The Baby Isn’t Yours

First day.

Drea has disappeared.

Everyone in the palace knew that Drea had disappeared, but no one searched for her.

Drea had informed everyone, except Shaik, in advance and left.

“Ha…”

For Shaik, it was a ridiculous situation.

Although Drea had occasionally gone to the Dragon Sanctuary for a few days to meet the dragons she called ‘uncles,’ this was the first time she completely left home.

Yet, the adults were too casual about it.

They even looked at Shaik with a pitying gaze.

Kalia started to say, ‘She should have done something sooner…’ but then stopped and shook her head.

Simon tapped Shaik’s shoulder and said, ‘Yeah, Shaik… I know. I know your heart,’ speaking words that were known but unknown.

It was a vacant breakfast table without Drea.

Clatter, clatter.

The sound of tableware quietly resonated.

“Haah.”

Shaik glanced at his mother for a moment, who was sighing openly, then lowered his head.

Kalia stared at Shaik intently and then looked away.

“For a while, I’ll be at the sanctuary, Mama. I want to sort out my thoughts….”

Kalia couldn’t stop Drea, who spoke like that with a dejected expression.

Yeah, it’s probably better for her to go there and calm her mind.

Kalia decided to think rationally.

She even warned Simon, who constantly tried to take Shaik’s side, not to interfere.

Don’t get involved half-heartedly.

Anyway, the first day Drea disappeared passed quietly.

* * *

Three days later.

The palace was quiet.

It was a calmness that was not usually felt.

Shaik looked around the palace with a dull expression and, as usual, directed his steps towards the academy.

No one is here, Shaik thought, just because one person was missing. He felt that the surroundings had become excessively quiet. Boring, even.

* * *

One week later.

Kalia, Simon, and even Derek and Allen returned to their daily lives. Even Kalia, who had been looking at Shaik with worried eyes for a few days, suddenly returned to her usual self.

As always, they were busy and occupied. The students at the academy attended classes or chatted with their friends. The professors checked their lessons and taught the students. They even made jokes and played pranks, just like before. Everyone seemed unaffected, even without Drea.

…Shaik felt a bit irritated.

* * *

Ten days later.

“Mother.”

“Yes?”

“…No, nothing.”

“Alright.”

Kalia calmly replied and returned her attention to her book. After a while, her son came back and asked again.

“Has Drea contacted us by any chance?”

Kalia smiled and said:

“Not at all.”

“…”

Shaik stared at Kalia with eyes that wanted to say something, yet were filled with confusion.

Seeing her son’s resentful gaze, which she had never seen before, Kalia simply smiled. Shaik turning away abruptly reminded her of a teenage boy going through puberty. It was the first time she saw a different expression on her son’s face, who always had an elderly-like appearance.

“There were quite adorable aspects, weren’t there?”

She felt a sense of joy.

Kalia sang a little tune in her head while quietly thinking, ‘You should endure a little more.’

Watching him, Simon quietly sympathized with his son.

* * *

Two weeks later.

“…Damn it.”

Thud!

Shaik threw his sword and collapsed to the ground.

Pure white fluffy clouds floated across the clear sky.

The pristine and soft-looking white clouds reminded him of someone.

Shaik stared at the sky and closed his eyes.

“…What is this sudden behavior, Drea?”

Drea had never done anything like this before.

Shaik felt frustrated that he couldn’t have a conversation with Drea for the first time. The seemingly insignificant conversations they had, talking about eating ice cream or visiting the fairy forest along the walking path, suddenly became so missed.

‘…It’s just one person missing.’

But it felt like a big piece was missing.

It felt like a part of a completed picture had been stripped away.

And now, after the picture had been ruined, he realized too late that it had been perfect…

Phew.

Shaik got up with a sense of disarray and lifted his sword again.

“…When is she coming back?”

It had already been two weeks.

During the past two weeks, there had been no news from Drea.

It was obvious where she was going, but… it still bothered him that there was no news at all.

Drea was someone who spread love throughout this abundant place, like a person overflowing with lifelong love.

But how could she suddenly cut off that affection in an instant?

Shaik furrowed his brow harshly.

…How? How could it be like that? How?

How could you do that, Drea?

Shaik felt his heart being clenched.

He wondered if he would never see the disappeared Drea again.

What if she never came back in his lifetime?

Shaik’s face turned pale as he swung his sword.

“…Damn it!”

Thud, clang! Thud!

Shaik’s swordsmanship became rough.

The azure glow along the blade flickered and burned.

Though he hadn’t told anyone yet, Shaik had already reached the realm of a Sword Master.

Having been born with the memories of his past life, it wasn’t difficult for him to reach that realm once again.

He simply remained silent, not wanting to cause chaos around him.

“Huck, huckk. Huh!”

The floor of the training ground, made of the sturdiest stone behind the palace, was deeply dented.

Shaik moved more roughly, not wanting to think about anything.

‘She must be angry. Yes, she was the one who followed me around, thinking I was the only one she liked… Maybe she got angry because she suddenly saw me with someone else. And I forgot about her even on her most anticipated day, her birthday.’

So when she returns, he will be the first to apologize.

And then… and then…

‘…And then? What else can I say? I have an unpredictable and harsh fate, you know? Isn’t that right? But could it be that I’m trying to plant futile feelings in Drea’s heart? If I do that, she will only become more sad later.’

A secret voice whispered from within his heart.

Shaik gritted his teeth.

‘I don’t want to think that far… I don’t want to think about those things!’

Shaik forcefully swung his sword, trying to dismiss that voice.

Once, twice, three times. Ten times. A hundred times. A thousand times!

‘Then what else can I say besides ‘I’m sorry’? Drea might not come back just because of an apology… Could it be that I should thank her for liking me? Say that I’m happy because of her, something like that?’

A piercing voice, cutting through his heart, belonged to Shaik himself.

Shaik felt tormented.

Why was he born with such a fate…

He had never wished to become the child of destiny himself.

In this current life, he was happy because there were many people who cherished him, but that also made Shaik more tormented.

When the Black Dragon appeared, he couldn’t know when he would die.

Throughout his past and present lives, he had never experienced being loved so much.

That’s why he was happier, more grateful, and more cautious.

Just the thought that he might die before them made his heart ache from time to time.

How could Shaik say those things to Drea?

That one day, he found her too adorable, too lovable, and it was tormenting.

Even if the Black Dragon suddenly emerged, he could sacrifice himself and die heroically, but still, he cherished and loved her more than she could imagine…

So he couldn’t allow her to suddenly sever their bond.

“…Damn it!”

With a firm face, Shaik struck the ground with his sword even stronger and more forcefully.

Sweat poured down, and his limbs became too heavy, making him stagger.

He mindlessly swung his sword, completely forgetting about the need to eat or rest.

When combining his past and present lives, he had swung this sword countless times.

After repeating it thousands of times once again, he finally dropped his sword and collapsed.

The sun had already started to set.

Soon it would be night, but there was still no news from Drea.

Shaik lifted his trembling hand.

The calloused and rough hands were rugged and unattractive.

But even so, Drea said that holding these hands made her so happy.

She said that taking a walk while holding his hand was the best birthday gift for her.

What did you want to do on your birthday this time?

Where did you want to visit, where did you want to wander, and what did you want to eat, pestering me about it?

Sigh.

A sense of emptiness tightened his chest.

“…I’m going crazy.”

Shaikmuttered through gritted teeth.

Hurry back, Drea. I’m sorry.

I can’t say that I like you, but still… you’re one of the most precious people to me.

Perhaps as much as his mother, his father… No, maybe even more than that.

“So, please come back quickly.”

Drea.

* * *

One month.

Shaik no longer went to the academy.

Instead, he began to appear in different places.

He started searching for dragons.

Kalia, Simon, and Kalexia tried to dissuade him, but he didn’t listen.

And finally, he discovered a cave hidden in the highest peak of the demon mountain.

Kwaang! Clang! Paaat!

That hidden place was the lair of the Blue Dragon.

The lair of the dragon was destroyed by the aura of a boy who appeared to be only 17 or 18 years old.

The Blue Dragon, who had been lazily resting in its nest after a long time, sprang up in surprise in front of the boy standing there.

And it curiously asked the boy who stood firmly in front of its lair.

“What are you, little one?”

The boy drew a sword made of the sturdiest mineral and swung it nonchalantly.

The condensed blue aura tightly wrapped around the blade.

The boy said indifferently.

“…Take me to the Dragon’s Sanctuary.”

The boy’s eyes, deeply filled with melancholy, flickered ominously.