Come Closer to Me, Part 1
Flare is dreaming.
Because right now, puppies are wagging their tails right in front of her eyes.
'This must be a dream.'
'I wish this were real.'
Even though she knew it was a dream, Flare began to pet the puppies.
Of course, she couldn't actually feel them.
Was it because she was stressed?
It was hard to tell.
Or perhaps she just needed someone passing by to reach out and show her some affection first.
In the middle of that thought, she felt her consciousness drifting back.
Opening her eyes, Flare muttered,
"Ah... I want to touch and pet animals too..."
It had been three days since Flare received her smartphone.
After washing up and eating lunch, she was watching videos.
The video she was watching was titled How to Be Loved by Small Animals.
'Hmm... If I follow this, will I succeed too?'
She wasn't sure, but she kept watching anyway.
This video was about how to hand-feed birds.
She still wasn't sure, but it looked worth trying at least once. She might as well give it a shot.
She secretly grabbed a handful of raw rice, put it in a plastic bag, threw on a hoodie, and got ready to head out.
Oh, but she had to let him know before leaving.
"Hyun? I'm going out for a quick walk. Just letting you know."
"You're going for a walk, Flare? Sure, go ahead. Here, take my card. Use it if you need to."
He handed her a spare wallet with a card tucked inside.
"Have a good walk."
"And call me if you need anything, okay?"
He advised her to call, just in case.
She arrived at the park that had previously left her so depressed. This time, she was determined to get at least one creature to come to her.
But was it just her imagination, or was the place completely devoid of life again?
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
What was going on? The park was exceptionally quiet today. She couldn't even sense a single bird flying around.
Were they really avoiding her again?
Just in case, she decided to sit on a bench and wait.
Thirty minutes passed.
But nothing came.
She waited again.
Another hour passed.
Still, nothing.
She felt as if her hidden tail were drooping in disappointment.
To put it simply, there were so many creatures she wanted to touch, but she was being denied even the chance to get close.
"I just want to see and touch animals up close! Why is this happening?!"
Whoosh!
In her frustration, she had almost accidentally unleashed her Breath.
Fortunately, the sparks landed on bare dirt, so nothing caught fire. It was an absolute relief.
She stamped out the stray embers with her shoe and began to think.
What could the solution be?
No matter what a Dragon Lord did, their supreme aura could never be fully concealed. After all, they were beings capable of destroying an entire world.
Even if she was weaker than the previous Lord, she was still undeniably a Dragon Lord.
For now, she stood up.
Where could she go to find a creature that wouldn't run away from her?
She had no idea.
But Silvere, that old dragon, might know.
She turned her steps toward the Cafe where Silvere worked.
"Chirp, chirp!"
"Chirp, chirp!"
Tinkle!
The clear chime of a bell echoed through the quiet, empty Cafe.
"Oh my? Your identification is still being processed. What brings you here, Flare?"
"No, Silvere.
That's not why I'm here today."
"Can I ask you for some advice?"
"Oh, advice?"
"This is the first time a Dragon Lord has ever asked me for advice."
"Please, have a seat first."
"Would you like a drink, Flare?"
"It's on the house."
"Though I'm sure you have Hyun's card with you anyway, don't you?"
"You really are something else."
"When it comes to Hyun, it seems like you'd give him your very heart if he asked."
"Fufu~ That's true. I'd even co-sign a loan for him."
"Anyway, why don't you choose a drink first?
Whatever you'd like."
Flare looked at the menu and began to choose a drink.
"Silvere? I'll have a chocolate latte, please."
"Coming right up~"
Having taken the order, Silvere immediately disappeared into the kitchen to prepare it.
Sitting at her table after ordering, Flare fell into thought.
She figured a dragon who had lived for about thirteen thousand years would surely know something.
Well... she couldn't be absolutely sure, but Silvere's experience was overwhelmingly superior, so she didn't have many other options. That was why she had no choice but to come and ask.
While she was lost in thought, Silvere returned with the chocolate latte. Placing the drink on the table, Silvere sat down across from her and spoke.
"So, Lord?"
"What is troubling you so much that you came to seek advice today?"
"Are you feeling lonely? Is it a matter of finding a mate?"
A mate! To think she would blurt out such a word so casually.
Flare's ears flushed red.
"How can you say something like that so easily?!"
"Oh, my apologies. I was only teasing, but it seems you really are still quite young."
"Ugh... Stop joking around and just give me some advice."
"Yes, yes, of course, Flare."
"So, what is this worry of yours?"
"Well... My problem is that animals won't come near me."
Flare mumbled hesitantly as she confessed her worry.
Upon hearing it, Silvere wore an understanding expression.
Ah!
"Flare, you're worried about the unhideable aura unique to a Dragon Lord, aren't you?"
"There's really no helping that."
"A Dragon Lord is the absolute peak of dragonkind, chosen by the world."
"It's different for someone like me, who started as a standard Dragon and rose in rank simply by surviving for a very long time. But for a natural-born Dragon Lord, it is impossible to hide your presence."
"Since you were born a Dragon Lord, Flare, it is your inescapable fate."
"However... there is one solution."
"Feed your blood to the animal you want and make them your vassal."
"That will completely remove their fear of a Dragon Lord."
Flare had learned how to create a vassal, but she had never actually done it. Silvere's words gave her a lot to think about.
"I know how to make a vassal."
"But is there really no other way for a Dragon Lord?"
"Unfortunately, yes.
You are a dragon chosen by the world, after all."
"Now that we have a solution, is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
"No, that's all."
"Then, do you have any other plans today, Flare?"
"No, nothing else today. Why do you ask?"
Silvere's reason for asking was simple.
Hmm... Personally, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to build a good relationship with the current generation's Dragon Lord.
The previous Dragon Lord was a muscle-brained idiot, after all.
I'm also personally curious to see how Flare will react.
"Just think of it as my way of saying I'd like to stay on good terms with you, Flare."
"I have no desire to pick a fight with a Dragon Lord a second time."
"That's why I'm proposing this. How about spending some time with me today?"
"And when you talk to Hyun, refer to me as A-yeong Eonni. Whether you look at our appearance or our actual age, I am clearly the older one, aren't I?"
"Sure. Hyun doesn't know your true identity anyway, and since you helped set up my ID, I'll do that."
"Fufu, shall we contact him first and then head out?"
"Yeah, that sounds fine. Let me text Hyun first, and then we can go."
"I sent the text. Let's go, Silvere."
"Alright, Flare. It's only four-thirty, so it's a bit early for dinner, but shall we head to a Meat Restaurant? I can reserve a private room."
"Besides, a human portion is far from enough to satisfy a dragon's stomach, right?"
"It definitely isn't enough. We won't die if we don't eat, but we still feel hunger."
"Do you drink alcohol? Though as a dragon, you won't get drunk."
What did Silvere take her for?
While Flare enjoyed fine dining, she wasn't particularly fond of alcohol.
Unless it was a sweet fruit wine, that is.
"I don't really enjoy drinking, but if it's fruit wine, I won't say no."
"Shall we head to the restaurant then, Flare?"
She set off, following Silvere to the restaurant.
"By the way, how long have you lived here on Earth?"
Flare was suddenly curious.
If Silvere was mentioned in human history, she must have stayed here for quite a long time, even by a dragon's standards.
"About two thousand years, I suppose?"
"I stopped counting after that, so I'm not entirely sure. At any rate, any records in Earth's history regarding dragons are almost certainly about me."
"To find the details, we'd have to search through records from at least two thousand years ago across the entire world, so it would take quite a while."
"I see. But what did you do with all the Dragon Hearts you ripped out?"
"Ah. I ate the hearts of the pursuer dragons."
"They didn't really have any special effect on me, but they were bursting with energy, so they were incredibly good at satisfying hunger."
"That was the first time I had ever eaten the heart of my own kind. After eating it, I didn't feel hungry for about fifty years."
"Human history books claimed that our bones were a panacea or something... Well, when I checked on the humans who actually took and consumed them, it seemed to be excellent for stamina. Some of them ended up fathering as many as twenty children before they died."
"These days, no dragons cross over anymore, but disposing of the corpses was always such a hassle anyway."
"There was a time when humans desperately searched for dragon bones, knowing the benefits recorded in ancient texts. But as they became too difficult to find, it became a secret known only to a select few. Now, people just dismiss it as a ridiculous myth."
Finishing her explanation, Silvere slowed her pace and said,
"We've almost arrived, Flare. Shall we head inside?"
