CHAPTER 95: CAUSE OF DEATH

If Riley’s death could have a sound, it would be the thud of his knees hitting the floor the moment his little brother accidentally sold him out.

And for the closing note, right as his soul perished and everything he was would fade into dust, the sound would surely be someone scoffing, "Oh, really?"

Yes. That would be it.

Because if he’d been betrayed to a demon, at least it would have been understandable. Poetic, even.

But no.

What was he supposed to do when he was sold straight to his boss, the mighty and utterly insane dragon lord?

Riley collapsed against the polished, overpriced flooring, worming his way under the same safety blanket the children had used earlier. Pathetic as it was, maybe it would buy him two more seconds of life before his inevitable demise.

And anyone with siblings would understand. Survival sometimes depended less on your own skill and more on how much damage your willful siblings decided to do.

Like now.

Because Liam, with his innocent little face and sweet little voice, kept digging a pit so deep that Riley could already see his afterlife waiting below.

"Yes, really! He’s said it several times!" Liam declared proudly. His tone was cheerful, but to Riley, it was a dagger through the kidney.

"He did?" rumbled the dragon lord.

For a moment, salvation seemed possible. Orien, bless the little traitor, tried to stop things. The baby dragon actually tried to stop Liam, wings flapping as he tried to shove a stubby claw over his co-conspirator’s mouth.

But the dragon lord was faster.

A single flick of a hand and he magically caught Orien by the snout, muffling him with terrifying ease. The baby dragon wriggled like a fish on land, golden eyes screaming for the sprite to notice him, to stop talking, to save them all.

Liam, educated to look at whoever he was speaking to, did not notice.

"Yes!" he insisted, voice high with certainty. "And I believe it’s a big thing!"

"A big thing, hmm?" Kael tilted his head slightly, golden eyes gleaming. "Why so?"

Riley wanted to vanish. To crawl under the floorboards and die quietly. But instead, he stayed trapped under the blanket, helpless as his brother continued his betrayal.

"Because my brother doesn’t even let us come with him anywhere!" Liam explained eagerly. "And yet my big brother wants to drag the dragon lord with him!"

Riley bit the blanket to stop himself from screaming.

And then—

"Also during my birthday—"

"Liam! No!" Riley burst out from under his cloth tomb, voice breaking with raw panic.

"Eh?" Liam blinked, confused, turning to search for him. "Oh, should I not say it?"

Before Riley could scream yes, Kael’s voice slid into the pause. Smooth. Terrifying. Certain.

"You should go on. After all, you were cutting a deal with me, weren’t you?"

Riley froze. He didn’t even need to see the dragon’s face to imagine it. The smug curve of his lips. The merciless glint in his eyes. That was enough.

"Liam, no!" he hissed again.

Liam thought hard, little brows furrowing. Then Kael added, "I’ll consider things carefully once you tell me what you were about to say."

The boy hesitated, chewing his lip, but eventually decided it was fine. After all, it was only the truth. And even as he replayed it in his mind, it didn’t sound wrong anywhere.

"Well... during my birthday, my big brother even said that you’re very strong! The strongest! And that you’re fireproof! He even said that his work was exciting!" Liam rushed the words out, tumbling over himself as if speed alone could save Orien.

But when the boy who had squinted didn’t hear any reaction, he panicked and thought that at this rate, they wouldn’t be considered positively, so he tried bargaining.

"Big Brother Dragon Lord! I-If you could please let Lord Orien off this time, I-I’ll tell you something more important."

This snapped Kael out of his reverie. One brow rose. A single nod was all the boy needed. Proceed.

But on the side, Riley, whose brain was already shorting, couldn’t possibly recall anything else. Also, hadn’t his little brother embarrassed him enough for ten lifetimes already?

But what do you know? When it rains, it fucking pours.

Because the child, with all the innocence of someone who clearly valued Orien’s life over his brother’s dignity, blurted out, "Big Brother once said that, y-you are proof that beauty covers sins!"

Silence.

Dead silence.

The kind that stretched so long, Riley swore he could hear the blood pounding in his ears.

"..."

"..."

"!!!"

Ah, for fuck’s sake. He was done. He checked out. Goodbye, cruel world.

How in the name of Eryndra’s glowing streets could Liam recall something he had tossed out ages ago in a moment of weakness?!

Kael, on the other hand, had expected curses. Sarcasm. Something sharp and insulting from the human who had no sense of self-preservation.

Liam’s initial revelation had actually stunned him earlier. Stunned enough that he didn’t immediately get to respond.

The dragon lord’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts quiet, then finally clearer. At least the twig still knew who was strongest.

Exciting, was it? That only showed how much the twig valued his family. Kael suspected the line itself had come from Riley’s wallet rather than his lips.

No wonder his family’s reception of him was odd.

But beauty, huh?

His ears twitched faintly, though no one could see.

So that twig thought about him like that?

Hmm...

The much-awaited physical death didn’t come.

But the much-dreaded social and psychological death? Oh, that was alive and kicking, gnawing at Riley’s soul like a starving rat.

Because Kael, in all his golden glory, calmly stripped away Riley’s last shred of dignity—the metaphorical safety blanket he had been clinging to—and said in that low, unbothered tone, "Since you want to drag me to hell with you so much, then I suppose you should teach me how to interrogate a bunch of children."

"As for you, children, let’s hope your beauty would also cover your sins."

"..."

Riley blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Was this real life?

He had survived wars, schemes, Kael’s lectures, and the occasional stab to his pride, but this... this was on another level. He could already picture his tombstone: Here lies Riley Hale. Cause of Death: Shattered Dignity.

Still, if he was going to die socially, he might as well do it with style. So he flashed a grin so bright it could’ve been weaponized, leaned forward, and addressed the cluster of wide-eyed dragonlings.

"Alright then, kids. Since apparently I’ve got the mic, let’s start."

Anyway, who didn’t know about his willingness to pay for Kael’s first-class ticket to hell? All expenses covered. He had bought that ticket ages ago, apparently in blood, probably while sleep-deprived.

Well. Apparently, his baby brother.

The well-behaved one. The innocent one. The one who was now staring up at him with those big eyes, blissfully unaware he had just been implicated in this mess.

Riley smiled wider, panic bubbling under the surface.

As for the beauty? If he never acknowledges it, it couldn’t possibly be true, no?

Yeah. He’ll bring that thought all the way to his grave.

One punishment Riley would apparently have to carry out by his lonesome. Because really, how could they punish Orien? The real reason behind his actions almost made Riley guilty.

Almost.

Getting the truth out had taken far longer than expected. The baby dragon kept dodging, circling, hiding behind excuses until finally Riley pieced it together.

Orien hadn’t patrolled because he wanted to play guard dog.

No, he patrolled because he couldn’t stand being alone.

Apparently, anywhere that faintly resembled the nest after the incident set him off. He couldn’t sit still. Not even with his handheld glowing in his claws and snacks at the ready.

The Den was different, he argued. He could manage there because it was a pocket space, a place his uncle frequently visited. That reassurance kept him grounded.

But outside? In silence?

Not possible.

Also, what if there were beings who also went for the humans?

His golden face flushed a deeper red the longer he explained, words tripping over each other, especially once Liam leaned in, listening with stars in his eyes.

That look. A look of loyalty so fierce it made Riley want to hurl. His own baby brother did not even look at him that way today. Clearly, he was doomed in any competition against a dragon.

Still, Riley had to admit—begrudgingly, only in the corners of his mind—that if he were in Liam’s place, he’d probably do the same. After all, wasn’t that how he himself had survived? By staying alive first and worrying about dignity later. Only the living got to recover it.

So in a sense, he could understand why Liam did what he did.

But unlike the human child who seemed to be the only one totally fine about all this, Orien’s mind was confused. He was frazzled. Shaken to his scales by the shining devotion in Liam’s gaze, he sputtered, wings twitching.

"I didn’t do it for you! I didn’t even know you until earlier!" His voice cracked, higher than usual. "Don’t get the wrong idea!"

The more he panicked, the redder his face became, until Riley had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Well, if he was already doomed socially, he might as well drag someone down with him.

"Liam," Riley said smoothly, flashing a bright smile, "you must thank Lord Orien. And you might also want to wish him well today."

"Huh? Why, Big Brother?"

"Oh. About that..." Riley stretched the pause like a showman, watching Orien squirm, "...it’s because today happens to be Lord Orien’s birthday."

"!!!"

"WHAT?!"

Liam’s eyes widened with shock. Orien’s jaw dropped in horror.

"Yes," Riley replied, all sugar and teeth. "So you know what to do, right?"

For a moment, Orien genuinely feared for his life.