Sakatsuki wasn't joking in the slightest. The moment they returned to the room, he ignored the dragon's feigned indifference, forcibly pulled Draco out from the shadows of the imaginary numbers, and pinned her down harshly onto the bed.
This was the first time he had ever treated Draco like this.
"Speak. It was you, wasn't it?" Sakatsuki reverted to his youthful form, his coldly smiling face drawing close. "First, you shifted the punishment onto me, then secretly added it back in. Do you have any idea how lucky we were this time? If Mordred or Artoria had drawn that punishment, this entire island would have sunk?!"
There was no room for humor here. The reason Sakatsuki had deleted that punishment was precisely because it was far too dangerous. A single misstep could have strained the relationships between the Servants or even incited chaos.
Draco absolutely understood this—yet she had still added the punishment back in. The implications were severe, leaving no space for jokes.
This determined the attitude Sakatsuki had to take with her.
"So what if it was me? Hmph… let go of me!" Draco struggled, but Sakatsuki's strength surpassed hers, leaving her momentarily immobilized. "This is who I am. Have you not realized my true nature after all this time by my side?"
Unable to break free, she gave up, her arms pinned to the bed, chest rising and falling faintly. Yet her wine-dark eyes remained stubbornly fixed on him, a flickering light hidden deep within.
"Or… have you grown weary of me now?"
The moment those words left her lips, Draco clearly felt Sakatsuki stiffen, his gaze piercing her with disbelief.
So, had she struck a nerve?
The light in her eyes dimmed. Draco pressed her lips together and turned her face away.
"I see… Very well. I shall return to the shadow of imaginary numbers and slumber until the day you perish."
"What the hell are you saying, Draco?!" A cold voice cut through the air. Before she knew it, Draco felt herself being tossed to the center of the bed. The man removed his shoes and loomed over her with unprecedented aggression, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"From start to finish, I haven't understood a single word of your nonsense. So let me ask you this, Draco." The youth's eyes burned with suppressed fury, his voice straining for calm. "When you did this—was it calculated retaliation, or was it something you couldn't help?"
"What retaliation? I know nothing of the sort! I am Draco, the Beast of Sodom. Do I need a reason for my actions? Ha! Did you think too highly of me?!"
The golden-haired girl, unable to struggle free, twisted her head and bit down hard on Sakatsuki's arm—so hard that blood seeped between her teeth.
"Easy. That hurts."
Hearing this, Draco instinctively loosened her grip—only to immediately bite down again with renewed ferocity, her expression fierce yet tinged with a faint, hidden loneliness.
What had she been thinking when she did all this?
She had resolved from the beginning to accept the consequences of her loss. But just as she prepared to face her punishment, she saw Sakatsuki embrace the fallen Artoria, gently comforting Fujimaru Ritsuka.
The punishment was a bit excessive and shouldn't have been added—even she knew that. Yet, when that golden-haired Knight King leaned against Sakatsuki's shoulder, she had acted on impulse all the same.
How much of it was spite, and how much was simply being unable to hold back?
Draco didn't know. The only thing she was certain of was—
"I just… wanted you to stay with me!"
The words burst out as if in self-abandonment, and even Draco herself widened her eyes in shock. But before she could even process it, Sakatsuki had already opened his arms and pulled her into an embrace.
The young man's hold was firm, yet his movements were so gentle that Draco's thoughts froze in place. As her body temperature slowly rose, she heard Sakatsuki murmur with relief:
"I see… If that's all it is, then there's no problem."
"Mmm…" Draco squirmed in dissatisfaction at his words, but perhaps because she had finally felt a long-lost sense of security in his arms, she gradually stilled, clinging to the warmth as she listened to him.
"Do you know what I was worried about, Your Majesty? I feared that my Third Magic was incomplete—that it hadn't fully cleansed the corruption of 'Humanity's Evils.' So even if it wasn't your intention, you might still do something dangerous like this."
"And if the worst were to happen… No matter what, I'd have to take you somewhere secluded and care for you until you were completely free from the Beast's curse."
This was the truth—something Sakatsuki had already decided on his way back to the room.
What was the world of Ainsworths compared to Draco? Even if people mocked him for forsaking his kingdom for beauty, he wouldn't care.
The important thing was…
"Don't be afraid, Your Majesty." Leaning against the headboard, Sakatsuki's golden eyes brimmed with amusement as he met Draco's flushed gaze. "You're my shadow in the imaginary numbers—the one closest to me. How could I ever abandon you?"
There was only one reason the little red dragon had acted this way: a lack of security. And Sakatsuki's closeness with others had only deepened that fear.
So, he chose to openly reassure her.
"We still have a long life ahead of us. We can take it slow."
Watching Draco's expression shift from dejection to relaxation, then from relaxation to bashfulness, Sakatsuki smirked inwardly before adding with deliberate mischief—
"If you're willing… will you walk with me, Big Sister Draco~~"
The moment he called her "Big Sister," Sakatsuki shifted back into his youthful form, looking up at Draco—who was now even taller than him—with an expression that was as adorable (and devious) as could be.
B-Big Sister…?!
It seemed no one could resist Sakatsuki's "puppy-dog eyes" in this form. Artoria had fallen for it back then, and so had Illya. Now, a certain little red dragon followed in their footsteps, her mind utterly overwhelmed by that affectionate address.
Draco fell silent.
Draco's head began steaming.
Draco trembled and collapsed.
"Hey now, don't pass out on me." Sakatsuki reverted to his adult form, effortlessly scooping her up in his arms as he headed out.
"Let's go. If we don't start dinner soon, a hungry King of Knights is a terrifying sight."
Silently concealing the fact that he had utilized the Holy Grail system, Sakatsuki openly appeared before everyone with Draco nestled in his arms.
"Huh? What's going on here?" Illya ran up to Sakatsuki, curiously eyeing Draco who had buried her face in his chest and refused to look up. "This is the first time Draco-nee has come out in front of so many people."
Previously, she would only appear silently by Sakatsuki's side after the food was served.
"It's the last day, so you should help me out, right? Honestly, Draco's cooking is really good too."
Exchanging glances with Artoria, Sakatsuki finally earned a soft hum of approval from the King of Knights after his last remark.
If that's the case, I'll reluctantly acknowledge this dangerous individual.
"Hey, I've been curious from the start—what exactly is Draco-san to Sakatsuki-san?" Ritsuka, ever the troublemaker, asked, immediately causing the girl in Sakatsuki's arms to tremble slightly.
Draco really did amplify certain aspects of Nero's personality... Sakatsuki sighed inwardly, but he had no intention of hiding the truth.
"She's the person I've sworn to protect."
He was the one who saved Draco, so naturally, he would take responsibility for her.
Having openly declared their relationship, Sakatsuki smiled and calmly endured everyone's teasing before loudly announcing:
"Alright, let's start making dinner. Extra portions tonight!"
"Yay—!"
The teasing was soon drowned out by cheers. Hidden among the excited crowd, Draco secretly turned her lifted face to glance around before being drawn back to gaze at the young man holding her.
Her eyes sparkled like stars.
Perhaps no one noticed, but the reason Draco told the truth was because Sakatsuki had used the Holy Grail system to place a "must tell the truth" buff on her...
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹