Chapter 290: Passenger Panic

Sure enough, the secretly (obviously) pleased Dragon Lord was utilized to a great extent, as he was asked to serve as a reputable distraction to practice on.

So for the last few days, Kael had gained the perfect excuse to go after Riley anywhere and everywhere.

And out of all the practice sessions Riley had been forced to endure, this was by far the dragon lord’s favorite.

“Hng!”

“Hey!” Riley protested sharply as a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him back just enough for warm lips to brush against the shell of his ear.

Kael pressed close, his chest solid against Riley’s back, breath warm as it ghosted over sensitive skin. The kiss lingered, slow and unhurried, less a peck and more a deliberate test of focus.

Riley bit back a sound and hissed through his teeth. “You are absolutely enjoying this.”

He couldn’t see Kael’s face, but he didn’t need to. He could feel it. That infuriatingly handsome mouth was curved into a smile right against his ear.

“This is called practice,” Kael murmured lazily, lips brushing his skin again. “You asked for distractions and I’m simply following your orders.”

“That isn’t what I meant and you know it,” Riley shot back, twisting just enough to glare over his shoulder. “Is this really something I am supposed to watch out for in public?”

Kael hummed thoughtfully, arms tightening just a fraction. “If you get cold and can’t handle it, should I simply let you turn into an ice block?”

Riley scoffed a little, rolling his eyes as he slipped out of the embrace and returned to the juice he had been preparing. “Maybe. Maybe you should.”

He gave Kael a smug smile as he said it.

Which was, in hindsight, a terrible idea.

Because who would have thought that dragons could feel cold?

Well, normally, they didn’t. But a dragon circulating mana in a much smaller loop than everyone else, who also happened to be outside the estate’s protection while attempting to behave like a normal person, apparently could.

And Riley was learning that the hard way.

Why was this even happening?

Because the reckless idiot had dared to go on what was supposed to be a short outing.

Not exactly a date. Ideally not their first date. Just a trial run. A simple test outside the estate grounds with his golden dragon.

Of course, the children protested.

Loudly.

One of them with wings, in particular, protested with great passion, citing all sorts of completely fabricated children’s rights, accompanied by dramatic begging and promises of eternal suffering and damnation.

It was really animated, and Riley hadn’t seen such creativity since the artists of a particularly popular period.

But as someone who had dealt with dragons and more, the experienced aide wasn’t as easily deterred.

In the end, the newly engaged couple managed to leave after finally promising something unthinkable.

That under no circumstances would they go to the supermarket without them.

Riley nearly choked on the spot when he made that promise, but desperation was a powerful motivator and apparently that was the magic phrase.

Who knew stepping outside to test his control would be this difficult?

And who knew that an immortal would experience this much fear over something as mundane as riding in a vehicle?

Yes. Riding.

Not driving.

In one of the strangest moments of his life, Riley watched in stunned silence as Kael walked straight toward the driver’s side of the vehicle they were taking out that day.

Riley blinked.

Once.

Twice.

He genuinely didn’t expect this from the man who, not that long ago, had probably never spared a thought for how motor vehicles worked or who made them work.

For a brief and foolish second, Riley thought Kael was simply opening the door for him.

Like a gentleman.

But no.

Kael opened the door.

And was preparing to sit inside.

“!!!”

Riley stood there for a solid three seconds, staring at the open driver’s door like his soul had momentarily stepped out to take a walk.

Then he inhaled.

Slowly.

Very carefully.

“Kael,” he said at last, voice measured in the way one spoke to a volatile object. “That’s the driver’s seat. Shouldn’t you be at the back? Or at least in the passenger’s seat?”

“No.”

Riley blinked. “No?”

“What do you mean by ’no’?”

“I meant,” the golden dragon clarified calmly, already settling in, “I’m really supposed to sit here.”

Riley opened his mouth, fully prepared to object.

But before he could, the golden dragon lord lifted his hand and flicked his fingers upward.

Something rectangular caught the light.

Riley’s brain stopped.

No.

Oh no.

Oh yes.

Holy—

“I-is that an actual driver’s license?!” Riley yelped, nearly tripping over his own feet as he scrambled closer to the car. The shock was so severe that he almost lost his grip on his mana circuit.

Of all the things that could have blindsided him today, this ranked alarmingly high.

Right up there with pregnancy.

Because Kael taking a licensure exam was just as absurd.

And yet.

There it was.

Physical proof.

Which apparently put it in the same category of reality as Liam being a magical being.

Riley stared at the card. Then at Kael. Then back at the card.

“Honey,” he said faintly, “is the Transportation Office still intact?”

His mind filled with vivid images of structural collapse, screaming clerks, and a very calm dragon lord walking away from the ruins.

Kael rolled his eyes.

Instead of answering, he stepped away from the driver’s side entirely.

Riley barely registered it at first.

Then he realized the dragon lord had circled around the car.

The passenger door opened.

Kael stood there, one hand on the door, posture composed, gaze fixed on Riley like he was waiting for something obvious.

“…Get in,” Kael said.

The recently ex-human didn’t move.

He was still staring.

Still processing.

Still very much not present.

Kael sighed softly, then waited.

Patiently.

Finally, after a few seconds that felt entirely too long, Riley swallowed and moved. He climbed into the passenger seat like someone boarding a device they were not convinced obeyed the laws of reality.

The door closed.

Only then did Kael return to the driver’s side.

He slid in smoothly, adjusted the seat, mirrors, and steering wheel with practiced efficiency, movements so natural it made Riley’s stomach drop.

Hands settled on the wheel.

Comfortable.

Familiar.

Like he really did know what he was doing.

Riley stared.

Quietly.

Deeply concerned.

__

But surprisingly, it seemed he was not destined to die today.

Because much to his shock, Kael was actually driving very well.

It had been a good ten minutes on the road and they were still alive.

Actually, even if everything crashed and burned, they would probably still be alive. So really, he was more concerned about everyone else. But just as he found the smooth ride to be a welcome surprise, what was even more shocking was that they hadn’t experienced or caused a single vehicular incident.

No collisions.

No flying cars.

And so far, no death defying stunt.

Heck, even the skies remained clear and bright.

Wow. They might actually survive this.

And wow. It seemed his dragon had genuinely learned how to drive.

Riley slowly relaxed into his seat.

Then he glanced sideways.

“You’re really good at this, huh?” he said, unable to hide the admiration in his voice.

Kael shrugged lightly, eyes still fixed on the road.

Riley laughed softly. “You’re really something. Even gifted at driving! I remember the last time we had to go out I was still the one driving. Tell me, you actually knew how to drive, no?”

“I didn’t. Back then I really didn’t know how.”

“Dang! Then since when have you been doing this?”

Kael’s grip on the wheel remained steady, but unbeknownst to the astonished mate, his hand actually twitched once.

“Not long, just recently,” he replied.

Riley didn’t catch the tiny movement or the way the golden head tilted farther away from him. Instead, his green eyes lit up.

“Wait. You said you’d tell me about it if I got in. Come on. Spill it! How am I supposed to learn about everything with those one-liners,” he urged eagerly.

The dragon lord exhaled through his nose and shook his head once before answering.

“I got the license just last week.”

Riley’s head snapped toward him.

“What? Just last week? And you’re already this good?” he asked, incredulous.

“I suppose you can call it that,” Kael said evenly.

And he was good when it came to the driving part, alright. Well, Lawrence Hale said he was, and the man had even given the go signal to drive around with his son.

But there was no chance in hell that the newly licensed dragon would admit what he and Riley’s father had actually endured to obtain that flimsy piece of card.

There was also no need for his twig to know that he had only passed on the fourth attempt.

Damn them all.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep