. Perhaps she had lived without mercy even towards herself.

“I can understand wanting to kill me. Our tribe cannot accept a weak leader.”

The one who killed the king becomes the next king. If he fails, his death is the price to pay. And after ascending to the throne, Farang had never lost a battle.

Usually, the price was paid quickly, but this time, she was torturing him a little by adding the shameful crime of annoying her.

“But trying to strike me from behind without a fair fight is against the honor of our tribe.”

As if it was tightening a noose, the stream of water, which seemed like a vine at first, pressed harder. The man’s cries grew louder.

With his mouth blocked, his eyes, now wider than ever, conveyed his agony. Even at this moment, the veins on his neck burst, grotesquely.

“…Do you want to live?”

“Ugh… Ugh!”

Of course, the king, who soon lost interest, unexpectedly released the man’s mouth. She even released one of his hands. Instead of ropes, it was water, turning into vapor and dispersing.

“Now, with that hand, point to those who conspired with you. Then I’ll consider your dilemma.”

The tiny flame flickered at the trembling fingertips, but it failed to ignite anything substantial. It was quickly engulfed by the dense mist.

Trapped within a swirling vortex of water, it was not easy for anyone to resist. The mighty water obeyed every command of Farang, dispersing into vapor at her gesture, becoming untouchable steam, then freezing into sharp and chilling ice.

As expected of a race that valued their own lives above all else, the ringleader of the resistance singled out those who had resolved to join him.

“Hmm, so there are three, excluding you?”

Farang casually flicked her finger after briefly scanning the gathered faces. Instantly, the mist converged into four large ice spears, scattering in all directions.

“Ugh…!”

Screams erupted as the sharp spearheads plunged into hearts. Among the creatures that served Farang, there were three, and…

“I said I wanted to think it over. I never promised to spare you.”

This was the traitor who had incited this meaningless rebellion. Among their kind, there was no one left who could challenge Farang’s power.

“Argh…! Farang, you arrogant dragon…!”

The dragon’s heart, pierced in one swift strike, poured forth curses. Farang, now reflected in the crimson eyes, was no longer the woman with blue waves for hair on pale skin.

“How long do you think that power of yours will last, huh? Nothing lasts forever…”

A transparent scale-covered dragon, like ice sculpted into shape, was attempting to extinguish the last ember of the terror-stricken dragon’s soul. Instead of blood, a crimson explosion erupted from its heart.

“Indeed. Nothing lasts forever.”

“Spare me… from regret…!”

The dragon’s heart, a vessel capable of preserving power for at least a thousand years, was known as the ‘Jewel of Compassion.’ When it fell into the hands of another, it would grant any wish. And now, shattered by the rupture of the heart, the dragon lost all its strength.

“So I waited. For someone who could defeat me.”

“Don’t be arrogant!”

Transforming from a magnificent dragon into a powerless serpent, losing even the vessel to contain its power, the defeated creature crumbled into nothingness.

“I’ve had enough.”

The one who had previously cursed Farang with every insult suddenly found himself standing on unsteady legs, surprised at the lack of pain. Watching this pitiful sight, Farang furrowed her brow at the blazing flames.

“I hate things that are too hot.”

When she shattered another heart before, a lush forest or towering mountains would sprout in its place. Even if it was the heart of a weak dragon, the moment its accumulated power dissipated over thousands of years, one had to be prepared.

Though she immediately conjured a massive wave of water to extinguish the flames, the once beautiful landscape around them, now a charred ruin, could never be restored.

Even if washed away with water, time could not be turned back. After nurturing them with water for a long time, she lost everything lifelessly.

Why did her Mother cherish such weak and futile things? She still couldn’t understand. Farang retrieved the water used to suppress the flames with an expressionless face.

As the sphere made of water, guided from all directions, grew larger, the irritation that had lasted for a moment also subsided.

“It was quite hot.”

As Farang put her hand into a large water droplet and gently touched the delicate structures, she was surprised when she discovered something in the clean water before pulling it out.

“What is this?”

Apart from pure water, there shouldn’t be anything else. However, something sparkling was floating in the transparent liquid.

Thinking it might be a piece of ice, Farang’s eyes widened as she reached out to confirm.

“…A ring?”

There were no patterns or decorations, but a thin silver ring, sparkling flawlessly, was already on Farang’s finger before she could grasp it.

It might have been a coincidence, mixed with the waves, that brought it here, but Farang felt a faint uneasiness in the situation that seemed to slightly exceed her control. Surely she only retrieved ‘water.’

…Nevertheless, the color of the ring wasn’t bad at all, so she decided to leave it alone.

“Well, sometimes you need to have a souvenir like this.”

Farang muttered casually as she turned around lightly and headed back into the blue castle. Farang’s castle, which had been attacked, was partially melted or charred from the fight with the dragon.

However, as soon as the owner’s gaze fell upon it, it was enveloped in a deep chill, reverting to its original form as if breaking. 

As Farang’s bare white feet stepped inside the castle gates, the ice door closed firmly. Only then did Farang finally exhale a long sigh.

“Ha…”

No matter how grand and beautiful the castle may be, that was it. Beyond the walls, there was nothing but the deep blue sea, endless and unfathomable.

The vast sea, with its width and depth unknown, was nothing short of the most rugged fortress. Farang did not stop, entering the water and embracing its azure embrace.

No matter how strong, there were still injuries. Farang, transformed into a dragon’s body, bore numerous small and large wounds from the battle.

However, the burnt scars and torn wounds slowly healed upon meeting the clean water, and the broken scales grew anew. It was the moment when water was Farang, and Farang was water.

As Farang’s expression relaxed, about to sink into the abyss where no light shone, her expression became noticeably more relaxed. Then she slowly closed her eyes to rest.

If something were to disturb her sleep again, she would mercilessly kill it, along with that determination.

* * *

“It seems like this selection of the third princess shouldn’t be seen as picking up random nobodies.”

The prince, his speech trailing off, smiled bitterly once more as he tilted the bottle once again.

“We can’t afford to lose anymore.”

Listening quietly, Do-gyeom chose his words carefully to comfort Eon.

“You won’t lose anymore. I will also do my utmost to protect you.”

The deaths of those princesses were not just one or two trivial matters. Healthy individuals suddenly became weak and took their own lives.

While Do-gyeom was deeply troubled, Eon, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, busy emptying the bottle as if asking when he ever took things seriously.

“Oh, is it already over?”

Although Do-gyeom wanted to scold Eon for his immature behavior as a prince, considering the unfortunate timing of wanting just one more drink, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable either.

Perhaps he was hiding his burnt-out insides with a forced smile.

“It’s time for Juhapru to return to where it gathered all the essence of heaven and earth.”

“Then the owner of the Eastern Palace should also return to his rightful place.”

Understanding Do-gyeom’s concerns as worries of a friend, Eon grumbled with a hint of resentment.

“Isn’t that too much? How much effort did I put in to bring His Majesty’s best friend my close friend, only to have him turn away so easily?”

“If you want me to always remain your close friend, you can make me your sire.”

If he became a sire, there would be no need to wear official attire ever again. Wasn’t that a better option? Eon licked his lips as Do-gyeom got up from his seat and headed towards the door.

“Why do you think His Majesty kept you hidden in this Gyujanggak?”