My Tamed Beast Returned with a Dragon Chapter 16 - Hwangsae Won’t Stand for This

A tense silence filled the night air.

Then—

Belquior laughed.

It was a low, mocking sound.

“What an arrogant thing to say. You’ll pay any price?”

Woori’s fists clenched.

Belquior’s golden eyes gleamed coldly.

“Do you even understand what that means?”

The temperature seemed to drop.

A chill ran down Woori’s spine.

Did he know?

No.

This world had never seen a real dragon.

But he understood one thing.

Whatever the price was—

It would be severe.

Still, he forced his mouth to move.

“It may be harsh for me. For all of us.

But not for Eunsae.

I trust that.”

Belquior’s lips curled.

“Oh? Because she’s raising my son?”

“Because you’ve seen it yourself.”

“Seen what?”

“She’s a kind person. She loves your child with no ulterior motives.”

Belquior’s brows lowered slightly.

“And?”

“You’re an intelligent being. You must understand fairness.”

The air turned suffocating.

Woori braced himself.

Belquior’s presence alone was overpowering.

“…You’re bold.”

Belquior’s voice was flat.

He let the tension hang before finally saying—

“…I will consider it.”

“But know this.”

“The price will not be light.”

Woori let out a shaky breath.

“Thank you.”

His shirt was drenched in cold sweat.

But—

For the first time, hope flickered.

If there was even a chance Belquior could save Eunsae—

He would take it.

When they returned inside, Eunsae immediately noticed.

Her brows furrowed.

“What were you guys talking about? Woori, you look pale.”

“Nothing important. Did you eat?”

“Mmh. I just picked at it while playing with the baby.”

Woori sighed.

“You always eat like a bird.”

“I eat fine!”

“Sure you do. Anyway, it’s late. Want me to stay over?”

“Nah, you have guild work, right?”

Woori nodded reluctantly.

With one last glance at Eunsae, he left.

As Eunsae tucked the baby into bed, she hesitated.

She glanced at Belquior.

After what happened last time, she worried that he might hold a grudge against Woori and the others.

So—

She couldn’t help but defend them.

“They might be rough around the edges, but they’re good people.”

Belquior let out a short exhale.

“You all say the same things.”

“Huh? Woori said that too?”

Belquior simply turned away.

Without another word, he left the room.

 

 

****

 

 

 

Hwangsae was out for a walk.

His sharp, echoing cries filled the mountains of Gangwon-do.

At three years old, he was at his most curious.

Hopping from place to place, he explored everything.

—Standing on the edge of a rocky cliff, peering down below.

—Poking at moss-covered logs, searching for bugs.

—Bathing in crystal-clear waterfalls.

—Following the footprints of wild animals, wondering what they were.

As he perched by a stream, munching on a tiny fish, he suddenly heard voices.

Human voices.

His black eyes gleamed with curiosity.

Humans? Here?

Hwangsae had rarely seen them.

Eunsae’s home was strictly off-limits to the public.

Tamed or not, Magical Beasts were dangerous.

And ever since Eunsae secluded herself a year ago, security had tightened even more.

Too many nosy humans.

Hwangsae hopped onto a high tree branch, keeping perfectly still.

He waited.

Two men trudged through the forest, panting.

“Ugh, why the hell am I doing this? Trying to sneak past those damn beasts—”

“Shut up. If we get a scoop, it’ll be worth it.”

Hwangsae’s head tilted.

Eunsae.

That was the one word he recognized.

And their tone…

It wasn’t friendly.

A bad feeling stirred in his gut.

Maybe this was why his older siblings always said—

“Destroy flying machines on sight. Chase away unknown humans.”

Hwangsae’s feathers fluffed up.

These humans felt wrong.

He decided to listen a little longer.

“What the hell is Yoo Eunsae doing? Why won’t she leave her house?”

“Some say she’s sick. Others say she secretly got married.”

“Married? To who?”

“Who knows? Probably some foreigner. She traveled a lot, right?”

“Damn, whoever married Yoo Eunsae hit the jackpot. She’s loaded.”

The men snickered.

Hwangsae felt his blood boil.

The disrespect.

He suddenly understood why his family was so protective of Eunsae.

She was special.

And these humans were threats.

Hwangsae’s sharp talons dug into the branch.

Time to scare them off.

“CAAAAAW!”

A piercing cry rang through the trees.

The men flinched violently.

They whipped around, panicked.

Hwangsae soared down, wings spread wide.

A majestic entrance.

“Shit! A beast!”

“Wait, it’s kinda… small?”

They stared.

Hwangsae stood proudly.

Intimidating. Fearsome.

…Or so he thought.

To them, he looked adorable.

His fluffy feathers and round eyes didn’t exactly scream ‘danger.’

One of them even muttered—

“Man, I thought it’d be bigger.”

Hwangsae’s ego cracked.

‘WHAT?!’

How dare they!

He shrieked angrily and attacked.

“CAAAAWW!”

His sharp beak jabbed mercilessly.

The men yelled, flailing.

“Ow! Shit! It bites!”

“Run! If more show up, we’re dead!”

They turned to flee.

But Hwangsae was just getting started.

Claws slashing. Beak stabbing.

He herded them downhill.

The terrain grew rough.

The men tripped, stumbled.

Soon, they reached a dead end.

A massive waterfall.

Below—

A deep, dark pool.

The air was damp, tinged with moss and something… fishy.

It was a place where Magical Beasts often came to bathe.

Hwangsae grinned.

Perfect.

He grabbed one man’s collar in his beak—

“W-Wait—”

And flung him into the water.

“AAAAAAAAH!”

SPLASH!

The second man froze in horror.

Hwangsae turned slowly.

Locking eyes with him.

“N-No, please—”

Too late.

SPLASH!

Both men floundered helplessly.

Every time they tried to climb out—

Hwangsae pushed them back in.

Over and over.

Until they stopped struggling.

Until they sat there, shivering, pale.

That’s when—

A new presence arrived.

A deep, rumbling snort.

Hwangsae’s head whipped around.

“Caaaw?”

From the shadows of the trees—

A massive unicorn stepped forward.

Cookie.

His hooves crushed the ground beneath them.

Hwangsae cawed excitedly.

Cookie took one look at the situation and understood.

Hwangsae puffed out his chest.

He was so proud.

“I did this all by myself!”

Cookie licked Hwangsae’s face.

A sign of praise.

Hwangsae nearly exploded with joy.

But Cookie wasn’t done.

He strode toward the humans.

Sniffed them.

Then snorted angrily.

The humans whimpered.

Cookie’s hoof scraped the ground.

He charged.

“W-WAIT!”

“NOOOOO!”

BANG!

Cookie sent them flying.

They landed in a heap, groaning.

Broken? Probably.

Dead? Not quite.

Holes in their asses?

…Cookie was merciful.

Still—

Their screams echoed through the mountains.

And Hwangsae laughed and laughed.

Job well done.

 

 

 

****

 

 

Yuk Jae hee remained silent.

This was clearly an article planted directly by Gold Star.

And yet, the reaction was minimal.

Something was off.

If it were Yoo Eunsae, she should have immediately been dragged into the spotlight as the “Princess of Dochun,” with every media outlet swarming around her—

But instead, the reporters had backed off on their own.

As if there were some invisible barrier preventing them.

Baek Chan min gritted his teeth.

“Did those damn beasts interfere?”

He had seen it too.

Yoo Eunsae was always surrounded by fierce, massive beasts, guarding her like a fortress.

Anyone foolish enough to get too close would undoubtedly be torn apart without a trace.

Yuk Jae hee finally spoke.

“I’ll handle this personally.”

Baek Chan min narrowed his eyes.

“You? Personally?”

“We won’t find out anything at this rate.”

Yuk Jae hee clenched her fists tightly.

It was rare for her to take matters into her own hands.

But—

They needed leverage against Yoo Eunsae.

If Gold Star wanted to bring down Dochun, she was the obstacle that had to be removed.

Baek Chan min smirked, twisting his lips.

“Fine. Do it your way.”

Yuk Jae hee’s cold eyes gleamed.

“Yoo Eunsae, whatever you’re hiding—I will uncover it.”

—And that very secret will lead to your downfall.