His Breeding Obsession

At the same time, the morale leaking from him disappeared as if it had been washed away.

Malandor reacted calmly as if he had been furious, as the crow scarcely lifted its head.

“I am left with additional work if I killed the one I created with my own hands. Move aside so that I can go and return before it’s too late.”

As the crow whistled and took flight, Malandor drew space with his finger.

At first, there was no change, but soon the space was torn apart, and bright red heat gushed out from the gap.

It was the ability that only he could do in this world.

Malandor, who connected the space of the dark world and the human world, walked into the open space.

In the place where Malandor had disappeared, the tail feathers of the crow left by his window were rustling in the wind.

Malandor stepped on the dark red ground of the Dark World, which had been burned by sulfur fire.

The spirits who were laying on the ground screamed and plunged into the underground.

The black-skinned dark folk stiffened at the sight of Malandor and collapsed to the ground.

Malandor passed through the dark men who bowed their heads and arrived at the king’s chambers.

Bang!

When the door cracked open, a man waiting inside like a pillar greeted Malandor with a polite wave of his arm.

“You are welcome, Malandor. I was waiting.”

The man called the owner of the black room and the king of the dark world had red hair like Malandor.

His long hair swayed along with his movements as if it were going to be dragged down the ground.

Malandor, perched on a large black velvet chair, snapped his foot.

“Just tell me your business.”

The king did not respond to Malandor’s words, but plucked a feather from the crow’s wing and threw it into the air. Malandor squinted at the feathers.

The feather flew through the air and soon fell to the ground. For a moment, time seemed to have stopped.

A strange smile spread across the king’s mouth, who had not taken his gaze off until the feathers fell.

“If you don’t start talking, I will leave,” said Malandor.

“You know what? Before Malandor came, these feathers took a very long time to reach the ground.”

Malandor confronted the king with a bizarre countenance.

The king picked up the feather from the floor and stood upright.

Since all dark people resemble the beginning, the king was dark-skinned and had red eyes.

“The Dark Territory, where the darkness vacates, becomes disorderly, then more and more broken, and finally collapses completely.”

“…”

“Please stop going to foreign lands and return to your original seat, Lord Malandor. No, lord of all dark people. Haven’t you been living in the forest for hundreds of years already? If this continues, the Dark World will collapse.”

Malandor rested his fingers on his temple and replied nonchalantly.

“I’ll be back before it collapses.” 

“That answer is not what I was hoping for.”

“The answer remains the same,” said Malandor.

“Is it because of the Great Witch? Is she the problem? So, if she goes to her eternal rest, will she return?”

Not liking the King’s question, Malandor’s expression crumpled. 

As the king continued to stare, Malandor answered.

“… Yes.”

“All right. After all, there isn’t much time left for the Great Witch. That much can wait.”

“Did you just call to confirm that?”

Malandor’s eyes sank, and dark energy crawled out like a shadow under his feet.

However, the king was different from the ordinary dark people.

He accepted Malandor’s wrath without trembling or falling.

When Malandor, who had become agitated, withdrew his energy, the king firmly clasps the crow’s wing.

“I earnestly ask you to remember this one thing. The dark world can only exist because of you, the darkness.”

“I know.”

“It seems like you keep forgetting.”

“…”

“Just as the existence of nature and life is indispensable in the human world, so is Malandor in the dark world.”

The last words pierced Malandor’s ears.

“Every life has a limit and a meaning of existence. No one can transcend the limits and deny the significance of existence. There will only be suffering if you forget what we should not forget.”

Although the title ‘Duke of the Dark World’ had no particular significance within the Dark World, he was well-known outside of it as an eccentric figure.

Unlike the human world, whether it was a Duke or a King was not so important.

Malandor, the indisputable ruler of the Dark World, the lone irreplaceable being in charge of maintaining order therein, nodded heavily in response to the king’s direct stare.

Limitations of all living things.

His limitation was that he was at odds with the existence of nature.

A bitter laugh broke out.

‘It stabs the sore spot.’ Malandor thought inwardly.

The anger rising from my heart right now wasn’t rational, so I didn’t dare to show it.

What the king wanted to say was that no matter how much he wanted Mirania, nothing would change.

Malandor said stiffly, glaring at the King, who tried to remind him of the disgusting fact that he couldn’t have her by his side forever.

“Until Mirania goes to her rest. Wait until then,” said Malandor.

The king, who had received a definite answer, only bowed his head deeply in relief in the face of Malandor’s cold gaze.

⚝

The sky was stunning and mildly cloudy on the day of the celebration.

As the evening sun fell, the sound of horseshoes clattered in front of the house.

When Mirania, fully dressed, walked out the front door, Cosa smiled broadly.

“Mirania! I’m here to pick you up!”

The coachman politely opened the door.

Mirania took the coachman’s hand and was about to climb into the carriage when Grecan approached and lifted her, and made the coachman’s hand out of reach.

Mirania, who was carried into the carriage in an instant, blinked, and Grecan smiled innocently. Then he flings and sits next to Mirania.

Cosa’s elongated neck looked around and tilted her head.

“By the way, what about Malandor?”

Mirania recalled the secret uninvited guest who visited the mansion last night.

Although it had the appearance of a beast, it was a creature of the dark world that carried the thick shadow of the dark world like a tail.

‘That spirit must have been a guest at the mansion or Malandor.’

Malandor, as was to be expected, vanished from his room that evening and failed to appear when it was time to leave for the party.

“No.”

“Yes?”

“He was away for personal reasons. Does it matter if he doesn’t exist?”

For Mirania, the most important thing was whether she could meet Alice at this party.

Whether or not Malandor accompanied them would not have any effect, but Cosa’s reaction was quite strange.

“How could he do this?”

Cosa rolled her feet in resentment.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Mirania asked, and Cosa blinked. As if watching, Mirania’s reaction.

Cosa hesitated, grinned awkwardly, and mumbled, “Then when you guys came to the salon. That day, I received a lot of inquiries. Almost as much as when His Highness the Crown Prince came to visit!”

When Mirania’s eyes met Cosa’s, with her hands outstretched in excitement, she curled them like bent flour cookies.

“Unaware of it, rumors about Malandor and Grecan circulated. People are standing by to greet you. A disappointed grumble will pierce my ears if Malandor doesn’t appear.”

“Humans are so…”

Mirania, who was about to say that it was unusual, suddenly thought of the witches in the witch castle whose eyes were shining brightly looking at Leverianz and Grecan and shut her mouth.

‘Everywhere I go, it makes no difference.’

Mirania crossed her arms and kept her mouth shut after realizing that there are only disparities in races and that intellectual bodies’ lives are somewhat similar.

Cosa licked her lips and said, “By the way, Grecan seems to be in a good mood.”

When Mirania heard that, she turned to Grecan.

As expected, Grecan was smiling brightly, but when Mirania’s eyes focused on him, the corner of his mouth lowered.

“You look more handsome when you smile.”

Mirania glanced at Cosa while chattering incoherently, picturing a madman.

“What a relief. Even though it was late, I was able to find clothes that fit Grecan. I was sorry to contact you at dawn, but now that I see it, it was the best decision I made. Wearing clothes that fit perfectly, you really look like a wild northern warrior.”

Before more disconcerting words could flow from Cosa’s lips, who was appreciating Grecan, Mirania set off the carriage.

The carriage became quiet as Cosa headed to the coachman’s seat, saying, “I should help guide the way.”

In a calm atmosphere for the first time in a while, Mirania thought about what to do if she met Alice.

I’ve never met Alice separately so far, so the number of cases I could think of was very limited.

For some reason, Alice hadn’t shown until Grecan and Leverianz appeared.

Just as Mirania was concerned about harming her.

‘I’m guessing he’s going to keep her hidden.’

Like a treasure chest that shouldn’t be looted.

To put it mildly, Alice was a precious being that was difficult to meet, like wild ginseng in the mountains that humans say. Especially for Mirania.

‘Let’s just meet. I wouldn’t mind kidnapping her at all. The first is difficult, the second is easy.’

In a moment, I could blind everyone and kidnap her at the party.

Mirania was lost in thought with her finger tapping her chin, seriously considering it, but it bothered her that the imperial palace was the party venue.