Ramiro narrowed his eyes. "The forest?"
Luzia crossed her arms, raising a brow. "Yes, Father. You know, that big area with trees and wild things? The one that surrounds our very ho?"
Ramiro sighed, running a hand down his face. "I know what a forest is, Luzia. But you’re telling you simply picked up a dragon like one might pick up a stray dog?"
Luzia shrugged. "Pretty much."
Esteban, who had been wisely silent until now, finally spoke up, his voice hesitant. "My lady... forgive , but even if that is true, you must understand the weight of this. Dragons are not re creatures to be found wandering the woods. If this one was there, it must have had a reason."
Elena, still staring wide-eyed at Roldan, whispered, "Or soone must have left him there."
Luzia glanced at her but remained silent. Well... not exactly. But I can’t tell them the truth.
Ramiro’s gaze flicked toward Roldan’s slumped form, exhaustion clear in the small dragon’s delicate features. His tail twitched slightly, curling around Luzia’s wrist in his sleep, as if anchoring himself to her.
Ramiro exhaled slowly. "Does it have a na?"
Luzia rolled her eyes. "Yes, he does. His na is Roldan. And he’s just a dragon."
Ramiro arched a brow. "Oh?"
Roldan stirred then, his red eyes fluttering open. He yawned—a surprisingly cat-like motion—before turning his head toward Ramiro.
The magic coming from this dragon... it’s the sa as the one I sensed in Luzia’s room... and near the old estate. Ramiro’s eyes darkened. Has this dragon been with my little one all this ti?
Roldan quickly looked away, his body tensing. Why is he staring at like that? This is getting weird.
Ramiro’s gaze lingered on the small dragon, his mind racing. Was it truly a coincidence that Luzia had found him in the forest?
Luzia shifted, sensing her father’s scrutiny. "What now?"
Ramiro didn’t answer imdiately. Instead, he leaned back, his fingers drumming against his thigh. "Tell , Luzia. Did you truly just stumble upon him?"
Luzia stiffened. "Yes."
Roldan’s tail twitched. She wasn’t exactly lying, but she wasn’t telling the whole truth either.
Ramiro’s voice was calm, but firm. "I don’t believe in coincidences, Luzia."
Roldan flicked his gaze back to Ramiro, uneasy. This man... he’s perceptive. Too perceptive.
Elena and Esteban exchanged wary glances.
Luzia clenched her jaw. She had hoped to avoid this conversation, at least for now. But Ramiro wasn’t one to let things go.
"Fine," she admitted, crossing her arms. "Roldan didn’t just appear out of nowhere. But I can’t tell you anything because... I really don’t know anything."
Ramiro’s brows shot up. "What are you blabbering about?"
Ramiro’s gaze sharpened, his fingers stopping their rhythmic drumming against his thigh. "You found a dragon, yet you know nothing?" His voice was calm, but suspicion laced every word.
Luzia t his stare, unwavering. "That’s what I said."
Roldan shifted slightly, pressing closer to Luzia as if sensing the rising tension in the room. His tail curled tighter around her wrist.
Ramiro exhaled through his nose, his keen eyes studying her carefully. She’s not lying... but she’s not telling everything either.
A beat of silence. Then, finally—
"Fine," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "I’ll let this go. For now."
Luzia’s lips curled into a victorious smirk. "So I can keep him?"
Ramiro pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "I didn’t say that."
Her smirk faltered. "But you did say you’d let it go."
"For now," he corrected, leveling her with a pointed look. "That doesn’t an I won’t be watching. Or that I trust this... situation." His gaze flickered to Roldan, who remained still but alert, his red eyes giving away nothing.
The small dragon’s tail twitched, as if unimpressed.
Luzia held Roldan closer, undeterred. "Then I’ll take that as a yes."
Ramiro sighed, shaking his head. "Do whatever you want. But don’t co crying to when this dragon turns out to be more than you bargained for."
Luzia scoffed. "I never do."
Ramiro gave her a long, knowing look before pushing himself to his feet. "Esteban. Elena." He turned to them, his tone unreadable. "Keep an eye on her. And the dragon."
"Yes, my lord," they answered in unison.
As he turned to leave, his gaze lingered on Roldan one last ti. It doesn’t seem to have ill intentions... it even healed .
Luzia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Roldan, still curled in her arms, let out a soft chuff. "That was... intense."
Luzia huffed a quiet laugh. "You have no idea."
For a mont, the room settled into an uneasy quiet. Ramiro’s gaze lingered on Roldan, his mind clearly still turning over unspoken thoughts. Esteban, remained alert. Even Elena seed reluctant to break the silence.
Then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from outside, snapping everyone’s attention toward the tent’s entrance.
The flap was pushed aside as a soldier stepped in, giving a swift salute. "Sir Esteban, we found them."
Behind him, two familiar figures entered—Aurelio and Stephan. Dust clung to their clothes, their expressions weary but sharp.
"Good," Esteban said with a nod, his expression with relief.
"Thank goodness," Elena muttered under her breath.
Aurelio and Stephan imdiately turned to Ramiro, bowing deeply. "Thank the Goddess you are safe, my lord."
Ramiro offered them a small smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. His gaze lingered on Aurelio for a mont, his expression unreadable.
"Aurelio... I trust you had your reasons for bringing Luzia to Tormar." His voice was calm, but there was a distinct weight behind his words. "We’ll discuss them later."
Aurelio stiffened slightly but nodded. "Of course, my lord."
"You may all leave."
They bowed and exited without another word.
Luzia, who had been watching the exchange, arched a brow. She could tell her father was angry about her being here. Well, I’m not dealing with that right now.
"Dad," she said, her voice shifting to sothing softer, "I’ll sleep next to you."
Ramiro’s gaze flicked to her, his expression unreadable before he exhaled. "Alright."
She stepped closer without hesitation, Roldan still curled in her arms, his warmth pressing against her.
Ramiro glanced at the small dragon before sighing in resignation. "Co on, then."
With a satisfied nod, Luzia lay beside him on the camp bed, Roldan nestled against her chest.
Ramiro settled in, but as he did, his gaze flickered to the small dragon. "Is it sleeping with us?"
"Yes," Luzia replied simply, adjusting slightly as Roldan’s tail curled around her wrist. She let out a content sigh, tension easing from her shoulders.
Ramiro watched her for a long mont before leaning back with a tired exhale. "Alright. Get so rest, Luzia."
"Not yet," she said. "I have so many questions."
Ramiro raised a brow, amused despite himself. "Ask away."
"Well, first of all, you didn’t cry. That’s a new developnt," she remarked, eyes sharp.
Ramiro blinked, caught off guard. "I... guess so." Did I cry that much?
Luzia snorted. "Okay, now for my actual question. You have Oblivion Magic, the strongest magic there is. Why didn’t you use it?"
Ramiro let out a slow breath. "For a battle like that, I had to consider my soldiers. If I used that level of magic, especially when I’m not in full control of it, it would cause mass destruction—not just to the enemy, but to my own n. And if I lost control completely..." His gaze flickered to her. "It wouldn’t just be the soldiers. The entire empire could suffer. And you live in this empire. So, mostly... it was because of you."
Silence stretched between them.
Luzia broke it first. "Dad... emotions and magic go hand in hand, right?"
Ramiro nodded. "Yes."
"The reason you cry so much... it’s because of my mom, isn’t it?"
Ramiro’s eyes widened slightly. "How did you...?"
Luzia’s expression didn’t waver. "Soone killed my mom. That’s why you lost control of your emotions. And since your magic is tied to your emotions, it spiraled with you." She tilted her head, watching him closely. "That ans you just need to redirect your emotions sowhere else."
Ramiro exhaled, a small, weary smile forming. "So?"
Luzia smirked. "Since I’m your one and only daughter, you should redirect it all to ."
Ramiro stared at her, expression unreadable. Then, after a long pause, he let out a quiet chuckle.
"You say that like it’s simple."
Luzia shrugged. "Because it is. You’re a grown man with dangerous magic, but you’re letting your emotions control you instead of the other way around."
Ramiro arched a brow. "And you think a ten-year-old knows better?"
"Yes." She didn’t even hesitate, eting his gaze head-on. "You’re too used to wallowing. I get it, Dad. You lost Mom. That’s never going to stop hurting. But you have a daughter, and I’m right here. So stop drowning in grief and redirect it like I said."
Ramiro exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. "You really don’t hold back, do you?"
"I don’t see the point," she said flatly. "And neither should you."
Roldan let out a quiet chuff, lifting his head slightly to glance between them.
Ramiro let his hand fall away from his face, studying his daughter. There was sothing unshakable about her, sothing sharp and relentless. And she wasn’t wrong.
"I’ll think about it," he finally said.
Luzia narrowed her eyes. "No, you’ll do it."
Ramiro shook his head, but there was the ghost of a smirk on his lips. "You really are your mother’s daughter."
Luzia snorted. "You say that like I don’t already know."
Ramiro let out a quiet laugh, a genuine one this ti. He reached out, ruffling her hair in an uncharacteristically gentle gesture. "Go to sleep, Luzia."
She huffed but didn’t pull away. "No. Tell about my mom."
Ramiro’s smirk faded, his fingers stilling against her hair.
Luzia swallowed. I never got to know anything about her... apart from the fact that she was Luzia’s mom. Actually... I guess she’s my mom now, since I’m Luzia now.
She looked up at him expectantly. "Well?"
Ramiro’s gaze softened, but there was a hesitation there, sothing guarded.
"She was..." He exhaled, as if the weight of the past was pressing against him. "She was my everything."
Luzia blinked. "That’s vague."
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