Adrian slipped his palm beneath Mikhail’s shirt and gently traced the mark symbolizing the dragon’s mate.
When he first laid eyes on that sigil, he’d assumed—without a doubt—that it was some vile curse.
He, the very body of the continent’s strongest dragon, had been right beside Mikhail the whole time, watching with open eyes. Who the hell had the audacity to place such a curse on him? Rage had surged through him first and foremost. It was the only possible explanation: that Mikhail had fallen victim to some trap laid by a foolhardy bastard.
But… Adrian shut his eyes and took a long, steady breath.
Mikhail’s scent, warm and earthy, filled his mouth as they remained joined at the lips. The cold that had seeped into their skin from the winter breeze at the window began to ebb away, slowly replaced by a rising warmth.
In Adrian’s arms, Mikhail was frozen stiff, as though time itself had stopped.
As Adrian toyed with the buttons of his shirt, the soft rustle of fine fabric brushing together filled the space. Mikhail, caught off guard by the sudden kiss, stared wide-eyed in shock. Even his tender tongue had frozen in place.
And this guy had the nerve to call someone else an idiot?
Adrian let out a soft chuckle against Mikhail’s lips, his eyes curling in amusement. Sitting here by the window, stealing kisses, was fun—but something even more entertaining had come to mind. Just as Mikhail managed to tear his slightly parted lips away, he gasped out a name.
“A-Adrian!”
But Adrian paid the call no mind. With a flick of magic, he tossed Mikhail onto the soft bed.
“Ugh…” Mikhail groaned, brow furrowed.
Leaning over him with a slow, deliberate smile, Adrian brought his face close.
“Stay still.”
A dragon bore the responsibility of bringing happiness to his mate.
And over the endless span of time, he’d picked up more than enough about the ways humans found pleasure. He could write an entire book on it. Adrian brimmed with confidence—far more than enough. Judging by Mikhail’s awkward reactions, it seemed that despite his grown-up body, he was still rather inexperienced in this area.
Mikhail mumbled under his breath as he gave a half-hearted push to Adrian’s approaching shoulder.
“What…?”
“…If you just stay still, I’ll make you feel good.”
Adrian shot him a sharp look, as if telling him to shut up already.
But instead of easing, the strength in Mikhail’s hands pressing against Adrian’s shoulder only intensified. He pushed back, lifting his upper body in an attempt to escape the weight pressing down on him, and demanded—
“…What did you just say?”
“You said you still loved me.”
Adrian’s immediate reply made Mikhail narrow his eyes.
“And?”
Mikhail pushed Adrian’s shoulder, finally breaking free from his hold, and asked again.
Adrian, clearly annoyed by the barrage of questions, raked a hand roughly through the back of his hair.
“Usually……isn’t that when people want more?”
His head tilted slightly to the side, and his silky blond hair swayed with the movement.
“When two people start liking each other, I mean.”
Mikhail’s eyes locked onto Adrian, unmoving. Then he finally broke the silence that had filled the room.
“Is that so?”
His voice had turned oddly cold.
“Since when have you liked me? Because this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
Adrian’s hand, still tangled in his own hair, froze mid-motion. Of course—it was Mikhail. Always the one to give unexpected responses.
“…Does it matter?”
There was no need to fuss over something so trivial. The mark etched on their chests proved everything more clearly than any words could.
“It does matter.”
Facing Mikhail’s hardened expression, Adrian let out a heavy sigh.
There was no getting around it now. Before the dragon’s mating bond was fully sealed, he would have to come clean. Mikhail might be stone-faced now, but once he saw it for himself—once he knew—he’d understand.
“The mark over your heart. I figured out what it is just a moment ago.”
When Adrian reached out toward the empty space beside him, a worn and weathered tome materialized with a soft pop! It was a book he had casually borrowed from the Faerie Library.
Flip-flip— He quickly turned the pages and opened it to the section he had checked earlier. Then he held it right up in front of Mikhail’s face.
There, a large illustration took up most of the page, accompanied by several paragraphs of text.
So that’s what the completed mark over the heart looks like.
Above the image and its explanation, the chapter title stood out in bold, oversized letters. Mikhail read it aloud.
“The Dragon’s Mate.”
Wait, what…?
Only after replaying his earlier conversation in his head did he finally connect the dots. His eyes widened as he looked at Adrian holding the book. Adrian gave him a sly smile and gestured with a subtle nod—go on, keep reading.
With slightly unsteady eyes, Mikhail began to read the next part.
“…This mark is a highly rare occurrence, appearing on the body of a being who has successfully formed a bond with a dragon…”
So this mark I have… it’s not a curse after all?
“You’re not done,” Adrian interjected when Mikhail paused mid-reading to mutter to himself.
Prompted by Adrian’s nudge, Mikhail reluctantly resumed reading aloud from the tome.
“…This mark has been observed on beings of various species, not limited to any one race. While the precise ritual sequence remains unknown, it has been documented that the mark may appear over the course of days, years, or even decades. The mark depicted in the illustration is the final form. It is hypothesized that the closer to the heart the mark appears, the stronger the resulting bond.”
True to its claim of rarity, the tome offered only sparse information.
Mikhail forced himself to read the passage to the end before finally lifting his head. Adrian was still watching him with a faint smile on his lips.
“You have the same mark on your chest?”
“Yeah.”
“So that’s what all that weird talk earlier was about?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say it was weird, exactly… but yeah, pretty much.”
Mikhail leaned in close, his eyes shining with curiosity.
“Show me.”
…Huh?
The intensity of Mikhail’s gaze made Adrian instinctively lean back a little.
“You said it’s on you too. I want to see it.”
His actions moved faster than his words. Before Adrian could respond, Mikhail swiftly reached out and undid a button on his shirt.
“……”
Adrian slowly let the tension drain from his body, though a flicker of annoyance passed through him. Mikhail hadn’t asked, hadn’t warned him—just did as he pleased. Still, he had done the same earlier, so he couldn’t exactly protest. Either way, Mikhail had every right to see it for himself.
Because Mikhail was his mate.
…Admitting that left an odd feeling lingering in his chest. Mikhail is really my mate? Then… does that mean every moment from now on would be shared with him?
The thought brought with it a sudden pang of unease. Adrian ran his fingers along his lips as if to smooth it away—then flinched as a sharp, stinging pain darted through him again.
By now, every button on his shirt had been undone. He could feel Mikhail’s piercing gaze sweeping across his now-bare chest.
He expected Mikhail to say something right away—but he didn’t. Not a single word.
Why not?
Finding the silence strange, Adrian looked down to check his chest.
“…Huh?”
Through the open shirt, the mark that had once begun to form was now incomplete. Adrian squinted, tilting his head as if trying to make sense of it.
“I could’ve sworn… it was etched just as deeply as yours.”
Just that morning, when Mikhail had gone out for training, a few additional lines had appeared on the mark. Adrian remembered it clearly. He ran his palm slowly over the area, murmuring to himself.
But now, half of it had faded away.
Mikhail’s hand brushed against his. Gently, he moved his fingers to Adrian’s left chest and softly traced the edge of the mark.
His face was shadowed, clouded with something close to sorrow. Mikhail’s lips stayed sealed, refusing to open again. Beneath his still-unbuttoned shirt, Adrian could see Mikhail bore the same partially-erased mark.
Did the bonding ritual fail?
Mikhail looked completely dejected, and Adrian couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity at the sight.
“…Maybe.”
Adrian’s voice was a faint murmur. What followed next was something the dragon had spoken only a handful of times in his entire life.
“Maybe… it’s my fault.”
An apology.
That made Mikhail lift his head. The book had said it was about forming a bond with a dragon—so what reason could Adrian possibly have to blame himself?15
