I’m in Trouble Because The Emperor Thinks My Time is Limited - Chapter 34

Beyond the white door was a truly beautiful sight.

Lush vines and red flowers adorned six white pillars. The luxurious engravings seemed even more divine in the sunlight streaming through the transparent greenhouse ceiling, reminiscent of a temple. To the left, there was even a small fountain, making this the most beautiful resting place I had ever seen.

However, despite its beauty, the air in this place was colder than the fiercest winter winds. I instinctively stepped back, trying to avoid the tension in the air.

“What are you doing here?”

Sionel’s cold voice was sharp enough to make anyone kneel, but the dragon didn’t respond. Its short front paws fidgeted awkwardly as it glanced at me rather than at Sionel. Those bright, round eyes kept flicking in my direction, not his.

Thinking I might be imagining things, I moved a little, and sure enough, the dragon’s glittering eyes followed me. It was clear—it was looking at me.

“That once-great dragon is now nothing more than a pitiful creature, stealing human flowers to eat,” Sionel sneered. His voice carried an unusual edge.

The small dragon glared at him with fiery eyes, but its cute appearance made it far from intimidating.

“Shut up.”

The dragon’s voice, unlike its awkward introduction earlier, was now clear and firm. It seemed this little dragon had quite the temper.

“I had no choice. I wasted a lot of energy because of you,” it said, openly displaying its annoyance.

I glanced down at the red petals scattered around the dragon. They were from the same flowers decorating the pillars.

‘A dragon eats flowers?’

I thought of Laroche, the dragon I knew, but I had never seen her eat flowers. If memory served me right, Laroche was quite fond of meat. Could it be that dragons have different dietary preferences?

‘No, that’s not the point right now.’

The real question was how Sionel knew this dragon. I clearly remembered that Sionel hated dragons. Yet here he was, talking to one as if it were nothing. Well, they were glaring at each other like they wanted to kill each other, but still.

“Excuse me,” I said softly, and suddenly, both pairs of eyes were on me—Sionel’s and the dragon’s. Feeling nervous under the combined gaze of a dragon and the emperor, I hesitated.

“This isn’t… your dragon, is it, Sionel?”

“As if I’d ever raise something like that,” Sionel scoffed.

“Like I’d ever be his dragon!” the dragon snapped at the same time, echoing Sionel’s reaction. Awkwardly, I laughed and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll keep quiet.”

“No, no, it’s not like I’m mad at you,” the dragon quickly said in an apologetic tone, suddenly looking flustered, as if it had made a grave mistake.

“Really, Lindel, I wasn’t angry at you! It’s this damn emperor—”

“How do you know my name?” I interrupted, surprised that the dragon knew my name. The dragon, too, looked shocked, staring up at me with a pained expression.

“You… you don’t remember me?”

I never thought a dragon could make such a heartbroken face. Seeing it look so utterly devastated made me break out in a cold sweat.

“Why would Lindel remember you?” Sionel mocked, fanning the flames. He looked at the dragon with a smug smile, thoroughly enjoying its misery.

From the start, Sionel had been antagonistic toward the dragon. It wasn’t just because he hated dragons—it seemed more like he was angry that the dragon had trespassed here without permission.

“I-I suppose it’s possible that you wouldn’t remember… That’s okay. I can understand that,” the dragon muttered to itself, awkwardly laughing. Its pitiful appearance only made it seem more depressed.

The dragon’s eyes, which had sparkled so beautifully in the light, now glistened with tears.

‘Is it about to cry?!’

“Wait,” I said, suddenly struck by a memory. There was something familiar about the dragon’s shimmering eyes.

“Priest?”

The word slipped from my mouth before I could stop it. Sionel’s face twisted in irritation, while the dragon’s expression brightened. Its round body practically wobbled with joy.

“You remembered me!”

The sorrowful expression vanished instantly, replaced by pure happiness as the small dragon bounced up and down in excitement. Round and chubby, with short limbs—it was undeniably cute, but could this dragon really be the same seer who once tried to kill me?

“So, you’re that crazy dragon who tried to kill me?”

The words tumbled out before I could stop them. A brief silence followed, broken by Sionel’s booming laughter. I had never seen him laugh so heartily.

***

The dragon—no, Melaine—curled up in a corner, unmoving. A dark cloud seemed to hang over him, making it hard to approach.

After his embarrassed apology, he had retreated to the corner, where he remained, clearly depressed. No one could miss his gloomy demeanor, so approaching him was difficult.

“Don’t mind him,” Sionel said cheerfully, diverting my attention. With his bright expression, I couldn’t help but focus on him instead.

“What do you think of this place? Do you like it?”

The greenhouse was stunning, even on a second look. Despite being a place untouched by human hands, it was meticulously maintained. Sionel explained that it had been cared for by Carl, the former chamberlain, and, after Carl left, Sionel himself had managed it using magic.

The way Sionel spoke and looked at the place showed just how much he cherished it.

“Yes, I like it,” I answered honestly. If Melaine hadn’t been here when I first entered, I would have been overwhelmed by the beauty of the place.

Sionel’s smile deepened at my response. He grinned lazily, like a satisfied lion, but with a childlike sense of pride. His smile was the perfect complement to the beautiful surroundings.

“I knew you’d like it,” he murmured softly, unable to hide his joy. Recently, I had grown used to Sionel’s changing behavior, but seeing him like this was still a surprise.

“You can come here whenever you want.”

“Are you sure? It seems like a place that’s precious to you.”

“It is precious, and that’s why I want you to come here.”

My heart raced at his unexpected words. Sionel clearly had no idea what effect his words were having on me. I coughed awkwardly, trying to calm my pounding heart.

Sionel pointed to the red flowers growing on the vines wrapped around the pillars.

“These flowers contain mana.”

“Ah, mana.”

Mana?

“The flower contains mana?” I asked, surprised.

The fact that these rare, precious flowers held mana was astounding. I glanced at Melaine, still sulking in the corner, surrounded by fallen petals.

‘So that’s why he ate the flowers.’

I finally understood why Melaine had been eating the flowers. If they were infused with mana, it made sense that a dragon would find them appealing.

Suddenly, I realized just how extraordinary this place truly was. For any magic user—human or dragon—this greenhouse was like a treasure trove. In today’s world, obtaining mana was almost impossible. Even if each flower contained only a small amount of mana, the sheer number of them could bring in a fortune.

With a serious expression, I turned to Sionel. “Are you sure it’s okay to tell me this?”

“Why? Are you planning to pluck the flowers and sell them?” he teased, causing me to flinch. While I hadn’t been seriously considering it, the thought had crossed my mind.

“Well, not exactly…”

“If it’s you, I wouldn’t mind. But it’d be a hassle, so if you need something, just let me know. I’ll get it for you.”

“Why do you say such sweet things…?”

Only someone truly wealthy could make such a statement. It was as if a golden halo appeared behind Sionel, making my heart flutter for entirely different reasons.

“No matter how much dragons love treasure, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to trade mana for mere human money. This emperor is a real fool,” grumbled a voice, breaking the moment.

Melaine, who had been watching us for a while, glared at Sionel. His chubby, round body and angry expression were anything but intimidating. I still couldn’t believe that this cute dragon was the same one who had once tried to kill me.

Sionel simply shrugged in response to Melaine’s remark, choosing to ignore him entirely. This only seemed to frustrate Melaine further.

“Lindel,” the dragon called, his tone suddenly soft and gentle—completely different from how he spoke to Sionel. Hesitating slightly, Melaine approached me, looking almost bashful. His small, round movements were undeniably adorable.

“Eat this,” he said, offering me a red flower with his short paw. “You’re weak, so you need to eat more.”

I was at a loss for how to respond.

“Um, I don’t think I can eat a flower…”

“You’re lacking mana. It doesn’t taste great, but it’s edible.”

The dragon’s childlike concern made me feel awkward. He pushed the flower toward me again with his small paw.

“Thanks, but I’m fine. You should eat it,” I said, speaking as gently as if I were addressing a baby animal.

I knew that when Melaine transformed into his human form, he was much larger and more imposing than I was. Still, the way he looked now made me forget all that. Even the fact that he had once tried to kill me seemed insignificant at the moment.

“But—”

“Even if I eat it, it won’t do anything for me.”

“Why?”

“I can’t use mana. I was born without the ability to hold it in my body. So, while I appreciate the offer, it’s just not necessary for me—uh, wait, what?”

As I explained, Melaine’s expression gradually changed. His jewel-like eyes, which had sparkled moments ago, now reflected deep shock and sadness.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, confused by his reaction.

“So that’s why!” Melaine suddenly exclaimed, his black snout wrinkling as tears streamed from his large eyes.

“That’s why you were abandoned! Poor Lindel! Those terrible dragons! So what if you can’t use mana? Who cares about mana?”

My jaw dropped.

“You’re weak because you can’t use mana! I was wrong! I tried to hurt someone like you! I’m just as bad as the rest of them!” Melaine sobbed, crying like a child.

That’s when I realized—Melaine still believed I was a dragon like him.