THDG Chapter 5: Wishing for Happiness

The next day, the Dragon woke up in Elliot’s bed.

“Good morning, Dragon God-sama,” Elliot, who had been sitting at the writing desk, noticed immediately and came over to the bed. the Dragon was still naked, while Elliot was dressed in loose, comfortable clothes.

“…What time is it now?”

“It’s past one in the afternoon. Dragon God-sama──” Elliot leaned closer to the Dragon, “Are you feeling alright? I cleaned you up, but does anything hurt?”

“Everything from my waist down is completely immobile.”

“I… I’m so sorry…”

“My chest hurts too because you wouldn’t stop playing with it.”

“I’m truly sorry!”

Elliot hunched his large frame, looking nothing like the man who had relentlessly ravaged him the night before.

Relentlessly…

“…………”

Memories flooded back—how he had been taken without pause until morning, how he had tearfully begged, “P-Please… have mercy…♡” midway through, and how, despite his pleas, Elliot hadn’t stopped, leaving him nearly unconscious from overwhelming pleasure by the end.

He had planned to lead with the composure of an elder, but this… what a disgraceful state he was in.

“Dragon God-sama…?”

“…Forget it. Everything from last night—erase it.”

“No.”

“Wha…?”

“I saw a side of you I’d never seen before. There’s no way I could forget.”

He didn’t have the courage to ask, What kind of face was I making?

“You’re such a disobedient husband…” the Dragon glared at him from the bed. “I’m sorry,” Elliot apologized with utmost sincerity.

“In any case, I’ll be by your side all day today. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“What about your plans? What happened to them?”

“I postponed everything. I don’t have any training scheduled today, and there are no urgent matters to attend to.”

“…I see.”

As the hero who had defeated the Demon Beast King, Elliot was usually busy with various responsibilities. The fact that he had canceled everything to stay by the Dragon’s side made the fatigue in his body feel a little lighter.

Even though no healing had been done. It was strange.

“Well then… sorry, Elliot.”

“Please call me ‘Elli.’ Like you did last night.”

“…………”

“Ah, my apologies. It was already this morning, wasn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

the Dragon deliberately replied coldly and asked, “Get me some water.”

Elliot immediately poured water from the pitcher on the side table—it hadn’t been there last night, so he must have had it brought in today—and supported the Dragon’s body to help him sit up.

As the Dragon sipped the lukewarm water, he noticed that Elliot’s hands supporting him felt much closer than they had yesterday. All it took was one night of intimacy. This, too, was strange.

“Anything else?”

“…No, this is enough for now.”

“Understood. Then, Dragon God-sama.”

“…?”

“I… I want to call you by your name.”

The Dragon looked at Elliot’s face.

This had been mentioned even before their marriage, but the name given to the Dragon in the dragon tongue was difficult for human vocal organs to pronounce. Besides, the Dragon was the only Dragon God living among humans now. Back then, he had brushed it off, saying “Dragon God-sama” was fine.

“Did I not tell you? My name is too complex for humans to pronounce.”

“Then, what about a name translated into human language?”

“…………”

“I want to call you by it too. Just like you called my name.”

When Elliot earnestly said he didn’t want to keep calling him “Dragon God-sama,” the Dragon fell into thought.

The Dragon tongue itself was a noble language. Translating it into human speech was unthinkable.

Last night, he had been reduced to a panting mess, his pride thoroughly shattered after a year of maintaining his dignified demeanor. But that was entirely Elliot’s fault for being, well, legendarily endowed. It wasn’t the Dragon’s fault at all. And really, what gave this 395 years younger upstart the right to act so high and mighty just because he was big in both stature and… other areas? The Dragon wanted to lecture him endlessly, but he wasn’t feeling well today, so he decided to let it slide.

“Lucheire.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t make me say it twice. My name is Lucheire. It means ‘radiant light.’”

“Lucheire-sama.”

Elliot, still supporting the Dragon’s body, repeated the name. “…It’s a beautiful name.”

The Dragon—no, Lucheire—silently drank his water.

“My name means ‘sun.’ It feels like fate, and it makes me happy.”

“…Is that so?”

“Lucheire-sama.”

“…?”

“…Ah, sorry. I just wanted to say your name.”

“…………”

Lucheire sipped from the cup. It was empty.

When asked, “Would you like more?” he handed the cup back to Elliot and said, “No, that’s enough.”

“Lucheire-sama. …I wish I’d asked sooner. Lucheire-sama.”

“…Elli.”

“Yes?”

“Never call me that in front of others. Understood?”

“Yes. But… why?”

There was no way Lucheire could admit that every time his name was called, he felt like grinning like a fool.

“If others call me by my name, my power weakens. If you want to save the world, never let anyone else know my name.”

“U-Understood.”

Elliot placed the cup on the table and bowed his head slightly, vowing to keep it in mind. When he asked, “Is it alright if I call you by it?” the Dragon replied, “You’re my husband, aren’t you?”

“Husband… yes. You’re right.”

Elliot’s rugged face softened ever so slightly.

the Dragon realized he was smiling and suddenly remembered yesterday’s events.

Elliot’s outing yesterday hadn’t been to meet a lover. So, what had he been doing?

On a whim, the Dragon decided to ask.

“Ah, that…” Elliot looked slightly awkward.

“I wanted to get you a gift for our wedding anniversary, but I couldn’t decide until the last minute… Then, I noticed your bangs were getting in the way while you were reading in the library, remember?”

“…Did they?”

“So, I went into town to find a hairpin for you──”

Elliot stepped away for a moment, returning with a small package from the writing desk drawer.

Prompted by him, the Dragon opened the package to find a hairpin inside. It was slender and simple in design, with a single red gem set into the golden base.

“After I got home, I realized this might be more of a feminine design. That’s why I was hesitating to give it to you.”

So, that was the reason for his suspicious behavior yesterday. the Dragon almost wanted to laugh.

All that worrying. All that turmoil.

All that—just to feel this overwhelmingly happy.

The red gem shifted between a soft orange and a vibrant yellow depending on the light. It reminded the Dragon of the sun, and suddenly, he found himself loving it.

After admiring the hairpin for a while, the Dragon poked Elliot’s arm.

“Will you put it on for me?”

“──Of course!”

Elliot nodded enthusiastically, taking the hairpin and carefully trying to secure the Dragon’s bangs. “Like this… huh? It’s harder than I thought…” After several adjustments, he finally declared, “Done!”

Though the Dragon was sure the hairpin was crooked from Elliot’s efforts, he found even that endearing.

Chuckling softly, the Dragon thanked his husband. “Thank you.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile, Lucheire-sama.”

“…………”

the Dragon touched his lips, realizing he had indeed been smiling. Flustered, he burrowed back under the sheets, pulling them over his head.

“Lucheire-sama?”

“…Quiet. Save those kinds of words for when you’ve lived a hundred years.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

Through the sheets, Elliot gently patted the Dragon’s head. “I’ll live a hundred years, or even hundreds more. As long as I’m with you.”

the Dragon held those words close to his heart.

Even if it was an impossible wish, he wanted to believe, just for now, that this happiness would last forever.

With that thought, the Dragon peeked out from under the sheets and ordered, “Hurry up and come here.”

“──Yes, Lucheire-sama.”

Elliot smiled and moved to embrace the Dragon from the side.

The warmth of his touch seemed to seep into the Dragon’s very core.

If the sun were to take human form, it would feel like this, the Dragon thought, as he hugged the warmth back.

The End