Chapter 283 - § LONELY DRAGON §

CHAPTER 029 

"Marcus," a child's voice called his human name. Matteo turned to her, she was very small, her height was just above his knees. She was extending her arms upright towards him. She was asking to be carried… 

Matteo flashed a smile, but when he saw his reflection in the mirror. He abruptly changed his visage to authoritative and rigid. If his father and brothers saw him behaving like this because of a mortal, they would probably be alarmed for days. 

Matteo himself, even though the year of being with the little girl had already passed. He still found it amusing that she was making him do things he did not think he could do. Like smiling, laughing, getting angry, upset, melancholic, and being attached. Mostly, he would always feel so delighted whenever he was around this human child. "What do you want?" He asked her, his voice was deep and strict, it was always like that. However, as he spoke, he could hear his tone becoming tender. 

"Fly! Fly!" She hopped like a bunny with a bright expression plastered on her face. Matteo could not help it, he felt like smiling seeing her so happy. 

"You want to fly?" He crouched to the ground at the level of her eyesight. Once he was down, she launched at him and embraced his neck. He wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her. 

"Yes! Fly me! Marcus, fly!" She excitedly pointed at the sky outside, Matteo saw Lena observing from not far and nodding her head. He did not idle and left the house, with his ability, he meandered from the ground once they were at the meadow. 

"I heard you're going to school starting tomorrow," he uttered while he watched her enjoy the scenery. "Do you want to attend a school or stay with me? We can fly every day or travel anywhere you want." He heard from Lena that humans of this generation were required to attend an institution where they teach children about basic knowledge. 

It was called an academy, and Matteo was against it. As much as possible he was safeguarding her from people her age. Because among her peers, three of them were destined to torment her. She would trust and be killed by one of the three mortals, Matteo was in a bid to stop her fate from befalling. 

"Look! Look! That's the lake! Do you know that a big dragon is living there, Marcus?" She fervently said. She was not listening to him. Matteo was used to being ignored—she was the only creature who could do that to him. 

"You want to see the dragon? Should I bring you there?" Her eyes sparkled in astonishment. I can bring a dragon to that lake, Matteo thought. 

"Can I? Can I?" She shrieked. 

"So, if I bring you there, will you not go to school anymore?" He proposed and she paused with reluctance, she seemed to be thinking for a response. By that, Matteo concluded that she wanted to attend that academy. But he was opposing it, so she would think of a way to appease him. 

She was a smart kid, and very receptive, she knew how to maneuver him. At a young age, she was cunning. Maybe this flight with him was her idea too—for him not to intercept Lena's plan to enroll her. 

"Mother said I can make many friends at school. I can draw there and play with them and we can make castles! Fight dragons too! I will save you from evil dragons, Marcus! I'm strong!" 

"I'm afraid that you can't see the dragon on the lake if you go to school," Matteo promptly replied. She was taken aback, her eyes dropped from disappointment. 

"Why?" 

"The dragon said so, it doesn't want people with friends. The dragon will not show itself to you if you make friends at school." 

"You met the dragon?!" 

"Of course, I did." 

"Then, we can be friends! The dragon will be my friend. It will not be lonely anymore because I can be the dragon's best friend!"

"You don't understand, if you're not lonely, you can never see it." He said, she gaped into his eyes. Her lips parted and mumbled her protest, however, Matteo was determined to delay her from going to that place. 

"But… but… " 

"Do you get it now? Will you still go to school? And make friends?" Her little fingers grabbed his hair at the back of his head before she loosened her grip, drew back both of her hands, and looked below. She seemed discouraged. Matteo felt his heart waver but he had to toughen his stance. It's for her sake, he reminded himself. 

"But Marcus…" she mumbled, she veered her eyes to him and those little hands reached out for his cheeks. 

"Hmm?"

"Even if I don't go... school, I'm not lonely… " she uttered, slowly with vigor. "That means, I can never see the dragon?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I have you, and Mother… you never make me feel lonely." She added and slid her arms to his neck and embraced him. "Marcus, are you lonely? How do you talk with the dragon if you have me?" Her head slumped on his shoulders, "Don't be lonely, I love you!" 

He halted from drifting in the air. They stopped at the field of dandelions, the yellow and white flowers were blooming gorgeously. 

"Do you know what that means?" He looked at her and she vigorously nodded. 

"Mother said it's when you always want to be with them, when you cherish them, miss them, and don't want them to be sad or in pain." 

Lena, what are you teaching her? Matteo grumbled. She's too young for these things. "You love me like that?" 

"Yes! I love you a lot! This is a secret but I love you more than Mother, okay? Don't tell her," she whispered to his ear, it was ticklish but Matteo didn't move. He did not react, although he could feel his stomach knotting—fluttering. 

"Okay,"

"Do you love me too?" She ardently asked however Matteo could not say any words of affirmation. 

"Do you want to eat crepes and cream for dinner?" He turned to her with a serious expression. Her eyes widened in excitement, if they were on the land, he bet that she would dance. 

"That's my favorite! Yes! Yes! Chocolate crepes!" Matteo redirected his attention to the front and briefly smiled. Do I love you? He muttered to himself while holding her closer. 

The attachment he had for her grew. Developed into an emotion he never thought he would feel or have. He loved her, yes. He could not believe that he would love a human or the fact that he could even love… because all through his lifetime, he never had loved anyone. She was his exception.

Since that day, Matteo had laid it all out. Once her life as a human was over, he would take her soul. Ascend her with him in heaven, he would marry her. Because of that, he vowed to safeguard his wife from any harm until she blossomed like a beautiful dandelion. Nonetheless, It didn't take long, she was put in great danger, because of his intervention. She almost died—if it was not for his blessing and protection, she would be dead in the worst way possible. 

He decided not to get tangled with her fate because it was worsening each time he would interfere. She would end up with him in any way, once she died, he could have her all by himself. So, he surmised to let her have her last human life by herself. 

That was what he thought—but the second wave of her fate was arising, it was coming. He should have left months ago to avoid intervening. He couldn't afford to go, he assured himself to stay a little longer, and he will leave as soon as he could. But he made a mistake, he should have not stayed. 

His possessiveness surfaced because of her. Yanarym was turning him into someone who he didn't know existed within him. His emotions, himself—he couldn't control any of it. She became a lady who was embraced by other men… can he stay silent and pretend he didn't care? 

The door beside him creaked open, heavy breathing from a woman could be heard. She was running out of breath as if she sprinted as fast as she could to get home. She tiptoed to get inside and carefully close the door. Matteo smells another scent of a man coming from her body, he sighed deeply. 

Matteo felt anger rising from within him. Someone held her, different from the man she was with this afternoon. She copulated with someone else, again. Not one man but two men had her body. He took another deep breath, notions of slaying those men were engulfing his mind. 

He can't do anything to change her fate, he wasn't part of her destiny. If he tried to mess it up, something terrible would happen to her. He wanted to stay out of it but....he can't, he just can't!