The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL] - Chapter 191

Chapter 191: With What?
Now, pray tell, which idiot would be willing to explain what “degenerate” means?

Moreover, who in their right mind would be willing to admit that to their own boss?

Riley’s mind raced as the golden lizard in front of him looked far too expectant, waiting for an explanation that he clearly assumed would be easy to describe.

Then again, what was so hard about saying that it generally meant a lowlife—a disgrace to society, his family, himself, and definitely his cows?

Riley grimaced. His mouth opened once, closed, then opened again as though his brain had gone on strike.

“Explain,” said Kael at last, tone clipped and flat, the kind of voice that could start wars if he wanted to.

Riley flinched, dragging his palms down his face. “I can’t believe this. This was exactly what I was avoiding…” he muttered into his hands.

Kael blinked once. “Is this another illness?”

“No,” Riley groaned, shaking his head in despair. “No, it’s not a sickness, it’s worse. It’s moral decay.”

The dragon lord stared. “Explain.”

Riley looked up at the ceiling as though praying for deliverance. “Fine. A degenerate,” he began dramatically, “is basically someone who has fallen so far from grace that they’d need to be excavated from the bottom of the pit. It’s someone who has sunk lower than low and should probably be exorcised for the sake of public peace.”

Kael blinked again, completely unfazed. “So, a criminal?”

Riley’s mouth opened. “No, not—well, kind of—but no! Not in that way! Or at least not yet. But in a way, they’re probably this close to being one. It’s more like—like someone whose actions are so morally compromised that they should probably be banned from existing in a decent society!”

Kael tilted his head slightly, clearly unimpressed. “Did you kill someone?”

“What?!” Riley nearly choked. “No! Of course not!”

“Other than the one we found inside your bag,” Kael clarified calmly.

Riley froze. “That—That doesn’t count! That was self-defense! Also, it was the bag that ended him!”

Kael gave him a look that said he wasn’t convinced. “Then what? Because with that fragile body,” he said, completely serious, “who could you possibly kill?”

Riley pointed at him. “That’s not the point! And it’s not just about killing! T-that’s an actual crime!”

Kael frowned. “Then what is? If it’s just about doing things that are considered a disgrace to society, then aren’t most ancients degenerates by human standards?”

Riley lowered his hand slowly, face blank, eyes dead. Maybe they were all just degenerates here.

Kael continued, thoughtful now. “After all, we destroy cities, fight for centuries, and hoard resources. By your definition, most of us would qualify.”

Riley’s soul left his body.

“No, see, while that’s definitely bad, too. It’s really just not the same thing!” he said, clutching his head. “Degenerate doesn’t mean powerful. In truth, it’s so much closer to pathetic.”

Kael looked at him for a moment, quiet, before saying, “So you are calling yourself pathetic.”

Riley groaned into his hands again. “Yes! See, this is exactly why I need a vacation.”

Frankly, the disgruntled human was sure it would be much easier to inform Kael that he’d killed someone rather than this, but now that it’s been opened, there was really no way the dragon lord would let go of the topic easily.

And frankly, Riley didn’t feel that inclined to lie about the issue.

It was one thing to attempt to fix things back when Kael didn’t know about it, but Riley figured he wouldn’t like it if the golden lizard lied to his face.

Though at times like this, he somehow wished the sigil was still present, because at least like this, even if the guy ended up too offended, then he’d still be able to live.

“I need a vacation because I’m trying to see if this moral decay could be stopped,” Riley said, eyes wide as if he were confessing a terminal disease.

“If it’s moral decay, then why would you need to fix it elsewhere? Or is that another curse you’re hiding?” Kael asked, voice flat, eyebrow raising the smallest fraction.

“Great Sir, since when did I hide a curse from you? Also, it cannot be solved while being here. Even the study isn’t safe anymore,” Riley blurted, flapping a hand toward the floor as if that explained anything.

“The study? This study?” Kael’s eyes slitted. He leaned forward, suddenly alert. “Riley, are you under attack?”

“No! It’s the traces, just the traces you leave,” Riley said, frantic.

“So you’re saying I’m the one making you feel unsafe?” Kael asked, too calmly.

“No. If anything, I’m the one you should probably be careful of. I’m the one who’d probably attack you!” Riley announced, voice pitched somewhere between disbelief and mortification. He turned his face away, willing lightning, or at least a mild embarrassment-induced blackout.

“You? Attack me?”

“With what?”

Kael’s tone should have sounded like mockery. To anyone else, it would have.

But Riley knew better. The golden lizard genuinely didn’t understand.

“What?” Kael asked again, calmly. “Are you not going to tell me after all this?”

Riley froze. “No. I’m going to tell you. B-but you have to promise me that even if it angers you, frustrates you, and by any chance you feel the need to incinerate me or fold me into eighths, you’d try not to do it.”

Kael blinked. “Fold you into eighths?”

“Yes, fold me eight times, or sixteen, or god knows how many!”

“I’m coming clean, alright? And I believe I haven’t really fallen that far into the abyss yet!” Riley said in a rush, every word tumbling over the next like a confession gone wrong.

The dragon lord sighed softly. “Fine. I promise.”

He did not, however, expect the twig to suddenly turn red in the face and start fidgeting like a child about to explode.

“?”

Riley’s cheeks puffed, and his lips pressed together as if his brain had short-circuited. Then it all came spilling out in the only way his poor brain could make sense of it.

“I—I, a concerned citizen and a person who really values morals and right conduct,” he began dramatically, “was extremely concerned that I might end up attacking you with my very own body, which would likely result in stealing something that is very important and shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

Kael’s brow slowly rose with every word.

“?”

“And just how could you possibly attack me with that body?” he asked.

“Wi—with my wiles,” Riley muttered, voice getting smaller with every word. “I might just end up attacking you at night, bedding you, and then things here and there would happen, and—what do you know—bam! Mortal sin.”

There was silence. A very long silence that the trembling aide could’ve only wished to stretch into the great afterlife.

Riley looked (and definitely felt) like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

Kael looked like he wanted to laugh, but wasn’t entirely sure if that would make things worse because those words weren’t exactly comprehensible.

Then he said, slow and allegedly unamused, “What? Your wiles?”

“…”

“…”

Riley’s eyes widened. He looked at Kael’s face—that was currently an infuriating mix of curiosity and disbelief—and nearly combusted on the spot.

“Yes! Damn you! You might not take that seriously, but I’ll have you know that I’m pretty confident about my w-wiles, thank you very much!” he snapped, face and body scarlet.

After seeing what he’s been allowed to do, how could Riley not feel the grave threat that was his existence?

While he sure wasn’t on the same level as these insane beauties, for some reason, a certain someone who had the gall to mock him was actually the weakest to his detestable charm!

“Mortal sin?” Kael repeated, his tone flat, patient, and somehow more insulting than any mockery could have been.

“Riley, if you’re going to make up excuses just to run away, shouldn’t you come up with something that makes actual sense? What does any of that have to do with being a degenerate?”

“Gaaaaah!” Riley’s yell cracked mid-scream, his voice full of desperation and doom. “Y-you! Listen here!”

Kael straightened slightly, more amused than alarmed.

“I am this close—this close—to committing a mortal sin by inexplicably desiring to fucking copulate with someone who already has a mate!” Riley blurted, his hands flailing as his voice hit an octave not meant for human throats.

The study went completely still.

Then Kael’s jaw tensed. His golden eyes narrowed, sharp and dangerous.

“Who?” he asked, low and deadly. “Who are you planning to mate with?”

Riley stared at him, stunned. “Oh my god, I might actually die from this.”

He sucked in a shaky breath, pointed an accusatory finger, and shouted, “It’s you! You doofus!”

Silence again.

Riley squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for death, combustion, or maybe both.

But instead, the dragon lord—whose expression had been unreadable only a moment ago—relaxed. His shoulders lowered, and his gaze softened into something calm.

And with a tone so casual it was almost infuriating, he said, “Then mate with me.”