Chapter 370: The Lord Walks In

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration.

Because to the magical beings who worked alongside Riley, he didn’t really look like a dried pickle.

If anything, he probably looked like the occasional dried paint. Just a little dry, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a little water.

Only in the case of the overworked human aide, they figured he’d need a good amount.

Not that he lacked great features to begin with, since he definitely had them, but working for magical beings as an actual mortal could really shorten anyone’s already short lifespan while widening their initially innocent hairlines.

But what do you know?

The mortal not only survived the drought.

He practically flourished.

And it showed the moment he walked through the doors of the MBE in such a way that had everyone turning their heads twice.

__

The lobby had been relaxed.

Too relaxed.

With the dragon lord gone for a while, the atmosphere had settled into something almost casual, with employees chatting and visitors simply prancing around.

Then the doors opened.

Kael Dravaryn stepped in first.

And just like that, everything changed.

Conversations died mid-sentence.

Papers that had been floating scattered upward, only to freeze in place as if caught between breaths. A mug tipped too far to one side but didn’t fall, its owner staring in silent panic as their hand hovered uselessly beneath it.

Because he wasn’t supposed to be back yet.

Unfortunately for everyone, they weren’t simply hallucinating. His stride alone, and the way his hair silently attracted attention en masse, were enough to make several employees stiffen in place.

He was the real deal.

But then, just as the beings in the lobby froze in panic, they also couldn’t help but notice something else.

Someone else.

Walking just a step behind him.

The entire lobby had gone quiet in a way that didn’t feel natural.

Like something had pressed down on the space itself, holding everything in place.

And at the center of it all were the two figures who had just entered.

Kael, as composed and imposing as ever.

And close to him—

Someone blinding.

It felt like forever, but honestly, it just took a second before someone gasped in recognition.

“…Riley?”

That single name seemed to snap something.

As if whatever had been holding everyone in place suddenly released, the entire lobby lurched back into motion all at once.

Papers fluttered.

The suspended mug finally wobbled before being steadied in a rush.

Voices returned in a low wave of confusion and surprise, while Riley’s mouth twitched in sudden disbelief.

Because after how many years, only now had he discovered a little tidbit.

So much for a dignified entrance.

For a second there, he almost thought time had slowed down just because someone like Kael had walked in.

No.

The golden lizard had quite literally put everyone on a time-out so he wouldn’t be bombarded with annoying noise he didn’t want to hear in the morning.

Gosh.

Before, he wouldn’t have noticed, and maybe that was why he always thought it was exhilarating whenever Kael entered any sort of doorway.

He never really questioned it and always thought it was simply the result of beautiful people doing anything.

Well, he wasn’t actually wrong. Because even without mana, people would still stop dead to stare.

But in this particular case, and for right now?

Now, he could definitely tell.

Riley resisted the urge to put a hand to his face as he walked alongside his husband, maintaining some semblance of composure despite the realization settling in.

Ah.

Imagine if he had been stuck working for him like this? He would’ve gone his whole life without knowing.

But who would have thought that in order to sort of escape the work mill, the path he would have to take involved mating and possibly saving the world from an inevitable apocalypse?

Okay.

Uhh… Maybe he should have just gone with eternal servitude.

Riley sighed.

It was soft, but it was enough.

Kael’s steps halted right at the center of the MBE lobby, and he turned his head to look at his mate, one brow lifting in a way that immediately sent a ripple through the onlookers who were doing their absolute best not to stare directly at them.

Because the last time the dragon lord so much as flinched like that, people had been sacked.

As in very permanently. Granted, the lot of those who said their goodbyes deserved it for their crimes.

So it couldn’t be helped that people were worried for Riley and their own well-being as they existed in the same room.

“It’s nothing,” Riley said quickly. “Let’s go.”

Kael didn’t move.

He simply looked at him, waiting.

Riley paused for a moment before shaking his head in mild amusement, then walked ahead on his own.

“!!!”

Both the employees and the visiting citizens froze once more, their eyes widening as they watched someone casually walk ahead of the dragon lord like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Was that really allowed?

Was that… a privilege?

Was that the perk of being Kael Dravaryn’s husband?

Uh-huh.

Husband.

Because just as Riley was about to find out, it wasn’t that his marriage with Kael had been particularly peaceful or covert.

He had simply been living under a proverbial rock for a while. It was a beautiful and very expensive symbolic rock, but a rock nonetheless, as he couldn’t get news he would’ve gotten had he been outside of the dragon estate.

In truth, Eryndra had already been rocked by the news.

It had spread so widely that people only stopped speculating when they grew nervous over the fact that the dragon lord hadn’t done anything to shut it down.

Which, frankly, was more terrifying than denial.

Actually, it was even said that soon after the reported marriage that shocked everyone and their pets, eyewitnesses claimed that those who greeted the dragon lord with congratulations would receive blessings.

At first, people thought it was nothing more than exaggerated gossip.

But there were humans who swore, on their ancestors, no less, that they had experienced luck they never thought possible after doing exactly that.

Apparently, the normally feisty dragon lord had really done it.

Given that level of popularity, Riley would have expected at least a handful of scathing or just overly exaggerated articles.

But there were none.

And the reason for that was simple.

Those who tried to publish articles, especially the ones who attempted to embellish things in hopes of catching Kael’s attention, quickly learned their lesson.

Because the more they wrote, the more they pushed their luck.

And once they pushed too far, the easily triggered dragon would come looking for them.

It didn’t matter if everything written was praise.

It didn’t matter if it was something as harmless as complimenting even his mate’s smallest toe.

Kael didn’t like it.

How did they even know that his twig’s toe looked great?

Had they been interested in his mate all this time?

Ahem.

With that kind of mindset, it wasn’t hard to imagine why no one dared to publish anything more.

No one wanted to risk calling upon the dragon lord for something so trivial and unexpected.

Then again, it could be said that since his marriage, the fastest way to get access to the dragon lord was to simply mention his lawful husband.

And yes, the distinction was apparently important too, as the great lord couldn’t be compared to those without their own marriage licenses.

After all, he had legal rights and fully intended to let everyone know.

“…”

“…”

Riley, meanwhile, could only stare in disbelief as Mina hesitantly explained everything to him.

The summary alone was enough to make his head spin.

And yet, when he looked at Kael, who could listen in even from the next mountain, the golden dragon merely shrugged as if none of it was worth mentioning.

It was a very unusual situation.

But for some reason, the HR clerk had a strong feeling that not answering Riley’s questions would have been the worst possible choice.

She wasn’t very far off the mark.

Because, as pigs had probably learned how to fly and as hell had likely frozen over, so had Kael’s priorities changed over time.

That was why the dragon lord could now be seen waiting “patiently” for Riley to finish his business with HR.

Still, one couldn’t deny that elves sometimes really had the guts, or perhaps a death wish, as Mina discreetly attempted something that most would have thought twice about.

She just had to ask.

Why would anyone who had spent so long trying to escape the MBE and the clutches of one dragon lord return willingly?

WILLINGLY.

Why?!

Who would be insane enough to do such a thing after successfully escaping?

Apparently, Riley.

The very same one who, when Lyra once asked him to blink if he was being threatened, didn’t.

If only the elves knew how hard Riley actually tried to.

Well, regardless, that alone should have been enough proof that it took a different kind of being to survive as the dragon lord’s aide, much less to survive as his Honey.

Riley let out a laugh at the irony of it all, because even his past self would probably ask him the same questions, with even greater anger and disbelief.

But with a smile that really brightened up his face, he answered simply, “I just have to deal with unfinished business.”

Mina lingered on those words, clearly curious about what they entailed, but she didn’t press further.

Not when Riley was already making his way out of the department.

By the time he reached Kael—who had been told to step outside obediently so he could stop scaring the innocent workers—the dragon lord was already looking at him, his presence as composed as ever despite having waited the entire time.

“Are you going to look at it now?” Kael asked.

Riley paused for a moment before replying, “May I?”

The reigning dragon lord rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance behind it.

Because of course, he could.

He could even take it if he wanted.

But what exactly was it?

Nothing much.

Just the Moonveil Codex.

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