Chapter 32: Yor’s First Birthday

I couldn’t keep holding the saliva-soaked orb any longer, so I went to the bathroom and washed it thoroughly.

After that, I handed what was probably the Yeouiju to the dragon’s front paw.

Yor played with the orb, tossing it up and catching it, then rolling it around on the bed.

Meanwhile, the tinkling sound of bells rang continuously.

“Yor, just in case, can you reduce the bell sound or make it so it doesn’t ring at all?”

“LFOH!”

Fortunately, Yor seemed to understand my words, answering spiritedly while gripping and shaking the Yeouiju with its front paw.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected much, but to my surprise, the sound stopped completely.

However, as soon as Yor started playing with the Yeouiju again, the bell sound returned. It must be that without the sound, it’s no fun for him.

Apparently, the bell sound coming from the Yeouiju suits Yor’s tastes.

Maybe he liked the sound he heard the moment he was born.

‘Well, as long as silent mode is possible, it doesn’t really matter.’

Considering the dragon makes cat sounds, it’s not surprising that the Yeouiju could also jingle bells.

Thinking this, I took a cake out of the Aether Mini Ice Maker and placed it on the table.

Yor flew through the air around me, circling as he clutched the Yeouiju with his front paw.

“LFLFLF~?”

‘Was he asking what that was? Or why I suddenly took out a cake?’

Faced with these two possibilities, I chose the latter.

Since Yor understood my words earlier and silenced the bell sound, it was clear he had basic knowledge.

“Today’s the day you were born, right? So I thought we should have a small celebration and prepared a birthday cake.”

I said this as I stuck a candle shaped like the number zero into the cake and lit it.

Yor watched the cake with bright, shining eyes but didn’t pounce on it.

That was truly a dignified attitude befitting a dragon.

“Now, blow out the candle!”

“Nya…?”

“Why?”

“Kyaoo~!”

For some reason, Yor angrily slapped the floor with his tail.

The mood had been good just moments ago, so I didn’t understand why he suddenly seemed upset.

“Is it because the candle is so pretty you don’t want to blow it out?”

“Kyaong!”

“No? Then do you want me to blow it out together with you? But today is Karvald’s birthday, not mine…”

“Ah!!”

“If not that… maybe, do you want a birthday song…?”

“Nyaang~!”

I found the answer after just three questions, but I wasn’t happy at all.

Because, as I mentioned a few chapters ago, my singing ability was terrible.

Back in school, whenever I had to sing for music evaluations, my classmates would laugh at me.

Maybe that trauma caused me to choke up nervously whenever I tried to sing.

It had been a long time ago, but even now, it still affected me.

“……”

“Nyaong, nyanya, myamyak nyaa…”

I was at a loss for words, just moving my lips, when Yor shook his head and muttered some incomprehensible sounds.

Then, he started singing the birthday song in his own meowing way.

I couldn’t help but be amazed.

‘Not only does he know the existence of the birthday song, but he can also sing it?’

Familiar must be much smarter creatures than I initially thought.

Or maybe it’s because this world is based on Korean fantasy novels, where the equation ‘dragon = intelligent and great being’ holds true.

“Yor, you just got born but you already know so much and can sing well? That’s really amazing~!”

After the song ended and Yor blew out the candle, I showered him with applause and praise.

Since I couldn’t sing the birthday song myself, this was the least I could do.

Yor seemed to appreciate my efforts, smiling happily and wagging his tail.

“By the way, I’m really glad that familiars can eat the same food as people.”

“Myaang~!”

After sharing the cake peacefully with Yor, I cleaned up the table, washed up, and got ready for bed.

But I couldn’t fall asleep immediately.

There was something I needed to tell Yor.

“Yor, I’m happy you were born as a dragon. Of course, even if you were born in the form of a small wildcat, like Karvald’s familiar in the original story, I would have liked you. But… as I said earlier, my real name means ‘dragon’—it’s ‘Mir.’”

With only a small night lamp lit, I perched on the bed and opened my mouth.

“The fact that you were born in a dragon’s form must be because of me. I’ve only been in this world for just over two months, and the time I’ve supplied you with Aether is only about that long, too. Honestly, I don’t really know how this happened. I just vaguely guess that it’s because you accepted ‘me’ as your master, not ‘Karvald.’”

“Aeoong~.”

Yor curled up on the cat cushion on the bed and let out a long meow.

It was ambiguous to say it was an expression of affirmation, but it definitely wasn’t a denial.

Perhaps Yor himself didn’t know the exact answer.

“You’re not Karvald’s familiar, you’re my familiar. The fact that you were born as a dragon is proof of that.”

“LFO!”

My words might have sounded possessive depending on how you listened.

Still, Yor smiled brightly at me and responded cheerfully.

I gently patted the baby dragon’s head and got to the main point.

“But no one else knows that. It’s a secret that I’m not the real Karvald, so everyone will be puzzled by your appearance.”

No matter how much Yor makes cat sounds, there’s no way anyone would mistake him for a feline predator.

Moreover…

“Your sky-blue eyes will also be a problem.”

“Myaa…?”

Yor tilted his head in confusion.

His innocent expression made me bite my lips in guilt.

Was it right to tell this young familiar such things? But I had to.

‘He needs to be mentally prepared in advance to lessen the hurt.’

Looking into those eyes colored like the clear blue sky unsettled me.

Because those were the very same eyes I used to see in the mirror before this possession.

According to my mother, my father was a pure Korean.

My mother was the same.

‘So the reason I was born with blue eyes was simply due to a lack of melanin pigment!’

But people assumed my father was foreign and spread rumors recklessly.

I won’t go into specifics, but it was definitely not something to be said in front of a child.

Yet people didn’t know how to hold their tongues even though they knew I was listening.

So my mother and I were always apologizing to each other.

There were people who hurt us, but we always blamed ourselves.

Because I had the “wrong” mother, because my eyes were like that, because people said so.

That’s partly why I was bullied at school.

My blue eyes made me stand out, and the rumors said my father was absent, and my attitude was oddly timid.

I was easy to pick on and torment.

Determined not to take it lying down, I tried to change my timid attitude, fighting back desperately—but it was no use.

I managed somehow until middle school…

Anyway, the reason I told Yor that his eye color could be a problem was from my own experience.

I was exposed to prejudiced gazes and finger-pointing without any preparation.

My mother told me many things later on,

“Don’t listen to what others say,” or “Your eyes are the clear and beautiful color of the sky,”

“Mom always loves you and never resents you. Mom is the one who’s sorry,”

and so on.

But no words could comfort me.

No matter how kind, words couldn’t heal a wounded heart.

That’s why I decided to prepare a shield in advance.

“It’s not that your eye color is really a problem. But people might talk carelessly, so I want to tell you beforehand not to get confused by it.”

“……”

Yor stared at me with an unreadable expression.

Maybe because he’s a dragon, he didn’t even blink.

That made it even more overwhelming.

“It’s because this vessel is a member of House Austri. The family is born with purple Aether and purple eyes, and they take great pride in this tradition. Their familiars also have purple Aether and take the form of feline predators. So…”

The fact that the familiar was born in a dragon’s form and had sky-blue Aether was completely unexpected, so I struggled to put it into words.

I didn’t even know where to begin or end.

“Nyananyang, nyaang~”

Maybe sensing my frustration, Yor lightly wrapped himself around me, rested his head on my shoulder, and gently tapped my back with his tail.

The meaning of this gesture was crystal clear.

I don’t even remember how long it had been since someone embraced me like this.

I almost cried from the unexpected comfort.

Actually, I think some tears did fall.

And then I realized.

Though I brought up this topic out of concern for Yor, underneath it all was my own anxiety.

“Sorry for suddenly bringing up something uncomfortable and hard to understand. I want to protect you, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to. I’m scared you’ll get hurt in the end and regret choosing me as your master.”

I honestly confessed what I’d just realized.

Yor purred softly, and it sounded like he was saying it was okay.

The original Karvald was such a foolish and stupid character.

How could he hate such a lovable being?

If he hadn’t, he might have found comfort through his familiar.

I’m still lacking in many ways, but I’ll do my best. So let’s get along from now on. You and I, “As master and family.”

“Nyananyang, nyanyang, nyaaa, nyaang~!”

Yor babbled something at length, but I couldn’t understand a word.

He seemed excited, but I didn’t know why.

Anyway, it was clear he wasn’t saying no.

‘That’s enough.’