On that night of extreme joy turning to sorrow, Lorenz thought he was doomed.
His chest was ripped open by his beloved Galatea, and the dragon scales under his neck were mercilessly plucked off while they were still warm.
He lost consciousness amidst indescribable, intense pain.
When he woke up again, he was surprised to find himself bound to his own body.
In a strange, spiritual form.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get back into his body. This was the weakest Lorenz had ever been since birth.
It was under these circumstances that he heard Richard had killed Galer and taken his place as the leader of the entire dragon race.
Even so, the other person still came to visit him every day, carefully washing his body, then silently gazing at him, chattering on and on about extremely boring things.
At first, Lorenz, who was in a spirit state, was very dissatisfied with this.
He angrily swung his fist at the other man's head, mocking him maliciously, "How about it? Now that you see my miserable end, you're secretly very pleased with yourself, aren't you?"
But the other party was completely unaware.
Even after the torch went out, Richard remained seated in the cold, dark dragon cave until the moon rose before leaving.
Lorenz, of course, scoffed at this.
He never believed Richard's claims of liking him, because the dragon race could only ever have one king.
But time is the most magnificent magic, silently changing everything. As more than a thousand days and nights passed, fewer and fewer of his people came to visit his dragon cave.
It's as if the once great Prince Lorenz has now been forgotten forever.
Only Richard would still visit every afternoon without fail, silently replacing the burnt-out candles and dispelling the foul air in the cave.
Lorenz, however, had been increasingly looking forward to the afternoon, though he didn't know when it had started.
What particularly annoyed him was that Richard, who used to be so talkative and annoying, now spoke less and less when facing him.
"Rich, tell me more about what's happening outside." Seeing the desolate sorrow in the other's silver eyes, Lorenz felt a pang of pain in his heart and couldn't help but plead.
He was just talking to himself; there was nothing he could do anyway.
So much time has passed, and his initial fear and anger have long since subsided, allowing him to see the other person's true feelings.
Ironically, on this vast Dragon Island, where flattering dragons were as numerous as ants, the one who ultimately stayed by his side was the silver dragon, whom he had always been most wary of.
But to his surprise, the silver dragon sitting quietly in front of him spoke, and what it said shocked him.
"I've come to say goodbye," Richard said.
At that moment, Lorenz's soul seemed to teeter on the brink of collapse. He didn't know how to describe the emotions surging within him; he was filled with fear and dread, and a profound sorrow was suffocating him.
“No, Richie, don’t do this.” Lorenz was somewhat incoherent. “You can’t abandon me. You clearly said you liked me…”
Lorenz loathed himself for this, but he had no other choice but to use their past feelings to blackmail the other person.
In that instant, he suddenly realized that if the other party wanted to leave, he had no reason to stop them.
However, he then heard Richard add in a rambling tone: "I will go to Moonflower City and try to get into the Tower of All Laws. I don't know if there is a way to awaken you inside, but our battle with the Naga is extremely stalemate, and the seven elders are getting very impatient... In short, it can't get any worse than it is now, so I think it's worth a try."
The ramblings that he used to find annoying and bothersome now felt like spring rain nourishing his violent and anxious heart.
Lorenz didn't know how to describe the feeling of being torn between ice and fire in his heart at that moment.
Even after more than three years, and even when he had given up hope, the other party still hadn't given up on finding a way to wake him up.
At that moment, a strong desire suddenly welled up from the bottom of his heart, and he wanted to hold the other person tightly.
In the end, however, his soul missed its target and simply passed through the other person without any resistance.
Lorenz could only stare in despair at his pale, almost transparent hands, filled with regret and sorrow.
Richard said expressionlessly, "That's it. I still have a lot of preparations to make, so I won't keep you company today."
Having said that, the silver-haired youth in front of him stood up and, with his long, slender legs, left without looking back.
Lorenz longed for the other person to spend more time with him.
But he could only watch the other person's departing figure with reluctance.
He suppressed the growing unease in his heart and comforted himself:
It's okay, once Richie comes back, they can be together forever.
...
Despite his strong mental preparation, Lorenz gradually lost his initial confidence as time went by.
As time tarnished even the most exquisite jewels, and as the seasons relentlessly changed, he finally understood just how terrifying loneliness truly was.
He had long been forgotten by the world, and his only concern was that person.
I just don't know where the other end of my longing has drifted away to when it disappears into the clouds.
He couldn't stop complaining about Richard, who had been gone for so long without sending back a single word.
But in reality, he couldn't help but worry about the other person.
Humans are so cunning, and his Richie is so naive; they're bound to stumble and suffer many losses.
“You deserve to be punished! You must spend twice as much time with me, Richie.” Lorenz’s purple eyes flickered, but when he uttered the other’s name, they were filled with aggrieved sorrow.
"Rich." In the empty cave, he couldn't help but call out silently again, "If you don't come back soon, I'm really going to get angry."
But when Lorenz saw Richard again after being forgotten for nearly four hundred days, he couldn't muster any anger at all.
He couldn't help but lunge at the other person, only to miss, but he still smiled broadly, "Rich, you're finally back!"
It's quite amazing that, for the first time since its inception, Lorenz uttered a sigh without any utilitarian considerations.
Even if the other party gains nothing, he would be very satisfied as long as they could return to his side.
His Richie must have gone through something on the Continent of Elements; he seems more mature and more charming now.
only……
When Lorenz noticed the look in the other person's eyes, his previously excited heart suddenly tightened.
He didn't know when he had become so sensitive and vulnerable, but he noticed that when the other person looked at his body, the suppressed emotions that had previously made him feel at ease would completely disappear.
Perhaps the other person was just too tired, Lorenz thought.
He tried his best to control himself from overthinking. His Richie had loved him for so long, and it had only been a little over a year. How could anything have changed?
But soon, his fantasy was shattered by reality.
Suddenly, Green entered the cave and respectfully reported, "Your Highness Richard, we have settled the Green Glass person. Would you like to dine here?"
"No." Richard gestured with his chin, but then asked, "Where... cough, where have you placed him?"
"On the mountainside near Rose Salt Lake." Sensing the increasingly powerful pressure emanating from the silver dragon, the woman in green answered with even greater respect.
But Richard was clearly dissatisfied. "Why is it so far away from me? Just send it to my cave."
Green was somewhat surprised by what she heard. Before she could say anything, Richard had already walked past her, stood up, and headed out of the cave. "Never mind, you can leave now. I'll go get him myself."
After that, Greene cursed Lorenz with such venom that he could no longer recall the details.
All he knew was that when that damned Green Glass Man was mentioned, a dazzling smile suddenly bloomed on Richie's originally indifferent face.
That smile was fleeting, yet so gentle and vivid.
So much so that even he himself had never seen it on the other person's face.
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