CHAPTER 101: KAEL’S MISCALCULATION

It wasn’t obvious at first, but when Liam finally handed the gift to the baby dragon, the cover alone stole Orien’s breath.

For a second, silence blanketed the room.

Riley froze, horrified.

Had he picked the wrong thing? Even Liam blinked in surprise when Orien recoiled from the box as though it burned.

Was it too strange? Too boring? Too... human? Did he overestimate the interests he had noted down?

To break the awkwardness, Riley rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sheepish laugh. "Happy birthday, Lord Orien!" he said brightly, the cheer in his voice sounding just a little too forced.

And then it happened.

At the very forefront of the gathering, the baby dragon trembled.

His eyes glistened. And without warning, the tears he had been stubbornly holding back spilled free, trailing down his cheeks like rivers.

"!!!"

Panic instantly erupted. No one expected this reaction. Was the gift cursed? Poisoned? Did it offend him?

But Orien was no longer in the same world as everyone else. He had been holding it in since earlier, clamping his lips tight, forcing his sniffles back, pretending his eyes weren’t sweating. But that was then.

H-how could he possibly hold it all back now, when the wrapping paper had fallen away to reveal the title in bold letters?

Verdant Valley: A Game Guide.

"!!!"

His heart thundered. His knees nearly gave way.

He wanted to faint, but oh no, instead of fainting gracefully, his body chose to betray him. He cried. He cried his eyes out, mortified at his own lack of control, sobbing so hard he thought he might melt into a puddle right there at the table.

He hadn’t even cried after he’d been kidnapped, but now look at him, crying like a hatchling?!

Liam, pale and startled, leaned closer. "Lord Orien, d-do you not like it?" he asked nervously, his small hands wringing together.

But Riley, watching with a knowing glint in his eyes, only smiled. "I think he’s somehow okay with it," he said warmly, his voice careful.

He could hardly admit that this was the kind of gift that scored points for not just today but possibly next year, too. If he said that out loud, the dragonling, so concerned about his image, might very well end his life on the spot. After all, it would be good to remember that a baby dragon was still a dragon.

It’s just that it was hard to hold it in when the said dragon was like this. Orien sniffled hard, hiccupped, and then snatched the game guide out of Liam’s hands. He clutched it to his chest like a priceless relic, his tears still dripping but his eyes shining with unexplained joy.

"Th-thank you," he stammered, cheeks hot with embarrassment. Then he added shyly, "And thank you to the Hale family f-for this."

Kael’s golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Ah. Dammit.

He knew it. He had miscalculated.

And the certainty only sank deeper when he realized the dragonling had just been won over—completely, utterly—by a wrapped book.

Thankfully, that very same book bought Kael a bit of time. His nephew, suddenly possessed by some otherworldly force, began cackling even as he cried.

Apparently, it was that good. Good enough to drive Orien insane as he rambled about hidden secrets, mountains of money, and golden cows.

The chatter turned into a storm.

Liam leaned in, firing questions, while Orien babbled through sniffles about strategies and guides, all while hugging the book like it might evaporate.

To Kael’s eternal suffering, the kids actually started calling it a blessing from a very smug Riley—though smug was the last thing Riley looked like at that moment. But of course, Kael, the momentarily stumped dragon lord, couldn’t see anything but that.

From across the table, Kael felt the twig’s eyes boring into him. Judging. Taunting. Maybe even shouting silently, I told you so

.

Kael ignored him. He didn’t have the luxury to stew in Riley’s antics when all the eyes in the room were waiting for his move. He couldn’t possibly delay until tomorrow.

Yes, he had vaults of treasures.

Yes, he had artifacts mortals and dragons alike would fight wars over. But after watching how the child reacted to simple food and a bound rectangle of paper, what exactly was he supposed to do?

Kael hated this.

He wasn’t a thoughtful anything. He preferred not to think at all, which was why he liked drowning in work. But if he didn’t do something, this moment would haunt him for centuries.

Literally.

And considering Orien’s bloodline, their bloodline, he was sure the dragonling would keep the memory alive just to torment him.

Hm.

Hmm...

Hmmm...!

He felt the pressure mounting as the room’s silence wrapped around him.

Fine.

The annoyed dragon lord straightened, deciding he would just do it this way.

Orien looked up at him with wet, reddened eyes—the unmistakable puffy eyes of a baby who had just finished crying. Apparently, even dragonlings are capable of looking like this. His cheeks were still puffy, his sniffles not fully gone.

The sight would have been pitiful if not for the unmistakable hope shining in his gaze.

Shy. Expectant. Waiting for someone of Kael’s level to acknowledge him.

Kael sighed inwardly. "If you don’t want what I’m about to give you, then say so and I’ll send something else later on."

Every head turned toward him. The room practically leaned forward. Kael instantly regretted opening his mouth. How could people possibly be this invested?

Orien blinked up at him, wide-eyed, and Kael said, "I’ll bring you over to this estate every few days while they’re here, so if the Hales aren’t too busy, you could visit them."

"!!!"

"Whoa."

The sound didn’t come from Orien, who had gone utterly catatonic, his brain clearly breaking at the idea, one so important yet that had totally slipped his mind. Instead, the surprised exclamation actually slipped from Riley, who immediately pursed his lips tight as if trying to shove the word back down his throat.

But how could he not react? Kael—Kael, who treated personal time like it was a crime against productivity, had just voluntarily offered something that would disrupt his schedule.

Even if Kael ordered him to handle it instead, Riley wouldn’t have minded. It was the kind of task that meant seeing his family more often.

Sure, Kael had mentioned establishing a gate. But this? This was different.

Wait.

Riley was sure it was happening. Both kids suddenly shot to their feet. Liam grabbed Orien by the shoulders and shook him in sheer excitement, while the dragonling still sat frozen in shock, clutching the game guide like a sacred relic. Their parents exchanged glances, smiling faintly, while Riley could barely hear a thing.

Because Kael was staring at him.

And Riley was staring right back.

The dragon’s gaze dared him to say something. To ask. To comment. But Riley stayed silent, not sure if he wanted the explanation. The silence between them said more than words ever could, and Riley, to his horror, felt his ears heating.

So this was Kael learning how to give thoughtful gifts.

The staring contest ended only when Liam’s voice broke through. "Wait, wait! Can we please play now? So I can also give my gift?" The boy was nearly vibrating with excitement, clutching Orien, who was still reverently hugging the guide.

And just like that, they couldn’t stop them. Riley’s mother cheerfully volunteered to fetch snacks as the children bolted back to the drawing room.

It left Riley, Kael, and Lawrence Hale at the table.

And sure enough, Riley realized this was probably the perfect time to start asking. Because if he didn’t, Kael’s gaze was going to burn a hole clean through his face.

And boy, would he like that look!