Howard’s expression was grave as he opened his mouth to speak.
“And so…”
Amanda’s neck tensed as she waited for his words. Somehow, she felt a sense of foreboding from what she was about to hear from Howard.
“…To obtain the power of a dragon, human blood is needed.”
But Amanda didn’t immediately understand him.
‘Human…blood?’
She gave Howard a searching look, and he continued his words.
“You don’t understand what this means yet.”
“No.”
“Let me explain. A boy who inherits much of the dragon’s blood begins to manifest physical signs around the age of ten. The signs vary, but in Oliver’s case, his whole body turned pitch-black and then pale again.”
Upon hearing that, Amanda understood that Oliver truly did have the blood of a dragon. Although she still didn’t fully trust in Howard’s words yet, everything that she had wondered about lined up—the black scales on Oliver’s arm, Howard’s sudden consent to the couple’s marriage.
Amanda decided to listen further to the emperor’s words. She could make a judgment after she heard everything.
“When does one need human blood?”
“There’s no need for worry. They don’t have to keep feeding on blood. It only takes seven to ten days to wake up one’s ability, and it needn’t come from a living human being. The child may try to resist, but eventually the need will overwhelm them and they’ll be soaked in the craving of blood.”
The more Amanda heard, the more horrified she became. Howard seemed to be speaking from experience, and if her guess was right, then he was talking about Oliver.
In her mind’s eye, she imagined Oliver as a young boy, hungrily devouring red blood. A chill shivered in her heart. When she spoke, it was with a colder voice than before.
“That’s not what I meant. Why is something as sinister as human blood needed to awaken such a blessed power?”
“That it is a blessed power is correct…but the process of obtaining it, not so.”
“Those words—”
Howard interrupted Amanda and pointed to one of the paintings.
“What does this look like?”
She studied the macabre-looking scene and spoke in a cautious voice.
“The dragon…it looks like it’s dead.”
“And?”
“A man is eating something in front of the dragon’s body.”
“You see well.”
Howard looked satisfied, but Amanda was still unsettled. She did not misinterpret the painting, but she still didn’t understand what it meant.
“The man who first founded the Keith Empire was a skilled dragon hunter. After studying dragons for many years, he discovered a secret that only our family knows.”
“…?”
“The source of a dragon’s magic comes from its heart.”
As soon as Amanda heard those words, she grimaced.
‘Surely…’
She wondered if her suspicions were correct, but she waited for Howard’s last words. He gave a calm smile at the sight of her anxiously trembling red eyes.
“Yes, your feelings are correct. If you remove the heart of a dragon that is still breathing and eat it, you will absorb its power.”
“…!”
She was as stunned as if someone had struck her on the head. She had believed the myth that a child born between the union of human and dragon would have special abilities.
But that wasn’t the truth. The man in the painting looked consumed with greed as he ate the dragon’s heart. In order to satisfy his hunger, he did not hesitate to cross the line into a sinful act.
“Because of that, the dying dragon left a curse on our family. Anyone who inherits its blood would be consumed with madness and a thirst for blood.”
Amanda’s eyes widened to the point where they could not widen anymore.
She remembered how the previous emperors conquered other kingdoms and created a history of blood and war. According to Howard, it was because of the dragon’s last curse.
Goosebumps pricked on her flesh. This was completely different from what Amanda had known.
“So you’re telling me that human blood must be fed to a child?”
“Yes. The more power is inherited from the dragon, the stronger the craving of blood. And if something is wrong with the body, one must be fed blood as well.”
“…”
“Do you know what Oliver said when he was a child?”
“…?”
“He said he was a monster. Ha ha ha.”
Howard gave a sardonic chuckle, but Amanda wasn’t amused at all. She remembered what Oliver had said to her.
—Let me ask you this. You know about the prophecy regarding my first bride. Do you have any regrets about your decision? And you know…I could be a monster.
The first time they met, Oliver had said these words with an expression of loneliness on his face.
— Think carefully before you answer the question. This may be your last chance to escape.
Not only that, but he had spoken disparagingly of himself.
—Didn’t you read fairy tales when you were a child? Monsters…aren’t killed easily.
Amanda had replied, wondering why he had said it.
—It may not be easy to kill you, but that doesn’t mean you have two lives.
—I’m afraid I can’t hear your words.
She understood now why Oliver called himself a monster. He despised the blood that coursed through his body.
As Amanda recollected her interactions with Oliver in the past, Howard’s voice turned to displeasure.
“To say he’s a monster, it’s absurd.”
Howard seemed to have a completely different viewpoint from Oliver.
“He cannot appreciate the blessing that’s been given to him. No matter how much I desire it, I cannot have it for myself.”
Howard’s face was despondent. Having that power did not unconditionally make one heir to the throne, but Howard, however, immediately made Oliver the crown prince as soon as he discovered his ability.
It was because…
“Father…do you truly want to be like that?”