CH 47

In the midst of pondering, a voice that now sounded different entered Beatty’s ears.

“Huh? Star.”

The time when she had no name yet.

He, who had seen Beatty, who was disappointed, gave her a nickname to call her.

“Call me like before.”

While smiling, he said that he would tell her his nickname too, so they should call each other by nicknames.

“It’s Atel.”

“…Atel.”

That was someone’s nickname which she had said for the first time.

***

At the nickname that was called by the girl after a long time, Ather put a smile on his lips without realizing it himself.

‘As expected.’

He’s glad that he came to meet her.

As he stared at the clear black eyes that were so pure they were transparent, he thought.

‘I missed these eyes.’

The girl whose name he didn’t even know.

But there was a definite comfort.

In his childhood, the black that came to him as a ray of light.

Ather was a dragon shapeshifter that was rarely born.

Originally, the dragon shapeshifters who were famous for their rare hands, were born rarely despite the union of two dragon shapeshifters.

It was not strange to expect that the child born between a snake shapeshifter father and a dragon shapeshifter mother with a high probability would be a snake shapeshifter.

Therefore, it is said that the King, who naturally wished for a snake of wisdom as his heir to the Kingdom, couldn’t help but to be greatly disappointed in his birth. 

His Mother very much said.

“Because you’re different from what he expected! That’s why he’s losing interest in us….”

Mother, who only believed in Father’s love and came to another country, firmly believed that the King’s interest was lost due to her son.

“Moreover, to think that out of all, you have ominous black hair.”

Coming from the East Continent’s Imperial Family, Mother would mumble displeasedly while looking at him.

Black had energy that was against God’s will.

Although it was a story that’s passed down orally only in the East Continent, the fact that there was an ominous legend that black dragons will bring doom to the world also played a part.

Like that, Mother blamed him for a long time, and then one day when she met Father again she became cheerful again. She became kind.

Unlike the unpredictable Mother, Father was consistent.

“Tsk. Turns out it’s you.”

He could sense that it meant nothing good.

A clear golden.

The myth says the darker the eye color, the stronger the shapeshifter’s power.

Ather, who possessed dark golden eyes that fit him perfectly, was especially born with a lot of the dragon shapeshifter’s power.

On the other hand, the King’s eyes were pale yellow as if a lemon in water.

“Haven’t I told you to cover those eyes because I don’t want to see them?”

Father particularly hated his eyes.

To the extent that ever since his younger brother was born, he has been told to go to places after covering his eyes, saying that it was harmful to his younger brother.

Although the eye patch that was specially handled with magic didn’t block his view–

“Never, take that off when in the presence of your younger brother.”

He was kept reminded of his Father’s discrimination towards him.

Even so, Ather didn’t think that it was a completely unreasonable matter. It was because, he was also like that, even when he thought about it, his eyes were surely strange.

He was just staring, however when–

“Eeek! Y-Your Highness!”

Without any signs, the people who were suddenly engulfed in terrible fear powerlessly knelt down.

“I-I… I will serve you by washing your face….”

Whenever they had no choice but to meet his eyes in order to serve him, the servants’ hands would tremble violently with pale faces.

“It seems like you have been born with my Imperial Royal Family’s blood.”

Although Mother laughed satisfactorily, saying that as expected, the East Continent’s Imperial lineage had the blood of a natural ruler.

“Tsk. Don’t even think about directing such eyes to me.”

She didn’t make eye contact with him, saying that the feeling of getting overwhelmed was unpleasant.

Although it was natural to feel overwhelmed when making eye contact with a shapeshifter, his was particularly severe.

Dragon eyes.

In the East Continent, the characteristic of a dragon shapeshifter, which was held in high esteem with no different from deification, rather brought him a sense of isolation.

Even those who have been entranced by this beautiful appearance from afar, could only bow their heads when they met his eyes, to never face each other again.

No one would look him in the eye.

“Huh?”

Only one person.

That girl was the only one who was fine even after looking at his eyes.

“Are you Mister Star?”

***

It was a day when everything felt particularly frustrating.

For some reason, Mother was excited to the fullest during the day and even hugged him, but in the evening when she returned alone, she shouted at him with bloodshot eyes.

“How can he do this to me…? You, it’s because of you! Because you’re born like that, that’s why I’m so unfortunate like this!”

Those words, which would normally have been fine, were stuck in his heart. Was it because the voice of the person who hugged him during the day and called him ‘my son’ affectionately was now the owner of the current swordlike scream?

“Hoo.”

Breathing out a heavy breath, Ather silently looked up at the night sky, and, whoosh, went over the window frame.

Pop!

Turning into a dragon, he flew up into the sky.

‘It’s cool.’

The cold wind cooled down the heat that he didn’t even know was building up.

Sometimes when the Palace was stuffy, he would come out in his shapeshifter form which could fly in the sky, just like now.

After all, there would be no escort that was assigned to him, who was born with unprecedented powerful energy, and the night walk was like a small breakaway that no one knew.

To not be in sight of others’ eyes, it was a matter that was simply done by wrapping clouds on his body with the dragon shapeshifter’s ability.

Since there would be no one who’d be able to recognize an unusual black cloud in the night sky.

‘Huh?’

At his eyes which were moderately looking around at the road that day, it was a coincidence that a girl, who was blankly looking up at the sky, like he was doing before leaving the Palace, came into his sight.

‘Small.’

A figure that looked small since he was looking from the sky.

Is it okay for such a small kid to come out at this time?

‘Won’t she catch a cold?’

He was contemplating if he should push her back with the wind and send her into her room, but the girl raised her head.

‘Ah.’

Their eyes met.

No, although he’s sure that he was mistaken since they were kept at a distance like this.

‘Her eyes….’

Unconsciously focusing his energy on his eyes, a clear black came into his sight.

It was rare black eyes. Black like his hair.

“Oh!”

An exclamation was heard from the girl’s small mouth.

It was only then that when he didn’t even realize it himself, Ather realized that he had come down too close.

‘Shoot.’

He was going to fly away with his body in a hurry, but the phrase, that he never even dreamt of being called, caught him.

“Mister Star?”

What does she mean?

At the place where he looked back out of curiosity, the girl was looking at him with her black eyes shining.

“Are you Mister Star?”

“…Are you talking about me?”

Nod.

The girl nodded violently.

“You came down from the sky, right!”

“No, that’s…”

“Your colors are also sparkling!”

“Huh?”

Shoot, did the cloud scatter a little?

The only thing that she could see the color of was only his eyes.

When the flustered Ather tried to make the cloud thicker, the girl spoke again.

“When you’re up in the sky, it’s the same color as Mister Star’s.”

At the girl’s words which he couldn’t even think of, Ather blinked.

‘Mister Star’s color?’

It was a fairytale-like word that had never been used even once to describe his eyes.

‘Come to think of it, now….’

Ather then realized.

That the girl, who was describing his eye color, was making eye contact with him without any shred of hesitation.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes?”

“My eyes… are you not scared?”

The girl tilted her head.

As if she couldn’t understand the question, the girl who was rolling her eyes opened her mouth as if she was saying just what she saw.

“It’s pretty.”

“….”

Words that he has never heard of even once.

Eye contact.

It was the first meeting with the girl he could never forget. 

***

‘Still, it’s too embarrassing for me to be called Mister Star.’

Above all, to him, the girl seemed to shine as starlight.

That’s why he called her ‘Star’, and told the girl his nickname.

“Atel?”

Just like now, as he looks forward to the girl’s voice which was calling him.

“Yes, Star.”

Somehow, Beatty doubtfully looked at her friend who was smiling.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Of course. It’s Star’s words.”

Why does he look so happy like this, huh?

Beatty, who never thought it was because of her, asked what she was curious about.

“How can you be here?”

“Hm. That’s what I’m going to say, though. When did Star who was in the Capital come up to the North?”

To her friend who jokingly asked back, Beatty told him how she had been during those times.

Also that she newly got a name.

“I see. Beatty. It’s a pretty name.”

Looking at her friend who was smiling as if they’re happy together, Beatty felt her heart becoming warm.

Then she suddenly remembered the day’s matter and opened her mouth. Since if it’s the guest that newly came to the Duke’s Castle, it’s only him.

“Ah, by any chance, the First Prince….”

Flinch.

The friend’s shoulder flinched excessively.

“…Did you come together with His Highness the First Prince?”

“R-right?”

Haha. An awkward laugh spread.

“?”

“Ahem. I heard you met His Highness during the day?”

“Yup.”

The friend rolled his eyes and asked,

“How was it?”

“What?”

“No, I mean, the, like his first impression.”

He followed up with ‘How did he look?’ and then her friend’s eyes twinkled with curiosity.

‘He’s working hard.’

Perhaps he was the First Prince’s attendant, as his appearance seemed very faithful to paying attention to the Prince’s reputation even in places that are not seen.

In response to her friend’s sincerity, Beatty answered honestly.

“He seemed like a womanizer.”