Chapter 3

It was Lydia.

She was a high-ranking pure-blooded elf and the only daughter of the Empire's former Dragon Guard Commander.

If that damned oracle had never existed, Kieran would most likely have entered into a bloodline marriage with her.

In terms of both magical power and social status, they were the perfect match.

At that moment, Kieran was sitting behind a massive war table, expressionless as he listened to Lydia complain.

Suddenly, as if he'd caught a familiar scent, he looked up sharply.

Those dark-gold eyes pierced through the half-open stone door and locked directly onto mine.

"You came."

Kieran crossed the room in long strides, walking straight past Lydia and stopping in front of me without sparing her even a glance.

"Tessa, this isn't what you think—"

"Sorry to interrupt!"

I quickly cut him off.

Why would he even need to explain?

The only person to blame was me, the defective 80% match who had taken someone else's place.

"I heard Miss Lydia say you had lunch plans. What a coincidence! There's enough food in the box for two. You two eat while it's hot. I'll be going!"

I thought about it and decided to be considerate all the way.

"Oh, and if you're busy tonight, you don't have to come back to the castle. I won't wait for you."

Kieran's jaw tightened.

But I didn't even look at his expression.

I dropped the food box by the door and ran.

The moment I escaped the fortress, I contacted the Oracle Order.

"Who exactly is Kieran's true 100% fated mate?"

"We still can't determine the exact coordinates. The celestial tracks are still being repaired. But we can confirm that person definitely exists."

If that was true, I had a pretty good guess who it was.

"Then hurry up and fix it! Are you people getting paid minimum wage to slack off? Can't you make the high-ranking mages drink a few double espressos and work all night?"

There was silence for two seconds.

"Lady... what exactly is a 'double espresso'? Some kind of forbidden berserker potion? We are righteous mages. We do not use black magic."

"Forget it. There's no point talking to you. Get back to work."

Just as I was about to cut the connection, the crystal flashed again.

"By the way, Lady Tessa, if nothing goes wrong, your broken true destiny line should reappear soon. Once we identify your true 100% mate, we'll notify you immediately."

"Roger that."

That night, after cutting the connection, I happily occupied the luxurious bed covered in soft bear fur.

However, Kieran came back.

The bedroom was dark without the lights on. His tall, armored figure stood silently at the foot of the bed.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

"Why did you come back after all?"

"This is my nest. Why wouldn't I come back?"

"Uh... that's not what I meant."

"Tessa."

"Hm?"

"Lydia and I have no private contract. We never did, and we never will. All those rumors about a political marriage are meaningless. In my eyes, she's simply a fellow soldier."

For once, Kieran wasn't sparing with words.

His low voice was especially clear in the darkness.

"Today is her birthday. I thought it was a legion dinner, so I agreed without thinking. Then I forgot about it completely. That's why she came to the fortress looking for me."

I blinked, then waved it off with a laugh.

"That's it? You stood her up. Just apologize properly. Give her a few high-grade magic crystals or some jewelry and she'll probably forgive you."

"What about you?"

He suddenly spoke.

In the darkness, the dark gold of Kieran's pupils began to take on a dangerous crimson glow.

It was the first sign of a dragon entering a heightened instinctive state.

"Me? I don't need jewelry. I'm perfectly fine."

I meant every word.

But the next second, Kieran suddenly moved.

He bent over me, one arm like an iron bar around my waist, and slammed me flat against the bed. There was nothing gentle left in him.

He hadn't bothered with the armor. Cold black-and-gold plate still on, the ridged dragon-scale patterns grinding against me until I shuddered.

That usually controlled gaze had gone scarlet and churning — a beast running purely on instinct.

Rip.

Leather and metal clasps tore apart. I snapped wide awake and shoved hard against his chest. "Wait! Put this on!"

"What?" He was panting, staring down at me, eyes blood-red.

"The suppressing ring."

The heavy body above me went rigid.

"Where did you get that?"

"This afternoon, I—"

I stopped. I wasn't about to tell him I'd run to the black market the second I thought he might go into heat, specifically to cut off a pureblood dragon's breeding magic.

His voice dropped to ice. "What? You used to beg me for a child with pure dragon blood. You cried for it."

"I've had a revelation. I'm young. I don't want to be tied down by a kid this early."

Back when I still needed the key home, yes — a bloodline heir would have locked my position down tight.

Not anymore. Cutting the contract is the only way I stay alive. Once the truth gets out, I am not facing an angry dragon with a belly full of his child.

I fought to get the blue ring onto his wrist.

Kieran caught my hand instead. His grip was absurd, crushing. He held me pinned there without moving an inch.

He stared down at me.

"You've been strange lately."

"Have I?"

"Yes."

His gaze sharpened.

"You used to throw yourself at me before I even touched you. Tonight, no matter what I do, you're stone."

His voice turned rough.

"You used to trail after me all day calling me 'My Lord.' Even when I was cleaning my sword with my shirt off, you'd come bother me. Now you won't let me near you. And you only call me by my name."

His scarlet pupils locked onto mine.

"Tessa. What are you planning?"

There was no way out.

I took a breath, met the dragon's eyes, and said it slowly.

"Kieran, I want to dissolve the soul contract."