My Tamed Beast Returned with a Dragon Chapter 35 - I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This

Belquior’s cooking was like magic.

Not that he actually used magic—it was just a figure of speech.

While Belquior was cooking, Eunsae, who had been playing with Byeol using the toys she had bought with Sol at the department store, was drawn to the dining table by the delicious smell.

And her eyes widened.

“Wow, did you make all this?”

It was incredibly luxurious.

The salad wasn’t just some roughly torn lettuce—it was a special greens salad topped with smoked salmon, caviar, and olive vinaigrette. Where did he even get this?

The soup was a creamy pea soup with bacon. Fresh cream and peas? From where…?

The main dish was a fish dish drizzled with basil pesto dressing, and there was a strange scent from unfamiliar spices.

There was also lamb with a citrus aroma served with blue cheese polenta—same question here—and its presentation was overwhelming.

There was even grilled lamb ribs with artichokes, that gave off a mouthwatering aroma.

“Sit.”

“Um, Lord Belquior? You used the ingredients I prepared too, right?”

“If you look hard enough, you’ll find them.”

Which basically meant most of it came from Belquior’s own stash. But Eunsae wasn’t disappointed.

As long as it tasted good, it didn’t matter what it was made of.

While watching Byeol eat with a baby spoon, Eunsae took a spoonful of the pea soup at Belquior’s prompting.

“Mmm! The soup is so good!”

Belquior stared at her as if checking for sincerity.

But Eunsae, already captivated by the rich aroma and flavor, didn’t even notice his gaze.

“It’s savory but not greasy, and so light! How did you make it just the way I like?”

The soup bowl was empty in a flash. That said enough.

Belquior smiled faintly and used magic to refill her bowl with soup.

Eunsae didn’t hesitate.

“The salad is so well balanced too! The smoked salmon and chicory go really well together. And these baby greens bring out the olive flavor even more!”

“Do they?”

“The lamb—amazing texture. No gamey smell at all. What spices did you use on this fish? It’s so unique I keep going back for more.”

“That fish is called Alveba, from the other world. It’s a poisonous fish, but if cooked right, it tastes better than land meat.”

“Ooh. No wonder. The fish is so chewy and firm.”

Normally, Eunsae wasn’t very chatty while eating.

But with Belquior’s cooking, she couldn’t help turning into a chatterbox.

She had traveled all over the world and tried all sorts of fancy meals. But few had ever made her think, This is delicious.

Even while occasionally checking on Byeol, Eunsae kept her chopsticks moving. The food disappeared quickly and quietly.

Rubbing her full belly, she thanked him from the bottom of her heart.

“Lord Belquior, that was amazing. You should sit in the living room! I’ll handle the cleanup.”

He didn’t reply. Instead, golden magic swept across the table.

“Uh…”

The dishwasher was now unemployed. Eunsae stared blankly as the clean dishes flew into place on their own.

“Um… Would you like some dessert at least?”

“What do you want to eat?”

“No, not me—you, Lord Belquior!”

“Take the baby to the living room. I’ll bring something.”

Holding Byeol in her arms, Eunsae was gently ushered out of the kitchen. Was this okay…? She was the homeowner and yet did nothing.

“Nuna? What’s wrong?”

“Oh… nothing… Byeol, is Lord Belquior always this domestic?”

“Domestic…? What’s that mean?”

“Hmm. Like… cooks well, is kind, does chores without complaining, always helps when asked…?”

As she spoke, Eunsae’s face turned red. Why was it so hot today? Maybe it was time to turn on the AC.

Byeol blinked with her big eyes.

“I like what Nuna makes more! Tastes good!”

“Aw, thank you. You’re such a sweetie, Byeol.”

Eunsae rolled around on the carpet with Byeol in her arms. She tickled him, and he twisted around, giggling uncontrollably.

“What’s this?”

Belquior, on his way to the living room with dessert and drinks, noticed a soft pink egg sitting on the table.

Eunsae quickly stood up, took the tray, and answered.

“Oh, that’s a magical beast egg I got after finishing a request in another country.”

“A magical beast egg?”

“Yes, but it hasn’t reacted at all, even when I try imbuing it with special abilities. I’m starting to think it might be empty.”

“It’s not.”

“Huh?”

Belquior stared intently at the pale pink egg.

“It’s alive. Just in a very deep sleep.”

“You can tell? Wow, that’s a relief!”

“A relief?”

“If there’s a way to wake it up, then it can be born. I wonder what kind of beast it is?”

Eunsae’s obsidian-like eyes sparkled. Belquior slowly opened his mouth.

“Do you want this egg to be born?”

“Yes! I bet it’s tired of being stuck like this. I want to show it what this world is like.”

To Eunsae, the world was still worth living in. Sad and painful things happened, sure, but she believed there was always hope.

Just like when she met Byeol and Belquior.

“Would you like me to tell you how?”

“That would be amazing! Is it really hard? Like breaking my curse was?”

Belquior shook his head.

“Place it beside the World Tree’s offshoot. There’s probably an environment best suited for the egg to hatch. Since it’s been removed from its original place, putting it in a place full of life should help.”

She had a hunch.

Since the egg came from a dungeon, it probably fell into a deep sleep after leaving.

“And one more thing.”

Belquior held out his hand to Byeol.

“The gemstone you take from my castle. Give me one.”

“…! Th-that was for Nuna!”

Byeol took a small step back, thinking he’d been caught sneaking.

“Huh? Byeol, did you take something from Lord Belquior without permission?”

“There’s a lot at the castle! I thought Nuna would like it…”

“Still, you shouldn’t touch your dad’s things without asking.”

Eunsae scolded him gently and gave Belquior an apologetic look.

“It’s fine. ‘Breath of the Rose’ will do.”

Byeol reluctantly handed over a rose quartz necklace.

Belquior shattered the gemstone on its chain and held the pieces out to Eunsae.

“Let the egg absorb these.”

“How do I do that?”

“Just bring it close.”

Eunsae brought her cupped hands, filled with the powdered gemstone, near the egg. Fwaa— A soft light shimmered as the energy from the gem seeped into the egg like smoke.

A moment later, all that remained in her hands was a faded, dull pebble. “Wow…” Eunsae breathed in awe.

Byeol, who had been watching nervously, quietly tugged on Eunsae’s sleeve.

“N-nuna… do you need another baby besides me?”

“What? Of course not, Byeol. Why would you think that?”

“But…”

Byeol pouted and glared at the egg. Eunsae gently stroked Byeol’s soft, curly hair.

“If a magical beast hatches from this egg, it’ll be your friend.”

“Friend…?”

“Yeah. Someone who’s there for you when you’re feeling down and celebrates with you when you’re happy. If you have someone like that, you won’t feel lonely.”

“Lonely…”

Byeol remembered the time before he met Eunsae, when he lived all alone in a nest. Back then, he just felt empty, cold, and hungry.

Even though his old nest had everything he could need, it always felt like something was missing. Maybe that “something” had been loneliness.

But that wasn’t all he was worried about.

“What if you end up liking them more than me…”

“Byeol, I like you so much,” Eunsae said, touching her nose to his. She rubbed it gently and let out a soft laugh.

Byeol loved Eunsae’s warm, cozy presence. He threw his arms around her neck.

“I don’t love someone more or less, Byeol. Everyone’s important to me in their own way.”

“…Okay.”

“If you ever feel unsure, just look around. Are you really alone?”

Byeol looked over Eunsae’s shoulder and locked eyes with the magical beasts watching from a distance. Hwangsae spread its wings and let out a loud squawk—almost like it was saying, “Look! We’re here too!”

Byeol grinned so big that dimples appeared on his cheeks.

“Nope! I have lots of friends!”

“Exactly. They’re all your friends.”

Eunsae gently patted Byeol’s back, her gaze full of unmistakable affection.

“When our new friend is born, let’s celebrate together.”

“Okay!”

Belquior watched the scene with his chin resting on one hand. It amazed him how Eunsae could calm such a selfish and proud dragon with just a few words.

Was it because her sincerity reached him?

They were different beings—yet she connected so easily. To Belquior, Eunsae was a mystery.

But not in a bad way. In fact, it intrigued him. He wanted to see just how far she could go.

Following Belquior’s advice, Eunsae moved the pale pink egg beside a branch of the World Tree. She placed it on a cushion where sunlight streamed in.

Whenever she thought of it, she gently infused the egg with her power. Though there was no visible change, the egg sometimes gave off a soft, rhythmic thumping sound—like a gentle heartbeat.

Sometimes, Eunsae would come out in the morning and find the egg had rolled off the cushion by itself.

“I have a good feeling about this.”

She eagerly counted down the days until she could meet the new magical beast. And then, a few days later—

“Nuna! Nuna! The egg’s moving!”

“Really? Let’s go check it out!”

Byeol came running from where he’d been playing near the World Tree with the beasts. Eunsae dropped what she was doing and dashed out to the backyard.

“Wow…”

The egg was really shaking all over. Eunsae sat down with Byeol in her arms, watching with wide, sparkling eyes.

“Maybe today’s the day our new friend hatches?”

“What do you think it’ll look like? Will it roar really loud like Haneuli? Or play tricks like the Hwangsae? …It’s not a dragon, right?”

“Probably not. If it were, I’m sure Lord Belquior would’ve said something.”

Byeol secretly hoped it wasn’t a dragon. Sure, no dragon could be cuter or more beautiful than him, but still—he didn’t want another of his kind around.

But no matter how long they waited, the egg didn’t hatch. Eventually, it stopped moving.

Eunsae brushed off her knees and stood up.

“Aww, what a shame. Looks like we won’t get to see our new friend today.”

“Too bad…”

Byeol’s shoulders drooped. But deep down, everyone could sense the wait wouldn’t be much longer.

That night, while the house was fast asleep, the egg began to stir again. This time, it was more intense. The egg rolled right off the cushion.

Crack.

A small fracture formed, and the shell slowly split open—then a piece popped off.

Peep—peep!

A small, pink magical beast let out its first adorable cry. Its fuzzy fur was curled like feathers. It had long rabbit-like ears, four hooved legs like a deer, and a long, fluffy tail that swayed gently like a wave.

“It’s born.”

Belquior, having sensed the burst of magical energy, was the first to step outside. Lights lit up throughout the house as everyone came running.

Peep?

Just as its name suggested, a magical beast that called forth the spring had arrived—

The birth of Chuntian de Yaoqing, the symbol of spring in Chinese lore.