My Tamed Beast Returned with a Dragon Chapter 63 - I’d Like Something a Bit Sweet

Belquior arrived in the backyard of Eun-sae’s house.

“Oh—uh, y-you’re here, sir!”

Seo Horang, who had been resting beside the mini World Tree, stood up awkwardly and greeted him.

Because of the World Tree’s energy, it wasn’t unusual to see Seo Horang or other Hunters resting nearby. Before anyone realized it, the spot beside the tree had become a kind of resting place for Hunters.

Belquior asked calmly,

“Where is she?”

“She’s inside the house!”

Even though he didn’t say her name, Seo Horang instantly understood he was asking about Eun-sae. After witnessing Belquior’s overwhelming power in the Daejeon Maze Dungeon, Horang was now perfectly disciplined around him.

He still couldn’t forget the sight of Belquior annihilating the demonic beasts in the “Haunted House” stage. Better not ever mess with him…

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel respect. How much training would a mage have to endure to reach that level?

Belquior caught the glimmer in Horang’s eyes and gave him a sideways glance before heading inside.

Every Hunter he passed on the way to the front door bowed politely to him. Their eyes, like Horang’s, were filled with a mix of respect and curiosity.

Strange.

Belquior found it odd. The same people who had once been uneasy around him now treated him warmly—just because they’d shared a dungeon together.

Is this the difference between humans and dragons?

The atmosphere felt far more relaxed than the first time they’d met, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, he saw Eun-sae with Byeol and Bomi in the living room, watching an animated movie.

“Eun-sae.”

“Oh, Lord Belquior, you’re back?”

“Daddy!”

Byeol toddled over and clung to Belquior’s leg. Usually, when she was with Eun-sae, she barely acknowledged him, but apparently, she had missed him during his absence.

“I just finished feeding the kids and sat down. Would you like to watch with us?”

Belquior studied Eun-sae’s face. Though she spoke cheerfully, the dark circles under her eyes and the tired look told another story.

She had been like this even before he left for his world. Stella Vaughn’s death had clearly taken a deep toll on her.

Belquior said nothing and quietly sat down beside them. Eun-sae resumed the movie she had paused.

The film was about a group of dinosaur friends struggling to survive against invaders from outer space.

The enemies turned out to be stronger than expected, and the dinosaurs suffered greatly. Only after a long, hard fight did they manage to reclaim Earth’s peace.

But the planet had become so devastated by the battle that, in the end, the dinosaurs all went extinct due to environmental destruction.

“Ah, wait—what kind of story is this…?”

Eun-sae looked flustered. She’d only picked it based on the star ratings and hadn’t expected such a grim plot. Inevitably, Byeol and Bomi burst into tears.

“The dinosaur friends… they died? Nooo…”

Beep—

Eun-sae quickly gathered the sniffly Byeol and Bomi into her arms to comfort them.

“It’s okay, Byeol, Bomi. The dinosaur friends will live forever in your hearts. But see? Now you understand how scary destroying the environment can be, right? So from now on, you two have to finish all your food, no wasting!”

“Yeees. We’ll eat it all. The dinosaur friends were so sad…”

Beep!

When Eun-sae picked them up and comforted them, Byeol and Bomi nodded obediently—but they were so shocked that their tears didn’t stop easily.

Holding both children in her arms, Eun-sae carried them to their room, laid them down on the bed, and pulled the blankets up over them.

“It’s late today, so let’s sleep now, okay? Byeol, Bomi, no more crying, hmm?”

As Eun-sae wiped their eyes and patted them gently, Byeol held her hand tightly and whispered,

“Noona, sing a lullaby.”

Beep—

“Should I? Okay.”

At Byeol’s request, Bomi rubbed her nose against Eun-sae’s hand in agreement. Smiling softly, Eun-sae patted them and began to sing.

Her clear, gentle voice filled the room, and soon the children who had been sniffling drifted off to sleep.

After finally soothing them, Eun-sae came out to the living room, where Belquior was sitting on the sofa. She approached quietly.

“Why did the World Tree call for you?”

“It wasn’t Yggdrasil who called. It was Sanchez. One of our kind is dead.”

“What?!”

Eun-sae couldn’t hide her shock. Weren’t dragons supposed to live for eons? If one had died, it must have been something serious.

“Um… are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just thought… you might feel sad.”

Eun-sae placed her hand over Belquior’s, her eyes full of sympathy. The size difference between their hands was striking.

Belquior looked down at her small hand resting on his and thought for a moment. He hadn’t meant to make her worry, but somehow, he had.

“He wasn’t someone I was close to. It’s just that… his end wasn’t a peaceful one.”

“How did he die?”

“He was killed by a Dragon Slayer.”

“What? Isn’t that dangerous?”

Eun-sae nearly jumped up. A Dragon Slayer was basically a dragon’s natural enemy—just like monsters and hunter-killers were the enemies of Hunters.

As if reading her thoughts, Belquior explained in a low, steady voice,

“Tadea was an ancient dragon—he’d lived thousands of years longer than I have.”

“I see…”

“Unless one is born with the destiny of a Dragon Slayer, no human can harm us. It is the law of nature and the order of the world.”

“That’s… amazing.”

The idea of being an absolute apex predator was overwhelming. So Tadea’s death must have been a choice, not a defeat.

Eun-sae looked down, her expression softening.

“Still… it’s sad. When someone you know dies, it feels like there’s a hole in your heart.”

“Are you speaking of yourself?”

“Yes…”

Eun-sae was still grieving Stella Vaughn’s death. As a Hunter, she had witnessed death countless times—but that never made it easier.

Couldn’t I have saved her? Wasn’t there something more I could’ve done?

Those thoughts kept floating in her mind. What hurt most was knowing she would never see her again.

Belquior stood and gently patted her shoulder, his face calm.

“Don’t lose yourself in grief. You have more to protect than you’ve lost.”

“Yes… You too, Lord Belquior—stay strong.”

Eun-sae smiled faintly at his quiet words of comfort. Belquior didn’t really need to “stay strong,” but he nodded anyway.

After a moment of watching her, he walked toward the kitchen.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“No! Wow, are you going to cook something delicious?”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Anything’s fine if you’re cooking. Let’s eat together.”

At her eager request, Belquior waved his hand, and ingredients floated out from the refrigerator.

Eun-sae sat at the table, watching him work. Flames flared up with a whoosh as cooking tools flew through the air, neatly landing in his hands.

Belquior seasoned jumbo shrimp with salt, pepper, white wine, and olive oil. He thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers and sautéed them in oil.

He cut fennel into wedges, blanched them briefly, then grilled them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

In another pan, he melted butter and sautéed minced shallots and garlic before adding the marinated shrimp. When everything was perfectly cooked, he plated the shrimp and fennel neatly and drizzled them with a garlic-lemon butter sauce.

Finally, he topped it off with parsley. The warm, nutty scent of lemon butter filled the air, making Eun-sae’s mouth water.

“It looks amazing!”

“It’s not done yet.”

He took out pork tenderloin, trimmed the fat and sinew, and seasoned it with rosemary, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

He quartered king oyster mushrooms and grilled them. The pork tenderloin went into a preheated 170°C oven until it was perfectly medium.

He whisked fresh cream with chopped rosemary, thyme, and a pinch of salt until thick, spooned it over the roasted pork, and finished with a drizzle of orange sauce.

In moments, a restaurant-worthy meal was ready. Eun-sae took out her phone and snapped pictures eagerly—it looked like art.

“Here. Eat.”

“Thank you for the meal!”

Seeing Eun-sae’s expression brighten a little, Belquior picked up his fork and knife as well. Eun-sae ate slowly, savoring every bite.

The tender pork filled her mouth with rich juices, while the orange sauce balanced the flavor with a refreshing finish.

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

“This is so good! Lord Belquior, you’re like a cooking genius!”

“You’ve got something there.”

Belquior reached out and wiped the corner of her mouth. Surprised by his sudden gesture, her face turned bright red.

“Oh no… that’s so embarrassing. I look ridiculous, eating like a kid.”

“I don’t think that at all.”

He was just grateful she could finally eat well again. She’d been barely touching her food lately, so seeing her regain her appetite eased his mind.

When they finished eating—Eun-sae practically cleaning her plate—she rolled up her sleeves energetically.

“I’ll make dessert!”

“Stay put.”

He pressed her shoulders gently back into the chair and, with a flick of his hand, summoned clean plates and utensils with magic.

Now, what dessert should he make?

Looking at Eun-sae’s face, Belquior made up his mind. Something sweet would be perfect.