That Elusive and Mysterious Male Lead (19)

The dragon knights sensed the bone dragon’s frenzied agitation, and beneath that agitation, an unmistakable trace of fear. Undead, capable of fear? The dragon knights found it laughable, yet terrifying all the same.

"Wasn’t it said that dragons had vanished from the world long ago? So the rumors about the Kingdom of Valenriel worshipping the Dragon God were true," the knight clutching Deia muttered under his breath.

Deia, too, saw the Cupbearer.

She was resplendent in golden finery, seated serenely atop the head of a great black dragon—gold and black setting each other off perfectly. Her slender, pale fingers rested lightly on the dragon's horn, her posture effortless and at ease. The dragon's domineering aura lent her an almost divine presence, as though she radiated light.

"Charles."

Deia heard the young woman call out, then saw her casually pat the dragon’s horn and lean down to speak a few quiet words to the black dragon. To Deia’s astonishment, the creature obediently bore her downward.

Almost instantly, Deia’s gaze darted to Charles.

The handsome man’s eyes gleamed with light; the look he gave the young woman was impossibly gentle, a faint smile curving his lips as he waited for her to approach.

Jealousy and resentment coiled in Deia’s heart like venomous snakes.

"Ha! Looks like your former lover is running to a new one," the odious man sneered, stroking Deia’s cheek as he laughed. "Who is she? Strikingly beautiful, and she’s actually tamed a black dragon."

Deia clenched her teeth so tightly she barely restrained herself from uttering any poisonous words.

In a flash, the black dragon landed before Charles with the Cupbearer on its back. With a sweep of its tail, it cleared away all the enemy soldiers around Charles, then lowered its massive head. With a flick, the Cupbearer slid smoothly down from the dragon’s head.

She had only asked the dragon to help Charles, since he seemed gravely injured and surrounded by enemy soldiers. She hadn’t expected the big black dragon to toss her off so abruptly.

She lost her footing, slipping down, but Charles caught her in time, sparing her from falling.

"Big Black, what are you doing?" she quickly called out to the dragon.

The black dragon fixed her with a focused gaze, gently tapped her head with its claw, then shot Charles a cold look before spiraling upward. With a thunderous roar, it charged straight at the three bone dragons clustered together.

The dragon race possessed the hardest bodies— even reduced to mere bones, their collisions made one’s scalp prickle.

The Cupbearer’s brow furrowed tightly.

Charles was flooded with a thousand thoughts, but now was hardly the time for questions. Somehow, he understood what the black dragon had meant just now: protect her.

Seeing the Cupbearer’s worried gaze following the black dragon, Charles tried to reassure her. "Legend has it that black dragons are second only to gold dragons in strength. Their physical might may even surpass gold dragons. Those three bone dragons are no match for him—don’t worry."

"But he’s injured," she replied, eyes still fixed on the sky where the black dragon and the bone dragons clashed with terrifying, thunderous force.

Her heart was in her throat.

Seeing her so anxious, Charles felt a strange emptiness inside, but the situation allowed no time for reflection. With the black dragon joining the battle—and even gaining the upper hand against the three bone dragons—the Harman soldiers attacked with renewed frenzy. Many of them set their sights on the Cupbearer, since she had arrived with the black dragon, and it was clear the creature cared for her.

Charles’s burden grew suddenly heavier. With one sword stroke, he felled an oncoming soldier, then gripped the Cupbearer’s wrist. "This time, I will protect you."

Ding… World male lead identity unlocked. Male lead’s name: Daniel Charles.

"Wha…t?" The Cupbearer was stunned.

System: I don’t know! I really don’t—how could this happen? Wuwuwu~

Charles, thinking she hadn’t heard him, turned to find her frozen in shock. Assuming she was frightened by the bloodshed, his heart softened. He covered her eyes with one hand and whispered, "I’ll protect you. I swear on my honor as a knight, I will not let anyone harm you, not even a little."

"Don’t be afraid, my lady."

The Cupbearer: …